FAITH BUILDING IS ESSENTIAL IN THE BELIEVER’S LIFE

 “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.”—Habakkuk 2:4

 

Jesus spent time developing His disciples’ faith because He knew it would be essential for the tasks ahead of them.  For over three years, they attended a school of faith with Jesus as their instructor and the Bible as Jesus knew it consisted of some twelve to twenty scrolls of different sizes. On those scrolls were written 39 books which were divided into three major groups - Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim.  Most often Christ used parables in His verbal instruction, but many of the lessons were taught through demonstrations.  He healed the sick, cast out demons, fed thousands, and calmed the sea.  Their training even included tests that revealed if they truly believed Jesus was the Messiah.

 

At times the disciples’ understanding was slow or faltering, but Christ never gave up on them.  He reproved them whey exhibited a lack of trust, “But He said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’” (Mark 4:40).  He also commended signs of progress, “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’   Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’  Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 16:15-17).   His objective was to firmly establish their faith so He could accomplish His work in and through them.  After His ascension, He commanded His men to spread the gospel of salvation to the remotest parts of the earth.  Without faith, they would have failed.

 

The Lord has the same goal for us—to increase our faith so we can do the work He has planned for us.  If our faith is great, He will entrust us with challenges and achieve amazing things through us.  But small faith limits God’s activity in a believer’s life.  He uses us only to the degree that we trust Him.

 

Faith building is essential in a believer’s life, and God has two primary means of doing this.  Scripture tells us what to believe about Him, and tests place us in difficult situations that stretch us to believe and rely on God instead of our own understanding.  Each time we believe Him, our faith grows.

 

Prayer—Father I thank You that in each circumstance that I can trust You knowing that the outcome is sure because my faith is in You not in the circumstance—good or bad.  Today I purpose in my heart not to limit Your activity in my life, but I will fully trust and confidently rely upon You, in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

 

FAITH BUILDING IS ESSENTIAL IN A BELIEVER’S LIFE

 “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.”—Habakkuk 2:4

 

Jesus spent time developing His disciples’ faith because He knew it would be essential for the tasks ahead of them.  For over three years, they attended a school of faith with Jesus as their instructor and the Bible as Jesus knew it consisted of some twelve to twenty scrolls of different sizes. On those scrolls were written 39 books which were divided into three major groups - Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim.  Most often Christ used parables in His verbal instruction, but many of the lessons were taught through demonstrations.  He healed the sick, cast out demons, fed thousands, and calmed the sea.  Their training even included tests that revealed if they truly believed Jesus was the Messiah.

 

At times the disciples’ understanding was slow or faltering, but Christ never gave up on them.  He reproved them whey exhibited a lack of trust, “But He said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’” (Mark 4:40).  He also commended signs of progress, “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’   Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’  Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 16:15-17).   His objective was to firmly establish their faith so He could accomplish His work in and through them.  After His ascension, He commanded His men to spread the gospel of salvation to the remotest parts of the earth.  Without faith, they would have failed.

 

The Lord has the same goal for us—to increase our faith so we can do the work He has planned for us.  If our faith is great, He will entrust us with challenges and achieve amazing things through us.  But small faith limits God’s activity in a believer’s life.  He uses us only to the degree that we trust Him.

 

Faith building is essential in a believer’s life, and God has two primary means of doing this.  Scripture tells us what to believe about Him, and tests place us in difficult situations that stretch us to believe and rely on God instead of our own understanding.  Each time we believe Him, our faith grows.

 

Prayer—Father I thank You that in each circumstance that I can trust You knowing that the outcome is sure because my faith is in You not in the circumstance—good or bad.  Today I purpose in my heart not to limit Your activity in my life, but I will fully trust and confidently rely upon You, in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

 

WHAT YOU HEAR SHOULD DRAW YOU CLOSER TO JESUS

“But now you yourselves are to put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do no lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.”—Colossians 3:8-10

 

Have you ever noticed that for most people it is easier to gain weight than to lose it?  It is also easier to destroy things than to build them, and to ruin a relationship than to work to maintain one.  It seems that the things we desire are harder to come by than the things we wish to avoid.  It is the same way with what we hear.

 

Values and attitudes that take a long time to build can be easily destroyed by just a few words.  Certainly, everyone has had their enthusiasm quenched by the disapproving words of someone else.  Our words are important but so are the words of every person that we hear.  To succeed in the kingdom of God, we not only have to watch what we say, but also we must guard what we hear.

 

In our day and age, Christians are exposed to the negative words of this world as never before.  Most of us allow these words right into our homes, automobiles, offices, and wherever we are traveling.  In seconds, we are aware of all the terrible things going on around the world.  Some people even listen for entertainment to songs that wail about the miseries and sorrows of mankind.  A few years ago, the Holy Spirit spoke these words to me, “A wave of occult music is coming into America to take the children.  It is a Luciferian Music Club which is a Satanic Juilliard.”  Across our nation young children are listening to this music, and it is being merchandised as innocent, cute and charming. 

 

Negative words have power—evil power.  “Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you” (Proverbs 4:24).  They have the ability to depress, and to cause fear.  We do not need that!  We are to be a people of faith and hope!  “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.  And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:29-32).

 

Think about the words you hear today.  Do you really need or want what you are seeing and hearing?  Choose life instead of death (Deuteronomy 30:19).  If a word spoken to you does not increase your faith and draw you to Jesus, rebuke it and reject it.  Then turn your thought to His Word and be glad. 

 

Prayer—Father today I purpose to guard what I hear and I choose life. Please forgive me for the times that I was lax and lazy in choosing to hear words of death.  I ask that by the power of Your Word and Your Blood that every negative word that was sown into my spirit to cause death and defeat in my life be uprooted in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.