First Assembly of God - Asheboro, NC

Faith connects us to all God has done for us and has available for us. But persevering faith is the faith that we use to hold onto God’s promise without wavering, even though there seems to be every reason in the world to abandon our faith. Persevering faith believes God, trusts God when everything is coming against us and it seems to some that God has forgotten us.

In waiting I waited. That is, “I continued to wait.” It was not a single, momentary act of expectation or hope; it was continuous; or, was persevered in. The idea is, that David's prayer was not answered at once, but that it was answered after he had made repeated prayers, or when it seemed as if his prayers would not be answered. It is earnest, persevering prayer that is referred to; it is continued supplication and hope when there seemed to be no answer to prayer, and no prospect that it would be answered. And ultimately he heard me and delivered me.

Faith brings results to us – He is a rewarder of our faith but persevering faith develops us, grows us so that we can enlarge our faith and thereby gain all God has for us. Persevering faith is faith that holds on against all odds and no matter the difficulties trusts God. The just shall live by that faith!

God wants us to grow in our faith with Him. Life, even a life of faith will suffer difficulties and discouragements, disappointments and loss. How we respond to those things will ultimately become our character. Will it be a character of faith or a character who doubts God and His Word? The Lord wants us to have faith in Him even in the tough times. If we only trust God when we are receiving the blessings of His kingdom we don’t really trust God. How does your faith in God stand up when you have prayed for something crucial and haven’t seen the answer you were hoping for?

Always remember this; God is good - all the time. That’s His nature. He is good, the devil is a destroyer. That’s his nature. But when your back is against the wall and there seems to be no way out, no answer forthcoming from heaven then what do you say or do?

Trying times come to most people in this life. Very few escape with just the blessings of God. The attacks of the enemy will come but how we handle them is the question. How do we respond to God in those times tells us a lot about our faith? Do we complain, do we throw our hands up in the air and quit when we have prayed and prayed and prayed and nothing comes?

Do you really understand all that this promise of God encompasses for us? Think of it this way. When we are filled with His power (Dunamis), it opens the door for us into the realm of the supernatural kingdom of God. It is the entrance into the miraculous. We become empowered by God to do miracles, to be used as an agent for God’s supernatural kingdom. But there is a secondary truth in this verse as well and it is just as important as the first part. When we are empowered by the holy spirit it gives us the power of god to help us live victoriously over sin, doubt, every work of the enemy – it empowers us to be an overcoming person of faith! A witness to the world that in spite of what the enemy or the world as they would say throws at me, i trust god and his word. I am a believer and my faith in god cannot be shaken. This is the dual purpose of being baptized in the spirit.

Isn’t that what we read in Hebrews 10:38-39? I live by faith, I’m not going backwards, I’m not going to compromise my faith in God and His Word. Even if I don’t see it, I know God is good and loves me. I am a supernatural, walking, praying, living, believing, miracle working person of faith wherever I go.

I heard Bill Johnson say once that what faith does is not deny the problem, it just denies it a place of influence in our lives. Faith in God and His Word rule me, not my lack, not my problems, not my questions as to why? Faith rules me. You see we are in a warfare. The warfare is between what the enemy wants me to believe and what God has told me to believe. Who is going to win the war?

His Word says this is so but I haven’t seen it occur for me, so why isn’t it happening? Why aren’t my prayers being answered? Doesn’t God care? Remember, God is good all the time. Now when it comes to sickness for example, you can be sure it is not God who is trying to teach you something about being sick for His glory. He gets no glory from our suffering in sickness. Be sure of that. But in persecution, opposition we might be suffering for His glory. He is using me, He might even be trying to teach me or the world around me by using me but be also sure of this, have faith in god. He is still in control.

Prayers delayed are not necessarily prayers unanswered, ask Daniel about the 21 days he waited on God to show up after he began to pray.. Ask elijah why he had to keep praying those 7 times for rain when God told him His word to tell Ahab the rain is coming. You might ask Abraham why did it take God 25 years to fulfill his word about a son coming to him. Why did Abram have to change his name to Abraham – the father of many nations for a year before his first son was even born? Why Lord? Because

It develops character and hope in us. Something happens to the person in the midst of adversity – it’s called character but we can overcome it by the Holy Spirit’s help who is living in us. Most of the church has no idea of this. We don’t quit, we don’t change our theology, we persevere and we win in spite of adversity. Our faith is developed even stronger. It’s even like that in God’s creation. Diamonds are just pieces of coal who have been placed under extreme pressure. Pearls were just pieces of grit that irritated an oyster and instead of being spit out they were covered over and became something wonderful.

just a couple of final thoughts here: it is ok to not have an answer as to why this is or this is not happening in my life the way i thought it should. I don’t know, is an acceptable reply. But what you do know is, god is good, the devil is a thief, and he is bad. God good, devil bad. In spite of what we see we will not compromise, nor shrink back. We finish our race in faith. We trust God, His word and His nature. Just because I may be going thru something I can’t explain, that does not give me the right to change the character of God or to deny that His grace-favor is upon me. I walk by faith in that nature of God, not by some trial I am experiencing. Grace already won for me. God is good. His Spirit has empowered me to be an overcomer in every area of my life. I HAVE PERSISTENT FAITH IN GOD.

From the diary of John Wesley. . .
Sunday, A.M., May 5 Preached in St. Anne's. Was asked not to come back anymore.
Sunday, P.M., May 5 Preached in St. John's. Deacons said "Get out and stay out."
Sunday, A.M., May 12 Preached in St. Jude's. Can't go back there, either.
Sunday, A.M., May 19 Preached in St. Somebody Else's. Deacons called special meeting and said I couldn't return.
Sunday, P.M., May 19 Preached on street. Kicked off street.
Sunday, A.M., May 26 Preached in meadow. Chased out of meadow as bull was turned loose during service.
Sunday, A.M., June 2 Preached out at the edge of town. Kicked off the highway.
Sunday, P.M., June 2 Afternoon, preached in a pasture. Ten thousand people came out to hear me.
John Wesley.