we often see the people in the BIBLE (other than Jesus of course) is like SUPER STAR.. THE INCREDIBLES.. SUPER HEROES.. thinking I couldnt even be closer to what they have done.. but when we look a little bit closer, i realize that they are pretty ordinary people... and now I know God has given his grace in my life, and everything I know is because I him, so this has given me an encouraging thought that the people which God used in the Bible were pretty normal like us..
He didnt look for perfect people to be used.. coz He knows he wouldnt find anyone.. He is looking for people who are open to change and follow him.. this encourages me.
So I wonder if I could make it to the Bible?
Let's start looking at their testimonies, so here are some of the HALL OF FAMERS :
1. MOSES thought of himsef as normal and ordinary... the Prince of Egypt saw that another Hebrew guy were beaten up so Moses decided to take the law into his own hands and went out to kill him.. after 40 years, he had an encounter with God and came to see him and said, GO BACK TO EGYPT and deliver God's people from slavery.. Moses said, "who am i"...
2. DAVID who has been loved and guided by God in battles and glory, yet has committed adultery to Bathsheba and murdered her husband... then there you are.. David wrote the Psalms, the songs and prayers we always used to honour and praise the Lord.
3. PAUL, or Saul, called himself the Pharisees of Pharisees.. who hated, persecuted and murdered Christians because of being Christians.. not until he had an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus.. then there goes Paul who became one of the most faithful servant of the Lord.. written majority of the New Testament.. an apostle who spread the preach the gospel that has never done before..
PETER.. who denied Jesus 3 times..
JEREMIAH.. was always depressed.. didnt accept the Lord's calling at first because he thought he is not qualified..
JACOB.. was a liar.. just to get the blessing from his father.
JOSEPH.. was arrogant with his dreams that's why his brothers envied him..
JONAH.. run away from God
NOAH.. was a drunkard
RAHAB.. was a prostitute
SOLOMON.. stupid choices..
JOHN THE BAPTIST.. was broke..
TIMOTHY.. was too young..
SAMSON.. had long hair
ABRAHAM .. was too old.
NAOMI.. was widow
SARAH.. was barren
GIDEON.. doubted.
PETER lacks self-control and denied Jesus 3 times.
JAMES AND JOHN.. were self-righteous
LAZARUS.. was dead and GOD STILL used him..
and there are some people I didnt find in the Bible which I know are being used and called for His purpose... YOU AND ME.. and the people around us.. IMPERFECT PEOPLE..
SOME of us feel that we are not qualified to look at GOD.. or we classify our brother and sisters if they are qualified or not.. BUT it is only GOD who overrules the devil who disqualified us to His calling...
We are born to sin but that doent mean we live to sin.. We can choose to live a life for GOD..
2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD move to and throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
FAITH and SINFUL NATURE
the word of GOD is life that feeds us. We need to RECEIVE the WORD and not just hear it.. but RECEIVE IT..
trusting GOD is the key to LIFE.
FAITH a firmly relying trust (amplified Bible).. to have faith in GOD is to have a firmly relying trust in GOD.
the Bible makes it clear that were born with a sinful nature.
Sinful Nature.. to live independent of GOD.. thats the nature were born into.. that means it comes naturally to want to live independent of GOD.. its not normal to trust GOD..
WE WERE CREATED in a way that we should live dependent on GOD, but what comes naturally is we are relying on ourselves.. actually dependent on OURSELVES..
It comes more naturally to rely on your own abilities and efforts.. than to rely on GOD.
When you are in a middle of a crisis and there is an inner turmoil going on, its almost reassuring if you say that you have FAITH IN GOD and have that sense of hope in GOD bec its a hope that is outside the situation, giving all the control to GOD.. and to be able to reach out and putting the HOPE in GOD is giving you an INNER PEACE .. thats actually a good thing.
But there is another side of trusting in GOD that when you feel you got it altogether, but in the inside you've got the sense that YOU GOT IT IN-C0NTROL, a sense of that everything is all sorted out... but to be able to LET GO of that control.. or relinguished that control to GOD is UNNATURAL thing to do.. IT ALMOST PRODUCES LIKE CHAOS.. because YOU ARE LETTING GO OF EVERYTHING THAT YOU KNOW.. to TRUST somebody else is to RELINGUISH CONTROL..
