Developing a Lifestyle of Faith, Part 2 (cont'd)

Living by faith means enjoying your walk with you because you start walking with God will experience.

He was a faithful servant of God for 365 years and is one of at least two minute Scripture who never tasted death's story comes your way next on this Thursday edition of Destin for victory hello and thanks for joining us.

No true Christian joy does not depend on favorable circumstances exist, in spite of bad once you people in Scripture demonstrate this type of faith driven lifestyle better than Enoch, a man who won joyfully with God on earth, and then walk straight into heaven today. Pastor Paul Sheppard takes us to the life of Enoch, we learn a key principle in growing our Christian faith. I Pastor Paul.net to your new recent Destin for victory message on demand.

Again, that's Pastor Paul.net or listen to or download the podcast at Google podcast or wherever you get your programs now, here's Pastor Paul. Today's Destin for victory message developing a lifestyle of faith. The second person mentioned in Hebrews 11 is look at what it says. Verses five and six when Rita flows from NASB new American Standard, and I read from and I think by faith was taken up so that he would not see death, and he was not found because God took him up for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. Look at verse five in the NIV put up the NIV for me by faith was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death. He could not be found, because God had taken him away before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.

What we learn from the example in a sentence is living by faith means enjoying your walk with God enjoying your walk with God because you haven't started yet.

Walking with God's will experience now I want to differentiate this from a fantasy about a life where everything happens wonderfully all, everything falls right in the place all day. I got saved, I haven't had a problem. I am ahead of the situation. Middle flow from one cloud to another. That is not what I'm talking about testimony, crazy, just like crazy and Jesus said tribulation.

We got a quickness that we gotta sift through this region, we have these days trying to make sound like heaven all the time and some even tied to your friend if you want back by the right kind of faith. You know you just everything to be met. Everything at wellness and, ultimately, every news will be met. Ultimately God will give us what we need to get through the trials of this lie, but don't make people feel like there's a level of faith where you don't have issues and challenges while I'm here to tell you the reason you made faith is because you will have issues and challenges. Everything followed in the place I made faith, one is not followed in the place when I'm facing the giant I need when I'm believing God for the miracle so we are people who don't live in fantasy world we live in the real world, but we live here, not according to worldly principles we live by the spirit of faith, so the spirit of faith means God is going to bless me to walk with him in a very rich way as needs come up. He's going to supply those needs and I can believe him for all that is needed but here's my problem. Some of you are on that side of the equation where you just think everything supposedly wonderful.

You know better than that. But the promise some of you are not walking in the joy of the Lord.

We got a lot of miserable Christians walking around got a lot of sad, depressed people – people bothered people when some I ask you how you doing, they had for you just made a mistake and tell you about everything that's wrong with life not know walked with God.

That means when you're going through dark places you still walking with God you still hanging out with God in the picture here is enjoying your walk with God means God be a friend, let God be your closest friend. Let God be the one that you hang out with every day. Let God be the one you say Lord you will get me out of this Lord what you want to do in this situation. David put it this way. I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I don't have to fear what's going to happen to me in that valley.

