Category: What Faith is

Stories of Unwavering Faith.

Step Out, Step Up and Step In

“Don’t wait for the eternal.”

Weeks before this God had been stirring in my spirit to “lose my right way of thinking” to have supernatural, radical faith that goes beyond the normal. Not to care about what others think about me, to display the works of God through me. To pray for people in public (biggest fear) to witness to people (another fear).

The prayer on the Sermon on the Mount Jesus speaks these words. “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Let’s look at this verse   “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” What a powerful statement!

Everyone is entitled to this, not everyone is called to preach or teach, but everyone is called to spread the Gospel. We need to stop making excuses and step out into the waters.

Matthew 14:22-33

When the disciples were in the boat a great storm began to brew. We all know what happens next. The disciples begin to see Jesus walk on the water and were terrified. Who wouldn’t be terrified? They started to cry out in fear. Immediately Jesus spoke saying “Take heart; It is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.  Jesus  affirming who He was, the disciples were still skeptical. Seriously? This man whom you’ve seen raise the dead, heal lepers and still your not sure if this is Jesus? Don’t we have this same outlook? We have seen God move and yet we fail to believe that He will bring us through whatever storm we are in, or whatever He has asked us to do. Were not stepping out, were staying in.

This text shows me that:

He will give you opportunities to step out into radical faith.

Where He guides He provides.

He is calling us to go deeper.

Expect the unexpected.

Whatever “fear” you have, let go of it and trust. Think not on worldly terms but an eternal perspective. Peter at first was thinking on his own terms, his right way of thinking. But when Jesus showed up, he chose not to lean on his understanding and step out.

 

Faith/Fear

faith or fear

 

Elijah flees from Jezebel 1 Kings 19:1-18

19 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
The Lord Speaks to Elijah
9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.[a] 13 And when Elijah heard it,he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 15 And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. 17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

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After Elijah killed hundreds of the Baal prophets after the account on Mount Carmel where Elijah shows the prophets of Baal that the only living god is Jehovah. With Ahab seeing the incident, he then told of the massacre to Jezebel. She then sends a messenger to Elijah, confronting and making death threats.

Jezebel claimed that she would kill Elijah. But why didn’t she send troops instead of only a messenger? Just like the enemy’s accusation. They are all false and without power. What makes us think that it is more powerful than us? Without knowing the Word, one could fall, but there is a remedy and that is the power of Jesus!

All of this happened at Elijah’s spiritual peak, whenever there is about to be victory, watch out because that’s when the enemy is going to hit you the hardest, why? Because it is of God, anything that God gives you the enemy wants to take it away, he wants your life to be miserable.

Where will faith lead you? It led Elijah into a cave. But before we start pointing fingers at Elijah. Let’s examine ourselves. When we don’t get what we want, do we pout or jump up and down? No one likes playing the waiting game, I know I don’t. What about the job offer that never came up or you are still there at that place of employment but yet the position never came open. What is it in your life that has made you been in the cave. Is it fear?

ENEMY’S THREATS ARE EMPTY

Once we start to learn his strategy of how he works against the believer, we have a better understanding how to come against him. Only with the Word, the Bible is our only line of defense; to quote and to know scripture. When Jesus was tempted, did He just walk away? Or just tell the Devil “leave me alone”? No, He used the Word. We are called to contend with the faith but yet without knowing the Word how do we stand firm in the Word of God? We won’t be able too. God has defeated the enemy, it is our duty to be firm in the resurrecting power of Jesus Christ and not fall.

This is why we must have a continued deposit of the Word of God and not lean on our own understanding. We may think we know it all but when the enemy comes are we going to ignore the temptation or the circumstance or call on God for the wisdom that we can only achieve from and that is the Word of God.

2. THE EFFECTS OF FEAR

Fear always leads one away from the Will of God
Faith always lead one toward the Will of God
Fear will hold you back
Faith will push you forward
Fear isolates
Faith motivates
Fear steals your joy
Fear condemns you
Elijah was lodged in a cave; fear isolates the believer thinking that it is impossible to get out of. It makes you think about the current situation that is at hand. Why did I do this? Or Why do I have to go through this.

