Today’s message discusses faith, the course in faith we take when we radically love and trust God. No matter what circumstances we are surrounded by, no matter what obstacles come our way, no matter what happens, we can CHOOSE to love, trust and serve the founder and perfector of our FAITH. We must believe in Him and know great faith is shown as we wait for the ultimate fulfillment of His promises.
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Welcome to Celebrating God’s Grace, a Women World Leader’s Podcast. I am your host, Rusanne Carole, born in Louisiana, USA ,now living in Australia. This is a podcast that comes to you through a women’s global ministry, Women World Leaders. The WWL ministry began 4 years ago with people gathering in a home studying and discussing the Word of God. As followers of Jesus Christ we are commissioned with the call to go out into all the world, and share the gospel to the entire human race! We may be called to GO and influence our friends, families, our children. We may be called to GO into our communities. And we may be called to GO into other nations. God’s power and desire to reach the ends of the earth is evident in what He has done through the beautiful women of God who serve in WWL and the supporters who give, whether in donations, love gifts and prayer. We are privileged here at WWL that He has called us to be His army in sharing the love and grace message of our Lord Jesus Christ and we celebrate and are constantly amazed that He is allowing us to reach the globe. Thanks to all of you that listen and support us!
I hope you are well & blessed and enjoy this time we have together and if you believe this message will speak to someone you know and help support and encourage them we ask that you share it. We are called in the body of Christ to uplift and support our brothers and sisters. Each week we bring you podcasts where we share women’s testimonies, have teaching in the Word and today in our segment of “Celebrating God’s Grace” I’d like to speak to you about FAITH. A big subject and so much could delve into but for today I want to look at:
How we are never alone and we have supernatural support.
We must believe, even when we are walking through the most horrific trials.
I didn’t say it’s easy, but it is possible… WITH GOD!
Hebrews 11:6 (TPT) tells us that “without faith living within us it would be impossible to please God. For we come to God in faith knowing that he is real and that he rewards the faith of those who passionately seek Him.” Verse 7 says “faith opened Noah’s heart to receive revelation and warnings from God about what was coming”. Even things that hadn’t been seen, for rain had not yet even come upon the earth. WOW! He worked diligently for several decades building what God had told him without really knowing what exactly for. How many people would have possibly ridiculed him or even made fun of him? “What in the world is this guy doing building this HUGE construction? What a waste of time and effort?”I’m sure he might have had moments he may of questioned, what am I doing? But he focused on God and was obedient to what God had asked of him. Will we be?
He was FAITHFUL. Genesis 6:22 says Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
Sometimes it may be difficult to hear what God is telling us to do. This is where it is important to be in God’s Word every day. He is always speaking to us. We must often take time to be still to hear and trust His timing to bring us what He wants to tell us.
The greatness of faith is not to be judged on how many of God’s promises you receive or great wealth or health you experience. The greatness of faith is shown in proportion to how long you can wait for the fulfillment of a promise. Greatness of faith is not proven in what is received, but in how long a person can wait without wavering to receive.
Many things in our lives have not come to pass that our heart so desperately desires! It may be healing for a loved one or for ourselves, it may be a healing for a broken relationship or marriage, or seeing those we love and care about being saved and living a life for Christ.
Waiting…. Wanting… Wishing.. things would happen!
How do we still passionately seek Him?
How do we ride the COURSE OF FAITH, especially when “things” aren’t going as we would desire and life’s battles continue to come.
How do we remain faithful servants?
Faith seems to come easy when “things” are going well. It’s when life gets tough and challenging and our faith is tested that can be really trying.
This year, 2022, it seems to me that for a lot of people I know things are “heavy”. Many I talk to are dealing with quite difficult things in their life and the lives of their loved ones, including myself.
As you get older and experience life as a follower of Christ I believe you start to see it’s about faith, yes, but it’s really about remaining FAITHFUL NO MATTER WHAT THE WORLD THROWS AT YOU! Nothing in life remains the same and there are seasons of many highs and lows. It’s about:
Keeping our eyes on the FOUNDER AND PERFECTOR of our faith.
It’s a COURSE IN FAITH we take every day.
Hebrews 12:1-3 (TPT) tells us:
1As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds. So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us. 2We look away from the natural realm and we focus our attention and expectation onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this: Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God! 3So consider carefully how Jesus faced such intense opposition from sinners who opposed their own souls, so that you won’t become worn down and cave in under life’s pressures.
God will NEVER abandon YOU!
We are to be hopeful while waiting
We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses
I recently attended some biblical training, and the pastor/teacher (over 40 years in ministry) shared lots of stories. One story he shared has stuck with me and I continue to reflect on it.
He was in his office one early morning making last minute preparations to his notes for a wedding that he would perform later that day. A wedding, a glorious and happy celebration of two people very much in love. Not many things are more beautiful then celebrating the union of two people in love and embarking on life together!
The phone rang with the devasting news of the death of a young man, a member of the church he pastored. It was the young son of a dear friend. He was devasted but he knew he had to be the one to tell the family. He got in the car and drove to his friends’ home. His friends’ wife opened the door welcomed him in, “What are you doing here? You should be preparing your message? He smiled and received the invitation to take a seat and wait on her husband who would return any minute. When his friend walked in the door, he greeted the pastor, his friend, and said something similar that his wife said to him, “What are you doing here? You’ve got a wedding at the church tonight, right?”
He looked at him and said, “I have some very sad news, your son was in a car accident a few hours ago and died.” What happened next the pastor said would stay with him forever. His friend, the father of the son who had unexpectantly died that day, dropped to his knees and said, ‘You are a faithful God and I will choose to trust you and praise You through it all.”