Abraham – is called The father of the faithful.
Faith is not believing in spite of evidence. Faith is obeying in spite of consequence-
• True faith produces works (as a testimony); true works don’t produce faith (just bragimonies)
• Only by faith is the Holy Spirit released to work through the believerfor enduring results.
Being not weak in faith, (Abraham) considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb. Rom 4:19
The essence of true faith is found in this single verse.
-God had just promised Abraham he would have a son- one who would be become the seed of many nations- Abraham didn’t flinch at this- Old, deadness-
-He didn’t reason with God, instead of entertaining questions, Abraham “considered not”
-The faith that pleases God is born in a place of deadness. I’m speaking here of the deadness of all human possibilities. It is a place where man-made plans flourish at first but then die. It is a place where human hopes bring temporary relief but soon crash, adding to a sense of helplessness. Have any you been there? Are you there now? Has it seemed you have no options left?
-Abraham didn’t stagger in his faith. Rather, he was “fully persuaded that, what (God) had promised, he was able also to perform” (Romans 4:21). He recognized that God is able to work with nothing. Indeed, our Lord creates out of a void. Consider the Genesis account: out of nothing, God created the world. With just a single word, he creates. And he can create miracles for us, out of nothing.
Cast it all on God- When you realize you can’t do anything, no resources left-
Let’s contrast with Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist
- Zacharias was visited by an angel who told him that his wife, Elizabeth, would give birth to a special child. But Zacharias-who was advanced in years, like Abraham-refused to believe it. God’s promise alone was not enough for him.
“Whereby [how] shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years” (Luke 1:18). Simply put, Zacharias considered the impossibilities.
“Behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season” (Luke 1:20)
The message is clear: God expects us to believe him when he speaks.
I am convinced that right now the faith of the body of Christ is under fierce satanic attack
-Just as wickedness abounds around the world today, so do the afflictions and trials of God’s church. We’re seeing an unprecedented barrage of sickness, affliction, trouble after trouble, one problem after another-all of which make an overcoming life seem impossible to any believer. Yet, all that we are facing right now is supernatural: Ephesians 6:12
Luke 22, We find Satan attacking Peter’s faith
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat” (Luke 22:31).
Note that Jesus’ words here describe the same demand Satan made concerning Job.
Jesus forewarned Peter that the devil would sift him and attack his faith. Yet Christ assured him, “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not” (Luke 22:32).
I am convinced Satan has intensified this same demand of sifting the Lord’s elect today.
So now he is determined to bring down the faith of this last generation.
Peter suffered a severe eclipse of faith. I can only imagine what went through this man’s mind to cause him to curse Christ and lie, saying, “I don’t know this Jesus you’re talking about.”
“If Jesus were God, how could he allow such humiliation? How could he be God and yet not be able to deliver himself, let alone humankind?”
Yet Peter’s eclipse here is recorded for the comfort and encouragement of all believers who are enduring their own eclipses of faith. Have your trials become so intense, you’ve found yourself in what seem to be impossible situations? Now Satan has planted doubts in your mind: questions about God hearing your cries, doubts about the faithfulness of His promises, questions about the effectiveness of prayer.
Peter came thru in the end-
John 21:18-19- Jesus tells Peter “Follow Me” Those were the words that began all this in Peter’s life.
Jesus speaks and warns Peter that when he is old, he will be bound and Martyred.
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.
— John 21:18–19
Peter is disturbed by the news that he will be martyred. He turns around and sees John standing by, and he asks, “What about him?” Jesus doesn’t tell them the answer to that question. Instead He says, “What does that matter to you, Peter? Just follow me.”
Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?
— John 21:21–22
Excerpts from Khouse.org and Study of Luke (Missler)