One Day, Jesus was in a boat riding with His disciples and said to them, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and started out. As they sailed across the lake, Jesus settled down for a nap and fell fast asleep. Soon a fierce storm came down on the lake, and the little boat was filling up with water! All on board were in real danger!
The disciples, probably wondering how Jesus could still be sleeping, doubting His power, woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”
Jesus awoke, looked at the ferocious waves and the boat filling with water. He rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?”
That's the question today for us…. Where is OUR FAITH?????
We are fooled by those who twist scripture and quote a line from the Apostle Paul, which implies that one only needs faith to be saved.
Yet why did the Apostle James, who was the leader of the New Testament Church write, "Faith without works is Dead."?
Many of us are convinced that we aren't good enough for God. Crazy as that sounds, how many of us feel that God isn't answering our prayers because we lack the faith, or that our character is not up to par with others that are closer to God. This is not going to be an article about unanswered prayer, but rather the reasons we think that our prayers are not being answered. Face it, if you are like me, we have many important prayers that we make to God which go unanswered. The human reaction to this is that God isn't listening, or if He is, then we are not worthy enough to have the prayers answered.
In my former role as co-owner of RaceRap, and now The Plain Truth, I have some in our audience that assume because I talk about religion and God, that maybe my prayers to God for them, will be better received by the Almighty. Flattering yes, but I think not the Gospel Truth. You see, I have the doubts that everyone has. I have had prayers answered, yes — Important prayers, matter of life and death prayers (so far) answered to my liking. However I have had many very important prayers go unanswered, and so like everyone else, my first tendency is to think I am not asking properly, or worthy enough.
Many religious “experts” claim that you need to have faith in order for your prayers to be answered. Jesus implied that when He said, “You are healed according to your faith.” So when we are in panic and doom, and prayers are not being answered we tend to blame ourselves, thinking “if I only had the faith of a mustard seed…” Friends, that thought is not coming from God, but probably from the other end of the spectrum!
I don't know how many people have said to me, “By faith you are saved, and not by any works.” Really?
Is our only hope for salvation based on OUR faith?
God help us if it is, because I know nobody today who has the faith as great as to move a mountain into the sea! And yet, Jesus said we could do just that have we had the tiniest of faith. When one of these holy roller scholarly experts can command a mountain to fall into the sea, I may reconsider my remark. Until then I stand on this foundation: We are saved by faith, but it is GOD'S love and faith in us and not our faith. If we had to depend on our faith, we would be doomed! When you start to believe this lie, we open our minds to the Devil and his twisting the Gospel of freedom into one of slavery.
I don't have the faith to find salvation. I am plagued with doubts and sins the rise to heaven itself, and can only hope that God will find a way to bring me through this present fire. The Good News is that it has already been done for us all, free of charge.
Jesus said plainly the words that many of us will not believe today. He said, "In vain do they worship me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." Did you know that you can worship Christ in VAIN? He says so. In fact Christ said, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' that But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s Law.'"
Yes, you can worship Christ in vain, but you can also be sure that your prayers are heard. The simple truth is that you must believe that Jesus is Lord and God, and OBEY HIM. God will give you the faith at that time when you need it. It's not all that hard. Believe and obey.
Are you as righteous as the Apostle Peter?
Or Abraham and Elijah?
Remember this. There are countless martyrs who have died for Christ and who have never met Him in person! They never slept near Him, and walked the stony roads of Palestine with Him- yet they died for Him!
Peter, on the other hand denied Him three times in a matter of minutes! Think about that. Elijah, after presiding over a miracle of God where a 1,000 pagan prophets were defeated before all the people, ran and fled terrified that he was going to be killed by the angry king he just defeated. God had to remind him that he was being protected and not to fear!
When Jesus was sleeping in that tiny boat and the waves began to roar and all of the disciples thought they were about to die. They woke him and cried, “Save us!” Jesus commanded the waves to end and they did. He turned around and said to them, “Oh where is your faith?”
Some claim that the faith we need comes from the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the reasons that Peter did what he did that fateful night and his disciples did on the boat was that the Holy Spirit had not yet come?
Oh really? Then why did David beg God a thousand years earlier not to take the Holy Spirit away from him after he sinned with Bathsheba?
Or why did Jesus say, after healing the Roman captain's slave, “I have not seen this much faith in all Israel.” A pagan Roman had more faith than the future Apostles. Think about that.
So what faith are we to have then?
Simply it is the faith in God the Father and the Son that They can accomplish whatever They want to! Your faith has little to do with God's plan for you. These people of God, who were as weak and sinful as you and I, depended on God's Salvation – and prayer, even when they were in doubt, weak and sinning. They knew that God may not answer their prayer, but could do so, if God wanted it to be done!
Don't allow others to put your faith, or lack of it, down. Trust God and not yourself. Remember this, as George Burns said (playing God) “You might not believe in Me, but I believe in you!”
These are not words from God Himself, but do reflect The Plain Truth about your relationship with God.
So, “Where is your faith?”
It should be in Jesus Christ and God the Father!