08/14/20 FAITH THAT PERSEVERES — One of our former associate pastors, Windy Rich, used to say: “A FAITH that FAILS at the FINISH had a FATAL FLAW from the FIRST!” Try saying that five times fast!

These days, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, it seems as if everywhere I go, people are confused, angry and/or desperate. Some are questioning God’s power or His goodness! You know how it goes, something like “If God were really GOOD He would WANT to remove it…”; and/or “If He were ALL-POWERFUL, He WOULD remove it; BUT…” Watch out if those kinds of thoughts enter your mind. In the OT Job told his friends that if God would just show His face, Job would prove his own innocence and get his mess all straightened out. After God finally obliged and confronted him with 70+ tough questions, Job basically said, “I’m so sorry—I stood up and spoke up when I should have sat down and shut up!” (see Job 42:1-6)

In Luke 8:13 (CSB), in the middle of the Parable of the Sower and Seed, Jesus says, “And the seed on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy. Having no root, these believe for a while and fall away in a time of testing.” What we’re facing is obviously a time of testing. Satan wants us to fail the tests. “BUT GOD” (I love it when that phrase occurs in Scripture) wants us to pass with flying colors, with our faith in Him stronger and more confident than ever!