1 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:05,560 Thanks for checking out the Anchor Faith message podcast 2 00:00:05,560 --> 00:00:06,920 from St. Augustine, FL. 3 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:12,680 Now enjoy this message. Glory to God. 4 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:17,040 You know that's what we've been talking about is real Bible 5 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:23,160 believe in faith, Amen. What the Bible says faith is 6 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:26,800 Amen. You know, I, I was hearing some 7 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:31,480 things lately and I've just gotten discouraged because I 8 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:38,480 feel like as much as we've had the faith movement come in, I 9 00:00:38,480 --> 00:00:43,760 feel like we've stepped away from what real Bible faith is 10 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:49,200 because I hear these statements like now being said, well, what 11 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:55,840 happens when it don't work? Faith works, period. 12 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:02,760 Faith works, period. It works, period. 13 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:06,440 And that's where we have to get back to that. 14 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:11,920 You know, we've we've made excuses of why we're not seeing 15 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:15,080 things take place. And the number one thing that we 16 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:21,160 have to do in a situation where we maybe say we've believed God 17 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:24,720 and we know we believed with all of our heart and something 18 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:27,320 didn't happen or something didn't change. 19 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:30,840 We can never go to faith didn't work. 20 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:38,000 We have to go to what did I not know about faith? 21 00:01:38,960 --> 00:01:43,320 What do I not know about a situation? 22 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:49,920 Because God's word is final no matter what, Amen. 23 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:53,120 Hallelujah. So there's much to say about the 24 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:59,840 what ifs and the how comes, but it's not God's problem and it's 25 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:04,480 not God's fault. And we can never put the blame 26 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:07,040 on God. Amen. 27 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:11,520 Because true people of faith realize there was something I'm 28 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,800 missing. Or maybe I truly didn't believe 29 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,240 that when I thought I really did. 30 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:23,400 Amen. Because if you start making a 31 00:02:23,920 --> 00:02:28,960 statement as if it doesn't work, then we will be people of 32 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:34,280 unbelief. Will be people of unbelief. 33 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:37,480 Period. We either believe what His word 34 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:41,600 says or we don't. There's no in between. 35 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:45,960 There's no halfway. It's all the way in. 36 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:48,840 It's all the way. Amen. 37 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:54,880 Hallelujah. So I'm choosing to believe what 38 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:59,240 His word says and that His word is the final say on the matter. 39 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:03,560 And if something did not turn out the way that I thought I was 40 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:07,480 believing, come on then I'm going to check myself. 41 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:11,960 I'm going to be true to what I, my heart is doing. 42 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:14,640 Amen. And I'm never going to put the 43 00:03:14,640 --> 00:03:17,520 blame on God or that God couldn't. 44 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:23,920 No, there's something I don't know that I'm still in ignorance 45 00:03:23,920 --> 00:03:26,600 of, Amen. I'm ignorant. 46 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:33,800 It's OK to say that because we are not all knowing and we don't 47 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:38,280 have all wisdom. Like God, we can tap into His 48 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:43,200 wisdom, but there are still things that He knows that we 49 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:44,880 don't. Amen. 50 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:50,920 And so you have to chalk it up to that, not that faith maybe 51 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:56,120 don't work. Or it didn't work, or it didn't 52 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:58,880 turn out the way that it should have worked. 53 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:03,760 So you make excuses of why then it don't work. 54 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:10,080 But you can still trust God, right? 55 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:13,280 So that's how people. But if you start going down that 56 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:17,600 road, then you'll start going down a road of doubt and 57 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:21,760 unbelief. I trust God no matter what, in 58 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:26,920 the good times, in the bad times and the impossible times. 59 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:28,920 Come on. I trust God no matter what. 60 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:31,720 It doesn't matter what my circumstance looks like. 61 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:36,120 I trust God and I stand upon His word, and it's the final say in 62 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:38,480 my life. We've got to get back to some 63 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:42,800 true biblical faith. You know, back in the day we 64 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:49,000 taught true biblical faith, but I've been hearing teachers today 65 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:53,000 making excuses of some things. Amen. 66 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:56,200 And I hate to say we got to get back to old school faith. 67 00:04:57,440 --> 00:04:59,800 I mean, is it already old school? 68 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:07,480 The Word of Faith? When I taught faith and had to 69 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:09,240 live by it? Come on. 70 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:14,440 I mean, I'm telling you it hurt your feelings, it everything 71 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:18,560 within you. I remember sitting in Rhema and 72 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:22,040 hearing the aid they used to call it the AB CS of faith, 73 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:24,360 which is the foundations of faith. 74 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:29,680 And get in there and realize you don't have no more faith than a 75 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:32,840 man on the moon according to what the Bible says. 76 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:37,960 And then you sit up underneath another teaching and he says, if 77 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:45,000 you are not, if you are not in joy, you are not in faith. 78 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:51,880 Well, that'll hurt you. That'll hurt you. 79 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:54,160 These are the things that were being said to me. 80 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:57,600 And I'm like, what do you mean? If I'm not in joy? 81 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:03,280 I'm not Because faith rejoices no matter what. 82 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:07,000 Hey, man. So if you're in a place of 83 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:11,120 faith, then you can rejoice no matter what. 84 00:06:12,840 --> 00:06:15,960 Well, you know when I first heard that it wasn't really a 85 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:19,400 joyful time in my life. Y'all heard my story, Some of it 86 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:23,040 last week I told Pastor Angie. I said I should have been put in 87 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:25,160 a mental institute after all I went through. 88 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:28,880 I said some other things too, but I won't tell you. 89 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:34,360 But anyway, according to how people Live Today and the weak 90 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:46,600 society that we have today. OK, so real biblical faith is 91 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:51,040 not weak. It's not weak. 92 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:57,160 It's not for the weak. It is not. 93 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:02,920 And to say that we are to live by it, we have to truly ask 94 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:07,560 ourselves with what am I doing when I'm encountering the 95 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:13,240 situations in life and does this look like biblical faith and 96 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:18,240 what the Bible tells me how I should be responding and acting 97 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:21,160 in this situation. That I'm walking through. 98 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:25,440 Amen. And he gives us everything we 99 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:28,520 need to be able to walk in faith. 100 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:32,200 Amen and to. Live this life of faith. 101 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:36,920 Amen. And so there is nothing new 102 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:42,920 under the sun and there is nothing that's different about 103 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:47,120 faith today than yesterday, because he's the same today, 104 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:51,200 right? Yesterday, today, and forever. 105 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:57,600 So if his bit if his definition of what faith was in the word of 106 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:00,960 God, it's the same definition of what it is today. 107 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:05,640 I don't care how watered down people try to make it right. 108 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:10,120 And so we have to look at what the Bible says concerning faith 109 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:12,800 and and we've been talking about that. 110 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:16,960 I just want to reiterate what faith we said how faith comes 111 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:19,840 true. Biblical faith comes from 112 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:23,720 hearing and hearing from the Word. 113 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:27,280 That's where true biblical faith comes from. 114 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:33,440 Not from your Instagram post, Not from whatever prophet so and 115 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:39,159 so said on Instagram. Not what grandma says, not what 116 00:08:39,159 --> 00:08:45,040 the book of the author of the Word of Faith, whatever says it 117 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:48,680 is. No, it is what the Word says it 118 00:08:48,680 --> 00:08:51,680 is. It's what the Word says it is, 119 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:56,880 and that's where we have to be. We have to get back to what the 120 00:08:56,880 --> 00:09:01,640 Word says true biblical faith is. 121 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:09,320 I'm not living this life of faith on someone else's belief, 122 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:15,800 not living it on somebody else's belief. 