Perseverance: this is a major issue for us; our faith has to face a test. James is not talking about a gift of faith, but the very faith in God which is the foundation of our salvation; we are saved by faith. James is talking about the testing of the very essence of our salvation. This is the whole theme of this first chapter. The testing of our faith in the very promises of God.
Are you in a valley?
'The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures... Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me...' The 'valley of the shadow' is more literally translated as, where the light of the sun is cut off. I want to tell you: wherever you are, whatever your trial, no matter the problem - even if you feel the light of the sun is cut off - God will not fail you.
The Lord will answer your prayer
There are periods in our lives when it seems God is not answering. But that does not mean God is not there, that He’s not listening. My father always used to say, that in the laws of physics, every action has a reaction. Every wave is followed by a trough. And every tough is followed by a wave. He taught me, our emotions and experiences vary. But under pressure, we mustn’t think God is not listening to us. The communist prison was the worst time in my life – yet God used it to work one of the biggest miracles in my life! When I look back, I thank God for that time! Like Habakkuk, there are times when we have to go through the despair, “How long will I cry and You will not hear?!”
God is calling us to trust Him
God is calling us to trust Him! I ask myself sometimes, which was the greater miracle, the children of Israel crossing of the Red Sea on dry land, or the total destruction of the crack troops of the elite Egyptian army, chariots and horses that raced in after them – it was like drowning tanks! So here, in Numbers 14, God is saying, “I performed all these miracles and still these people don’t trust in Me.” God is always demonstrating His Power, always calling us to trust Him – and He never, ever fails!
To me, the story of the 12 spies sent to spy out the Promised Land is a tremendous challenge to my faith. The children of Israel were still in the wilderness, and it had taken them a long time to get to this place. Now the command of the Lord to Moses is to pick twelve representatives from each of the twelve tribes, and to send them to see for themselves what the future was. I find this very interesting, because they were actually sent out to see the future! - And the level of their trust in God would affect whether they received the promise or not.
Standing on the Promises of God
If you can believe just one of God’s Promises, if you can believe even just part of God’s Word – then I challenge you to believe the whole! I believe the Bible from cover to cover, I believe it is the inspired Word of God. I’m challenging you to have that confidence that God CANNOT and WILL NOT and DOES NOT FAIL! There’s an old song, ‘Standing on the Promises of God’! That’s what we have to do! Don’t go back to ‘Egypt’, don’t go back to the strength of the horses and the chariots – let’s stand absolutely firm on the Authority and Power of God’s Promises! And if you are going to believe just one, why not believe them all?
The more difficult the situation the greater the Power of God
We are living through a very critical time but let me encourage you: the more difficult the situation, the greater the Power of God. When you are in tribulation, when all the problems of life have come upon you; you will find God if you search for Him from just where you are! I want you to reach out to Jesus today; seek Him from where you are; and when you do, you will find He is not far from you.
The joy of answered of prayer
Oh the joy of answered prayer; the relief of burdens lifted and the excitement of new beginnings. We have a God of power, glory and miracles - He is a prayer-answering God. We can all have this relationship with Him. If you are sick, or crippled, in despair, alone, whoever you are, wherever you are - God will hear you, God will answer your prayer like He has answered mine! It is not about religion; it is not about ceremony - it is about finding a new reality, a new relationship with Jesus. I know God is alive and delights in answering our prayers.
The Bread of Life
Our life is in Christ, He is our source and provider: we live by the Words which proceed out of the mouth of God. In John 6:35, Jesus says, “I am the Bread of Life, whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.” To have Christ is have all that we need for life.
Miracles don't come easy
You can’t have miracles without first having problems; that is why I always say miracles don’t come easily. Twice God has healed me of cancer; He’s released me from a communist prison. Suppose I never had these problems, that God spared me the pain, I would not have the ministry I have today. God doesn’t send the sickness, but He will use it for good: “This happened so that the works of God might be displayed” (John 9.3). Lessons from 70 years of ministry: 'For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance.' (Part 9)
My mountain was lung cancer
I believe in prayer and in a God of miracles. But in 2002 I was faced with a challenge: do I really believe God or not? Diagnosed with lung cancer, my only hope was Jesus. I didn’t go to a healing evangelist, I went to the Word of God and He completely healed me - no operation, no treatment - I only had God and the Bible, and that’s all I needed to confound the doctors. They were shocked, they didn’t believe God. But I do, I believe in a God of power and of miracles. Healing, deliverance, forgiveness are yours to receive in the Name of Jesus… stop struggling and come into His arms! Talk to Jesus. He’s listening. Ask Him to forgive your sin and to heal you. He loves you; He’ll answer! Lessons from 70 years of ministry: 'For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance.' (Part 8)