The key to overcoming fear is love. Perfect love casts out all fear. But what is perfect love and how can you have it today? Learn all about in the Live LIGHT Above the Negativity Course http://revtrev.link/bless
Because perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:20) and anything not done in love is useless (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)
Source
It comes from God 1 John 4:7-9 NLT
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Purpose
Received by me 1 John 4:10 NLT
This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Returns to God 1 John 2:5-6 NLT
But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
Awareness
AND is shared to Others 1 John 4:20 NLT
If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer,that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?
What is Perfect Love?
It is a Decision Agapeo - Have I decided to love always? Can I decide to love in this moment?
It is an Emotion Phileo - Do I feel love in this situation? Can I still choose to love when I don’t feel it?
It is an Action - Splagchnon (root) - lit. Compassion . Have I turned off my compassion? Am I led by compassion like Jesus?
Love aligns your whole heart with God’s heart
1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
You cannot align your heart with God unless you love others. Perfect love is complete love. I get love from God and share that love with others. It’s that love that drives out all fear. We have to stop being impressed with the size of our problem and find someone to bless so we can be blessed and find someone to refresh so we can be refreshed.
Imagine
What would it be like if fear - outside the moment - had no bearing on you? What would it feel like to love perfectly like God loves us?
Knowing God as Father can be simple, or very complicated. It often depends on how we knew our own fathers. Learn to have well-healed wounds and respond to the revelation we have with Father God.
I was asked if I had further study on god as Father. The good news I do-just look below. The problem that many have is that we’ve all had imperfect fathers, so to understand God as Father, we can have difficulties. When we come from homes with silent or absent or abusive fathers, we may not naturally be able to relate to God as Father. But that’s a profound way He has revealed himself to us, and how Jesus taught us to address Him.
Here’s some of the ways I’ve cover emphasized God as Father.
We’ve been learning what waiting is all about. We know that when Jesus comes, everything changes. We know the best is yet to come, but what do we do as we wait for him? Is the thrill of hope even possible when we have a weary soul? Learn how to keep hope alive while confronting the most brutal facts of your current reality with this message of hope.
Watch the replay of Can My Weary Soul Rejoice Again?
Read the Notes From Can My Weary Soul Rejoice Again?
O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining It is the night of the dear Savior's birth! Long lay the world in sin and error pining Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
Two thousand years ago, when the world seemed still and life was going on in it’s normal frustration, there was a flurry of activity in the heavenly realm. To us, it appeared that nothing would ever change. But soon heaven would burst into life right in front of our eyes.
That night, long ago, when most people were fast asleep, a group of shepherds were watching their sheep. They probably had a fire going, quietly chatting among themselves. There was not a sound but the soft night noises of sheep in the pasture. And in that quiet, hidden place a burst of light appeared and angels from heaven sang to shepherds. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace on whom his favour rests.”
Can you imagine yourself sitting there by the fire with the warm glow lighting your face, a soft blanket around your shoulders, a hot drink between your hands.
It might feel like nothing will ever change. It may feel like heaven is silent for you. It might feel that God has no interest in your life. It may feel that all around is darkness… nothing…. silence.
But God… God bursts heaven into our world and gives us the the thrill of hope.
God is always working behind the scenes for your good. His angels announced peace on those on whom his favour rests. That’s you! He is called wonderful, counsellor, almighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace. He is Immanuel, God with us.
Our God is God of the suddenlies. You can once again know the thrill of hope.
You can know that regardless of what your feelings say…
At the right moment heaven will burst into light with singing over your life. He rejoices over you with singing.
A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Do you have the thrill of hope? Does your weary soul rejoice?
You and I can have weary souls. We need real hope to keep us rejoicing.
The problem is hope deferred makes the heart sick.
Has your hope been disappointing you?
Let’s think of others players in this story. What about the wise men who traveled so far?
Can you imagine yourself walking under a star lit sky?
