How will you believe?
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:1-8 NIV)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1 NIV)
To give spiritual worship to the Lord is beyond just being moved emotionally
•to have a rational worship rather than just emotional is more whole
•need knowledge, affection, and righteousness in order to give a rational
worship
•“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! (Luke 12:27-28 NIV)
•God asks us to think and reflect profoundly
Faith is obedience
•obedience to God's word
•trust in God in all circumstances
•even if things are not going your way and you have been faced with
disappointments of failure, trust God's plan for you and do not despair
•The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no
good thing. (Psalm 34:10 NIV)
Faith is courage
•no matter what the situation, we must have courage knowing God is in our
favor
•have courage to stay true to the honest path regardless of how your
surroundings question you for your decisions
•Paul maintained his courage to continue writing and spreading the gospel
despite the dire circumstances for believing in Jesus
•Moses demonstrated courage to continue to lead the Israelites out of Egypt
per God's commandments, and to follow God's direction to erect Joshua
as his successor instead of his own descendants no matter what those
around him might have criticized
•Courage is possible because of God
Faith is faithfulness
•If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish,
and it will be done for you. (John 15:7 NIV)
•if you are faithful, you won't be making false and selfish requests, and in
Him, all your prayers will be answered
Faith is visible
•When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment. (Matthew 8:5-13 NIV)
Always pray and never lose hope! (Luke 18:1) To have true faith is to trust God to be obedient, courageous, faithful, and visible in Christ in all circumstances.
82° Sunny
625 Dewey Ave, San Gabriel, CA, United States
