Living By Faith

GOING WHERE YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN

And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore. (Joshua 3:3-4)

If God told us everything, we would not have to walk by faith.
Mark Hankins

Joshua needed to have a spirit of faith to lead the nation of Israel out of the wilderness into the Promised Land of Canaan. The people were commanded to move from their place, keep their eyes on the ark, and follow it at a certain distance. They were going into new territory. They had never passed that way before.

It seems that God led them in increments of 2,000 cubits (or about 3/5 of a mile). God often gives us only one or two steps at a time. He tells us enough so that we can obey by faith. He doesn’t always tell us everything, but He tells us enough so that we can obey and walk by faith!

Confession: The Lord orders my steps. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delighteth in his way. (Psalm 37:23) A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. (Proverbs 16:9 NKJV)

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THE END OF YOUR FAITH

The spirit of faith will announce the outcome in the middle of adversity! Mark Hankins

Every journey has a beginning, middle, and an end. Your faith journey is no different. Have you ever believed God for something and got stuck right in the middle? You saw the blessing to a degree, and you knew there was more ahead, but it seemed like you were stuck in the middle! Don’t give up in the middle! Your faith has an end. The situation you are facing right now will not last forever. It has an end! The end of your faith is when you see the manifestation. You will get to the end of your faith by rejoicing with joy unspeakable and full of glory! 1 Peter 1:8-9 says, Without having seen Him, you love Him; though you do not [even] now see Him, you believe in Him and exult and thrill with inexpressible and glorious (triumphant, heavenly) joy. [At the same time] you receive the result (outcome, consummation) of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Confession: I rejoice in the Lord with joy unspeakable and full of glory because the situation I’m in has an end. I am moving from believing to receiving with the spirit of faith. My faith has an end! (1 Peter 1:8-9)

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YOU ARE ONE STEP AWAY FROM A MIRACLE

For with God, nothing shall be impossible. (Luke 1:37)

You can never achieve the impossible if you never attempt the impossible. Mark Hankins

Some time ago, I was watching a nationally televised NCAA football game. The team was ranked in the top ten in the country, and the quarterback was one of the best in college football. The quarterback came up to the line, began to yell out the numbers, and bent over to receive the snap of the ball before realizing that he was behind the guard instead of the center. In the middle of calling the play, he took one step over right behind the center, and hollered, “Hut, hut, hut.” The ball was hiked to him, and the play was run successfully.

The Lord spoke to me using this illustration and said, “Some people need to make a small adjustment if they are going to receive from Me. Some people are only one step away from a miracle!” It isn’t difficult, but it requires humbling yourself and moving into closer agreement with God’s ways, power, and plan. Sometimes, it just takes one small step over to receive from God.

Confession: The spirit of faith will position me to possess God’s best blessings. “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” (Mark 9:23)

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FEAR NOT, ONLY BELIEVE

As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. (Mark 5:36)

I choose to fear not, only believe. Believing is a choice. Mark Hankins

The Bible tells us in Luke 21:26 that in the last days, people’s hearts will fail them because of fear. According to 2 Timothy 1:7, God did not give us a spirit of fear. If God did not give us a spirit of fear, where did it come from? Fear comes from the devil. God is a faith God.  When you have a spirit of faith, you do not have a spirit of fear.

Fear has several relatives and companions: doubt, anxiety, stress, and worry. Every one of these negative emotions stems from fear. It is impossible to have a spirit of faith and a spirit of fear at the same time.

In Mark 5, Jairus could have believed the bad report, gotten in fear, and given up on his miracle. But Jesus said, “Fear not, only believe!”  There will be a fight to keep your faith strong in the worst of your circumstances. When you choose to believe God, all things are possible!

Confession: I choose to believe God. I am not anxious or worried because the peace of God guards my heart and mind in Christ Jesus! (Philippians 4:6-7)

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CHOOSE FAITH OR FEAR

If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. (Mark 9:23)

When the devil says that it is all over, Jesus says that it is not all over; it has just been delayed a little while. Mark Hankins

There will be a moment when you must choose to either believe God or be full of fear. We read about a moment like that in Jairus’ life in Mark 5:35. Jairus was told his daughter was dead. Jesus grabbed Jairus right in the middle of his crisis and gave him a word: “Fear not, only believe.” (Mark 5:36) Jesus will give you a word right in the middle of your crisis, too. He knows what others are telling you. He knows the doubts that are flooding your mind. Jesus hears and says, “I’d like to interrupt the fear and doubt and give you a word from heaven: Fear not, only believe.”

God can take care of you. He can work in your life and undo everything the devil has done. He is able to raise the dead, heal the sick, cast out devils, and turn your whole life around. When He speaks, faith comes. When faith comes, fear goes!

Confession: I choose to speak words of faith and not fear. Jesus said that all things are possible to him who believes. If God is for me, who can be against me? (Romans 8:31)

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