Tag: Faith
Faith | Hope | Love
Faith, hope and love all have a mutual friend, her name is patience. The trial of your faith produces patience, so where there is genuine faith there is authentic patience. Love is patient. In other words, an expression of love is patience. Hope actually means cheerful or hopeful endurance. So there is no real love, faith or hope without patience. Patience brings what God is doing in us to a place of maturity. There is no real spiritual or emotional maturity without patience. Jesus said, in patience you possess your soul. You can not have rule over your mind, will and emotions without patience. Often faith, hope and love are most commonly expressed through patience. Lord Jesus be our patience and by your grace give us the ability to cheerfully endure anything and everything that may come at us in this life.
The Purpose of Faith
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV)
Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen. Faith is a conviction with a commitment that produces real evidence. That evidence is called a testimony. The purpose of faith is to please God. Our faith is not just for our goals. It’s actually and primarily for God’s purpose in bringing heaven to earth in and through Jesus by the Holy Spirit as we walk in the obedience of faith. Faith believes that God is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Many people think of God as a punisher, but faith believes that God is a rewarder. When you are convinced that God is good and his intentions for you are good you will be committed to diligently seeking him. Remember to seek God not a reward, his reward is with him. He is our exceedingly great reward. The Father knows what you need and what you want. He also knows what you can handle and when. Trust that he will reward your diligence in dew time. The good news is that we are not the author and finisher of our faith; Jesus is. He will finish what he started in you, but you must be patient and persevere. Your patience is further evidence that you really do trust God. Remember that from the time that you pray to the time that God answers he is producing patience in you. And it’s through faith and patience that we inherit the promises of God. If you are wanting to grow in faith click here to register to a free School of Faith this Saturday at Rescue Church in West New York, NJ.
Enlarged
You are reading this because you want to grow. Often the very situations we pray to be relieved from are the very situations that God is using for our transformation. The reality is that iron sharpens iron but never without friction. A pearl is formed through irritation. A diamond is formed through pressure. Precious metals are purified through fire. A pottery vessel must go in the oven before it ever ends up on anyone’s shelf. Time under tension is how muscle is built. Muscle is built by muscle being broken and then the muscle receiving time for recovery. All of these examples are examples of how God grows his people.
“Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.” (Psalms 4:1 KJV) Here David says you have enlarged me through distress. He didn’t say that God sent the distress. The scripture says that God enlarged David when he was in distress. If you are going through something, grow through it. The time under tension is meant to strengthen you by showing you your weakness. If you are going to receive God’s strength you must first have a revelation of your weakness. God’s strength is for those who know they are weak. Remember the scripture says,“let the weak say, I am strong.” God uses distress, sorrow, anguish, tribulation, and even trouble to grow us. In fact God uses suffering to settle us. When the roots of a tree are settled the tree becomes stronger. God is strengthening you through the struggle.
