Posts tagged 'faith'

  • The Book of Galatians: Chapter 3 (verses 1–14)

    In Galatians chapter 2, having written that he had been crucified with Christ and that Christ lived within him, Paul stated that he lived by faith in the Son of God. He then moved on to chapter 3. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • What Is Faith?

    Someone who loves Jesus, yet has faced many difficulties and hardships, told me that she couldn’t help but wonder whether, if she just had greater faith, perhaps she wouldn’t have so many troubles. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Growing in Perseverance

    Someone recently shared with me about some very traumatic experiences that they and their team were facing as they carried on in their mission efforts to help others. It started me thinking about just how important ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Our God of Deliverance

    We are so blessed to have the King of the universe as our all in all. One wonderful way in which we experience His love is through the many beautiful promises in the Bible. We face many things in this life ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • 1 Thessalonians: Chapter 3

    Having fled Thessalonica due to persecution, the apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church and told them that he had made more than one attempt to return to them, but Satan hindered us.1 Paul and his companions, ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • 1 Thessalonians: Chapter 1

    The first of Paul’s and his partners’ letters to the Thessalonians is divided into five parts. The first part, the introduction (in 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10), is the shortest, containing ten verses. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • He’s Always There

    I find great comfort and inspiration in a beautiful poem by Annie Johnson Flint written in 1919 entitled “What God Hath Promised.” Before reading the poem, I thought it would be helpful to reflect a bit on her life story. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Reminding God

    More on the story of Jehoshaphat

    In one of my recent posts, entitled “Faith: Thanking God in Advance,” I told you how the story of Jehoshaphat has always meant a lot to me. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Better Days Ahead—Part 7

    —Rediscovering Joy

    As Christians, when we invite Jesus into our hearts and lives and are filled with the Holy Spirit, our lives change; we experience the joy of our salvation and rejoice ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Better Days Ahead—Part 6

    —Fight the Good Fight of Faith

    Following Jesus is not a passive, easy, feel-good hobby. It’s a challenge, a lifestyle, and a calling. We are blessed to know that our lives make a difference as we walk in obedience to God’s Word, ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Better Days Ahead—Part 5

    —Dealing with Disappointment

    Often when I’m having prayer time and meditating on God’s Word, I take some time to count my blessings and recall how God’s goodness has been manifested in my life. I feel so grateful. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Better Days Ahead—Part 4

    —Nurturing Mental and Emotional Well-being

    It is wonderful to know that no matter what is going on in our lives, we can trust Jesus and look to Him to establish our thoughts and guide our steps. The Bible says ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Better Days Ahead—Part 3

    —God’s Abundant Supply

    When Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray, He instructed them among other things to pray for the supply of their daily bread (or sustenance). Jesus experienced and understood ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Better Days Ahead—Part 2

    —Finding Comfort in Times of Loneliness

    When we find ourselves in one of the difficult seasons of life, this can often be accompanied by loneliness or a sense of being alone in our struggles. Feeling alone and isolated ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Better Days Ahead—Part 1

    —All Things Work Together for Good

    And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: The End of His …

    In John chapter 12, Jesus stated,

    “While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.1 ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • The Way He Sees You

    A friend who I’ve known for many years wrote me and asked for my help in answering a prison inmate named Jay who she was ministering to. He had written, saying:

    I struggle with anxious worries about my purpose. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Welcome, 2021!

    2020 has certainly been a year unlike any that most of us have experienced before. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many aspects of our lives, causing unexpected difficulties, challenges, and hardship. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: Healing of the Ten …

    The Gospel of Luke tells of an instance when Jesus healed ten people who were afflicted by leprosy, and what occurred afterward.

    On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • More Like Jesus: Reflections on Peace

    In the book of Galatians the apostle Paul lists the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and within that list is found peace. This peace is understood as an internal peace of heart, mind, and spirit which resides within Christians. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: Jesus and the Children

    Each of the three synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—tells of Jesus’ interaction with children who were brought to Him to receive His blessing. The account in the Gospel of Luke will be the focus here, ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • The Creed (Part 10)

    Having covered God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the creed moves on to the last four vital Christian beliefs. It states:

    We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
          We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • The Creed (Part 9)

    Having covered future events regarding Jesus’ return (or second coming), as well as His judgment of the living and the dead and His eternal kingdom, the creed moves on to address the Holy Spirit. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • The Creed (Part 8)

    Having previously addressed Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and His ascension to heaven, where He sits at the right hand of the Father, the creed moves on to address future events foretold in Scripture. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • The Creed (Part 7)

    Having covered the crucifixion, death, and burial of Jesus, the creed now moves on to His resurrection from the dead, ascension into heaven, and His enthronement at the Father’s right hand. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Thoughts on the King

