Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Spiritual Foundations Pt.1

We'll go to Hebrews chapter 11. I want to talk a little bit about faith. It's been a long time since we've taught on the subject of faith itself. Of course, it's involved in every teaching we do, because we're a people that walk by faith and not by sight. Amen? It's who we are. It's the way we live. It's natural to us. Because the laws that we're walking in, in this kingdom are contradictory to everything that's in the natural. There's nothing that's natural to our walk, it's a supernatural walk, it's a spiritual walk. I want to refresh our thinking on what Father's expecting of us, because without faith it's, say it with me, impossible to please God. We want to make sure that we're walking in biblical faith and that our lives are pleasing God, and that the process that we're involved in in our pursuit, is one that's acceptable. So we have to understand what biblical faith really is then.

Of course, in Hebrews chapter 11 is the classic, probably the greatest, attempt at defining faith in all of the Scriptures. I don't know if you can actually, totally define it to where it's something that we can comprehend, because I think it takes faith to understand faith. But yet the Scripture does reveal to us most of the elements that are involved in being able to touch the heart of God, and being able to walk in a manner that's pleasing to Him. Hebrews chapter 11 verse one the classic verse that we've all memorized. I'd say almost every person in this room knows this passage of Scripture. As the apostle's speaking to us here, we understand that in his declaration he's saying, I want you to really understand the spiritual force, and what is necessary to affect the promises of God that have been given to you. Understand this: faith is the substance of things hoped for; it's the evidence of things not seen.

So we're being called into a realm of the unseen. We're being called into that that isn't able to be discerned by the five senses. You can't touch it, you can't see it, taste it, smell it. Faith is that that is appropriated only by promise, and the source of all of our faith is the promises of God, or the Word of God, because Romans says, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. So the source of faith is the Word of God or the promises of God. The consequence of those promises are that they generate in those of us, who are believers, an expectation of that promise being fulfilled. Faith always has an expectation of the promise manifesting in time and space, but as you read Hebrews, you'll find out that sometimes the promise manifests in eternity. True faith, I'm going to say it again because this is my primary concern for us as a fellowship, true faith always expects an instantaneous manifestation of the promise of God in the realm of time and space, but rests on the sovereignty of God to affect it in eternity. Let me put it back to a practical way. That's a good definition; it's something that you can work off of, but let me make it a little more practical. Beloved don't come to the place where you're ever satisfied just saying, "well, I guess it's not going to happen," or "if God wants it to happen, it will happen." Faith is always active. Faith is always believing. Faith is always hoping favorably, expecting at any moment. So let me ask you this evening, have you lost your faith? Have you lost faith for your healing? Have you lost faith for the miraculous and whatever the need is in your life, the restoration of a loved one, or the revelation of God, and an understanding of Him of faith to be able to see your flesh brought into subjection into full biblical sanctification? Have you just come to the place where you're saying, "well, if it's going to happen, it's going to happen?" That doesn't please God; it's not biblical faith. We can never resign ourselves to anything less than God's promised. If you do, you're not in faith. So whatever it is that God has given you a promise for, let me ask you something, has it been stolen from you?

You know, some of us have been waiting a long time for the manifestation of this thing. In my own life, I've been believing God for things physically for healing in my life for years, and years, and it hasn't manifested yet. You can get to the place where you just kind of learn to cope, and you're going along. Faith, beloved, is to be active. It's never to resign itself to anything less than what God has promised. Now what we have to be careful of is that we don't fall under condemnation, that we don't begin to try to affect things, and presume upon God in the natural. Listen, hoping is sufficient, but have you lost your hope? You see too many of us react from one to the other; we go from just resigning ourselves into some type of presumptuous action. "I'm not going to take my insulin anymore. I'm not going to wear my glasses anymore." Well then, let somebody else drive, please. There may be times when God speaks to an individual to make that type of a move, but it's the exception not the rule. When he does, you'll find that most of the time there will a quick work that manifests itself. Whenever the salve is put into the eyes or the anointing is put into the eyes; the prayer then is effectual but not complete, and you say, "I see men as trees walking." You most likely will not have to go months and months, and years, and years mistaking men, and trees. Okay, and attend Mr. Magoo Assembly. You'll find that when God speaks into those areas that we would call extraordinary, you're going to find a quick work. But biblical faith that doesn't experience the miraculous or quick work, never loses it's hope. It never loses it's immediate expectation, and in fact is even willing to die not having received, but dies in faith. The day you die, you're expecting it just like the first day God promised it to you. Isn't that where you want to walk?