123 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:20,480 I'm living it on the Word of God and what I believe. 124 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:24,040 Amen. Because this is where people get 125 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:27,160 in trouble. They start living their life 126 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:32,160 based upon what other people believe faith is instead of what 127 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:38,080 the Word of God says faith is, and build their life upon that. 128 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:42,240 And I'm seeing it happen in this day and in this hour that we're 129 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:46,280 living. And so we know that true 130 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:50,680 biblical faith can only come from the Word of God. 131 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:54,640 And we receive. We talked about this, we've been 132 00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:56,840 talking about the measure of faith. 133 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:01,200 Every single one of us, the minute we believed in our heart 134 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:05,920 and confessed with our mouth that Jesus Christ is our Lord, 135 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:13,000 the seed of faith was deposited within our hearts. 136 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:19,200 We've all been given the measure of faith and it's up to each and 137 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:26,080 every one of us to determine what type of increase in our 138 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:28,320 faith wall we're going to receive. 139 00:10:28,560 --> 00:10:31,600 Are we going to receive a 30 fold return? 140 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:36,280 Are we going to return us, receive a 60 fold return or are 141 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:42,880 we going to receive 100 fold return of the seed of the word 142 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:46,520 that been planted in our heart? It is up to each and every one 143 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:49,320 of us. We've all been given the measure 144 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:53,200 of faith and guess what? That measure of faith can 145 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:58,040 increase and it can grow. And it's up to us to say, I'm 146 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:00,920 going to, I'm going to get all that I can get. 147 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:04,280 Amen. It's up to us. 148 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,400 And the more faith that you want, guess what it's going to 149 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:09,880 require? The more word that's going to be 150 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:15,320 in your heart, the word more. Word that has to be in your 151 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:20,440 heart. The more word that has to be in 152 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:24,840 your heart. You know I I love people's books 153 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:28,320 and you know I love you know that people. 154 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:31,960 Have to start sometimes with little devotionals, but that 155 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:36,720 should never be, and I've said this, it should never replace 156 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:43,080 you personally reading the word of God for yourself cover to 157 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:46,880 cover. Amen. 158 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:51,440 Because even in devotionals and even in people's different 159 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:56,400 books, there's always going to be the thought process of the 160 00:11:56,400 --> 00:12:01,600 person that's writing the book. You can't get away from it, OK, 161 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:04,800 period. And when you read little 162 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:08,000 devotionals and different things like that, it's always going to 163 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:12,080 be according to the way they believe in the word. 164 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:16,200 But the greatest thing you can do is learn how to discipline 165 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:21,800 yourself to be a disciple, a student of His Word, Amen, So 166 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:25,560 that then you can be assured that the Holy Spirit, who is the 167 00:12:25,560 --> 00:12:29,840 great teacher who lives on the inside of you, can really teach 168 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:34,560 you the foundation of His Word, Amen. 169 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:38,720 Hallelujah. So our faith, true biblical 170 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:42,480 faith must be built upon this word. 171 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:46,600 And we've all been given the measure of faith, and it's up to 172 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:49,160 us if we want to see it increase. 173 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:53,720 And we said this, that faith is the currency of the Kingdom. 174 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:59,840 Faith is the exchange. Faith is the very thing that we 175 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:07,000 we had to have to be able to tap into heaven, Amen. 176 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:11,200 It's the very thing that we had to have to tap into heaven for 177 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:14,080 his Kingdom to come and show up in our life. 178 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:18,000 We had to exchange faith for that, Amen. 179 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:25,840 So the very way that we received from God our salvation is the 180 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:29,960 same way that we're going to receive every other promise from 181 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:33,800 God. We're going to have to hear the 182 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:37,400 Word, we're going to have to receive the Word, we're going to 183 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:41,560 have to believe the Word, and then we're going to have to act 184 00:13:41,560 --> 00:13:45,400 upon the Word. And one way we act upon the Word 185 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:51,160 is we have to open up our mouth because the word would be in our 186 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:54,240 hearts and we'll release it from our mouth. 187 00:13:54,320 --> 00:14:02,600 And that activates the exchange. OK, it activates the exchange so 188 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:07,760 every time. Anytime we see a promise in His 189 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:11,960 Word that belongs to us because we are supposed to walk by 190 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:14,920 faith, the righteous shall live by faith. 191 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:19,480 Amen. Then we are going to have to 192 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:24,800 believe it, speak it, and act upon it and whatever it is that 193 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:28,960 He gives us the direction to do in our lives, Amen. 194 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:32,840 For whatever it is that He we are to believe Him for, All 195 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:34,800 right? So we're going to have to act 196 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:36,640 upon it. We're going to have to speak it. 197 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:39,080 And I believe that we're in a season. 198 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:43,160 Where we're going to have to speak and declare His word more 199 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:48,720 than ever before, because the world has done a good job at 200 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:52,600 shutting up Christians and what they believe. 201 00:14:55,440 --> 00:15:00,320 And therefore we are going to have to be more intentional to 202 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:04,280 speak forth the things that we believe and to declare the 203 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:07,840 things that God has said belongs to us, right? 204 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:10,320 He says that our business can prosper. 205 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:12,200 Then guess what? That should be a daily 206 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:16,280 confession in your life. You know, we've gotten away from 207 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:20,280 our confession because people say, oh, it's the blame it and 208 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:26,200 claim it group. So everybody quit claiming it. 209 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:33,640 Or blab it and grab it or whatever, I don't know. 210 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:42,240 Did I say it right? OK, So we're going to have to 211 00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:47,560 increase our speaking in these this day that we're living, and 212 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:51,840 especially because of the pressure that is being put on 213 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:57,320 the church right now. All right, because of everything 214 00:15:57,320 --> 00:16:01,640 that's going on in the world, I'm going to tell you it is 215 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:04,560 truly the church is being attacked. 216 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:08,960 I mean, and if you can't see that, then you are living in 217 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:14,160 another world, OK? And we are going to have to step 218 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:19,520 up in our confession and in the things that we believe God has 219 00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:23,920 said that belong to us and being. 220 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:29,280 More purposeful to declare and decree some things, because 221 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:31,480 where the word of the King is, there's what. 222 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:35,760 Where the word of the King is, there's power. 223 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:39,920 And when we release His word, there is power backing it. 224 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:44,560 He will accomplish what His word was sent to do. 225 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:50,120 The Bible says Amen, There is power backing His word. 226 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:54,320 Come on. And we have to release it on 227 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:56,600 every occasion. More and more. 228 00:16:56,840 --> 00:16:59,120 I just believe that we've gotten quiet. 