“And
we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for
those who are called according to his purpose.” ~ Romans 8:28
A lot of the time, we
take this to mean that everything will work out for the better. No matter what
happens, it’ll work itself out. We don’t have to stress, Que Sera, Sera.
Whatever will be, will be. But that’s not exactly what Paul is saying in this
letter to the Romans. He is saying that things will work out for the good of
those who love Him and are called according to His purpose, but you have to
still work. We can’t just assume that things will fix themselves. We have to do
some sort of work, some sort of action. We read this and forget that James
tells in James 2:17, “So
also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
Faith is moving forward and acting as if it
has happened, and working towards it becoming a reality. You can’t just expect
God to just fix everything on His own, He’s not a solo act. He follows your
lead and helps you along the way. He doesn’t have the takeover spirit. If you want to see something happen,
pray, have faith, and then put it into action. Don’t just wait around. You don’t
have to stress, but you can’t just walk around waiting for something good to
just fall in your lap either. You have to keep working towards that good.
Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth? (Luke 18:8) When Jesus comes back, will He find the type of faith He is looking for? More importantly, do we know what type of faith Jesus is referring to? The Church has become dormant, we no longer see miracles or healings. Why is that? Do we lack the faith Jesus is referring to? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he goes into great detail about the faith Jesus is looking for in the second part, A Faith Worth Finding, of our three-part series, What Is Faith?
Luke 18:8 Matthew 24:3 Matthew 24:10a Matthew 24:12-13 2 Timothy 1:12a
What Is Faith?
A Faith Worth Finding
16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because He has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
John 3:16-18
22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. 25 Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
There is by no other name that we can be saved. Only Jesus’ name can save us from our sin, yet we have demeaned His name. We’ve lowered Him below prophets when He is the Son of The Living God. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he wraps up this two-part series, What’s In A Name Anyway?, showing us the importance and reverence of the Name of Jesus.
“11 This Jesusis the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among menby which we must be saved.” ~ Acts 14:11-12
Genesis 35:18 Genesis 13:4 Matthew 1:20-25 John 1:1-5 Acts 2:17 Acts 2:21 Acts 4:17-18 Acts 5:28 Acts 5:11 Acts 4:7 Acts 3:6 Acts 4:30 Hebrews 11:35a Acts 4:12 Mark 16:17-18 Philippians 2:9-11 Acts 2:38 Luke 10:17-20 John 2:23-25 Matthew 10:22
Importance of Names in the Bible
The Name of Jesus
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11
Names have weight. They are important. Jesus has a name so powerful, that He alone knows it.
12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems, and He has a name written that no one knows but Himself.
Revelation 19:12
24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.”
Genesis 32:24-30
Name Changes in the Bible
Abram and Sarai
4 Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.
Genesis 17:4-6
15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.”
Genesis 17:15-16
Jacob
24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel,for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.
Genesis 32:24-30
Joseph of Cyprus
36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, 37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Acts 4:36-37
Simon, James, and John
16 He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter); 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder);
“8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or
forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” ~ Deuteronomy 31:8
As 2019 comes to a close, let us end the year strong. Let us end the year with God leading us into 2020, that we may start 2020 off right. That we may know what to do. Where to go. And every step in-between.
Allow God to lead you out of 2019 and into a prosperous and blessed 2020. Let’s let go of every tear, pain, heartbreak, offensive, and disappointment that kept us down in 2019. Let’s thrive in 2020.
Is the Holy Spirit really God? Is the Holy Spirit even a person? Does the Holy Spirit have His own thoughts? How do we know it’s not just the manifestation of The Father’s presence? Join ArieRashelle in the final video, The Spirit, of our three-part series, The Trinity, as she explains who the Holy Spirit is and what His role is in the Trinity.
Psalms 51:11 Luke 1:19 Hebrews 9:24 John 16:7 2 Timothy 1:14 Matthew 28:19 Matthew 3:11 Mark 3:28-29 Jude 1:8-10 John 3:5-6 Romans 8:26 1 Samuel 10:10 1 Samuel 10:12 Luke 1:67 1 Corinthians 12:1 Acts 1:8 Romans 15:13 John 1:32 Luke 24:29 2 Kings 4:18-37 2 Kings 2:19-22
The Holy Spirit’s Role In The Trinity:
We explained the Trinity as being a body: The Father as the brain, directing the arms and legs, which is Jesus, which means the Holy Spirit makes up the blood, veins, nerves that connect the Father and the Son. For instance, in the video above, we explained that Jesus could not begin His work on Earth until He was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit.
32 And John (John the Baptist) bore witness: ‘I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him.’
1 John 1:32
Therefore, the Holy Spirit is the one who gives out the Spiritual Gifts.
When Jesus was explaining who the Holy Spirit is to His disciples, He explained that He would bring conviction to the World.
8 And when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
John 16:8-11
So, we can see that it’s the Holy Spirit’s role to be our conscience. Jesus never said that it was just the Church that He would do this for, but the world, which means that the world has no excuse for the Spirit has personally convicted everyone of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
Fun Fact:
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Genesis 1:1-2
Moses tells us that God (Elohim) created the heaven and the earth, but not the specific God-Head being because it took all three of them to create. So, the first God-Head being mentioned is the Holy Spirit.
24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that He did not prevail against Jacob, He touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with Him. 26 Then He said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And He said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.”
28 Then He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked Him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there He blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. ~ Genesis 32:24-31
How many of us can God say, “you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed?” Very few, right? We don’t wrestle with men to the end and we don’t wrestle with God to the end. We don’t hold on to God and refuse to let go until He blesses us. Until He heals us. Until He answers us.
We usually let go right before because we start to doubt. We start to get tired of praying the same old prayer. The prayer gets weaker and weaker each time we pray it. We don’t realize that if we just hold on a little longer our blessing is right around the corner, our healing is right around the corner, our unsaved loved one’s salvation is right around the corner. But we have to hold on.
God doesn’t just bless us in
that moment and all we have to do is ask once, but instead, we have to hold on, we have to grip onto Him with all of
our heart, mind, and soul. To the point that no matter what storm we have to go
through we still can hold on to God. Jacob didn’t just hold on when he was
strong, he held on when he was weak when his socket went out, he still held on.
He didn’t let go because of pain. He didn’t let go because he couldn’t hold on
any longer. He probably gripped tighter, saying I will not let go until you
bless me.
Imagine if we lived our lives like that. Our prayer lives would be so much more powerful. I mean imagine if we didn’t just pray for a specific amount of time and then call it a day. Imagine if we prayed and worshiped until what we prayed for was answered. Imagine how many healings we would get, the countless blessings, the salvation prayers that would be answered.
