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Hi, I'm Nancy Dufresne. Welcome to our podcast channel. We know you'll be blessed by today's message.
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Reverend Father, we love you tonight. Let's just lift our hands to heaven. Father, we love you. We're so grateful. So grateful to be here. So thankful for the word tonight. So grateful for all these that are here. Father, we just thank you for the Holy Ghost. We just thank you, Lord, for the Holy Spirit and what he wants to do in this place tonight. We thank you, Lord, for the great teacher that you sent to indwell us. And Father, we're so grateful that we can gather around your word tonight. Learn the word of God, apply the word of God. And we thank you, Lord, that your word never leaves us the same way. We're so grateful that it is your word that's changing our lives. It is your word that's bringing us up. It's your word that brings revelation. And so, Lord, we're just grateful tonight. And Lord, we just thank you for all that you want to do in this place tonight. We say yes and amen. We come expecting. And we thank you, Lord, in the mighty name of Jesus. I ask you, Father, right now to think through my mind and speak through my mouth. And I thank you for divine utterance to be given unto me and divine revelation to flow into the lives of your people and help me to minister with the ability that you give. And I give you all the praise and glory. And everybody said hallelujah. Well, turn around and give somebody a great big God bless you. And you can be seated tonight. It is such an honor to be with you tonight, and it's always a blessing to be able to come out and teach at Bible school. And just a real treat to be able to minister in the pulpit tonight. And I just wanted to thank Pastor Nancy. Of course, I know she's not here, but I wanted to thank her for allowing me to minister in her pulpit. We certainly don't take that lightly, and we're grateful. Amen. And so we're grateful to be here tonight. And God has something for you. Everybody say, God has something for me, and it's a good something. Amen. Well, open your Bibles, if you would, tonight, to Matthew, chapter nine. Matthew, chapter nine. And I want to talk to you tonight a little bit about your faith and how many y' all know you haven't heard at all about faith. How many of y' all know faith comes by hearing and hearing and hearing and hearing and hearing and hearing and hearing. And then when you're Done hearing, you can hear and hear and hear and hear again. Amen. So you can never get tired of hearing about faith, because really, there's nothing more important to your life and your family than your faith. Amen. How many y' all know it's by faith we please God. It's by faith we walk by faith. Amen. And not by sight. And so faith is so important that we not only understand the subject, but we live by faith. And so I'm titling this sermon tonight. According to your faith. According to your faith. And I want you to see this in Matthew chapter nine. And we'll begin here just a few scriptures in verse 27. And it says, and when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying and saying, thou, son of David, have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him. And Jesus saith unto them, believe ye that I'm able to do this? Now that's significant. Notice what Jesus said. Do you believe that I'm able to do this? And they said, yes, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, according to your faith. You should underline that in your Bible. According to your faith, be it unto you. And their eyes were opened and Jesus straightly charged them, saying, see that no man know it. And of course they didn't listen. They went out and spread it around. But irregardless, I want you to see here in verse number 29 what Jesus said. Jesus said, be it unto you according to your faith. Notice he said, be it. Notice the it in this passage was healing. And he said, be it healing unto you according to your faith. Amen. Notice he didn't say, be it unto you according to my power. Notice he didn't say, be it unto you according to God's will. He said, be it unto you according to what? Your faith and your faith alone. So Jesus pointed to the man's faith. He didn't point to God's power. He didn't point to God's will. He pointed to this man's faith. And he said, be it unto you according to your faith. In fact, Jesus never ministered to anyone in the New Testament, said, according to my will or according to my power. He never ministered to anybody like that. He would always say, according to your faith, be it unto you as you have believed. Amen. And yet millions of people, unfortunately in the body of Christ have been taught that if it's God's will, then it'll just happen. And if it's not his will, then it won't happen. And if it didn't happen, then it must not be God's will. And so we go through life in entire denominations, entire millions of believers believe this. They just believe that if God's going to do it, it's going to get done. And if it doesn't get done, it must not have been God's will. And really that kind of teaching is so wrong because it lays a responsibility at God's feet instead of ours. In other words, it's easy to push that blame over on God and say, well, you know, the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. And, you know, if the Lord wants to do it, then it'll just kind of be done. And if the Lord don't want to do it, well, I guess he just didn't want to do it for me. And sometimes people have that kind of mentality, but Jesus never pointed to that. Jesus always pointed to a person's faith. Do you realize the things that are happening in your life right now are according to your faith? They are not according to God's will. They are not according to God's power. Now, it is God's will for you to be healed, but just because it's God's will for you to be healed doesn't mean it's going to automatically show up in your life. How many all know we have a side, and God has a side. And so Jesus is pointing to this man's faith. He said, be it unto you according to your faith. And whatever that it is in your life, whatever that it is that needs to leave, or whatever you. Whatever the it is that you need to receive, it wouldn't