God: “Happy New Years Eve!”

Today is the last day of 5785 – the Year of Faith, or more like the Year of Fight, as in “Fight the good fight of faith!” Hebrews 11:1 states: Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. Regarding the unseen Romans 4:17 states: As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed.

On our new year’s eve many people stay up late to welcome in the new year, and say good bye to the old. However with God’s New Year many people, along with His prophets, will spend time seeking the Lord inquiring about His plans for His new year. Eph. 3:17 states: May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,…Since this year has been a year of Faith what have you been building through your faith? What is Faith? Faith is an alignment or agreement with the physical and spiritual world. We practice faith everyday in the physical world. What am I referring too? Presently I am typing this message expecting – by faith – that what my brain is discerning from the Lord will make it to the keyboard of the computer through my fingers. Then, by faith, I expect that the computer will be able to process the information being sent electronically to the computer and will interpret it correctly in order to post it to an internet site millions of miles away that you will be able to receive via an email message. Faith is practiced when we start our cars, use the brake or accelerator, cross bridges, and drive along side and towards other drivers, who we are trusting, and believing, to follow the laws, stay in their lane, brake at an appropriate time, etc. In fact, it seems we have more faith in the physical realm than we do in the spiritual although the spiritual realm is more real and consistent.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. Recently I received an email from Wanda Van Linde forwarded me an article from Christian Women of Israel which stated that 5786 will be a year of connection. Connection to what? Connection to what He has promised! 2 Peter 1:3-4 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Faith is the substance of the things we hope for. Maybe that’s our problem. We haven’t trusted the God of the Word to speak to us through His Word, and His promises. Because we haven’t trusted His Word we are ignorant of what to hope for; what to put our hopes in. Without hope there is no conviction of the reality of the unseen as if it’s seen. God is perfectly confident in His Word knowing that what He speaks will manifest, and has already manifested into reality.

Do you have that hope? Do you have that confidence? Is Jesus, through your faith, [actually] dwelling, settling down, abiding, making His permanent home in your heart? Is your faith giving life to the dead things in and around you – bringing them to life? Are you claiming the promises of His Word, and meeting the conditions of those promises?