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Dear Friends,
The Holy Spirit spoke to me about faith on
May 18th as the worship service was in progress at our church.
The words that came to me were “prevailing faith.” In a flash I was given
the text of Galatians 6:9 that we will reap in due season if we do not
faint. When the music was over and it was time for me to preach, I spoke
about this before I started my sermon. As I stood in the pulpit I did not
know what to say, but opened my mouth and stated that I wanted to talk
about prevailing faith. Here is what the Holy Spirit gave me as I spoke
out in faith.
God took me back in time and showed me the
first kind of faith God manifested in me when I gave my life to Christ.
Then I was given faith to be active in our church and share Christ with
unbelievers outside the church. In time my wife and I left to attend
seminary and suddenly my financial security was taken away from when I
worked for the State of Utah and had a regular paycheck. It took me a
little while to get the faith that God would be the supplier of my
finances and in time felt that I had arrived and had all the faith that I
needed to finish my work on this earth.
My ship began to sink in December of 2011
as Aina was diagnosed with cancer and the only remedy given to us by the
medical establishment was surgery and removal of her eye and part of the
face. After battling one issue after the other I began to cry out to God
and tell Him that nothing was working. “Where are you God?” I cried
out. “Can’t you see that I need you right now?” There were also
problems in the church where people had needs and were also asking me for
help. I wanted to scream to God, “I am in an overload mode and can’t
take it anymore!”
The Holy Spirit broke through in the midst
of all this turmoil and I thought about Job and the many other people who
had suffered over the years. I turned to the Word of God and started to
read the promises God has given us and realized Jesus had been walking by
my side the whole time; He had never left me or forsaken me. This was
followed by a calm assurance that we are going to make it; it is just a
matter of time until deliverance arrives just as Paul described it 1,900
years ago:
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for
whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to
his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the
Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be
weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
(Galatians 6:7-9)
Prevailing faith is only grown under the
most severe conditions a human being can go through. God wants every
believer in Christ to obtain prevailing faith before our departure from
earth. Is it worth the pain, agony and suffering? If you asked me while I
was going through this trial, I would have told you “No,” but in looking
back, I can honestly say it is essential to obtain prevailing faith in
order to propel us to a higher level in eternity.
“For I reckon that the sufferings of
this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall
be revealed in us.” (Romans
8:18)
Yours in Christ,
Pastor John
S. Torell
Volume 15, Issue 3 |
