Strong Faith

Pastor Erik Meares

(As it is written, ‘I have made you a father of many nations’) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,” –Romans 4:17-20

You are Abraham’s seed if you’re a born-again Christian and claim to be in Christ. When you look at Abraham, the Bible says he was not weak but strong in faith. If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can look at a mountain and tell it to move, and it will move (see Matthew 17:20). If you want to understand how you can take on the world and overcome the world, you need to have strong faith. 

Let’s take a look at Hebrews 11:11-12

“ By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she[a] bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.” 

Just like Sarah, you can do impossible things by faith. You are going to do something that people said you could never do. You can even do things that medical science says would be impossible for you. You will do things that are unusual in the natural. People will wonder how you did it, and you will answer that it is only by faith. It doesn’t matter where you are. Jesus will come and find you. People will see these great deeds, and they’ll know that it’s God. 

God can take you from the gutter and put you in charge. It doesn’t matter what your natural ability is. It’s about the supernatural. You don’t have to be old or young. You just have to let God break you out of the natural. You have to start walking in the supernatural, in faith, in power, and in anointing. 

Nothing is impossible, whether you are a man, woman, or child. When you are filled with faith, you can do great things. You can take the city. You can take a state. You can change a nation. 

People might have said it’s impossible. You might have even thought the same. It might not happen, and you’re too far gone. But God doesn’t change His mind. He restores years. He redeems time. Is anything too hard for God? 

When God does the impossible through you, the impact will not just be on your life but on others as well. People that weren’t going to make it will make it. They will become strong people on their way out through sickness and disease. Through faith, you’ll come, and you’ll drive sickness and disease out of their bodies. And they will live strongly. Nothing is too difficult for the Lord. 

Sarah was already barren when she was young. But in the passage, when God gave her the promise, she was already past childbearing age. But because she, “judged Him faithful who had promised,” she was sure God could take the barren and make nations. So, if God can take a barren woman past her age and bring nations out of her, what can’t He do with our lives?  

Sarah also received strength through faith. Even if you feel you won’t make it, if you have faith, you will make it. It doesn’t matter how you came here, or what you’ve been through. You will make it. Sometimes, it’s very easy to look at these men and women of God who have strong faith and think that it’s impossible for you to have the same faith. Sometimes, it could seem unattainable. But, when you read the Bible, you will realize that they also didn’t start strong in their faith. 

The Bible is here for us to learn and find encouragement from God. Faith should arise when it is preached. Even when you’re rebuked, the Word should give you faith to repent. In Genesis 17, God told Abraham, who at the time was called Abram, that He would be a father of many nations. When God comes to a 99-year-old saying that he will be a father of nations, you would understand that He means business. God doesn’t struggle to do anything. He spoke, and the world came into existence. So, whatever your reasoning is or excuses, none of those matter to God. 

God knows every breath you take. He knows you better than you know yourself. He knows your future. He has forgiven your past. When God comes to you and speaks to you by His Word and anointing, your excuses don’t matter to Him. Everything your mind or the devil is trying to say, cancel it and throw it away because God is true. Your thoughts should be aligned with the Word of God. Trust in God alone. Faith is not of the mind. It’s of the heart. 

If the Lord tells you something that sounds impossible in the natural, receive it and believe it well. God is talking to you through His Word. He puts His Word above His Name, and you can base your life on the Word. Heaven and Earth will pass away, but His Word will remain. 

When Sarah heard that she would have a son, she laughed. Like her, many Christians laugh when God begins to reveal what He truly has in store for them. They fall on their face laughing because they’re looking at a situation, they’re looking at the circumstances, and think that it’s impossible. But then, they ask God to bless something of the flesh. 

 

A Higher Calling from God 

Many have settled for the flesh, but God never called you to downsize. We go from strength to strength, glory to glory, faith to faith. When you listen to the devil and the voice of man, it will make you small. Instead, listen to God’s Word. The nature of your Heavenly Father is always more than enough. Your cup will run over. God has given His everlasting covenant to Abraham. He has blessed Him exceedingly. 

What God wants to do in and through your life is not going to be how you think it is. It’s not going through the fleshly mind. It’s not going to be striving, working backroom deals, cutting things down, or looking for the lowest price. This is not how He is. What God wants to do through you in and through your life is a higher call. If you don’t get out of your natural, carnal thinking, and don’t jump into faith, you’ll never fulfill that. 

What God has for your life is exceedingly, abundantly, above all that you could ask for or think (Ephesians 3:20). You need to separate yourself from people who always move in fear. You cannot work with those who always say there’s no money or resources, or it can’t be done. Instead, you need to walk with wise men who believe what God says in His Word. 

 

Faith is Not Practical 

It’s not practical to call a man almost 100 years old and tell him that he’ll have a child, especially when his wife is also old. Faith has nothing to do with what’s practical. Faith only has to do with what the Word of God says. We need wisdom from God. Hebrews 11:6 says: 

“But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” 

When everybody talks to you about natural things, they don’t please God. You need to walk with those who also walk by faith. You also need to change your thinking. God is not looking for a cheap deal. He also won’t give you one. His love and grace are lavish, and He wants to give you the best out of His riches. 

Anything that keeps you in fear is of the devil. God has not given you a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

If there’s anything beyond the natural that God wants you to do, and you think it can’t be done, ask yourself, “Is there anything too difficult for the Lord?” Keep asking yourself this until you believe this in your spirit. If you begin to understand that indeed there is nothing too difficult for the Lord, you will begin living and doing things by faith. 

If the enemy tries to make you think that you’re weak, Joel 3:10 says, “Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’” No matter what is going on around you, if you have Christ Jesus in your heart, you can have strong faith. It’s not just positive thinking. It’s about believing and living the Word of God. James 3 talks about the power of the tongue. What you say has power. Your tongue can set the direction of your life. Stop yourself from telling lies that come from the enemy. Stop yourself from speaking out of fear. Instead, declare the Word of God. Speak forth His promises. Let your faith be seen in your words. If you believe God can do the impractical and the impossible, be brave to speak it out. Let your faith be heard in your words. Build up your faith to become strong when you stand in God’s Word. 

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