229 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:03,760 And so This is why some things are at a standstill or a stall 230 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:06,560 in people's lives. But I guarantee you, if you 231 00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:10,240 would just stir up your faith and get the scripture to stand 232 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:13,280 upon and start decreeing and declaring that this thing is 233 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:16,920 going to change and it has to change and it's going to change. 234 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:20,040 Come on. And I declare in Jesus name, 235 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:22,880 whatever it is, is going to change. 236 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:29,440 This is what you have to start doing so that we can start 237 00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:32,760 seeing a breakthrough in some situations. 238 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:36,280 So we've all been given the measure of faith and we all are 239 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:41,840 to walk by this faith. We said that faith is according 240 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:46,960 to Scripture in Hebrews 11/1. Through through three. 241 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:51,240 Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the conviction 242 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:53,800 and evidence of things not seen, right? 243 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:57,800 So we said this, that faith, when you break that out, is a 244 00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:03,200 firm persuasion based on what you believe, what you accept as 245 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:09,920 truth, what you adhere to firmly, And it governs what you 246 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:12,800 think, what you say, and what you do. 247 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:18,280 Because if it's not governing what you think and what you say 248 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:27,040 and what you do, you are not in faith because that is the result 249 00:18:27,080 --> 00:18:31,120 of you firmly believing it in your heart. 250 00:18:31,120 --> 00:18:35,360 You're adhering to it. And you're letting that govern 251 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:39,240 your life by what you're thinking on, by what you're 252 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:44,080 saying, by what you're doing. Your actions will always fall in 253 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:49,000 line with what you believe. Your words will always fall in 254 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:52,480 alignment with what you believe you're thinking. 255 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:58,080 Your thought life will have to fall into alignment as you renew 256 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:03,760 your mind to what believe. So I'm not going to think faults 257 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:09,760 that are opposite of what His Word says, not going to think on 258 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:13,520 those thoughts that are opposite of what God's Word says. 259 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:17,720 I'm not going to think on cancer if He tells me by His stripes 260 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:21,520 I've been healed. I'm not going to think on blood 261 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:26,520 pressure come on controlling my life if he says by his stripes 262 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:29,920 I've been healed. And I'm doing what I know to do 263 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:34,720 even in the natural to be able to help that situation. 264 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:40,480 I'm listening and I'm yielding and I'm hearing what he says and 265 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:44,520 I'm not going to think on things because I'm firmly persuaded 266 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:49,560 that what God's Word says and it governs my life. 267 00:19:50,120 --> 00:19:53,040 Amen. It is the substance of my life. 268 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:58,320 It is the foundation of my life. It is the what I have built my 269 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:02,840 life upon. It is the sure foundation or the 270 00:20:03,120 --> 00:20:06,920 setting up under. That's what that word substance 271 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:10,840 means. Faith is what I live upon. 272 00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:16,920 Faith is what I live upon. And true biblical faith comes 273 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:18,880 from the word of God. You know, I love. 274 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:22,840 I was kind of focusing on this today when I was studying and 275 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:28,880 meditating in Hebrews, you know, in Hebrews. 11 Let me just read 276 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:32,720 this because there's so much I could just continue to teach on 277 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:38,920 faith forever and ever and ever. But you know in Hebrews 11 when 278 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:46,200 you start reading that it says this now faith is the assurance. 279 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:48,600 This is another translation of things hoped for the. 280 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:52,240 Convictions of things not seen, for by it the men of old gained 281 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:56,960 approval by faith. We understand that the world's 282 00:20:56,960 --> 00:21:03,840 were prepared by what the Word of God so that what is seen was 283 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:06,320 not made out of things which are visible. 284 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:12,000 And we talked about this faith is out of this world because 285 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:17,760 faith is unseen. It is not in this natural realm, 286 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:26,320 but it's built upon the Word. In Genesis 11 we said this is 287 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:30,200 that the earth was void, right and empty. 288 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:38,000 But then God spoke a word, let there be, and out of that word 289 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:44,320 became the visible. Out of the word became let there 290 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:47,040 be light. When He said let there be light, 291 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:50,920 His power was released. He spoke it and guess what 292 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:54,000 happened? He spoke the word and the Word 293 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:57,920 created the substance of what we can see. 294 00:21:59,960 --> 00:22:12,600 So the Word of God is what is the substance of faith, the Word 295 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:17,920 of God and He created the world in any everything in it by His 296 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:20,080 Word. So I'm going to tell you 297 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:26,120 whatever we need to create in our lives is going to be upheld 298 00:22:26,120 --> 00:22:30,960 and created by what we hear. Faith comes from hearing and 299 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:37,400 hearing from the word of God and the word will create what it is 300 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:44,000 that we are believing for. Hallelujah, glory to God and 301 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:45,480 look. And I was reading through 302 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:48,200 Hebrews, even in Hebrews chapter. 303 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:53,200 I have it here somewhere because I didn't know where I wanted to 304 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:58,280 go tonight in Hebrews chapter. I thought I put it on here. 305 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:03,240 Hebrews chapter 4. I believe it is no. 306 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:06,080 Hebrews one. Hebrews 11 and three. 307 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:11,320 Listen to this God after He spoke long ago to the fathers in 308 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:15,360 the prophets in many portions and in many ways in these last 309 00:23:15,360 --> 00:23:19,840 days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of 310 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:24,400 all things, through whom also He made the world. 311 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:29,800 And He and His radiance of His glory and the exact 312 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:36,920 representation of His nature and upholds all things by what the 313 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:45,480 word of His power. He upholds everything by the 314 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:51,040 word of his power. His word has power to create 315 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:55,560 whatever it is that we will believe him for. 316 00:23:57,240 --> 00:24:02,480 Hallelujah, glory to God and there's power backing it. 317 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:07,920 There's power backing it, supernatural power. 318 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:15,920 Our faith is out of this world. We are to get the supernatural 319 00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:22,200 on this natural realm and create what it is that God says we can 320 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:27,360 have. Hallelujah, and it's all done by 321 00:24:27,360 --> 00:24:32,400 faith. He says it's impossible to 322 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:41,160 please him without faith. Impossible to please him without 323 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:43,160 faith. Amen. 324 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:48,320 So we have to stir ourselves up to realizing that, listen, 325 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:51,560 things are not going to change. Because the bottom line is we're 326 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:56,080 just not really in faith. We are not firmly persuaded that 327 00:24:56,080 --> 00:25:00,320 God can do what he says He can do with our marriages, with our 328 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:04,480 family, come on, with our finances, whatever it is. 329 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:11,320 We just are not firmly persuaded and that's the reality. 330 00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:16,240 We are not living true biblical faith. 331 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:30,960 And there's got to be a a check because I'm going to tell you in 332 00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:36,680 these last days and the way, why do you think he says in the last 333 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:40,960 days when I return, will I find what in the earth? 334 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:50,720 Will I find faith in the earth, true biblical faith in the 335 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:53,840 earth? Or is it the faith that man has 336 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:59,960 created that we just can run around and be all joyful and go 337 00:25:59,960 --> 00:26:04,080 to a faith conference and say, oh, we were in faith, we 338 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:08,080 shouted, we rejoiced and we ran and yet get out and our lives 339 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:10,920 are not changed. Things are not different. 340 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:14,640 Come on. Our faith was not to be in the 341 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:17,960 run and in the dance and in the shout. 