When we let fear control our life instead of faith. The outcome isn’t going to be great. Trust in God.
1 John 4:18

8”There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”

 

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Aching for Mercy

Have you ever ached for Mercy? Cried out to God for a miracle or just simply asking Him to meet a need in your life? 

This Bartemais was blind from birth. He has never seen a sunrise or a sunset, the face of his mother and father or sibling’s. He had never walked by himself, always needed someone to walk beside him. This blind man that everyone mocked at as they walked by him as Bartemais sat at the town’s square everyday, pleading, begging for relief. He was waiting, expecting a miracle until one day Mercy walked by.

Luke 18:35-43

[35] As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. [36] And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. [37] They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” [38] And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Are you persistent in your walk with God enough to where if you don’t see Jesus working in your life you will give up? Or are we going to seek His face so that we may hear him just like Bartemais had to do because that was his only option?

Persistance Pays Off

[39] And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

We tend to listen to the crowd more than Jesus. But this man was desperate more than ever. He wasn’t embarassed and didn’t listen to the crowd by crying out for Him he was wanting His attention because Bartemais had heard of this man they call Jesus. This was his only chance for a miracle. Nothing or no one got in his way.

[40] And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, [41] “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” [42] And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” [43] And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. (Luke 18:35-43 ESV)

Jesus stood still. All the comotion of the crowd, the shouting the noise on the journey to Jerusalem for His brutal death, He still took the time to stop and answer a persistent plea for mercy. After years of desperation and incredible faith, Bartemais was made whole and followed Jesus. 

This story would have never been known if Bartemais would not have cried out for a miracle. He would not have been able to see the sunrise or a sunset, the face of his mother and father. He would be walked to this particular spot where he would sit and beg with no one knowing that he was aching for Mercy.

 Jesus knew what Bartemais needed. Jesus asked the question with full knowledge. But God still wants us to tell Him our needs as a constant expression of our trust on Him.

Are you aching for Mercy?

GFJ

compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.

What is mercy? There are several Hebrew words that are associated with God’s mercy:

Kapporeth

      – means “ransom,” “propitiatory,” or “the mercy seat.”

Racham

      – means “to love,” “to have compassion,” or “to show mercy.”

Chesed

      – means “goodness,” “kindness,” “mercifulness,” or “loving-kindness.”

These Greek words are associated with mercy in the New Testament:

Eleemon

      – means “to show mercy,” “to pity,” “to have compassion,” or “to be merciful.”

Oiktirmos

      – carries the concept of “compassion” or “pity.”

When God Steps In

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God loves the “impossible” situations that we may think are “impossible” but to God they are possible. It’s His specialty.
There are those who try to do the impossible with their own strength but it gets them no where. Only God can heal that person of cancer; deliver the one from years and years of drug abuse, give sight to the blinded eyes or unstop the deaf ears. The list goes on. Whenever you surrender you are letting go of the situation and letting Him step in.

 

They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” The LORD said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” (Genesis 18:9-14 ESV)

 

What God had told Abraham and Sarah was an impossible turned into a possible! How many times have we leaned on our own understanding and thought there is no way this can be done. Until God steps in.

 

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom so the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? (Genesis 18:22-23 ESV)

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.  (2 Peter 3:9)

God wishes that no one should perish but to be with Him for eternity. We all know someone who is lost. Are we standing before the Lord just as Abraham stood pleading that God could spare his loved ones?

 

 

Stepping off Into the Unknown Part 1

Picture your life as a boat, and at times it gets a little shaky, un-easy. You don’t know where to go, it’s dark at times. You hear nothing, all is quiet except the wind and waves that are crashing up against you. You have been struggling for some time now and all you want to see is dry land.

We are all on a journey known as life. Some use road maps to tell them where to go, other words their instinct, feelings might tell them that they need to lean on their own understanding. But we choose for the ones who have been enlightened by the Word of God and having Him as our lighthouse to look to Him for guidance, and strength. We walk by faith and not by sight, rather than walking by sight and not by faith. But is it this easy?