Can you see the the twinkling lights so vast in the darkness, as far as you can see?
The night sky can make us feel so insignificant, so lost.
One of my favourite Calvin and Hobbes comic strip has Calvin looking up into the night sky and yelling to the cosmos “I am significant!” followed two panes later with the thought…“screamed the speck of dust”
We can feel so insignificant, so lost.
But sometimes lost is OK.
Sometimes lost takes us places we would have never got to otherwise.
The magi might have felt lost… like they didn’t know where they were or where they were going.
But they knew they had to follow the star.
Sometimes we can be so determined not to get lost.
But this year we all find ourselves lost.
Our five year goals and life plans are out the window.
There has never been a better year to know…to really know… to live with the hope that will not disappoint.
We have been waiting. We have been floundering.
We have had the goal post moved again and again and again.
We thought there were answers. We’ve been disappointed.
We’ve been told to wait. We’ve been told be patient.
We’ve been told to wait more. We’ve been told to be more patience.
Hope can take us to places we could have never have imagined.
We might not even know what we’re looking for,
but we may find God himself in a way we didn’t expect.
We need to be like the wise men and follow our star.
What is the star for our weary soul?
It’s hope.
Real hope. It’s the the thrill of hope that allows the weary soul to rejoice.
Real hope comes with real faith and faith is our natural response to His revelation.
You can can have peace and joy and hope at all times an in every situation. It doesn’t come with sticking your head in the sand. It’s not guaranteed when it’s all rainbows and sunshine. It’s a walk of faith. The good news is God empowers us to accomplish every good work prompted by faith and our faith is our natural response to his revelation.
Let me give you a tool to help you hope when you have a weary soul.
The HOPE when it hurts tool
HOPE
H - Hold on to testimony O - Operate in reality P - Pour out your heart to God E - Engage your whole heart with hope
Let’s unpack this...
H - Hold on to testimony
Revelation 12:11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
What has God done for you in the past? What has he done for others? There is a power in story. Remember you own, engage with what others tell you. Testimony and journaling
Am I holding on to the testimony of what God has done?
O - Operate in reality
Hebrews 12:7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?
If you’re not feeling like you’ve been floundering, you either have the patience of Job or you’re ignoring the realities of today.
Advent waiting - Not “let go and let God” but “trust God and get going”
Stockdale paradox
“This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.”
Am I confronting the most brutal facts of my current reality?
P - Pour out your heart to God
Philippians 4:6-7 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Psalms of lament allow us to pour out our complaint to God. Don’t worry that you’ll offend God with the truth of your emotion. He knows better than you what you feel like.
Your feelings might not make proper theological sense, but they show you want you really believe.
Take your complaint to God. Exchange your problems for his peace. You exchange your problems for his peace with thanksgiving.
Am I making use of lament?
E - Engage your whole heart with hope
Isaiah 40:27-31 Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God’? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Decision - speak to your soul
Psalm 42:11 TPT So I say to my soul, “Don’t be discouraged. Don’t be disturbed. For I know my God will break through for me.” Then I’ll have plenty of reasons to praise him all over again. Yes, he is my saving grace!
Instead of saying “Why me?” learn to ask Holy Spirit “What do you want me to learn?”
Action - do what helps with hope
Proverbs 3:5 NLT Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Rest - Mark 48:3 Jesus took naps. Be like Jesus. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap.
Exercise - (joke) I wanted to go jogging but Proverbs 28:1 says “The wicked run when no one is chasing them” so there’s that…
Life giving relationship - Proverbs 12:25 Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.
Emotion - have peace rule in your heart
Colossians 3:15 NLT And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Nothing is worth it if it costs you your peace.
Worry isn’t worth it if it costs you your peace.
Planning isn’t worth it if it costs you your peace.
Hoping isn’t worth it if it if it costs you your peace. Real hope will give you your peace not cost you your peace.
If you don’t have peace, Ask Holy Spirit what lie you are believing…Peace and Joy and Hope come from trusting God, so if you don’t have peace and joy and hope, it’s because your believing a lie more than you’re trusting God.
Use this statement to help you define what you’re feeling…
“It might not be true, but it feels like it’s true that…”
Do I hope with my whole heart?
Max Lucado describes hope this way:
“It is a zany, unpredictable dependence on a God who loves to surprise us out of our socks and be there in the flesh to see our reaction.” (Max Lucado, God Came Near page 89)
Can your weary soul rejoice again?
Yes! Don’t let it go another day for you. Embrace the hope of God taking on flesh and camping out for a while. GOD with us!
The thrill of hope can be yours again.
Remember the Hope when it Hurts Tool
HOPE
H - Hold on to testimony - Revelation 12:11 O - Operate in reality - Hebrews 12:7 P - Pour out your heart to God - Philippians 4:6-7 E - Engage your whole heart with hope - Isaiah 40:27-31
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Can I pray?
Next Steps
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The Live LIGHT LOOP for Friday, May 31, 2024 celebrates all things Live LIGHT - including the books, and courses, and resources, and community and coaching that can be found on https://livelight.ca/ and https://revtrev.com
You were created to walk with God in the garden in the cool of the day. Sin came into the world and you bore the consequences. Jesus came and reversed the curse and took your place and invited you to take His yoke that is easy and burden that is light. You are a child of God creation longs to be revealed. You are a living light. Don’t conform but be transformed, so you can have peace and joy and hope at all times and in every situation.
Live LIGHT Academy has books and courses and resources and community and coaching to help you not conform but be transformed so you can have peace and hope and joy at all times and in every situation. What I create always needs to HELP - Honour, Empower, be Life-giving and Pleasing to God Learn more at https://www.livelight.ca/about
How do I self-identify?
I am a wisdom loving, knowledge sharing, God marvelling, life celebrating, kingdom living, soul healing, Lord seeking, gift imparting, Spirit flowing, grace knowing, irenic follower of the Way. I hold you capable and Holy Spirit trustable to finish the good work He's started in you.
Move from being easily regularly frustrated, usually feeling busy, often afraid or easily angered TO having peace at all times and in every situation. https://revtrev.link/bless
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What would it feel like to experience the truth of scripture in our emotions and what if peace ruled your heart? What if you trusted God to empower you with every good work prompted by faith? And what if you knew you lived with his yoke that is easy and a burden that is light?
You would need to discern what your emotions are telling you. I've got a tool for that.
Read the notes from Discerning the ALIAS of my Emotions Tool
Discerning the ALIAS of my Emotions Tool
You need to know how to discern what your emotions are telling you. And yes, it's time for a tool.
This is the discerning by emotion tool and we call it... ALIAS is the acronym. I don't know why I settle on acronyms, but I like them for tools.
How do we discern our emotions?
First one is ask God to ask Holy Spirit to reveal hidden sins. Do I say I believe something about you that I don't really believe? "You know God, I haven't had peace this past week. Why am I not trusting you?" "What do I say that I believe about you that I really don't believe?" The great news is Holy Spirit will show you. He loves to show us that. He will show you that. Be keen to listen.
The next part.
Look, the L is Look. Look to see what he will say. That's from Habakkuk 2:1 God tells Habakkuk to look to hear what he will... Look to see... that's from Habakkuk 2:1 The way that I use that verse is in conversational journaling. I write down a question for God. I'm in the flow of Holy Spirit. I am in his presence. And I ask him a question and then write down his response. I don't worry about it lining up with scripture. I don't worry about it aligning with my thoughts. I'm just writing as it comes to me. Afterwards I'll take that and make sure it lines up with scripture. I'll take that and make sure it lines up with the nature of God. I've been doing it for so many years. When I started, I would bring it to someone who is wiser than me and get his input on it. But I generally will do that if it's something really that I think is from God but isn't.