342 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:25,720 Our faith was to be in the Word of God and what the Word says. 343 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:36,240 I'm telling you, we got to shake ourselves, Hallelujah, because 344 00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:40,080 we are just truly not firmly persuaded that what God says He 345 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:42,720 can do. That's just the bottom line. 346 00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:46,240 You know, look at the life we talked about this last week. 347 00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:51,640 Looking at the life of Abraham. He was the Father of faith and 348 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:55,360 the perfect example. We talked about this, and he was 349 00:26:55,360 --> 00:27:01,720 willing at God's Word to sacrifice the Son that he had 350 00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:09,520 believed God for. He was willing to sacrifice the 351 00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:14,040 very thing that he had to believe for, right? 352 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:24,040 This was being required of him to test his faith to. 353 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:30,360 See, are you going to walk this out in the earth, Abraham? 354 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:40,440 So of course God had a provision for him because he saw that his 355 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:45,160 heart was willing and obedient to do whatever the Lord had told 356 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:49,240 him to do, even though he had believed God for the promised 357 00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:52,920 son, right, for the promised son. 358 00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:56,160 He, I mean, he was firmly persuaded. 359 00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:59,920 And we know, and one when you read about Abraham, he was 360 00:27:59,920 --> 00:28:02,840 firmly persuaded that God would just have to raise him from the 361 00:28:02,840 --> 00:28:06,360 dead, even though he had never seen a resurrection and never 362 00:28:06,360 --> 00:28:08,240 even had heard of a resurrection. 363 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:16,880 He was firmly persuaded. Well, God, God promised me, God 364 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:22,120 promised me that he would be the inheritance and he would be the 365 00:28:22,120 --> 00:28:27,320 one, come on. So I believe God that he must 366 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:30,080 going to be able to raise him from the dead. 367 00:28:31,120 --> 00:28:37,360 He had faith in God because, see, that's what real faith will 368 00:28:37,360 --> 00:28:45,560 be, that you are firmly persuaded in who God is and who 369 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:52,840 God is. And who God is, that he is all 370 00:28:53,840 --> 00:28:58,880 sufficient. Who God is? 371 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:03,800 I think we've forgotten who God really is. 372 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:08,200 Do we really believe who He really is? 373 00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:15,720 He is all powerful. He is everything. 374 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:20,640 He can do anything. Come on, we got to stir 375 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:27,760 ourselves up, Hallelujah and knowing that God is able to do 376 00:29:28,040 --> 00:29:32,200 and uphold all things by His Word. 377 00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:34,760 Come on, he's still got the world. 378 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:39,520 We sing it. He has the whole world what he's 379 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:45,200 upholding. He's upholding this whole world 380 00:29:46,200 --> 00:29:54,040 by his word. By his word, he's upholding it. 381 00:29:55,480 --> 00:30:00,280 And no matter what goes on, he will have the final say. 382 00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:02,840 He's going to have the final say. 383 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:06,960 Hallelujah, he's going to have the final say. 384 00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:10,240 It doesn't matter what things look like. 385 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:12,400 Come on. Because we are not supposed to 386 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:19,000 live by sight. Faith does not live by sight. 387 00:30:20,720 --> 00:30:26,200 Faith lives in the unseen meaning. 388 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:30,680 It don't seem like this is ever going to change. 389 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:35,880 It don't seem like the finances are going to be there. 390 00:30:35,880 --> 00:30:43,280 It don't seem like, come on. But I don't walk by what I see 391 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:47,920 or what it seems. I walk by faith and what His 392 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:50,080 word says. Amen. 393 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:53,360 Hallelujah. Glory to God. 394 00:30:53,760 --> 00:31:01,080 So we are to operate in a whole nother realm, and we've got to 395 00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:05,680 get this as believers in this day, in this hour that we're 396 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:09,680 living in, I'm telling you, it's time for us to raise up in our 397 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:14,920 thinking, rise up in our walk with the Lord, because we are 398 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:20,480 not to live in this realm. Come on, we're right. 399 00:31:21,120 --> 00:31:26,520 Not of this world. We're not supposed to live by 400 00:31:26,520 --> 00:31:30,720 this realm and what we see. We are supposed to live out of 401 00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:34,040 this world with our faith. Amen. 402 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:39,360 And I'm going to tell you the only way you're going to do that 403 00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:43,680 is by the word. And being firmly persuaded in 404 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:47,400 who God is. And who God is and in your 405 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:52,360 relationship with the Lord, because I feel like many people 406 00:31:52,360 --> 00:32:00,000 have gotten away from really discovering who God is because 407 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:05,400 you just love him, you just. Serve want to serve him. 408 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:09,360 It doesn't matter about anything else. 409 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:12,000 I just love him and I want to serve him. 410 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:16,360 I love him and I want to serve him. 411 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:23,680 So to love him is to love His word and get to know Him. 412 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:28,480 And when you know him, listen. When you know him, then you'll 413 00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:33,920 trust him. When you know him, then you will 414 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:37,360 believe every word that comes out of his mouth. 415 00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:44,600 You'll believe him because he is not a man that he should lie. 416 00:32:45,480 --> 00:32:49,840 He is not like all of these other lion people. 417 00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:55,800 I mean, come on. And they'll lie to you. 418 00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:58,320 They lie right up in the church, straight to your face. 419 00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:03,840 Even born again believers just lie straight to your face. 420 00:33:05,560 --> 00:33:11,680 So what does that do to us? Put stuff in our psyche that God 421 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:18,000 must lie or that he can't be true to his promises, right? 422 00:33:18,560 --> 00:33:21,040 No, God is not a man that he should lie. 423 00:33:21,520 --> 00:33:25,600 And this is what we have to begin to start re resurfacing in 424 00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:28,640 our relationship with him. You know what, Lord, I just love 425 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:32,880 you and I trust you and and and the promises that you said 426 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:34,280 belong to me. I thank you. 427 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:37,240 I trust you. I walk in faith and believe you 428 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:40,920 know God and and will do whatever you need me to do just 429 00:33:40,920 --> 00:33:43,800 because I love you. It's not because of anything 430 00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:48,520 else. It's not because of anything 431 00:33:48,520 --> 00:33:49,880 else. It's not. 432 00:33:49,880 --> 00:33:52,360 I don't have a relationship with you so I can get a. 433 00:33:52,360 --> 00:33:56,240 Better a bigger. House and a better car and all 434 00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:59,160 these things. No, I love you because of who 435 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:02,800 you are, because you are faithful and true. 436 00:34:05,960 --> 00:34:08,560 But. If because of who you? 437 00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:12,960 Are says that there are things that belong to me, then I want 438 00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:16,400 you to navigate me in those areas because I want to receive 439 00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:19,840 all that you said belongs to me. Hallelujah. 440 00:34:20,679 --> 00:34:24,880 You know, so we need to get back to what is this thing really 441 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:27,400 about? What is this thing really about? 442 00:34:27,679 --> 00:34:35,280 I'm going to tell you, you know, this life of faith is not for 443 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:40,040 weak people. It's not it's not for weak 444 00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:46,840 people. True biblical faith is not for 445 00:34:46,840 --> 00:34:49,000 weak people. I want to talk about the 446 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:54,080 characteristics of faith because I want you to see what the. 447 00:34:54,080 --> 00:34:57,840 Word. Says that faith looks like we 448 00:34:57,840 --> 00:35:01,000 know that, he said. Faith is a firm persuasion, a 449 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:06,000 confident expectation, something that I adhere to, that I allow 450 00:35:06,160 --> 00:35:11,160 to govern my life, meaning my everyday walk with him. 451 00:35:11,160 --> 00:35:14,840 This thing is not just about Sundays and Wednesdays to come 452 00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:18,000 in here and have a good dance and have a good shout, have a 453 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:20,720 good worship. This, this thing is about you 454 00:35:20,720 --> 00:35:24,360 receiving the engrafted word of God. 455 00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:28,080 Which is able to save your soul? What is your soul? 456 00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:32,840 Your mind and your will and emotions, it is able to get 457 00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:37,320 placed within your hearing and within your heart so that you 458 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:42,680 can actually activate faith in what the word was spoken so that 459 00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:45,000 you can walk it out in your everyday life. 460 00:35:45,200 --> 00:35:51,600 And you can be an overcomer and, and, and, and you need to thank 461 00:35:51,600 --> 00:35:58,120 God every day that you have the seed of His word in your heart 462 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:02,960 and every day saying thank you, Lord, that I have the mind of 463 00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:07,320 Christ because I am not going to fall into, come on the thinking 464 00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:09,880 of this world because it is insane. 