Yet when these things drag out, it's tough, man, to keep that kind of an attitude, an intensity, an expectation isn't it? But the reason it is is because so often we resign ourselves and forget to stir up the promises through the Word of God. We resign ourselves, not only resign ourselves, we try to sometimes make excuses because of a misunderstanding of what faith is, and think, well if I keep studying, or thinking, or meditating, or speaking the promise of God, and it doesn't manifest that's going to look bad on God, and it's going to look bad on me. Not if you understand what biblical faith is all about. So faith is the substance of things hoped for. Let's take a look at this again for many of us it will be review, for some of us it's going to be revelation. Let's let the Spirit of God speak to us again, and stir up those promises that are within us. The word "substance" here, of course, is a unique word in the Greek, it's only used a handful of times. It really talks about a substrata or a foundation. Faith is the foundation on which our hope is built. Now there's another word that's compatible with this and in many ways in application it's synonymous but not in the words themselves, because this can be rendered actually "assurance." Now we know pistos, faith in the Greek, is translated "assurance" also. This is a different assurance, this is the source of that assurance. Faith is the substance, the source, the foundation, the assurance of what we are hoping for, or the better rendition is as many of us know is favorably expecting. Hope is favorable expectation. Hope is favorable expectation. I'm expecting God's promise to manifest. The good things of God to manifest themselves in my life.

So we realize then that faith and hope are these twin forces that compliment, and that support one another in our lives. There's too many people that think they're in faith because they've memorized Scripture, but there's no hope in their hearts. Because see, if there's hope in your heart, there's something that accompanies hope and that's joy, it's peace, it's rest. We're going to see as we go on into the study, you see, that there's a studying, a laboring to enter into rest. If you haven't ceased from your own labors, if your mind is still not resigned to why hasn't this manifested yet, why isn't God, how come God's failed me surely, and all of this confusion, then you're not moving in biblical faith beloved. You're still in works. You're still trying to somehow manipulate the circumstances. You're worried about your reputation or you're more caught up in your own comfort zone then you are in just walking in the spirit, and believing what God's promised. Because those that come to God must believe that He is and that He's a rewarder of those that are diligently seeking Him. You see, if you're anxious, you don't believe God's wanting to honor His name and fulfill His role of Father, and give us all things that pertain to life, and godliness in Christ Jesus. We don't really then believe that it's His good pleasure to give us the kingdom. We don't really believe that if we being carnal know how to give good gifts that our heavenly Father's going to give good gifts to us. So we say we believe, but there's no hope. Now the expectation is not just the manifestation of the promise, but hope is also in the process. I can hope in the process. I hope in the goodness of God. I have now spiritual understanding that just the awareness of the goodness of God, the love of God, the desire of my Father to do that for me, means more to me than the gift. Have you realized that in your own life really with your own parents or friends?