be any different for you and I. Jesus would say, be it unto you according to your faith, not according to my power. And that's so important that we understand that, because so many times in our life we just think as Christians, things should just automatically happen because we're Christians. God knows I have all these needs. It just ought to sort of happen. But how many y' all know when it doesn't happen and we don't have this kind of teaching that then it puts a mentality in us that God don't care because, you know, if God wants it, it'll happen. If God don't want it, it won't happen. And that's not true. No, Jesus never. Jesus never. How many of y' all know to rightly divide the Word, you have to use Scripture to rightly divide the Word. Scripture is what you use to rightly divide the Word. And nowhere in Scripture can We find that kind of prayer or find that kind of truth, because it's not a truth. We can't find that kind of truth that says, well, if it's God's will. No, we don't see that. We see Jesus ministering power, but he's ministering to those. And he's saying, according to your faith, be it unto you. Are y' all with me tonight? Now, in verse 29, notice he said according to. So that means in conjunction with. It means your faith. According to your faith, be it unto you. Now, a few translations. I just wanted to read this real quickly. And the NIV of that verse 29, it says, according to your faith, let it be done to you according to your faith. Passion translation says, you will have what your faith expects. You'll have what your faith expects. What are you expecting? What are you expecting to happen? Faith has an expectation. Faith has an aggression to it. It has a work to. Has a go get it attitude. Amen. Going to get it. Going to achieve it, going after what belongs to it. Are y' all with me? The Phillips translation says, you have believed and you will not be disappointed. You have believed and you will not be disappointed. The Young's Literal Translation says, according to your faith, let it be done to you. Can you see how important your individual faith is? This is how important our faith is. Because we do business with heaven by faith, we receive by faith. God gave us our faith. Romans 12:3. It is a gift of faith. Hebrews chapter or Ephesians, chapter 2, 8, 10 tells us that it's a gift from God. He's given you a measure of his faith, and through that faith, we are to develop that faith in order to receive what he's already done. If you and I neglect our faith, and you and I don't do anything about our faith, and we go days, weeks and months without really working on our faith, with coming and hearing the Word. But yet we're not applying the Word, we're not active with our faith. Then our faith is not growing or our faith stays small. The Bible talks about weak faith, strong faith, no faith, growing faith, exceeding faith. So faith can be measured. And so you and I, we are the ones that are responsible for our faith. And whether you and I are receiving tonight is not up to God. It is up to our individual faith and what we're doing with our faith. And how are we developing that faith. And so many people, they just. They just, you know, they neglect their faith because we're busy. We have things to do. And when you neglect your faith. You neglect the promises. When you neglect your faith, the promises aren't going to show up in your life because you're neglecting your faith. Or if I'm neglecting my faith. So we can read all the promises in the Bible and say, yes and amen. But yet they're received by faith. They're not received because you're a Christian. They don't happen in your life. Healing don't happen because you're hurt. Healing don't happen in your life because you have a need. It happens in your life when you use your faith to receive what Jesus already did. And so many times in our life, if we're not careful, we'll ask God, where are you in all this, Lord? How come this took place? How come that? Where's my healing? I need healing. How come you're not doing anything about my body? How come you're not doing anything about my family? How come you're not doing this? How come you're not doing that? And God would say to you, and I, I did 2,000 years ago, I sent Jesus to die for you and to take sickness and disease and mental torment and all the things that hell would have to offer. And then he turns around and gives us his faith so that you and I can receive what Jesus did for us. So it's not about what God needs to do, it's about what we need to believe. It's about our individual faith. But it's so easy to place the blame on God. And what did he say? He pointed to the man's faith. He said, be it unto you according to your faith. Be it unto you according to your faith. Look at this. In Galatians 3, Galatians 3. And we celebrate these scriptures, and they're true and they're right and they're wonderful, and I believe them. But they're not automatic. Faith is a work. We need to understand that faith is a work. I'm not working to earn anything from God, but I have to develop my faith. And developing your faith is work. Just like developing a physical body or a muscle is work. Faith is a work. You have to spend the time to develop your faith. It's not going to happen just because you come to church. Thank God you're at church. Thank God you're hearing the word of God. But it's not just going to automatically take place because you show up. It's what you do with the word that you're preached to, the Word that comes to you. It's what we do. With that word and how we apply that word that we see manifesting in our life. Galatians 3. Look at this. In verse 13 it says, Christ hath. How many? All know that's past tense. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made. A curse for us, for it is written. Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. Verse 14. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit. Look at this. Through faith, so we know that he hath redeemed us. Ephesians 1 tells us he's already blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. Verse 11 says, he's already given us an inheritance. These verses say that we have the blessing of Abraham. But where's it at? Notice he says, in verse 14 there's a qualifier, there's a condition. And he said, it'll be according to what? Your faith. He said so, yes, you've been redeemed. Yes, you've been redeemed from the curse. Yes, the blessing of Abraham belongs to you. But notice, the blessing of Abraham won't automatically show up. There's a part that we have to exercise. The blessing of Abraham is according to your faith. Now, God's already given it. It already belongs to you, but it's according to your faith. How much of that promise shows up? Not God's. Now look at this. In Mark, chapter nine. Mark, chapter nine. Mark, chapter nine. And this is the story about the man's child that was full of the devil. And they took him to the disciples. And the disciples couldn't cast him out, so they brought him to Jesus. And I want to pick up a thought here in verse number 22. And it says, in ofttime it hath cast him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him. And notice it says, but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us and help us. Jesus said unto him, if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Notice in verse number 22, the boy's father said, if you can do anything, help us. Jesus turned the table on him and said, if you can believe, all things are possible. He said to Jesus, you do something. Jesus response is, you believe something. See, it's easy for us to say, God, where are you in this? Lord, you do something about my finances, Lord, you do something about my body. Don't you care? Lord, you do something about my wayward child, Lord, you do something about my family, Lord, where are you at? Know this Lord, what did Jesus say? He said, where's your faith? He said, lord, you do something. Jesus said, you believe something. In other words, don't put this all on me. And sometimes that's what we do. So it's not about God doing something. It's about us using our faith to receive what he's already done. That's why he said, according to your faith. God's word translation in that verse says, Jesus said to him, as far as possibilities go. Listen to that. As far as possibilities go, everything is possible for the person who believes. Not for the person, not for the Christian, for the Christian who believes. Now notice what Jesus said, as far as possibilities goes. In other words, nothing's impossible to a person who believes. The Passion translation says, Jesus said to him, what do you mean if? Then it says, if you are able to believe, all things are possible to the believer. So Jesus said, wait a minute. What do you mean if? No, all things are possible. That's not the question. The question is, what are you believing? The question is, how much have you developed your faith to receive what he's already done? Are you with me? So in this passage of Scripture here, he's trying to tell Jesus. He's trying to turn the table. Jesus turned the tables back on him and said, well, what are you going to believe? Mark, chapter five. Look at this. I know we're running a lot of scriptures, but it's important that we see this truth because it's so easy to lay the blame at his feet. Mark chapter five. And it says in verse 22, and behold, there cometh one, the ruler of a synagogue, Jairus by name. And when he saw him, he fell at his feet and besought him greatly, saying, my little daughter lieth at the point of death. I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her that she may be healed and she shall live. Now notice he's saying, I'm praying. I'm believing that you're going to come and lay your hands on her, and she'll be. And she's going to live. And Jesus went with him. Jesus is going with his faith, going with his word. And much people followed him and thronged him. And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood 12 years and had suffered many things, of many physicians, and had spent all she had and was nothing better, but rather grew worse. When she had heard of Jesus, she came in the press behind him and touched his garment. For she said, one translation said, she kept saying, what was she doing? Building her faith, building her expectation that When I touch Jesus, him, I'm going to be healed. Not I might be healed. I'm going to be healed. For she said, if I may touch but his clothes, I shall notice this I shall not might not hope, not wish, I shall be what whole? And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up. And she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that power or virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press and said, who touched my clothes? I mean, get the picture? All of them are thronging him, all of them are touching him. But one person touched him by faith. One person used their faith according to their faith. And according to her faith, she got what according to her faith drew out. And his disciples said unto him, thou seeth the multitude thronging thee, and thou sayest, who touched me? And he looked round about to see her, who had done this thing, who had drawn that power out, who had used their faith. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, daughter, look at this, daughter. Thy faith, not my power. It was his power. But he's not pointing to his power. He said, daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. Not just healed, but whole. Go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. Notice Jesus again is pointing to someone's faith. And while yet he spake there came from the ruler. Remember, Jairus, he's on his way to his daughter of the synagogues. How certain? Which said, thy daughter is dead. Why troublest thou the Master any further? As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he said unto the ruler of the synagogue, jairus, be not afraid. Notice what he said. Only believe. Your faith got me here. Now don't get into fear and doubt. Right now your faith got me here. And it's going to be according to your faith. Just keep on believing. The Passion Translation out of verse 36, it says, but Jesus refused to listen. Jesus refused to listen to what they were told. Said to the Jewish officials, don't yield to fear. All you need to do is keep on believing. And that's the key. Keep on believing. No matter what you hear, no matter what it looks like, no matter how bad it seems, no matter what the reports are, no matter how grim it looks, no matter what anybody's told you, just keep