Heb 11:6
And 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.
We are connected to God only by faith. We enter the realm of the Supernatural only by faith. It is God’s desire that we all live by faith and not by sight.
We can only please God if we have faith.
But the faith we had when we first believed must grow, it must mature, it cannot remain like the mustard seed. In order for faith to grow or to mature, it must be tested. You are only as mature as the tests you can manage because maturity is measured by pressure and stress.
So, how do you handle them?
Immature people collapse under stress and easily give up under pressure, they give up when hard times come – that’s a big sign of deep immaturity. This is the reason why many marriages fail, many thought and believed that marriage should only have good times. Even in business, many thought the minute they entered into it life would be so easy and they would just earn their money…
How wrong are these people!
Q? How mature are you?
The key to effective living is knowing how you can handle these two things:
1st The Expected: when you are expecting something, you can handle them better; but there are those who still crumble and fall even when they know it is coming.
2nd The Unexpected: when things happen unexpectedly, suddenly and without warning – how do you react?
The reaction of a person reveals what that person is made of – especially when things happen unexpectedly. Unexpected things are not always the bad things, God sometimes also uses success to reveal what a person is made of. How do you keep balance in times of turmoil and even in times of success?
Keeping balance means ‘you believe more what the Word of God said than what your eyes see – this balance must be kept throughout your whole life. The greatest revelations of our lives will come from great unexpected acts when great unexpected things happen – that is how God reveals Himself to us in a new way. God wants to give us new faith, new hope, deeper trust!
Able to keep the balance is a sign of maturity – are you able to keep your balance? How do you handle chaos, when things aren’t working out your way? Keeping your balance is also very important when establishing partnerships or relationships – business or otherwise.
You would want to see how that person handles things when going through pressure – especially in marriage. You wouldn’t know who that person really is until chaos comes – you won’t be able to make the right judgment about that person during good times!
Matt 26:33-35
33 Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” 34 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” 35 But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.
Nothing will ever surprise God!
Heb 12:28
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
Resource: Charlie Hebdo 19 Sep 2012 issue: An Orthodox Jew pushes an old Muslim in a wheelchair, both shouting “You mustn’t make fun!”
Jan 7, 2015, two Islamist terrorist forced their way into the offices of a French weekly newspaper shooting and killing 12 journalists, their target was Charlie Hebdo, a cartoonist who was very critical of Mohammed, he makes fun of the prophet.
How many times has Jesus been attacked?
They said that Jesus was gay (bf si John), He married Mary Magdalene, He didn’t really die but only fell into a coma – explaining the resurrection, etc etc.
Did we kill anybody because of this? No!
Do you know why….
Because Jesus cannot be shaken!
If your faith is only as strong as the cartoons, then your faith is very weak. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken…
The Kingdom you have received is a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. Kingdom means government, and the government of heaven cannot be shaken. We should always trust our King. I trust Him because time and again He has proven Himself to me and my family and not just because He said “trust Me!”
Maturity In Faith
2 Thess 1:3-6
3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. 4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. 5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.
because your faith is growing more and more,
There are so many who are attending church, but their faith never really grows. Your faith has to grow and it grows only by hearing…not just listening. To hear is to perceive, to be informed, to become aware, to know the existence of.
Rom 10:17
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Rev 2:7
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (7 times mentioned in Revelation)
To Listen is to give your attention, but not necessarily to do what you heard. We come to church to hear the Word of God so your faith will grow.
Ptra. Cynthia and I cannot live in your house to guide you at all times, neither can we give you expensive gifts – but we can give you the Word of God.
If you receive the Word by hearing it and not just listening to it, it will build your faith to keep you through the tough times, it will keep you standing when the unexpected comes.
3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.
You need to have faith in order for love to grow, faith brings hope and it produces love.
4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
Christians are known throughout history not for what they were able to avoid but for what they were able to endure!
Our faith must be on God and only upon God – why do some people never get healed? I don’t know, they are Gods alone. If our faith is in the acts of God, if something we don’t like happens, you would lose your faith. God will boast about you – not of your wealth or your genius but about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
Our faith must become our reputation – what we believe and how we endure, even suffer for what we believe. Everyone in the Bible, we know them because of what they went through.
What will make you famous in heaven are not the titles, nor the wealth that you have, but what you have conquered by faith.
Heavens hall of fame is a Hall Of Faith!
Your faith is only as strong as to what you conquer and survive!
James 2:23
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.
5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.
Your worth in the Kingdom of God is tied to the perseverance, trials, and sufferings you endure and are able to overcome.
Matt 25:21 and 26
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant!
Matt 25:28-30
28 “‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Did you imagine that they were able to multiply what the Master entrusted to them just like that or they had to go through many trials and difficulties?
Remember the two houses, one was built on the rock and the other on sand?
They both experienced the storm and the flood – we know the house on the rock was the house built on faith, it was the one that endured. The integrity of the Kingdom of God does not rely on the outside beauty alone, but the strength that it has inside that makes it possible to stand through the storm.
It’s not what you escape from, but it’s what you have made it through that you gain the respect of the Kingdom of Heaven.
That is maturity in faith!