We say it so often at Christmas. I guess people say it and don't mean it. "Oh, the thought is what really counts." Cheap skate. Does the thought really count? Is that what it's all about or is it that you really feel better in your body? Is it the thought, is it the fact that Jesus died, and that He was bruised for our iniquities? The chastisement of our peace was upon Him and with His stripes we're healed. Does the thought count the fact that it's done in the spirit realm, that Jesus became sin with our sin, sick with our sickness, and it hasn't manifested yet? Can we rejoice in the thought, in the provision, in the promise as much as when it manifests? You see too many of us wait to praise and dance our little jig when the pain leaves our body. How about doing it now on the promise, on the expectation, on finally maturing enough to be touched with the heart of God, and have the assurance of what I haven't yet seen? Now that's biblical faith. So the promises are diverse. I don't know what you're praying about, and believing for individually at this time, how long you've been waiting, whether it's sanctification, whether it's something that has to do with physical healing, the salvation of loved ones, whatever it is, but the principles are the same. So when the apostle writes to us here, he makes it very clear that true faith is sufficient evidence. That word "evidence," it's really an interesting word. It just means, "to expose or to provide proof." You know, the old Perry Mason movie, or Colombo, or whatever it is. There's always the twist, and they come in with the evidence, and there it is at the last minute. So here's the proof. In the natural, we want forensic evidence. We want something that you can put under a microscope. Now we have all of the new DNA testing. It's interesting to me that they're digging people up now and doing DNA tests on people that have been buried, and decomposed, and are able now through this forensic evidence to actually solve cases that they couldn't solve before. There's evidence. There's proof to that promise being a reality, and that proof is the promise being sufficient, because of our understanding of the character of our God, the One that promised.

It's all about His Word being true. Tragically today very few people you can take at their word. It's a rare thing anymore to find somebody that just tells the truth and what they say is how it's going to be. I always like it when I hear people say, "now wait a minute, now this is the truth!" What you're telling me is most of what you say isn't and now you're really wanting to impress me with this being true. It's like swearing on the temple. Let your yea be yea and your nay be nay and everything else precedes from evil. God's Word is true, and we're to rest in It. Faith is that substance then that assurance of what we are favorably expecting, and it is the evidence, the proof of what hasn't been perceived by the natural senses of things not seen. I believe more in what God promised then what I'm seeing or feeling. The promise is more real than the pain. That's a tough one isn't it?

I'm in pain right now. I'm always in pain. I haven't been out of pain for thirty years. Whenever it manifests it's going to wake me up. Nothing's hurting. Now when you make the statement that the promise is more real than the pain that's quite a statement especially depending on how much pain you're in. See, I'm not in extreme pain; I'm just in constant pain. Everything hurts. Knees hurt, back hurts, neck hurts, hands hurt, but it's something that you get used to and you just hurt. Sometimes it hurts worse than others. Sometimes you can't move. You all know what that's like right? You're on the floor and you can't get up. "I've fallen and I can't get up." There's times when the back doesn't work and you have to pull yourself up off the ground just to get up on your feet. The pain's so bad you can't stand. But that doesn't last long, a few days or whatever most of the time, and then that goes away, and then it just hurts. So it's no big deal. You get used to that and you resign yourself to it. If you're not careful, then you've moved out of faith. I've done that in my own life in these last years. I've really in the last years, I've stopped believing God to be healed. Believe in healing, but I've not been believing God to be healed. In that believing, it's been in different applications of intensity, but not constant like it should be. Because now I'm believing God for something else and our focus changes. I've been using most of my believing lately on Africa, okay. So since I've been using most of my believing on Africa, my back's been hurting. Now wait a minute, surely there's some way to believe for everything at one time. Not being greedy just wanting to take care of everything. It's called the rest. It's the ceasing from our own labors, and this is what I want to talk about in the next sessions to come that there's a place where we can enter into that rest to where we're not isolated on certain specific needs that limit our expectation in other areas. Realizing that God does emphasize certain things in our lives that are emphasized expectations that He has us moving in, and is gracing us, and gifting us to believe for at that time, but that manifesting should not affect the rest of faith. Whenever we've lost that other expectation, it's because we've resigned ourselves in that area.

