10262025 Hearing and Faith

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God of salvation. He is not willing that any should perish, and He offers the invitation to all who would come.

Sadly, not all accept that invitation. It is not simply because they do not hear the truth. “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Hebrews 4:2). These people heard God’s truth, but it did not transform them, because it was not mixed with faith.

As humans, we want to be able to understand and explain everything. There is an element to salvation that we cannot fully make sense of from a human standpoint. We can’t see what happens in the heart and the will. We can’t confirm the reality of heaven through eyewitness accounts. Salvation requires that we leap off a cliff and put all our trust in the safety net that will catch us. It demands that we stake everything on our belief that God will save us through our trust in Christ’s finished work alone. That leap requires faith.

How many people have heard the Word and have rejected it? How many have had it explained over and over again? As of yet, they have not accepted it. The gospel has not profited them. There might be various aspects included in their rejection, but in the end, it comes down to faith. The hearing and understanding must be mixed with faith. Faith is a spiritual work, and it is a volitional act of choosing to accept and trust what cannot be fully proven.

Today I am praying, as you share the Word in various settings, that people would respond on that most important level. That after the facts are given and understood, they would be mixed with faith on the part of the hearers. That people would be ready and willing to make the jump – throwing everything on what cannot be seen.

Perhaps there are some with whom you have labored long. Some who have been earnest observers and questioners. Or some whose lives have just fallen apart and they are now beginning to look for answers. Whatever the scenario, may you see today and this week some in whom faith is mixed with the hearing of the Word, so that they come to the place of salvation. May God through His Spirit work in hearts in that way.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

10192025 Deeper Faith

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God who effectively leads us in our faith.

What do I mean by that? Well, when we were first saved, we believed in God, but is our faith now the exact same as it was then? Our faith has grown. It has been stretched and strengthened. God is good to do this for us.

The first disciples believed in Jesus when they first met Him. John 1:35-51 recounts these meetings. John the Baptist called Him “the Lamb of God.” Two disciples (Andrew and probably John the apostle) called him “Rabbi,” but after they spent time talking with Him, Andrew called Him “the Messias.” After his own encounter, Nathanael readily acknowledged Jesus as “the Son of God” and “the King of Israel.” These men believed in Jesus.

In John 2, Jesus performed His first miracle, turning the water to wine at the wedding feast. This sign miracle displayed the glory of the Savior, and afterward “his disciples believed on him” (2:11). Their previous belief was strengthened to new and deeper belief because of what they saw Him do.

Later in John 2, Jesus cleansed the temple by casting out the moneychangers and sellers of animals. In His response to the angry Jews, Jesus made the statement about His body, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (2:19). No one understood what He meant at the time, but after he was resurrected, His disciples remembered what He had said, and now they understood it. In response, “they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said” (2:22). The previous level of belief was again strengthened.

There were many other reinforcements along the way, through the things Jesus did and said, but there is an interesting story that happened after the resurrection. Jesus had appeared to ten of the disciples when Thomas was absent. Thomas’s faith needed some strengthening, so Jesus appeared again and ministered directly to Thomas, inviting him to touch his wounds, just as Thomas had claimed he needed. Thomas responded with renewed belief (John 20:27-29).

Disclaimer: Most of the above is not primarily from my own study. I heard it in some sermons. I then pondered it, put it together into a single brief study, and expanded it a bit. What was meaningful to me is to realize that God knows all about our faith. He knows the struggles and weakness that we sometimes have. He purposefully works to build our faith. He does that at times through His actions on our behalf, like He did at Cana. He does that also by helping us to understand His Word, as resulted after the resurrection. And sometimes – isn’t this precious? – He does it very gently, very compassionately, and very personally, as He did with Thomas.

May we all have open eyes to see God’s work on our behalf, open minds to receive His Word, and open hearts to accept His ministering. Through these avenues, God can work to build and reinforce our faith, so that we will always believe in Him, but with a faith and belief that grows deeper, richer, and stronger. Father, may it be!

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

10122025 Constant Seasons

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our faithful God.  He does indeed continue the same year after year.

A few days ago I was on my way to work when I saw it. There it was - on a shaded bank – the first frost of the season. While man cannot know from year to year precisely when that will happen, we can rest assured that it will happen every year. Why? Because God said so. “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22).

Unless we escape to a balmy tropical climate, the number of times we see the first frost is the same as the number of years we have been alive. Some years trend warmer or colder than others, but God faithfully maintains the seasons. He also faithfully maintains the days. Winter daylight is shorter than summer daylight, but regardless of the length of the night, the sun always rises to start a new day. I can take the number of my first frosts and multiply by 365 and add in a few leap days. And God has never failed to bring day and night.

My life is such a short representation of God’s faithfulness. If we consider that the earth is approximately 6000 years old, that’s how many times God has gone through the faithful rotation of seasons. (Unless seasons didn’t start until after the Flood, but still an impressive, unbroken streak.) As far as day and night, that’s over two million times that He has made the sun rise. Without ever failing once.

This faithful God walks with us day after day – loving us, forgiving us, guiding us, meeting our needs. He doesn’t fail at that job either. May you be encouraged as you continue to trust Him for the days that are yet to come.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

10042025 Ready for My Day

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God who is always ready to face the day. I say that because I am not always ready to face my day! God never has such issues.

Recently I read this verse. “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up” (Psalm 5:3). It seemed like such a perfect verse for me in the mornings. When I am not ready to face my day, I can turn to God and tell Him about it.

I can tell Him that the day is too big for me and that I need His help. As I pray that way, I am looking up to Him to meet me where I am. I am depending on Him to carry me through, to guide all things, and to do for me what I cannot do.

Such a simple concept, and one I have tried to remember since then. To start my day saying, “Father, I can’t do this, and I am looking to You and asking You for Your help with this day.”

Short and sweet today, but I hope this is a blessing. Take care.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA