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All of our natural lives, we have had to work for approval or acceptance. When you were good, you were rewarded. The Old Covenant showed us how impossible it was to observe the Law perfectly to be good enough for God. However, as New Covenant believers, what was impossible for us to accomplish, God did for us through Jesus Christ. Jesus did all the work for us; all we need to do is believe that what Jesus did was enough.

As I said, grace and faith are two sides of the same coin; as I have explained, grace, now, let’s look at how faith (belief) is attached to thatgrace. God’s grace or gifts are like unopened boxes; faith is how we open the boxes.

For example, if you had a winning lottery ticket for some great prize, wouldn’t you claim it? As long as you keep the lottery ticket in your pocket, you don’t have the prize money. You must surrender the ticket to receive the prize. Grace works in the same way; you may know that you have grace, but as long as you don’t act upon that grace, it is simply an idea or concept.

You see, faith is action! Knowing what is true is not the same as acting as if it were true. Now, here is the challenge: Faith requires action before what you believe for comes to pass.

Of course, the greatest gift of God is our salvation. Jesus offers us the gift of heaven, the washing away of our sins, the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and the promises found in the Bible. This means that guilt, shame, and condemnation are no longer part of our lives. We are made clean and free through the Cross of Calvary.

The following Bible verses reveal that true faith, and grace are wrapped up in one.

Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Romans 4:16, “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.”

Grace is what the Lord has provided through Jesus Christ; our task is to take what has been promised and apply the truths of those promises to our lives; it is believing and living God’s promises in everyday life. So, the logical question is, what has God promised?

Bible Promises

The Bible contains thousands of promises. According to one account, there are over 3500 promises in the Bible. The promises are to all Believers who will believe that these promises are “yes and amen.” 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” The promises of God are “yes,” which means that they are true, and “amen,” which comes from a Hebrew word, which means that the promises are trustworthy!

Often, our minds are challenged to believe the promises of the Bible because we tend to look at our natural circumstances instead of looking to our supernatural God! We want proof before we act, but the Lord says, “Act, and I will give you proof.”

Another possible obstacle to believing the Bible’s promises is that we consider ourselves unworthy to receive such great promises. Let me remind you that Jesus thought you were worthy and died for you. If you were the only person on earth, Jesus would have died for you!

You are precious in His Sight. Yes, it is true that you are imperfect, but then all of us are imperfect; that is why it must be of grace and not of our efforts to be good. Before I am misunderstood let me say that we should try to be good according to the standards of the Bible. We are all works in progress, and the work of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit is to renew our minds and transform us into the image of Christ. Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

The Bible is filled with examples of imperfect men and women walking by faith, not sight. Hebrews chapter 11 names the following as examples of faith: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rehab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and countless unnamed men and women. These examples are given to us to encourage us to know God’s promises and then to hear from His Holy Spirit when to believe as one who has already received the promise.

Look at what the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 12:1-2, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses (the witnesses mentioned in chapter 11), let us lay aside every weight (anything that would hold us back such as fear, shame, guilt), and the sin (sin is, in essence, disbelief in what God has said, lack of faith) which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus (here is our focus), the author (Romans 12:3 says that He has given all a measure of faith) and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus did not look at His circumstances but looked to the Father. Jesus knew He had to endure some terrible hardships, but He also knew that He had the victory even before He started. The Bible says you are more than a conqueror and that you can do all things through Jesus Christ, who strengthens you. Trust Jesus and walk by faith and not by sight.

Faith works, but faith must be God’s way!

Here are some faith principles to consider as you grow your faith in the Lord.

1. Get Serious – What I mean is that you consider prayer as a primary means of communication with God and not just a religious act. James 4:2b says, “Yet you do not have because you do not ask.” The prayer of faith is not something you “toss up” to heaven and hope for the best. Listen to James 5:16b, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Can you see that there is nothing casual about this statement? It takes a passionate yet confident attitude that the Lord hears us and this can only happen when we are confident that we are right with God. Hebrews 11:6 states, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”  Remember, it is not faith in faith, but faith in the person of the One who made the promise, our Lord God.
   
2. Get Right Motives – As humans, we tend to think that the world revolves around us and that it is all about us. However, James 4:3 says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” In other words, we have a personal agenda or our own wants. Instead, we should be thinking of bringing glory to Him, the One who saved us. When the Lord fulfills prayer, we need to testify and praise Him to all around us so that they may see that the Lord is real and at work in our lives.
   
   What are the right motives? Personal revelation through His Word. You can never go wrong when you pray the Word of God, the Bible’s scriptures, as the Holy Spirit leads you. It is so true what someone once said, “Faith is impossible unless the will of God is known.” Make sure what you are praying for is scriptural.
   