So I want get us to stir up our hearts, many of us, and to say, you know, I think maybe I've been there. Anybody besides me think that maybe you've been that way in some area of your life recently, anybody else? You just kind of resigned yourself. It's just, you know, okay, I believe that that's going to happen, but it hasn't yet. So if God wants to, but there's other stuff I've got to do. So we want to find that biblical principle of rest without resigning ourselves to living without the promise manifesting. So that's our goal; that's what we're after here in this little study on spiritual foundation of faith. Faith being the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Realizing that without faith, Hebrews 11, verse six says, "...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." So there's a key word now. The thing that many times allows us to lapse into resigning ourselves to our circumstances is that we've lost our diligent pursuit. He's a rewarder of those that what? Diligently are pursuing Him or seeking Him. So the word "diligence" talks about, many times we just think that it's making reference to the zeal, how zealously we're doing it. I'm doing it twenty hours a day now, man, I'm really diligently seeking God. Zeal is part of diligence but I want you to see a more important part of it. Get this in your notes, and that's how earnest you are. Not just how zealous, but how earnest. How "in earnest" am I? Now there's a third definition here, earnest, zealous, and then there's a third one, hasty. We're to seek Him the Scripture says what? Early. How hasty are we? Are we seeking God quickly in this situation? Zealously, hastily, and earnestly. I'm not going through the motions. It's not just because it's in my doctrine that I believe this, I'm earnest. Because of the Word of God I've been a recipient now of Rhema: a spoken word into my heart. The Spirit has made the promise real to me, and I believe it, praise God. I'm earnest in this. There's no way you're going to convince me that this is not God's will for my life. That's the diligent pursuit of God. Now as soon a word comes to us in that way for whatever these areas are, what does the Bible say happens? As soon as that faith comes and the word's impregnated into our spirit what happens? Satan comes immediately to take it out. So we have to be on guard because you see what happens is, once that's stirred, and that faith rises, Satan wants to come and pull that thing out so that you and I resolve ourselves back to the daily grind. Instead of now with that expectation and that zeal that's in there, and now that favorable expectation creating in us joy, creating praise and worship which is what sets the environment for the miraculous because God inhabits the praises of His people. That worship comes, beloved, when we delight more in the heart than in the manifestation, the thought, the affection, the love. As we come into that type of an environment and are able to worship and trust God we're in an environment, an atmosphere for the miraculous to happen.

So as this eleventh chapter of Hebrews goes on, it gives us a couple of incidents of people who were moving in this kind of biblical faith. We see the first, of course, being in verve four about Abel and the more excellent sacrifice, and that that was acceptable. Enoch the man who walked with God and was not. We don't understand a lot about these. We have a glimpse. We're seeing through a glass darkly the lives of these individuals, but the one thing we do know as you study this out, and we're not going to emphasize this right now but, the one thing you do know is that in all of these lives there's always the key ingredient to knowing whether you're walking in faith or not and that's obedience. You obey not knowing where you're going. The life of Abraham begins to really give us a clearer understanding of what was working in the lives of Abel and Enoch. There were things that they were asked to do that they didn't understand the ramifications of everything but they obeyed. We do it because God said to do it.

In Abraham we begin to see these promises manifesting. Verse eight. "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." You see we don't know when we're in faith what the end of this is going to be in this life. Am I going to get an instant miracle or am I going to have to just die in faith. I don't know that when the promise comes I'm expecting. What do you expect when God gives you a promise? What do you expect? I expect an instantaneous manifestation of what God had said. Now if God was to speak to me and say, "okay here's something that I'm promising you but it's not going to happen for twenty years." Then that's His word to me, and I can't expect it to happen today. I will rest on that promise and say praise God twenty years from now. We see that in the life of Abraham don't we? He's believing, he's believing, he's believing, he's expecting, and then God says, next year. Many times as we're walking in faith and it's not manifesting, beloved, as you continue in faith, and there's the favorable expectation, and there's the worship, expect the word to come tomorrow at this time. Whew glory! Amen? Now you won't always get a word that tells you, "tomorrow at this time" sometimes it will just happen. You don't even know how. Didn't affect my life one way or another except to really help me understand this principle that I'm talking about: of just resting, and walking, and not knowing.