on believing. Because it was his faith that got Jesus there. And it's going to be his faith that brings this manifestation. Jesus is wanting his faith. He is using this man's faith to bring about this powerful miracle. And so many times in our life we do start out believing and we're in faith, but yet we get discouraged and the enemy attacks us and things come against our flesh and things come against our emotions and we get a bad report. And it's so easy to go inward and it's so easy to lay blame at God, or it's so easy just to give up and quit. And he was in a situation where he could have gave up and quit. And if he would have said, well, Lord, don't worry about it, you know, my daughter's dead. That's what they said. Jesus would have just went away because he had no one's faith to work with. He had no one's faith to work with. And that's why he turned around and said, listen, just keep believing even though she's dead, keep believing. Even though it don't look good, keep believing. Even though it looks like it's going the other way, keep believing. Even though you got a bad report in your body, keep believing. No matter what it is, even though you lost a job, keep believing. Even though your finances are challenged, keep believing. See, that's your part. Our part is to keep believing. Our part is to not give up. Keep believing. Keep moving according to your faith, not according to God's power, not according to God's will. It's not mentioned. He said, daughter, your what? Your faith has made you whole. What did he tell him? Just keep believing. Irregardless of that report you got, keep believing. Your mind wants to give up your feelings, want to give up your spirit. Don't want to give up. And we need to learn to develop our spirit and to develop our faith so that we're able to receive what belongs to us, regardless of the report. He's getting ready to receive a miracle in a place death. He's getting ready to receive a miracle using his faith. Somebody's getting ready to be raised from the dead because of somebody's faith. The new living translation says out of that verse, it says, don't be afraid. Just have faith. And of course, we know the story of his daughter. She was raised from the dead. And this miracle, how many all know this miracle wasn't automatic. It was connected to what? Jairus faith. It was connected to his faith. And so often, you know, in our lives, things happen. Sometimes we have disappointments. Sometimes maybe someone passes away that was close to us. Or maybe someone, you know, we lost a child or someone lost a Parent or someone lost someone in their life, they spend their lifetime blaming God, laying the blame at God. God, where were you in all this? Where were you in this? Why did this have to happen? I remember years ago when my dad, I'll be 55 in a few months. My dad was 59 when he died. And I remember my dad in the hospital room and I remember all the tubes coming out of his body. And I'm standing over someone, 59, which is young, dying. And in that moment, it wasn't my faith on trial here, it wasn't my faith that was going to be able to bring him up. He didn't do what it took to develop his faith. And so his sickness is here and his faith is here. And without a miracle, he's going home. And so often in our life, if we're not careful, we can be word of faith people. And yet we're not developing our faith. We're not preparing for a moment. And I'm standing over my dad and I'm thinking about, it's a faith issue. God did something about this 2,000 years ago. It's a faith issue according to your faith. And I'm not making fun of my dad, I love my dad, he's in heaven. But in that moment, it was his faith that wasn't there. We did our part, we tried to do our part to help and believe God and all that, but at the same time he went home. Same thing happened to my father in law. And if we're not careful, we can spend all this time in our life every day neglecting our faith, neglecting our faith. Neglecting our faith and not really developing our faith, not that something bad is going to happen. But I'll tell you, when you get a report or you come into a situation where you're going to need your faith and you haven't developed it, brother and sister, it can overwhelm you. You can be overwhelmed with situations. In our faith, we need to work on our faith every day. Every day we need to be working on our faith, not believing for tragedies, not believing for any of those things. But if something does happen, and so many times people go through their life and they blame God for situations and they blame God for stuff, they place blame at God, but really it's not God's fault. I mean, if I really thought that it was God that was destroying families, do you think I would want to serve him? If it was God that was separating families and hurting people and he was behind all that, I wouldn't want to serve God. No, God's not behind any of that. But it's so easy for us if we're lazy with our faith and not develop our faith to just blame it all on God. I'm not trying to hurt you tonight. I'm trying to help you to see that your faith is so important. It's so important that we not neglect our faith, but really get serious about our faith and really develop our faith, that our faith will be exceedingly growing. Are you with me? And I remember those times, and those aren't good times, you know. And I remember people. People come up to me now and they say, pastor, you know, I'm believing for thus and such. And they say, well, what scriptures are you standing on? What scriptures? What scriptures do you have to cover that case? What are you standing on? Well, nothing particular. That's what you're going to get. Nothing in particular like that. Because you're not standing on anything. And when you say that, I'm not making fun of that. When someone says they don't know, then I can tell you where their faith is. It's according to your faith. Jesus said, be it unto you according to your faith. And if I'm in a situation and I can't even articulate the scriptures that I'm standing on and what I'm doing to believe God, then we got a faith issue here. We don't have a promise issue. We have a faith issue. Promise already belongs to you. It's not about the promise, not about God's side. It's about my side. It's