465 00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:15,080 Not going to do it, not going to believe a word I'm not going to. 466 00:36:15,320 --> 00:36:23,600 I am seeing, I mean just the depravity of man right in things 467 00:36:26,480 --> 00:36:29,200 and. And, and we have to be real 468 00:36:29,200 --> 00:36:33,800 about what does true biblical faith look like. 469 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:36,840 Let me read you a couple of scriptures here. 470 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:43,640 Hebrews 10/23 says this. Let us hold fast the confession 471 00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:51,160 of our hope or faith without wavering, for He who promised is 472 00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:57,080 faithful. We have to be those that are 473 00:36:57,080 --> 00:37:01,240 going to hold fast to the confession of our faith. 474 00:37:01,760 --> 00:37:05,080 Because I'm going to tell you we are living in an hour where 475 00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:11,880 people's faith is being shaken. People are thinking and 476 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:18,240 believing crazy, not in alignment with His word at all. 477 00:37:19,160 --> 00:37:22,800 And we have to have discernment in these last days. 478 00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:26,960 So He's telling us, listen, we're going to have to hold fast 479 00:37:26,960 --> 00:37:31,280 the confession of our faith. We're going to have to hold fast 480 00:37:31,280 --> 00:37:33,880 in what we believe. That means we're going to have 481 00:37:33,880 --> 00:37:40,480 to have a grip on it because the enemies out there trying to get 482 00:37:40,480 --> 00:37:48,520 us to loosen up our grip of what we believe and how we believe to 483 00:37:48,520 --> 00:37:56,320 be able to lay down to all of these agendas that the world is 484 00:37:56,320 --> 00:37:59,760 pushing. And, and what's sad is I'm 485 00:37:59,760 --> 00:38:04,360 seeing so many believers getting caught up in it, so many 486 00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:10,480 Christians getting caught up in, in all of these agendas and all 487 00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:14,400 of these lies. All of these things that are 488 00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:19,960 being pushed in our world and the number one reason why is 489 00:38:19,960 --> 00:38:23,160 because they are illiterate of the word of God. 490 00:38:25,080 --> 00:38:28,800 And you're and you're thinking, how can that be in the world 491 00:38:28,800 --> 00:38:32,360 that we're living in, the nation that we're in with a church on 492 00:38:32,360 --> 00:38:36,840 every corner, with, you know, all the availability of all 493 00:38:36,840 --> 00:38:41,880 these things because people are not firmly persuaded and what 494 00:38:42,080 --> 00:38:45,920 they believe, they're letting all of these other belief 495 00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:51,800 systems mix in with what they think they believe. 496 00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:55,960 Mixture. Oh, OK. 497 00:38:55,960 --> 00:38:57,840 Well, I can see how. Yeah. 498 00:38:57,960 --> 00:38:59,760 Yeah. They're giving in to all these 499 00:38:59,760 --> 00:39:03,040 things because they don't want to be staunch on the just what 500 00:39:03,040 --> 00:39:06,880 does the word say? I mean, I don't even see that in 501 00:39:06,880 --> 00:39:08,880 the word. So I don't even know this crazy 502 00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:11,000 thought that you're even thinking, Right. 503 00:39:11,600 --> 00:39:15,120 Because it's not in the word. You're thinking wrong. 504 00:39:17,920 --> 00:39:21,560 So we're going to have to hold fast the confession of our faith 505 00:39:21,800 --> 00:39:26,600 without wavering. That means there's going to be 506 00:39:26,600 --> 00:39:31,880 opportunity for you to waver. That's good. 507 00:39:31,880 --> 00:39:36,760 Faith has a firm grip. It's not something that's weak. 508 00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:41,040 No, when you are firmly persuaded, you have a firm grip 509 00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:43,800 on that thing that you believe and you're not. 510 00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:47,440 Nothing's going to be able to shake you off of it without 511 00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:52,080 wavering, it says without wavering, without being tossed, 512 00:39:52,080 --> 00:39:54,280 without come on, you got to hold on to it. 513 00:39:54,280 --> 00:39:57,640 You know they talk about, you know Pastor Hagen would always 514 00:39:57,640 --> 00:40:02,480 talk about a bulldog. When a bulldog latches on to 515 00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:08,880 something, you have to beat that dog off of it, right? 516 00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:15,480 A pit bull, you have to beat it off and you could literally 517 00:40:15,480 --> 00:40:19,440 could probably beat it to death. I've never seen it happen and 518 00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:23,120 it's still. Going to hold on, right? 519 00:40:23,880 --> 00:40:26,240 And that's the firm grip we're talking about here. 520 00:40:26,440 --> 00:40:28,720 Hold. Fast to your confession of 521 00:40:28,720 --> 00:40:31,400 faith. Hold fast to the thing that you 522 00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:34,600 believe without wavering. That means you're not going to 523 00:40:34,600 --> 00:40:38,960 waver in the midst of what it is you're having to hold fast too. 524 00:40:41,040 --> 00:40:44,520 And that's being firmly persuaded that nothing's going 525 00:40:44,520 --> 00:40:47,080 to move me. It's not going to get me off of 526 00:40:47,080 --> 00:40:50,680 what I believe. I don't care what is being said. 527 00:40:50,680 --> 00:40:55,560 I don't care what is happening. I'm not going to be moved off of 528 00:40:55,560 --> 00:41:02,720 what I know God has said. Look at Hebrews 10/20. 3/3/20. 529 00:41:02,720 --> 00:41:03,960 Five in the. Amplified. 530 00:41:03,960 --> 00:41:06,960 I want to read it, so let us seize. 531 00:41:07,400 --> 00:41:12,120 And hold fast and retain without wavering the hope or faith we 532 00:41:12,120 --> 00:41:16,680 cherish and confess, and our acknowledgement of it. 533 00:41:16,880 --> 00:41:22,800 For he who promised is reliable, He is sure and faithful to his 534 00:41:22,800 --> 00:41:26,080 own word. Come on, let us not get, 535 00:41:26,080 --> 00:41:32,880 consider, and give attentive, continuous care to watching over 536 00:41:32,880 --> 00:41:38,440 one of study how or studying how we should stir up and stimulate 537 00:41:39,200 --> 00:41:43,680 and insight to love and helpful deeds and noble activities. 538 00:41:43,680 --> 00:41:47,880 Not forsaking or neglecting the assembling of ourselves 539 00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:52,040 togethers as believers, as is the habit of some, but 540 00:41:52,040 --> 00:41:57,760 admonishing, warning, urging and encouraging one another, and all 541 00:41:57,760 --> 00:42:02,200 the more faithfully as you see the day approaching. 542 00:42:02,480 --> 00:42:06,120 So the only way that we are not going to be able to waver and 543 00:42:06,120 --> 00:42:08,480 not lose grip is to be in the word. 544 00:42:08,480 --> 00:42:12,080 But also so be in the House of the Lord with one another 545 00:42:12,280 --> 00:42:16,520 assembling together. And he says all the more we 546 00:42:16,520 --> 00:42:20,560 should be reminding people. And now we're living in a world 547 00:42:20,560 --> 00:42:24,080 and in a society today, you know, that does not want to 548 00:42:24,080 --> 00:42:27,720 assemble because of COVID. And it had started before that 549 00:42:27,720 --> 00:42:30,040 actually. But anyway, you know, they don't 550 00:42:30,040 --> 00:42:32,880 want to assemble it. They want to watch it online and 551 00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:36,000 in their own. But I'm going to tell you, you 552 00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:39,560 are not going to make it in this last day on your own. 553 00:42:39,920 --> 00:42:45,680 You need the body, you need the church, you need one another. 554 00:42:45,680 --> 00:42:49,640 We are connected to one another and that's what's going to help 555 00:42:49,640 --> 00:42:55,800 stimulate us in times where we are having to hold fast. 556 00:42:55,800 --> 00:42:59,680 There's going to be someone else connected to you that can what 557 00:42:59,840 --> 00:43:06,080 help hold on to you as well. But if you get off by yourself, 558 00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:12,080 you're out there for the wolves to come in, take you off and all 559 00:43:12,080 --> 00:43:15,200 the craziness of the world, you're going to be right out 560 00:43:15,200 --> 00:43:18,280 there for their disposal. Amen. 561 00:43:18,560 --> 00:43:22,000 So faith holds fast says hold fast. 562 00:43:23,240 --> 00:43:26,360 That does not sound like a weak person to me. 563 00:43:29,040 --> 00:43:38,160 Faith holds fast holds fast. Hallelujah, it doesn't lose its 564 00:43:38,160 --> 00:43:45,680 grip, but it stays firmly gripped upon the promise of God. 565 00:43:45,760 --> 00:43:49,800 Amen, it says Second Corinthians 1/2 when he says this, for all 566 00:43:49,800 --> 00:43:54,480 of God's promises have been fulfilled in Christ, where it 567 00:43:54,480 --> 00:43:57,760 says yes and Amen. Amen. 568 00:43:57,960 --> 00:44:01,760 All of His promises are yes and Amen. 569 00:44:02,120 --> 00:44:04,720 And I'm going to tell you that's what we have to stand on. 570 00:44:04,720 --> 00:44:08,440 I believe God no matter what, no matter what. 571 00:44:08,440 --> 00:44:12,720 I'm going to hold fast to my confession of faith and I'm 572 00:44:12,720 --> 00:44:15,840 going to stay put. I'm going to stay with a firm 573 00:44:15,840 --> 00:44:20,080 grip on the Word of God. Faith endures. 574 00:44:20,080 --> 00:44:22,200 This is number 2. Faith endures. 575 00:44:23,720 --> 00:44:25,880 Faith is not weak, say faith is not weak. 576 00:44:26,640 --> 00:44:30,160 Faith endures. Faith endures. 577 00:44:30,160 --> 00:44:35,040 Listen to what Hebrews 1035 and 36 says Therefore do not 578 00:44:35,040 --> 00:44:41,640 castaway your confidence, which has great reward, for you have 579 00:44:41,640 --> 00:44:47,440 need of endurance, so that your so that after you have done the 580 00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:51,640 will of God, you may receive the promise. 581 00:44:52,400 --> 00:44:57,800 So faith endures, OK, endurance. What does it mean? 582 00:44:57,800 --> 00:45:01,520 The power of enduring a difficult situation. 583 00:45:03,440 --> 00:45:09,720 So that means we're going to be in difficult situations, but 584 00:45:09,720 --> 00:45:13,800 those that are firmly persuaded, those that have true biblical 585 00:45:13,800 --> 00:45:19,080 faith are ones that can endure the situation. 586 00:45:19,840 --> 00:45:22,360 They can endure the circumstance. 587 00:45:22,560 --> 00:45:27,640 They can endure or outlast whatever it is that's going on 588 00:45:27,640 --> 00:45:30,440 that the enemy is trying to get them off of. 589 00:45:31,120 --> 00:45:33,480 They're going to be able to endure through it. 590 00:45:34,200 --> 00:45:40,360 So you need to say my faith endures, my faith endures. 591 00:45:40,360 --> 00:45:43,680 Listen to what it says. Also, the power of enduring a 592 00:45:43,680 --> 00:45:48,280 difficult situation or the capacity of something that is 593 00:45:48,280 --> 00:45:55,880 able to last and withstand the capacity we've all been given, 594 00:45:55,880 --> 00:46:00,440 the measure of faith. We all have the capacity to 595 00:46:00,480 --> 00:46:04,560 endure whatever the difficult situation is that we are 596 00:46:04,560 --> 00:46:07,520 encountering. Amen. 597 00:46:07,560 --> 00:46:10,200 Period. And with and and outlast it and 598 00:46:10,200 --> 00:46:14,960 withstand and get the victory on the other end. 599 00:46:15,040 --> 00:46:18,640 We can endure it and go through it and win. 600 00:46:19,040 --> 00:46:21,880 Amen. Hebrews 12/1 and two says. 601 00:46:21,880 --> 00:46:25,960 Therefore, since we have such a a great a cloud of witnesses 602 00:46:25,960 --> 00:46:30,360 surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and sin 603 00:46:30,360 --> 00:46:34,640 which easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the 604 00:46:34,640 --> 00:46:39,160 race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus the 605 00:46:39,160 --> 00:46:45,640 Author and the what perfector of our faith. 