KEEP FAITH ALIVE IN 2005

Faith-BASED living, initiatives and organisations are taking the spotlight and creating a global impact that’s perhaps unprecedented in history. The world is realising more and more that faith is a master key to successful living — including dealing with the tsunamic challenges of life !

Wishes and resolutions are quite common for the New Year. These are, almost without exception, focused on goodwill, success and prosperity. However, as the saying goes, “If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.”  In other words, wishes by themselves, even though they may be abundant, are vain and void.

There must be a substance to our wishes and resolutions, in the form of tangible meaningful strategies and action plans. Without this, our wish lists would comprise nothing more than wishful thinking. Wishful thinking, as we know, is false belief or hope that something will happen just because we desire it to. Studies show that most New Year wishes don’t come true and few people seriously stick to resolutions — especially when these have to do with weight-loss programmes! Wishes and resolutions are essentially based on hope. But hope by itself lacks foundation or substance. The secret then is to add substance to hope. Substance empowers hope to transform dreams into reality. Substance therefore holds the key to our New Year wishes, hopes, dreams and resolutions.

The bestsell of all time — the Bible, states: “Faith (yes faith) is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb 11:1). Faith is the substance ! That’s why I say, “keep faith alive in 2005.” Faith that’s alive, is fervent, active, cutting-edge and functional. It is a faith that’s alert and ready for a good fight! It’s a faith that’s always prepared for productive, revolutionary action. Very importantly, alive faith also means death to fear! Fear is the chief enemy of faith. Keeping faith sharp and vibrant will defeat fear, in its many forms, every round. You will observe that in the Heb 11:1 verse, the word “evidence” follows the word “substance.” How fantastic! Faith will take the abstract, seemingly elusive wish, dream or resolution and transform it into the living, manifested evidence of reality. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Rom (10.17). The source of faith therefore is primarily the Word of God, the Bible. The truths of the Bible are designed to produce revelation faith (or supernatural faith) to empower us to fulfil God’s will and the desires of our hearts, in that context. The Holy Spirit, by the grace of Christ, uses the Word of God to provide the information, education, and activation necessary for functional faith.

This faith is what resulted in the mind-boggling success of Christ himself, hence the Apostle Paul writes:...“the life that I now live is the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God....” (Gal 2:20). When we accept Christ as Saviour, His faith is imparted into our hearts. This is the key to the supernatural faith. “The just shall live by faith,” we are told, in Romans 1:17. Our very lives depend on faith. How awesome! There is hardly a choice but to keep faith alive in 2005! John, the Apostle, presents faith as a victory producer: “Faith is the victory that overcomes the world....” (1 Jn 5:4). There will be numerous adverse elements in this world that would constantly militate against your aspirations for the New Year. Faith will provide you with the victory that overcomes.

It is also important to note that the Scripture cautions that “faith without works is dead” (Jas2:20). We must put feet and fingers to our faith!  Faith is a fact, but faith is also an act. We must support that we claim to believe with corresponding action. To the sick who claimed to have faith, Christ said, “Take u thy bed and walk.” The David who claimed to have faith, used his sling and stone to put down Goliath. The Peter who claimed to have faith, stepped out on the water. The Caleb who claimed to have faith shouted, “Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it.” The Scriptures also tell us, “Without faith it is impossible to please God....Fight the good fight of faith....Take the shield of faith....” (Heb 11:6; 1 Tim 6:12; Eph 6:16). Actually, to keep faith alive, there are four basic things that we must constantly maintain with respect to the Word of God. We must hear the Word, meditate on it, speak it and act upon it.

Faith-based living, initiatives and organisations are taking the spotlight and creating a global impact that’s perhaps unprecedented in history. (This largely decided the recent US presidential elections). The world is realising more and more that faith is a master key to successful living (including dealing with the tsunamic challenges of life). Realising this, nations are now giving much greater attention to faith-based initiatives and organisations. So to survive, keep faith alive in 2005! To be revived, keep faith alive in 2005! To have your potential maximised, keep faith alive in 2005! To have your wishes materialised, keep faith alive in 2005! And to have your dreams realised, keep faith alive in 2005! A bright and prosperous New Year to all!