Reading about Paul and his joy made me see that I should actively live out my faith and be focused more on others than myself. Like Paul, I need to be more focused on JESUS first, OTHERS second, and YOURSELF (me) last. For me that is the path of true J.O.Y. I need Jesus' help to be thankful for the things around me that I do have instead of being sad about the things I don't have. It is amazing that the Book of Philippians is called the Book of Joy because Paul exhibits it with the help of Christ even through tough adversity. Thank you Jesus!

Regardless of who I talk to and who counsels me, the Lord Jesus reminds me that I can only be happy, if I take my mind of myself and what makes me happy and focus that mind on Jesus and others, not really thinking about myself.  For that too, I need faith as Paul had. I need Jesus' help and am so thankful to Jesus that when I ask of Him, He will give that faith to me.

As I fix my eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith, I know He will help me.

I ASK YOU NOW:
I ask you now dear friends, when do you live out your F.A.I.T.H in life?
Dear friends, it is so easy to live out our faith when things are going so well in our lives and we are getting all we wished for and dreamed for. But, that's not how life is. 

Jesus allows difficult situations in our lives not because He likes us to suffer. Oh no, on the contrary, Jesus weeps when we weep and is sad when we suffer. Yet, in a fallen world, we do face things that bring us sadness and it varies among people. What makes one person sad may not even affect another person but the bottom line is living out our faith should not be based on how good things are going for us. I wish things were different for me in different areas but I know Jesus is in control and if it is this way Jesus wants things to be, that's how they will be and He will give me the strength and willingness to move on in joy. Thanks you Jesus!  It starts with us focusing on Jesus to help us through the trials, sorrows, and disappointments.

Friend, Jesus will help you too to bear things you are going through just as Jesus gave Paul the strength to face and Jesus is helping me. To live out our faith, what we need to avoid the most is the greatest sin of pride.

 I want to live out my faith in Jesus, especially in times of difficulty, knowing deep inside my true joy can only come from Him and not what I focus on. The Apostle Paul understood that. Help me Jesus!

Yet, friend all the talk about you or I living out our faith cannot be possible if we do not have faith in what Jesus Christ did for us on the Cross of Calvary and what He will continue to do for us. Jesus loves us so much that no matter what we are going through or facing, He can give us the strength and endurance to bear it and the joy that comes from knowing Him and His ways for our lives.

To live out our faith, we need to acknowledge our own sinfulness before an all awesome Holy God and confess them before Him, taking the Blood of Jesus to cleanse us from all unrighteousness for that is what Jesus did on the cross for your sake and mine. We are bought by His blood for His purposes. When we rest in Him, He will give us His joy! Praise the Lord!

To live out our faith, we need the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God to instruct us, comfort us, and exhort us to walk in His ways for His honor and glory. This will happen as Jesus provides the right community in our lives to supplement our own prayer and Quiet Times with Him, for answers in the Heaven!

If our faith is lived out only among our Christian friends and that is the service of our faith, it is not anything great. I am reminded of Jesus telling the crowds that loving people who love us back is not anything great for even the heathen do that but loving those who do not love us back is commendable. It is easier to live out our faith among our brothers and sisters in the Lord more than among our non-Christian friends because our brothers and sisters in the Lord may have the same biblical attitude. That's not always the case though because sometimes it is harder to live out our faith among brothers or sisters because we expect more from them. I know cause I have been there.

Living out our faith among our non-Christian friends is more commendable because many may not see things eye to eye with us and this could cause conflict. When that happens if we continue to ignore our own conscience and go along with what they want rather than holding on to the principles of living out our faith just so we don’t lose our friends, we have hurt the Lord in the process.

 If they are true friends, they will stick with you even if you don't do what they want to do and you will be setting a powerful example that living out your faith for Jesus is more important than on the values the world places. It is important to remember you could lose friends if you decide to follow the Holy Spirit but sometimes that happens. I know of families where sons and daughters are thrown out of the house because they decided to believe in Jesus. It is painful for them but exercising their faith in Jesus became important.

I don’t know if you were ever faced with a situation as a  friend from years ago was faced with. She was dating and sleeping with her boyfriend for sometime. One day she became a Christian and knew what she was doing was wrong. She also knew that being yoked with an unbeliever would not work out in the long run. Plus, she wanted to marry someone who is also a Christian and start over. Her boyfriend did not want to have anything to do with Christ. My friend with pain and tears broke of her relationship with her boyfriend for the sake of her love for Jesus Christ. She would even tell me that she seemed to be happy when she was with him than now but she has the joy of the Lord inside compared to then. She made a sacrifice to live out her faith and knew it would be worth it in the long run.