Why, because of who I'm hanging out with, no matter who you hang out with my viewing the valley all by yourself. I suppose you got reason to be concerned but I'm hanging out with God. I really don't have to worry about it. I told you before about my cousin Stevie, my cousin Stevie was a hoodlum from New York my cousin. He enjoyed fighting was a past time, just straight hoodlum in Philly for a while Goss dad pulled around some folks went to New York with other relatives. What had by love Steve is my closest cousin back in my childhood love one time I went to the Brooklyn hang out with him for a couple day my mother let me go and and and I continue my uncle was there and watch 1/4 but the uncle was busy working. So he really pay as much time as I did run around New York with my cousin one night. We have to get some pizza. I think it was going to go get some pizza and walking on the street. God pulled a knife on us so give me your money. I reached for my trouble out of me money back money back in the pocket. The reason his pocket where his gun was you. Which one do you good night. I got a gun which one guy walked away. The difference was who I was with Lynn at night looking for. You have everything, but when I'm with is a different situation because cousin that I went to junior high with boldness junior high. My neighborhood was know people early part of school you just going from 6 to 7th grade and if we lose rookie kids going it would have gangs at the entrances. Just checking you out and the reputation was first day first week of school. They would just find the rookie kids and just beat them up or take the stuff for no reason at all and so I was scared that summer to go to Roseville junior high, good stories and what have you and I called Stevie and New York. I unburden my heart a man about to go to scare he's looking and muddy message of the school telling your cousin's call and know me work just call me back tell me who didn't listen and he said I'll be down there tomorrow to come down the Jersey Turnpike to beat somebody down. I went to junior high with the confidence you wouldn't believe. That day like you think you some asking for beat bellbottoms. You will not go on bottoms moisture collar starts the collar for us just right you what I wore that day in junior high. How confident I will want somebody to mess with me. They didn't. But, wanted is a perspective that the real world.

I noticed problems in trouble focused on who I'm walking with. That's what I need somebody to decide party lifestyle of faith. You are more aware of God's presence in anybody else's presence.

That's where it starts getting fun.

What you know the Lord is with you.

He's right there with you. My staff will comfort you can mean God doesn't allow persecution. Jesus promised that it would happen. Sometimes, even when he lets it happen it's for his glory to show other people that he can bring you through that your faith is worth suffering over. But as a general rule, as you live your life as you go to your job as you go day-to-day deal what your family did which are challenges all of that practice the presence of God. God is with you than anything else. The Lord is with me is rotted staff comfort me and then he prepares a table. David said before me in the presence of my enemies. Before long I will be sitting at a table got prepared and he sent me enemies will be watching. I love that I love that Miami's have to watch me eat watch me enjoying the presence of the provisions of God, he said, looking at you to pass you the roles they don't get the meat you eat in their presence make them. The waiter stay with us the second half of Pastor Paul Shepard's message is coming right up. We want to thank all of you who support testing for Victor with your prayers and financial support, gifts that help Pastor Paul share the good news of salvation in Christ with a growing audience destined for victory is a listener supported ministry and his were still finding ourselves going through some difficult times as a nation and a world.

Your support is even more critical today because these are the times when people are more willing to turn to God for answers. So please prayerfully consider making a gift to destined for victory today. Give online safely and securely from our website. Pastor Paul.net or give us a call at 855-339-5500 again that numbers 855-339-5500. No one didn't just build the ark before it rained he built God's request before it ever rained is what faith looks like there's Pastor Paul. The rest of today's message developing a lifestyle of faith.

Listen, you gotta be like what we got so well. One day Goss, we closer to my house to your house,… Goldman is walking on my house.

I believe all this time we do what we got all these years you know what my house and they walked until he was walked right out of this world. Some skeptics believe that all will number from one day you hang around long enough.

I'm leaving to you but you only by God to be absent from the body is to be present with the lower you stop and requested there were two people and never had a funeral you'll just get to go. Bob says he died in God buried him.

So he did die, but nobody was invited to the funeral is a private affair.

Most of the big shot God eulogized him your bad boy funeral.Bible readers.

Elijah Elijah, chariot of fire Elisha sewing when he left jumped on it and took off my daddy had only one old saying from the old days. She was at the hospital. Diane had a couple of friends and family with her, but she was waiting on one child I forget of what is her son and daughter and not wait to some turn away form the Lord's taken me today.

He already showed me then she laid in bed. My dad would tell the story for years, said finally she said to went where is so-and-so trying to get here cc hope things will be too late.

I just saw Jesus get on the cherry sissy saw and before that relative got to the hospital. She said about everybody in that room and she died.

She jumped on that you took off. Listen, this stuff is real. Learn to enjoy your walk with God.

Please say the way so we all are so miserable. What's the point like this chart. Enjoy Jesus best you could say went to the club and keep you from dancing. You know when you got you got drunk. It was a bad situation but you can use to drag you when you think back on what you're used to put on your body.

Just want to memory just the memory. God I'm so sorry you will get all Jesus will call walking into the job. Lord you see here today because you know you know what may happen know how we talk practice it. We learn to enjoy a walk with God. The time for one more look at the third person mentioned in Hebrews 11 whose name is Noah. Look at verse 11 verse 11 NASB says by faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith that might be a little heavy, so let's go to NIV which is a little more friendly in terms of its phrases by faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen in a holy fear build an ark to save his family by his faith. He condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.

Now you know the story of Noah. The story of know what is that he found favor with God.

He found grace in the sight of God never said no one was righteous so he found favor. Noah found favor and it was counted as righteousness.

I need you to understand about your life you not going to heaven because you deserve to go to heaven because God missed all grace and favor on you and that is what made you righteous God so you look pretty good trip.

We all messed up but Bryce is was bringing us all through this can be righteous in and of ourselves. It is God's grace and the right to live in your lifestyle came because grace was first given. So you could become a person who lives holy, don't put the cart before the horse. Grace, then holiness, not holiness, which produces great know it would be grace and holiness produced. You and I cannot measure up to God's holy standard except for grace, so Noah found favor will grace and God said, I will wipe them out, but I'm going keep you on the preserve you and your family so that we get started all over again and that's why built the ark.

What is to be learned from Noah. It is living by faith means following God into the unknown. Finally got into the unknown. I need to understand something that God is going to lead you now you not going to build an ark and what happened that time that was of course a significant time and predictive history where he had to build this large boat. When you look at what God instructed him to do that when the boat was about it all is an ark of safety somewhere to hold up and be safe. But because of the deluge of water writing for 40 days and 40 nights pouring in a blinding rain. Imagine that for 40 days and 40 nights. And that's what happened. And so the thing that God had him build just lifted it lifted off of the ground because the ground was covered and it lifted off the ground is one the boat trying to navigate.

I was an ark of safety, a place to hold up, and God had him build that when there was no rain in the forecast. Imagine the ridicule. You must be crazy. Imagine the bus tours this drive.

I've seen a crazy man see how far you got on this crazy housing building told you something you never been there. You never thought of that. Are you kidding you got to know that living by faith means sometimes you can expect the unexpected. Familiarity feels good. It's very comfortable, although I know this all I been here all yeah I remember this when you walk with God. Expect the unexpected times when you say Lord I have never gone through anything like this and I don't know how this God says in effect, because I don't want to lead by your feelings, or by what you know I want to be led by faith is not a feeling it's a choice, a conscious decision to put our complete trust in God to acknowledge that he knows us better than we know ourselves that his ways are higher than our ways and that his plans are better than our own if you find yourself struggling today.

If circumstances have cause you to get a little off track in your Christian journey. The destined for victory ministry team would like to pray for you visit Pastor Paul.net click contact us and let us know what's on your heart so that we can join you in prayer while you're there, be sure to ask for Pastor Paul's monthly letter of encouragement which comes at no cost or obligation. And thanks so much for being here for today's message developing a lifestyle of faith before we sign off. Though I like to tell you about this most special offer our gift to you for your generous donation to destined for victory, introducing Pastor Paul Shepard's booklet lessons from the cocoon butterflies don't enter this world with wings even enter the world as butterflies, their transformation takes place over time.

That's how the life of a believer in Christ works in lessons from the cocoon. Pastor Paul helps you understand that God is doing good things and you even when your life seems somewhat stagnant and unremarkable and remind you that eventually you will have wings because you were born to fly. That's lessons from the cocoon our gift to you today by request for your generous donation to destined for victory. What you don't have to know where you're going as long as you know, God is going with you is Pastor Paul and so don't bother coming same ending giving God your expectations for the rest of your life will take you where he's designing people have you do things you never thought of going take you places you never dreamed of. That's tomorrow in Pastor Paul Shepard's message developing a lifestyle of faith. Until then, remember he who began a good work and you will bring it to completion in Christ, you are destined for victory