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 --> 00:00:12,960 Now enjoy this message. We've been on a journey. 4 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:16,680 These last few Wednesday nights talking about faith. 5 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,480 Amen. And ministering along the lines 6 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:25,680 of faith and really going back to looking at what true biblical 7 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:29,760 faith is, what Bible faith is, Amen. 8 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:34,400 Not what you know, churches have determined. 9 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:40,520 Faith is not what people have decided now, today what faith 10 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:46,440 is, but what is true biblical faith and how to walk in it. 11 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:51,760 Because he tells us that we are to walk by faith. 12 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:55,000 The just will what live by faith. 13 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:59,040 We're to walk by faith. Faith is not just something that 14 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:02,920 we can say that we have. Yeah, I believe God. 15 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:06,720 I believe in Jesus Christ. I have faith that there is a God 16 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:08,760 out there. But a lot of Christians have 17 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:13,000 only encompassed that with their faith, right? 18 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:21,680 But he says that we are as believers to walk by faith, to 19 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:26,640 live by faith. And so therefore, there are 20 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:31,160 things that we can see about faith that we are going to have 21 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:35,200 to do, you know, in order to walk by faith. 22 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:40,200 Because I'm seeing a generation still, even though we have tons 23 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:44,520 of faith conferences today, I see more people that have faith 24 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:48,040 in their run and faith in their shout, then faith in the Word of 25 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:57,650 God. Because faith cannot come 26 00:01:57,650 --> 00:02:02,730 outside of what the Word. Faith comes from hearing and 27 00:02:02,730 --> 00:02:07,330 hearing from the Word of God, but not just hearing the Word. 28 00:02:07,490 --> 00:02:11,290 What did we say? We have to receive the Word, we 29 00:02:11,290 --> 00:02:16,010 have to believe the Word, we have to speak the Word, and we 30 00:02:16,010 --> 00:02:21,240 have to act on the Word. And we do that in alignment to 31 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:27,760 whatever he says the Word says concerning the situation that we 32 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:29,840 may be encountering. Amen. 33 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:36,360 And this is how we live by faith and we walk by faith. 34 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,440 Coming to church is not living by faith. 35 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:48,640 It's not because I know plenty of people that come to church 36 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:55,040 and do not live by faith. OK, so there's something besides 37 00:02:55,040 --> 00:03:00,520 just having faith. There is the applying of faith 38 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:05,960 in our every single day life. And that's what he tells us we 39 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:09,640 are to live by. And that is true biblical faith, 40 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:13,640 right? Because we we saw this, that 41 00:03:13,640 --> 00:03:18,560 faith we saw out of Hebrews 11 right? 42 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:25,160 Faith was what the substance of things hoped for, or the 43 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:28,480 conviction and evidence of things not seen. 44 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:32,920 If you break that out for by it the men of old gained approval 45 00:03:32,920 --> 00:03:36,480 by faith, we understand that the world's were prepared by the 46 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:43,440 what the Word of God. So This is why I'm saying I see 47 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:47,840 more people today having faith in the fact that they ran or 48 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:51,800 faith in the fact that they shouted then more than faith in 49 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:56,000 the fact of the Word of God and what the word said about their 50 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:01,320 situation. And so we have to be assured 51 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:06,240 here that if we are going to live by faith, we have to know 52 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:08,920 be a firm. Faith is a what? 53 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:15,560 Firm persuasion based upon what you believe, what you accept is 54 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:23,600 truth, what you adhere to, what you allow to govern, what you 55 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:29,360 think, say and do. So this is what true biblical 56 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:33,920 faith is. Are we allowing the Word of God, 57 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:36,480 which is what we're building our faith upon? 58 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:40,760 Faith is the substance and we talked about that word. 59 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:46,240 Substance means to build upon. It is a sure foundation and the 60 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:50,440 word is what is going to give us faith. 61 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:54,440 We talked about the fact that we once we got born again, what 62 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:57,240 happened? The seed of faith got deposited 63 00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:01,360 within our hearts, and it says out of Romans that we've all 64 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:06,360 been given the measure of faith. We've all been given a measure 65 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:11,640 of faith, and with that measure, it's up to us what is going to 66 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:15,240 produce. How much faith will be produced 67 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:20,840 within my life according to what I allow myself to believe? 68 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:27,000 What do I allow myself to believe in His word? 69 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:31,720 Because you know what? I know people that believe in 70 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:36,040 the fact that they should prosper, but yet they don't 71 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:38,000 believe that it's His will to heal him. 72 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:44,880 So again, faith and the measure of faith that you've been given, 73 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:52,040 it's always going to be up to you and what it produces in your 74 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:54,200 life. It's going to be up to you. 75 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:58,240 And we talked about the seed of the word that gets planted and 76 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:03,240 it's expected to produce what, some 3060 and a hundredfold. 77 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:09,520 So what are you producing in your life, right, According to 78 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:12,880 your faith? Is it some 30 that's only being 79 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:14,520 produced? Is it 60? 80 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:18,800 Is it 100? I'm in it for all. 81 00:06:18,840 --> 00:06:22,440 I'm in it to win it, right? We want the jackpot. 82 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:27,000 We want it all. And so in order to do that, we 83 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:32,320 have to recognize that the only way that we are going to be able 84 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:36,800 to continue, because he says, listen, we are supposed to 85 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:41,840 continue in faith, right? And I don't have time to review 86 00:06:41,840 --> 00:06:46,880 everything, but we said this, that faith is the currency of 87 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:53,280 the Kingdom, Faith is the exchange, and faith can be 88 00:06:53,280 --> 00:06:57,280 spent. That's why faith comes from 89 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:04,240 hearing and hearing and hearing. Not faith on what you've heard, 90 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:09,360 but faith in the hearing. Because faith can be spent, just 91 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:14,120 like your currency can be spent. It can be spent. 92 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:18,280 So that's why we have to be people that are continually in 93 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:22,120 the word, hearing the word, hearing the word, hearing the 94 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:26,880 word, hearing the word so that we can then begin to act upon 95 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,720 it. And once we spend our faith in a 96 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:32,760 situation or circumstance, guess what I need? 97 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:38,560 I need that faith to continue to be exchanged and re, right? 98 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:45,040 I need another flow, another flow of currency for whatever it 99 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:49,160 is that I will be entering into. Amen. 100 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:53,800 Whatever other circumstance or situation I may be going into, I 101 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:59,960 need to be constantly building myself up on the Word of God, in 102 00:07:59,960 --> 00:08:04,320 the Word of God so that we can be assured that our faith will 103 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:09,760 never run dry. Never run dry because remember 104 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:16,280 he says in Timothy when he returns, will he find what in 105 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:19,520 the earth? Faith in the earth? 106 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:23,680 He also says in Timothy that many in the last days are going 107 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:27,080 to what? Fall away from the faith. 108 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:31,280 Hebrews talks about shrinking back from faith. 109 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:35,919 So we have to recognize that just because you say you have 110 00:08:35,919 --> 00:08:41,200 faith doesn't necessarily mean you are in faith. 111 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:47,000 True biblical faith. Hallelujah. 112 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:50,600 We're to walk by it. That means we're going to step 113 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:55,680 out into the water and guess what's going to be holding us 114 00:08:55,680 --> 00:08:57,680 up? The Word. 115 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:01,680 Our faith that was built upon the Word of God. 116 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:03,840 That's what's going to sustain us. 117 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:07,400 We're going to walk into the fire like Shadrach, Meshach, and 118 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:11,040 Abednego and not get burned because I see the 4th man in the 119 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:12,840 fire with me. But come on. 120 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:15,680 But no. And we've said this, that today 121 00:09:15,680 --> 00:09:18,520 believers don't want to walk through the fire and they don't 122 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:23,760 want to walk through the water. They want the easy, easy life, 123 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:26,440 right? They want to walk on rose 124 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:28,880 petals. Well, true biblical faith. 125 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:33,600 Nowhere in scripture will you see in Hebrews. 126 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:37,320 We read whole book of Hebrews chapter. 11 The hall of faith, 127 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:44,160 not one of them people that was mentioned in Hebrews 11 had a 128 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:50,960 path of rose petals and easy can't you? 129 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:56,320 And actually you can't read it anywhere in Scripture that 130 00:09:56,320 --> 00:10:01,000 people of faith, people that believe God in the book of Acts 131 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:05,840 all through the Old Testament walked on rose petals and that 132 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:09,440 it was easy. No, a life of faith is you 133 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:15,840 stepping into on His Word in difficult situations and 134 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:20,240 difficult circumstances, applying your faith to what the 135 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:23,840 Word says about it and walking through it. 136 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:31,280 That's what true biblical faith is for, Amen. 137 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:36,760 It's not just believing God for a big house and a big boat and a 138 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:40,800 yacht and an airplane and all of these things. 