But...I've learned to trust that.
And it's given me great peace and an easy yoke, by the way.
Anyway,
Number three - Inquire: You ask Holy Spirit what lie you're believing. And that's a great way to do it if you're conversational journaling, "What lie am I believing?" "Why do I feel like I can't trust you to take care of this God?" "Why do I feel like I've got to do this on my own?" "Why do I feel like I'm not supported in this?" "Why?" Holy Spirit will show you.
The next phase...
You agree - with the lie you're believing. This is the confession and repentance part; confession is agreeing with God with the truth he reveals to you. That's confession. Repentance is turning around and doing the exact opposite. You can do that with Holy Spirit's help.
The S:
Final is Seek Him. And ask him for the truth if he wants you to know.
Often how this breaks down is you may have an image: "What lie are you believing?" Well, "When did I start believing that lie?" He'll take you to a memory. In that memory what's going on? Let me look. "Let me see what's going on God." What's happening in that memory? OK, "God, where are you in that memory?" "What's the truth of this that you're showing me?"
And when he reveals the truth of those situations.... those memories he wants to heal, those things that we are believing not because of this incident but because of something that happened years ago....
The interesting thing that I've found working with people around forgiveness is sometimes people can decide to forgive and they feel like they've forgiven the person. Other times they make the decision to forgive and they don't feel like they've forgiven until they actually bless the other person. Whether that's saying a blessing or if it's a safe situation they can go back and go and actually do something to bless that person—whatever Holy Spirit's telling them to do—and as long as their emotions—they're back—it's OK.
They feel like they've forgiven them.
Still other people make the decision; they do that action they bless—and yet they can't get over it; they don't feel like they've forgiven.
The only solution I've come up with is to use this tool and allow Holy Spirit to use this tool and get to the place where he will heal those former offenses that we have not forgiven. Remarkable things happen when that happens.
Other times people give up because they say they've forgiven someone and they don't feel like they've forgiven. And they take the next step and they bless someone but they don't feel like they've forgiven. And they don't know what to do for the next step—to actually feel like they've forgiven someone.
I've been talking about forgiveness, but this can happen for anything that's going on. Generally, it's a forgiveness issue.
But,
you know, we pick up offenses all the time. We pick up things that sometimes it's from good people who want us to succeed, and other times it's from evil people who want to do us harm. Sometimes it's from neglectful people who let us go.
But all of us are wounded and all of us need healing.
We need to allow Holy Spirit to heal us. We need well-healed wounds. Hurt people hurt people, but healed people heal people. And you and I need to be healed so we can help heal those around us.
So peace needs to rule our hearts, but every emotion will show us what we really believe. If you use this tool, you can find out. Let God heal those things that don't line up with the truth of scripture, those emotions that don't line up with the truth of scripture. And it'll revolutionize your life. It will transform you with Holy Spirit's help. So I would encourage you to do that. And I want to challenge you. Will you allow peace to rule and insist that the rest of your emotions serve you by showing you what you really believe? Can I pray for you?
Challenge
Will you allow peace to rule and insist that the rest of your emotions need to serve you?
Holy Spirit is very God. And there is always more to learn and experience about God. Learn more and check out the links of all the discussion on Holy Spirit on RevTrev.com.
"Last weekend someone asked me, 'Why don’t pastors seem to do sermons on the Holy Spirit anymore?'” I was a little shocked. My response was “You haven’t been listening to my podcast?” I felt I’ve always talking about Holy Spirit and His work in my life.
So as we talked, every question that came up I looked for teaching I had on it. I’m not saying it’s all complete-after all, we’re talking about God-but I think this is a good start on it.
I also realized I’ve never created a resource with everything I’ve taught on Holy Spirit, so I decided I should do this up. I will update this post over time. For now let’s start with an understanding with How Holy Spirit works in the Bible. This is from the Bible Project on YouTube.
