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Welcome!


Thank you for taking the time to stop by our blog. Please also visit our website at leverichmemorial.org. Leverich Memorial Church is a non-denominational Bible believing church that exalts the Lord Jesus Christ. We welcome all who desire good fellowship and seek to grow spiritually; someone like you. I therefore, extend a heartfelt welcome to you and your family. Please come and visit with us. When you come, please allow me to greet you and your family personally.


Sincerely,

Rev. Peter Herron, Pastor


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Sunday, January 9, 2011

Faith Gets God’s Attention – Hope Waits and Expects Him to Deliver

January 9, 2011

Hebrews 11

What is FAITH?

Faith  is believing in the God we cannot see but who has revealed Himself in what He has done (Ps. 19:1) and what He has said (Ps. 19:7).

It is impossible to please God without Faith (Heb 11:6).

How do we get faith? Romans 10: 17 says that, Faith comes by hearing the Word of God and receiving the Word of God. The Spirit of God gives life to the Word (Bible) by diligently seeking God.

The entire chapter of Hebrews 11 is a list of people who believed God. They overcame the trials of life by faith.

James 2: 14-17
Your actions show your faith. 
You can’t just speak faith, you have to do faith. If you believe God, it will show forth in your life.

Romans 5:1
We are justified by faith.
Faith gets God’s attention and faith makes us alright with God. God revealed himself through Jesus. When we believe in Jesus we are made right with God

Faith believes what God has said. 
When I believe God, my faith gets God’s attention. When I exercise faith, God is looking at me. When I believe Him, God goes Yes!

There’s a Negro spiritual that says, “I Will Trust in the Lord till I Die”. Dying was real so when they sang this song it was an affirmation of faith in God. Saying – I will Hope in Him

What is HOPE?
Hope is to desire with the expectation of fulfillment

Some examples
Daniel Chapter 1, Chapter 3, and Chapter 6

Daniel 1
Daniel and his fellow captives did not want to eat meat offered to idols because they served the true and living God.  So because of what they believed they took a stand for God. Daniel & Company proposed not eating the meat for ten days and seeing whether they were in better condition than those who ate the meat. They put their hope in God and God honored their faith.

Daniel 3
Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego (Three Hebrew boys) refused to bow down to the king because they believed that God is the only one they should bow down to. In fact their position was live or die, we will trust (hope) in God.  The king ordered them thrown into the fire furnace. They were thrown into the furnace but did not die in fact when the king checked a fourth person was in the furnace with them. That fourth person was the Spirit of God. God honored their faith

Daniel 6
God so blessed Daniel that his coworkers who hated him knew that the only way to get him in trouble was to make his worship of God an issue. But Daniels’ faith spills over unto the king. When they tried to make Daniel lion food, the king hoping that Daniel’s God had done something to keep him, went early the next morning to check if Daniel was still alive. Daniel 6:23 says Daniel trusted (hoped) in God and again, God honored his faith.

Esther
When Esther understood from Mordecai the seriousness of the situation, that the possible annihilation of the Jewish people was at hand, she called a fast. And even though the name of God is not mentioned in the book, her actions – fasting and praying showed her trust (hope) was in God and God honored her faith.

Exodus
The book of Exodus tells a story of faith and hope. Not everyone had faith but you see the faith of Moses’ mother and Moses. You can tell who had faith and hope by what they did. The story continues in Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Joshua.

As we start this New Year put your hope in God.
Don’t be downcast (depressed) (Psalm 42: 5, 11). Hope does not disappoint according to Romans 5:5. Waiting does not mean, do nothing. It means trying to find a way by relying on God. God will never do anything that will shame His name. 

The question is: How much Hope do you have in the Faith basket of your life?

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, God will never leave you or forsake you (Duet. 31:6), but you must put your faith and hope in Him and will honor your faith.

Pastor Pete

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