139 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:47,680 Listen, it is for you to learn how to navigate your life by 140 00:10:47,680 --> 00:10:51,320 faith so that when you encounter trials. 141 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:56,000 Circumstances, situations, you're going to be able to do it 142 00:10:56,000 --> 00:11:00,720 by faith and overcome and get the victory every single time, 143 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:09,800 Hallelujah, every single time. But it takes us stepping out and 144 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:14,320 on the word of God no matter what, because we said in Second 145 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:19,840 Corinthians, for we are to walk by faith and not by sight. 146 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:23,920 We are to walk by faith and not by sight. 147 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:28,320 We talked about Father Abraham, Amen, that he was the father of 148 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:30,920 us all. And we talked about the unseen 149 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:37,960 principle that faith is unseen. You don't know how God is going 150 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:44,640 to provide. You cannot see it in the natural 151 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:48,040 Hallelujah. But if you are in. 152 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:51,880 Covenant with Him and you are a tither. 153 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:55,520 Come on. And you are a sower, and you are 154 00:11:55,520 --> 00:12:00,440 doing what the word of God says. Come on, you can be assured that 155 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:07,800 my God shall supply all of my needs according to His riches in 156 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:12,880 glory. So that's what I stand upon when 157 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:17,760 I see a situation arise financially or whatever the case 158 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:19,120 may be. Amen. 159 00:12:19,520 --> 00:12:23,240 But I have to know what the word says and what do we say? 160 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:28,600 We have to be firmly persuaded in what the word says in 161 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:31,440 whatever situation we're going. Through. 162 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:36,920 Amen. Firmly persuaded, firmly 163 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:40,120 persuaded. And we're going to look at what 164 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:43,360 firmly persuaded looks like after. 165 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:49,760 We go through a few things here is that, you know, to be firmly 166 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:54,000 persuaded means that there's no wavering, there's no doubting 167 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:59,480 God, there's no questioning, there is no Plan B, there is no 168 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:02,840 backup. Amen. 169 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:10,560 It is fully dependent and reliant upon what God has said, 170 00:13:10,680 --> 00:13:16,960 His promises, Amen, That he is faithful to Hallelujah. 171 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:21,160 This is true biblical faith, Amen. 172 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:28,000 And it's going to get us out into places that will make us be 173 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:32,760 those that have to determine within our heart, are we going 174 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:37,480 to believe what God says or are we going to shrink back from 175 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:42,800 what He has sold us in his word? Mark 1122 and 24. 176 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:46,520 Let's read that it says, and Jesus answered, saying to them, 177 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:57,640 Have faith in God, have faith in God, have a firm persuasion, be 178 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:02,720 firmly persuaded in God and what he has said. 179 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:07,880 Hallelujah. Be firmly persuaded in what he 180 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:10,200 has said. Have faith in God, but you can 181 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:15,640 also literally translate that. Have the God kind of faith. 182 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:21,000 So he's letting us know that we can have his faith. 183 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:25,560 And if he says that we can have his faith, then guess what? 184 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:28,520 We can have it. We can walk in it. 185 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:34,800 We can be people that actually believe him at his word and walk 186 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:40,200 through the fire, come on and walk on water, whatever is going 187 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:42,800 on. We can be the people that he 188 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:48,960 says that we can be Hallelujah. And we said this, that faith, 189 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:52,760 Hallelujah is not for weak people. 190 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:58,000 It's not. It's not for the weak, it's not 191 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:04,880 for the faint of heart. It's not for those that really 192 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:12,920 are casual Christians. True biblical faith is not for 193 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:17,600 the casual Christian. No, you're going to have to be a 194 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:24,040 Christian that's all in to truly walk in biblical faith. 195 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:26,720 Amen. Hallelujah. 196 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:28,160 You're going to have to be all in. 197 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:32,320 So he says truly, I say to you, whoever speaks says to this 198 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:34,640 mountain, be taken up and cast into the sea. 199 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:37,680 Listen to this and does not doubt in his heart. 200 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:47,000 He gives us the answers to having the God kind of faith and 201 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:51,480 being able to speak to whatever thing is going on in our life. 202 00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:53,720 That mountain is that circumstance. 203 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:57,680 That mountain is that situation. That mountain may be that 204 00:15:57,680 --> 00:16:00,640 stronghold. That mountain may be something 205 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:05,720 that's been built up to a point that it feels like it is higher 206 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:14,840 than him, right? But he lets us know here that we 207 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:20,960 must be people that do not doubt in our heart because doubt is 208 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:26,000 the opposite of faith. It's the opposite of faith. 209 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:32,600 When you doubt, it is opposite of true biblical faith. 210 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:37,680 And He lets us know, listen, we cannot doubt in our heart, but 211 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:44,720 believe, say, believe that what He says is going to happen and 212 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:48,920 it will be granted to Him. Therefore I say to you all 213 00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:54,600 things which you pray and ask, believe that you have received 214 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:58,680 them and they will be granted to you. 215 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:04,200 We must not have any doubt in our heart, and we must be people 216 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:07,440 of faith or belief. We said faith and belief could 217 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:10,960 be interchanged. Wherever you see faith in the 218 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:15,520 Bible, you could put believe be interchanged. 219 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:21,920 And so we have to be people that truly believe what he said in 220 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:26,640 his word, be firmly persuaded and not have any doubt in our in 221 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:32,160 our hearts if we are going to be people that walk by faith. 222 00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:34,000 Amen. Hallelujah. 223 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:37,200 Now this is what we got into last week and we did not get to 224 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:39,240 finish. And I want to talk about this. 225 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:42,560 I want to look at in the Scripture because we said 226 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:46,800 nowhere in Hebrews 11, nowhere in Scripture can you find that 227 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:51,960 when God asked his apostles, when God asked all the men of 228 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:57,920 old in the Old Testament to do something in the earth, was it 229 00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:02,680 easy? It was never easy and so. 230 00:18:03,360 --> 00:18:08,280 We have to look then at the true biblical characteristics is what 231 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:12,400 I want to call it, the characteristics of true biblical 232 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,840 faith. Again, it is not for the weak. 233 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:19,360 It is not for the faint hearted. It is not for the casual 234 00:18:19,360 --> 00:18:22,440 Christian. We will not walk. 235 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:28,960 According to what Scripture says that faith looks like, if we are 236 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:33,160 in any of those positions, if we're weak, if we're casual, if 237 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:36,320 we're just floating along and saying God's in control and 238 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:39,560 whatever will be will be, it's not going to work for you. 239 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:45,040 You see what I'm saying? So these, because again, we've 240 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:48,040 already read James, we've already went through all the 241 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:53,440 Scriptures that we see that faith without works is dead. 242 00:18:54,640 --> 00:19:00,920 Faith without works is dead. So faith has to be released. 243 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:07,160 Faith has to be acted upon if we're going to receive all God's 244 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:10,160 promises within our life. It must be acted upon. 245 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:13,600 And it is not for the weak, it's not for the casual, it's not for 246 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:16,680 the Christian. Listen, that only comes to 247 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:18,880 church when they're in hot water. 248 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:27,600 You know what? You wouldn't be in hot water if 249 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:30,720 you actually learned how to walk in true biblical faith. 250 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:37,440 For the ones that just show up when they're having a problem, 251 00:19:37,600 --> 00:19:40,600 you know, something's happened. They lost their job. 252 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:43,240 Oh, and all of a sudden you see them in church again. 253 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:46,320 I got to believe God for a job. Well, you may not have lost it 254 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:49,840 and lost it if you would have been walking in faith and 255 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:53,360 actually coming to church and doing all the things necessary. 256 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:57,080 Amen. You see when or your marriage is 257 00:19:57,080 --> 00:20:00,680 falling apart because you want to be in here, you know, once 258 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:08,320 1/4 and then you only show up when you need something from God 259 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:12,600 and that is an idol. Exactly what she talked about. 260 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:18,720 The things of God become an idol to you when you're not really in 261 00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:29,410 it because you want to know him. Yeah, Christianity has turned 262 00:20:29,410 --> 00:20:32,850 him into an idol and all his promises in an idol. 263 00:20:33,090 --> 00:20:35,650 Oh, they want to come to, they want to jump and they want to 264 00:20:35,650 --> 00:20:38,930 shout to believe God for that jet and believe God for that 265 00:20:38,930 --> 00:20:41,570 car. But other than that, they don't 266 00:20:41,570 --> 00:20:45,450 use their faith to actually walk every day. 267 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:48,520 So what does these things become, really? 268 00:20:48,520 --> 00:20:51,920 The promises have become an idol to their life because that's the 269 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:54,040 only reason why they're coming to church. 270 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:57,960 Because really, they want the things and they don't want God. 271 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:03,200 They want what God can give to them. 272 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:08,600 That's an idol, right? Hallelujah. 273 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:13,680 Think about it, think about it. I know plenty of people that 274 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:16,280 way. They just want what God can give 275 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:19,600 to them, but they don't want to be all in for anything else. 276 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:24,680 Characteristics of true biblical faith. 277 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:28,800 We we gave, we only got to two I believe last week. 278 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:33,200 So we talked about true biblical faith is not for the weak 279 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:39,400 because faith holds fast in difficult situations. 280 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:44,360 Faith holds fast in different situations. 281 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:46,560 And we read that out of Hebrews 10. 282 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:51,160 I'm not going to reread it. Faith #2 endures. 283 00:21:51,360 --> 00:21:56,560 Faith is a characteristic that is enduring. 284 00:21:56,600 --> 00:22:01,280 It endures. It endures through any difficult 285 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:04,040 situation. We read the scripture last night 286 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:05,760 or last Wednesday. I'm not going to. 287 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:13,560 And faith that endures has the capacity to withstand and endure 288 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:16,840 through anything until they see the result of their faith. 289 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:23,680 Faith is enduring faith. You have to know that faith 290 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:27,720 holds fast to its confession. Come on, or to whatever it's 291 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:30,680 holding on to. We talked about the fact that 292 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:33,040 just like that bulldog, he grabs. 293 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:37,680 Hold and he won't let go. You have to literally beat him 294 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:41,960 off the rope that he's attached to, right? 295 00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:48,360 That's what kind of faith we see in the Bible. 296 00:22:48,360 --> 00:22:52,680 Biblical faith holds fast, and don't let. 297 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:58,160 Anyone beat you off of what you know and believe in God's word. 298 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:05,320 But many people are shrinking back today from true biblical 299 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:08,120 faith. They want the easy Rd. 300 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:12,760 They want the easy Rd. I'm telling you. 301 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:17,840 So this faith that we talked about and I don't have time to 302 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:21,800 read all the scriptures will endure till the end. 303 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:25,160 Hey, man, now this is where we want to look at the 304 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:30,680 characteristic of faith here, faith that contends, and this is 305 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:34,800 found in Jude three and four, and I'm telling you is much 306 00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:39,440 faith teaching that has gone through in several generations. 307 00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:43,960 And yet we still have a church that does not want to walk in 308 00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:47,400 true biblical faith because we're living in a day, in an 309 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:51,680 hour that nobody wants to be persecuted, nobody wants to have 310 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:54,760 problems. No one has to have wants to have 311 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:58,000 any difficulties. But that is not true biblical 312 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:01,920 faith. It's just not. 313 00:24:02,360 --> 00:24:08,360 And we've made it a fairy tale. We've made it a fairy tale. 314 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:13,360 And so Jude 3-4 says this, Beloved, while I was making 315 00:24:13,360 --> 00:24:17,400 every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I 316 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:21,920 felt the necessity to write to you, appealing that you what? 317 00:24:22,120 --> 00:24:29,200 Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed 318 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:33,040 down to the Saints. For certain people have crept in 319 00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:37,680 unnoticed, those who were long before marked out for 320 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:40,800 condemnation ungodly. Persons who have turned the 321 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:43,440 grace of God, this is the problem. 322 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:49,720 They've turned the grace of God. And we've heard for the last 15 323 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:54,840 years, we're under grace. So there's nothing we have to 324 00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:59,800 do. That is not true biblical faith, 325 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:04,720 period. And you can see, because that 326 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:11,680 message has come into the church as a whole, in the American 327 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:17,200 church, we see a bunch of people that have heard faith but are 328 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:20,320 not wanting to actually live by it. 329 00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:28,640 And so he lets us know, listen, we are going to have to contend 330 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:33,360 earnestly for this faith if we're going to be those who in 331 00:25:33,360 --> 00:25:37,680 the last days remain in faith for when he returns. 332 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:40,800 Come on. If we are going to be those who 333 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:45,400 don't apostasize from the faith in these last days, we have to 334 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:49,840 have a clear understanding of what true biblical faith looks 335 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:56,560 like, Amen, what it looks like and to contend earnestly for the 336 00:25:56,560 --> 00:25:59,720 faith that was handed down to the Saints. 337 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:05,080 And he says this, listen that word contend, it means to 338 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:06,880 struggle. It's a struggle. 339 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:11,000 Say the struggle is real. When you are walking in true 340 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:13,600 biblical faith, the struggle is real. 341 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:20,880 But guess what's real? Uh, his word, his promise that 342 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:24,760 is forever settled. Hallelujah, Hallelujah. 343 00:26:25,120 --> 00:26:29,320 So that's what this means to struggle. 344 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:33,360 It means to literally compete for the prize. 345 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:40,840 Compete for the prize. Whatever promise is my prize and 346 00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:44,280 I'm going to fight for it. I'm going to contend for it. 347 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:49,880 I'm going to struggle. And until I receive what I. 348 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:53,520 Believe in his words, says that belongs to me. 349 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:57,200 Hallelujah. That's what it literally means 350 00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:01,520 to compete for a prize. It means to contend with an 351 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:08,760 adversary who is the adversary who does not want you to obtain 352 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:13,200 to all the promises that God says you can have as a child of 353 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:18,960 God, the adversary, the devil, Satan, and he says we're going 354 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:22,760 to have to contend with the adversary. 355 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:26,880 You know what contending means? It means when I've done all the 356 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:31,040 stand, I'm going to stand. When I'm done all the stand, I'm 357 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:36,480 staying in my position of faith. I'm staying in my position of 358 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:41,200 dominion and authority over the enemy or whatever it is that I'm 359 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:46,200 going through in the struggle. Come on, I'm going to contend. 360 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:48,440 I'm going to stay, I'm going to stand. 361 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:54,920 I'm going to be in my position. That is fixed, firmly persuaded 362 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:59,680 that my God cannot fail me. He cannot. 363 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:06,120 That is a person who has built their life upon the substance. 364 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:10,640 Of faith, which only comes from the Word of God. 365 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:14,360 From the word of God. We, you know, I just saw a 366 00:28:14,360 --> 00:28:17,400 statistic, actually just this past week. 367 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:25,280 A statistic that Christians are more, Oh my gosh, more 368 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:30,840 illiterate of the word of God today than ever before. 369 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:34,240 Just saw that statistic last week. 370 00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:42,160 How can this be? With all the social media, 371 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:45,920 little clips of all the scriptures that get posted, 372 00:28:45,920 --> 00:28:54,160 Millions with all the conferences that you could go 373 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:57,840 to, you could literally go to a conference every single week, 374 00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:02,200 probably four and five times a week in this nation. 375 00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:04,800 You could be conference to conference to. 376 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:07,280 You could live a life of conference. 377 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:15,440 You literally could, Literally could with all the conferences 378 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:23,800 that we have, with all. The Bible apps With all the 379 00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:29,880 resources at our fingertips, Christians are more illiterate 380 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:32,640 of the Word of God than ever before. 381 00:29:33,560 --> 00:29:40,080 You know what that tells me? They are not reading the word 382 00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:44,680 for themselves. They are consumers. 383 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:50,920 They are so busy with the things of this world that they have 384 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:55,200 been choked out. The parable of the solar, 385 00:29:55,880 --> 00:30:04,800 they've been choked out. And we wonder why over 50% of 386 00:30:04,920 --> 00:30:07,320 Christian marriages are being divorced. 387 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:13,240 We're wondering why good Christian teenagers are falling 388 00:30:13,240 --> 00:30:20,160 into, you know, the, the, the days, the themes, the Christian. 389 00:30:22,360 --> 00:30:30,440 We're wondering why with all the resources at our fingertips as 390 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:36,040 Christians, because we are not taking this seriously and 391 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:41,960 reading the word for ourselves. I challenge you, get off social 392 00:30:41,960 --> 00:30:43,880 media. Get off. 393 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:47,680 Come on your iPads to read the word. 394 00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:49,960 Get off your phones to read the word. 395 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:53,240 Pick up a good old fashioned Bible. 