Just - If - I'd Blog

 " What is faith, if not fear's greatest adversary?" Recently, a Christian influencer posted that they had been re-baptized after changing their beliefs "from fear to faith". When asked the reasoning, they simply stated that when they were baptized as a child it was out of a heart of fear. Now, they have been baptized out of a heart of faith. I don't come here to bash on this action, or call it unscriptural or sin. I believe we should all follow the Holy Spirit's leading in our lives. If this influencer's platform is encouraging Christians to walk in faith instead of fear, may God direct their paths. But I have an argument to that line of thinking. I recently wrote a letter to a dear friend facing a tough time. In it was a line I wasn't quite sure of including: "Courage is  required - but only in the face of fear." I pined over this line for days, wondering if it held the truth I originally thought. This morning, the Lord saw fit to enl...

       I’d like to share the story in the Bible that inspired the name of this blog – Just-If-I'd.  In John 8:1-12, Christ exhibits an amazing amount of grace and forgiveness  towards a woman who was condemned to death.  This story is a beautiful picture  of the mercy, grace, and love we experience when we accept Jesus Christ  as our personal Savior, and the freedom from sin we can have  when we truly realize what He did for us as He died on the cross.  Just like the woman in this story, we can experience what it truly means to be Justified.      Please take a moment to read John 8:1-12. Right before this passage, we see that a group of Pharisees had just tried – and failed – to arrest Christ. They hated Jesus, and were willing to try anything to silence His teachings. But these Pharisees aren't the only people who had an important part to plan. There are four characters I'd like to point out here: the pharisees ...

This post was written in the midst of a dark time for our world. The original date was August of 2020. Please note that the listed applications are specified to what Christians were facing at that time. 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God hath not given us  the spirit of fear; but of power,  and of love, and of a sound mind." This verse does not say "God hath not given us the spirit of fear until... money is tight the world is a mess there's a toilet paper shortage there's a mask mandate people are rioting in the streets ... until a loved one gets sick." No. There are no stipulations. No protocols. No "case-by-case scenarios". No fear. Only power. Only love. Only a sound mind. Our focus is so skewed. When you first read this verse, what did you apply it to? Would I be too bold to assume that you applied it to some sort of trial in your life? Would it be brass of me to imply that you may have thought something along the lines of, "Oh yes, I do not need to ...

Are you trusting in the vanities of this world for your satisfaction? Ecclesiastes 1:2-3 "Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun?" Vanity - "Hebel" (הֶבֶל): emptiness  or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory ;                 altogether vain. All the things of this world will only bring emptiness and a continually unsatisfied spirit. Searching and seeking for even good and wholesome things is all vain. We  must  seek the Lord, and Him only . Matthew 6:25-34 "...Take no thought for your life... Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin... even Solomon in his glory was not arrayed like one of these... O ye of little faith... your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all thes...

What is the Ministry Lifestyle? Is everyone called to this way of life? How can I begin? Matthew 5:14-16 "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. What is the Ministry Lifestyle? In the simplest summary I can possibly muster, to live The Ministry Lifestyle is to be the light of the world. However, that is much more easily said than done. In this passage (known as The Sermon on the Mount ), Jesus Christ states, " Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid..." He is referring to the believer, to every born again Christian that has ever or ever will live. Christ, in His death on the cross, brought ...

Are you at your Wit's End? Please note that this article was written in July of 2020, and examples listed reflect what our nation was facing during that time. Psalm 107 "...their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble...  ...there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble...  ...they draw near unto the gates of death. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble...  ...[they] are at their wit's end.  Then  they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses..." I encourage you to read the entirety of this passage before continuing! You can find it here: Psalm 107:1-43 As human beings, we like to believe that we are independent. That we can "keep it all together" on our own. We try everything in our power to be self-sufficient, but true self-sufficiency is outside of our reach. We were created to be in need of a relati...