Yesterday I shared the first part of a three part message entitled, “Have Faith in God.” Here is Part 2.
When your faith is IN GOD you will be able to have faith for the LONG HAUL!
(Heb 11:1 NIV) Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
1. Faith is confident assurance that God will do what He said He would do.
2. Faith is perceiving as real what you cannot verify with your senses.
3. Faith is an expression of your confidence in God and His Word.
But how long can you last (sure and certain)?
— How many times have you gone to church, heard a Word, got excited, prayed a prayer, spoken a faith confession, and believed… only to forget all about it three weeks later when it had not happened yet?
— You will be able to hold on, in faith, if you KNOW WHOM your faith is in.
How your faith in a person is developed: *** Faith is all about confidence.
1. You establish the relationship.
2. You develop/nurture the relationship.
3. You learn their character (attributes/nature).
4. You take note of their track record.
5. Your confidence level is going to be based on your estimation of their character and track record.
Guess What?
*** God has impeccable character.
*** God has a flawless track-record.
*** God can be TRUSTED!!!!
God does the work:
(Phil 1:6 AMP) And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.
— Paul’s confidence was NOT in the people of God, but rather in the God of the people!
— Paul’s confidence was in God, not in man.
— Paul had FAITH IN GOD!
It’s All About Him:
(Heb 13:5 AMP) Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]
— God will not fail you.
— Don’t put your confidence in man, put it in God!
— God will finish what He started!
— Have FAITH IN GOD!
Faith is all about Confidence in God:
(1 John 5:14,15 AMP) And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.
And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him:
— The Confidence is NOT in us.
— The Confidence we have is IN HIM!
[we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us.
— Faith is about being sure and certain.
— What to ask FOR must be birthed out of our relationship with Him.
— He tells us what to ask for.
— He tells us what He wants to do in our lives.
— He tells us what to pray for.
— He tells us what to stand in faith for.
— When we pray for what He is leading us to pray for, we know He hears us!
And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.
— We have it NOW!
— Faith is NOW!
— We receive it NOW!
— We take possession in our hearts before we see it in our hands.
The devil wants you to feel condemned because condemnation strips you of your confidence:
(1 John 3:21,22 AMP) And, beloved, if our consciences (our hearts) do not accuse us [if they do not make us feel guilty and condemn us], we have confidence (complete assurance and boldness) before God, And we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we [watchfully] obey His orders [observe His suggestions and injunctions, follow His plan for us] and[habitually] practice what is pleasing to Him.
— The enemy wants us to wallow in Condemnation!
— When you feel condemned, you run FROM God.
— When you get convicted of righteousness, you run TO God.
— John says, “If you don’t feel condemned, then you will have confidence.”
— Faith is all about confidence in God!
— We receive whatever we ask when we stand in confidence in God.
— NOT Confidence in US.
— But Confidence in HIM.
— Have FAITH IN GOD!
Don’t give up on what God promised you!
(Gal 6:9) So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
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Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for Isaac
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David waited 13 years for the throne
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Joseph waited over 20 years for his dream to come to pass
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Joshua waited 40 years to take possession of Canaan
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Caleb waited 45 years for his mountain.
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Most of us won’t even wait 45 days.
No matter how long it’s been and no matter how long it is going to take, Have FAITH IN GOD!
Before I close I want to share the link to the audio of this message. If you have the time, listen to the audio, it will bless you. Here is the message: .
Closing Confession: Father, the more I learn about Your amazing and undeserved grace, the more I shift the focus of my life and of my faith from me to You. You are the Lord and the strength of my life. You made plans for me before the foundations of the world and I am ready to die to self in order to receive and walk in those plans. As You reveal things to me, that You have already planned and purposed to do in my life, I accept and pursue those plans by faith. But not with a faith that is rooted and grounded in me, my power or my ability. No! My faith is rooted and grounded in You, Your power and Your ability. I pursue You with a faith that is focused on You. My life is not about me, it is all about You and what You want to do in, with and through me. Therefore, I declare by faith, that I look to You as both author and finisher of the works You have already started in my life and of those that are yet to come. My confidence is in You. I know I am flawed and if I attempted to fulfill Your plans on my own, I would fall woefully short of Your best. So I release the pressure from me and I put it on You. I know You want to accomplish Your will in my life by Your grace, therefore, I accept Your grace by faith, I submit to Your plans by faith, and I press towards Your desired for my life destination by faith — with my faith in You and not in me! I have faith in God! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