In a relationship, if you try to control your partner and your interaction.. you will never know what its like to trust them.. its only when you OPEN your self UP to the risk of HURT.. when you make yourself vulnerable to the other person, thats the only time you may experience that you have TRUE TRUST in your partner..
YOU'VE GOT TO RELINGUISH THAT CONTROL in that relationship.. and that's the same when you TRUST GOD.. you've got to let go of everything and solution to any problem...
GOD says that we are not created to carry on our anxiety.. HE GOT OUR FUTURE.. LET GO of what TOMORROW brings.. of course, absolutely you are blessed with abilities and skills, be diligent, work hard.. GOD has given you the brain to use it and make the ability to use and plan.. be wise.. but DO NOT CARRY THE WORRY.. that grip us from the inside.. GOD should CARRY it for you.. you are given the reassurance to live with the great sense of peace knowing that GOD is in control..
GOD has even better plans that you can carry out for yourself.
Peter asked the LORD JESUS if that's him across the sea walking, He would make PETER walk on the water as well.. "JESUS if that's really you" he said. so PETER walked on the other side of the boat, but suddenly he saw a big wave coming in, and he started to drown. Jesus asked, "Peter, why did you doubt me, you've got so little faith.."
Jesus made that question and mentioned it five times.. YOU'VE GOT SO LITTLE FAITH.. interesting to know that its all applicable to practical side of life.
1. MARK 5: 36 - DONT BE AFRAID, JUST HAVE FAITH.
Jesus mentioned this while he was healing.It is an instruction. IT IS A COMMAND from him..
2. MARK 11: 22 - HAVE FAITH in GOD constantly.
We should live in this state of being where we should have FAITH.. its not one day we have FAITH and the next day we DOUBT.. we should just live like its a state of being..
3. JOHN 3: 29 - THIS IS THE WORK OR THE SERVICE THAT GOD ASKED OF YOU. HE IS THE ONLY SERVICE INO UR OWN WORKS.. THAT YOU BELIEVE IN THE ONE WHO HAVE BEEN SENT.
the only thing we have to do, but only to believe in the one whom GOD has been sent.
that verse refers to our SALVATION.. the greatest miracle of all.. the GIFT that we freely receives.. as AWESOME AS IT IS.. SALVATION is MORE THAN THAT.. but SALVATION refers to ANY AREAS OF OUR LIVES. we should have FAITH ON JESUS not just for our salvation but in EVERYTHING.. SALVATION IS NOT ONLY SEEN WHEN WE REUNITED WITH OUR FATHER..
Philippians 4:6 (The Message)
Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
EVERY single part of our life, we need to trust the LORD and have faith in HIM. All of us comes into the stormy season of life, when things arent as planned.. when everything is nothing make sense.. Jesus is talking about those and it interesting when Jesus makes those accounts that JESUS is hinting at something bigger that we should have our focus on.. it seems like the practical things that caught our emotions, attention, grip our feelins.. is not the thing we should focus on..
4. MATTHEW 6: 25
25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?
26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?
27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,
29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.
30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’
32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.
33 Seek the Kingdom of God[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
AMEN AND AMEN TO THAT.. :)
5. Matthew 16:8-10
8 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? 9 Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? 10 Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up?
In here, finally, the disciples understood that JESUS was referring to the SPIRITUAL FOOD..
6. MATTHEW 8: 26 (IN THE ACCOUNTS OF STORMY SEASON OF LIFE)
Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.
7. MATTHEW 14:31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
8. Matthew 17:20 (DISCIPLE ASKED WHY THEY COULDNT HEAL LIKE JESUS)
“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.[a]”
9. MATTHEW 21:21-22 (ANOTHER MOUNTAIN MOVING FAITH)
Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.
You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”
At times, when we see our faith as the size of a mustard seed, we figure out how do we contruct faith.. WHO KNOWS.. THERE IS NO FORMULA to figure it out..
But the verses weve just mentioned is a PERFECT illustration how we could relate our faith in JESUS in the middle of the storm of our lives; in the story in the middle of the storm, the winds against them were crushing in the boat, they were getting a little bit fearful whether they would be able to get to the other side.. BUT at the middle of the storm, they saw JESUS and thought it was a GHOST.. they couldnt believe JESUS was with them..
surely in the middle of the storm of our lives, we hardly see JESUS. you couldnt bleieve that jesus is with you.. You would think that if JESUS was with me, I wouldnt be in the STORM.. SOEM PEOPLE DOUBT that when you are in middle of situation, you think that there must be an evil spirit sense around me somewhere.. it must have been UNLUCKY of you to be in that situation.
