When Faith Encounters a Famine

Hello and welcome to this Wednesday edition of Destin for victory with basketball shepherding today. Pastor Paul shares his message when faith encounters a family but before he gets started rejoicing out for a studio in California will Pastor as a country we find ourselves just a little over a month into the first 100 days of a new administration already there been lots of changes we know that some in our listening audience are thrilled about what's been done so far.

Others are concerned got me thinking about a conversation you and I had just days before the election last year. If you would be willing. I thought this would be a good time to remind us what you said to all of us back then. So take just a moment to share some truthfulness about where hope should be in these days. Yeah, I'm happy to do that. I think the key truths to following Jesus are reminding ourselves that elections don't change what we are called to do and how we are called to live here is one of the things I think we need to keep in mind that I grew up on the old hymns of the church I grew up in a church where we sang gospel in and had fun songs, but we sang hymns and anthems a lot right and so I love the him and I'm thinking about it now.

In answer to your question. My hope is built on nothing less. But Jesus blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name on Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.

In fact of the matter is I think you need to make sure that your hope lies firmly and solely in Jesus Christ. It can never be in the White House, it can never be in a party, it can never be in Congress. It can even be in the decisions made in the Supreme Court. It has to remain in Christ all other ground is sinking sand and I think if our listeners put their hope in Jesus Christ, then we will continue looking to Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith.

I'm reminded of Psalm 20 verse seven some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God, thanks for those words of wisdom Pastor Paul will at a time when there's so much changing in this world.

It's good to know the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ forever remains a source of hope for all who embrace it and now more than ever. Many are searching for that hope. This is why your prayers and financial support of Destin for victory is so critical today as you make your generous donation today would love to send you Pastor Paul's booklet.

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Again, the addresses Destin for victory. Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538 Leon faith go play is based on what God says when I want to vibrate when I live by faith.

I'm taking God at his word. This by what I see what I hear what I feel what I think now, my brothers, my sister let me tell you something that's genuine faith when we study God's word we find or afford natural laws of the harvest you reap, if you so you reap what you sow you reap after you so and you reap more than you so but there's 1/5 law, the harvest, a supernatural law in which God blesses you in miraculous ways. If you walk by faith.

Pastor Paul talked about this fifth law. The harvest earlier this week.

Today on Destin for victory explores it a little further so Nellis join him for his message. When faith encounters a famine. If you have a Bible with you. I want you to turn with me to Genesis chapter 26, the 26 chapter of Genesis and will read a few verses there beginning with verse one there was a famine in the land besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham and Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines and go our then the Lord appeared to him and said, do not go down to Egypt live in the land of which I shall tell you dwell in this land and I will be with you and bless you skip down to verse 12 then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold, and the Lord blessed him.

I've entitled this message when faith encounters a famine.

When faith encounters a famine.

As I mentioned in that previous message. There are natural laws of the harvest.

Four of them that I talked about a lot over the years and recently have locked-in on the fact that there was 1/5 law of the harvest, that is not natural and so I simply want to remind you of the natural laws and I want to expound on this fifth law and zero in on the fact that it is driven by faith. So first of all let me remind you of the fourfold natural laws of the harvest. The first is you reap if you so the second is you reap what you sow.

The third is you reap after you so and the fourth is you reap more than you. So that's what I call the fourfold law of the harvest, but the fifth law of the harvest is not natural and super natural and I lorded it this way, when you sold God's way. You can read more than you ask or even think and I want to stay with that subject matter and I think this time it's important for me to emphasize the fact that that fifth law is driven by the principle of walking by faith solely talk you through this business of walking by faith because we all know we were Bible leaders. We know that the Bible talks about walking by faith and living by faith quite a bit. In fact you know if your Bible reader that there are several places where you will see the words the just shall live by faith. Let me point them out in Habakkuk chapter 2 verse four you'll see the just shall live by faith. You'll also see those words in Romans chapter 1 verse 17 you'll see those words in Galatians chapter 3 verse 11 and you'll see those words in Hebrews chapter 10 verse 38 all of those passages say the just shall live by faith. When you get the second Corinthians chapter 5 verse seven you'll hear the apostle Paul saying the same basic thing, but using slightly different terminology here is the way he says it in second Corinthians 5 and seven for we walk by faith, not by sight and I want to let you know that the Bible consistently tells us that the journey you and I own.

As followers of Christ is a journey of walking or living by faith.