606 00:46:45,640 --> 00:46:49,400 Hallelujah. Who for the joy set before him 607 00:46:49,600 --> 00:46:54,760 endured the cross, despising the shame, and has set down at the 608 00:46:54,760 --> 00:46:58,200 right hand of the throne of God. Hallelujah. 609 00:46:58,360 --> 00:47:01,200 So He was able to endure the cross. 610 00:47:01,200 --> 00:47:05,120 So this scripture is letting us know because He was able to 611 00:47:05,120 --> 00:47:09,560 endure the cross, that means we can endure in the race that 612 00:47:09,560 --> 00:47:14,960 we're running, period. And we can have joy in it 613 00:47:15,640 --> 00:47:21,960 because faith rejoices even in the difficult situations. 614 00:47:22,520 --> 00:47:25,800 Faith rejoices. I'm going to say it till it 615 00:47:25,800 --> 00:47:30,000 hurts you like it hurt me. Faith rejoices. 616 00:47:30,000 --> 00:47:35,800 Come on, even in the middle of the difficult situation, you 617 00:47:35,800 --> 00:47:38,320 should still have joy. Come on. 618 00:47:38,480 --> 00:47:43,120 What did James say? Count it all joy when you enter 619 00:47:43,120 --> 00:47:48,520 into come on trials and tribulations and circumstances. 620 00:47:48,640 --> 00:47:52,440 Because the person that is firmly persuaded, come on, 621 00:47:52,680 --> 00:47:57,680 firmly persuaded in a position of faith that I'll be able to 622 00:47:57,680 --> 00:48:00,200 endure this and come out on the other side. 623 00:48:00,200 --> 00:48:06,920 So I might as well rejoice and be excited about the my test is 624 00:48:06,920 --> 00:48:11,120 being proven. Come on, my faith, my faith is 625 00:48:11,120 --> 00:48:14,520 being proven. Hallelujah. 626 00:48:15,280 --> 00:48:20,960 No matter what the situation is, no matter how difficult it is, 627 00:48:21,320 --> 00:48:24,800 what it looks like. I mean, y'all heard some of my 628 00:48:25,040 --> 00:48:27,800 testimony. That was just a little snippet. 629 00:48:28,880 --> 00:48:32,440 I mean just a little snippet and I was thinking this was really 630 00:48:32,440 --> 00:48:39,520 the 1st 4 years of our marriage. I mean talk about God doing a 631 00:48:39,520 --> 00:48:45,400 whammy on me. I mean, you know, I just wanted 632 00:48:45,400 --> 00:48:48,760 to love the Lord and serve the Lord and and have a Great 633 00:48:48,920 --> 00:48:53,440 American Christian life. You know, my husband go to 634 00:48:53,440 --> 00:48:58,360 church, me go to church, raise my family in church, live in a a 635 00:48:58,360 --> 00:49:02,200 nice house with a white picket fence where he worked a job nine 636 00:49:02,200 --> 00:49:04,960 to five. And lo and behold, just because 637 00:49:04,960 --> 00:49:08,640 I love the Lord and was going to church, he did this to me. 638 00:49:12,280 --> 00:49:17,280 He turned my world upside down. And I'm going to tell you in the 639 00:49:17,280 --> 00:49:20,040 midst of that tipsy topsy upside down. 640 00:49:20,040 --> 00:49:24,080 It was not fun at all. You know, Pastor heard us me 641 00:49:24,080 --> 00:49:25,960 telling about his little bike story. 642 00:49:26,120 --> 00:49:30,360 Well, he reminded me, he said, yeah, Marcie, don't forget the 643 00:49:30,520 --> 00:49:33,040 the the pedal flew off on me too. 644 00:49:35,080 --> 00:49:36,840 Not just the wheel. The pedal. 645 00:49:37,440 --> 00:49:39,400 The pedal. Broke off one day when he was 646 00:49:39,400 --> 00:49:43,560 riding that bike to the cemetery and so. 647 00:49:45,000 --> 00:49:48,720 But you know, y'all heard that I prayed in the Holy Ghost, and 648 00:49:48,720 --> 00:49:52,040 I'm firmly persuaded that that's the only thing that delivered me 649 00:49:52,040 --> 00:49:54,240 from my problems. Because when you don't know how 650 00:49:54,240 --> 00:49:58,320 you ought to pray, you go pray in the Holy Ghost, and he's 651 00:49:58,320 --> 00:50:01,280 going to deliver me out of my troubles. 652 00:50:01,280 --> 00:50:04,640 And he did. It got us back to Florida and 653 00:50:04,640 --> 00:50:10,120 then the troubles began again. Right and. 654 00:50:10,120 --> 00:50:15,360 So we moved in with. His mom and he got a job and you 655 00:50:15,360 --> 00:50:20,120 know, we were there for, you know, a little while, maybe 6 to 656 00:50:20,120 --> 00:50:22,680 9 months. But praying in the Holy Ghost. 657 00:50:22,680 --> 00:50:25,360 He still didn't know I prayed in the Holy Ghost and got us out of 658 00:50:25,360 --> 00:50:30,000 that hell pit. And you know, I had not told him 659 00:50:30,160 --> 00:50:33,920 still to to that day, you know, and so. 660 00:50:33,920 --> 00:50:36,960 Then we get back to. Florida and we're still living 661 00:50:36,960 --> 00:50:41,320 with his mom and you know, he got a job so we were getting 662 00:50:41,320 --> 00:50:48,000 back on our feet and we moved. He actually, I think at that 663 00:50:48,000 --> 00:50:51,280 time got back in the National Guard because he had gotten out, 664 00:50:51,320 --> 00:50:53,480 you know, when we moved to Georgia. 665 00:50:53,920 --> 00:50:59,600 And so he got back in the National Guard and we got into a 666 00:50:59,600 --> 00:51:03,920 place in Stark, moved back to Stark, which I lived there for a 667 00:51:03,920 --> 00:51:09,040 season of my life. And so we were living in Stark 668 00:51:09,040 --> 00:51:11,000 in this house. We had just moved in. 669 00:51:11,480 --> 00:51:16,520 And lo and behold, this is after we were going to the Baptist 670 00:51:16,520 --> 00:51:20,080 Church with his mom, at living with her. 671 00:51:20,080 --> 00:51:21,560 We were going to the Baptist Church. 672 00:51:21,880 --> 00:51:25,600 And you know, he, we always served in church because that's 673 00:51:25,600 --> 00:51:28,520 what you do. So we were serving and he was 674 00:51:28,520 --> 00:51:30,960 going to work with the youth and do some stuff. 675 00:51:31,280 --> 00:51:36,640 And then the elders started telling him, well, you know, you 676 00:51:36,640 --> 00:51:39,640 can't talk like that with the teenagers. 677 00:51:39,640 --> 00:51:43,480 You can't talk about the devil and you know, blah, blah, blah. 678 00:51:43,480 --> 00:51:45,960 So he had a little run in with the elders. 679 00:51:46,280 --> 00:51:49,680 Well, by thou, now my husband's discouraged because, you know, 680 00:51:49,680 --> 00:51:53,640 he's thinking he's going. We left the cemetery and now the 681 00:51:53,920 --> 00:51:56,520 Baptist Church kicked him out because they didn't want them 682 00:51:56,520 --> 00:51:59,160 talking about the devil to the teenagers. 683 00:51:59,400 --> 00:52:03,640 And so he's discouraged. He's down and out and. 684 00:52:03,800 --> 00:52:06,840 We're. Moved into this place in Stark 685 00:52:06,840 --> 00:52:12,160 and next thing I know we get a knock on the door and this guy 686 00:52:12,160 --> 00:52:18,160 shows up and he said, Hey, I heard a pastor lives here and 687 00:52:18,160 --> 00:52:22,480 and he said, well, I'm not a pastor yet, you know, and 688 00:52:22,480 --> 00:52:25,400 everything. And he said, well, I'm a pastor 689 00:52:25,400 --> 00:52:32,000 of an Assemblies of God church. So then I told him, I said, well 690 00:52:32,000 --> 00:52:35,760 babe, I really think since you're so discouraged with this 691 00:52:35,760 --> 00:52:42,320 Baptist stuff, I want to tell you I believe what these 692 00:52:42,320 --> 00:52:48,000 Assembly of God people believe because I actually speak in 693 00:52:48,000 --> 00:52:50,440 tongues. And. 694 00:52:50,440 --> 00:52:55,200 So my confession is starting now, you know, And I said, and I 695 00:52:55,200 --> 00:53:00,760 think we need to try this church out, you know, and so we went to 696 00:53:00,760 --> 00:53:03,760 the church and the first thing the pastor talks about is being 697 00:53:03,760 --> 00:53:06,680 filled with the Holy Ghost. This is in 1995. 698 00:53:08,400 --> 00:53:13,920 And so, you know, my husband and this pastor connected and, and 699 00:53:13,920 --> 00:53:17,560 met early in the morning on his way to to work every morning, 700 00:53:17,560 --> 00:53:20,880 like at 5:00 AM in the morning. And he walked him through the 701 00:53:20,880 --> 00:53:25,120 scriptures and showed him the revelation of being filled with 702 00:53:25,120 --> 00:53:27,120 the Holy Ghost. And he got filled with the Holy 703 00:53:27,120 --> 00:53:28,920 Ghost. Amen. 704 00:53:28,960 --> 00:53:31,840 So I'm going to tell you, if you are not filled with the Holy 705 00:53:31,840 --> 00:53:36,280 Ghost, you need the Holy Ghost because He will save your life 706 00:53:36,560 --> 00:53:40,720 from the pit of hell. Seriously. 707 00:53:41,400 --> 00:53:47,360 So I'm totally, totally, totally convinced that's what got us out 708 00:53:47,360 --> 00:53:51,000 of that situation. And we got and we got into this 709 00:53:51,000 --> 00:53:54,160 church and he got filled with the Holy Ghost and we started 710 00:53:54,160 --> 00:53:59,000 serving there and things began to happen for our life because 711 00:53:59,000 --> 00:54:02,480 we're actually filled with the Holy Ghost and are learning now 712 00:54:02,480 --> 00:54:07,160 how to be led by the Spirit and not by sight. 713 00:54:07,280 --> 00:54:10,160 Oh, well, we think we should go to this school because so and 714 00:54:10,160 --> 00:54:12,400 so's going to this school. We didn't know. 715 00:54:13,920 --> 00:54:17,680 We didn't know. He didn't know for sure, right, 716 00:54:17,920 --> 00:54:19,400 Because he wasn't filled with the Holy Ghost. 717 00:54:19,400 --> 00:54:22,400 He was just doing what he thought he should do in the 718 00:54:22,400 --> 00:54:26,440 natural. But then you get you figure out, 719 00:54:27,000 --> 00:54:30,960 oh, now we have to be led by the Spirit of God, and this is what 720 00:54:30,960 --> 00:54:36,480 the Holy Spirit is for. But anyway, so those were still 721 00:54:36,720 --> 00:54:40,760 difficult times of US navigating, you know, where we 722 00:54:40,760 --> 00:54:47,200 were supposed to be. And you know, the 1st 12 years 723 00:54:47,200 --> 00:54:59,200 of our marriage, we moved 22 times, all because God called 724 00:54:59,200 --> 00:55:01,800 us. We didn't really know what we 725 00:55:01,800 --> 00:55:08,680 were doing, didn't know what we were doing, but we did know His 726 00:55:08,680 --> 00:55:14,280 word, and we did know that His word was the best for our life. 727 00:55:14,280 --> 00:55:18,720 Because we sure didn't want what our lives were before, right? 728 00:55:19,480 --> 00:55:24,560 And so we were learning how to get to know God through his. 729 00:55:24,560 --> 00:55:28,280 Word. And letting him navigate us into 730 00:55:28,320 --> 00:55:30,520 the places that we were supposed to be. 731 00:55:30,880 --> 00:55:36,360 And because we were led and, and God brought that pastor to our 732 00:55:36,360 --> 00:55:42,520 doorstep, straight to our door. Find out even though he's an 733 00:55:42,520 --> 00:55:46,080 assembly, he's a God pastor. He graduated from Rhema Bible 734 00:55:46,080 --> 00:55:53,080 Training College and he told my husband, he said, which is a 735 00:55:53,080 --> 00:55:56,680 whole nother story that I do not have time to talk about even in 736 00:55:56,680 --> 00:56:01,000 the midst of that learning process of being at that church 737 00:56:01,480 --> 00:56:13,200 for from 95 to 98 we were there. So whole scenario situation, but 738 00:56:15,280 --> 00:56:19,840 what was I saying? Rhema, Rhema, yes, he was a 739 00:56:19,840 --> 00:56:24,160 Rhema graduate and so he taught, he said to my husband, he said 740 00:56:24,160 --> 00:56:27,160 if you really believe you're called to the ministry, you need 741 00:56:27,160 --> 00:56:30,160 to go to Rhema, you need to go to Rhema. 742 00:56:31,080 --> 00:56:35,400 And we have 3 kids at this time, you know, just getting settled 743 00:56:35,400 --> 00:56:40,840 back in with him having a job back in the guard and you know, 744 00:56:41,760 --> 00:56:46,080 three years and now he's talking about wanting to pick up, sell 745 00:56:46,080 --> 00:56:50,080 everything, pick up and go to Oklahoma. 746 00:56:51,440 --> 00:56:58,240 I'm from Florida. Georgia's one thing, South 747 00:56:58,240 --> 00:57:00,880 Carolina's one thing. It's still the South. 748 00:57:00,920 --> 00:57:04,560 Y'all going out to the West to Oklahoma. 