3. Get on Solid Ground – The greatest enemy of faith is doubt. The enemy of your soul, the Devil, comes to steal, kill, and destroy your faith in God. The Devil does his evil work by planting lies in your mind about the love, forgiveness, and acceptance you have in the Lord. The Devil wants to put a “wedge” between you and the Lord. In John 10:10, Jesus promised us an abundant life—a more abundant life! However, at the same time, he warns us about the Devil, who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief does not come except to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”We must resist doubts when they come by focusing on God’s goodness and the fact that nothing is impossible with Him. A final warning from James 1:6-8, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
   
4. Walk out your faith! Act as if you have already received what you have prayed for. Jesus said in Mark 11:24, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” Faith always starts with a decision to believe what God has said regardless of the circumstances or the doubters around us trying to undermine our faith. If the Lord has spoken to you, believe and receive the promise.

In conclusion, faith is a decision! It is not a feeling, emotion, religious rite, or ritual. Faith is believing God’s promises and then acting like they have been accomplished. So, get serious with God, make sure your motives are pure, don’t let doubt corrupt your thinking, and believe what you have asked for is done and give the glory to God!

Our faith must be in the Lord and Him alone. When we are in a relationship with the Lord, we get to know Him in a personal way, and with that comes a trust or faith in Him and His word. Jesus has called us to become faith walkers. 2 Corinthians 5:7 tells us that we are to, “Walk by faith and not by sight.” Our relationship is spirit to Spirit. Someone once said, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, but spiritual beings having a human experience!” How true that statement is, and once accepted as truth, it changes how we see ourselves and the world we live in.

Our second responsibility is known as the Great Commission, which Jesus gave to His followers and is found at the end of each of the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Notice that I said every Believer, not just prophets, apostles, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. So often, we assume that the work of the Gospel is for what is known as the “five-fold ministry,” described in Ephesians 4:11, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,” While it is true that the Lord gave these ministry gifts for the benefit of the church, it is not true that they are the only ones responsible for the message of the Gospel. Every Believer is responsible and empowered to share the Gospel or “Good News.” 

Too often, as Christians, we think, “Let the pastor do it,” when, in fact, the Lord is calling you to rise up and be His ministers of truth, light, and life. Jesus told his followers in Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Those who heard the message at that time knew Jesus in the flesh and had faith in Him and His words because of their relationship with Him. Today, we have a relationship with the resurrected Jesus by His Spirit, and we know that He is alive and has a plan for our lives. It is no different today than it was when Jesus walked the earth; the issue is faith! Will you believe?

Faith is central to our salvation, our relationship with the Lord, and our God-given destiny. So, what do we mean when we talk about faith? Is faith natural or supernatural? Let’s take a look at the difference between the two.

Natural Faith – Dictionary

• 1.     Allegiance to duty or a person: loyalty, fidelity to one’s promises, sincerity of intentions.
• 2.     Belief and trust in and loyalty to God, belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion, and firm belief in something for which there is no proof of complete trust.
• 3.     Something that is believed with strong conviction, a system of religious beliefs. 

The kind of faith described here is based upon understanding, sometimes called intellectual assent. You agree that something is true, but are you willing to trust your life to that truth? For example, it is easier to fight for a principle than it is to live by that principle. I remember someone saying that most people are “legends in their own minds!” In other words, they picture themselves as strong and courageous in their imagination, but when it comes to action, they fail to live up to the truth. In the second part of Daniel 11:32 it says, “but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” You see, a strong Christian is one who knows the truth and does the truth. That’s faith in action.

Spiritual Faith – Bible

Hebrews 11:1 States that “faith is the substance (guarantee) of things hoped for and the evidence (convincing proof) of things not seen (invisible).” There is a sense of certainty when we speak of faith in this sense. It is seeing the invisible.

Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse”

Colossians 1:15, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”

Timothy 1:17, “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Hebrews 11:27, “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.”

Spiritual faith means that we believe what God has said in His Word, the Bible, and confirmed by His Holy Spirit. It is a knowing in our hearts that God is true and will never leave or forsake us or break His promises. 

The Apostle Paul gives us an illustration of this kind of spiritual faith when he describes the faith of Abraham in Romans 4:19-22, “And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore it was accounted to him for righteousness.” From these verses, we see that Abraham did not look at the natural facts of his old age but could see the invisible workings of an all-powerful God.

The key to true spiritual faith is 2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” It’s a simple statement, but so profound. It means that we don’t need evidence first to believe; we believe, and then the evidence of our faith appears. 
–Not faith in faith, but faith in Him. 
–Our faith is relational. Oswald Chambers said, “We blunder when we tell people they must believe certain things about Jesus Christ; a man cannot believe until he knows him, then belief is spontaneous and natural.”

Christian faith relies upon the Word of God—Jesus; the power of God—the Holy Spirit; and the love of God—the Father. This is our faith position!