    One question that could be asked regarding God’s gift of salvation is why God, who is all-powerful, had to send His beloved Son to earth to die for us in the greatest sacrifice of all time. Couldn’t He have just forgiven us ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Creed (Part 6)

    The previous part of this series about the Nicene-Constantinople Creed was focused on Jesus, who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven. The next lines of the creed focus on the main events of His birth, ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • The Creed (Part 5)

    After expressing Jesus’ deity as the Son of God, who is of the same essence as the Father, the creed then moves on to addressing Jesus’ humanity and the events of His life—the manner in which He died, His resurrection, ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Perfect Peace

    Biblical principles are timeless, because no matter what our circumstances or our age or the times we live in, they hold true as much today as ever. The Bible says that God wants to give us His perfect peace ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Creed (Part 4)

    Part three of this series of articles addressed the portion of the creed which refers to Jesus as One Lord Jesus Christ. We saw that Jesus is called Lord, which reflects His deity. His name, Jesus, points to Him being ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • The Creed (Part 3)

    In the previous article, we looked at the first clause in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan creed, I believe in one God, the Father Almighty. Here we’ll focus on the next phrase, Maker of Heaven and Earth, and of all things visible and invisible. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • The Creed (Part 2)

    One God, the Father Almighty

    The Nicene-Constantinople creed, hereafter referred to as the creed, compresses major Christian doctrine into a relatively brief statement. In a mere six sentences ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • The Creed (Part 1)

    Throughout Christian history, various statements of belief have condensed the fundamental beliefs of the Christian faith into relatively short statements generally known as creeds. The word creed comes from the Latin word ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: Healing the Blind Man

    The account of Jesus healing a blind man is found in all three synoptic Gospels.1 The Gospels of Luke and Mark tell of Jesus healing one blind man, and in the Gospel of Matthew, we read of two blind men being healed. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • More Like Jesus: Reflections on Hope

    Hope is one of the three virtues which the apostle Paul listed in 1 Corinthians 13:13:

    Now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.1 ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Believing Beyond the Moment

    I recently had a conversation with a woman who had received Jesus a short time ago but didn’t yet understand how to use the Bible as a source of guidance or as the foundation for her faith. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Captives No More!

    A witness through stone walls and iron bars

    A friend wrote me about a young man named Jake who is in prison. She had corresponded with him in the past and had just received a letter from him after a long period of silence. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: Peter’s Profession of Faith

    As Jesus’ disciples lived with Him, learned from Him, and witnessed the miracles He performed, over time they developed an understanding that Jesus was the long-awaited promised Messiah. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Glory in Gethsemane

    In a previous post, I wrote about how worries and fears can produce stress in our lives regarding things that might happen, but which in many cases never come to pass. It would be nice if all our troubles fit into that category. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Uncovering My Treasures

    I don’t know about you, but I have times when stresses related to my work and other challenges are trying to grab an inordinate amount of my thoughts. They seem to be tumbling around me, screaming for attention, ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Ultimate Expert

    The Lord gave me a little illustration about my prayers the other day. It came in response to my seeking His help regarding a situation that needed His spiritual solutions that were beyond what I could do. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • More Like Jesus: Hope

    When we read the Gospels, it’s apparent that Jesus knew beforehand that He was going to suffer and be killed, and also that He knew He was going to rise from the dead. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • More Like Jesus: Joy (Part 2)

    While studying about Christian joy, I found it interesting to see that joy is intimately connected to faith, hope, and gratefulness. As I mentioned in the first article on this subject, for a believer, joy ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • More Like Jesus: Joy (Part 1)

    As we try to model our lives after Jesus and His teachings, joy plays an important role in our efforts. While Jesus only specifically mentioned His joy twice in the Gospels,1 joy permeated the events of His life ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: The Sermon on the …

    Anxiety

    Having spoken about storing treasure in heaven rather than on earth, being generous, and serving God rather than mammon, Jesus then addressed anxiety:

    Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Praising in the Darkness

    We all know that there are many bad things that happen every day in this world, and we as Christians are not exempt from experiencing these things. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Feeling Unsettled?

    I read an article the other day which said that the most popular verses in the Bible are Philippians 4:6–7. In those verses, the apostle Paul instructs the church: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Slay the Dragon!

    Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.1 

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Easter Wonders

    At this time of year we celebrate the very heart of our faith—the resurrection of Jesus. It is the central theme of the gospel, the key component which proves the validity of everything Jesus taught. The resurrection ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • The Unvarnished Christmas Story

    With the Christmas season beginning, we will likely be presented with numerous opportunities to talk to people about how the babe in the manger is a gift that can have great significance for them, right now, today. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: The Setting

    Familiarizing ourselves with the world Jesus was born into can shed light on some of the events of His life and the ways in which people responded to Him; why some loved Him and became believers, followers, ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • What Faith Knows

    No matter how dreadful, devastating, irreversible or hopeless things seem when you’re facing a major setback or even a life-threatening situation, the fact that you continue to actively trust in Jesus ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Sunshine and Rain

    Quotations of faith and hope in the midst of suffering

    Compiled and edited by Maria Fontaine

    Our natural reaction to troubles or suffering or sickness is to want them to go away as quickly as possible. That’s what the Lord ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • More Than Conquerors

    Quotations of faith and hope in the midst of suffering

    Compiled and edited by Maria Fontaine

    Have you ever stopped to ask yourself, “Why am I here in this life? What does it all mean to me personally?” This is a normal ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • TFI’s Core Values: Living “as unto Him”

    For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.

    By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to ... (Video and audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Mud and Palaces

    Do you ever wish that life could just be all those wonderful times when, in one way or many, your dreams are turning into reality before your eyes? Perhaps you’re learning new things or making progress in something that is important to you. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Facing Disappointment

    In each of our lives there have been times when we’ve felt that bitter sting of disappointment. When it occurs, it’s so hard to bear. The Bible says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” Hope deferred, or disappointment, is ... (Video and audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • The Secret of Joy

    Quotations of faith and hope in the midst of suffering

    It’s easy to see why we need happy experiences and times of joy, peace, and contentment to encourage us through this life. But it can be a dilemma ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • My Encounter with Phoebe

    Less than two months ago I had an unexpected but very special experience. I was on a trip to the U.S. and traveled to San Antonio, where a TFI couple, Keith and Caryn, had offered to help me with anything I might need, ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Overcoming Life’s Prisons

    When it comes to suffering of any kind, the questions that are usually uppermost in our minds are, “Will it end? How do I stop it? How can I get out of this time of suffering and back to doing something useful or good?”

    But there are other ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Quarks in His Glory

    Peter and I were taking a break for a few days to help us to step back a bit from a period of intense writing and TFI business, and we had gone to a beach town for a little solitude. I was taking a walk along the beach in the late afternoon ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Light at the End of the Valley

    Have you ever faced something that seemed totally hopeless; you felt like there wasn’t any way out of your difficulties and everything looked lost? Or maybe you’re in one of those places right now where the situation seems ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Rock

    Maria and I recently returned from a trip to Switzerland for a yearly foundation board meeting as well as other TFI-related business meetings. While there, I would often look out the window at the beautiful lake and surrounding mountains, ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • The Heart of It All: The Nature and …

    Conclusion

    When looking at God’s nature and character, we can see that God has many attributes, and these attributes are who He is. It’s not as if God is partly righteous ...

    (Audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • A Papier-Mâché Prison

    Can I tell you about a long-term witnessing experience Peter and I have been having? It’s nothing that “wow” or something for which we can claim major victories; it’s just the day-by-day planting of seeds and praying ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Out of Your Safety Zone

    We all have our safety zone, that range of circumstances that we’re comfortable with or the people that we’ve learned to interact with easily and without much conscious effort. The borders of that zone ... (Audio included.)

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Living With Meaning: Piercing the Bubble

    In my last post I talked about how powerful our words of encouragement can be to people, and how we usually have to speak them by faith, believing that our “words fitly spoken” will have the desired result. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Heart of It All: Introduction

    Something that I find particularly wonderful about Jesus is that His life-transforming gift of salvation is freely given to anyone who simply asks for it with a sincere and believing heart. One’s level of understanding ...

    (Audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Faith in the Real World

    People have often told me I have a lot of faith. But how does that play out in the real world? What tangible benefits does faith provide me with? I like this quote that says, “Faith will beget in us three things: vision, venture, victory.” ... (Audio included.)

    by Maria Fontaine

  • 6 More Faith Tips

    Several weeks ago I shared with you “Three Items In My Treasure Chest.” Last week I added six additional things, and today I have six more. These items are like precious jewels in my treasure chest: ... (Audio included.)

    by Maria Fontaine

  • More from My Faith Treasure Chest

    I recently wrote in “Three Items in My Treasure Chest” about three things that help me to stay focused on faith and that help me to find encouragement in tough times. They were: ... (Audio included.)

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Three Items in My Treasure Chest

    Someone said to me the other day, “What people need most in times of difficulty and turmoil is faith—faith to know that everything is going to be all right.” I certainly agree. But if what we need most ... (Audio included.)

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Payoff of Perseverance

    Over the years I have seen some very dear friends of mine be marvelously blessed by the Lord. Some of these same loved ones and co-workers have gone through what seemed to be a series of incredibly trying times. ... (Audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam