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You know, people have faith, but you find their faith operates depending on the mood they are in. That faith is feeble and it cannot move the Spirit of God. If you want God to entrust Himself with you, He looks into your Faith to see if that faith is genuine. That is why tests and trials come our way.
“…that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ…” (1 Peter 1:7)
The faith tested by fire and even after or during this test, it glorifies the Most High God. The faith that will keep you on track, keep you focused on the matters of the Kingdom, and give you rest. The faith that stands the test of time.
Most of us look at our bodies and yet this body is so shaky. There is nothing as fearful as the eyes. You look and say, “Ah! Will I be able to handle such a thing?” The eyes have feared; but when you begin to take steps, you find that what you were fearing was not worth fearing.
The weapon the devil uses to control mankind is by putting fear. Once the enemy puts fear in you, fear will automatically bring bad results. Fear is a tool the enemy uses to weaken faith. But if your spirit has believed in Jesus, not as a fantasy, not as a general following, but in your spirit, you are convinced that Jesus is LORD, nothing shall ever make you shake.
People of our generation are too self-centered; we want to have a comfort zone all the time. Even if you just remove a seat from a believer, “Please, we want to use this seat, sit behind there.” They will respond; “why do you despise me???? You are only looking for the rich.” Instead, if sitting behind, they will go home and such a small test will make a believer fall.
God will never approve you until He has tested you; and you will never know when He is going to test you.
So, in the things of God, if you want the seed of God to germinate in you, there is a part of you that dies. There is a part of you that you must surrender. That is why Christ said, it is hard for the rich to enter Heaven. He did not mean the rich one and wealthy, but He meant the one who focuses on what they have. You find you are so much attached to something, and that attachment cannot allow you to take a step. You fear too much to lose that thing. It has become an idol and it is controlling you and limiting your movements.
Avoid anything that goes into your heart, to limit your spirit or to limit you in making decisions. You avoid it as much as possible because it will become the source of your limitations. If the enemy knows that that thing is the one holding your heart, he will base there to start controlling you.
Anything you give so much attention is what the devil gives too much attention to start controlling you; but sustaining faith will give you faith in Christ Jesus.
When we talk about Jesus it seems so minor, but friend, as you go on heights above, you realize things you have been struggling for were not what could lead you to satisfaction. You yearned for something so badly but when you got it you realized that you were still empty. You looked for another thing, yearned so badly, you got it, but it never made a difference in your life.
That is why those who are too rich end up investing in foolish things. They are looking for something and they have not got it. The truth is, its Name is the Holy Spirit who comes from Jesus Christ. He will give you a certain life that is not controlled by worldly devices. By the time you say, “I give in my life for the sake of the Kingdom, you must have believed so seriously.” You must be very convinced that everything you have around you is not the end of you.
That thing that you are scared of losing is the thing the enemy is going to use and start tossing you around yet you would have enjoyed it if your focus was not so much on it as the first priority. Yes, you can focus on what you are doing but when it is not the first priority. If God is in you, He will become your strength. He becomes the source of your strength. Your reasoning, courage and wisdom will all be coming from Him as a source. He is not separating you from your desires, but He is strengthening you so that the enemy may not begin dictating your path.
Sustaining faith will sustain you and will give you inner rest. You do not jump up and down with anything anyhow. If the enemy gives you a situation and that situation begins determining your decision and your response, he will make sure that situation stays longer. All he wants is to have a gadget through which he can control you.
He creates poverty and then your focus is on poverty, “Poverty is too much…” Then, he gives you grumbling and negative confessions. When you are not having money, it does not necessarily mean that you are poor. It may temporarily not be with you, but the enemy will look into your heart and see how crazy you are for money, he makes it scarcer then you begin confessing, “These days, poverty.” You are releasing a spell around your life and truly poverty comes. But where did it come from? Your own confession: he used it because he saw in your heart that you are too dogmatic for money; you can do anything just for money. Then, he will use the same money to dictate your path. You will find that you are controlled by something else and yet if you had Christ in you even if you have money, it will not control you. You will know its limits.
If you have a disease in you and you give it focus, “This disease, it is going to kill me.” Your own confession will attract negative energy and the disease may truly take you and yet it would not have taken you. But you gave it too much attention.
That is why I tell you, be careful of this world. It is a wicked place. The only One who can give you rest is Christ but because people do not want the message of hope, they do not want you to have any hope.
That is how crazy the world is. They do not want the message of hope. There are seasons when no one will tell you about it because everyone is scared. But when Christ is in you in such moments, you do not need someone to convince you.
If you do not bring Christ in you and put the sustaining faith, this world will start showing you things that will bother you much and yet they are not as much as you look at them. They will become much because you have given them too much attention than you would give to faith.
Do the best you can do and after you have done it say, “Thank You LORD. Whether you have completed it or not, you have done your best and that is it. Whether it has worked out or not worked out, no problem. You have done your best. Give your heart rest. You know that your strength and hope are in Christ. If the things you are trying to put up are not picking, no problem.
What you give your priority becomes your idol and god. What you give priority is what the enemy will go for and use it as a device to control you. But if God, Christ is your first priority, how will the enemy use Him to control you? Because He is Fire. Faith in Christ is not in vain. You rest in Him, come rain, come sun.
Faith in Christ Jesus is the faith that will satisfy you and give you rest. When you have rested, you have arrived; and you are able to stand any test and any trial because you are convinced that God Almighty is more powerful than any other authority. He is more than witchcraft. But if you are not convinced that God is more powerful than witchcraft, you will encounter a small test and find yourself where you are not meant to be. You will find yourself in a wrong place. But if Christ is in your house, He will be in your bed and He will be everywhere.
Sustaining faith is the faith that will convince you that “My God is God.” Your faith will be tested depending on your calling and your purpose.
Your test of faith, you will find it everywhere. A test will be anywhere in the world. Your own parent may be used to test you. Your own partner, husband or wife, may be used to test you. If you fail that test, you fall badly. So, that is why we say, “My God.” Not “Our God.”
God is your God. He is not a God of everybody. That is why you say, “God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob,” and these are the same people. But you are pointing out one by one. The same applies to you. Your God is your God. Whether you worship in the same place, same family, you are husband and wife, your God is your God.
If in your heart you are not believing Jesus Christ because of someone else, then the sin is upon your head, not upon the other person. If in your heart you are angry and bitter with someone whom you think caused you to lose faith, the sin is not on that person. The sin is on you because God has never been in you yet.
If we were to look at the external part of faith, to look at God on the outside, no one would have believed. Everyone would have fallen…but if He is inside, meaning He is part of you. Do not hate people because of what they have done to you. Just learn them. Keep your smile. They will speak every bad thing. You find that someone you have loved much is working against you.
In the Gospel, we encounter it so much. Someone you have loved so much; devil sits in that person. They begin doing the opposite, speak against you, work against you; so, if Christ is not in you, you start saying, “This thing of loving people…” then you are tempted. The enemy has overcome you. Keep smiling.
When you have Christ in you as your personal that is when you can die for Him. Let no one come to you and tell you, “Do you want to go to heaven, go and tie a bomb on yourself and die.” No. It must come from you. You do not have to kill yourself to see God. You begin seeing Him when you are alive.
The hours I spend before God, I treasure them more than the hours I spend anywhere else. When I am in His Presence, I am happy and relaxed. But I wonder why people spend time in bars and they think that is life!!! You will drink and pee in your pants, looking for what you cannot find. The peace inside you, you are looking for it but not finding it. That is why people take drugs. They are looking for peace but are not finding it. But Christ in you in a genuine and sincere way will make a difference in your life.
Friend, do not follow Jesus with the majority. Relate with Him personally.
Thank You Jesus Christ.
