Elevate Your Faith
- Feb 6, 2018
- 3 min read
I started the new year at my church's Watch Night Service. It was an epic night filled with high praise. I was given the assignment to preach an homily about FAITH. Now the only problem I had was trying to hear clearly from God about what to say.
What was God saying to this congregation who has experienced so many tests and trails in 2017? But more importantly, what was God speaking for the future of the church as we embarked on a new year of ministry endeavors including evangelism, retreats, conferences and civic engagement. It wasn't long before God shared for me to illustrate the challenges that we all experienced in 2017, whether known or unknown, and to encourage us all to take our faith to the next level in Christ. Heb. 11:1 reminds us that "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen." In other words, Faith, Greek word meaning "pistos", is a powerful belief and yet a powerful foundation for our living. Faith says that that I have what I need before I ever see it, touch it or understand it. So God reminds us that where there is loss, by FAITH there will be a gain. That where there was lack, God will lavish you with His abundant provision and grace. Lastly, that whatever the situation, God is still Almighty and able to handle everything that will come about in 2018. By faith- God's got you covered. So tell your faith haters goodbye because you've come this far by faith. God's word says that God is building you and bringing you to an expected end. So hold on to your faith.
Now the question is "What have you experienced this year?" In 2017, you may have experienced 3 Types of things that challenged your faith.
Challenge 1- Faith Haters
Faith haters are people who allow the enemy of your soul to hinder and distract you. They may say that your vision is impossible. They may lie on you and say that you're crazy for staying at your church or ministry because God is not paying you any attention. But they are ABSOLUTELY wrong.
Challenge 2- Faith Shakers
Faith shakers are obstacles and troubles that tried to prevent you from trusting God. They are the things such as issues with your car, issues in your marriage, threats of downsizing at your job. Losing your house to foreclosure, bills piling up and it looks like relief is nowhere in sight, everything that the enemy tried could not prosper. You may have experienced a pain that you never felt before, but it did not prosper. It could not prosper because your faith was unshakable. You are "like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."(Ps.1:1) Remind yourself how faithful God was to you despite those circumstances you encountered, and then tell yourself to "Elevate your faith."
Challenge 3- Faith Builders
Faith builders are the circumstances that came to strengthen you and build you up. They were designed to help you grow, to make you stronger, to get you out of your comfort zone, to make you study and know your Word, to show you what's really on the inside of you, to reveal God's glory and to help you trust in God. These circumstances tried to take the life out of you. It may have tried to knock the wind out of you and to make you give up, but greater is He that is in you than He that is the world. (I John 4:4)
In 2018, we must all be FAITH WALKERS! The word of God says that "We walk by faith and not by sight."(II Cor. 5:7) So in 2018, as we face this new year thinking about God's infinite possibilities for us, we also must learn to look for God's provision--by Faith. Our expectation must be on the One "who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think." (Ephe. 3:20) Do not worry about the tools you don't possess right now, nor the income you may not have. As a matter of fact, you should not even get concerned about how things are going to happen. As we move forward in 2018, we must all "Elevate our Faith" because God says it's already done.
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