Feed
your faith, starve your doubt, HEAR FROM GOD.
Is there
anyone here who doesn’t struggle with doubt? Do you struggle with uncertainty
about decisions you need to make? Are you one of those people who don’t think
the Lord has ever spoken to them? Do you understand the difference between real
faith and presumption? Do you struggle with double mindedness? Tonight we’re
going to leave with a better understanding of the way out of these dilemmas.
You’ll also have the opportunity to share how you found that way out.
Last Sunday we
were taught a great Biblical definition of the the word believe. I looked it up
in Strong’s online, the Greek word is pisteuĊ. It is translated:
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believe (239x),
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be committed unto (1x),
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commit unto (4x),
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be put in trust with (1x),
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commit to (one's) trust (1x),
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believer (1x).
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be commit to one's trust (1x),
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| https://steemit.com/christian-trail/@ademayo89/ walking-in-the-spirit |
I think we
can say that for most Christians, all the verbs listed in this definition are
beyond doubt or question concerning the love of God and our salvation. But
there is so much more to life, beyond those two things, where the struggles I
just listed get very real. There are things in our minds and hearts that can be
inhibitors to believing, inhibitors to clear decision making that is based on
knowing where the Master is leading. Doubt, presumption and the lies of the
enemy are probably the top 3. If Jesus is the Lord of our lives than we have to
continuously follow His leadings, we must consistently be walking in the Spirit
and not in the flesh.
Think about
what it took for you do the actions listed in this definition concerning
accepting salvation and God’s love. Take this a step further concerning the other
most important commitment in life – who you marry. Anyone going into full time
ministry, especially foreign missions, must be able to say that they believe
God has called them to whatever that ministry is. An intellectual decision will
never get anyone there.
To take the
actions of believing is often referred to as “steps of faith” So this begs the
question, where or how did you get such faith in something or someone that you
would stake your life on it? Sometimes it takes a SUDDENLY from God.
Acts 2:2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven
like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were
sitting.
3
Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on
each of them.
Did
you ever have a suddenly when in
prayer? Suddenly you had knowledge
and wisdom about from God, you know you should do something, perhaps outside
your comfort zone. Talk about Grace
Episcopal
John
heard from the Lord that day in Patmos. Part of this “Suddenly” was a direct instruction to:
Rev.1:11
It said, “Write in a book
everything you see, and send it to the seven churches…
Obviously
he did what the Lord instructed, we’re reading and studying it now, 2,000+
years later. John understood that the Lord was the leader of his life and he
knew that his leader loved him. I’ve said for many years that it is imperative
that we, as disciples of Jesus, learn to hear His voice so we can follow where
the Master is leading us.
Rev.
1:10 emphasizes the need for us to live in the spirit. There are countless verses
with this same admonition. We need to be in the continual communication with
God in whom we have our life, our being. God most often communicates with us at
the heart level, in the spiritual realm. We are constantly making decisions and
we should want His direction in everything. Sometimes His leading does not make
sense to us because we it evaluate carnally or without our Father's infinite
wisdom.
There
are many forks in life’s road; we need Father to let us know which way to go. Spectacular
manifestations however, are the exception, not the usual way God speaks to our
heart.
Isaiah 30:21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you,
saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or
whenever you turn to the left.
Such
spectacular events were rare in the lives of the great prophets or the
patriarchs, or any other Bible characters. They were few and far between in
proportion to the ages of these people of great faith. I have had a few such
experiences, although not as dramatic as John’s, and each has changed the
direction of my life, or sometimes just my day. Elijah’s experience was very
different and it shows this beautifully,
I King 19:11 Then
He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And
behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains
and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the
wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake;
12 and
after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the
fire a still small voice.
13 So
it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went
out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and
said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
We
see, from in these encounters with God, that John and Elijah experienced the
spectrum of God communicating with people. It is as vast as there are different
people. How wonderful it is when suddenly
we just know that we know that we know something. We experience that special
something from God, that gentle nudge in our Spirit, that gentle touch on the
heart that is His leading. We understand that the Lord makes ordinary grace for
ordinary life stuff, and extraordinary grace for those extraordinary
situations. God communicates with us in just the right way at just the right
time.
These
extremes from the lives of Elijah and John are examples of men who heard from
God in a personal, life changing way. They heard what God said at the heart
level and they believed. Sometimes we experience this while reading the Word,
or in church, or when fellowshipping with other believers in Christ centered
conversation, or more often just in our time talking with God. You are probably
familiar with the following verse,
Romans
10:17 So then faith comes by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God.
That’s what it takes for you to have that
personal first hand faith, the
personal conviction April talked about Sunday. The Lord will provide direction
your for life, or just wisdom to deal with a particular situation.
