I believe in a God of Miracles! When I think of the number of troubles I have had – being in a communist prison for a year; having cancer twice – God uses every circumstance to His glory! But you have got to WANT the miracle! Why do I see miracles? I WANT miracles, I LIVE for miracles. I live to see the Glory and the Power of God! Often it’s difficult, but I won’t give up, I won’t let go of God until He works the miracles, because God cannot fail.
Nothing is impossible - when you believe!
Signs of the times - Be not afraid the Kingdom of God is near
I want to speak encouragement to you, because difficulties we are all living through due to Covid, but not only that, in the last few months there’s been very serious flooding in Britain, and even worse in Germany and Holland – unprecedented. And massive floods in China, which they claimed were the worst in a thousand years. On the other side of the world in America, vast fires in Oregon, out of control, smoke so dense you could hardly see. And the same in Siberia! It does look as if there are strange things happening. But I want to turn you to Luke 21. Jesus said, “When you hear of wars and commotions, don’t be terrified!”
Built on the Rock of Christ Jesus
God has seen your affliction
God is calling us to trust Him
God is calling us to trust Him! I ask myself sometimes, which was the greater miracle, the children of Israel crossing of the Red Sea on dry land, or the total destruction of the crack troops of the elite Egyptian army, chariots and horses that raced in after them – it was like drowning tanks! So here, in Numbers 14, God is saying, “I performed all these miracles and still these people don’t trust in Me.” God is always demonstrating His Power, always calling us to trust Him – and He never, ever fails!
To me, the story of the 12 spies sent to spy out the Promised Land is a tremendous challenge to my faith. The children of Israel were still in the wilderness, and it had taken them a long time to get to this place. Now the command of the Lord to Moses is to pick twelve representatives from each of the twelve tribes, and to send them to see for themselves what the future was. I find this very interesting, because they were actually sent out to see the future! - And the level of their trust in God would affect whether they received the promise or not.
Faith under pressure is more precious than gold
I want to show you from three different authors – Paul in Hebrews, then James and Peter – what faith is. A faith that doesn’t give in, that doesn’t buckle under pressure. We need a faith that doesn’t bend, a faith that is constant and reliable – even when it goes through the ultimate test! God is consistent and stable. Our faith has to be anchored in that – in the stability, in the consistency of believing and knowing God! Somehow we have to understand and accept THIS challenge in the day in which we live in NOW! Whether it’s through sickness, or through persecution, or through whatever is happening in your life – through it all we have to realise that holding onto God by faith is the way into the Kingdom!
What is faith and how do we use it?
What is faith and how do we use it? Here in the UK they classify all religious groups, whatever they are, as ‘people of faith’. This only means that they have a religious faith of some kind. It doesn’t relate to faith as I understand it from the Bible. I’m not going to give you a dictionary definition, but I’m trying to deal with the kind of faith which, for me, is a personal experience which works and sees miracles happening! I’m trying explain what faith REALLY is, how to appropriate it, how to use it, how to put it into ACTION. Faith is the motive that drives me, faith is the Power that I receive from God to see miracles! Without faith it is impossible to please God! I have discovered that if I want to please God, I have to let my faith loose, I’ve got to go out and DO these things. That’s what pleases God! Come on! This is what pleases God! To go out in faith and to do the impossible!
Faith is demonstrated by what you do!
Faith is something practical, it’s substance, evidence – of ‘something’. But remember, right from the very beginning, we’re ‘saved by faith’. But by faith in what? We’re not saved by ‘having faith’… We’re not saved from sin ‘simply by faith’ – we’re saved by faith in Christ! It’s faith in Him, it’s specific. It’s very strong! I’m looking at the practicality of faith, at the evidence – not just because we nominally believe in something – but faith that is demonstrated by what we do! Not just by what we say, but by our ACTIONS.