and your Cousin Eddie is showing up at Christmas Time.
Nowadays we have to be careful answering the door, because there are a lot of dangerous people out there. Now our nightly news carries stories of deadly “Home Invasions”, even in broad daylight.
Personally I keep waiting for that knock that means the Publisher’s Clearing House Prize Patrol is outside my home.
In Acts 12 we find a funny story of Peter Knocking on the door. It is funny because the disciples were praying in faith that God would free Peter from prison and certain execution. But when Rhoda ran into the room saying Peter was at the door, they didn’t believe her. Their FAITH was knocking on the Door in the shape of Peter and they refused to believe.
A Boston mother said to her little daughter: "If you had my faith, darling, you would have no toothache." The child replied: "Well, mother, if you had my toothache you wouldn't have any faith."
One day an eleven-year-old boy came home from Sunday School and told his mother what he learned. "Well," the boy said, "our teacher told us about how God sent Moses behind the enemy lines to rescue the Israelites from the Egyptians. Moses led them to the Red Sea, and then ordered his engineers to build a bridge. After they all crossed to the other side, they saw the Egyptian tanks coming after them. Moses then radioed the air force to send jet fighters to bomb the bridge and save the Israelites."
"Johnny: Did your teacher really tell you the story in that way?"
"Not really," Johnny admitted. "But if I told it her way, you'd never believe it.
When Hudson Taylor, the famous missionary, first went to China, it was in a sailing vessel. Very close to the shore of cannibal islands the ship was becalmed, and it was slowly drifting shoreward unable to go about and the savages were eagerly anticipating a feast. The captain came to Mr. Taylor and besought him to pray for the help of God. "I will," said Taylor, "provided you set your sails to catch the breeze." The captain declined to make himself a laughing stock by unfurling in a dead calm. Taylor said, "I will not undertake to pray for the vessel unless you will prepare the sails." And it was done. While engaged in prayer, there was a knock at the door of his stateroom. "Who is there?" The captain's voice responded, "Are you still praying for wind?" "Yes." "Well," said the captain, "you'd better stop praying, for we have more wind than we can manage."
Opinion Dynamics Corporation conducted the national poll for Fox News Channel. The research shows that 92 percent of Americans claimed to believe in God, while 85 percent claimed to believe in heaven, and 82 percent in miracles.. The study found that belief in God has remained the about the same, belief in the devil has increased slightly in the past few years, from 63 percent in 1997 to 71 percent today.
FAITH IS BELIEF IN ACTION
Many people believe in Jesus Christ and Many More Believe in GOD, but does it affect their lives? Does it affect their daily walk?
If there is no affect upon their lives, if there is no affect upon their behavior, then I contend their belief is in vain and will not remove God’s Wrath from their soul.
- James 2:19 (NKJV) You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!
- Luke 8:12 (KJV) Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
Belief should produce change. The Devil doesn’t want the Word of God in your hearts, lest you believe it and be saved. Belief is of no value unless it produces a change!
Suppose the heavens were opened and you could see into the future. You could
see Israel and Iran going to war. You could see a nuclear war that destroys half of the world’s oil supply. You see the world thrown into utter chaos because all of a sudden there is no reliable power. Then you see a man step forth with an invention for cheap energy and a plan to restore economic order into the world. A plan that brings peace to the Middle East because Israel is allowed to rebuild her Temple, and yet allows the Muslims to maintain their sovereignty. And then you see that in a matter of days Jesus is coming to rapture His church.
Would you all of a sudden believe in this Bible? Would you say I’ve got to get my life in order, I’ve got to tell my kids, I’ve got to get busy and tell my friends.
What you see and believe should affect your actions. Faith is Never Static. FAITH is the MEANS OF ACTION, an ACTION that Changes and Governs the way we Live!!!
An old Scotsman operated a little rowboat for passengers. One day, a passenger noticed that the old man had carved on one oar "Faith" and the other oar "Works." Curious, he asked the reason.The old man, being a Christian, said, "I will show you." So, he dropped one oar and used the other "Works"—and the boat went in circles. Then he dropped that oar and use "Faith" only, and the little boat went in circles—other way around, but still circles. Then he used both oars, and the boat swiftly sailed over the waters.
He explained: "One without other will get you nowhere. But faith and works pulling together makes for progress." (James 2:20, 26).
FAITH AFFECTS YOUR WALK
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- Romans 1:17 (KJV) For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
- Galatians 3:11 (KJV) But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
- 2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV) (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
FAITH SEES THE INVISIBLE
Faith enables us to believe what we do not see; and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe.
- Hebrews 11:1-3 (KJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
- Hebrews 11:27 (KJV) By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
Faith apprehends as a real… fact which is not revealed to the senses. It rests on that fact, acts upon it, and is upheld by it in the face of all that seems to contradict it. Faith is real seeing."
The word "substance" deserves careful treatment. It is hupostasis, made up of stasis "to stand," and hupo "under," thus "that which stands under, a foundation." Thus it speaks of the ground on which one builds a hope. (Wuest)
Faith is that assurance deep down in the darkest crevices of your soul that God is Real, Jesus is Real, God’s Word is Real. And One day you will stand before a Holy Righteous God and be Judged by His Son, the one who Died upon the Cross for You. Faith enables you to know without a shadow of doubt that Jesus lives in your life by the Power of His Holy Spirit. Jesus is so real that you don’t need to see Him to know He is with you.
Faith enables you to face the deepest darkest fears and know that God is holding your hand every step of the way. How is your Faith in the Loving Presence and Power of Jesus Christ?
Do you have a Faith that empowers your belief's to See the Presence of God in every situation you encounter in life?
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