about what am I doing with my faith, how am I developing my faith? And in that moment, you know, you tell them, well, you know, I know you're not believing nothing, but let me give you some scriptures, because I love you. Let me give you some scriptures that you can stand on and start building your faith. Then I'll get an agreement with you, and we'll be in agreement with one another. But if you're not doing anything with your faith and you're not really taking this thing serious, then really, it's just. You're just placing all of it on me somehow. I pray a super prayer and get this thing turned around. When these years that you've been going, you've been neglecting your faith and you should be a whole lot further along than you are right now. There's nothing more important to your life than your faith. Nothing. It should be something that we're thinking about every day. It should be something that we're developing in every day aspect of our faith. It should be something that we're listening to, an aspect of faith every day to help our faith grow every day and not neglect our faith because it's so easy to neglect it. We get so busy, and that's what the enemy wants. He wants us to get so busy, so busy with life that we don't have time to build our faith. Look at this in Matthew 15, Matthew chapter 15. This is important. You know, when my daughter, well, my grandbaby, she's 12 years old, but my daughter called me when she was five and she had a brain tumor. And my daughter on the other line was frantic. You know, she was crying as a mommy and she had a brain tumor in her brain. In that moment, I didn't have time to go try to build my faith. What came out of my heart arrested my mind. And I told her, I said, honey, it'll be the way we say, the way we believe. Because I was taking the time to build my faith and. And not neglect my faith. Not because I had a need, but because I know I need to build my faith. And so many times we use our faith in the areas that we need things. And there's nothing wrong with learning to draw. But most of the time, people's faith is laid at the direction of an emergency. Trying to get this turned around and this turned around instead of just developing your faith and living by faith and living and learning to receive all the promises that belong to you. Sometimes we allow emergencies and things come up. Now we got to build our faith. We got to get over in emergency tongues. And you know, we got to get emergency reading the Word and we got to build our faith. And faith cannot be built overnight, brother and sisters. Just like my dad going home, we couldn't get his faith built overnight. And without a miracle, he's going to go home. That's not my fault. And so, you know, she had this brain tumor and of course God took care of that. She's fine today. But my point in saying all that is when I got that phone call, it's what's in you right then. It's what's in you right then that's going to either put you over or overtake you. It's what you've put in yourself. All the times of developing your faith, staying in the word, confessing the word of God, building your faith, thinking about your Faith. Matthew, chapter 15, verse 21. And it says, then Jesus went thence to departed in the coast of Tyre and Sidon, and behold a woman of Canaan came out of the same coast and cried unto him, saying, have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David. My daughter is grievously vexed with the devil. But he said unto her, not in a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, send her away, for he crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshiped him, saying, lord, help me. And he answered and said, it is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs. And she said, true, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, o woman, great is thy faith. Be it unto thee even as thou wilt. Notice, he said, be it unto you according to what your faith. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. Jesus didn't want her to give up. Jesus wanted her to continue. And notice, he said, it was your faith. Be it unto you. Notice, he said, oh, woman, great is thy faith. You're willing to push through all of this to come to me. You're willing to do what it takes. Faith will do what it takes. Faith never quits. Faith never makes provision for failure. And faith never loses. Real Bible. Faith never loses. Verse 28 in the Passion, it says. Then Jesus answered her, dear woman, your faith is strong. What you desire will be done for you. And at that very moment, her daughter was instantly set free from demonic torment. See, again, it was the woman's faith that brought deliverance to her daughter. Just like when my daughter called and we stood on the word of God. And through all the. All the different tests and all the different, different trials and all the different things that came, it was faith that got us over every hurdle all the way through to the time where it manifested in her body. And she has no more tumors, but it was faith. And you have a report that comes and said, it will be this way. But faith has another report. Faith has a different report. Faith, you know, the report that faith have don't show up on a screen because you know on the inside, everything's going to be all right. Even though it don't look like it's going to be all right, it's going to be all right because you got a greater picture on the inside. Faith projects victory. Faith will project the promise. And so you don't give up and you don't quit. And it doesn't matter what you hear, and it doesn't matter what you see, and it doesn't matter what they say. What matters at that moment is what you are believing. And what you are believing is derived from all the times you have done to all the time you spent to develop your faith to that believing point. Just think, if I wouldn't have built my faith. Just think if I would have just neglected my faith and I really cared much about my faith. And then all of a sudden she calls, well, honey, I don't know. I mean, would you have sex? Somebody pray for you? I mean, I don't know. I can't help you. I mean, that'd be sad. But this is the consequence when we don't take the time to really build our faith. If we're not building our faith and we're not really spending