JPhillipJones.com

Greetings in the name of the

Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I want to talk a little bit about

faith tonight. The book of

Hebrews tells us that faith is

the subsatnce of things hoped

for and the evidence of things

not seen. On the flip side of

that, if we don't have faith, then

there really isn't any substance

to our hopes and there is no

evedence of these things not seen.

Interesting? I think so.

Remember when James said

that he would show his faith

by his works? You see, James

had faith and the miraculous

works were the evidence of the

unseen power of God. They also

gave substance to the hopes of all

of the people who had their needs

met by God through the Apostles'

ministry.

Now often I've seen poeple ask

of God why He did not do a certain

thing that they saw as needful, or why

He would let some bad thing happen

despite their prayers. God has a devine

plan, and sometimes we can ask amiss...

but for the vast majority of the time, it

is because those asking were asking

for what they genuinely hoped for...

but without real faith that God would

intervene. They hoped really hard,

but their hope was without substance.

People have stopped even believing in God

at all because of this. Because they saw no

evidence of Him. But this was because

they lacked faith in the beginning, and

thus received no evidence.

If we do not believe God at His word,

He is not inclined to grant are prayers.

He searches our hearts. When we don't

have faith that He will move when we pray,

our hearts are really saying to God: "Please

grant my request Lord, even though I don't

think you really will." Now, if someone

asked me do to someting for them with that

atitude, especially if I had told them that I

was willing and able to do for them what

I they wanted, I'd not be too inclined to grant

them what they wanted either. That disbelief

is almost like calling God a liar, since it is

contrary to His word. Hence without faith

it is impossible to please God.

However, having said all of that, let me

again encourage all of you to have faith!

For I have had my prayers answered, and I

have seen the hand of God move. I have seen

people healed of things the doctors can't help

and I've seen God work in my own life in the

most unlikely of ways to answer my prayers when

I really needed Him. And remember, it is okay to

ask God to increase our faith. One man asked

Jesus that very thing and He granted the man that

which he asked for.

So be of good cheer. Pray to God expecting Him

to move. Ask God to increase your faith if you are

having trouble with it. Take every thing to Him.

Trust Him and he will bring it to pass!