So I want to make sure you're clear as to what faith is. Before I unpack this and talk about how important it is when you're going through famine or difficult times such as what were going through in the world right now let me just make sure you understand because a lot of times hurtful. Talk about concepts that if you ask them what it means they could give you a practical answer. I don't want to pastor people who know a lot of spiritual jargon and have no idea what it means. So I want to make sure you know if somebody would ask you well what is faith.

After all, what is faith what would be your answer.

Let me tell you the best thing you can do is point them to the Scriptures and then be prepared to explain what those Scriptures mean a lot of us know. Hebrews chapter 11 verse one we know that they is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. And so we understand that that's the definition built right into the Scriptures. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. I've always liked the way. NIV puts it, it says faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see now the bigger question is what is that mean how can you be sure of something you hope for and certain of something you don't see, if you don't see. How could you be sure of it. That means you need to be prepared to tell people what faith is based on the only way I can be sure what I hope for and certain, I mean absolutely certain of what I don't see is the proof is beyond circumstantial. The proof is beyond the literal truth is actually from God himself. In other words, faith will faith biblical faith is based on what God says when I walk by faith, that when I live by faith.

I'm taking God at his word. Despite what I see what I hear what I feel what I think now, my brothers, my sister let me tell you something that's genuine faith is saying here is what I feel. Here's what I think. Here's what I see but I'm not going to base my life on that because God has spoken over my life. He's given me a word and I'm gonna stand on his word rather than stand on anything else. And so faith is based on the word of God. In other words, if you go to Scriptures like Romans chapter 10 verse 17.

Here is what you will see. So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, I need you to know that faith is based on what God says I have faith in his word.

The same God that said, let there be in their laws is the God who I can base my life: if he says it he means it, and I can stand on his word so let me get back to the concept. Now we are called to be living by faith. If the just shall live by faith. If the adjuster called to walk by faith and not by sight. That means you when I need to make that our lifestyle, not just an occasional practice. Here's what I want to let you know God has called us to do everything in our lives by faith. Faith is gotta be where living in the days of technology. Let me put it this way is gotta be the operating system for all of our lives. We use computers all the time know very well about operating systems every now and then you'll get updates from the particular company that you work with saying you know we have an update in our operating system, and you need to update your computer and let the new operating system take over because it's going to help you do what you do better. You and I have got to understand that from a spiritual standpoint, we must have faith as our operating system, meaning everything you do is rooted in faith.

I hope you understand that because it is critical to understanding this fifth law of the harvest, so when we say, if you so God's way you can receive more than you ask or even think why is that true that's true because if we do what God says God is the one who will bless us will be right back with more of today's destined for victory message from Pastor Paul Sheppard. Remember you can always listen to the broadcast on demand. Pastor Paul.net that's Pastor Paul.net you find a host of great resources in our online store is Pastor Paul with the rest of today's destined for victory message when faith encounters a family now plug that basic principle. I just gave you into what we just read about Isaac is the son of Abraham is a man called and is destined to fulfill the word God gave to his dad Abraham that he is part of the lineage that will bless the entire world. So Isaac is a man called of God and what is the Lord say to him. Here in Genesis 26, God said this and everybody else is panicking because of the famine, and running down the Egypt God said Isaac do not go to Egypt go where I tell you to go and if you go there and do that I gonna bless you. Think about your life. Here we are is not present this message in the summer of 2020, wherein an unprecedented pandemic not only here in America but literally around the world. When an unprecedented pandemic. How in the world are you when I'm supposed to operate in something we've never experienced before. We have never seen anything. The numbers are rising, the people who are testing positive and now I just heard the other day. They said perhaps up to 10 times the numbers that we know are actually cold positive imagine more than nine or perhaps even 10 times the numbers that we can verify now. People actually carrying this by risk, even if they are secret silent carriers of the virus which means they could give it to somebody else.

I don't know about you all, that sounds like stuff that if I didn't know the Lord. I would be downright paranoid, but I came to tell you my brother, my sister, but we do know the Lord and so we will not panic. We will not be upset, we will not act like things are not going to be anything that we can rely on us to walk in fear refused to walk in panic. He said Isaac I don't care what the broken door and running the Egypt Google when I tell you at the end of the day. My ultimate trust falls to the Lord and I am asking him God. If you're not done with me on this. It does more.

You need to do through me.