Friend, it is never easy to serve the Lord Jesus. Look at Paul, it was not easy for him and yet he stood his ground because He knew Jesus Christ is worth the pain that he was going through. He believed in Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of His life too and that one day every knee shall bow and tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. He decided to live for the Lord.

Won’t you friend?
 As you seek to know the Lord more and more, He will permeate your heart with His awesome love and joy. You will experience His presence and fellowship more and more as you yield to Him and let Him be in control of your life without holding anything back!

No matter where you are placed, may you make a sacrifice if it comes to that to live out your faith for the Lord as you put Him first place in your life! May you know how much Jesus will help you from Heaven to point you in the right direction!

May you always remember you can live out your faith because for answers in the Heaven!

"Faith Acknowledges Inspirational Trusting Hope!" (F.A.I.T.H)/"When do you live out your F.A.I.T.H in life?"

PRAYER: 
Jesus, thank you for the impact that you have made in Paul’s life! Jesus, thank you for loving us and dying for our sin! Thank you for coming back to life to save us and being our all and all! You are our Redeemer holding us in your arms of love. You can make an impact in our lives too. We need your help. You know the struggles we face Lord and the peer pressure of this world that makes it difficult to live out our faith for you. We cannot on our own and need your help. It can be hard to sacrifice things to totally serve you. We cannot on our own whether it be in relationships, academics, careers, etc without your indwelling presence and supernatural help. So, Lord please come and help your children that we may serve you faithfully. We desire to live out our faith for you and need your help so we can be more focused on you, focused on others, and ourselves last. Thank you for the joy that comes from knowing you. I pray this joy won’t be counterfeit but real. Thank you for the impact you have made in our own lives when we gave ourselves to you! Thank you Lord you will come and help.  We need your help so much. Thank you Lord for all that you are to me.

You are my all in all. You are my Prince of Peace, Rock, Savior, and Friend. You are my Holy Father guiding me through to live a life of righteousness, holy righteousness. Oh God, I need you more than ever. I need to feel your hands around me holding me tight. I need your love to surround me so that you can glow in my life. Help me please Jesus. I desire in your presence. Thank you for guiding me to live a life of righteousness. Oh God you love me more than ever. You hear my voice when I cry out to you. When I seek your face, you fill me up. You are my all in all. Thank you Jesus so much for your help no matter what I face, your grace is available and you take my case. Thank you for hearing us and answering us. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! AMEN! (Part of the prayer is from a vineyard song called “All in All”)

Make this your prayer if you want Jesus in your heart to begin a new journey! Praise the Lord! Thank you Jesus!

PRAYER:
Dear Jesus, thank you for your Salvation by grace. Help us Oh Lord to live our lives for you because of what you have done for us. We want to do right not to earn Salvation, for you alone have already given it to us as a gift, but we want to do right because you love us first and for all that you mean to us. We want more love, more power, and more of you in our lives. Help us to seek you with our whole heart. Help us to worship you with all our mind, strength, and heart. Thank you for opening your Word to me Oh Lord. I pray Oh Lord that as I share this with others you will let them take what you would have them take and that it can impact their lives as it has mine. I pray that the Gospel can be presented more clearly to others and also that you would protect my friends from the enemy's lies and deception. Help us Jesus! Thanks so much Jesus! Thank you for loving me so much and thank you for choosing the cross to die for me. You became the Son of Man and lied here on earth. Then you humbled yourself and became obedient to death-even death on the cross. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin. You died on the cross so that I can be covered in your blood and cleansed by your blood as I acknowledge that I need you and cannot enter Heaven without you being my pathway. So, Jesus I confess all my sins to you and all the ways I have tried to get into Heaven when you already provided the means and the Way. Thank you for all that you have done for me. The cross is the place, a wonderful place where accused and condemned find mercy and GRACE. Thank you Jesus, it is at the cross where the wrongs we have done and the wrongs done to us were nailed at the cross. Thank you Jesus, at the cross you died for our sins and at the cross you gave your life for us. I thank you for that and thank you for coming back to life to save us. Thank you Jesus for being there for me! Thank you for loving me. I love you Jesus! Please take me as I am and make my life into something that you will be proud of. I surrender my life to you and need your help to LIVE for you. I am forever grateful for what you have done for me and I can never repay you. I want to LIVE for you and need your help. Help me Jesus please so the Salvation can be lived out. I thank you Jesus for saving me! Thank you for hearing my prayer and answering me. Whatever your will, please give me the willingness and strength to bear it. Thank you Jesus! I acknowledge you as my Lord and Personal Savior! In Your Name I Pray precious Jesus! Amen!