Understand How Holy Spirit Works in the Bible
Transcript of video
The transcript is a discussion about the Holy Spirit, starting with the term's introduction and its significance in the Bible. It begins by explaining that to understand the Holy Spirit, one must start from the very beginning of the Bible. God's spirit hovers over the chaotic, uncreated world, ready to bring life, order, and beauty.
The video introduces and explains "ruach," the Hebrew word for spirit. It can mean wind, breath, or spirit, emphasizing the concept of invisible energy that is powerful and life-sustaining. This term, used in the Bible, describes God's personal presence, which, like wind and breath, is invisible yet vital and powerful.
The narrative continues by showing how God's ruach empowers individuals throughout the Bible. For instance, Joseph has the ability to interpret dreams, and Bezalel has artistic wisdom and skills. God's spirit empowers the prophets to perceive and communicate God's perspective on historical events.
The prophets also foresee a future where God's spirit will transform human hearts, enabling people to love God and others genuinely. This transformation links to Jesus arriving, as the Holy Spirit descends upon him at his baptism, marking the start of a new creation.
Jesus' ministry, his healing, and forgiveness acts demonstrate God's spirit bringing life where there was once death. Even after Jesus' death, the spirit raises him from the dead, marking the beginning of a new creation that continues as Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit onto his disciples.
In conclusion, the Holy Spirit continues to be active today, guiding people towards Jesus, transforming, and empowering them to love God and others. The Christian hope is that the spirit will complete the work, culminating in a new humanity living in a world filled with God's love and life-giving spirit. The Bible Project aims to explore such biblical themes through their videos, available for free on YouTube.
What I’ve Taught on Holy Spirit
Check out my messages and blog posts on Holy Spirit. I’ll keep this updated. Let me know if there is a specific topic you want covered in the comments.
As I’ve stated above, this list will keep on growing. If you have a topic about the Holy Spirit you’d like covered, tell me in the comments or contact me.
Applying the Gift of Faith - We'll explore how we can intentionally build our faith as we SEEK the Gift of Faith. You'll find practical insights and inspiring teachings that will help you live a faith-filled life like never before. Let this message spark your spirit and bring you closer to the Holy Spirit. Learn more today.
Read Matthew 14:22-33 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.
Gift of faith when you need it
This story preaches itself. We’ve all been asked by Jesus to step onto the waves where He is. It might be to move to a new city, or start a new job, or let your kid move around the world. Maybe it’s an illness that Jesus asks you to trust Him through, or death of loved one He’s asked you to grieve. It could be a relationship He’s told you work on. Whatever it was, the news knocked you to your knees.
And the waves were big.
But Jesus was calling you.
And like Peter walked on actual water, you walked on metaphorical water - with just as real wind and waves crashing all around.
You likely took your eyes off Jesus. The waves felt even bigger, the wind blew even harder. You felt yourself slip under the waves. But you called out to Him and He saved you and storm stopped and you.
You might have felt the chastisement “Why did you doubt me?”
Likely you just felt loved.
Today we’re talking about the gift of faith. What it is, why we need it, how to seek it and where to use it. I will encourage you to intentionally build your faith as you SEEK the gift of faith.
I think after a story like Peter’s we all agree that their will be times we all need the the gift of faith. Because when we’re walking on the water because Jesus called us out of the boat, often it’s the gift of faith that enables us to keep our eyes on Him and not on the wind and waves.
Can I pray?
Researching Applying the Gift of Faith
When I started to research this message, I wanted to find out the difference with fruit of the spirit called faith (or faithfulness) and the gift of the spirit called faith. Because fruit grows, but gifts we need to eagerly desire and it seems like there should be difference.
It turns out the same word is used for both - and faith is more complicated than I wanted to assume. I should have known.
