Overcoming Faith

“That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Hebrews 6:12)

Most of us have heard the saying, “Well, he thinks the world revolves around him!” But did you know that the world does revolve around every man or woman of faith?” That’s right! Because God’s Word is the center of the universe; it upholds all things, and by it all things consist (Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 1:17). It is not the other way around, and when God gives a dream or a vision, natural things are subservient (Psalm 119:90-91, Judges 5:20).

It takes faith to bring God’s promise to pass in our lives, and it takes faith to confront the powers of darkness. Many times we think it will “just happen” because God has spoken something to us, but we must agree with Him and say it also, and then go after it with intent (Matthew 11:12, James 2:20). If this were not the case, then the children of Israel would never have wandered in the wilderness for forty years. God’s Word is a seed, and it produces a harvest according to the law of seedtime and harvest (Genesis 8:22); this can be a long process, but if we exercise patience, we will see it come to pass (Hebrews 6:12).

God has never stopped releasing His faith; from Genesis to Revelation He has been declaring the fulfillment of His promise through all of His prophets since the foundation of the world (Luke 1:70). Even in the face of utter impossibility because of the unbelief and rebellion of His people, God did not waiver (Numbers 14:21).

Before Noah’s day, men lived for a very long time, and had a lot of time to become bored and cause trouble! What did God do about this? He declared that man’s days would henceforth be one hundred and twenty years (Genesis 6:3). However, this would not prove to be instantaneous, but instead would gradually decline over a period of generations until the time of Moses (Deuteronomy 34:7). But God didn’t scratch His head when Noah lived another three hundred and fifty years after the flood, for a total of nine hundred and fifty years (Genesis 9:28-29). Can you imagine the Father talking to the Son? “Jesus, is it really going to work?” “I thought it was going to work right away!” “What do we do now?”

Many of us don’t see the fulfillment of certain things in our lives because we have no patience to endure; we stop declaring and believing before the seed even breaks ground, much less produces fruit. The waves and the sea roar, and we, like Peter, begin to sink, and Jesus reaches out His hand to us when we cry out to him, and puts us back in the boat again. But we don’t have to stay in the boat!

Joshua was fighting a battle one day, and he needed just a little more time to finish the job. He
didn’t think within himself, “We must stop fighting because the sun is going down!” But Joshua knew that God had given him an important assignment, and that it must be completed; he spoke to the sun and commanded it to stand still, and it did! (Joshua 10:12-13) You see, normally the earth and Joshua would revolve around the sun, but not so this day, for on this day the sun would revolve around Joshua! For Joshua had God’s plan in his heart, and His Word in his mouth (Joshua 1:8).

It is the same for us today! That is why the antichrist cannot be revealed and come to power until the church is removed from the earth, because our faith holds it all back (II Thessalonians 2:7), and will continue to do so until we are removed. Praise God! When wicked rulers come to power in a nation, it is because the faith of the church has gotten weak, and God’s people are distracted with other things (Mark 4:14-20). Don’t ever think that any president or king has the power to stop the hand of God concerning His plan; it is us that become the hindrance by our apathy and unbelief. God will turn the heart of the king (Proverbs 21:1), or remove them from office if necessary in order to bring His will to pass, if we abide in faith (Psalm 105:14).

Do you think that modern technology is wonderful? But understand that for one purpose only has knowledge been increased in the last days; it is for the purpose of God (Daniel 12:4), so that scripture may be fulfilled and the gospel preached throughout all nations. Even the very continued existence of the nations is hinged upon God’s eternal plan, for as soon as our job is done, it’s all over, my friend; Jesus returns for His church! (Matthew 24:14)

I have heard many in the church resigning themselves to the “will of God” in that “America is going down, what can we do?” “God is judging her!” No! If God is judging anyone, it will be us, His church (I Peter 4:17), not the heathen; they have already been judged and condemned! (John 3:18, 3:36, 16:11). We have been entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation (II Corinthians 5:18), and the state of our nation is our responsibility (II Chronicles 7:14). I challenge you today; what are you doing with what God has given you? What are you doing with your talents, your vision, and your faith?

In the days of Eli, the lamp of God went out because Eli was lazy and indifferent. His sons were wicked, and they became priests, rulers of the people (I Samuel 2:12-17, 22). Eli was content with that, for he had no backbone to take hold of God’s Word and confront the status quo of the day. Many of our preachers are like that today!

We have a work to do until Jesus returns, and it is not to sit around while the wicked triumph, praise God! That is not the commission of an overcoming church; but God has commanded us to be strong in faith, bringing glory to Him!