You see, we don’t need more understanding; we need more trust and reliance upon Him! Hear what the scriptures says in Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

The human mind cannot understand God’s mind. No matter how brilliant a mind is, it cannot come close to God’s mind. The good news is that everything the Lord feels we need to know He graciously gives us. Deuteronomy 29:29 says the following, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Remember that God is not influenced by how we think He should work; His plan is always better than yours.

Faith is our position as Christians, having done all we stand!

Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 6:34 that we will experience troubles in this life, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” However, at the same time, Jesus makes it clear that He has overcome the world’s troubles. John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” We can trust the Lord because He always keeps His promises and that becomes apparent when we learn to walk by faith and not by sight.

Ephesians 6:13, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” 

In other words, troubles, trials, and tribulations will fall on us, but we are called to stand in faith; when we do, we are not responsible for the results—God is, and He will give us the victory! The Lord does not create life’s problems, but He will use them to perfect our faith. Because faith is not simply an idea it is an action. The evidence of faith is found in the action or deed.

Your faith must be tested.

“If your faith has not been tested, how can you trust in your faith? Are we “legends in our own minds,” or do we truly “walk by faith and not by sight?” 

I believe the following accurately explains how God takes everyday situations to develop our faith:

1. If you ask for Patience, God will allow Trials to develop your endurance
2.  If you ask for Strength, God will allow Difficulties to make you strong
3. If you ask for Wisdom, God will provide Problems for you to solve
4. If you ask for Prosperity, God provides you Wisdom and Strength to work
5. If you ask for Courage, God will allow Perils to overcome
6. If you ask for Love, God will provide Troubled People to help
7. If you ask for Favor, God will give you Opportunities

• You may not get everything you Want, but you will get everything you Need because our God is a faithful God.

Faith is the doorway to seeing God work, and there will be times when we can release faith in a situation. However, if we are honest, there may also be times when doubts enter our hearts. That is when we must be open with the Lord, confess our unbelief, and ask Him to help us overcome that unbelief. Doubt, fear, and unbelief are the enemies of genuine faith in the Lord because they prevent us from action, and action is the evidence of faith.

If we want to strengthen our faith in God we must be in the Word of God, the Bible. Because faith comes from hearing the Word of God. We must also be careful who we associate with. Friends, co-workers, and sometimes even family can be a negative influence if they are not strong Believers in Jesus Christ. Of course, it is impossible to avoid every negative person because we are in the world, but the Bible says we are not of the world. The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” So, to the greatest extent possible, we must try to surround ourselves with people with righteous attitudes and behavior. 

Finally, remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” If you let the Lord guide your actions, you will walk in His blessings.

Holy Spirit Guidance Through Recalling Scriptures or the Word, (Rhema).

There is another way to receive guidance from God, especially when we are at a crossroads of decision. The Holy Spirit will cause us to remember a scripture story or verse. There are many cases where the disciples of Christ would recall statements that Jesus had made. The recalling of Christ’s words would encourage or give direction to the disciples. The recalling of the Word is called Rhema.

Jesus says in the Gospel of John 14:25-27, “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” I want to focus on the phrase “bring to remembrance all things I said to you.” Because Jesus knew that He would soon be leaving His disciples, He wanted to encourage His followers so that they would not lose hope. Jesus makes a promise that the Father would send a Helper and that Helper is the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. In a sense Jesus was sending Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit. 

Here is an important thought: the Bible is the Word of God. However, Jesus is also the Word of God. Listen to John 1:1-5 & 14, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” 14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Whether we read and recall the scriptures through the Spirit or perceive Jesus speaking to us through the Spirit, both can be thought of as Rhema words. 

Hebrews 13:8 makes an important statement: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” This means that what was spiritually true when Jesus walked the earth is true for us today, no matter what some may think. Today, Jesus is doing the very same thing through the Holy Spirit and Scripture. Jesus says in John 16:13, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” 

Let’s take a look at six scriptural examples of statements remembered:

1. Recall when Peter declared that he would never abandon Jesus. Then Jesus prophesized that Peter would deny Him three times. It is possible that Peter forgot the Word Jesus spoke to him, especially when Jesus was taken prisoner in the Garden of Gethsemane. Peter, terrified, followed the guards who had Jesus. Along the way, he was accused of being a follower of Jesus, and each time, he denied knowing Jesus. Then in Matthew 26:75,“And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ So he went out and wept bitterly”. In this case, the Rhema word produced conviction and eventual repentance.

• After the crucifixion of Jesus, His body was placed in a tomb. Several of the women came to prepare Jesus’ body with spices which was the custom. They came upon the tomb, which had the door rolled away, and the tomb was empty. It is here they encountered two angels, and they said in Luke 24:6-8, “He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ And they remembered His words.”You see, they remembered the words of Jesus, the Word of God.