I knew when it comes to faith in healing that faith is needed for healing - but faith can come from the person being prayed for (Matthew 9:22, Mark 10:52) or needing healing (Acts 5:15-16) , or the person praying (Acts 3:16), or the parent of the one needing healing (Mathew 8:13) , or the friends of the one needing healing (Acts 14:9-10). Faith can come from the spoken word (Acts 14:9-10) and sometimes faith can even speed up God’s timing (Matthew 15:22-28). So it’s good to be persistent (Luke 18:1-8).
But the more I studied faith in God, the more I realized it’s about as complicated as talking about the Triune Nature of the Godhead.
I’ll try to clear it up for you a bit today. Remember to intentionally build your faith as you SEEK the gift of faith.
What is faith?
The Greek word for faith is πίστις.
It’s used everywhere. πίστις is used to describe faith in God and Jesus Christ, trust and confidence, a gift from God, a fruit of the Spirit. It leads to salvation, an active and ongoing response, and a community and doctrine
Let me try to organize this for you.
Everything you probably need to know about Faith in the New Testament
Faith pleases God - Hebrews 11:6
Faith is confidence - Hebrews 11:1
Faith as small as a mustard seed is all we need - Matthew 17:14-20
Faith is belief - Romans 10:9-10
Faith is belief in the nature of God - John 14:1
The righteousness of God is revealed from faith and for faith. Romans 1:17
Faith is belief in the promises of God - Romans 4:20-21
Faith is lived belief - Matthew 7:21
Faith is a fight - 2 Corinthians 11:23-28
Faith without works is dead - James 2:17
He empowers us to accomplish every good work prompted by faith 2 Thessalonians 1:11
Faith is how we overcome the world - 1 John 5:4
Faith lived out over time is faithfulness - Matthew 25:21
Faith that is faithfulness needs to joined with love - 1 Corinthians 13:2
Faith and love is armour for us to be clearheaded - 1 Thessalonians 5:8
Faith expressing itself in love is the the only thing that matters - Galatians 5:6
We are saved by grace through faith, but not our own. - Ephesians 2:8-9
We are to live by faith. - Habakkuk 2:4
Faith also explains what we believe - Ephesians 4:13 (+21 times)
Faith that explains what we believe needs to be contended for - Jude 1:3
Faith will be tested, and that’s a good thing - James 1:2-3
People can become obedient to the faith. Acts 6:7
People can remain true to the faith. Acts 14:22
Churches can be strengthened in the faith. Acts 16:5
People can be weak in the faith - Romans 14:1
People can fall away from the faith - 1 Timothy 4:1
So we need to be on our guard and stand firm in our faith - 1 Corinthians 16:13
Faith is a fruit that grows. Galatians 5:22-23
Faith is a gift we need to seek. 1 Corinthians 12:9
Faith is a gift that activates and expands the others gifts. Romans 12:6
I want to spend some time unpacking those last two revelations of faith. Faith is a fruit that grows and Faith is a gift we need to SEEK
But before we get to that lets talk about…
7 Reasons why we need a vibrant and growing faith
Salvation (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9).
Prayer (Mark 11:24; James 1:6).
Victory over challenges (1 John 5:4; Hebrews 11:33-34).
Living a righteous life (Romans 1:17; Hebrews 11:8).
Endurance (Hebrews 10:36; James 1:12).
Spiritual growth (2 Peter 1:5-7; Hebrews 6:1-3).
For using and expanding Spiritual Gifts (Romans 12:6)
Understanding Faith as Fruit
Fruit grows… we keep away the bad stuff, we emphasize the good stuff. Like produces like. It’s going to happen, because you’ve come to faith in Christ the fruit of faith will grow in your life.
How do we grow the fruit of faith
Galatians 5 tells us to Keep in STEP with the Spirit
S - Sanctify yourself for freedom
In freedom we serve one another in love 5:13
Do I use my freedom to serve others in love?
T - Turn from doing things your own way
We let the Spirit guide our lives 5:16
Do I let Holy Spirit guide my life?