Let’s take a look at Matthew 14:22

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him,“O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying,“Truly you are the Son of God.” (ESV)

 

The first question I have is that why did Jesus, “immediately” “made” the disciples get into the boat in such a hurry.

1. The excitement of the disciples and the of the crowd could have spurred into the initiation of the Messiah, but yet it was not that time yet

2. He wanted to pray – after a miracle of feeding the multitude who wouldn’t want to come before the father and thank him?

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Jesus told them that He would meet them on the other side…

The disciples were thinking, “where are you going,” “why are you leaving us here all alone”. Same thought comes to mind that whenever a trial or situation arises, the boat starts shaking, the wind tossing our life around we start asking God where are you?

– I can imagine the thoughts of what happened to them last time while they were in the lake (Luke 8) But Jesus was with them asleep, so why did it matter this time?

Luke 8:22 ” Let us cross over to the other side of the lake, He wasn’t saying “Let us perish”

Jesus keeps His word, all of His words are promises but we have to activate those promises by walking in faith even when the worst of the worst becomes visible.

Your life is in His hands, you are not the captain, He is the captain. He will show you the way through this journey called life.

What happens when you become captain?

– Self fails
– Lost direction
– follow feelings
– exhausted

It is like the disciples had forgot about the words before they left shore ” I will go before you and meet you on the other side” 

It’s during these times that our faith becomes strengthened if we let him…

James 1

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

It would have been more beneficial for the disciples to cry out to Jesus instead of rowing against the waves.

How many times have you tried to fix the problem rather than asking Jesus for help?

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Rest

In Luke 8 beginning with verse 22, we hear of a story that is preached many times over and over, but are we missing the meaning of these verses? I know for myself and others that we can go back to the Bible and read the very same chapter and we will go over it next week or a little longer and there will be something that God magnifies to you different from before. What I had got out of this chapter and verse is that the disciples were awake when Jesus was sleeping. So?  When Jesus is resting we should rest, when He is healing we should be laying hands on the sick, when He is telling the good news we should be out telling the good news to those who sit out in darkness. I am impressed by the fact that He could sleep. His mind and heart were peaceful enough, trusting in the love and care of His Father in heaven, that He could sleep in the storm. Yes there was a storm but He new the care of His Father in Heaven until the disciples awoke Him.

That question was asked one day last week when I was laying in bed and had all these worries that I was thinking about like “What if” or “Is this possible”, those thoughts were quickly extinguished by the spirit saying over and over “rest”…”rest”

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We all have payed more attention to the waves instead of Jesus at times, but how can you not? You have this huge mountain that is not moving, it’s there you think for good. Or is it?

“And they awoke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”

The disciples were filling “un-easy” and they immediately went to Jesus, ask yourself this how many times have you went straight to Jesus in your trials?

“And He awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?”

Are we resting in Him? Giving Him our everything? Where is your faith?

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Giving Until it Hurts

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She made a vow: Hannah promises her son to the work of the LORD, vowing that he will be a Nazirite from birth (I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head). According to Numbers 6, the vow of a Nazirite included the following:
 
 
I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life: The child born would be a Levite, and being of that tribe, would be already dedicated unto the LORD, because God regarded the tribe of Levi as His own special possession. But the time of a Levite’s special dedication to the LORD only lasted from the age of 30 to 50 (Numbers 4:2-3). Here, Hannah was taking something that already belonged to the LORD in some sense, and gave it again to the LORD in a greater way – for the whole life, and in a the dedication of a Nazirite, which was a greater consecration than a Levite.
 
Even so, we may be dedicated unto the LORD – but is there a greater dedication God wants from us? It would have been easy for Hannah to say, “I don’t need to dedicate my child to the LORD, because he is already dedicated.” But there was a deeper dedication the LORD was trying to draw out of Hannah. Is there a deeper dedication the LORD is trying to draw out of you?