749 00:57:04,560 --> 00:57:10,800 That's a whole nother ball game. But so that was a whole nother 750 00:57:10,800 --> 00:57:14,000 challenge and we had no money. I mean, we're in. 751 00:57:14,000 --> 00:57:18,000 Listen, guys, we are like 23. The first four years of our 752 00:57:18,000 --> 00:57:20,840 marriage we're in. I mean, I'm 23 years old. 753 00:57:21,200 --> 00:57:26,360 So by the time I go to Rhema, I'm like 28. 754 00:57:28,480 --> 00:57:33,920 We're young, three kids, and I feel like I've already lived 9 755 00:57:33,920 --> 00:57:38,320 lives. Because that is not even the 756 00:57:38,320 --> 00:57:40,800 rest of the story. So. 757 00:57:41,400 --> 00:57:47,880 But anyway, all of this was a journey of my life. 758 00:57:48,000 --> 00:57:55,040 Of faith in God and being led by Him. 759 00:57:55,040 --> 00:57:58,800 The best we knew how to be when we didn't know the ABC's of 760 00:57:58,800 --> 00:58:02,160 faith and we didn't know spirit, soul and body and how to be 761 00:58:02,160 --> 00:58:06,200 hearing from the Holy Spirit and how to yield to the Holy Spirit. 762 00:58:08,160 --> 00:58:16,680 So what I'm saying is God can do it in you if we would just take 763 00:58:16,680 --> 00:58:21,960 time to be students of his word. And that's the thing we did. 764 00:58:22,200 --> 00:58:27,240 We just read his word every day. We prayed every day and in that, 765 00:58:27,240 --> 00:58:32,320 that's how God was navigating our life, not knowing all along 766 00:58:32,320 --> 00:58:36,600 that we really had true biblical faith and we really were being 767 00:58:36,600 --> 00:58:40,240 LED sometimes by the Spirit, but there was a lot of mistakes 768 00:58:40,240 --> 00:58:43,080 along the way. But I do know this. 769 00:58:43,080 --> 00:58:47,120 He got us to Rhema and that changed our life forever. 770 00:58:48,400 --> 00:58:51,000 Changed our life forever. But we had nothing. 771 00:58:51,000 --> 00:58:54,600 We sold everything, packed up our three kids and moved out to 772 00:58:54,600 --> 00:58:58,320 Rhema. No job thinking we had an 773 00:58:58,320 --> 00:59:02,600 apartment that ended up being a sublease moved in to an 774 00:59:02,600 --> 00:59:05,760 apartment that the owner or the apartment people didn't even 775 00:59:05,760 --> 00:59:08,480 know that these other people that had leased it was 776 00:59:08,480 --> 00:59:14,000 subleasing it to us. And so that was a whole debacle. 777 00:59:14,000 --> 00:59:17,720 We show up in the middle of the night and have to, you know, 778 00:59:17,760 --> 00:59:22,040 deal with that situation. The the very next day got all of 779 00:59:22,040 --> 00:59:25,560 our money stolen out of my wallet because I left my wallet 780 00:59:25,920 --> 00:59:29,240 and someone stole all of our cash that we owned it to our 781 00:59:29,240 --> 00:59:31,600 name but they left our Rhema check. 782 00:59:32,720 --> 00:59:37,880 We had a check that was given to us our tuition for our first 783 00:59:37,880 --> 00:59:42,840 year Rhema for 3050 something dollars. 784 00:59:42,840 --> 00:59:45,840 They didn't steal the check but they stole all the cash. 785 00:59:46,720 --> 00:59:53,720 So guess what? We had to walk by faith and 786 00:59:53,720 --> 01:00:00,640 believe God the first day of arriving in Oklahoma. 787 01:00:03,000 --> 01:00:08,320 But God? But God, Hallelujah. 788 01:00:09,120 --> 01:00:13,240 No job, no money. And you know what we didn't do? 789 01:00:13,240 --> 01:00:17,800 We did not call home. We didn't call a friend. 790 01:00:19,200 --> 01:00:22,080 No, if God called us out here, then guess what? 791 01:00:22,360 --> 01:00:25,080 By faith He is going to take care of us. 792 01:00:25,080 --> 01:00:27,040 Now. He had to remind me of that 793 01:00:27,440 --> 01:00:32,760 because I'm in mom mode. I got my kids to feed, you know. 794 01:00:33,640 --> 01:00:37,960 So all of this is a life and a journey of faith in God. 795 01:00:38,200 --> 01:00:43,640 This is believing God, walking by faith, and walking this thing 796 01:00:43,640 --> 01:00:47,600 out that God is asking us. To do every day. 797 01:00:48,160 --> 01:00:52,280 Where things don't look right, things aren't right, you have 798 01:00:52,280 --> 01:00:56,760 nothing but this. And do you know this is what he 799 01:00:56,760 --> 01:01:02,080 wants us to live on, period, Period. 800 01:01:04,280 --> 01:01:12,200 We're to live by the Word of God, to live by faith, and when 801 01:01:12,200 --> 01:01:16,720 we are in a place that we are walking out what He is asking 802 01:01:16,720 --> 01:01:21,080 and requiring of us in situations that seem difficult 803 01:01:21,320 --> 01:01:27,680 and contrary to what we can see, you can be assured your God is 804 01:01:27,680 --> 01:01:32,720 going to come through for you. And He can do it again and again 805 01:01:32,800 --> 01:01:37,400 and again and again and again and again, if you will only 806 01:01:37,400 --> 01:01:42,960 believe that His Word is forever settled. 807 01:01:43,160 --> 01:01:45,960 And I'm going to tell you that is an uncomfortable life to 808 01:01:45,960 --> 01:01:48,480 live. And that is why most Christians 809 01:01:48,480 --> 01:01:52,360 don't live a true biblical faith life. 810 01:01:53,920 --> 01:01:58,480 Because it is uncomfortable. It is uncomfortable even today. 811 01:01:58,480 --> 01:02:04,280 It's, it ain't easy, but it's easy in Him because our faith 812 01:02:04,280 --> 01:02:08,240 has increased. Your faith should be increasing 813 01:02:08,240 --> 01:02:11,800 because you've seen the faithfulness of God time and 814 01:02:11,800 --> 01:02:14,840 time and time and time and time and time and time again. 815 01:02:15,280 --> 01:02:16,680 Amen. Hallelujah. 816 01:02:16,920 --> 01:02:21,520 So it was able my. Faith, our faith was able to 817 01:02:21,560 --> 01:02:23,560 endure. I have to share these 818 01:02:23,560 --> 01:02:27,800 testimonies with you because I'm going to tell you our faith can 819 01:02:27,800 --> 01:02:34,680 endure in whatever situation you are in if you just do not quit. 820 01:02:36,000 --> 01:02:39,160 If you don't quit, if you just stay in the Word and you stay 821 01:02:39,160 --> 01:02:43,320 believing and you stay doing exactly what God is asking and 822 01:02:43,320 --> 01:02:48,320 requiring of you, you can be assured that your faith will 823 01:02:48,320 --> 01:02:54,760 endure the difficult situation in the midst of you holding fast 824 01:02:54,760 --> 01:02:57,240 to the confession of your faith. Amen. 825 01:02:57,760 --> 01:03:01,000 Hallelujah. Let's read a couple more and 826 01:03:01,000 --> 01:03:02,800 then we'll be done. Highly. 827 01:03:02,800 --> 01:03:04,440 If you have to go, you have to go. 828 01:03:04,440 --> 01:03:06,080 But y'all are y'all are listening. 829 01:03:06,080 --> 01:03:08,880 Good. So Hallelujah. 830 01:03:09,320 --> 01:03:14,320 Glory to God, so faith that endures. 831 01:03:14,320 --> 01:03:15,760 Hallelujah. Listen to. 832 01:03:17,720 --> 01:03:20,920 James, I want to read it we quoted it James 1-2 and eight 833 01:03:20,920 --> 01:03:24,360 consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter 834 01:03:24,360 --> 01:03:28,320 various trials, knowing that the testing of. 835 01:03:28,320 --> 01:03:33,600 Your faith produces what endurance? 836 01:03:34,360 --> 01:03:39,880 Endurance. Your faith is being tested to 837 01:03:40,000 --> 01:03:43,440 prove out your endurance with Him. 838 01:03:43,600 --> 01:03:47,640 Do you know people have quit on God so many times? 839 01:03:48,320 --> 01:03:53,160 They were not able to endure the difficult situation and they 840 01:03:53,160 --> 01:03:58,440 bailed on God and said God couldn't do it, but really He 841 01:03:58,440 --> 01:04:00,880 was testing where they were really at. 842 01:04:01,120 --> 01:04:04,880 Do you really believe me in the midst of this situation? 843 01:04:04,880 --> 01:04:08,480 Will you stay and hold fast to your confession of faith? 844 01:04:08,720 --> 01:04:12,040 Will you believe that I can do the impossible? 845 01:04:12,200 --> 01:04:16,040 We can sing about it all day long, but nobody wants to walk 846 01:04:16,040 --> 01:04:22,880 it out anymore. And there's work that's being 847 01:04:22,880 --> 01:04:27,960 done within your life as a believer when we allow our faith 848 01:04:27,960 --> 01:04:33,640 to be tested right so that we can be those that will produce 849 01:04:33,680 --> 01:04:37,240 endurance. It says let your endurance have 850 01:04:37,240 --> 01:04:42,320 it's perfect result so that you would be perfect and complete, 851 01:04:42,320 --> 01:04:47,640 lacking nothing. But many people quit. 852 01:04:49,000 --> 01:04:50,960 And their endurance is not perfected. 853 01:04:53,480 --> 01:04:56,680 And guess what, you going to go through it one more time. 854 01:05:03,500 --> 01:05:05,420 Or. Another time. 855 01:05:05,540 --> 01:05:09,220 And This is why we see cycles in people's lives as Christians. 856 01:05:11,500 --> 01:05:15,940 This is why we see cycles because they will not let their 857 01:05:15,940 --> 01:05:21,720 faith have that perfect work and endure through the difficult 858 01:05:21,720 --> 01:05:25,800 times that this is difficult in my life and I really need to 859 01:05:25,800 --> 01:05:30,840 deal with this issue that I am dealing with and I need to let 860 01:05:30,840 --> 01:05:34,080 God do it. I need to let my faith work in 861 01:05:34,080 --> 01:05:38,520 this situation, but. Because I won't endure the pain, 862 01:05:39,360 --> 01:05:43,840 and because I won't endure the difficulty of having to deal 863 01:05:43,840 --> 01:05:51,800 with myself. So we fake it and then guess 864 01:05:51,800 --> 01:05:54,120 what? It comes back around and you're 865 01:05:54,120 --> 01:05:58,800 dealing with the same thing the next year and the same thing the 866 01:05:58,800 --> 01:06:04,800 next year because you're not firmly persuaded, you are not in 867 01:06:04,800 --> 01:06:10,280 a firm position of faith in whatever it is that's going on, 868 01:06:10,840 --> 01:06:16,080 period, Period. He wants to do some things 869 01:06:16,080 --> 01:06:18,800 within people's lives and they resist. 870 01:06:20,040 --> 01:06:23,000 I mean, don't you know that? I listen? 871 01:06:23,920 --> 01:06:25,960 I didn't say this last week, but. 872 01:06:26,360 --> 01:06:30,720 When we were in South Carolina one night, we only had one 873 01:06:30,720 --> 01:06:34,160 vehicle. He was working and I 874 01:06:34,160 --> 01:06:37,400 contemplated. I wanted to pick. 875 01:06:37,480 --> 01:06:42,360 I wanted to get my kids up in the middle of the night and 876 01:06:42,360 --> 01:06:49,520 leave while he was at work to see I was raised to leave. 877 01:06:49,520 --> 01:06:54,960 We've all been there. I wanted to leave and I was in 878 01:06:54,960 --> 01:06:59,520 this mode about, you know, he's at work and I'm supposed to pick 879 01:06:59,520 --> 01:07:02,400 him up at a certain time. I ain't picking him up. 880 01:07:03,800 --> 01:07:07,480 I'm done with this. I didn't ask for this. 881 01:07:07,800 --> 01:07:10,000 God, I don't even know what you think you're doing. 882 01:07:12,280 --> 01:07:17,680 So I said I'm going to let the kids get to sleep, I'm going to 883 01:07:17,680 --> 01:07:21,960 put them in the van, and I'm going to drive myself right back 884 01:07:21,960 --> 01:07:26,200 to Florida. And Oh well, for him. 885 01:07:27,040 --> 01:07:33,320 I mean, I was taught divorce is no big deal. 886 01:07:34,000 --> 01:07:43,480 Went through it many times. So I had a choice to make. 887 01:07:44,400 --> 01:07:50,920 Am I going to continue the cycle or am I going to endure the pain 888 01:07:53,560 --> 01:07:58,840 of the crucifixion of my will and the crucifixion of my flesh 889 01:07:59,840 --> 01:08:04,080 and of what I want and what I wanted for my life? 890 01:08:04,840 --> 01:08:10,000 Or am I going to submit to the plan of God, the purpose of God, 891 01:08:10,000 --> 01:08:13,760 even though I had no understanding of what was 892 01:08:13,760 --> 01:08:21,960 happening? And if I would have quit and I 893 01:08:21,960 --> 01:08:27,600 would have bailed, that wouldn't be what we see today, I can 894 01:08:27,600 --> 01:08:34,920 assure you of that. So everybody in their walk of 895 01:08:34,920 --> 01:08:41,560 faith has decisions to make. Whether we going to submit our 896 01:08:41,560 --> 01:08:47,560 will to what he wants to really do and go through the pain and 897 01:08:47,560 --> 01:08:54,000 whatever it is the. Cost to be able to. 898 01:08:54,000 --> 01:08:59,319 Walk. In the freedom of what God has 899 01:08:59,319 --> 01:09:03,319 planned for our life before we were ever in our mother's womb 900 01:09:04,920 --> 01:09:09,359 that in the midst of everything. I had no clue what I was doing 901 01:09:09,359 --> 01:09:14,840 in my life, but God had a plan and I could have thwarted it and 902 01:09:14,840 --> 01:09:20,520 wanted to multiple times and said it so much. 903 01:09:20,960 --> 01:09:23,520 Told him if he didn't like it he could hit the road. 904 01:09:23,520 --> 01:09:26,479 I wanted to divorce and he said don't you ever say that again in 905 01:09:26,479 --> 01:09:35,640 our house and I had a real good learning to do there called 906 01:09:35,640 --> 01:09:39,840 submission and biting my tongue. Right. 