that time with God. Because faith is a relationship with God. That's what faith is. You're trusting his word. And Jesus said, be it unto you according to your trust. Be it unto you according to your trust. What you trust me to do, not according to his will, according to your faith. Are you with me again? What is he pointing to? Her faith. Not his power, her faith. Matthew, Luke, chapter 17. Luke, chapter 17. And it says here in verse 11, Luke 17:11, it says. And it came to pass as they went to Jerusalem that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him 10 men that were lepers which stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, go show yourselves unto the priest. Now, whenever Jesus said, go show yourself to the priest, that was significant because it was the priesthood that would declare you clean in order for you to go back into your tribe or to your people. And so when they said that, they must have known something was going to happen. Now watch this. And when they saw them, he said unto them, go show yourself to the priest. And it came to pass that as they went. Notice it says, as they went, as they obeyed, as they acted on their faith, as he acted on what he said. What is happening here? It's their faith. It's what they're doing. They're responding to what he said. As they went, they were cleansed. Not they were cleansed and went as they went, as they obeyed, as they acted. Everything is not automatic. Everything don't happen overnight. As they went, as they believed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back and with a loud voice glorified God. And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering, said, what? Were there not 10 cleansed? But where are the nine? They are not found that return to give glory to God. Save this stranger. And notice what Jesus said. And he said unto them, arise, go thy way. Thy faith hath made thee whole. What did Jesus point to his faith? Not to his power, not to God's will, His faith. Notice he said these other ones, these other nine, they went and got cleansed. But he didn't say they were made whole. Maybe they still had fingers missing, I don't know. But the Bible said they went and they were cleansed. It says he was made whole. He came back and gave thanks. And then he said, you, faith has made you whole. Which means he was restored, completely restored. And it was his faith that did it. What you're believing for tonight, what you're believing for in your family, what you're believing for, it's according to your faith. It's not according to God's will. He's already willed it. It's not according to the promise. He's already promised it. It's according to our faith. What we receive is according to our faith. What comes in our life is according to our f. So to neglect my faith every day would be to neglect the promises of God and just think that somehow they're just going to show up. And they don't just show up. Amen. Just like that tumor, my grandbaby's head. This didn't happen overnight. We had to keep believing God, releasing our faith, thanking the Lord, things are turning. Using our faith, exercising our faith. Praise God. We were built for that moment. We were ready for that moment. And I praise God that she's well today and she's strong today and she's healed today because of the power of God. But it didn't happen just because God wanted it to happen. Somebody had to be believing God. Praise God. God is good. What are you believing? You say, well, Lord, I'm believing for finances. What are you standing on? How are you building your faith for finances? How are you building your faith for healing? How are you building your faith for a sound mind? How are you building your faith to have the joy and. And all the promises of God? What are you doing with your faith? A lot of people say, well, I'd like to have. It's not about liking. It's not about what God wants. It's not about what he's given us. It's about what Am I doing with my faith to believe and receive what rightfully belongs to me? What am I doing with my faith? Faith is so important to our life. Faith is what pleases God. Faith is how we get the victory. All the promises of God are yes and amen, but they're received by faith. Then it's so easy that we just neglect our faith. We don't do anything about it. Oh, we have faith definitions. We can define faith, we can give scriptures for it. But when it comes to us really believing, are you really believing? Do you really see the manifestation of your faith with the promises of God? Do you see things happening with your faith? Faith is a work. And it takes time to feed that faith down into your heart to believe. You know Jesus in Luke 22 and verse 31 and 32, he was praying there for Peter. And he told Peter, and he was praying. He said, peter, I pray that your faith won't fail. Not my power, not my will. I'm praying that your faith won't fail, that you won't neglect your faith. I'm praying for your faith that your faith will prevail over this situation. The amplified in that verse. I want to read it. It says Simon. It says in Luke 22, 31 and 32, it says, Simon, Simon. Peter. Listen. Satan has asked extensively or excessively, that all of you be given up to him out of the power and keeping of God, that he might sift all of you like grain. But I have prayed especially for you, Peter, that your own faith may not fail. And when you yourselves have turned again, strengthen and establish your brethren. But notice, he said, I prayed that your own faith we receive on the individual faith. That's how we receive. All of us receive on our individual faith. And Jesus is praying that his own faith won't fail. Praise God. Jesus didn't pray for God's power not to fail. He didn't pray for Peter's. He prayed for Peter's faith not to fail. It wasn't about God's power. It's about Peter's faith. The situations that you and I happened in our life. It's not about God's power. It's about our faith. Amen. It's about our faith. You got time for one more scripture. Look at this. In Acts 14, Acts, chapter 14. And this is Paul here speaking. In verse 7, it says Acts 14:7. And there they preached the gospel. And there said a man, a lystra, impotent in his feet, being crippled from his mother's womb, who never had walked the Same heard Peter