• Remember in the scriptures when Jesus cleared out all the money changers and merchandisers on the Temple grounds? In John 2:16,17 Jesus said, “And He said to those who sold doves, ‘Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!’ Then His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.’” In this case, the disciples recalled the Old Testament scripture found in Psalm 69:9.

• There was an occasion when Jesus was talking to the religious leaders about the Temple in Jerusalem, and He said John 2:19-20, “Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” The religious leaders thought Jesus was talking about the building, the Temple when He was actually talking about Himself. Then in John 2:22, “Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.”The disciples would later understand the scriptures, the Word, and what Jesus, the Word, had said. 

• During what is known as the Triumphal Entry of Jesus, the people laid down palm fronds and proclaimed the following in John 12:14-15 “Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.” The followers of Jesus were confused by the events, but then John writes in John 12:16, “His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.”

• The final example is found in Acts 11. Here, Peter is speaking to the council of elders about the fact that the grace of Jesus is available to the Gentiles and not only to the Jews. He recounts the fact that the Holy Spirit fell upon those of Cornelius’ household and then says in Acts 11:16, “Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’” There will be times when what we read in the Bible, or a prophetic word received does not make sense at the time. However, we must be patient for the Lord to work out the circumstances that will make all things work out for good!

Holy Spirit Guidance Through Circumstances

Pentecost

Psalms 37:23-24, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.” What a beautiful verse of encouragement for the Believer seeking after God. God orders the steps, and the righteous person walks in them. The Lord is continually ordering our steps it is up to us to see, with spiritual eyes, the doors He opens for us. The keys are to trust and obey.

The Bible says that over 550 people saw the resurrected Christ for 40 days after the resurrection. Jesus tells His followers in Luke 24:49, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” Then again in Acts 1:4-5, “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Then Jesus made a promise in Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” After all these proofs, only 120 of them ended up in the Upper Room in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. The Lord orchestrated the greatest move of God, the beginning of the Christian church! The door was open to all 550, but only 120 walked through, and they were used to change the world. 

God’s way is not always our way!

In Acts Chapter 16, we read about circumstances orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. First, Timothy joins Paul and Silas on one of Paul’s missionary journeys. They are traveling to the churches with a message from the apostolic leadership in Jerusalem. Paul planned to preach the Gospel in an area referred to as Asia. This is not the Asia we think of today. This region was part of the Roman province of Asia; We know it today as Asia Minor, where the nation of Turkey is located. 

Just as they are prepared to go into Asia/Turkey, they are forbidden by the Holy Spirit to continue their travel plans. Exactly how the Holy Spirit forbade them from entering Asia is not clear. Circumstances were likely such that they were unable to travel as planned. “Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia” (Acts 16:6). 

Now, there are the plans of man and the plans of God. It is normal and natural to make our plans. However, we need to be ready to abandon our plans when God’s plan is revealed (Proverbs 16:9). There are times when our plans align with God’s plan. It is wonderful when that happens. There will also be times when we must give up our beautifully worked-out, well-thought-out plans and replace them with His plan. Our plans may occasionally be successful, but His plan is always fruitful!

Notice that instead of waiting for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the ministry team continued with a plan of their own. “And after they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them” (Acts 16:7). Again, they were prevented from fulfilling their plans. We are not told how they were prevented from going forward with their plan, but probably the circumstances prevented them.

Why wouldn’t the Holy Spirit allow them to preach the Gospel in these areas? Apparently, in God’s strategic timing, the Gospel was not ready to be preached in this area of Asia, but the time had come for the Gospel to be preached in what is now known as Europe! “So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them” (Acts 16:8-10).

Be Kingdom Minded

But why, it may be asked, did the Holy Spirit forbid Paul’s apostolic team to preach the Gospel in Turkey/Asia? We cannot fully know God’s reasons for redirecting Paul and his team. God’s ways are often higher than our own (Isaiah 55:9). We can, however, understand after the fact that the Holy Spirit knew that the people of Europe were ready to receive the preaching of the Gospel – and that Paul was well-fitted for that assignment. We also see that the Holy Spirit was preparing another servant, Peter, for the assignment in Turkey/Asia (1Peter 1:1).

In the final analysis, we must see our efforts benefiting the Kingdom of God – rather than an individual church or a ministry plan. To be Kingdom-minded is to have the mind of Christ. To be Kingdom-minded means to recognize that we are all co-laborers in the harvest field of God. To be Kingdom-minded means serving God as our King, not serving our plans. Our obedience and loyalty are to Him! “So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:7,8).

We are all ministers of the Gospel, and as such, God has a plan and strategy designed for you as a minister of the Gospel. You are an essential part of His larger Kingdom’s purposes. You are called to rest in (trust in, be faithful and diligent in) that to which you have been called. Please do not make the mistake of looking at what others are doing in ministry and comparing yourself to them. Seek God’s perfect plan for you and your ministry!