A number of years ago, I can't remember when it was. I don't even remember-- I think it was this thumb, I had a real large wart. I think it was this thumb and it was one of those that it was getting larger, and larger, and the top kept getting scuffed off. It was one of those that was really nice and hard, and you could sand with it and stuff. It was kind of a neat tool to have around at times. You know, when you clip your fingernails [you could file them on the wart]. So I said, you know, "Lord the priests weren't to have blemishes on them, and so that thing should go. So you got to go wart." It had been there for a while I can't remember. It just became real as I was studying the priesthood, and there weren't to be these blemishes so I said you've got to go, and so you die and leave in the name of Jesus, and it was there. Periodically we'd have a one-way conversation. Thankfully it never talked back, I'd always talk. I said, "I told you to go in the name of Jesus now what are you doing? You die, sucker, and leave. I rebuke you." Time would go on and it was still there and I wouldn't give a whole bunch of thought to it. Then finally one day I said, "I think I understand Father what You're trying to tell. I'm caught up more now in this thing manifesting then I am Your heart for me, and the promise that was made. I'm going to speak to this, and believe earnestly in the fulfillment, and I'm going to rest in what You've promised." Shortly after that and I don't remember when. All I remember, I still remember it very vividly. I was up at Pine Mountain Lake out in California right outside of Yosemite where my brother's living. He's retired up there at the lake, playing golf three days a week, and fishing--oh anyway. We were up there and I can still remember. I caught this fish, and I'm not much of a fisherman, I've shared that with you before. I hate fishing in fact. Now don't get me wrong. I like catching fish. I hate fishing. I like the action. I want something on the line every time I put it in there. If not, I'm going to go do something else. This isn't any fun. [[Pantomimes casting bait and rewinding repeatedly.] Let's do something. Let's have some kind of competition. Let's see who can throw the farthest. Let's have a casting contest. I believe I can knock that guy off the dock up there. So anyway, I'm not a good fisherman. But, I can still remember. I caught this fish and I'm bringing that guy in. I reached down into the water to get the line to pull him out. When I pulled it out I looked and I thought, well look at that, that wart's gone. I wondered if the fish ate it or what happened. Don't know when it left. You'll find when you enter into that rest you're not so preoccupied, I'm trying to show you the contrast, you're not preoccupied with it but nor are you resolved. There comes a time when there's an expectation that you're not always aware of but there's a faith, it has to do with your overall walk, and trust, and reliance with God.

The fact that we begin to be preoccupied or resigned are both indicators that we're not resting. We haven't ceased from our own labors. There's a rest for the people of God. Not a resigning, but a rest. A favorable expectation, a joy and a delight in the promises of God even though they haven't manifested yet. The joy of the Lord is your strength, and you're hoping even in the midst of adversity, and turmoil. So we see this in the life of Abraham here as he goes on. It says that Abraham received the promises, and he obeyed and he went out not knowing where he was going. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise. [Verses 8 and 9.]

I want you to get that word, because it's important to us here. Sojourned. The land of promise. We're in the land of promises. God's promised to heal us. God's promised to bless us. He's promised to never leave us nor forsake us. We're in the land of promise, but we're sojourning. This isn't the end. There's something better than this. Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, it hasn't entered into the heart of man, the things that God has prepared for those that love Him, praise God. We're sojourning. This isn't the most important thing, knowing God is, fellowshipping, being at peace, resting in the promises. Though He slay me, I'm going to praise Him, and worship Him, cause the Judge of all the earth does right. You see, a lot of times we're indicting God. "I don't understand God, why me, how come I have to have this, that person got healed, that person's being blessed." Then we think we're in faith. "Yeah, I'm in faith. I'm believing for God to change these circumstances." You're judging God's faithfulness and His love for you and you think you're in faith? You're more caught up with the temporal and the material then you are with the eternal promises, and you think you're in faith. You're not sojourning, you're an earth dweller. Your focus is on the temporal it's not on the eternal. That's not biblical faith.

