"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17)
There are all kinds of faith. When we begin our faith is much like what we see expressed by Gideon. When God spoke he asked for a sign. He wanted to feel the fleece and see if it was wet. Immature faith requires some physical evidence of personal feeling to confirm its reality.
But then there is faith to endure when God is silent. Jesus had settled the matter in the garden of Gethsemane. He went to the cross and endured because of His incredible faith in the Father, even when He was absolutely silent. In that moment Jesus felt forsaken, but He endured.
There is also faith when the external evidence appears contrary to what you heard from God. After the encounter with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, Elijah told Ahab that it was going to rain. He immediately went into his prayer closet. Seven different times Elijah sent a servant to survey the sky, and for the first 6 he returned to say, "The sky is clear." And yet Elijah persevered and believed what God had promised.
Faith is not blind hope in something we want to happen. Faith is always built on the promises of God's word. What has God said is so? Can you believe God when every bit of the evidence externally is contrary to the promise?
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
War time Walkie-talkies
"And Jesus told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to lose heart."
(Luke 18:1)
John Piper suggests that prayer is a "war-time walkie-talkie". What he means is that God has commissioned us in His army to advance His kingdom. We are in a war against the kingdom of darkness. When Paul near the end of his life he wrote, "I have fought a good fight." He challenged young Timothy, "Fight the good fight of faith."
Before He ascended to the Father, Jesus gave the Great Commission. He said, "Go into all the world and make disciples." And he entrusted to us the marvelous privilege of prayer so that from the front lines of battle, we could have direct access to the commander in chief. So prayer, Piper says, is like a war-time walkie-talkie.
Unfortunately, we have tried to transform it into an intercom of convenience to order more comforts for our lives. Ephesians 6 reminds us to put on the whole armor of God so we can stand in the evil day. That is so we can claim the victory God has given us through Jesus Christ. Having put on the armor of God we are challenged to take up the ministry of prayer, and in our prayers to wield the sword of the Spirit, God's Word.
Let me encourage you to spend quality time in the Word of God each day. Off of your open Bible pray about the war that we are in for God's Kingdom.
(Luke 18:1)
John Piper suggests that prayer is a "war-time walkie-talkie". What he means is that God has commissioned us in His army to advance His kingdom. We are in a war against the kingdom of darkness. When Paul near the end of his life he wrote, "I have fought a good fight." He challenged young Timothy, "Fight the good fight of faith."
Before He ascended to the Father, Jesus gave the Great Commission. He said, "Go into all the world and make disciples." And he entrusted to us the marvelous privilege of prayer so that from the front lines of battle, we could have direct access to the commander in chief. So prayer, Piper says, is like a war-time walkie-talkie.
Unfortunately, we have tried to transform it into an intercom of convenience to order more comforts for our lives. Ephesians 6 reminds us to put on the whole armor of God so we can stand in the evil day. That is so we can claim the victory God has given us through Jesus Christ. Having put on the armor of God we are challenged to take up the ministry of prayer, and in our prayers to wield the sword of the Spirit, God's Word.
Let me encourage you to spend quality time in the Word of God each day. Off of your open Bible pray about the war that we are in for God's Kingdom.
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