BUILDING UP FAITH

“Building up yourselves on your most holy faith…”

Jude 20

     Our pastor has challenged us, the church body, to fast and pray one day a week.  He gave many reasons for fasting and praying and any of them will be profitable.  The main reason should always be to seek God’s will.

PRAYER & FASTING

Double Concentration on JESUS!

   

      This morning during my quiet time with The Lord, the above scripture was my devotional and as I meditated on it and prayed, I knew this was what He wanted me to use for this new Fast.  I already fast one day a week, but I will do it with a special emphasis for the needs of our church as well as building on my holy faith and personal relationship with my Holy God.  So, I thought I would write down my impressions of what I got from my study and praying this morning.

     Many years ago I was given an acrostic for FAITH and it has always fit so well in understanding and practicing it.  I was brought back to seeing this as the building process expressed in Jude 20.  I would recommend reading all of Jude for the background because Jude, the brother of James, and both are half brothers of Jesus, presents a pretty good scenario of where the church is today.  We have allowed many ungodly teachers and leaders to infiltrate with subtle approval of immoral, covetous, proud and divisive ideas.  He encourages the church to remember the foundation of their holy faith and to build on the truth given at salvation.  Holy Faith – Faith in a Holy God!

Forsaking

All
I
Trust
Him

    

     Let’s see if these stones of truth won’t help us to build up our faith in God.  Faith is what we believe.  What we believe is evidenced by what is most important in my life.  Our faith is awakened when God reveals Himself to us by His Love and His Word telling the good news that we have been freed from the penalty of sin because He has paid our debt for us.  From there our faith has to be disciplined and perfected.  It is a lifetime of learning to forsake and trust in the One who created us; redeemed us and purposed us uniquely to live like His Son.  His Spirit comes to live within us empowering us to share the Good News we know to those who haven’t heard it yet!

Forsaking – (Philippians 3, 2 Corinthians 10:4-6)  Get rid of that which is not of God; and burn your bridges behind you so that there is nothing but total commitment to God!  You cannot serve two masters.  You cannot go in two directions at the same time.

All – Everything and everyone that would take your focus and devotion off God!  Every thought, affection, appetite, and possession that does not give God glory and please Him!  This is probably the second hardest thing we ever have to do in building our faith.

I – All of Me! My complete will; body, soul(heart) and spirit(mind)!  This is probably the hardest thing we ever have to do – give up the right of myself to God to do as He chooses and has planned.

Trust – The confidence that I can release my life into the care and destiny of my existence to another!  Letting go of all the above and believing that it will be worth it all  and that GOD is going to be holding me in His Heart and Hands with a better plan and life!

HIM – GOD the Father, Son and Holy Spirit;  making Him Lord and sole possessor of my life; believing that He is EVERYTHING He says He is and that He can make me just like Him!

Abraham is a great example of a lifetime of building up our most holy faith.  Here’s an outline of his life of faith.  ABRAHAM:  Genesis 12~25

1.  The awaking of Faith (he was 75 at calling) (5 years)  
      Chapters 12-13

2.  The disciplining of Faith  (25 years)

     Chapters 14~21

3.  The perfecting of Faith (70 years)

     Chapters 21:22 ~ 25  (from Isaac to death)

     He was 175 years old at death!

"Unquestioned faith brings unquestioned obedience.”