E - Engage with what the Spirit wants
Don’t do what the sinful nature craves. 5:17-18
Do I live like I know His grace is sufficient for me?
P - Progress to be more and more like Jesus
Nail the passion and desires of our sinful nature to the cross 5:24
Do I use the same power the raised Christ Jesus from the dead to give life to me?
Do this and fruit will grow. Take away the bad stuff, emphasize the good stuff. Like produces like. You are a new creation in Christ. He will finish the good work He’s started in you. You will look more and more like Jesus… Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and goodness, faith, gentleness and self control will grow and grow in you.
As we keep in STEP with Holy Spirit we naturally become more and more like Jesus.
But the gift of faith is something else.
I mean, it’s the same word, we just experience it differently.
Fruit grow over time, gifts are given and it can be “Now”.
Our role is different. We’re told to eagerly desire (ei, SEEK) the gifts we need in the moment.
Faith is a Gift we SEEK
The "gift of faith" refers to a special spiritual ability given by Holy Spirit to an individual to believein Him, His promises, and His power and His love with unwavering confidence.
It is a supernatural enablement to trust in God's truth and rely on His guidance and provision in all circumstances.
The gift of faith empowers believers to step out in obedience, face trials with courage, and see beyond what is visible to what God has promised.
Do you need
to believein Him, His promises, and His power and His love?
to trust in God's truth and rely on His guidance and provision?
to step out in obedience, face trials with courage?
Then you need the gift of faith. Intentionally build your faith as you SEEK the gift of faith.
Sometimes we have this inexplicable way of knowing something is going to happen. That it doesn’t matter if no one agrees with us we know that it’s going to happen. It doesn’t even matter if the situation we’re in doesn’t change right away, we know it’s going to happen.
We know it’s His will and that God is working it all out for the good of those He calls. And we have peace and joy and overflow with hope because we supernaturally know God’s will is going to be done.
We probably need to do some stuff, but we know it’s going to happen. We know he’ll empower us to accomplish every good work prompted by our faith.
That the gift of faith.
It can come in an instant and change us forever. It can’t be earned, but it should be sought. We know when we have it but it’s tough to explain it to someone who sees only the waves and not Jesus who called us.
What does the gift of faith look like?
Think of Paul and Silas in prison. Tell story Act 16:16-26
16 One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” 18 This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her. 19 Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. 20 “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials. 21 “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.” 22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. 24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. 25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!
The chains of all the prisoner fell off!
The gift of faith looks counterintuitive and results in the chains falling off prisoners.
How many agree the greater gift we sometimes need is the gift of faith?
So I want you to know how to SEEK the gift of Faith. So you’ll know how to intentionally build your faith as you SEEK the gift of faith.
How to SEEK Any Gift
S - Seriously Desire
E - Embrace Activating by Faith
E - Experiment Inside the Church
K - Keep in Step with Holy Spirit
How to SEEK the Gift of Faith
S - Seriously Desire - Hebrews 11:6
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6
In context of 1 Corinthians 12 - 14, the greatest gift is the gift in the moment. When we are gathered, the greatest need is for edification, exhortation and comfort, so the greatest gift that Paul mentions is prophecy. When you’re alone you need to build yourself up, so Paul wished that everyone would speak in tongues, because when you speak in tongues you build yourself up.
When do you know you need the gift of faith?
Have you ever prayed the prayer of the father of boy who the disciples couldn’t help “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24? If you’ve never prayed that, you will. That is when you know you need the gift of faith. The father didn’t know what he needed, but he knew his son needed to be free and maybe Jesus could help.
Am I seriously desiring the gift of faith?
E - Embrace Activating by Faith - James 2:26
Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. James 2:26
How do you active faith by faith?
That is the question I’ve been wrestling with. Do you want the short answer?
You active the gift of faith by faith by stepping out in faith.
