2026, Guests, Isaiah

Imagine – It’s a Gift

Some years ago, I talked with a young friend who had some angst about faith: did she have faith? How could she build faith? What could she do? Imagine her relief when I told her that faith is a gift; it’s not something we need to conjure up. It’s a gift! It’s a gift GOD gives to us.
What’s our part?
Receive it with a big Thank You!

What a relief it was to me long ago when I realized that believing GOD was a gift, a gift He had given to me. The weight of trying to believe was lifted! I did, I do believe because HE enabled me to believe, and now continues to enable me to believe Him.

So, imagine my delight when this morning I read a 3-day devotional by Deborah Rosenkranz. The title is You Truly Have a Privilege. You can find it HERE.
Let me give you an excerpt:

“You have been given something rare — the ability to believe. But belief isn’t just a gift to keep to yourself. In this 3-day plan, Déborah Rosenkranz invites you to see your faith as both privilege and calling. Through everyday moments, honest struggles, and the power of Isaiah 43, you’ll discover what it means to trust God fully — and let Him become visible through your life.”

Let HIM become visible through our lives!

That’s our privilege. That’s our joy! That’s our calling!
To know Him and to make Him known. And He gifts it all to us; we only need to receive, because believing is a gift – just accept the gift and set about unpacking it every day!

Isaiah 43

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1 Peter, 2026, Micah

Bethlehem

I think I have to tell you something.

It’s getting to be the time of year when even unbelievers think of the Star and Bethlehem.

Bethlehem.
Not Bethlehem, North Carolina, or any of the other 15 cities named Bethlehem here in the USA, but Bethlehem on the West Bank.

The place where Yeshua was born; you may prefer to call Him JESUS, but I have taken a real liking to addressing Him as Yeshua or Yeshua HaMashiach.
It’s a whole other train to board (which we won’t today), but I will say this:
When we say Yeshua HaMashiach, there is no doubt about who we are speaking of. There seems to be a jesus moving about in our world today who will accept your worship without repentance or transformation. I say stay clear of him.

Bethlehem.
The place Scripture and the world at large (mostly) ascribe as the place of Yeshua’s birth.
It’s important we know this.

I read the following this morning:

Some modern New Testament scholars believe parts of the Gospel accounts to be later accretions and hold that Jesus was born in Nazareth, his childhood home, but normative Christian belief has sanctified Bethlehem as Jesus’ birthplace for almost two millennia. source:

Let me be clear.
Yeshua, Jesus the CHRIST, was born in BETHLEHEM.
Why is this important?
Why is it a must that we let no one sway us from Scripture with man’s assertions?

Check out Micah 5.
If Yeshua had failed to fulfill any one of the prophecies, He would not/could not be Who He said He was/is (which, by the way, would have at the very least made Him a liar), and we (you and I) would all be lost without a Redeemer, without a hope for redemption, all damned to hell, if He failed to fulfill even one of them. HE DIDN’T! And because of Him, we are, or we have the opportunity to say yes to, His gift of deliverance when offered to us by HOLY SPIRIT. Here is a website I found addressing the Messianic prophecies. LINK When you click the link, please don’t be distracted or deterred by the ads on the page. Thank you.

That’s how important it is for us to KNOW our Bibles. If we know our Bibles, we cannot be swayed from TRUTH.

15 But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who slander you may be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ. 1 Peter 3 BSB

That’s it for today.

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If you are interested in further reading: HERE

2026, Just Chatty Today, KWT Paraphrasing, Psalm

Let’s Talk.

I often listen to devotional podcasts and watch teachings on YouTube, and sometimes I think, “No, I would that you did not say it that way.”

Would you like an example? Good.

Scripture teaches us that GOD is ALL-KNOWING. Psalm 139.

So, saying that GOD wanted to see if Abraham would be faithful, if he would go up the mountain with Isaac, makes no sense to me.

Since GOD is all-knowing, how could He not know whether Abraham, or any of us, would be faithful in any given circumstance?

He already knows, has always known, BUT we need to see; we need to know how faithful we are.
We need to know if GOD is important enough to us that we will obey Him, especially when what He has instructed us to do is the opposite of what we want to do.

HE KNOWS, and we need to know too.
He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He is willing to teach us about Himself and us.

Sometimes we need to know we love Him even more than we thought we did!

I can imagine that Abraham went down from that mountain with Issac with more joy and more faith in the faithfulness, the goodness, the grace, and the love of GOD than he thought he could ever have!

When ABBA tests us, it’s not so He can see, but so WE can see!
He is truly AWESOME!!
And to think AWESOME GOD takes up time with ME! AMAZING!

Perhaps you think He is amazing in that way too!

Comments are received via email. HERE.

We are glad you are here; stay a while, look around, and be encouraged. There are over 3,500 posts here at The White Stone Blog. Please know my hope is ALWAYS to help and NEVER harm. I have voiced many opinions and thoughts here since 2007 and by now I MAY NOT EVEN AGREE with all of them and some of my grammar and punctuation likely needs editing. But this is changeless: JESUS is our ONLY Savior and Hope. Do you KNOW Him?