We like it when people believe us, trust us, rely on us, look to us for help, comfort, for their needs, etc. Well, when we look to others we are operating in faith, and when others look to us, they are operating in faith. We put faith in people and things all the time. That is a natural faith. I preached on "Faith, natural and supernatural" a while back, it is on my web site, check it out.
Today I am just going to focus on the supernatural faith which is faith in God and his word.
Heb 11:6 says,
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT A SONG, IT IS TO DO WITH FAITH TOWARDS GOD AND THEN GO INTO MORE COMMENTS.
The song is "WHAT FAITH CAN DO" by Kutless. IF you get the chance, listen to it on YouTube or wherever.
I want to focus on the words, close to half way through the song, he said, "…to take that step out on the water…" I will give you the physical reality and take you into the spiritual reality.
Let's go to
Matt 14:22-32
22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
Jesus was using natural things happening to us in the world to teach supernatural things, walking with God and believing him through whatever comes our way is walking on the water with him right through the storms of life, so to speak. If we look at the problems and not on the problem solver then we will sink, lose and drown by the things that come our way in thie life.
Then a little over half way through the song, he said, "…if you keep believing…"
Let's read in Daniel 10:2,3
2 In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.
3 I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
JUMPING DOWN to verse 12…
12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy
.
Think about it people, Daniel was mouring, fasting three full weeks before his answer came but the angel said, "…from the first day…" IT WAS THREE FULL WEEKS LATER WHEN THE ANGEL GOT THERE WITH THE ANSWER.
Watch Daniel 10:13,14
13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
14 Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.
Cross with
Eph. 6:12
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
So we see that there was a war going on in the heavens. I believe that there is a war going on every time that God's people get real with God in prayer. Believing prayer moves the hand of God on our behalf. I have seen it time and time again and I will see it continually if I keep believing. NOTHING stops the hand of God EXCEPT unbelief.
Matt 13:54-58
54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?
55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
When I taught on a natural and supernatural faith, I was showing that we all live by faith, ALL of us. So God took what we all live by, all of our lives, and told us that it was the way to him, BUT now we are dealing with a supernatural faith. A faith that comes by way of his word to us.
Rom 10:17 says,
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Just as we have faith in people by their words, their actions towards us, YOU are to have faith in God by his word, by his actions towards you.
Kutless sings another song about holding on to your faith.., "…hold on to your faith…"
Jesus Christ said it this way, "if thou believest", "just believe", "thy faith hath made thee whole", "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace" etc. Jesus said to have faith in God. God loves it when people move in faith towards him, it shows they trust him, plain and simple.
That needs to be emphasized in these last days. God's body, his people are going through a time of testing, trials, temptations, God is coming back for a bride that is clothed in his righteousness, his purity, his holiness, walking in his Spirit.
These are hard times and they are going to get a lot harder for most. Only those who stand true to the Lord God Almighty, the Lord Jesus Christ are going to be the overcomers.
Rev 12:11
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Satan and all the devils of hell cannot defeat a Christian walking and moving in the Lord Jesus Christ.
So in closing brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ, hang on to your faith. And if your boat capsizes, so to speak, you can walk on the water with Jesus Christ right through the storms of life coming our way in these last days. There will be many of them in the natural and the supernatural.
II Tim 3:12
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Jesus said it the persecuted me, they will you, hated me, hate you, etc.
James 1:3-4
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
The Lord Jesus Christ was tried and tested for 40 days and 40 nights with all that Satan had to throw against him and he came out victorious. We can too if we are moving and submitted to the Lord of Glory. He is the only real lasting answer to any problem in this life.
We are having birth pains all around us till the sons of God are made manifest.
Since I have been talking about faith, I would like to do a quick summary on faith. A few things you should meditate on showing the power of faith in a Christian's life.
Faith
Heb.11:1, Romans 10:17, and Heb.11:6 tells us what faith is, how to get faith and you can't please God without faith.
Eph.2:8,9 tells us that we are saved through faith...
Col.2:6 tells us to walk in Christ as we received him...
Rom.1:17 says the just (righteous) shall live by faith...cf. II Cor. 5:21...
II Cor. 4:13 let's us know if we believe (truly believe) we will be speaking it..
James 1:6 says, "to ask in faith" then by the time you get to v.8 you know not to doubt, a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways and won't receive anything from the Lord...
James 2:17 shows us that faith without works is dead (stagnant, unproductive), it is not doing you or anybody else any good...
Rom. 14:23 tells us that whatsoever is not of faith is sin...
James 5:15,16 closes with the prayer of faith and also praying for one another that we may be healed...