396 00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:56,720 A big one. A big one. 397 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:02,040 You have to after 50. Pick you up a big one. 398 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:12,560 Come on, I'm serious. I mean, that statistic was 399 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:17,240 ridiculous. We've got to get back to the 400 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:23,640 word and making this a priority of reading it for ourselves, not 401 00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:28,520 the YouTube clips, not the little scripture of the day. 402 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:35,720 We are going to have to be people that are what daily 403 00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:40,000 taking up this daily bread every day. 404 00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:45,520 Reading the word for ourselves undistracted so that we can 405 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:49,880 actually be people that know what the Word says and actually 406 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:54,680 get it into our families and teach our children, train them 407 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:57,240 up in the way they should go, Amen. 408 00:31:57,480 --> 00:32:01,640 And actually do the word in our marriages every day. 409 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:07,680 What the word says, Amen. Do it in our life. 410 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:12,600 Walk by faith, Amen. Because I'm going to tell you 411 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:19,680 the world is not going to get any better, but God intended for 412 00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:25,640 us as his church to be able to thrive in the midst of it. 413 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:28,880 Amen. But we're only going to be able 414 00:32:28,880 --> 00:32:33,960 to do that if we are reading the word Amen. 415 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:39,640 Because true biblical faith contends it contends Amen. 416 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:51,120 And look here at First Timothy 612 through 13 when I said that 417 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:54,240 it's the struggle and it's something that you are contend 418 00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:57,160 for. It means to fight, It means to 419 00:32:57,160 --> 00:33:05,040 fervently strive and to labor. Nobody wants to labor in faith 420 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:11,360 because faith is rest. It's rest, but it's labor at the 421 00:33:11,360 --> 00:33:22,200 same time, because his labor is easy when you're in faith and 422 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:24,120 there will be rest. Amen. 423 00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:28,120 So he tells us here in First Timothy 612. 424 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:30,760 It says fight the good fight of faith. 425 00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:35,840 Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you 426 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:42,080 made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 427 00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:45,960 So again, faith contends and faith fights. 428 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:48,760 Faith is not. Passive. 429 00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:56,800 Nowhere in scripture will you see a passive context of faith. 430 00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:00,600 Nowhere. When you look it up In the 431 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:07,760 Greek, faith is not passive. Faith is always active. 432 00:34:08,080 --> 00:34:12,560 Period. And that's again what we said 433 00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:17,239 last week when we read Second Corinthians to test ourselves, 434 00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:21,400 the Scripture said to see if we were in faith. 435 00:34:22,880 --> 00:34:29,000 He said test ourselves so we can test ourselves and see, is our 436 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:32,719 faith active? Is it active? 437 00:34:32,760 --> 00:34:36,480 Is it working? Are we standing upon the Word of 438 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:40,360 God? Because true biblical faith, the 439 00:34:40,360 --> 00:34:45,120 characteristic of it is a fight of faith. 440 00:34:45,239 --> 00:34:47,920 Come on. And it also means this, that you 441 00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:56,800 don't ever forfeit to win a championship. 442 00:34:56,920 --> 00:35:00,120 You, you ain't going to see any of those coaches want to forfeit 443 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:04,480 the game because they want to go to the ship. 444 00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:12,600 But if you forfeit a game, it may hinder you from going, am I 445 00:35:12,600 --> 00:35:21,520 right? So again, if we want to win and 446 00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:25,920 and walk in the promise that he says that belongs to us. 447 00:35:26,200 --> 00:35:27,560 Then we're going to have to fight. 448 00:35:28,160 --> 00:35:31,280 We're going to have to contend for what belongs to us. 449 00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:36,000 We're going to have to be people of active faith and staying in 450 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:39,560 our position of authority, right? 451 00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:46,240 And taking hold of it or taking possession of it, Hallelujah. 452 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:52,600 Taking possession of whatever it is that God says belongs to US 453 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:57,720 #5 faith stands firm. Faith stands firm. 454 00:35:57,720 --> 00:36:00,640 The characteristic of faith, it stands firm. 455 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:04,480 What does that mean? It goes, it will persevere, it 456 00:36:04,480 --> 00:36:08,680 will be persistent. It will stand fast and not be 457 00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:12,320 moved. It stands firm. 458 00:36:12,320 --> 00:36:14,600 That's what that means. Let's look at First Corinthians 459 00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:19,000 1613 through 14. Be on alert. 460 00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:23,680 Stand firm in what? The faith. 461 00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:29,360 Be on alert. Stand firm in the faith. 462 00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:34,280 Act like a man and be strong. Act like a man. 463 00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:44,560 Quit being passive. Quit being passive because true 464 00:36:44,560 --> 00:36:49,760 biblical faith. Is not passive we are to act 465 00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:57,640 like a man. Women, we need to spit like a 466 00:36:57,640 --> 00:37:01,520 man. Y'all know what that came from 467 00:37:02,120 --> 00:37:06,200 anyway? Listen, we need to be. 468 00:37:06,200 --> 00:37:11,280 Strong. We need to act like men. 469 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:18,960 We need to stand firm in our faith in what he says we should 470 00:37:19,120 --> 00:37:20,680 have. Act like a man. 471 00:37:20,680 --> 00:37:24,080 Be strong. Let all that you do be done in 472 00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:26,120 love. So you know what this tells me 473 00:37:26,600 --> 00:37:32,160 that listen, you can be strong and firm and still be in love. 474 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:36,680 Meaning I'm not going to let this thing move me. 475 00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:41,440 I'm not going to come off of what I know belongs to me. 476 00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:44,720 I love you, but don't be talking that doubt to me. 477 00:37:46,600 --> 00:37:51,120 Don't try to get me off of what God's promise has said to me, 478 00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:55,640 because I'm going to stand. Firm and not be moved. 479 00:37:55,640 --> 00:37:59,160 I'm going to persevere. I'm going to be persistent in 480 00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:03,480 what it is that God has told me belongs to me because this is 481 00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:05,640 what true biblical faith looks like. 482 00:38:06,040 --> 00:38:09,400 Ephesians chapter 6, verses 10 through 18. 483 00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:18,360 Finally, be strong in the Lord. Say I'm strong in the Lord and 484 00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:23,320 in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God so 485 00:38:23,320 --> 00:38:27,720 that you'll be able to what? Stand firm. 486 00:38:28,840 --> 00:38:34,240 Stand firm against the schemes of the devil, right? 487 00:38:35,240 --> 00:38:39,040 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against 488 00:38:39,040 --> 00:38:42,080 rulers, against the powers, against world forces of 489 00:38:42,080 --> 00:38:45,200 darkness, against spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly 490 00:38:45,200 --> 00:38:47,440 places. Therefore listen to what He 491 00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:48,960 tells us to do. Take. 492 00:38:48,960 --> 00:38:53,640 Up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist 493 00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:58,200 in the evil day. And having done everything what? 494 00:38:58,320 --> 00:39:02,160 Stand firm, Stand firm. Therefore, having girded your 495 00:39:02,160 --> 00:39:06,480 loins with what? With truth, having put on the 496 00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:10,360 breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with 497 00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:14,160 the preparation of the gospel of peace, in addition to all, take 498 00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:21,320 up the what shield of faith which is able to extinguish all 499 00:39:21,320 --> 00:39:24,080 the flaming arrows of the evil one. 500 00:39:24,080 --> 00:39:29,560 Hallelujah. You have not only the word of 501 00:39:29,560 --> 00:39:37,480 God, but you have a shield of faith to be able to hold up 502 00:39:37,880 --> 00:39:45,760 because you use Shields. You use armor in battle, you use 503 00:39:45,760 --> 00:39:49,280 it in battle. You don't just wear it to look 504 00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:51,960 pretty and to walk around the church. 505 00:39:51,960 --> 00:39:54,320 And say, yes, I'm a person of faith. 506 00:39:55,800 --> 00:39:59,200 Oh yes, I can quote whatever, whatever. 507 00:40:00,480 --> 00:40:04,120 And yet your life. Is in shambles. 508 00:40:05,720 --> 00:40:13,440 No, you have armor on to actually fight because faith 509 00:40:14,040 --> 00:40:17,520 fights. Faith is not weak, Faith is not 510 00:40:17,520 --> 00:40:23,560 passive, and faith is not going to operate in your life without 511 00:40:23,560 --> 00:40:28,280 your engagement. It's not it's not. 512 00:40:28,280 --> 00:40:30,880 It's not going to operate in your life without your 513 00:40:31,160 --> 00:40:36,360 engagement. Just because you believe in 514 00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:40,880 Jesus Christ does not mean your faith is active. 515 00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:49,440 Doesn't mean your faith is active because we said the same 516 00:40:49,440 --> 00:40:55,560 faith that you used to receive Jesus as your Lord is the same 517 00:40:55,560 --> 00:41:00,040 faith that you are going to use to be able to obtain all the 518 00:41:00,040 --> 00:41:04,000 promises that he says yes and Amen belong to you. 519 00:41:04,560 --> 00:41:10,480 It's the same faith, but you have to activate it, you have to 520 00:41:10,480 --> 00:41:14,320 use it, you have to put on the armor, you have to engage the 521 00:41:14,320 --> 00:41:20,400 battle, you have to do what He says in His Word to be able to 522 00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:24,600 obtain whatever it is that He says that we can obtain. 523 00:41:24,600 --> 00:41:29,000 To look at this one. Faith will continue. 524 00:41:31,520 --> 00:41:39,120 That means faith won't give up. If faith continues, then that 525 00:41:39,120 --> 00:41:44,200 means no matter what situation, no matter how long it takes, no 526 00:41:44,200 --> 00:41:50,080 matter what I go through in the process, I can continue in 527 00:41:50,080 --> 00:41:54,840 faith. So until I see the promise come 528 00:41:54,840 --> 00:41:59,360 to pass in my life, because faith continues, I like to say 529 00:41:59,360 --> 00:42:02,520 this. It's committed to the end, and 530 00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:05,320 it will outlast. The trial. 531 00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:12,680 It will outlast the trial. It's committed to the end. 532 00:42:12,960 --> 00:42:16,240 But how many of us believers know they're not committed to 533 00:42:16,240 --> 00:42:20,480 the end and they're not outlasting their trials. 534 00:42:22,600 --> 00:42:25,880 Many of them are giving up in the midst of it. 535 00:42:26,400 --> 00:42:31,480 Giving up. Giving up, which means they're 536 00:42:31,480 --> 00:42:36,000 not firmly persuaded that what God said in His Word about their 537 00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:42,080 situation will and has to come to pass Amen. 538 00:42:43,040 --> 00:42:48,320 So faith is committed to the end. 539 00:42:48,800 --> 00:42:53,440 Listen to #7 Faith is firmly established. 540 00:42:53,760 --> 00:43:01,040 Firmly established. I'm established on His word 541 00:43:01,360 --> 00:43:06,120 again, and I will not be moved. I will not be shaken. 542 00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:10,440 I will not be moved because I am a person of faith. 543 00:43:10,640 --> 00:43:14,880 That is firmly established. Colossians 26 and eight. 544 00:43:14,880 --> 00:43:19,760 Therefore, as you have received Christ the Lord, so walk in him. 545 00:43:19,960 --> 00:43:26,920 Walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in 546 00:43:26,920 --> 00:43:31,760 Him. And what established in your 547 00:43:31,760 --> 00:43:40,160 faith, rooted and established in your faith, in your faith, you 548 00:43:40,160 --> 00:43:42,960 know? All through Matthew, Mark, Luke 549 00:43:42,960 --> 00:43:47,000 and John, you know, we haven't even talked about healing, but I 550 00:43:47,000 --> 00:43:50,280 was thinking about this today. All through those. 551 00:43:50,280 --> 00:43:53,440 Scriptures, when it said that Jesus went about healing, there 552 00:43:53,440 --> 00:43:58,000 was multiple times he said, daughter, your faith has made 553 00:43:58,000 --> 00:44:02,320 you healed. Your faith, not me, because I'm 554 00:44:02,320 --> 00:44:06,960 all God and I'm all in control. No, your faith has made you 555 00:44:06,960 --> 00:44:09,360 well. Your faith has healed you 556 00:44:09,560 --> 00:44:15,120 multiple times. And it is us and our faith 557 00:44:15,280 --> 00:44:17,760 because God's given us the faith. 558 00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:21,560 So he's not going to do anything else with the faith. 559 00:44:21,560 --> 00:44:27,440 He's given it to us. So it's up to us to say this is 560 00:44:27,600 --> 00:44:32,040 my faith. That's going to receive the 561 00:44:32,040 --> 00:44:34,520 promises that he says belong to me. 562 00:44:34,800 --> 00:44:39,120 It's our faith, your faith that's going to make you well. 563 00:44:39,320 --> 00:44:42,800 It's your faith that's going to bring in the resource of 564 00:44:42,800 --> 00:44:46,080 whatever it is that you need. It's your faith that's going to 565 00:44:46,080 --> 00:44:48,880 bring healing to your marriage. It's your faith. 566 00:44:49,080 --> 00:44:51,920 That's going to help a rebellious teenager in your 567 00:44:51,920 --> 00:44:53,240 home. It's your faith. 568 00:44:53,240 --> 00:44:54,720 Come on. That's going to help get your 569 00:44:54,720 --> 00:44:58,040 family members saved from the pit of hell. 570 00:44:58,040 --> 00:44:59,320 It's your faith. Faith. 571 00:45:00,520 --> 00:45:04,840 He gave it to us, but it's up to you to use it. 572 00:45:05,920 --> 00:45:09,880 And it's your faith that's going to bring these things to pass. 573 00:45:10,320 --> 00:45:13,720 Hallelujah. So let's read this. 574 00:45:13,720 --> 00:45:18,040 It says being built in Him, established in your faith just 575 00:45:18,040 --> 00:45:21,560 as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. 576 00:45:22,800 --> 00:45:31,320 Hallelujah, your faith that's going to see these things come 577 00:45:31,320 --> 00:45:36,480 to pass. So #8 faith considers him 578 00:45:36,480 --> 00:45:38,440 faithful. Isn't that what we just sang? 579 00:45:38,440 --> 00:45:47,440 That song considers him faithful, considers him 580 00:45:47,600 --> 00:45:51,880 faithful, and the problem and the struggle is, is that people 581 00:45:51,880 --> 00:45:56,680 have again not really gotten to know him, but only what he can 582 00:45:56,920 --> 00:46:02,440 offer them. And so if you don't know him and 583 00:46:02,440 --> 00:46:06,920 his character, if you haven't built your life upon the word of 584 00:46:06,920 --> 00:46:10,960 God, if you've not built your life upon I just want to know 585 00:46:10,960 --> 00:46:14,200 him. Come on, I and and everything 586 00:46:14,200 --> 00:46:17,920 else will be added. Everything else that belongs to 587 00:46:17,920 --> 00:46:22,000 Him comes with Him, but I just want to know Him. 588 00:46:22,160 --> 00:46:27,280 I don't want to know how I can get a big boat and a big car and 589 00:46:27,280 --> 00:46:29,520 all these. I just want to know Him. 590 00:46:29,720 --> 00:46:33,320 And when I know Him, I know He will be faithful. 591 00:46:33,520 --> 00:46:37,520 And whatever He says that I need to believe for, or whatever He 592 00:46:37,520 --> 00:46:42,320 says that belongs to me, it's going to come with Him, knowing 593 00:46:42,320 --> 00:46:48,640 Him, knowing that He is faithful to His word, that He cannot fail 594 00:46:48,640 --> 00:46:51,560 me. Because he's faithful. 595 00:46:51,960 --> 00:46:56,160 Hallelujah. Faith considers him faithful. 596 00:46:56,160 --> 00:46:59,520 We talked about Sarah and Abraham, right? 597 00:47:00,680 --> 00:47:05,360 But let's read this First Corinthians 1 and 9 out of the 598 00:47:05,360 --> 00:47:08,920 amplified. God is faithful, reliable, 599 00:47:09,080 --> 00:47:14,400 trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promises, and He can 600 00:47:14,400 --> 00:47:19,240 be depended upon. By Him you were called into 601 00:47:19,280 --> 00:47:25,480 companionship and participation with His Son Jesus Christ. 602 00:47:25,800 --> 00:47:30,480 Our Lord, Hallelujah. Hallelujah. 603 00:47:30,680 --> 00:47:36,280 He called us into partnership and companionship with him, and 604 00:47:36,280 --> 00:47:42,080 when we get to know him, we'll know that he is trustworthy. 605 00:47:42,280 --> 00:47:47,840 And reliable Hallelujah and faithful glory to God to 606 00:47:47,840 --> 00:47:50,880 whatever it is that He said in His Word. 607 00:47:51,040 --> 00:47:54,320 But if we're not getting in the Word for ourselves, we're not 608 00:47:54,320 --> 00:48:00,680 going to know His character. We're we're not going to know 609 00:48:00,680 --> 00:48:07,320 his character, OK, But we can clearly see in his word, his 610 00:48:07,320 --> 00:48:08,960 character. Amen. 611 00:48:08,960 --> 00:48:12,800 Hallelujah, how faithful he is to His word. 612 00:48:13,040 --> 00:48:18,040 You know, I shared a little bit about us when God called us to 613 00:48:18,040 --> 00:48:25,480 step out and to go to Rhema and talked about the fact that, you 614 00:48:25,480 --> 00:48:29,000 know, we had sold a few little things, but I didn't share the 615 00:48:29,000 --> 00:48:30,960 story. And I talked about the fact that 616 00:48:30,960 --> 00:48:35,000 when we got there in the first couple of days, we went to a 617 00:48:35,000 --> 00:48:39,320 restaurant to eat and I left my wallet and they stole all the 618 00:48:39,320 --> 00:48:44,040 cash that we had to our name. And the only thing that was left 619 00:48:44,280 --> 00:48:49,560 was that $3000 check for Rhema for first year for my husband 620 00:48:49,560 --> 00:48:57,200 and I to attend that we did not have that a little old lady. 621 00:48:57,200 --> 00:49:01,560 Listen, God called us to go to Rhema out to Oklahoma. 622 00:49:03,840 --> 00:49:07,480 My husband had to quit his job. We didn't have a job, you know, 623 00:49:08,640 --> 00:49:10,840 promised to us when we got there. 624 00:49:11,400 --> 00:49:17,920 And he called us to Rhema a year before, I would say the summer 625 00:49:17,920 --> 00:49:25,640 before we left. And so we had no money. 626 00:49:25,640 --> 00:49:30,080 Y'all heard our struggle story. The struggle was real and but 627 00:49:30,080 --> 00:49:37,640 God was always faithful. And so we two weeks before we 628 00:49:37,640 --> 00:49:43,320 were to leave to Rhema, we did not have tuition, we did not 629 00:49:43,320 --> 00:49:45,960 have the money to go to school. We had no money. 630 00:49:45,960 --> 00:49:49,560 We had barely enough money to move us there to get us a U-Haul 631 00:49:50,120 --> 00:49:55,360 and get us moved into a place. We had no money for the tuition 632 00:49:56,560 --> 00:49:58,000 two weeks before we either leave. 633 00:49:58,000 --> 00:50:00,520 Talking about getting down to the nitty gritty. 634 00:50:01,200 --> 00:50:08,800 And I remember, you know, the question came up, I mean, it's 635 00:50:08,800 --> 00:50:10,200 two weeks before we either leave. 636 00:50:10,200 --> 00:50:13,320 Are we really going to pick up our whole family and move them 637 00:50:13,320 --> 00:50:16,240 across to Oklahoma? You don't have a job promised to 638 00:50:16,240 --> 00:50:18,560 you. We barely had a place to move 639 00:50:18,560 --> 00:50:24,640 into and you know, we don't have our money for Rhema. 640 00:50:25,520 --> 00:50:28,960 And my husband looked at me and he said if God called us to go 641 00:50:28,960 --> 00:50:33,240 to Rhema, then God is going to provide. 642 00:50:33,600 --> 00:50:38,400 I don't care if it's now or if it's whatever the day was that 643 00:50:38,400 --> 00:50:41,760 Rhema was to start because we still had time before it even 644 00:50:41,760 --> 00:50:46,640 started. So he said it, we believe it. 645 00:50:46,760 --> 00:50:52,440 We're going no matter what. Well, an old lady. 646 00:50:54,080 --> 00:50:56,640 She was probably at that time in her 60s. 647 00:50:58,400 --> 00:51:01,400 Yeah, I thought that she was old. 648 00:51:02,240 --> 00:51:07,240 I've been, remember, I'm 20, you know, 8. 649 00:51:07,960 --> 00:51:12,680 So she was in her 60s, maybe somewhere in her 60s. 650 00:51:13,240 --> 00:51:22,560 And so anyway, listen, this woman ran us down and located us 651 00:51:22,560 --> 00:51:30,040 because she was a lady, that Lady from the Little Blue Church 652 00:51:30,040 --> 00:51:32,600 in Stark, I don't even remember her name. 653 00:51:34,200 --> 00:51:37,080 Little Blue Church. Maybe it was Anne or something 654 00:51:37,080 --> 00:51:38,800 like that. Miss Anne? 655 00:51:41,240 --> 00:51:45,240 No, he's shaking his head back there while we were youth 656 00:51:45,240 --> 00:51:51,080 pastoring, volunteering at that little blue church in Start, and 657 00:51:52,040 --> 00:51:54,040 not many people were in the church. 658 00:51:54,040 --> 00:51:55,760 You know, there wasn't a whole lot of people. 659 00:51:56,000 --> 00:51:59,240 But anyway, we had lost contact with her. 660 00:51:59,240 --> 00:52:01,880 I mean, it had been over a year or so. 661 00:52:03,120 --> 00:52:05,400 You know, we were not at that church any longer. 662 00:52:05,760 --> 00:52:13,240 Well, she ran us down. She heard somehow that we were 663 00:52:13,240 --> 00:52:18,120 going to go to Rhema. She ran us down two weeks before 664 00:52:18,120 --> 00:52:21,680 we were to leave because, listen, we were not staying in a 665 00:52:21,680 --> 00:52:25,760 house. We lived in a camp, in a tent 666 00:52:26,840 --> 00:52:33,680 for four weeks before we left to go to Rhema at Kingsley Lake. 667 00:52:34,960 --> 00:52:38,640 We lived in a tent so that we didn't have rent so that we 668 00:52:38,640 --> 00:52:42,360 could use that money to be able to move with. 669 00:52:43,800 --> 00:52:46,960 So my kids thought it was great, you know, the whole summer they 670 00:52:46,960 --> 00:52:50,600 just roll out of the tent right into the lake at Kingsley Lake 671 00:52:50,600 --> 00:52:55,160 and swim all day, you know, and we grilled every night. 672 00:52:55,160 --> 00:52:59,840 They thought it was the funnest summer ever, you know, But 673 00:53:00,280 --> 00:53:06,840 anyway, I didn't. So I mean, there was no camper 674 00:53:06,840 --> 00:53:10,400 like I have now. It was tent living for four 675 00:53:10,400 --> 00:53:12,920 weeks, OK, with three younger kids. 676 00:53:13,520 --> 00:53:19,760 And so anyway, she ran us down somehow and we made a 677 00:53:19,760 --> 00:53:20,880 connection. She. 678 00:53:20,880 --> 00:53:25,960 Heard God had spoke to. Her to pay for both of our 679 00:53:25,960 --> 00:53:33,920 tuition for the first year. Rhema to see how good God is and 680 00:53:33,920 --> 00:53:38,400 if we wouldn't have held fast, if we wouldn't have stood firm 681 00:53:38,400 --> 00:53:42,560 on what God's promise was or what he was calling us to do, if 682 00:53:42,560 --> 00:53:46,720 we would not have been fully committed, if we would not have 683 00:53:47,360 --> 00:53:49,880 come on. I mean, two weeks is getting 684 00:53:49,880 --> 00:53:52,600 down to the nitty gritty before you're having to pick up your 685 00:53:52,600 --> 00:53:56,720 whole family and move across country to a place you have no 686 00:53:56,720 --> 00:54:00,960 idea who anyone is there or what he's telling you to do. 687 00:54:01,880 --> 00:54:07,560 But God. But God was faithful to his 688 00:54:07,560 --> 00:54:11,920 promise to us because I'm going to tell you if we would have 689 00:54:11,920 --> 00:54:16,440 remained and said, well, we're going to wait until we get it. 690 00:54:16,760 --> 00:54:18,200 That's. Not faith. 691 00:54:19,720 --> 00:54:29,160 That is not true biblical faith. Many people will not step out in 692 00:54:29,160 --> 00:54:32,760 true biblical faith with nothing. 693 00:54:33,000 --> 00:54:37,560 Absolutely nothing. They want to have their ducks in 694 00:54:37,560 --> 00:54:39,760 a row. They want to have their savings 695 00:54:39,760 --> 00:54:43,600 account just in case they want to listen. 696 00:54:43,600 --> 00:54:47,960 Stepping out in true biblical faith means there is nothing 697 00:54:47,960 --> 00:54:55,440 under you but the Word. There was nothing in the bank. 698 00:54:56,360 --> 00:55:01,920 There was no job waiting. And then all you cash the little 699 00:55:01,920 --> 00:55:05,440 bit of, I mean it was probably 300 and. $50.00 Back then, that 700 00:55:05,440 --> 00:55:07,960 was big. That was big money. 701 00:55:09,160 --> 00:55:15,800 You know, to us cash that was enough that we were believing 702 00:55:15,800 --> 00:55:21,760 that God would multiply until he got a job and could get a 703 00:55:21,760 --> 00:55:28,560 paycheck coming in. So here we are now we picked up, 704 00:55:28,560 --> 00:55:33,120 we moved because we had our Rhema check and now we're the 705 00:55:33,120 --> 00:55:37,480 1st we first couple of days in Oklahoma get all your cash 706 00:55:37,480 --> 00:55:41,240 stolen. Only had our Rhema check in the 707 00:55:41,280 --> 00:55:43,360 in the wallet. Thank God they didn't steal 708 00:55:43,360 --> 00:55:46,600 that. It was wrote out to Rhema. 709 00:55:46,600 --> 00:55:50,760 So they, I guess they figured, you know, hopefully they had a 710 00:55:50,760 --> 00:55:52,240 little bit of fear of God in them. 711 00:55:53,240 --> 00:55:55,800 They weren't going to steal it from a church, you know, or 712 00:55:55,800 --> 00:55:58,120 whatever. But they do people stolen from 713 00:55:58,120 --> 00:56:07,480 here, you know, anyway, so here we are in Oklahoma, no job, no 714 00:56:07,480 --> 00:56:11,280 money. Guess what we had to do? 715 00:56:12,080 --> 00:56:15,960 I mean, don't think you, I didn't want to run home and 716 00:56:15,960 --> 00:56:17,880 don't think, what in the world have we done? 717 00:56:17,880 --> 00:56:21,840 And don't, don't think all of those thoughts don't come. 718 00:56:22,920 --> 00:56:25,280 But what do you do? You say no. 719 00:56:25,480 --> 00:56:27,400 Your promise? No. 720 00:56:27,560 --> 00:56:29,400 You called us. No. 721 00:56:29,400 --> 00:56:32,480 You said to do this. I'm committed. 