Mark 4:36-41. Matthew 8:23-27. Luke  8:22-25

 Who do you trust?   What do you believe?   When is your faith strongest?   Where is your faith?  Why does your faith fail?   How do we grow our faith?

These are all good questions,  do we have the answers at hand.

1 Peter 3:15
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:“

Jesus, in His ministry years, mentioned faith, often.   

He was disappointed with those who lacked sufficient faith, to walk on water, cast out devils,  be healed, calm the storm, or move mountains.

All because of a lack of faith. 

He marvelled at those with great faith… He saw their faith,  and healed them,  they received their petition because of their faith, they received their sight, were saved, were made whole.   

All because of faith.

So “In whom do you put your trust?”

Is your faith in Christ?   Or in your Pastor?  Billy Graham, Jimmy Swagart, Martin Luther, John Wesley?   

Is it Christ, or your Church that you Worship? 

I cringe, when I hear people,(in pride say), I am a Baptist, Methodist, Adventist, ect, and ect…

We identify with our Denomination, when we need to  identify, only with Christ. 

I joined the Church, the day I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior.   I am a member in good standing, forgiven, blameless, accepted in the beloved. 

Please don’t expect me to join your Denomination. 

I will gladly attend services,  Praise the Lord with you, listen to and embrace the teachings of your Denomination, or teach, as long as it lines up with the Word.

Our faith, our service, our praise,  needs to be centered and directed to Christ.  

What do you believe?

Are you a cafeteria Christian?  Or do you believe the Full Council of God?  

Please read beyond your Denominational teachings, Ask and Trust the Holy Spirit to Lead you to all truth.

Don’t waste your time asking UNBELIEVING BELIEVERS,  to explain, that which they do not believe.  

If the BOOK says one thing, and your Denomination, another?  

PLEASE TRUST THE BOOK AND SEEK THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHO WILL LEAD YOU TO ALL TRUTH.

ABOVE YOUR DENOMINATIONS.

When is your faith strongest?   Why does your faith fail?   How do we grow our faith?

We are all given a measure of Faith.  The ability to believe, if we will.

We need to understand a few things.  Faith in God and Salvation are personal things.  Mom and Dad cannot save us by their faith. 

We cannot save our children by our faith.

According to the Word, our lack of Faith, or our unbelief, our worship of anything that isn’t the Lord, brings us to trouble.  (Exodus 20, Deuteronomy 5)

” I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,
And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.”

Our disbelief, our sins will have consequences to the third and forth generation.   If you feel like you are cursed?  You might be.

The other side of the coin is blessings to thousands of our descendents, if we love and keep His commandments.

We can easily fall away, by staying away or by never really growing to start with.  To be strong in the Lord, we must first know the Lord.

We must:

~  Study to show ourselves approved:

2 Timothy 2:15
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

~  Set ourselves apart:

Romans 12:1-2

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

We do this by renewing our minds, this takes Study of the Word, renewing our minds, learning to be holy, knowing God’s good, acceptable, and perfect will.

~  We must learn to pray:

Jude 1:20-21
“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

Pray in the Holy Ghost,   yes, the best way to do that is to Pray in Tongues. 

1 Corinthians 14:2

“For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.“

If You don’t pray in Tongues,  at least know the Word and pray in accordance to it.  KNOW GOD’S WILL, AND PRAY THAT.

When do we need strong faith?   NOW.

We must believe.   Our Faith needs to be strong, sound and active.   Amen

Mark 4:36-41

36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Matthew 8:23-27

23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

Luke 8:22-25

22 Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.
23 But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.
24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.
25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.