1. JESUS IS WITH YOU IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORM.
2. (PETER asked IF ITS REALLY YOU, Lord..) Just like PETER, WE HAVE TO LET GO OF ANYTHING HE KNEW to experience HIS MIRACLE. PETER was a fisherman since he was a boy. He would have known how to handle the boat in a storm. He knew what he was doing and how to ROW.. and he knew wha tthe boat could handle. But for him to experience the miracle of walking in water, he needs to let go of everything he knew and focus on JESUS.
3. Storm was still raging while walking in the water.. wind still blowing.. waves still crushing.. so often we would WAIT and see JESUS calming the waves in our lives.. were gonna hold on to what we know until JESUS do something..
important note: SO OFTEN WE ONLY TRUST GOD FOR WHAT HE DOES.. BUT WE DO NOT TRUST HIM FOR WHO HE IS..
That is why PETER saw the miracle that he could walk in the water with the help of the power of JESUS. PETER relied on the power of the JESUS because PETER knew WHO JESUS IS.. PETER trusted in JESUS before Jesus would show him anything.
4. Even when PETER's faith failed.. JESUS STILL SAVED HIM..
We often think its all about our FAITH.. How many of you have thought when we are waiting for GOD's miracle and it didnt happen, you would realized that it didnt hapen because you didnt have much faith..
How do you build or construct of your own doing? tHE BIBLE says JESUS IS THE INITIATOR AND PERFECTOR of FAITH.. He initiates faith in us and brings to completion..
to be able to walk in the water, and put your shoes in PETER.. imagine what you would feel like?
Peter took his eyes on the one who created the winds and the waves, and put his focus on the waves and winds.. but EVEN PETER FAILED from his faith, JESUS EXTENDS HIS HANDs.. Jesus said, " its alright, i still got you. Im still your saviour. i still rescue you.. it has nothing to do with your faith anyway.. its not because of your faith you are walking in the water.. but its because of my ability that you are out here you are walking in the water."
it has always been GOD.
5. WHEN THE WIND DIED DOWN, and disciple claimed that HE TRULY is the SON OF GOD.. When we receive the revelation of who JESUS is, we worship HIM.. I reckon that when we are in a desperate situation.. financial, family member had bad report from the doctor, relationship issue, 7 years for a baby and jsut lost a baby in an early pregnancy.. it the middle of the storm, when JESUS came into the storm, we will remember JESUS for who HE is AND BE GLAD, HE IS YOUR SAVIOUR..
the FOCUS of FAITH is in the wrong thing.. do not focus winds and waves.. on the breakdown, the health scare, you will never have faith.. your faith will be reduced to the problem you face.. instead you will have anxiety and worry and fear.. IN THE scriptrue reference MENTIONED ABOVE, JESUS is pointing out to the far bigger than the problems we face.. he was pointing to the things that actually INITIATES FAITH in us.. he wants us to focus on WHO HE IS..
WORSHIP IS A NATURAL RESPONSE.. when you realize the greatness of GOD.. your natural response how WORHTY, GRACIOUS, AND HOW MUCH GOODNESS, HOW MUCH HE LVOES US.. our natural response is to WORSHIP him.. when you get that glimpse would be reveal to you, your focus in not on anything else.. you worship HIM..
the scenarious, problems, the need, the lack.. they pile up to insignificance.. and you do not need to figure out how to receive FAITH. and master up FAITH.. how to build FAITH.. when you focus on HIM, he initiates FAITH in you.. and when you keep your focus on him, HE PERFECTS THAT FAITH IN YOU.. and as you walk in that constant faith being of WHO HE IS.. that internal sense of FOCUS on JESUS.. that faith in you is perfected and you can walk thru any season in life.. you can walk thru those good times and fears of what tomorrow is going to look like.. WITHOUT YOUR FAITH BEING ROCKED.. BECAUSE YOUR FAITH HAS BEEN PERFECTED BY JESUS.
FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR, THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS UNSEEN.