Now, the good news is you’re primed the pump for faith.
You confessed with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believed in your heart God has raised Him from the dead. You have a measure of faith.
Holy Spirit is growing His fruit in you and making you more and more like Jesus, and one of the fruits is faith. He’s priming the pump for the gift.
You have been given a measure of faith. It’s what you do with it that increases it. With the measure you have you can use all the other gifts. If you prophesy, you prophesy with the level of faith you have.
The gift of faith is not convincing yourself that something is going happen…Praying and studying scripture and hanging around people of faith will all increase your faith…but that’s not the gift of faith.
Intentionally build your faith as you SEEK the gift of faith. But understand the process of building our faith, is not the gift of faith.
All those things may prepare you to step out in faith and that step of faith may activate the gift of faith.
There’s no way to systemize this. I’ve seen people who’ve never prayed, step out in faith and pray to Jesus for the time and Holy Spirit shows up changes them. I’ve seen faithful saints call out and call out and call out and the gift of faith doesn’t arrive. Holy Spirit gives the gift of Faith just as he wants to. But if you need to gift of faith, SEEK the gift of faith.
The gift of faith is not tied to our faithfulness it’s all about His grace. We are saved by grace, through faith— that is a gift from God. Not by works. What’s a gift from God? Grace and faith.
The Holy Spirit gives the gifts of faith. Our job is to eagerly desire. So know we will need to step out in faith to eagerly desire the gift of faith.
He will not force the gift of faith on us.
Am I willing to step out in faith?
E - Experiment Inside the Church - James 5:13-15
Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. James 5:13-15
Practice your faith in the church by praying in faith for others.
Will I experiment with my faith inside the church?
K - Keep in Step with Holy Spirit - James 1:2-3
In the day to day of everyday your faith will be tested.
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. James 1:2-3 NLT
The testing of our faith allows endurance to grow. Your faith will be tested, so consider it all joy.
How do you use the gift of faith outside the walls of the gathered church?
Well, as your faith grows, your faith shows. Others see your good works and glorify your father in heaven. If they see the fruit, they can’t help but see the gift.
When I’ve seen the gift of faith in action, there’s an assurance in that person and they don’t need to convince anyone what they know to be true. It could change what they say yes to and no to. It energizes their prayers. They encourage people more freely. It’s not like you can easily keep good news in.
When you get the gift of faith, people who know you, know something is different.
Will I ready to give a reason for the hope that I have, with gentleness and respect?
Where to use the gift of Faith - Challenge
Do you realize the gift of faith is given for the common good of all of us?
When I see you operating the gift of faith, it encourages me to seek the gift of faith for my own situation.
If God is doing it for you, He will do it for me. Seeing the gift of faith active in you, reminds me God is good and in a good mood. I get to celebrate the good news with you before it comes.
It’s when I hear you pray like the psalmist “I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, so I will be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” And it’s when I hear you testify like Jeremiah “yet I call this to mind and therefore I have hope… the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases…” Or it’s when I see you putting one step in front of the other as the waves crash around you and all you see is Jesus. That’s when your gift of faith builds my faith and makes me want to seek the gift of faith.
The challenge is to put something in your rhythm—or keep doing that thing in your rhythm—that builds your faith and primes the pump for the gift of faith. I realize that the gift of faith can come before any pump ever being primed. I can’t control Holy Spirit, but I can take away the bad stuff, emphasize the good stuff and know the fruit of faith will growth. In time, I can have a similar result.
Intentionally build your faith as you SEEK the gift of faith.
Remember
How to SEEK the gift of Faith
S - Seriously Desire - Hebrews 11:6
E - Embrace Activating by Faith - James 2:26
E - Experiment Inside the Church - James 5:13-15
K - Keep in Step with Holy Spirit - James 1:2-3
The Gift of Faith is a given for the common good of all of us.
Can I pray?
So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 2 Thessalonians 1:11
