WEAK FAITH: WHAT IS YOUR ROLE IN IT?

Romans 14:1 Accept him WHOSE FAITH IS WEAK, without passing judgment on disputable matters.

I have a CONFESSION TO MAKE. So here, I come! As a person of strong faith, I find myself often dealing impatiently with a person who has weak faith. Yes, with the knowledge and wisdom God has granted me, at times, I find I want to forcefully turn it over to the one of weak faith….hoping that they will pick up the mantle to become GREAT FAITH WARRIORS. But, God has proved me wrong again and again.

God has been teaching me this:

FAITH IS PERSONAL and even when it is cooperative, it doesn’t mean it is ENOUGH. If one person has great faith and another in their midst has weaker faith, added together it does not equal average faith. In the hearing of the Word, where faith springs from, does not mean that the hearers of the word will hear the same thing at the same time to warrant the same kind of respond.

THE ANOINTING THIEF

Acts 8:18-20 When Simon saw that the SPIRIT was given at the laying on of the APOSTLES’ HANDS, he offered them money and said, ‘GIVE ME ALSO THIS ABILITY so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Peter answered, “May your money perish with you, because you thought you can buy the GIFT OF GOD WITH MONEY!

You may or may not have encountered an Anointing thief. I am talking about the HOLY SPIRIT anointing. Let me explain. Counterfeit anointing…is something that is almost as old as the world itself. Even during the time of Pharaoh’s dreams in Egypt.

Genesis 41:7-8 …Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream. In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the MAGICIANS and WISE MEN of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no-one could interpret them for him.

And long before Jesus had come on earth, God had given these instructions to the children of Israel regarding the ANOINTING THIEVES.

Leviticus 19:27, 31…”Do not practise DIVINATION OR SORCERY. Do not turn to MEDIUMS or seek out SPIRITISTS, for you will be defiled by them, I am the Lord, your God.

A COVENANT OF WORDS

Isaiah 59:21 “As for me, this is MY COVENANT WITH THEM,” says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is on you, and MY WORDS that I have put in your mouth will not DEPART from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants, from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.

“Words…words, words. I don’t need words. I want to feel, I want to touch, I want to see.” These were my friend’s words as I took time to talk to her about God and why I believe in Him. ‘Why should I put my trust on Someone who is not tangible?’ she argued out her case. And at best, even though I couldn’t be able to give her what she wanted…eventually, she did confess this. ‘Even though I cannot see God…I feel Him in the air…and I want to reach out and touch Him. But HIS AURA is here with us…thanks to your words! And right there and then, I realized that she had made her own confession…not in a faith that is tangible, but a faith that comes through hearing…and hearing the Word of God.

In many aspects of life…many people have become hard of hearing. If one cannot hear, then words have no meaning to them. And when words lack meaning…they are not repeated and when they are not repeated…they are not passed on. When they are not passed on…then a generation raises up which has no connection with the past generation. Then…history repeats itself.

A CALL FOR WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING

Daniel 12:10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are WISE WILL UNDERSTAND.

We are living in the last days. Let me say it again. WE ARE LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS. But let me stop at this. I am continually surprised at the foolishness of the intelligent….yes, of the intellectually intelligent! The one who has the ability to forecast almost about everything EXTERNAL, yet has no slightest clue about the forecast of the INTERNAL. Then there comes a time where the explanation of the external cannot bring relieve to the need of the internal. I saw it last week in my country, Poland. People reaching out for answers after the presidential plane crash. But instead of finding relief, I saw the multiplying of questions which seemed to lack any conclusive answers.

But now more than ever, I see a deep truth from the book of Daniel

But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the TIME OF THE END. MANY WILL GO HERE AND THERE TO INCREASE KNOWLEDGE. Daniel 12:4

Instead of reaching out for WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING, I see people reaching out for

ITS GOD’S ECHO

Isaiah 55:11 So is MY WORD that goes out from my mouth: It will not RETURN TO ME empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

ECHO can be defined as: the reflection of sound or other radiation by a reflecting medium, esp. a solid object; a repetition or imitation, esp. an unoriginal reproduction of another’s opinion; something that evokes memories; the effect that continues after the original cause has disappeared.

This morning I woke up with a heavy heart…an unusually heavy heart. I wanted to talk…but I didn’t seem to have the right words. What is the use, God? Why do I have to keep the words flowing? Who needs them? Without me…or my words, life will still move on. There is my manuscript…which is thousands of words put done in almost five years. But God…what is the use? Who needs these words? My heart ached. For a moment, I felt empty and spent. But…I got about doing my house chores while wondering what next.

Then I sat down on the computer to do something. But without words…or sensible words to write about for today, I heard God speak gently into my heart.

A GOOD FRIDAY INDEED!

Hebrews 7:22 Because of this oath, JESUS HAS BECOME THE GUARANTEE OF A BETTER COVENANT.

Today, 2000 years ago…everything changed! No…it wasn’t just change for something new and evolving. But it was a change for eternity. A change which the devil in all his wit and schemes hasn’t seen it coming. No…there was no revolution or insurrection. But…there was a PUBLIC OUTRAGE.

Luke 23:18-20 With ONE VOICE they cried out, ‘Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us! (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, ‘CRUCIFY HIM! CRUCIFY HIM!”

And in EXCHANGE for Barabbas…Jesus went to the Cross. And yes…in EXCHANGE FOR YOU AND ME…Jesus went to the Cross. Jesus went to the cross bearing our sin and become our atonement. Therefore, that Friday 2000 years ago become a GOOD FRIDAY INDEED. And today, as we remember that day, I leave you with these words of assurance for your salvation.

TONIGHT…I WILL RECLINE AT HIS TABLE

Luke 22:14 When the HOUR came, Jesus and his apostles RECLINED AT THE TABLE.

RECLINE is defined as: TO REST in a leaning position.

Tonight, the Christian church all over the world will remember…and some will come to RECLINE AT THE TABLE in remembrance of OUR LORD’S LAST SUPPER with His disciples. But let me paint the picture of Jesus’ Passover meal. First, we have to understand what the PASSOVER MEAL represented before that day.

Deuteronomy 16:3 Do not eat it with BREAD made with YEAST, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, THE BREAD OF AFFLICTION, because you left Egypt in hast_ so that all the days of your life you may REMEMBER the time of your departure from Egypt.

The YEAST represents: pain, slavery, UNREST, hard labor and in essence Egypt…that is human works.

Psalm 127:2 It is VAIN for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the BREAD OF SORROWS; for he gives His beloved sleep.

HIS DEATH: MY FREEDOM

Hebrews 2:14-15 Since the children have flesh and blood, he shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death_ that is, the devil_ and FREE THOSE WHO ALL THEIR LIVES WERE HELD IN SLAVERY BY THEIR FEAR OF DEATH.

Someone may ask you or me. Are you afraid of death? Personally, I will say, YES, I am afraid of death…or maybe I am afraid of the dying process. Yet…no matter what your answer is on this one…fact remains YOU AND I WILL SOMEDAY go through that process. Sorry, friend. Its INEVITABLE!
But, some years back, I read the above scripture and understood something deeper. We as Christians…know that death is not the end…but the beginning of LIFE…of LIFE ETERNAL. Nothing is lost for the believing person when death occurs. But despite that knowledge, we live still as if death has power over us.

I like that word in Hebrew 2. Knowing that Jesus came and died on the cross for my sins is one thing. But understand that through His death,