I will do my part, but looking for you to do a part that had to do and I'm looking to you to bless my life I want to talk you about some other areas of your life. Some of us really need to walk by faith because our money has been impacted during this pandemic. Some of our family dynamics have changed during this pandemic will not be what I'm seeing going to all kinds of changes.

Counseling is different these days because of what people are going through psychologically and emotionally and mentally. And the fact is, those challenges are real, but my brother, my sister. I showed up to tell you while challenges are great. Our God is greater. So at the end of the day we got a walk by faith and not by sight.

We've got a make up our minds. We are not gonna let circumstances even in challenging circumstances dictate who we are or what we're going to do because we serve the same God that Isaac served now want you to notice that as a result of Isaac. Simple obedience.

He refused to go where everybody was going and he went where the Lord told him to go and that I love the fact that I told you about it at the end of the last message that he was willing to act in a way that was counter intuitive. That's the term I use.

I want to give it to you again.

Sometimes when you walk by faith. Gotta be counterintuitive, meaning your intuition, your normal tendency your proclivity would be to do a certain thing a certain way. But sometimes when you walk by faith you have something that tells you don't do it that way. Do it another way, even if everybody around you thinks your crazy so I need you to understand that God has called us to walk by faith. Even when it means we had to be counter intuitive. So when we go back to. So we now as this principle of the harvest says you gotta be obedient to what God says doing God's way. The Lord tells you to sell your time in a way that other folks don't necessarily understand you use your time. The way God is told you to do it if the Lord tells you to use your talents in a way other people don't understand you use your talent in a way God is telling you because there's going to be a blessing. A supernatural blessing and that and when it comes to giving your treasure God can tell you even though you think you can afford it, but if he says it is because he's setting you up for all blessing walk you through some passages of Scripture just to drive home how obedience sets you up for supernatural blessing. Think back to what I mentioned in the previous message know is told to build an ark. A lot of folks say build a boat but literally, when you look at what an ark was as instructed there in Genesis. That's not really about when you think about it, the ark was in a boat. It was a large facility that could hold because of how much rain was going to come but although it could float. It really wasn't built to be a boat it was just built to house all manner of living things that God ordained to be saved through the flood that when they even understand that rain could be so powerful that it could flood the earth when you read Genesis you'll see the people to know that such a rain could exist but you told there in Genesis that God said I want you to build this because I'm going to send floodwaters and certainly had water but they didn't know what floodwaters meant because they were not used terrains of any significant volume that it could cause things that they were familiar with the underwater God said building.

No, because I am going to re-create all things and you know as well as I do, he built it when it made no sense because my question to you since that was his act of faith.

What things are you called to build.

Even when other folks don't think you're supposed to build something you all perhaps are supposed to build a business and you say you build a business during a pandemic. The answer you do if God leads you to do it.

The people I say it makes no sense for you to try to build a certain kind of Corporation. During this time. This is a good time to do it. The Lord tells you this is what I called you to do you do it because of his word, not because of the full thing. It makes a whole lot of sense.

Some of you want to build relationships during the season of your life and you gotta understand God is leading you to develop certain relationships newborn and do your part and watch the part that God will do what are you supposed to be building right now and if you know in your heart. There some I'm supposed to be doing only for an opportune time.

Don't wait for the back seems to be discovered and now we get a shot and now I don't have to worry about COBIT no. I'm not waiting for the vaccine. I'm believing that God is going to give them wisdom. I'm praying I would encourage you to pray specifically I'm asking God. Lord give researchers the wisdom they need to identify the right kinds of vaccines that will not do us harm. What will do us good and protect us from this virus because this is quite a dangerous virus and so that's where I'm praying I would encourage you to pray the same way. But let me tell you something. Don't believe that just because we haven't arrived at the vaccine yet we don't know how many folks will dive how many more tens of thousands are going to die before this thing we all get on the curb. We cannot live based on that tells you to build something start building right now. Thanks so much for joining us for today's message when faith encounters a famine if you'd like more information about the destined for victory ministry if you need prayer. Be sure to stop by our website Pastor Paul.net that's Pastor Paul.net is urging you to do something or not Dall somewhere to do something that means you got a what you're comfortable with it.

God's calling you to give something up. Although it's hard to say yes to him just like Moses mother said yes because on the other side of that. All the harvest means you're setting yourself up for something supernatural.

That's next, I would Pastor Paul Sheppard shares his message when faith encounters a famine.

Until then, remember he who began a good working you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory