When In Need.

On Sunday, June 15, I spoke at a small church in Vitoria, Spain. We were told that it had a membership of about 50 people. When the worship began at 11:00 I counted about 4 people - that included the pastor and his wife. This count did exclude the worship team, David and Linda - members from the Spain team that accompanied me - and myself. SoI thought it was going to be a very small group. But after about 50 minutes of singing around 30 people arrived for church. I guess arriving late is a Church thing no matter what country or culture you are in. Worship was very good. David and Linda gave short testimonies and did excellent. When my turn came I had a message prepared but I knew that it was not the correct one for this group. So at the last minute I changed it. This is not normal for me but one must follow the Holy Spirit. (NOTE: This whole trip has been last minute changes so I wasn't surprised when God led me to another teaching at the LAST MINUTE.)

I gave a teaching on the link between faith and hope. If you have no hope, then your faith is of little use. If you have hope but no faith, you will be disappointed.
Pro 13:12 NLT Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.

The Message bible says it this way, "Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around."

Using Hebrews 11:1 and the story of the women with an issue of blood in Mark 9:20-22, I spoke on bringing FAITH, present tense, together with HOPE, future tense. I spoke about a time when God healed me. I had faith God could heal me but at the time I didn't have hope that He would. It was at this time that God showed me that my faith and hope were not working together. They were not linked up. With the power of scripture to sustain the thing that you are hoping for you can stand in faith knowing that it will come to past. Maybe not in your time frame or the way you want it to happen BUT God is faithful to His word and He will bring future tense HOPE into present tense FAITH.

At this point I asked for those who had given up on the thing they were hoping for to come forward and we were going to pray for them. Everyone came forward. Not surprising since everyone is hoping for something. Healing, finances, relationships, peace, children.

So today, what are you hoping for? Find scripture to stand on for the thing you are hoping for and then go on in faith knowing that God will bring it to past. God bless...



Rom 15:13 NASB Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.