speak, whose steadfast fear, steadfastly beholding him and perceiving that he had faith, not Paul's faith. Here Paul is perceiving that this person has faith. How do he have faith? Because he's hearing the gospel. Peter was preaching the gospel he was hearing, or Paul was preaching he was hearing. Faith comes by what hearing. And notice it says, beholding him and perceiving the that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, stand up right on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. So notice this miracle took place not because of Paul's faith, but because of the faith of the individual. See, you and I will always receive on our individual faith your faith life and my faith life. It's my responsibility. It's your responsibility. It's our responsibility to do something about our faith, not God's. And so often, you know, we come to prayer lines. Prayer lines are fine. I have no problem laying hands on people. But I'll tell you, if we learn to develop our faith and we learn to exercise our faith, and we learn how to stand by faith, and we learn how to receive the promises of God, the prayer lines will go down. Because we're all learning to stand on our own faith. That believing and receiving the promises of God and not giving up and not quitting first John 5:4 said, faith is the victory that overcomes the world. There's nothing your faith cannot overcome. There is no limits to what faith can conquer if we'll learn to really develop our faith, which means to really go after God in your relationship with Him. Faith is easy through a relationship. Faith is hard through religion. But learning to have a relationship with God, faith just comes easy because you begin to trust God. And that's what faith is. And then when you need healing for your body, you've been walking with God. Father, I just receive healing from my body. And I thank you in the name of Jesus. I receive it. I believe that by your stripes I was healed. Healing belongs to me, and I receive it by faith. Thank you, Lord, that healing is manifesting in my body. Father, I thank you for the finances that I need. I thank you, Lord, that they you've already provided them. I thank you, Lord, because I've been building my faith and I'm at that level to receive. I just believe I receive all the provision that I need concerning the matter. I thank you, Lord, that it's all based on faith. It's all based on relationship. And he gave you faith. And if you develop faith, then it becomes you Receiving what he's already said you could have. However, if I don't do that daily and really build my faith, and I'm only using my faith to make an exchange without a relationship, it doesn't happen. Trying to make an exchange with heaven without a relationship, that don't happen that way, that becomes religious. It's got to be in the heart. Amen. I hope you got some help tonight. And we need to realize that faith is a progression, and if you'll work on it every day and chip at it away every day, Every day. Every day. Working on your faith every day, confessing the word every day, worshiping God every day, spending time before the Lord every day, honoring him and loving him and working on your faith every day, then what will happen in 2020? What was the theme that was up there? It will be your best year yet. But if you don't do anything about your faith and we just come to church and go home and come to church and go home, then it'll just be something that we're talking about, not something that we're doing. You make a decision. I make a decision to work on my faith every day. And I'll tell you, if you do that and you work on your faith every day, which means working on your relationship with God every day, then at the end of this year, your faith will be so much further along than what it is now, and you'll begin to walk in some of these things that we're confessing. Are you with me? Praise God. According to your faith, be it unto you. Why need finances according to your faith? I need this. According to your faith. And really, you don't need it. He's already provided it. You need to learn to receive. Amen. God is good. Hallelujah. Let's just stand up and thank the Lord tonight, Father, we just thank you for the word tonight, Father, we just thank you that just like your word tells us that the promises of God are yes and amen. And of course they belong to us, but we know they are received on the basis of our individual faith. And so, Father, I just thank you. I thank you right now for your word, and I thank you right now for helping us. And I thank you, Lord, that we would begin to see the significance of our faith and how important our faith really is to our life and to our future. All these promises, Father, that you've already given to us, Lord, they belong to us, but they're received on the basis of our faith. And so, Lord, I just thank you right now for these that are here. And Lord, I just thank you for us just recommitting ourselves to really develop and work on our faith every day so that we can begin to experience some of these, the promises of God that belong to us, that it's not something that we just read about in the Word and find in the Word, but we start seeing it manifesting in our lives. And I thank you Lord, right now in the name of Jesus. So somebody here tonight. You've got problems. I don't know if it's like an acid reflux thing and you've got problems in your intestines. Who is that? Come up here quickly if that's you. Thank you, Father. Glory to God. Thank you, Jesus. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. Father, we thank you. We thank you for your power. Thank you for your power. Now moving on them supernaturally fixing that in their stomach. Just put your hand ladies on your abdomen here and I'm just going to put my hand over top of yours, Father. In Jesus name we command healing to come be healed in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus, we command healing to come be healed. Oh, there it is. In Jesus name. In the name of Jesus. We command healing to come be healed in Jesus name. We thank you for it, Lord. Jesus name. Jesus name, we command healing to come be healed in the name of Jesus. Somebody here. You have arthritis. Arthritis in your hands. Arthritis in your hands. Who is that? Arthritis in your hands, in your joints. Praise God. Thank you, Lord. Let's just all lift our hands to heaven. Father, we thank you. And it's a trouble for you when you type or you're on a computer and stuff like that. You get these aches in your hands. Praise God. God is good. Hallelujah, Father, we just thank you right now in the name of Jesus. We thank you right now, Lord, for your. Your anointing. Hallelujah, Lord, we just thank you. Can I have your hands? In the name of Jesus, command healing to come to these hands be healed in the name of Jesus. In your joints. Command them all to straighten up now in the name of Jesus, for that anointing to flow through you. In the name of Jesus, Jesus name. Now just move your hands. Jesus name. Father, we thank youk for moving in these joints, loosening all these joints up. By the power of God, in the name of Jesus and all that to go. All that discomfort even in your arms, in Jesus name, all of that to go. And we give youe praise and we give youe glory. We thank youk, Lord, that yout're the healer. You're the healer. You're the healer. Thank youk, Lord. There's somebody here. You're having problems in your lower back. A real, real. Not talking about just a cramp. I'm talking about pain in your lower back, in your lower region. Who is that? Come up here. Jesus name. Thank you, Lord, for that anointing. Jesus name. Driving all that out. Jesus name. Jesus name. Thank you, Lord. Hallelujah. Glory to God. You have pain right now. Where's it at? In your lower. Your back. Can I put my hand back there? Is that okay? In the name of Jesus, command Healing to come be healed. In the name of Jesus. In your back. Now you just do something you couldn't do. Thank you, Father, for that anointing. Thank you, Lord, for that anointing. Thank you, Jesus, for that anointing. Praise you, Father. Thank you for that anointing. Thank you that you're the healer. Thank you, Lord, that you're the healer. Thank you, Jesus. Tell me what's happening in your back. Well, it's like really warm. Really warm. Yeah, just keep. Yeah, just keep. Just keep moving your. Don't hurt yourself, but just move yourself. Keep moving your back. That warmness is the anointing. Just keep moving it. Moving it. Doing something you couldn't do before because that's giving action to it. Amen. Amen. Praise God. Just keep doing it. Praise God. Do you have pain right now? No, not right now. In your back, though. In the name of Jesus, we command healing to come to this back. Be healed. In Jesus name. In your back. And we thank you, Lord. In Jesus name, we give you all the praise and glory. Praise God. Hallelujah. Jesus name. You believe that? Yes, sir. Amen. Praise God. Do you have pain now in your back? You have pain now? In the name of Jesus, we command Healing to come be healed. In Jesus name. In your back. Now bend over and do something you couldn't do before. Praise God. Tell me what's happening. Yeah. Loosening up. Is the pain still there? No. Praise God. Ain't God good? Hallelujah. Pain's gone. Then you're healed. Amen. Jesus name. We thank youk for it, Lord. Hallelujah. God is good. God is good. Just lift our hands to heaven and let's just say this. Say, heavenly Father, I thank you for the Word. The word of God is equipping my life. I declare I will never be the same, Lord Jesus. I'm going to work on my faith every day. That my faith will be strong because I realize the promises of God are according to my faith. And I thank youk, Lord, that yout've given me faith and I'm not going to neglect my faith. In Jesus name, I thank youk right now. In Jesus name, Amen and Amen. Can we give the Lord a shout? Hallelujah. Thank youk, Lord. We give youe all the praise and give youe all the glory in the name of Jesus. And we thank youk for it, Father, in Jesus name, Amen and Amen.
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Dufresne Ministries Podcast | Guest Teacher: Dennis Hattabaugh | World Harvest Church, Murrieta, CA | February 6, 2020
This episode features guest minister Dennis Hattabaugh teaching on the critical importance of personal faith in receiving God's promises. Drawing on numerous scriptural accounts, Dennis underscores the principle that, according to Jesus’ own words, what believers receive from God is not determined exclusively by God’s will or power, but “according to your faith.” The message challenges listeners to take responsibility for developing a strong, active faith, emphasizing that neglecting faith is tantamount to neglecting God’s promises. The teaching balances scriptural exposition, practical guidance, and personal testimony, all delivered in an encouraging, straight-talking tone.
Dennis shares about his father’s and father-in-law’s deaths (52:00). Despite being “Word of Faith people,” lack of faith development led to tragedy. This illustrates:
When Dennis’ granddaughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor, his conviction, born of steady faith development, was firm: “Honey, it’ll be the way we say, the way we believe.” (59:40)
On Scriptural Truth:
“Scripture is what you use to rightly divide the Word. Nowhere in Scripture can we find that kind of prayer or truth that says, ‘if it’s God’s will, so be it.’”
—Dennis Hattabaugh (13:50)
On Personal Responsibility:
“Whether you and I are receiving tonight is not up to God. It is up to our individual faith and what we’re doing with our faith.”
—Dennis Hattabaugh (18:10)
On Spiritual Preparedness:
“Faith cannot be built overnight, brothers and sisters… When you get a report or come into a situation and you haven’t developed [faith], you can be overwhelmed.”
—Dennis Hattabaugh (52:25)
On Building Faith Daily:
“If you do that and you work on your faith every day—which means working on your relationship with God—then at the end of this year, your faith will be so much further along than now.”
—Dennis Hattabaugh (1:26:00)
On Faith in Action:
“You need to learn to receive. Amen. God is good. Hallelujah.”
—Dennis Hattabaugh (1:28:30)
Listeners are urged to:
Closing Affirmation (1:28:30):
“Heavenly Father, I thank you for the Word. The word of God is equipping my life. I declare I will never be the same, Lord Jesus. I’m going to work on my faith every day…”
Summary prepared for listeners wanting a full, practical, scripture-filled recap without audio.