TO THE WORLD OUT THERE, GOD IS UNSEEN. HE IS UNSEEN. TO US, WE BELIEVE IN THE GOD THAT WE CANT SEE.. BUT WHEN WE LIVED LIVES THAT ARE NOT GRIPPED BY FEARS, OR FULL OF ANXIETY, WITH THE SENSE OF CALMNESS AND SECUIRTY AND THE SENSE OF HOPE.. WE ARE EVIDENCE TO THE WORLD OUT THERE TO THE GOD THEY HAVE NOT SEEN..
OUR THOUGHTS SHOULD BE CONSUME BY FAR BIGGER.. OUR HOPE AND A FIRM RELIANCE OF TRUST OF WHO GOD IS.. WHEN WE LIVED A LIFE LIKE THIS.. THIS IS THE EVIDENCE OF THE THINGS UNSEEN..
LET GO... GOD, REVEAL YOURSELF TO ME THAT IN A WAY THAT I CANNOT IGNORE.. IN A WAY THAT DISPURSES FEARS.. DISPLACES WATER.. THAT VERSE THAT WHEN JESUS IS THE FOCUS OF YOUR LIFE, IT DISPLACES FEARS, WORRIES, ANXIETY.. MY THOUGHTS WILL BE REMINDED OF YOUR NATURE, OF YOUR PROMISES, OF GREATNESS YOU HAVE DONE.. TRAINED MY THOUGHTS OF WHO YOU ARE..
to GOD BE ALL THE GLORY.. AMEN N AMEN.. ;)
4.
trusting GOD is the key to LIFE.
FAITH a firmly relying trust (amplified Bible).. to have faith in GOD is to have a firmly relying trust in GOD.
the Bible makes it clear that were born with a sinful nature.
Sinful Nature.. to live independent of GOD.. thats the nature were born into.. that means it comes naturally to want to live independent of GOD.. its not normal to trust GOD..
WE WERE CREATED in a way that we should live dependent on GOD, but what comes naturally is we are relying on ourselves.. actually dependent on OURSELVES..
It comes more naturally to rely on your own abilities and efforts.. than to rely on GOD.
When you are in a middle of a crisis and there is an inner turmoil going on, its almost reassuring if you say that you have FAITH IN GOD and have that sense of hope in GOD bec its a hope that is outside the situation, giving all the control to GOD.. and to be able to reach out and putting the HOPE in GOD is giving you an INNER PEACE .. thats actually a good thing.
But there is another side of trusting in GOD that when you feel you got it altogether, but in the inside you've got the sense that YOU GOT IT IN-C0NTROL, a sense of that everything is all sorted out... but to be able to LET GO of that control.. or relinguished that control to GOD is UNNATURAL thing to do.. IT ALMOST PRODUCES LIKE CHAOS.. because YOU ARE LETTING GO OF EVERYTHING THAT YOU KNOW.. to TRUST somebody else is to RELINGUISH CONTROL..
In a relationship, if you try to control your partner and your interaction.. you will never know what its like to trust them.. its only when you OPEN your self UP to the risk of HURT.. when you make yourself vulnerable to the other person, thats the only time you may experience that you have TRUE TRUST in your partner..
YOU'VE GOT TO RELINGUISH THAT CONTROL in that relationship.. and that's the same when you TRUST GOD.. you've got to let go of everything and solution to any problem...
GOD says that we are not created to carry on our anxiety.. HE GOT OUR FUTURE.. LET GO of what TOMORROW brings.. of course, absolutely you are blessed with abilities and skills, be diligent, work hard.. GOD has given you the brain to use it and make the ability to use and plan.. be wise.. but DO NOT CARRY THE WORRY.. that grip us from the inside.. GOD should CARRY it for you.. you are given the reassurance to live with the great sense of peace knowing that GOD is in control..
GOD has even better plans that you can carry out for yourself.
Peter asked the LORD JESUS if that's him across the sea walking, He would make PETER walk on the water as well.. "JESUS if that's really you" he said. so PETER walked on the other side of the boat, but suddenly he saw a big wave coming in, and he started to drown. Jesus asked, "Peter, why did you doubt me, you've got so little faith.."
Jesus made that question and mentioned it five times.. YOU'VE GOT SO LITTLE FAITH.. interesting to know that its all applicable to practical side of life.
1. MARK 5: 36 - DONT BE AFRAID, JUST HAVE FAITH.
Jesus mentioned this while he was healing.It is an instruction. IT IS A COMMAND from him..
