Tag Archives: faith comes by hearing

Did You Know (3)

Apologetics, , , ,

DID YOU KNOW (3)

…That miracles do not produce faith – faith produces miracles.

The history of Israel alone is testimony to the fact that miracles have no effect on people to grow faith, who do not believe God. No nation in history has experienced more divine intervention than the Jews. From their illustrious ancestor, Abraham, to their miraculous conquest of the Promised Land and throughout the Old Testament story, God was with them, actively involved in protecting, providing for and nurturing them in preparation for the coming of their Messiah, but they continued to rebel and disobey Him, even to this day.

Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness where you ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, “Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.” (Heb. 3:7-10).

Israel’s unbelief culminated in their rejection and crucifixion of their Messiah. John testified that the works Jesus did were so numerous that the world would not be able to contain all the books written Him (John 21:25). Yet, in spite of all the evidence, the Jewish leaders had Him killed for being a blasphemer because His words and works testified that He was the Son of God but they refused to believe.

On the other hand, Jesus did many miracles in response to faith. Time and again, He commended people for their faith and responded to their plea by intervening with miracles.

As Jesus went from there, two blind men followed Him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” When He had gone indoors, the blind men came to Him, and He asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. Then He touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith, let it be done to you”; and their sight was restored (Matt. 9:27-30a).

Sometimes He healed in response to the faith of another who came on behalf of the sufferer.

When He saw their faith, He said to the paralysed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven…I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all (Mark 2:9).

However, faith was always the trigger that released His power to intervene and restore.

I have two observations from this thought. Firstly, because faith is the vehicle through which God does His miracles, it follows that,

Without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him (Heb. 11:6).

Secondly, God works through His Word.

Jesus said to him “Shall I come and heal him?”…The centurion replied, “…Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” …When Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those following Him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” (Matt. 8:7-10).

He sent out His Word and healed them (Psa. 107:20).

As I have read and studied the Word, I have discovered that God always responds to His own Word. That does not give us the right to hold His Word like a gun to His head. Jesus said:

It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ (Matt. 4:4).

When we wait for God to speak into our spirit, whatever the issue and whatever His decision, He will do what He says.

When we ask for a miracle, we have no guarantee that God will give us exactly what we ask but, when we ask for a word, God always fulfils His promise.

Miracles are not the reason for faith but the fruit of faith. God asks us to trust Him, no matter what the outcome which is not always what we expect. He wants us to trust Him, not our expectation of the outcome. Like Job, we must say, “Even though He kills me, yet I will trust Him.”

From where does this faith come? Our faith in God is kindled and strengthened by hearing and reading God’s word.

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ (Rom.10:17).

Scripture is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you read my first book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

ISBN: Softcover – 978-1-4828-0512-3,                                                                              eBook 978-4828-0511-6

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or Kindle version, on www.takealot.com  or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

Do you like this post? Then buy your own copy of my book, Learning to be a Disciple, which is also available from www.amazon.com or www.takealot.com in South Africa. You can also order a copy directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com

My latest book, The Heartbeat of Holiness, is now available on www.amazon.com or www.takealot.com or from me at luella@efc.org.za at R130,00 including p and p.

 

Walking On The Word

Christian Life, , , ,

WALKING ON THE WORD

Storms are part of our lives, aren’t they?

Storms come unannounced and uninvited. We sometimes bring them on ourselves. Take Jonah, for instance. God sent a storm to catch His wayward prophet’s attention because Jonah refused to obey Him. When God chased him down with a storm, he thought his time was up but God was not interested in punishing him or doing him in for disobedience. He wanted to direct him back to the path so that Jonah would do what He instructed. A few miracles and Jonah got the message!

The Apostle Paul found himself in a storm which was not of his making. He was en route to Rome by ship. Winter was approaching and sailing at that time of the year was a gamble. In spite of Paul’s warning, the ship’s captain took a chance when calm weather promised a safe passage, setting sail from Fair Havens on the island of Crete for Rome.

Not long after they left the harbour, a violent storm hit and battered and buffeted their vessel for fourteen days. After lightening the ship and doing everything they could to stay afloat, they gave up hope. There were 276 people on board, soldiers, sailors and Paul and his companions. All except one person feared for their lives.

God has told Paul that he was going to Rome to stand trial before Caesar. Paul never doubted Him but, in this crisis he needed direction. What was Paul doing while the others were panicking? He was praying. For what was he praying? Most of us would pray for a miracle in a time of crisis. Oh God, stop the storm! Oh God, send an angel! Oh God, I need a miracle!

Paull did not need a miracle. He needed a word and God gave him a word.

“Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.” (Acts 27:23-26)

Strange as it may seem, Paul the preacher, Paul the apostle, Paul the rabbi became Paul the ship’s captain. After his foolish decision, the captain disappeared off the scene. He must have been somewhere on the ship but he certainly did not seem to be in charge. Armed with God’s promise, Paul gave instructions to everyone on board to stand together because no one would be lost. The ship would go down but all on board would make it safely to land. Some of the sailors tried to make a break for it on the lifeboat but Paul cautioned them to stay on the ship, or they would be lost.

To fortify themselves for the peril ahead, Paul instructed them to eat, which they had not done since the storm hit. After a hearty meal, they ditched the rest of the food and waited for morning. Just as God had said, the ship broke up in the fierce swells but everyone reached the land in safety.

What do we make of this story? Why would God not perform a miracle for His servant? Paul had been faithful and obedient through many years of trials and hardships, beatings and imprisonment, hunger and cold. Surely God could have tempered the storm just this once.

How much more important it is for us, as it was for Paul, to live by God’s Word than to live by miracles! Miracles are temporary and benefit us only in this life. God’s Word is eternal and changes us from the inside. God has a different agenda from ours. Most of the time, we want our lives to be as comfortable and trouble-free as possible. God’s plan is to recreate us in the image of His Son. This takes time and hard work – the Holy Spirit’s work in us to get our attention and co-operation.

God does not always protect us from hardships. He sometimes orchestrates them and sometimes allows them because His plan is for us to share in His holiness.

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons… Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us from our good, that we may share in His holiness (Heb. 12: 7-8,10).

God fine-tunes every storm we face for a particular reason. There are flaws in our character and in our faith that need to be brought to the surface so that we can come to Him for forgiveness and cleansing. How else are we to become replicas of Jesus, our elder brother?

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son that He might be the firstborn among many brothers (Rom. 8:28-29).

Where is God taking us as we weather the storms of life? His purpose is take us beyond our suspicions, our fears and anxieties, our doubts and insecurities into an unshakeable faith in His perfect love.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love (1 John 4:18).

The next time you are facing a storm, ask God for a word, not for a miracle. Faith does not come by miracles. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

Scripture is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you read my first book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

ISBN: Softcover – 978-1-4828-0512-3,                                                                              eBook 978-4828-0511-6

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or Kindle version, on www.takealot.com  or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

Do you like this post? Then buy your own copy of my book, Learning to be a Disciple, which is also available from www.amazon.com or www.takealot.com in South Africa. You can also order a copy directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com

Watch this space!

My latest book, The Heartbeat of Holiness, will also soon be available.