722 00:56:32,600 --> 00:56:34,440 No. Matter what it looks like, I'm 723 00:56:34,440 --> 00:56:37,400 going to walk by faith. I'm not going to live by what I 724 00:56:37,400 --> 00:56:40,680 see right now. All of these things are going 725 00:56:40,680 --> 00:56:45,480 through your mind, but that's when you activate your faith and 726 00:56:45,480 --> 00:56:48,800 that's when you begin to what Speak the Word. 727 00:56:48,800 --> 00:56:53,280 That's when when you begin to stand on what you believe and 728 00:56:53,280 --> 00:57:00,280 it's only then that you are operating in true faith because 729 00:57:00,280 --> 00:57:06,600 you don't see it. You don't know how God, but God 730 00:57:06,840 --> 00:57:12,560 is faithful to His word and whatever He has called you to 731 00:57:12,560 --> 00:57:14,880 do, whatever He's asking you to do. 732 00:57:14,880 --> 00:57:18,880 If he's asking you to step out and start a business and you 733 00:57:18,880 --> 00:57:22,520 have nothing to start a business with, but do you know what you 734 00:57:22,520 --> 00:57:24,160 do? You have faith? 735 00:57:24,360 --> 00:57:26,800 You know what you do have? His word. 736 00:57:27,000 --> 00:57:30,160 That is the substance that I'm stepping out on. 737 00:57:30,800 --> 00:57:34,840 Whatever it is. Hallelujah. 738 00:57:34,880 --> 00:57:40,400 That is true biblical faith. It is not this fairy tale faith 739 00:57:40,400 --> 00:57:46,080 that we've turned it into that it wouldn't be difficult. 740 00:57:47,600 --> 00:57:49,160 No. He asked. 741 00:57:49,160 --> 00:57:54,200 For difficult things in our lives to say, are we truly going 742 00:57:54,200 --> 00:58:01,160 to be all in on what it is that He is asking of us to walk into 743 00:58:01,240 --> 00:58:04,840 every day of our life? Now let's look at faith. 744 00:58:05,000 --> 00:58:11,400 Faith #9 Faith overcomes. Faith overcomes. 745 00:58:11,400 --> 00:58:15,200 The characteristic of faith is that it is overcoming. 746 00:58:15,560 --> 00:58:17,880 Guess what else? That it is victory. 747 00:58:17,920 --> 00:58:21,880 So no matter what you are walking through, if you will 748 00:58:21,880 --> 00:58:22,720 stand. Firm. 749 00:58:22,880 --> 00:58:26,680 If you will hold fast, if you will contend for the faith, If 750 00:58:26,680 --> 00:58:28,400 you'll fight the good fight of faith. 751 00:58:28,560 --> 00:58:31,360 If you'll stand firm. If you'll put up the shield of 752 00:58:31,360 --> 00:58:33,800 faith when he's telling you you're a fool. 753 00:58:33,880 --> 00:58:37,480 What are you doing moving out to Oklahoma with three kids and no 754 00:58:37,480 --> 00:58:39,520 job? When people with family members, 755 00:58:39,600 --> 00:58:42,680 we're saying those things, you're a fool. 756 00:58:42,680 --> 00:58:44,480 What are you doing? Where are you going? 757 00:58:44,480 --> 00:58:46,720 What's Rhema? What is Rhema? 758 00:58:50,520 --> 00:58:54,640 It'll make you look foolish, but he confounds. 759 00:58:56,200 --> 00:59:01,560 Oh, he confounds the world. Glory to God, but faith 760 00:59:01,840 --> 00:59:06,240 overcomes. And has the victory if you're 761 00:59:06,240 --> 00:59:11,720 walking truly by faith, you can overcome whatever it is, 762 00:59:12,000 --> 00:59:16,240 whatever the dynamic is that you're going through and always 763 00:59:16,240 --> 00:59:19,840 get the victory first. John 54 This is something that 764 00:59:19,840 --> 00:59:25,400 we have as one of our sayings here for Anchor Faith Church is 765 00:59:25,400 --> 00:59:30,520 for whatever is born of God overcomes the world and this is 766 00:59:30,520 --> 00:59:33,720 the victory that is overcome the world. 767 00:59:33,720 --> 00:59:37,160 What? Say that again? 768 00:59:38,240 --> 00:59:41,680 Say that again. His faith. 769 00:59:44,280 --> 00:59:50,720 Our faith, our faith, our faith. Your faith can overcome 770 00:59:51,200 --> 00:59:55,080 anything. That's going on in your life. 771 00:59:55,080 --> 00:59:59,640 Anything that's going on in the world, it's our faith and we 772 00:59:59,640 --> 01:00:02,920 will overcome and get the victory. 773 01:00:03,080 --> 01:00:07,840 This word means to conquer. Overcome means to prevail and 774 01:00:07,840 --> 01:00:14,440 get the victory to conquer. What are you using your faith 775 01:00:14,440 --> 01:00:17,760 for to conquer? Some of you need to use your 776 01:00:17,760 --> 01:00:22,240 faith to conquer insecurities. Some of you need to use your 777 01:00:22,240 --> 01:00:27,040 faith to conquer rejection. Some of you need to use your 778 01:00:27,040 --> 01:00:31,480 faith to conquer the money test and actually. 779 01:00:31,480 --> 01:00:35,160 Trust God with your tithe and all your income. 780 01:00:35,880 --> 01:00:41,200 Some of you need to trust God with your body for healing and 781 01:00:41,200 --> 01:00:46,800 have faith for healing. Some of you need to actually 782 01:00:46,800 --> 01:00:54,600 have faith in what it is that He has asked you to do to be able 783 01:00:54,600 --> 01:00:59,760 to go to another place in Him, because He tells us where to go 784 01:00:59,760 --> 01:01:05,080 from what faith to faith. Some of you need to use your 785 01:01:05,080 --> 01:01:11,360 faith to overcome addiction, because if you actually believe 786 01:01:11,360 --> 01:01:17,960 His Word, you can. Overcome the addiction and not 787 01:01:17,960 --> 01:01:21,040 continue to allow the addiction to overtake you. 788 01:01:23,920 --> 01:01:27,240 Alcohol. Drugs, pornography. 789 01:01:27,360 --> 01:01:30,760 Come on, what have we had anybody over here, right here 790 01:01:30,840 --> 01:01:34,920 that overcame and had the victory and used his faith to 791 01:01:34,920 --> 01:01:38,800 overcome pornography? And he's not ashamed to say it. 792 01:01:39,400 --> 01:01:42,160 And, you know, people told him, don't go to that church. 793 01:01:44,160 --> 01:01:48,840 And what if he had not? He'd still be in a life of 794 01:01:48,840 --> 01:01:52,160 pornography addicted and his marriage probably would be 795 01:01:52,160 --> 01:01:57,880 falling apart. No, because this church is going 796 01:01:57,880 --> 01:02:01,960 to teach you how to actually live by faith and walk by faith 797 01:02:02,080 --> 01:02:06,160 so that you can actually overcome no matter what's going 798 01:02:06,160 --> 01:02:11,080 on in this world, he said. It can overcome the things in 799 01:02:11,080 --> 01:02:16,280 this world. Hallelujah. 800 01:02:16,320 --> 01:02:21,400 This is true biblical faith. This is the characteristics of 801 01:02:21,400 --> 01:02:23,680 faith. Let's look at this one number 10 802 01:02:23,680 --> 01:02:28,520 Hebrews 41 through three. Therefore, let us fear if while 803 01:02:28,520 --> 01:02:31,800 a promise remains, of entering his rest. 804 01:02:32,080 --> 01:02:34,800 This is it. Faith rest. 805 01:02:36,760 --> 01:02:41,240 When you're truly in faith, you don't have to strive to make it 806 01:02:41,240 --> 01:02:44,600 happen. You don't have to wring your 807 01:02:44,600 --> 01:02:50,240 hands and and and twiddle your thumbs in worry, wondering if 808 01:02:50,240 --> 01:02:52,600 God's really going to do it or not. 809 01:02:52,880 --> 01:02:58,200 No, because if you are firmly persuaded, you will be in rest. 810 01:02:58,200 --> 01:03:02,800 Because faith rest it. Rest in the promises of God. 811 01:03:02,800 --> 01:03:05,720 Hallelujah. Faith does not worry. 812 01:03:05,880 --> 01:03:11,200 Faith does not fret. Faith does not get anxiety. 813 01:03:13,720 --> 01:03:16,800 Faith does not have panic attacks. 814 01:03:19,600 --> 01:03:24,000 I've heard people, ministers that were called to step out in 815 01:03:24,000 --> 01:03:28,880 faith, taught the Word of Faith message, go to step out in 816 01:03:28,880 --> 01:03:33,960 faith, get to that place where God called them to be and they 817 01:03:33,960 --> 01:03:39,560 had panic attacks so they packed up. 818 01:03:40,680 --> 01:03:44,960 And left and never started the church that God called him to 819 01:03:44,960 --> 01:03:50,440 start. Because if you're firmly 820 01:03:50,440 --> 01:03:58,120 persuaded and you're firmly persuaded, faith is a firm 821 01:03:58,120 --> 01:04:02,280 persuasion, a confident expectation. 822 01:04:04,760 --> 01:04:09,600 When you're firmly persuaded, I don't care how many panic 823 01:04:09,600 --> 01:04:19,240 attacks you may have, faith will rest in that position. 824 01:04:20,840 --> 01:04:22,840 Amen. Faith rest. 825 01:04:22,960 --> 01:04:26,440 You don't have to be anxious. You don't have to strive. 826 01:04:26,600 --> 01:04:28,520 You don't have to try to figure it out. 827 01:04:28,600 --> 01:04:31,560 You don't have to get three and four jobs on how are we going to 828 01:04:31,560 --> 01:04:36,480 make our bills? How, how is this going to, how 829 01:04:36,480 --> 01:04:41,200 are we going to make ends meet when we went for our second year 830 01:04:41,200 --> 01:04:45,800 of Rhema? Listen, first year was the only 831 01:04:45,880 --> 01:04:51,040 check that we had. We only had first year and so 832 01:04:51,040 --> 01:04:55,720 when we were in Rhema, the year was, you know, dwindling down, 833 01:04:55,920 --> 01:05:02,240 getting ready to be done and getting ready to, you know, have 834 01:05:02,240 --> 01:05:09,520 to re enroll for second year and you know, and we were just 835 01:05:09,520 --> 01:05:12,240 making enough to live while we were there. 836 01:05:12,640 --> 01:05:15,200 There was no extra. There was no nothing. 837 01:05:15,400 --> 01:05:19,160 Listen guys, you know I said that I was in the fire for 15. 838 01:05:19,160 --> 01:05:22,920 I never even had my hair done like professionally. 839 01:05:23,240 --> 01:05:25,000 This is how. I didn't have. 840 01:05:25,040 --> 01:05:28,840 You know, today Christians think if they don't have their nails 841 01:05:28,840 --> 01:05:32,240 done and they don't have their eyes done, their eyebrows and 842 01:05:32,240 --> 01:05:38,960 their and their lashes and their hair done, they expect all that 843 01:05:41,520 --> 01:05:44,120 like their world is going to fall apart. 844 01:05:47,320 --> 01:05:49,840 Seriously. Y'all think I'm joking? 845 01:05:49,840 --> 01:05:52,680 They don't have the money for their Botox and they don't have 846 01:05:52,680 --> 01:06:00,520 the I'm serious I'm not joking. I didn't have my hair done 847 01:06:00,520 --> 01:06:04,800 professionally. For 18 years, till we got to 848 01:06:04,800 --> 01:06:08,640 Saint Augustine, there was no money for a hairdo. 849 01:06:09,600 --> 01:06:15,600 It was L'Oreal color, a box, whatever in the box. 850 01:06:15,600 --> 01:06:22,280 And I did it myself, OK? And my world didn't fall apart 851 01:06:22,280 --> 01:06:24,600 because I couldn't go have my hair done. 852 01:06:28,160 --> 01:06:32,720 But anyway, so we're there at Rhema, just surviving. 853 01:06:34,320 --> 01:06:38,560 I mean you know, there was a one time I remember and this is the 854 01:06:38,560 --> 01:06:41,320 story of the Taco Surprise dinner. 855 01:06:41,320 --> 01:06:43,840 Y'all remember this story? Some of you may not because 856 01:06:43,840 --> 01:06:46,240 there's so many more new people and they need to hear it. 857 01:06:47,320 --> 01:06:51,800 You know one thing about someone that I set up underneath from 858 01:06:51,800 --> 01:06:56,920 the school that I graduated, he told the same story over and 859 01:06:56,920 --> 01:07:02,560 over and over and over and over. And those same stories are still 860 01:07:02,560 --> 01:07:06,360 going on even today. Same old stories. 861 01:07:07,040 --> 01:07:09,960 And so Taco Surprise is going to keep on going. 862 01:07:13,240 --> 01:07:17,400 So it was one of those nights. There was no more food in the 863 01:07:17,400 --> 01:07:23,840 cabinets, none in the freezer. We were in Rhema, we were in 864 01:07:23,840 --> 01:07:27,400 school. My husband worked that God awful 865 01:07:27,400 --> 01:07:35,960 shift and I cleaned houses right after school. 866 01:07:36,320 --> 01:07:44,800 I cleaned 3 houses right after school for three of them were 867 01:07:44,800 --> 01:07:46,600 doctors. They were doctors. 868 01:07:46,960 --> 01:07:52,400 So I cleaned their homes after school so that I could bring in 869 01:07:52,400 --> 01:07:54,040 money and he brought in his money. 870 01:07:54,480 --> 01:07:57,360 But that way it didn't affect me with being able to take care of 871 01:07:57,360 --> 01:08:02,400 the kids and all that stuff. Anyway, so we were down to our 872 01:08:02,400 --> 01:08:08,400 Last Supper, OK, And there was nothing else to eat. 873 01:08:09,400 --> 01:08:12,640 So I'm like, well, what am I going to do for dinner tonight? 874 01:08:12,880 --> 01:08:18,840 I open up the cabinet. There's one can of corn I have. 875 01:08:19,279 --> 01:08:22,439 You know, when you had a family with lots of kids, you'd buy the 876 01:08:22,439 --> 01:08:26,399 big pack of hamburger meat and then you divide it up, put it in 877 01:08:26,399 --> 01:08:32,640 the freezer, split it up. So I had 1 LB of hamburger meat. 878 01:08:33,840 --> 01:08:36,960 I looked in the closet there was one little box of Jiffy 879 01:08:36,960 --> 01:08:39,240 cornbread mix. Y'all remember Jiffy? 880 01:08:40,359 --> 01:08:43,080 About $0.25 a box. OK. 881 01:08:43,880 --> 01:08:49,319 And there was in my seasonings Taco seasoning. 882 01:08:51,120 --> 01:08:55,399 So I'm like well we they're like what's for dinner? 883 01:08:55,399 --> 01:08:59,880 I said, well it's going to be Taco surprise tonight because 884 01:08:59,880 --> 01:09:03,040 that is all that is in these cabinets. 885 01:09:03,600 --> 01:09:11,200 So I fried up the meat, put the Taco seasoning in, dump the can 886 01:09:11,200 --> 01:09:16,120 of corn in it, put it in a pan, put the jiffy. 887 01:09:16,120 --> 01:09:18,920 I had one egg because that's all the box needed. 888 01:09:20,080 --> 01:09:25,960 One egg and water, I believe, or milk, little bit of milk for the 889 01:09:26,160 --> 01:09:31,880 the cornbread mix. And I put it in a casserole 890 01:09:31,880 --> 01:09:36,200 dish, put the meat, the corn, and then I put the Jiffy 891 01:09:36,200 --> 01:09:38,240 cornbread mix over the top of it. 892 01:09:38,880 --> 01:09:40,960 And then I put it in the oven and baked it. 893 01:09:41,880 --> 01:09:44,720 Yeah, it's actually pretty good. Kind of like a shepherd's pie 894 01:09:44,720 --> 01:09:52,640 ish. So, you know, when you have 895 01:09:52,640 --> 01:09:55,840 picky eaters as kids, it is what it is. 896 01:09:55,840 --> 01:09:57,880 You eat or you go to bed with nothing. 897 01:09:58,400 --> 01:10:00,360 That's how it is. That's the Last Supper. 