2. MARK 11: 22 - HAVE FAITH in GOD constantly.
We should live in this state of being where we should have FAITH.. its not one day we have FAITH and the next day we DOUBT.. we should just live like its a state of being..
3. JOHN 3: 29 - THIS IS THE WORK OR THE SERVICE THAT GOD ASKED OF YOU. HE IS THE ONLY SERVICE INO UR OWN WORKS.. THAT YOU BELIEVE IN THE ONE WHO HAVE BEEN SENT.
the only thing we have to do, but only to believe in the one whom GOD has been sent.
that verse refers to our SALVATION.. the greatest miracle of all.. the GIFT that we freely receives.. as AWESOME AS IT IS.. SALVATION is MORE THAN THAT.. but SALVATION refers to ANY AREAS OF OUR LIVES. we should have FAITH ON JESUS not just for our salvation but in EVERYTHING.. SALVATION IS NOT ONLY SEEN WHEN WE REUNITED WITH OUR FATHER..
Philippians 4:6 (The Message)
Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
EVERY single part of our life, we need to trust the LORD and have faith in HIM. All of us comes into the stormy season of life, when things arent as planned.. when everything is nothing make sense.. Jesus is talking about those and it interesting when Jesus makes those accounts that JESUS is hinting at something bigger that we should have our focus on.. it seems like the practical things that caught our emotions, attention, grip our feelins.. is not the thing we should focus on..
4. MATTHEW 6: 25
25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?
26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?
27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,
29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.
30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’
32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.
33 Seek the Kingdom of God[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
AMEN AND AMEN TO THAT.. :)
5. Matthew 16:8-10
8 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? 9 Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? 10 Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up?
In here, finally, the disciples understood that JESUS was referring to the SPIRITUAL FOOD..
6. MATTHEW 8: 26 (IN THE ACCOUNTS OF STORMY SEASON OF LIFE)
Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.
7. MATTHEW 14:31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
8. Matthew 17:20 (DISCIPLE ASKED WHY THEY COULDNT HEAL LIKE JESUS)
“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.[a]”
9. MATTHEW 21:21-22 (ANOTHER MOUNTAIN MOVING FAITH)
Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.
You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”
At times, when we see our faith as the size of a mustard seed, we figure out how do we contruct faith.. WHO KNOWS.. THERE IS NO FORMULA to figure it out..
But the verses weve just mentioned is a PERFECT illustration how we could relate our faith in JESUS in the middle of the storm of our lives; in the story in the middle of the storm, the winds against them were crushing in the boat, they were getting a little bit fearful whether they would be able to get to the other side.. BUT at the middle of the storm, they saw JESUS and thought it was a GHOST.. they couldnt believe JESUS was with them..
surely in the middle of the storm of our lives, we hardly see JESUS. you couldnt bleieve that jesus is with you.. You would think that if JESUS was with me, I wouldnt be in the STORM.. SOEM PEOPLE DOUBT that when you are in middle of situation, you think that there must be an evil spirit sense around me somewhere.. it must have been UNLUCKY of you to be in that situation.
1. JESUS IS WITH YOU IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORM.
2. (PETER asked IF ITS REALLY YOU, Lord..) Just like PETER, WE HAVE TO LET GO OF ANYTHING HE KNEW to experience HIS MIRACLE. PETER was a fisherman since he was a boy. He would have known how to handle the boat in a storm. He knew what he was doing and how to ROW.. and he knew wha tthe boat could handle. But for him to experience the miracle of walking in water, he needs to let go of everything he knew and focus on JESUS.
3. Storm was still raging while walking in the water.. wind still blowing.. waves still crushing.. so often we would WAIT and see JESUS calming the waves in our lives.. were gonna hold on to what we know until JESUS do something..
important note: SO OFTEN WE ONLY TRUST GOD FOR WHAT HE DOES.. BUT WE DO NOT TRUST HIM FOR WHO HE IS..
That is why PETER saw the miracle that he could walk in the water with the help of the power of JESUS. PETER relied on the power of the JESUS because PETER knew WHO JESUS IS.. PETER trusted in JESUS before Jesus would show him anything.
