When Faith Is Faith
If you have been a follower of Jesus very long, there is one thing you have probably learned, or will learn soon- that faith is not faith until it is tested. The Bible says the testing of our faith produces something in us. The Word of God is a record of people whose faith was tested in a multiplicity of ways over the centuries of human history. Job may be the oldest written record of a man of God whose faith was tested and in the end, he came forth like gold!
Saying we have faith is one thing. Living out our faith is quite another. It is easy for example, to say we believe in healing until we are sick! Or it is easy to believe that God provides for His children until there is an economic crisis! It also may be easy to believe that God forgives all our sins until we do something so shameful we feel that even God cannot forgive us.
The truth is, we don’t need faith for the possible, but rather for the impossible. When circumstances and situations around us become challenging or grim, that’s when we find out what kind of faith we really have.
We are living on planet earth constantly barraged with tests, trials and temptations that put a strain on the best of us. The trauma of life is not meant to discourage us but rather embolden us to exercise our faith in a mighty God and believe for His divine and loving intervention in our problems. He can indeed forgive our iniquities, heal our diseases and provide for all our needs.
Whether today’s stress for you is the economy, a flu epidemic or typical pressures of family, business and life, God’s Word and His promises are still available to build your faith, impart courage and help you make it all the way through your test. We reject every spirit of fear and embrace the spirit of power, love and sound mind that the Lord gives to all who trust Him. May the Lord be with you as you pass every test you may be facing!
Tough Times, Tough Faith
Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. 3 You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. 4 So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
5 If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. 6 Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. 7 Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, 8 adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. James 1:2-8 (MSG)
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Phil 4:11-13 (NIV)
If you live long enough, you will endure many hard times. Life is good, but there are always difficult and challenging things that every earth-dweller encounters. We live on planet earth- a physical realm dominated by sin and darkness, where storms and resistance seem to rule and problems and troubles are commonplace.
The Patriarch Jacob lived one hundred thirty years but said his days were few and evil. King Solomon said that if a man lived many years, let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Jesus prophesied of days coming on the earth when men’s hearts will fail them for fear. The Apostles wrote letters and described perilous and stressful times that would come.
In today’s global economic crisis, we find ourselves in the middle of one of the most challenging situations many of us have ever experienced in our lifetime. But before we give in to depression, we need to recall that the Bible is filled with hope and faith and an optimistic view of how life should be lived- even in the face of adversity.
Most baby boomers and their children cannot recall many difficult financial years. A few older saints might still be alive who were children during the great depression. Today, we all struggling to varying degrees as we go through the current economic calamity. Some of us have lost jobs, houses, retirement accounts or value of some kind. These kind of hard times can shake our faith and make us ask hard questions but as people of faith, we need the divine perspective to get us through.
The perspective we need is a much more long term one- i.e. one that spans most of human history. In the Bible, for example, there were several famines, many in the Old Testament and a few in the New. But in the midst of each of them the Lord supernaturally provided for His people.
- God provided for Abraham in a time of famine.
- Isaac sowed and reaped 100 fold in a time of famine
- God provided for the prophets Elijah and Elisha and the widow chosen to help them in famine
- The Churches of Asia sent aid to Jerusalem and the Judean brethren during a great famine
Financial gurus, wall street brokers, heads of the nation’s most prestigious banks and some of the brightest minds of our times are all in a quandary about how to solve the present emergency. It seems that “all the king’s horses and all the king’s men” cannot put our economy back together again. The same hurricane that is blowing against us is also blowing down the house down next door. But Jesus said if we obey Him and practice what He says, we will build on a foundation that will weather the storms and remain standing when everything around us is being washed away. If we follow God’s divine principles and stay connected with a community of believers who are walking in truth, we will make it through this crisis- just as millions have done before us. Our fathers survived the ancient crises of the Old Testament. Prophets were miraculously provided for during famine. And the early church disciples endured many and varied trials and came through them all victoriously. If they made it we can make it.
