Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise - Proverbs 6:6   REFERENCE Proverbs 6:6-11   Ants are one of the most successful and resilient animal groups on earth. They help recycle over ninety percent of all dead insects. Research shows that ants have successfully colonized almost every landmass on earth, and their success in so many environments has been attributed to their social organization, ability to modify habitats, tap resources, and defend themselves. This success rate of theirs is why wise King Solomon wants us to ‘go to school’ to study Myrmecology – the study...

But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” – Matthew 14:30   REFERENCE Matthew 14:22-31   To conclude the series we started this week, let’s take a look at one major hindrance to faith that we all fall into every now and then - ‘walking by our five senses.’ As humans, we tend to judge everything physically and forget the spiritual dimension of things. We mostly get too mindful of facts, circumstances, experts opinions, etc. We unwittingly become slaves to our feelings…slaves to our five...

Therefore take heed how you hear. - Luke 8:18a   REFERENCE Luke 8:18   We are all a product of what we hear and what we hear determines what we believe and how we act in life’s situations. The next hindrance to our faith is, ‘listening to wrong information.’  Proverbs 4:23 says, “Guard your heart with all diligence…” Many people are too ‘informed’ and ‘enlightened’ to walk by faith. They know all that can go wrong; they know what the economic forecast spell, they know what certain medical prognoses mean because they are ‘google’ experts. They know all the things...

And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end… - Hebrews 6:11   REFERENCE Hebrews 6:11-12   Another hindrance to faith is inconsistency in waiting on God. The waiting period is very important. While God uses it to develop your resolve and your faith, the devil uses it to derail you by creating doubt in your heart. Naturally, no one likes waiting. It tests one’s patience, zeal, consistency and determination. So, it’s easy for the devil to feed on that by bringing doubt. We tend to quickly cast...

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. - James 2:26   REFERENCE James 2:20-26   Yesterday, we began a journey on the hindrances to faith; we identified ‘ignorance of the Word of God’ as the number one hindrance. The second hindrance to our faith is, ‘failure to act on the Word of God.’ Although faith comes by hearing, it only becomes a living force when the word is acted upon. Many people claim they believe God, but few act upon what they believe. Kenneth Hagin (of blessed memory) shared a story...

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. - Hebrews 11:1   REFERENCE Hebrews 11:1-6   Faith is the most potent force on the face of the earth. It is believing in what cannot be perceived with the physical senses. John calls it the victory that overcomes the world; that is, the power that brings the world to its knees. Jesus said, “All things are possible to the person walking by faith.” (I John 5:4 & Mark 9:23 GNT). Faith pleases God, and He credits and calls a man of faith a ‘RIGHTEOUS...

Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. - Romans 4:20 (NLT)   REFERENCE Romans 4:16-21   Waiting can be mentally torturing, it can be discouraging and overwhelming. It is a call to faith because you are not in control of the variables that determine the outcome of your expectation and the timing of its appearing. You have to depend and wait on God to act. Waiting on God to act was what Saul couldn’t do as we saw from previous episodes, and that cost him his...

Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come WITHIN the DAYS APPOINTED…” - I Samuel 13:11   REFERENCE I Samuel 13:1-2 & 5-15   One of the reasons the Scripture is given to us, according to II Timothy 3:16, is for correction and instruction in righteousness. In the past two episodes, we looked at Saul’s blunder in the matter of ‘Waiting on God.’ Today, we will continue with the same thought, so we can be instructed and not become victims of the same blunder as Saul’s. Time was another factor...

Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me… and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal…’” - I Samuel 13:11-12   REFERENCE I Samuel 13:1-2 & 5-15   Yesterday we examined Saul’s life and mentioned some of the factors that contributed to his impatience with Samuel. In addition to these factors, another reason Saul erred was because of people pressure. When he saw that the people scattered from him, he must have felt compelled to act. They may have made comments like, “Why...

Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. – 1 Samuel 13:8   REFERENCE I Samuel 13:1-2 & 5-15   Whether we know it or not, at some point in our lives, we will all be confronted with the choice to either wait or not. Waiting is not an easy experience; however, God never intends for it to break you but to build you. Delay does not necessarily mean denial; it means God has a better time. You must learn to “trust...