So Abraham sojourned. He was just a pilgrim as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob the heirs. [Verse 9.] I like the way that so matter-of-factly says, the heirs. He hadn't even got anything yet. Now we've got generations believing. You know what this tells me, there are things, should Jesus tarry, that you and I are going to die not having seen, but bless God we better believe another generation that will pick up believing on it. The promises don't have to die with you. If you continue in faith, another generation will take it up, and God will be glorified. So what are we believing for and what are we teaching the next generation to believe, and to hope in? Are we teaching them to be frustrated if it doesn't manifest instantly, and to be frustrated if we don't get our way? Are we teaching them that we are sojourners, we're pilgrims, that we're a generation that's seeking the eternal? It says that they were heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked for a city which has foundations. We've entitled this "Spiritual Foundations: The Promises of God." For he looks for a city which has foundations. Faith is the foundation. It's what our hope is built upon, verse one says. A city of faith. A city which has promises. Not it, the promise. I don't have the healing, I have the promise. The promise is more sure than the healing, cause the healing can come and leave, the promise never does. Go and sin no more less a worse thing come upon you. It can come and go. The promises don't change. So here's Abraham and the heirs with him, and they're looking for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. So as we're walking in this journey and we have to ask ourselves now, am I preoccupied with the wart or the city. What are you looking for? Abraham was looking for a city, which has foundations. A city built on faith. Faith is the foundation of things hoped for, the proof of things not perceived with the natural senses. So whatever it is that you have before you this evening and you're believing God for. What's bigger that's going on around you right now? You see the promise was bigger than Abraham. You say, "yeah, it was Isaiah." No Isaiah was not what the promise was all about. Not seeds as of many, but seed one: Christ.

So everything that God deals with you and I, and that He promises the way He manifests it whether it's instantaneous, whether we wait for a lifetime, whatever it is, beloved there's a purpose, an eternal purpose. In the midst of that we rejoice, and we declare the goodness of God, and the favorable expectation of an instantaneous manifestation. But at the same time what do we have to do? The Scripture makes it very clear that we rest. Knowing that a great cloud of witnesses have gone on as you finish reading this chapter, and never obtaining but in fact dying in faith. Now a lot of people don't like that. They think dying in faith, that's just the results of unbelief. No it's not. I've heard people say that. What kind of a stupid application and definition of faith is equating it with unbelief? Unbelief means unpersuadableness. The man who has the hope, the favorable expectation, is fully persuaded, is not staggered at the promises of God. Is fully persuaded that what God has promised he is able to perform. I am persuaded and when I die in that persuasion, I die in faith; not in unbelief. Because you see we've lost sight of something, it doesn't end with me. There's another generation. It didn't die with Abraham. It didn't die with Isaiah. It didn't die with Jacob. So one of the greatest deterrents to biblical faith is the preoccupation with self, in trying to somehow-- because we're refusing to cease from our own labors--we'll go into that in our next session, because we're refusing to cease from our own labors we're always wanting to somehow analyze, and justify why I haven't got my way. Because I have to defend my position here. Because, you know, I've made these declarations that I'm believing God and if it doesn't happen, somebody's going to think that I'm not really believing God. That's pride, that's not faith. You're never going to receive the promise of God that way. What are you trying to keep score? What happened to the assurance that God is a rewarder? Those that come to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. Beloved, back off of trying to work your salvation, of trying to work the manifestation of the promise, and labor to enter into the rest by being more taken up with character then you are healing, and ease. Be content to not have to have an answer for everybody, but to go not knowing. Where are we going? I don't know. Well then I'm not following you. Well, you see, when you say that to somebody, if they're not walking in the spirit, they don't know what you're saying. When you say, "I don't know," you know where you're going. You just don't know what the end of it is going to be until the end. I know what the ultimate end's going to be, but this journey that I'm on I don't know what's going to happen. I don't know, man, if we're going to be going to the palace or to the prison. You can get to the palace through the prison and through the pit or you can just get buried in the pit. You can get delivered from the bear and the lion or you can get eaten. But what is the end? To he that overcome shall I grant to be seated with me on my throne, even as I have overcome. That's faith beloved. If we got so caught up, and worried, and fearful about the manifestation now, and how it's perceived, and what I'm going to experience in the immediate future, then we've lost our rest, the balance of trying to work, a resolving ourselves is what we're battling to diligently pursue Him knowing that he's a rewarder of those that are diligently pursuing Him, earnestly, earnestly, zealously, and hastily touching the heart of God. We'll pick it up next session.

