YOUR FAITH MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE

From The Heart

Publish date: 06/21/2004

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  Romans 10:12-14 NIV
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. 15 As has just been said: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."   16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? 18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.   Hebrews 3:12-19 NIV
Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.   3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, "So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.'" And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "And on the seventh day God rested from all his work."   5 And again in the passage above he says, "They shall never enter my rest." 6 It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience.  Hebrews 4:1-6 NIV
Everyone must have the opportunity to hear the gospel so that everyone may have the opportunity to receive the Word of God and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. If you have a heart that hungers for the truth, you will recognize it when you see it and hear it. God's Word is truth (John 17:17). For all those who have heard the truth, recognized it and received it, there are others who have heard it and yet they rejected it. Because of unbelief, they could not enter into God's promises and His blessings. Because they had no faith in the Word they heard, the message was of no value to them. Even though God's Word is true and full of power, it can do nothing for the doubter or the unbeliever. It is the same Word preached to all and yet it works for some and not for others. Why? Because some believed and some refused to believe.
When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?" 57 So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house." 58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.  Matthew 13:54-58 NKJV
Mark 6:6 says that, "He marveled because of their unbelief." Jesus was shocked and amazed at unbelief. Most people are shocked when someone actually believes in the Word of God, but God is shocked when they don't! So many people, all over the nation of Israel, were healed, delivered, raised from the dead and made whole, and yet these people, in Jesus' home town, received nothing from God. This proves that people don't receive miracles - not because God does no miracles - but because of their unbelief.
Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well." 29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?" 31 But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'" 32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."   Mark 5:25-34 NKJV
Because this woman had FAITH in the anointing on Jesus and faith in the power of God on His life, she believed that if she touched His clothes, she would be healed. Because of her faith, when she touched Jesus, she drew on the anointing and He felt power go out of Him. Many people were touching Him, but only one drew the anointing out of Him and received her healing. Your faith makes all the difference. God has made many wonderful promises, but it is YOUR faith that draws on the anointing and power of God that makes the promises come true in your life!

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