BLESSED WITH FAITHFUL ABRAHAM

The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1 thus, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” And in Romans 10:17 the Bible says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” If you want to live a victorious life, you must discipline yourself to hear the word of God because faith is the victory that overcomes the world. You must come to a place in your life where you are disciplined enough to stay and hear the word of God. So many of us do not have that patience, we can’t stay to listen to the word of God or even study the word of God for some time; but that is where the victory is. The life God wants us to live is a life of faith because He is a God of faith.

A Christian life is a life of faith, a life of the supernatural. A Christian is not supposed to live an ordinary life. Faith is not of the law, everybody that exercised faith in the law got results. By faith Moses offered the Passover and he was able to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt to the promise land. He didn’t see it but he believed and got the result. Faith is not of the law, faith is of God; the Bible says in Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

The Bible made us to understand that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God – Romans 10:17. He didn’t say faith comes by hearing analogies, or hearing the voice of men or the traditions and doctrines of men. Faith only comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, which means every other thing cannot give faith except by the word of God. So, you can’t have faith without taking out time every day to hear and study the word of God. Apostle Paul says in Hebrews 5:11, “Of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.” He says he has come to understand that so many of us are not eager to hear the word of God, we are not eager to study; but we can hear politics and the things of the world, because many are dull of hearing. There are divine secrets God wants to expose to you but you are dull of hearing; you don’t want to listen. It is in the hearing of the word that you have insight. You have a challenge, hear the word of God; nothing challenges the word of God. The Bible spoke of a Child in the book of Mark who was brought to the disciples to cast out the devil in him, but the disciples couldn’t cast the devil out. So Jesus came into the scene and they brought him to Jesus. Mark 9:20-23 the Bible says, “And they brought him unto him: and when they saw him, straightway the spirit tare him: and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And oftentimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” When I read verse 22 the Holy Ghost directed my attention to this question “...if thou canst do anything?” Because he does not have the knowledge of the word of God. He didn’t have knowledge of who Jesus was. He had not come to understand that Jesus is the Lord of Lords. He didn’t know the capacity of Jesus, he had no faith. He had not heard enough to believe that Jesus can do all things. Then take a look at Jesus’s response in verse 23, “If you can believe, all things are possible to you who believes.” Do you believe?.

The Bible says in Galatians 3:7-11 says, “Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.” So many Christians only see faith as a tool or a means of getting something from God. Faith is not just a tool; it is more than a tool. It is a lifestyle, the Bible says, “Now the just shall live by faith...” Hebrews 10:38. The Christian life is supposed to be a life of faith. The life of a believer is not supposed to be ordinary because you are to live by faith. The Bible makes it clear that Abraham was a man of faith and if you are of faith then you are Abraham’s child. If you are walking by faith then you are blessed.

When you look carefully at Galatians 3:9, it says, “So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.” There are two keys words there, ‘faith’ and ‘faithful.’ Abraham operated faith and he was faithful. faith is a lifestyle, it is not what you exercise once in a while. Faith should be how you live your life daily, that is what makes you faithful; that is how Abraham lived. Your daily consistent faith is what makes you faithful. What kind of faithfulness did Abraham express? Genesis 12:1-4, “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.” What did Abraham do? He obeyed; faith is obedience to the word of God. Faith is not just for receiving, when God speaks to you to do something, you don’t have to see it, and you don’t have to feel or think about it, all you have to do is obey. Your obedience is faith. Look at more of the faithfulness of Abraham in Genesis 17, He was consistent in obedience to God, he never gave up. He continued, he was sure, fully persuaded and convinced about God. That is where God wants you to get to; to be full persuaded about Him. The challenge so many Christians are facing is that they are trying to figure out what God has instructed them to do. No, it doesn’t work that way. Abraham was faithful in his faith to God all through his life, he never sought for alternatives, he never compromised his faith, he chose to believe God. See how faithful Abraham was in Genesis 22:1-2, “And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.” Imagine yourself in this position, this is a child you have be praying and wishing for, the son God promised you over the years, the son you finally got at old age. Now God is asking for you to sacrifice the son, will you be found faithful? Do you know what? Abraham obeyed, and then I thought to myself, Abraham was a dead man. It takes a dead man to operate faith. He was fully persuaded about God. That is why the Bible calls him faithful Abraham. (Genesis 22). May God find you faithful in the name of Jesus.

God said something in 1st Corinthians 4:2, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” To be faithful is to be stedfast. Faithfulness is what is required of you in all that you do, not the world way but in our faith. It is required that you are faithful, no matter the stake, no matter the persecution, no matter the challenge or difficulty. Abraham was a man like you, full of challenges with contrary thoughts passing through his mind everyday but Abraham consistently followed God. Romans 4:17-22 says, “(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.” It was natural for Abraham to feel hopeless, and to feel that something is wrong. He was well advanced in age with no child with his wife Sarah; “But Abraham who against hope believed in hope.” He believed in the promises of God without wavering that was his faith. His faith gave substance to hope. No matter the circumstance in the flesh, no matter the thoughts the devil put in his mind he still believed, he staggered not despite the doubts that came in his mind but he was strong in faith that is why God called him faithful Abraham. God is telling you, consider not the situation you are going through, don’t give it a thought. Instead cast all your worries, anxiety upon Jesus for He cares for you. Choose to take the word of God as it is. Hold on till the change you desire show up, don’t give up, endure till the end. 2nd Timothy 2:3 says, “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” The Bible says you are a good soldier of Christ and because you are a good soldier of Christ, you should endure hardness. The job you desire has not come yet, doesn’t mean it won’t come. The money you need for that project has not come yet doesn’t mean it won’t come. It will come but endure, patiently wait; “...Through faith and patience they obtained the promise.” Hebrews 6:12. You don’t give God time, you don’t time God. God has set everything at the appropriate time and when it happens you will smile. It is never late with God. When Lazarus died, Mary and Martha thought that was the end. They thought their brother can’t rise again. Jesus was four days late which means decomposition has started. When somebody dies the cells have stop operating which means there is no life in them, all organs have stopped working. We’ve heard testimonies of people coming back to life after twenty-four hours but in this case Jesus showed up four days after he had died, decomposition had already begun but when He came the miracle showed up; He is never too late. Lazarus came out without smell, active, no brain damage, no deformity that is the power of the word of God. If you believe, it will change your life.

God rewards faith; because of the faith of Abraham, God counted him righteous. Act your faith, be faithful. Don’t give up. No matter what the economy is saying, no matter what the situation is saying be faithful. Hold on till the word comes to pass in your life. The word of God cannot lie; it is the same yesterday, today and forever.

God bless you. See you on next month's edition.