898 01:10:00,360 --> 01:10:05,240 That's all we had. Well, you know, again, I had 899 01:10:05,240 --> 01:10:09,080 already told you all a story about not having anything when 900 01:10:09,080 --> 01:10:13,120 Brianna was little and had waking up to all the groceries 901 01:10:13,120 --> 01:10:18,160 on the front doorstep. And so anyway, that was all that 902 01:10:18,160 --> 01:10:21,200 was in the meal. Well, thank the Lord we were 903 01:10:21,200 --> 01:10:24,720 having company come. Well, it happened to be my 904 01:10:24,720 --> 01:10:28,440 mother. So she was flying in. 905 01:10:29,520 --> 01:10:32,200 She gets to the house and we're talking. 906 01:10:32,200 --> 01:10:34,360 She's undoing this or what? Da, da, da, da. 907 01:10:34,360 --> 01:10:36,960 And she's, well, you know, you know, mom. 908 01:10:36,960 --> 01:10:41,120 So she's opening up refrigerators and looking and 909 01:10:41,360 --> 01:10:44,280 she's like, well, what are we going to have for dinner? 910 01:10:45,080 --> 01:10:49,200 And I'm like, I don't know. It's going to be a surprise, I 911 01:10:49,200 --> 01:10:50,400 guess. I don't know. 912 01:10:50,800 --> 01:10:52,720 Well, what did you think? We were going to eat. 913 01:10:52,720 --> 01:10:56,240 I don't know. Well, let's go. 914 01:10:56,240 --> 01:11:01,480 So she gets in the car and she goes and blesses us with a whole 915 01:11:01,480 --> 01:11:05,040 bunch of groceries God provided. Amen. 916 01:11:06,240 --> 01:11:08,640 You see that? But I wasn't going to give her a 917 01:11:08,640 --> 01:11:13,560 sad, sappy story. I didn't say mom. 918 01:11:13,560 --> 01:11:17,280 We don't have any food, please go get us something to eat. 919 01:11:17,320 --> 01:11:18,200 We're dying. Didn't. 920 01:11:18,680 --> 01:11:22,320 Do that. Did not do that. 921 01:11:22,640 --> 01:11:27,800 That's not faith, people that do that, that's manipulation. 922 01:11:30,000 --> 01:11:36,080 It's manipulation. So she goes and stocks us up so 923 01:11:36,080 --> 01:11:37,640 we're good to go. Amen. 924 01:11:37,640 --> 01:11:43,000 And that food multiplies. But I'm just saying faith rest 925 01:11:43,000 --> 01:11:47,200 in the promises of God. You don't have to stress. 926 01:11:47,440 --> 01:11:49,800 You don't have to try to figure it out. 927 01:11:49,800 --> 01:11:52,400 You don't have to work your fingers to the bones. 928 01:11:52,400 --> 01:11:56,760 Three and four jobs, Come on. I mean, I know people that do 929 01:11:56,760 --> 01:12:01,840 this. God wants you to rest in Him and 930 01:12:01,840 --> 01:12:06,240 have faith in Him and in His promises and do what it is that 931 01:12:06,240 --> 01:12:09,760 His word says to do. If we are in his economic 932 01:12:09,760 --> 01:12:15,480 system, if we are tithers, if we are givers, if we on every wave 933 01:12:15,480 --> 01:12:20,880 in every season sow our seed, He said, it will come back to us. 934 01:12:21,480 --> 01:12:24,760 Hallelujah. What good measure Pressed down, 935 01:12:24,760 --> 01:12:27,440 shaken together, and running over. 936 01:12:27,600 --> 01:12:30,320 And men shall give unto your bosom. 937 01:12:30,560 --> 01:12:34,320 Men, it's OK. Do you know how many prideful 938 01:12:34,320 --> 01:12:38,520 believers we have that they don't want anybody to actually 939 01:12:39,400 --> 01:12:42,280 seem like people are given to them? 940 01:12:44,080 --> 01:12:49,040 That's pride because the Bible says if you give, men will give 941 01:12:49,040 --> 01:12:52,280 unto you. So people, I always say, people 942 01:12:52,280 --> 01:12:57,080 do give unto me because I'm a giver and surely I will take it. 943 01:12:59,560 --> 01:13:01,600 I'm not going to. Oh, no, no, don't worry about 944 01:13:01,600 --> 01:13:02,960 it. Don't worry about it. 945 01:13:03,280 --> 01:13:06,480 Oh, no, don't give it to somebody else that really needs 946 01:13:06,480 --> 01:13:13,000 it. No, I really need it because. 947 01:13:13,000 --> 01:13:16,160 I'm a sower. So that seed you give to me, 948 01:13:16,160 --> 01:13:19,360 guess what is getting ready to get released into somebody 949 01:13:19,360 --> 01:13:22,960 else's hand? And that's how it keeps going. 950 01:13:22,960 --> 01:13:27,280 When you give on every wave, when you give in every season, 951 01:13:27,280 --> 01:13:31,720 Come on. I'm telling you, God is faithful 952 01:13:31,720 --> 01:13:38,240 and He is able to fulfill His promises in every bit of our 953 01:13:38,240 --> 01:13:41,480 lives, in everything that He has required and asked. 954 01:13:41,480 --> 01:13:43,440 Of us. Let's look at these last few. 955 01:13:43,920 --> 01:13:47,680 Faith rejoices. If you, and again I said this 956 01:13:47,680 --> 01:13:51,720 when we were in Rhema and one of our instructors had said, you 957 01:13:51,720 --> 01:13:57,560 know, if you are really in faith, you'll be happy, You'll 958 01:13:57,560 --> 01:14:03,320 read joyful Keith Moore. He was great at that, you know. 959 01:14:03,320 --> 01:14:04,560 And my husband thought, well, he. 960 01:14:04,560 --> 01:14:06,840 Didn't even have to. Work when he went to Rhema, he 961 01:14:06,840 --> 01:14:12,080 don't know. Getting all you know, who's he 962 01:14:12,080 --> 01:14:14,600 think he is? He didn't have three kids. 963 01:14:14,600 --> 01:14:16,920 His wife worked while he went to Rainbow. 964 01:14:16,920 --> 01:14:19,560 What did he have to do? You see what I'm saying? 965 01:14:21,800 --> 01:14:23,840 Why? Because you're thinking, well, 966 01:14:23,840 --> 01:14:26,280 if we are in faith, we're going to be full of joy. 967 01:14:26,360 --> 01:14:28,560 We're going to rejoice, we're going to be happy. 968 01:14:28,760 --> 01:14:31,320 We're going to be at rest. We're going to be at peace, 969 01:14:31,680 --> 01:14:33,400 right? We're not going to let this move 970 01:14:33,400 --> 01:14:35,240 us. This is not going to bother us. 971 01:14:35,240 --> 01:14:40,000 James 1137 says this. It says James, a bond servant of 972 01:14:40,000 --> 01:14:43,800 God and the Lord Jesus Christ to the 12 tribes who were dispersed 973 01:14:43,800 --> 01:14:45,720 about greetings. Consider. 974 01:14:45,720 --> 01:14:51,560 It all what, my brethren, when you enter into various trials, 975 01:14:51,560 --> 01:14:58,680 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, and 976 01:14:58,680 --> 01:15:02,440 let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be 977 01:15:02,440 --> 01:15:05,240 perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 978 01:15:05,520 --> 01:15:08,760 But if anyone who lacks in wisdom, let him ask God who 979 01:15:08,760 --> 01:15:13,480 gives generously and without reproach, and to excuse me. 980 01:15:13,480 --> 01:15:18,520 And it will be of God who gives to all generously and without 981 01:15:18,520 --> 01:15:20,200 reproach. Did I already say that? 982 01:15:20,200 --> 01:15:25,520 And it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without 983 01:15:25,520 --> 01:15:28,600 doubting. For the one who doubts is like 984 01:15:28,840 --> 01:15:33,400 the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by every wind. 985 01:15:33,880 --> 01:15:39,000 For that man ought not to expect to receive anything from the 986 01:15:39,000 --> 01:15:43,480 Lord. So can people in church be in a 987 01:15:43,480 --> 01:15:47,440 place that they don't receive anything from the Lord? 988 01:15:50,200 --> 01:15:55,200 This is true biblical faith. This is what His Word says, 989 01:15:57,360 --> 01:16:00,280 Hallelujah. So just because you're here 990 01:16:00,280 --> 01:16:04,440 don't automatically mean you're in faith and you're going to 991 01:16:04,440 --> 01:16:08,080 receive the promises of God. Hallelujah. 992 01:16:09,160 --> 01:16:13,480 Come on, We have to really think about this and really ask 993 01:16:13,480 --> 01:16:19,360 ourselves, are we really firmly persuaded in faith, activated in 994 01:16:19,360 --> 01:16:21,240 everything that we're doing? And if we? 995 01:16:21,240 --> 01:16:24,560 Are we're going to rejoice, We're going to be glad. 996 01:16:24,560 --> 01:16:28,360 You know what? I don't care how long this trial 997 01:16:28,360 --> 01:16:31,920 is going to go on. I'm going to listen. 998 01:16:31,920 --> 01:16:35,080 You don't even know how many times I had to come up here 999 01:16:35,360 --> 01:16:44,880 trial after trial after trial and be happy about it and be 1000 01:16:44,880 --> 01:16:48,960 happy about it when people are slandering you and be happy 1001 01:16:48,960 --> 01:16:53,640 about it when come on. You know what? 1002 01:16:53,680 --> 01:17:01,560 Because I trust in my God, I have faith in Him, and I have 1003 01:17:01,560 --> 01:17:05,240 joy. I have rest, I have peace. 1004 01:17:05,640 --> 01:17:08,200 Come on. All of these things belong to 1005 01:17:08,200 --> 01:17:14,920 those that are truly in real faith, real faith. 1006 01:17:14,920 --> 01:17:21,840 Faith will rejoice in the midst of the trial, in the midst of 1007 01:17:21,840 --> 01:17:24,680 the circumstance, in the midst of the situation. 1008 01:17:24,920 --> 01:17:31,640 Faith will only believe. Faith will only believe. 1009 01:17:31,640 --> 01:17:35,200 The next point, Faith, the characteristic of faith, is 1010 01:17:35,200 --> 01:17:37,880 purely belief. It will only believe. 1011 01:17:38,480 --> 01:17:42,920 Only believe. Isn't that what he told the in 1012 01:17:42,920 --> 01:17:44,800 the Scripture? Only believe. 1013 01:17:46,160 --> 01:17:51,560 Only believe. Only believe. 1014 01:17:52,680 --> 01:17:56,000 So when that pastor comes up and something's going on in your 1015 01:17:56,000 --> 01:17:59,680 life and he says just only believe, isn't that what Jesus 1016 01:17:59,680 --> 01:18:02,040 said? Just only believe. 1017 01:18:02,400 --> 01:18:07,240 You are truly not firmly persuaded if you just don't only 1018 01:18:07,360 --> 01:18:09,960 believe. Only believe. 1019 01:18:09,960 --> 01:18:13,080 There is no other answer. This is called faith. 1020 01:18:13,360 --> 01:18:17,440 There is no other way. This is called you only 1021 01:18:17,440 --> 01:18:20,760 believing, walking by faith, not by sight. 1022 01:18:20,760 --> 01:18:26,200 You don't see how your marriage is going to turn around, only 1023 01:18:26,320 --> 01:18:28,480 believe. You don't see how this 1024 01:18:28,480 --> 01:18:30,600 circumstance is going to turn around. 1025 01:18:30,760 --> 01:18:37,160 Only believe because true biblical faith only believes it. 1026 01:18:37,160 --> 01:18:40,320 Never doubts it, never waivers come on it. 1027 01:18:40,320 --> 01:18:46,080 Only believes, only believe. But you know, Christians today 1028 01:18:46,080 --> 01:18:50,040 don't want to hear that. They want to say, well, and I 1029 01:18:50,040 --> 01:18:54,120 said this, well, what happens if you were really believing and it 1030 01:18:54,120 --> 01:18:55,840 didn't turn out the way you want? 1031 01:18:56,840 --> 01:19:02,480 Then you weren't really believing because, he says, only 1032 01:19:02,720 --> 01:19:08,440 believe. I only believe, again I said 1033 01:19:08,640 --> 01:19:12,360 that there are circumstances and situations because if something 1034 01:19:12,360 --> 01:19:16,360 didn't take place that you said you were firmly persuaded about 1035 01:19:16,600 --> 01:19:20,240 or that you were in faith about and you did not see that come to 1036 01:19:20,240 --> 01:19:24,120 pass, then it is not God or his faith. 1037 01:19:26,760 --> 01:19:33,440 It's something that we missed. Or we are ignorant of and we 1038 01:19:33,440 --> 01:19:43,600 don't know because God is always faithful to fulfill his word no 1039 01:19:43,600 --> 01:19:46,640 matter what. It is not a God problem if you 1040 01:19:46,640 --> 01:19:48,840 say I don't care who. Says it. 1041 01:19:49,280 --> 01:19:53,280 I don't care who says it. Well, I believed it. 1042 01:19:53,360 --> 01:19:56,280 No, you didn't believe. There was something that you 1043 01:19:56,280 --> 01:19:59,200 were missing. There was something that was 1044 01:19:59,200 --> 01:20:01,520 off. There was something that you 1045 01:20:01,520 --> 01:20:03,360 didn't know. Come on. 1046 01:20:03,360 --> 01:20:05,920 I'm telling you. We have to get that in our 1047 01:20:05,920 --> 01:20:09,320 heads. Only believe. 1048 01:20:10,040 --> 01:20:15,200 Only believe Hebrews 11. Without faith, it's impossible 1049 01:20:15,200 --> 01:20:18,840 to please him. For he that cometh to him what 1050 01:20:19,280 --> 01:20:24,760 must believe. Must believe that He is and that 1051 01:20:24,760 --> 01:20:31,200 he is a what a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. 1052 01:20:32,360 --> 01:20:34,960 He's a rewarder. That's what I believe. 1053 01:20:35,600 --> 01:20:38,680 Hallelujah. Because I diligently seek Him. 1054 01:20:38,920 --> 01:20:41,720 Because I day and night meditate in His word. 1055 01:20:41,920 --> 01:20:44,840 Come on. Because I take His word in as 1056 01:20:44,840 --> 01:20:47,280 daily bread. Because my life. 1057 01:20:47,520 --> 01:20:54,480 My life of faith is built upon the foundation of His word. 1058 01:20:54,480 --> 01:20:57,680 Faith is the substance of things. 1059 01:20:57,680 --> 01:21:02,440 Come on. That is only found in his word, 1060 01:21:02,760 --> 01:21:06,560 glory to God. So faith only believes in it. 1061 01:21:06,560 --> 01:21:10,400 And we already read Mark 1123 where he said, what did he say? 1062 01:21:10,520 --> 01:21:13,520 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to these mountains be taken 1063 01:21:13,520 --> 01:21:17,440 up, cast into the sea, does not. What doubt in his heart. 1064 01:21:18,360 --> 01:21:23,240 But what believes that what he says is going to happen and it 1065 01:21:23,240 --> 01:21:29,840 will be granted to him. So again, faith doesn't doubt. 1066 01:21:29,880 --> 01:21:33,040 True biblical faith doesn't doubt. 1067 01:21:34,320 --> 01:21:38,600 I'm not saying that you won't have the temptation to doubt. 1068 01:21:41,840 --> 01:21:46,880 See. See that little tweak because I 1069 01:21:46,880 --> 01:21:48,880 heard it in the spirit y'all say, Oh it never. 1070 01:21:50,920 --> 01:21:55,480 Temptation to doubt is different than doubting in your heart. 1071 01:21:56,720 --> 01:22:00,800 You don't, you don't give that thought entrance. 1072 01:22:01,280 --> 01:22:05,040 You don't allow that thought entrance into your heart. 1073 01:22:05,280 --> 01:22:10,360 You don't let that temptation become conceived within your 1074 01:22:10,360 --> 01:22:15,640 heart. You see that temptations going 1075 01:22:15,640 --> 01:22:17,640 to come. Like I said, all the thoughts 1076 01:22:17,640 --> 01:22:19,000 were there. What are you going to do? 1077 01:22:19,000 --> 01:22:21,360 You're a fool. You're going across the country. 