Matthew 16:15-16 (NKJV) “He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
When Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do you say I am?”, Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” because God had given the revelation to him. We should also ask ourselves the same question because our answer will determine how we position our faith when faced with a situation.
Jesus is the second person of the triune Godhead, who created the entire universe by His Word. The Holy Spirit brought creation into being after God had spoken the Word. God is the God of all flesh, and nothing is too complicated for Him.
Jeremiah 32:27 (NKJV): “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?
The promise of God must take place in the spirit realm before manifesting in the natural realm. Therefore, there is normally a time lag between when we pray or receive the word of promise and when the prayer is answered. During that time, the devil will attack our faith and throw all kinds of adversity and persecution at us to make us give up the faith and the Word that we have received. In other words, during the fight between what we see—which may be contrary to what we have prayed for—and what we believe, we must stand our ground in faith. Because the devil and our natural mind will both want us to doubt God, we must have a Book, Chapter and verse from God personally to provide substance to our faith. Otherwise, our unbelief will hinder God’s work in our lives.
Mark 6:4-6 (NKJV) But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honour except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marvelled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.
Although God is sovereign and supreme, He cannot do mighty work among those who do not believe because He respects our choices. Therefore, our unbelief limits or hinders His work. Some of us have restricted what God can do due to our wrong perceptions of Him, traditions and theological constraints, and intellectualism. We have limited God to what our minds can accept and elevated reasoning and logic above God’s power and ability because of pride. Therefore, let us repent and get rid of unbelief, doubt and pride, and let us welcome Him and desire His presence with a heart of expectation and faith, believing that God can do mighty deeds for us.
Sermon Series: Faith cannot coexist with Doubt
我们是怎么阻碍神的
马太福音 16:15-16 “耶稣对他们说:“你们说我是谁?“西门彼得回答说:‘你是基督,是永生上帝的儿子。’”
当耶稣问门徒“你们说我是谁”时,西门彼得回答说:“你是基督,是永生上帝的儿子。”因为上帝亲自将这一启示赐给他。我们也应该问自己同样的问题,因为我们的回答将决定我们在面对困境时如何持守我们的信心。
耶稣是三位一体神的第二位格,祂以祂的话语创造了整个宇宙。当上帝发出话语后,圣灵使创造成为现实。上帝是凡有血气者的神,在祂没有难成的事。
耶利米书 32:27 “看哪,我是耶和华,是凡有血气者的神,岂有我难成的事吗?”
上帝的应许必须先在灵界实现,然后才会在自然界显现。因此,通常在我们祷告或领受应许的话语与祷告得到回应之间存在时间差。在这段时间里,魔鬼会攻击我们的信心,向我们投掷各种逆境和逼迫,试图让我们放弃信仰以及所领受的话语。换句话说,在我们所看到的(可能与我们所祷告的相反)与我们所相信的之间进行争战时,我们必须凭信心坚守立场。因为魔鬼和我们的自然思维都会让我们怀疑上帝,所以我们必须亲自领受从上帝而来的某一卷、某一章和某一段经文,好给我们的信心以实底。否则,我们的不信将会阻碍上帝在我们生命中的工作。
马可福音 6:4-6 耶稣对他们说:“大凡先知,除了在本乡、本族、本家之外,没有不被尊敬的。”他在那里不能行什么神迹,不过按手在几个病人身上,治好他们。他因他们的不信而感到惊奇。于是他走遍周围各村庄,教导人。
尽管上帝是至高无上的,但祂不能在那些不信的人中间行神迹,因为祂尊重我们的选择。因此,我们的不信限制或阻碍了祂的工作。我们中的一些人因为对祂的错误认知、传统和神学限制以及理性主义,限制了上帝所能做的事情。我们把上帝限制在我们的头脑所能接受的范围内,并因骄傲而将理性和逻辑置于上帝的能力之上。因此,让我们悔改,摈弃不信、怀疑和骄傲,让我们满怀期待与信心迎接祂,渴望祂的同在,相信上帝能为我们行神迹。
讲章系列:信心不能与怀疑共存
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