907 01:09:40,439 --> 01:09:46,760 So all of these things are God doing works within our lives 908 01:09:47,000 --> 01:09:52,640 that we can resist. And the bottom line is our faith 909 01:09:52,680 --> 01:09:57,320 will not work and be perfected the way that he wants it to be. 910 01:09:57,520 --> 01:10:02,600 And we'll have a false sense of faith or reality, false sense of 911 01:10:02,600 --> 01:10:08,640 reality, when that is not true. Biblical faith. 912 01:10:10,360 --> 01:10:15,120 Biblical faith was put in your life to be able to help you 913 01:10:15,800 --> 01:10:24,000 overcome everything, everything within your life, every dynamic, 914 01:10:24,000 --> 01:10:29,040 every situation, anything that you are walking through and how 915 01:10:29,040 --> 01:10:33,120 you are walking and the way it. Works is you reading the word 916 01:10:33,120 --> 01:10:35,400 and seeing. Oh, I don't have to actually 917 01:10:35,920 --> 01:10:38,960 live in a life of insecurity and rejection. 918 01:10:40,000 --> 01:10:43,000 Oh, I don't have to actually live a life of fear. 919 01:10:44,560 --> 01:10:47,560 Oh, I don't have to actually live a life addicted to 920 01:10:47,560 --> 01:10:50,840 something. Oh, I don't have to actually 921 01:10:50,840 --> 01:10:54,160 live a life where I can't have a happy marriage. 922 01:10:56,360 --> 01:11:00,960 And so therefore I'm going to let God do his perfect work 923 01:11:00,960 --> 01:11:03,280 within me, and I'm going to do it. 924 01:11:03,320 --> 01:11:10,360 All by faith. I had to do it by faith, period. 925 01:11:10,360 --> 01:11:15,720 And what did He say? He said this, that you would be 926 01:11:15,720 --> 01:11:19,680 tested, though by fire may be found, result in praise and 927 01:11:19,680 --> 01:11:22,600 glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 928 01:11:22,760 --> 01:11:25,120 And though you have not seen Him, you love Him. 929 01:11:25,120 --> 01:11:28,520 And though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you 930 01:11:28,520 --> 01:11:33,240 greatly rejoice with joy, inexpressible and full of glory, 931 01:11:33,240 --> 01:11:43,240 attaining as the outcome of your faith and the salvation of your 932 01:11:43,320 --> 01:11:45,200 souls. Amen. 933 01:11:45,760 --> 01:11:48,720 Hallelujah. We better end. 934 01:11:49,320 --> 01:11:52,800 Let me just read off what these other ones are and we'll talk 935 01:11:52,800 --> 01:11:55,760 about them next Wednesday. Faith contends. 936 01:11:57,360 --> 01:12:01,960 True biblical faith contends. I'm telling you, faith is not 937 01:12:01,960 --> 01:12:04,280 weak. Faith contends. 938 01:12:04,560 --> 01:12:06,800 Faith fights. Come on. 939 01:12:07,120 --> 01:12:12,280 Faith stands firm. You see what true biblical faith 940 01:12:12,280 --> 01:12:17,360 looks like. It is not an easy thing. 941 01:12:17,360 --> 01:12:23,400 It is not a weak thing to actually be in a life of faith. 942 01:12:23,640 --> 01:12:27,480 These are the postures and characteristics of faith. 943 01:12:27,680 --> 01:12:31,880 So that means whatever he's saying, faith looks like I'm 944 01:12:31,880 --> 01:12:37,280 going to be in those positions and actually demonstrate that 945 01:12:37,280 --> 01:12:40,280 I'm going to have to stand. When I've done all the stand, 946 01:12:40,280 --> 01:12:43,440 I'm going to stand. I don't care that I've stood for 947 01:12:43,440 --> 01:12:48,400 the last 15 years of believing God for a family member. 948 01:12:48,400 --> 01:12:52,560 I don't care that I've stood for the last whatever believing for 949 01:12:52,560 --> 01:12:56,320 breakthrough in my finances. I don't care when you've done 950 01:12:56,320 --> 01:13:00,000 all to stand. You stand firm on what you 951 01:13:00,000 --> 01:13:04,520 believe so that you can begin to see the reality of it. 952 01:13:04,720 --> 01:13:09,640 But when you what did he says I have no fat pleasure in those 953 01:13:09,640 --> 01:13:11,720 that shrink back from their faith. 954 01:13:11,920 --> 01:13:15,080 Hebrew says that too. I don't have any pleasure in 955 01:13:15,080 --> 01:13:20,000 people that shrink back. And what happens when you get in 956 01:13:20,000 --> 01:13:23,120 a difficult situation as well? What do you want to do? 957 01:13:23,200 --> 01:13:26,440 You want to shrink back? You want to pull back? 958 01:13:26,440 --> 01:13:31,080 Oh, no, God, I can't go there. No, you can't touch that one 959 01:13:31,080 --> 01:13:34,640 thing. You want to pull back. 960 01:13:34,960 --> 01:13:38,520 Instead of just pressing on in and saying, come on, let's do 961 01:13:38,520 --> 01:13:41,480 this thing by faith, I'm going to whip it once and for all. 962 01:13:41,640 --> 01:13:43,480 I'm going to overcome it once and for all. 963 01:13:43,640 --> 01:13:46,080 I'm going to walk through this situation once and for all. 964 01:13:46,200 --> 01:13:48,280 The way that you said I can walk through it. 965 01:13:48,480 --> 01:13:53,040 Faith continues. Faith continues. 966 01:13:54,000 --> 01:13:57,560 Because where He is faithful, we can be faithful and we can 967 01:13:57,560 --> 01:14:02,080 continue in whatever it is that He is requiring and asking of 968 01:14:02,080 --> 01:14:06,480 us. Faith is firmly established. 969 01:14:06,880 --> 01:14:12,200 That means we are immovable. Faith is firmly established. 970 01:14:12,560 --> 01:14:15,960 My life is built upon. The Rock. 971 01:14:18,360 --> 01:14:21,520 It's built upon the rock and it cannot be moved. 972 01:14:21,720 --> 01:14:25,720 When the winds and the waves come come on, and the rain, all 973 01:14:25,720 --> 01:14:27,960 of it comes, guess what's not moving? 974 01:14:28,080 --> 01:14:30,640 Not me, because I'm built upon the rock. 975 01:14:31,960 --> 01:14:36,040 So faith can continue on and be faithful. 976 01:14:36,160 --> 01:14:39,600 Whatever it is that He is requiring and asking of us, we 977 01:14:39,600 --> 01:14:45,880 can be firmly established and built upon the Word of God. 978 01:14:45,880 --> 01:14:50,240 Faith considers Him always faithful. 979 01:14:51,080 --> 01:14:55,440 Always faithful because, he says even when we are faithless, He 980 01:14:55,440 --> 01:14:58,480 is faithful. He's faithful. 981 01:14:59,680 --> 01:15:04,040 No matter what, he's faithful. Guess what else faith overcomes 982 01:15:04,040 --> 01:15:06,880 and has the victory. You know what else we've already 983 01:15:06,880 --> 01:15:08,760 said? This faith will rejoice in the 984 01:15:08,760 --> 01:15:10,600 midst of trials and tribulations. 985 01:15:10,760 --> 01:15:15,360 Faith will rest. When you are truly, firmly 986 01:15:15,360 --> 01:15:21,280 persuaded your faith in your faith, there will be rest within 987 01:15:21,280 --> 01:15:24,920 your soul. Faith rest. 988 01:15:25,720 --> 01:15:27,920 There will be rest. You will be at peace. 989 01:15:28,160 --> 01:15:30,120 You will be at rest. You know what? 990 01:15:30,760 --> 01:15:33,120 I'm not worried about it. Not a single day. 991 01:15:33,600 --> 01:15:36,640 Because my God. My God, come on. 992 01:15:36,960 --> 01:15:40,440 Faith only believes. Faith doesn't doubt. 993 01:15:40,600 --> 01:15:43,840 Faith is unwavering. Come on, faith. 994 01:15:44,040 --> 01:15:50,160 Will do what the impossible says cannot be done. 995 01:15:51,040 --> 01:15:55,800 Hallelujah. Things may look impossible, but 996 01:15:55,800 --> 01:15:59,000 I'm going to tell. You, if you are firmly persuaded 997 01:15:59,720 --> 01:16:06,400 in your heart and you begin to speak to that thing, whatever it 998 01:16:06,400 --> 01:16:10,240 is, the impossible situation can turn around. 999 01:16:10,760 --> 01:16:14,800 I'm telling you it can turn around this. 1000 01:16:14,800 --> 01:16:17,040 Is a true look at what faith looks like. 1001 01:16:17,640 --> 01:16:21,200 Straight from the word of God, nothing else. 1002 01:16:21,760 --> 01:16:24,760 Straight from the Word and we have. 1003 01:16:24,760 --> 01:16:30,160 To I want to read this last scripture which it says we have 1004 01:16:30,160 --> 01:16:35,160 to ask ourselves 2nd Corinthians 13 five test yourselves to see 1005 01:16:35,160 --> 01:16:41,320 if you are in faith. We have to not this fairy tale 1006 01:16:41,320 --> 01:16:45,320 of what you think you're in if you don't have all of these 1007 01:16:45,320 --> 01:16:50,160 attributes of faith working in your life, if you're not 1008 01:16:50,160 --> 01:16:54,240 standing firm, if you're not holding fast your confession, if 1009 01:16:54,240 --> 01:16:57,520 you're not believing God, if you're not rejoicing, come on. 1010 01:16:57,640 --> 01:17:01,440 If you're wavering, if you're in fear, all these things, if 1011 01:17:01,440 --> 01:17:04,920 you're not enduring in the. Situation that seems difficult. 1012 01:17:05,280 --> 01:17:09,640 You can know that you're not firmly persuaded. 1013 01:17:11,760 --> 01:17:14,880 That's just the bottom line. You're not firmly persuaded, 1014 01:17:15,640 --> 01:17:17,640 you're not in a real position of faith. 1015 01:17:17,960 --> 01:17:22,440 So he tells us we are to test ourselves to see if we're in 1016 01:17:22,440 --> 01:17:24,680 faith. Examine yourself. 1017 01:17:25,280 --> 01:17:28,760 Or do you not recognize this about yourself, that Christ? 1018 01:17:28,760 --> 01:17:30,720 Jesus is in you. Amen. 1019 01:17:31,080 --> 01:17:37,680 And unless indeed you fail the test, Hallelujah. 1020 01:17:37,680 --> 01:17:42,560 Test yourself to see. Are there these doubts? 1021 01:17:42,560 --> 01:17:47,760 Are you wavering? Are you walking by what you see? 1022 01:17:50,320 --> 01:17:54,320 Are you walking by sight? All of these. 1023 01:17:54,320 --> 01:17:57,960 Things we can ask ourselves and we can say, you know what? 1024 01:17:58,080 --> 01:18:01,680 I'm, I'm pretty much, I got that one, that one and that one. 1025 01:18:01,680 --> 01:18:03,560 But you know what? You're right. 1026 01:18:03,560 --> 01:18:07,600 I'm not firmly persuaded. I need to do this. 1027 01:18:08,000 --> 01:18:14,960 I need to stand firm, whatever, because it's very clear what he 1028 01:18:14,960 --> 01:18:21,600 says faith looks like. And it's not our opinion or what 1029 01:18:21,600 --> 01:18:25,720 we think. It's what His Word says faith 1030 01:18:25,720 --> 01:18:30,440 looks like, what its attributes are, its characteristics. 1031 01:18:30,760 --> 01:18:33,240 Amen according to the Word of God. 1032 01:18:33,280 --> 01:18:35,200 Amen. Hallelujah. 1033 01:18:35,440 --> 01:18:38,480 Do you believe God? Do you have faith? 1034 01:18:39,280 --> 01:18:44,240 Come on, do you have faith? Hallelujah, glory to God. 1035 01:18:44,240 --> 01:18:48,040 Well, then you can rejoice and be glad in that, that you have 1036 01:18:48,040 --> 01:18:50,800 the faith of God. You have the God kind of faith, 1037 01:18:50,800 --> 01:18:53,240 Hallelujah. And you know what that means? 1038 01:18:53,240 --> 01:18:58,520 Nothing is impossible for those who believe nothing, no matter 1039 01:18:58,520 --> 01:19:02,960 what it is, no matter what's going on, nothing is impossible 1040 01:19:02,960 --> 01:19:04,880 because I have the God kind of faith. 1041 01:19:05,120 --> 01:19:07,000 I'm going to exercise that faith. 1042 01:19:07,160 --> 01:19:10,280 I'm going to do that faith. I'm going to walk in that faith, 1043 01:19:10,480 --> 01:19:14,720 and I'm going to see the promises of God in my life. 1044 01:19:14,720 --> 01:19:22,160 Hallelujah, Thank you so much for listening to this message. 1045 01:19:22,280 --> 01:19:25,640 If you want more, subscribe to our message podcast on iTunes, 1046 01:19:25,760 --> 01:19:27,760 Google Play, Spotify and SoundCloud. 1047 01:19:27,960 --> 01:19:30,400 Rating and leaving a comment will go a long way with helping 1048 01:19:30,400 --> 01:19:32,120 our messages get better circulation. 1049 01:19:32,640 --> 01:19:34,920 If you'd enjoy watching our weekend messages, visit 1050 01:19:34,920 --> 01:19:39,000 youtube.com/anchor Faith. We'd love it if you'd subscribe, 1051 01:19:39,000 --> 01:19:40,840 leave a comment or a like on the messages. 1052 01:19:41,160 --> 01:19:43,480 If you'd like to find out more information about us and how 1053 01:19:43,480 --> 01:19:45,760 we're influencing the world and help support the work we're 1054 01:19:45,760 --> 01:19:48,480 doing by giving, just visit anchorfaith.com.