1078 01:22:21,360 --> 01:22:23,200 You have no money. You're taking your three 1079 01:22:23,200 --> 01:22:25,520 children. You have no guarantee of a job. 1080 01:22:25,520 --> 01:22:28,880 You don't have a 401K, you don't have a guaranteed salary. 1081 01:22:28,880 --> 01:22:33,920 You don't have any savings. All those were thoughts of 1082 01:22:33,920 --> 01:22:36,680 doubt. They were temptations. 1083 01:22:36,680 --> 01:22:38,000 And you know what they were doing? 1084 01:22:38,000 --> 01:22:39,400 Saying get. Hold of me. 1085 01:22:40,120 --> 01:22:43,840 Get hold of me, grab hold of me, grab hold of me. 1086 01:22:43,840 --> 01:22:48,520 Instead of holding fast to the word and what I said, hold fast, 1087 01:22:48,520 --> 01:22:51,960 grab hold of me. The doubt so that you don't hold 1088 01:22:51,960 --> 01:22:54,440 fast to the word that I just promised you. 1089 01:22:56,120 --> 01:22:58,800 So doubt. Thoughts will come. 1090 01:22:58,800 --> 01:23:02,000 Those doubts will come, but we're not going to let them. 1091 01:23:02,280 --> 01:23:07,680 Give birth in our heart to where I'm truly now just doubting in 1092 01:23:07,680 --> 01:23:13,400 my heart that God is able no, never going to be never going to 1093 01:23:13,400 --> 01:23:18,680 be OK because we cannot be people of faith if we have 1094 01:23:18,680 --> 01:23:24,280 doubt. Matthew 1431 Hallelujah this I'm 1095 01:23:24,280 --> 01:23:28,560 getting ready to do our last two immediately Jesus stretched out 1096 01:23:28,560 --> 01:23:31,160 his hand. This was them right took hold of 1097 01:23:31,160 --> 01:23:33,120 him. The one that said stepped out of 1098 01:23:33,120 --> 01:23:35,200 the boat. Peter stepped out in the water, 1099 01:23:35,200 --> 01:23:38,600 right. He saw Jesus coming on the 1100 01:23:38,600 --> 01:23:42,120 water, walking on water and I've heard many people preach this 1101 01:23:42,120 --> 01:23:44,600 wrong. He come walking on the water, 1102 01:23:44,920 --> 01:23:49,240 right? Peter stepped out of the boat. 1103 01:23:49,840 --> 01:23:54,440 He said, bid me come right. So he came steps out and what 1104 01:23:54,440 --> 01:23:58,240 happens? Peter begins to what focus on 1105 01:23:58,240 --> 01:24:04,280 all the waves and the winds and then what happens? 1106 01:24:04,280 --> 01:24:08,400 He begins to sink. What does Jesus do? 1107 01:24:09,320 --> 01:24:14,120 He reaches down, takes hold of him because I've heard people 1108 01:24:14,120 --> 01:24:19,560 preach, see God really wasn't, you know, didn't have a problem 1109 01:24:19,560 --> 01:24:24,840 with him sinking. It was no big deal that he sank 1110 01:24:26,200 --> 01:24:36,570 trying to justify his wavering. Look what he says. 1111 01:24:37,850 --> 01:24:45,040 But the scripture says what? You of what little faith? 1112 01:24:46,360 --> 01:24:52,000 Why did you what? Why did you? 1113 01:24:52,000 --> 01:24:55,920 Doubt me. Why did you doubt me? 1114 01:24:55,920 --> 01:24:59,080 You of little faith? He didn't say, oh, it's no big 1115 01:24:59,080 --> 01:25:02,920 deal, I love you and I'm always there to pick you up and oh 1116 01:25:02,920 --> 01:25:08,320 blah, blah, blah, blah. No, he rebuked him. 1117 01:25:08,320 --> 01:25:11,800 He said you have little faith. Why did you doubt? 1118 01:25:12,680 --> 01:25:14,560 You stepped out, you were walking. 1119 01:25:14,560 --> 01:25:18,120 Why did you let the circumstance of the winds and the waves get 1120 01:25:18,120 --> 01:25:23,440 you fearful to doubt me and begin to sink? 1121 01:25:24,480 --> 01:25:31,200 He rebuked him. You have little faith, so he let 1122 01:25:31,200 --> 01:25:35,040 him know that his faith was little. 1123 01:25:35,560 --> 01:25:39,520 At that moment, he had great faith to be able to step out, 1124 01:25:39,720 --> 01:25:43,960 but because everything was turning upside down around him, 1125 01:25:43,960 --> 01:25:49,120 come on, he began to doubt that God could continue to keep him 1126 01:25:49,120 --> 01:25:56,320 stable in the midst of the circumstance of the 1127 01:25:56,320 --> 01:26:02,480 circumstance. And he said, why did you doubt? 1128 01:26:04,240 --> 01:26:09,240 Why did you doubt? So faith doesn't doubt. 1129 01:26:09,440 --> 01:26:15,880 Faith is unwavering, unwavering. Amen. 1130 01:26:16,720 --> 01:26:23,120 We said this about Abraham. It actually said in Romans 420 1131 01:26:23,120 --> 01:26:25,480 and 21. It says yet with respect to the 1132 01:26:25,480 --> 01:26:31,560 promise of God, He did not what waver in unbelief, but he grew 1133 01:26:31,560 --> 01:26:38,320 strong in faith, giving glory to God and being fully assured that 1134 01:26:38,320 --> 01:26:45,960 what God had promised he was able to perform Hallelujah, he 1135 01:26:45,960 --> 01:26:50,720 was able to perform it. Listen, faith is unwavering it 1136 01:26:50,720 --> 01:26:54,200 one translation said he staggered not it doesn't 1137 01:26:54,200 --> 01:26:57,680 stagger. It doesn't waver when the when L 1138 01:26:57,680 --> 01:27:00,520 the the winds and the waves start blowing when the 1139 01:27:00,520 --> 01:27:03,640 circumstance start turning upside down of what? 1140 01:27:03,640 --> 01:27:07,040 You thought, oh yay, God called us to go to Rainbow. 1141 01:27:07,040 --> 01:27:10,360 Woo Hoo, that's awesome. And then you get in the midst of 1142 01:27:10,360 --> 01:27:16,040 it and think, well, this isn't so grand, this isn't so great, 1143 01:27:16,720 --> 01:27:19,440 right? This is what I'm. 1144 01:27:19,440 --> 01:27:23,320 Saying so you have to get in the midst of it and stag or not and 1145 01:27:23,320 --> 01:27:27,680 be unwavering, right and be a person that there is going to be 1146 01:27:27,680 --> 01:27:32,360 no variance in your faith. You're not going to be full of 1147 01:27:32,360 --> 01:27:36,120 faith one day and little faith the next day, right, because 1148 01:27:36,120 --> 01:27:41,840 that person is being tossed to and and and fro the scripture 1149 01:27:41,840 --> 01:27:44,800 says in James being tossed back and forth. 1150 01:27:44,920 --> 01:27:48,000 One day they're in faith. One day they've got little 1151 01:27:48,000 --> 01:27:49,880 faith. One day they're doubting. 1152 01:27:49,960 --> 01:27:52,040 One day they're wavering, questioning. 1153 01:27:52,040 --> 01:27:56,480 We have to be people that are firmly established and fixed and 1154 01:27:56,480 --> 01:28:00,800 never be a people that's going to doubt that his word last. 1155 01:28:00,880 --> 01:28:05,880 One faith speaks. Faith speaks. 1156 01:28:05,880 --> 01:28:08,880 We need to pick up our confession of faith. 1157 01:28:10,760 --> 01:28:12,920 Believers have gotten away from this. 1158 01:28:13,800 --> 01:28:16,320 We need to pick up our confession and we need to 1159 01:28:16,320 --> 01:28:20,680 declare what we believe. We need to start saying what His 1160 01:28:20,680 --> 01:28:25,200 word says and start speaking it over our marriages, speaking it 1161 01:28:25,200 --> 01:28:29,760 over our children, speaking it over our finances, speaking it 1162 01:28:29,760 --> 01:28:34,760 over our businesses, speaking it over our lives, right? 1163 01:28:34,920 --> 01:28:38,560 Because I'm going to tell you, faith speaks 2nd Corinthians 1164 01:28:38,560 --> 01:28:40,400 413. This is the last scripture. 1165 01:28:40,720 --> 01:28:46,080 But having the same spirit of faith according to what is 1166 01:28:46,080 --> 01:28:53,280 written, I believe, therefore I what spoke, we also believe, 1167 01:28:53,480 --> 01:29:02,440 therefore we we speak, we speak, we will speak what we believe. 1168 01:29:03,120 --> 01:29:06,920 I'm not just going to speak what I believe, Oh, that Jesus Christ 1169 01:29:06,920 --> 01:29:10,000 is my Savior. I'm going to, I'm going to speak 1170 01:29:10,000 --> 01:29:13,480 what I believe His promises have told me. 1171 01:29:13,840 --> 01:29:16,280 I believe. I'm going to speak that by his 1172 01:29:16,280 --> 01:29:19,360 stripes I am healed. I'm going to believe that I've 1173 01:29:19,360 --> 01:29:23,840 received and I'm going to speak that my God shall supply all of 1174 01:29:23,840 --> 01:29:26,240 my needs according to his riches and glory. 1175 01:29:26,480 --> 01:29:30,800 I'm going to believe and I'm going to speak that I that I 1176 01:29:30,800 --> 01:29:33,040 don't have to have shame and guilt. 1177 01:29:33,400 --> 01:29:37,120 To be a part of my life and I there therefore now is no 1178 01:29:37,120 --> 01:29:40,200 condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 1179 01:29:40,200 --> 01:29:44,800 I'm going to speak what I believe about whatever it is 1180 01:29:44,800 --> 01:29:47,480 that's going on in our lives. Amen. 1181 01:29:47,720 --> 01:29:51,880 We stand up. We must be people that stand up 1182 01:29:53,080 --> 01:29:59,200 that will declare the word of the Lord in all of our 1183 01:29:59,200 --> 01:30:03,120 circumstances and everything that we're going through in our 1184 01:30:03,120 --> 01:30:07,280 life. We have to speak what we 1185 01:30:07,280 --> 01:30:10,480 believe. I believe that my business will 1186 01:30:10,480 --> 01:30:14,520 prosper. I believe that my children will 1187 01:30:14,520 --> 01:30:18,040 rise up and follow God all the days of their life. 1188 01:30:18,240 --> 01:30:26,960 I believe, come on, that every promise that God says belongs to 1189 01:30:26,960 --> 01:30:32,360 me, I will walk in it, right? I I believe that favor will 1190 01:30:32,360 --> 01:30:37,920 follow me everywhere I go. I believe we have to speak it. 1191 01:30:37,920 --> 01:30:42,120 We have to declare it. We have to speak the things that 1192 01:30:42,120 --> 01:30:47,000 we believe because when we speak it, we activate it. 1193 01:30:48,240 --> 01:30:52,200 We activate it because God can't. 1194 01:30:52,200 --> 01:30:58,760 Move if we are not saying what he said, if we are not speaking 1195 01:30:58,920 --> 01:31:05,840 what he says, and this is one way that you can overcome the 1196 01:31:05,840 --> 01:31:10,400 doubts. When the doubts are loud, 1197 01:31:10,400 --> 01:31:13,280 speaking and saying you're never your marriage is never going to 1198 01:31:13,280 --> 01:31:15,920 make it. When the doubts are loud, saying 1199 01:31:15,920 --> 01:31:18,200 you'll never be able to trust them again. 1200 01:31:18,440 --> 01:31:24,000 When the doubts are loud, saying no, that's when you being firmly 1201 01:31:24,000 --> 01:31:28,080 persuaded of what God's word said of the no. 1202 01:31:28,080 --> 01:31:31,960 I will have a marriage. Like the word of God says, come 1203 01:31:31,960 --> 01:31:35,760 on, I will have heaven on earth in my marriage. 1204 01:31:35,960 --> 01:31:39,760 You have to declare it. You have to release it. 1205 01:31:39,920 --> 01:31:48,560 And you do it until you're blue in the face, until you see the 1206 01:31:48,560 --> 01:31:51,960 reality of your faith come to pass. 1207 01:31:52,160 --> 01:31:55,840 You speak it, you say it, you release it. 1208 01:31:55,880 --> 01:32:00,960 Every time the doubt comes, every time the fear comes, every 1209 01:32:00,960 --> 01:32:03,800 time anything comes out. You. 1210 01:32:04,160 --> 01:32:07,440 You. Have to release it by faith and 1211 01:32:07,440 --> 01:32:18,760 say no, but my God said whatever it is because I believe him, I 1212 01:32:18,760 --> 01:32:21,800 believe that I will not have to deal with this sickness and 1213 01:32:21,800 --> 01:32:27,680 disease in my body another day in my life because he already. 1214 01:32:27,920 --> 01:32:30,800 Bore. My sicknesses, come on. 1215 01:32:31,040 --> 01:32:36,040 He already bore those infirmities on his back 2000 1216 01:32:36,040 --> 01:32:40,000 years ago. You see what I'm saying? 1217 01:32:40,600 --> 01:32:46,200 So are you firmly persuaded that you don't have to another day of 1218 01:32:46,200 --> 01:32:50,000 your life walk in sickness and disease? 1219 01:32:50,640 --> 01:32:54,000 Are you saying it? Are you firmly persuaded? 1220 01:32:54,160 --> 01:32:56,360 Are you speaking it over your body? 1221 01:32:57,800 --> 01:33:07,360 You see that I had a time with a young lady just this past week 1222 01:33:07,360 --> 01:33:10,600 that said she had dealt with 36 miscarriages. 1223 01:33:11,920 --> 01:33:14,880 I said, this is not of God. They've already had a child. 1224 01:33:16,320 --> 01:33:20,520 They've already had one. I said this is not the promise 1225 01:33:20,520 --> 01:33:22,800 of God. He said children are an 1226 01:33:22,800 --> 01:33:27,280 inheritance of the Lord. He said, see, I took her to the 1227 01:33:27,280 --> 01:33:32,800 Scriptures, I took her to the Word, and then I laid hands on 1228 01:33:32,800 --> 01:33:35,800 her and then I talked to her about some things she could do 1229 01:33:35,800 --> 01:33:41,280 in the natural as well. And I said, now your faith, you 1230 01:33:41,280 --> 01:33:44,320 speak this over your body every day. 1231 01:33:44,960 --> 01:33:50,000 You get the scripture for you to stand upon, to activate your 1232 01:33:50,000 --> 01:33:55,000 faith in this situation, that your body will receive the seed 1233 01:33:55,240 --> 01:33:59,120 and it will carry the seed because it's a promise of God. 1234 01:34:01,000 --> 01:34:05,160 You see what I'm saying? So are we going to live by 1235 01:34:05,160 --> 01:34:08,040 faith? Are we going to walk by faith? 1236 01:34:08,640 --> 01:34:11,840 And this is how we have to do it and see that this is true 1237 01:34:11,840 --> 01:34:16,000 biblical faith. This is how we overcome 1238 01:34:16,920 --> 01:34:20,720 Hallelujah. This is how we walk in faith. 1239 01:34:20,720 --> 01:34:26,440 Glory to God. Thank you so much for listening 1240 01:34:26,440 --> 01:34:28,880 to this message. If you want more, subscribe to 1241 01:34:28,880 --> 01:34:32,280 our message podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and 1242 01:34:32,280 --> 01:34:34,320 SoundCloud. Rating and leaving a comment 1243 01:34:34,320 --> 01:34:36,480 will go a long way with helping our messages get better 1244 01:34:36,480 --> 01:34:38,720 circulation. If you'd enjoy watching our 1245 01:34:38,720 --> 01:34:42,040 weekend messages, visit youtube.com/anchor Faith. 1246 01:34:42,760 --> 01:34:45,320 We'd love it if you'd subscribe, leave a comment or a like on the 1247 01:34:45,320 --> 01:34:47,200 messages. If you'd like to find out more 1248 01:34:47,200 --> 01:34:49,800 information about us and how we're influencing the world and 1249 01:34:49,800 --> 01:34:52,320 help support the work we're doing by giving, just visit 1250 01:34:52,320 --> 01:34:53,520 anchorfaith.com.