4. Even when PETER's faith failed.. JESUS STILL SAVED HIM..
We often think its all about our FAITH.. How many of you have thought when we are waiting for GOD's miracle and it didnt happen, you would realized that it didnt hapen because you didnt have much faith..
How do you build or construct of your own doing? tHE BIBLE says JESUS IS THE INITIATOR AND PERFECTOR of FAITH.. He initiates faith in us and brings to completion..
to be able to walk in the water, and put your shoes in PETER.. imagine what you would feel like?
Peter took his eyes on the one who created the winds and the waves, and put his focus on the waves and winds.. but EVEN PETER FAILED from his faith, JESUS EXTENDS HIS HANDs.. Jesus said, " its alright, i still got you. Im still your saviour. i still rescue you.. it has nothing to do with your faith anyway.. its not because of your faith you are walking in the water.. but its because of my ability that you are out here you are walking in the water."
it has always been GOD.
5. WHEN THE WIND DIED DOWN, and disciple claimed that HE TRULY is the SON OF GOD.. When we receive the revelation of who JESUS is, we worship HIM.. I reckon that when we are in a desperate situation.. financial, family member had bad report from the doctor, relationship issue, 7 years for a baby and jsut lost a baby in an early pregnancy.. it the middle of the storm, when JESUS came into the storm, we will remember JESUS for who HE is AND BE GLAD, HE IS YOUR SAVIOUR..
the FOCUS of FAITH is in the wrong thing.. do not focus winds and waves.. on the breakdown, the health scare, you will never have faith.. your faith will be reduced to the problem you face.. instead you will have anxiety and worry and fear.. IN THE scriptrue reference MENTIONED ABOVE, JESUS is pointing out to the far bigger than the problems we face.. he was pointing to the things that actually INITIATES FAITH in us.. he wants us to focus on WHO HE IS..
WORSHIP IS A NATURAL RESPONSE.. when you realize the greatness of GOD.. your natural response how WORHTY, GRACIOUS, AND HOW MUCH GOODNESS, HOW MUCH HE LVOES US.. our natural response is to WORSHIP him.. when you get that glimpse would be reveal to you, your focus in not on anything else.. you worship HIM..
the scenarious, problems, the need, the lack.. they pile up to insignificance.. and you do not need to figure out how to receive FAITH. and master up FAITH.. how to build FAITH.. when you focus on HIM, he initiates FAITH in you.. and when you keep your focus on him, HE PERFECTS THAT FAITH IN YOU.. and as you walk in that constant faith being of WHO HE IS.. that internal sense of FOCUS on JESUS.. that faith in you is perfected and you can walk thru any season in life.. you can walk thru those good times and fears of what tomorrow is going to look like.. WITHOUT YOUR FAITH BEING ROCKED.. BECAUSE YOUR FAITH HAS BEEN PERFECTED BY JESUS.
FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR, THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS UNSEEN.
TO THE WORLD OUT THERE, GOD IS UNSEEN. HE IS UNSEEN. TO US, WE BELIEVE IN THE GOD THAT WE CANT SEE.. BUT WHEN WE LIVED LIVES THAT ARE NOT GRIPPED BY FEARS, OR FULL OF ANXIETY, WITH THE SENSE OF CALMNESS AND SECUIRTY AND THE SENSE OF HOPE.. WE ARE EVIDENCE TO THE WORLD OUT THERE TO THE GOD THEY HAVE NOT SEEN..
OUR THOUGHTS SHOULD BE CONSUME BY FAR BIGGER.. OUR HOPE AND A FIRM RELIANCE OF TRUST OF WHO GOD IS.. WHEN WE LIVED A LIFE LIKE THIS.. THIS IS THE EVIDENCE OF THE THINGS UNSEEN..
LET GO... GOD, REVEAL YOURSELF TO ME THAT IN A WAY THAT I CANNOT IGNORE.. IN A WAY THAT DISPURSES FEARS.. DISPLACES WATER.. THAT VERSE THAT WHEN JESUS IS THE FOCUS OF YOUR LIFE, IT DISPLACES FEARS, WORRIES, ANXIETY.. MY THOUGHTS WILL BE REMINDED OF YOUR NATURE, OF YOUR PROMISES, OF GREATNESS YOU HAVE DONE.. TRAINED MY THOUGHTS OF WHO YOU ARE..
to GOD BE ALL THE GLORY.. AMEN N AMEN.. ;)
4.
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