FAITH ... Shaken or Being Destroyed

In the beginning of June, I switched from "breath of God" to "faith" in The Blue Book, which started me in search of ... 

"Keeping the Faith"

[image credit: Pastor Jeff]

God’s gift of faith is like a flame, and when the embers of the fire have cooled you must fan them again and keep them ablaze. 2 Timothy 1:7 Voice

[All the boxed portion below indicates that it's not mine, but from the Heffrons at 80s Church]
{I did leave out parts in the beginning ... but after the blank space for the video, I ended up sharing to give you the full experience, because if you go to 80s Church website, you will need to subscribe to read it, which you might enjoy doing anyways.} But the reason that I ended up on this "search" to 80s Church in the 1st place, was because John Heffron is the author of my favorite 2025 devotional book that I read daily; & since I'm at day 175 or beyond when I post this, I thought I should find out who this author is since I was not familiar with him & he's a popular comedian.

Surprisingly, although the title of his book does not include one of my 2025 One Words; 

almost every single devotional prayer has that One Word: 

TRUST

And this motivates me daily to 

"Keeping the Faith" 

so I ended up reading this, by subscribing

AND 

these "TAKEAWAYS to Live By" in this devo

are so perfect for me!😉 

This is the same setup as in his book:

Scripture, devotion, prayer, takeaway

And like I said, I really like!

 

So I'm glad that I did subscribe. 

The 80s Church reminds me of another book I enjoyed reading when 

I had Kindle Unlimited that did something similar with oldie songs & devotions; 

"Retirement Rocks"

{although so far, that has not been my personal experience with retiring}

[50 Devotions with many Oldie Songs as Titles]

"Faith That Endures!" John Heffron & Michelle Heffron - December 27, 2024 "... Today, let’s turn the dial to Billy Joel’s hit “Keeping the Faith” and discover how it connects with Hebrews 11:1-6.  Keeping the Faith: "Keeping the Faith" song is by Billy Joel This song is all about holding onto what’s good and true, even as life changes around us.  Let’s reflect on what it means to keep our faith alive and vibrant in our everyday walk with God."... 🎶 Lyrics That Inspire: 🎶 “You know the good old days weren't always good, And tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems...” [INSERT here of a You Tube video of Billy Joel's "Keeping the Faith"] "Billy Joel’s words remind us of the importance of staying grounded in what truly matters. It’s not about longing for the past or fearing the future—it’s about trusting and persevering. And that’s where faith steps in! 📖 Devotional Inspiration: 📖 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible… And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” — Hebrews 11:1-3, 6 (NIV) The writer of Hebrews gives us a clear picture of what keeping the faith means: holding onto confidence in God’s promises, even when we can’t see the outcome. It’s about trusting in the unseen and living with hope and assurance that God’s plan is good and true. Billy Joel’s nostalgic yet forward-looking tune mirrors this sentiment. Faith requires us to look back with gratitude, but also forward with trust in God’s provision. Just as the song speaks of keeping true to yourself and your beliefs, our spiritual journey invites us to cling to our identity in Christ, no matter what comes our way. 🌟 Takeaways to Live By: 🌟 Faith is about trust – Trust God’s plan for your life, even when the road ahead seems unclear. He is faithful to guide and provide. Faith grows through perseverance – Challenges are an opportunity to deepen your reliance on God. Keep going, even when it’s hard. Faith requires action – Live out your faith in practical ways: through love, kindness, and a life that reflects God’s goodness. 💡 Reflection: As we listen to “Keeping the Faith,” we’re reminded that faith is more than a feeling—it’s a daily choice. It’s about standing firm in God’s promises and trusting Him to lead us through both the good old days and the uncertain tomorrows. Take a moment this week to reflect on where your faith might need a little boost. Are there areas where you’re struggling to trust God? Are there opportunities to step out in faith, even when the outcome isn’t clear? 🎶 Let’s keep the faith alive, one step at a time, trusting that God is with us every step of the way. [Michelle wanted to make sure I add : The apostle Paul neared the end of his earthly life, there were three things he recognized as important Fighting The good fight the good, finishing the race he began, and keeping the faith]"

It seems like the entire month of June, I have been on this search of FAITH, now that we are at the end of the month. Not because I lack faith (but that's possible), and not because I'm struggling in my faith (because faith is what keeps me going) but mostly because I really need to be "keeping the faith" and those 3 TAKEAWAYS to LIVE BY have encouraged me. I know that I am not alone. I confess that my faith is shaken and in crisis because of what's occurring.