Father, we thank You for Your Word and we just ask that You would stir our hearts now to believe, and that these promises that You've made are yea and amen in Christ Jesus. Whatever they might be that we're believing for tonight. Father, there's some of us here tonight that need healing in our bodies. Some of us that are in need of peace; our minds are overwhelmed, and fearful, and we're being driven one way or another tormented by the evil one. Some of us are just being overwhelmed by our flesh. Others Father, are just absolutely without power because of apathy. There's no life, no spirit in them, just dragging through the motions of serving You. Every step is drudgery and a chore. There's no hope, and no joy, and no peace. Others that are being overcome by weights and sins that so easily destroy as the twelfth chapter goes on to tell us. So, Father, we find ourselves in need of the refreshing praying in the Spirit, studying to show ourselves approved unto God workmen that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth. Hearts that are pure that aren't seeing darkly but earnest hearts, going to the Word of God and saying, where am I in this thing? Where am I today? Am I believing You Father or am I just going through the motions? Have I resigned myself to the circumstances or am I excited about the promises that You've made me and boasting in them to those that are around how good our God is, and really believing that if You're for us, nobody can be against us? Are we looking for a city that has foundations? This city that's invisible to the natural eye? As Moses sought Him who was invisible, he forsook Egypt, he forsook everything that was discernable, he turned away from the wealth and the power, and the science of Egypt, and went not knowing where he went following an invisible God. Make that our heart tonight, Father, where we would rise up in expectation and all of the chains, the weights, the sins fall off because we diligently seek You. That's our hearts desire Father, in Jesus' name. Amen. Let's stand before Him tonight.

As Gary plays for us and we understand that faith is more than just getting a concordance, finding a few promises, and saying it over, and over again. We're not heard for our much speaking the Scripture says. Earnestly. Earnestly. You see I don't expect to pay thirty thousand dollars for that land, I expect to pay fifteen. "Well then does that mean that you'll pay eighteen?" I didn't say eighteen. We just went through this with one of the homes that we were just dealing with. The realtor talked to Janet and she said, "well isn't your husband going to negotiate?" Janet said, "he doesn't negotiate. What did he say? That's what he meant." What are you believing for tonight? Let's not settle for less than what God's promised us. Let Him show His glory as He heals your bodies and brings peace to your mind tonight for the first time in months. Take your eyes off of everything that you've tried to do and manipulate, and just resign yourself to the love of God, and that He'll give you exceeding abundant above anything that you can ask or even think. Oh, our delight's in You Lord. Our delight's in You Lord. We thank You for the promises of God that are yea and amen in Christ Jesus. Let's sing it together. "Oh Lord, You have been good. You have been faithful to all generations..." Just thank Him for all of the good promises. Thank Him for His promise that He'd never leave you nor forsake you. Thank Him for His presence tonight as He brings peace that passes understanding, as He begins to infuse you with faith right now, the promises beginning to stir in your heart again, it's all fresh again. He says, "yeah I'm here. My word is yea and amen to you. I'm the Lord and I change not. I'm the same yesterday, today, and forever. Whatever you desire when you pray if you believe that you receive it you have it." Oh, Father, we thank You for the promises sure to a thousand generations. Not one promise will ever pass. Heaven and earth will pass, but Your promises will never pass. They're sure. They're sure it's a city that has foundations, promises. They'll never pass. They will manifest. We will be whole. We will be at peace. We will rule and reign with Him. We are sons of God, heirs and joint heirs with Christ Jesus. We delight in it, Father, and we give You all the glory. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Thank You, Father. Amen. Before you go turn to somebody next to you and say, "He promised."

Somebody reminded me about the offering. What we'll do just take a moment here prayerfully. If the ushers can just find yourselves at the door here and as people are headed out, they can just jot down the promises whatever it is we have. You don't need to designate it for the expansion of the building or the automobile or whatever it's all going to be done in one area. Just put "Africa" or "Court" whatever and that will let us know what direction it's going. Father, we do thank You for the faithfulness of Your people and Father we thank You for opening our eyes beyond ourselves to look at those that can be touched Father with the faithfulness of our giving. Father not just the money, send us Father. There's those here that can desire and have a ministry, not only a giving but a giving of themselves Father, and prayerfully let hearts be prepared to go, and to serve. So bless each one as they give Father we ask in Jesus name amen. Amen, praise God. God bless you. Go in peace; the Lord's love go with you.

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