From a biblical perspective, how do we get through such severe financial catastrophe?
Remember first, we all need community, a local church of loving friends and family of believers to stand with us. When one is lacking, others provide. In the very first church, there was none that lacked because they met each other’s needs out a selfless desire to help.
Believers also have a secret advantage. We have a divine connection with the provision of God Almighty through our prayers. Simple asking evokes simple provision. The same God who multiplied loaves and fishes for Jesus and the disciples, is the same God we serve. Ask and you shall receive!
How important it is also to renew our minds and think God’s thoughts when facing a crisis. If we spend our time just meditating on the bad news, we will be discouraged and our faith will be drained. But faith comes when we hear the Word of the Lord, made alive by the Holy Spirit and giving us daily guidance.
Out of the faith base of the Bible, a personal relationship with the Lord and the connections of a community of believers, sprouts another crop that blossoms in the heart of every faith filled follower of Christ. Wisdom comes from God. It comes when we meditate day and night on His Word and it comes from walking with wise men. . One decision can make or break a family’s finances or a business’s momentum. Don’t make major decisions alone, in time of crisis. Seek the Lord, ask for counsel and make sure and careful steps during these times.
Lastly, don’t stop doing what got you this far. We tithed by faith trusting our Heavenly Father to keep the windows of heaven open over our lives. We gave and sowed seed into the lives and needs of others. We can now trust that the harvest of what we planted will come back to us. And no one who has given to the poor will be forgotten by God. He Himself will repay anything we have given in His name to those in need. If, in a time of testing, I panic and start to withhold, I run the risk of stopping with life giving flow of faith and love that runs through my life.
There are many practical things each of us can do to walk wisely during times like these but the greatest thing we can do, is position ourselves in faith to maintain our trust in God, Jehovah Jireh, who has always helped us and always will. Going through tough times- ask God to give you tougher faith; fight the good fight of faith and take a stand. The storm will pass. Your foundation will remain and your life will reflect the pleasure of God who rewards those who walk by faith!
Honor Your Mother
Honor … your mother, that your days may be long upon the land Ex 20:12 (NKJV)
Do not forsake the law of your mother; Prov 1:8 (NKJV)
Treat older women as mothers, 1 Tim 5:1-2 (NIV)
This week our spiritual mother, Edie Iverson, was promoted to heaven. While I am saddened beyond words, I am so proud of her strong faith and confident of her rich reward and the great entourage of saints who are welcoming her into paradise and the sweet presence of Jesus.
Gini and I first made her acquaintance when we were newly married and fresh out of Nazarene College in 1972. We were 19 and 22 respectively and in awe of the anointed Pastors we discovered in a dynamic charismatic church in northeast Portland, Oregon. The church was filled with young adults hungry for more of God during the “Jesus People” days of the worldwide charismatic renewal. Many of those earnest young men and women would become life-long friends in the ministry of the Gospel. We were all just beginning the journey of being mentored and equipped by Dick and Edie Iverson, two of God’s most wonderful servants who were so genuine and sincere, that their love and transparency captivated our hearts. At the crossroads of our young lives, little did we realize that our destiny would be forever altered because of meeting the Iversons.
Brother Dick, as we affectionately call him, would become our spiritual Father, and Sister Edie our second Mom. At a time when so many of our generation were searching for role models, we were blessed to find them. When so many were missing parents, coming from broken homes, we were given an extra set of spiritual parents, as wonderful gifts who would radically change our lives.
While Brother Dick was busy preaching, teaching and leading the growing church (Bible Temple would ultimately grow into a mega church of over 2000 people), Edie was behind the scenes counseling, exhorting, encouraging, coaching and building us up. While leading worship she often exhorted the congregation, her best gifts were words of wisdom and faith and an ability to keep us on track and fruitful in all our endeavors.
Both Gini and I have fond memories of Edie leaning close and telling us we could do it. Our novice eyes were widened by her words and our spirits fed by her love. Her confidence in us, combined with a discerning gift for admonition, guided us through the early years of ministry development, marriage and raising our children. She inherited an unflagging and determined faith from her remarkable mother and passed that along to us. I recall, just a few years ago, coming to the realization as to the source of the gift of faith that operates in my own life. I realized it had been imparted and stirred up in me by my spiritual mother as well as my spiritual father. I am especially and forever indebted to Edie Iverson for faith. Is there a greater gift?
Recently, visiting and praying with her in the hospital, we talked but she didn’t talk about herself. She wanted to know how we were doing. Was I taking care of myself? Was my faith strong? I didn’t weep there in the room. I needed to stand strong in faith for my mother. But I wept later, realizing how our lives had been blessed by this extraordinary woman. I weep today knowing I am who I am to some degree, because of my spiritual Mother, Edie Iverson. I honor my mother. I will not forget her laws. And I look forward to seeing her again and celebrating, when faith becomes sight.
Honor the King
Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. 1 Peter 2:17 (NKJV)
November 4th 2008 was an historic day for America and one we will not soon forget. We congratulate President-elect Obama and his historic achievement and rise to power. To have a vibrant young African-American in the White House is an amazing occurrence and speaks well of a measure of progress our culture has made in racial issues.
There may be no other President in modern time that has needed prayer more than this man. This President will be faced with a global financial crisis, ongoing terror threats, wars to resolve, international troubles and domestic confusion. He needs the prayers of God’s people.
I have lived through 12 Presidents in my lifetime. Temporary leaders come and go. And yet life goes on and the Kingdom of God still functions and God still rules in the affairs of men. No matter who wins elections God rules over nations. The Bible tells us that the heart of kings is in the hand of the Lord and the Lord can influence them. We are to honor the King and so we pray! In accordance with Scriptural injunctions, we pray for those in authority, for our President, our congressmen, our Governors and our elected officials. We celebrate their achievements and pledge our support in prayer. They are public servants and need divine assistance.
However, we are concerned with the potential loss of religious freedoms and disintegrations of our moral foundations. And thus we continue our prayers — fervent prayers — resisting and standing against wicked principalities and powers that would like to seduce and manipulate politicians, leaders and people. This is why the church still prays!
Our prayers will be answered, but perhaps not as we thought. God surely answers sincere and fervent prayers and will intervene if we continue to stand in the gap and pray for our nation. We should continue to trust God for His intervention in our generation.
President Obama is certainly a God-fearing man who could be greatly influenced for good if enough people will pray and if the right people surround him with good counsel. Let us agree in prayer that good men and women will indeed fill those positions of power and influence our new President for righteousness.
May God continue to bless America.
Principles Over Politics
Within days we will face one of America’s most important elections. There is much at stake in this current generation. And in the midst of this national decision making process, our nation’s economy has suffered a near catastrophic backlash because of greed. Other issues confront us as well: an unpopular war in the middle east; ongoing threats of terrorism worldwide; as well as need all around us. Every sensible believer should be gravely concerned about this election and desire that right would prevail in our culture.
As Christians we are citizens of heaven. We are part of the kingdom of God. We are not Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Green or Orange. Nor is any political party platform sacrosanct. The two dominant political parties in the USA have both good and bad, and strong and weak planks in their party’s platforms. It is only the Kingdom of God and its abiding principles that can guide the believer.
We obviously need Kingdom representatives in both political parties in order to fulfill Christ’s directive that we would be the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” (Matthew 5). But our party is the Kingdom of God, and our platform is the Bible. We have to be discrete and careful in determining our views. We cannot, for example, be enamored by a political candidate and fail to evaluate his or her values. Our opinions of what is happening in the world, or how to fix the problems of the world, must be bathed in prayer and soaked in truth.