Yet I'm sure that my struggles are not the same as your struggles or doubts, I just have so many questions and cannot cope with all the world events, especially in our own nation, mostly because I never ever thought I would see this happen. It's beyond a Constitutional crisis. Our nation and our Constitution is in such a crisis of lawlessness out of control authorized by this current administration & now through this 980 page Bill being pushed through the Senate & Congress again is literally going to take from the poor & give to the rich; increase our debt to trillions while taking away healthcare, and so much more that our FAITH, like never before, will be tested & pushed to the brink. We cannot ignore this or be blind to it. We no longer have three functioning branches in our government. 

The devastation will exceed our limits & not only faith will be a struggle, lives will be continually challenged, sources will be scarce & even people will loose their very lives by this. All it would have taken is a "No" vote from our politicians, and us. This is corruption at the highest. This should not be allowed. Power and greed are taking over. We can't be spectators because it will affect all of us drastically. We must be the "firewall" and ready to defend & stand up for what's right. There's an urgency in this faith issue, and we've been lied to, deceived and betrayed. People are suffering and many more will suffer in our nation & the world. The book of Revelation reveals so much but it does not cover this. I'm not lukewarm, I'm on fire. 

There just is too much cruelty & evil oozing out everywhere and as I see it, much of it was not just political but in the Church also. This move of Christian Nationalism and all that is happening with this "Big (totally not) Beautiful (but BS) Bill" and the unnecessary changes that will impact drastically so many lives & from what I've seen much of Project 2025 is carefully woven throughout this bill & so much evil & more destruction of greed, power & selfish supremacy to give the wealthy more and take from the poor & middle class so much from their daily cost of living to healthcare to human rights. And on & on ... that my faith (maybe not in Church & my beliefs) but in our humanity has been shaken beyond what I thought possible. This is my struggle & constant prayers to God, who is still on His throne, & He is in control, more powerful & only His authority reigns supreme; but He has not stopped this, which means He is allowing it for His Kingdom & Glory but then I read this from The Wounded Healer; or perhaps He's waiting for us, people of faith to rise up.

I'm trying to keep my eyes on Jesus, however too much of what has & is happening, similar to the Crusades, is done with the sword in one hand & the Bible in the other ... and hell has been unleashed in our country & spiraling evil throughout the world (even death in far too many places). My heart aches yet I cannot turn a blind eye away from the Truths in Jesus' teaching  and the biggest one for me right now is Jesus, as the anchor for my soul. But how do I keep the faith? 

Originally before 2025 began I had gotten a devotional because one of the One Words that came to me, that I was sure was it - my 2025 One Word should be ANCHOR (not Hope, because I had done that once) and not even ABIDE or TRUST because at that time I just needed reinforcement that Jesus would/could/should be the very "ANCHOR for My SOUL". But I left that beautiful image & devotional book on my shelf, and anchored myself to TRUST and ABIDE. Yet somehow, they all seem to intertwine with FAITH, this faith being shaken & I'm holding on to the core values that Jesus gave us, starting with His Compassion, His Love, His Grace and so many other wonderful attributes that the Church is forgetting as the main message. 

I'm so very thankful that with the selection of a new Pope (in the Roman Catholic Church), Pope Leo XIV, we are seeing someone who will stand up to some of this. And Pope Leo XIV has. I can only hope. This past week, I have seen some messages coming forth from the Vatican city and so I believe that this American/Peruvian Pope will continue to speak to the souls of this nation & our world. Meanwhile ... I'll keep my FAITH...at least try & do what I can.

“Trusting Creator is the solid ground our hope rests on. It means we can be sure of the things we do not yet see.” ‭‭(Hebrews) To the People of the Tribes of Wrestles with Creator‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬ ‭FNVNT‬‬ (First Nations Version New Testament)

Or in more familiar versions of Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬‭:

“Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” NLT‬‬

“Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen.” TPT‬‬

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” NIV‬‬

"Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for, the absolute conviction that there are realities you’ve never seen." VOICE

"...TOGETHER

Let's put our

FAITH

into action

and become the change

our world so urgently needs."

~Jim Wallis, Executive Director

Center on Faith and Justice

🙏

"Jesus, You see past my words.

You know where my heart has resisted You,

and where I've said the right things but stayed still.

Today, I don't want to perform

FAITH

but I want to live it." ...

from Pastor Jody McKewen

[there's more to the prayer & also his message]

{I shared him back here}

<>

I even went back to watch

Audacious Faith

Part 1 & Part 2

and then discovered an older series

Crazyr Faith

playlist from 3 years ago

{currently many online churches pastors seem to be on vacation}

except I did start out with my local churches online