We are believers in Jesus. We’ve been born again into a new Kingdom. We have said that our life is now Christ’s. We took up a cross and declared that we would live for Him and not for ourselves. We are believers whose faith comes from the Word of God and not the words of men. Our politics must be governed by principle not opinion.
Political Perspective
For the LORD is our Judge,
The LORD is our Lawgiver,
The LORD is our King;
He will save us; Isaiah 33:22 (NKJV)
Our political system in the United States was based on the revelation of Isaiah 33:22, received and conceived by the founding fathers in their deliberations during the drafting of the original constitution of the United States of America. The Scripture describes the three aspects of God’s rule over His people and hence the design used for the three branches of our national government: the Judicial, the Legislative, and the Executive branches.
Obviously our United States government is ruled as a democracy by the vote of the people. So we vote in our lawmakers and our executives. However, we do not always choose our Judges, as many, especially the Supreme Court, are appointed to their office.
This is the major and decisive aspect of what we are voting for this week. The person elected to the Presidency of the United States for the next four years (or perhaps eight) could possibly make two or three appointments to an aging Supreme Court. And with the trend toward choosing younger judges, these choices could affect the national judgments of the next thirty to forty years — an entire generation. This is why we need to vote, and vote wisely and prayerfully, guided by principle.
How should we then Vote?
When considering a conscientious vote, believers should consult the Word of God as well as the leading of the Holy Spirit to determine righteous action. Our vote should be determined on the basis of principle, i.e. what Scriptures are behind the issues or candidates or platforms that are being considered? A true follower of the Lord would be careful to determine the principles behind their vote. They should not vote on the basis of opinion or tradition or emotion. They should determine their view based on truth, i.e. revelation of life principles as declared and delineated in the Scriptures.
Using the precepts and truths of the Bible, the infallible Word of God, we should focus on the following principles as we process our politics:
Pray for and Honor the King!
Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. 1 Peter 2:17 (NKJV)
All of us should vote and be good citizens.
Pray that believers and good people everywhere will be responsible, act wisely and get out and vote.
Pray for those in authority!
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 1 Tim 2:1-2 (NKJV)
This is our first responsibility as citizens of a nation, is to pray for those whom God has allowed into office
Pray that God will raise up God-fearing persons into high offices throughout our land
Pray that righteousness will exalt our nation!
Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a reproach to any people. Prov 14:34 (NKJV)
It is not the level of our economy, or the size of our military that exalts us- it is righteousness.
Thus we should pray for the protection of the unborn and protection of the foundation of marriage and the family.
Don’t wrestle flesh and blood but pray against evil forces!
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Eph 6:12 (NKJV)
We are not wrestling people. We can act with kindness and respect toward people, while at the same time praying effectively and ruthlessly against principalities and powers in high places.
Pray against evil, anti-Christ spirits, that they will be defeated and that demonic schemes will not prosper.
Pray against every evil curse and pray a blessing on our nation.
Pray that God’s people will repent and turn from their wicked ways!
If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chron 7:14 (NKJV)
The responsibility for the healing of the land is upon God’s people. We need to take our place humbly at the feet of Jesus and ask for His mercy and His healing for our land.
Pray for a great awakening among God’s people, and that churches across America will pray and seek the face of God and repent of sin.
Other practical Prayer Points:
- Pray for millions of believers to be stirred to prayer and fasting this week.
- Pray for a miraculous turnout of God-fearing people for the vote across the nation, in every state
- Pray that all people will be influenced in their minds in a righteous way when they go to cast their ballots
- Pray that ballot measures to protect life and to protect marriage will pass nationwide
- Pray against any evil spirits of racism that would try to take advantage of this time to stir violence and anger among our population
- Pray for righteous Executives to be elected- including President and Governors nationwide, so that righteous judges will be appointed for this next generation
Across America, millions of believers are praying for divine intervention in this election. We are one church among thousands that are calling their people to prayer. I trust you will join this historic spiritual effort to see His Kingdom come and His will be done in the earth.
