Faith

Reading Scripture: Hebrews 10:22 

Verse to Memorize: Hebrews 10:22 

Reference: 1 John 3:21 Goal: to let believers receive answers to whatever they ask by achieving true heart and perfect faith as God's children As written in the Bible, the Word of God is unchanging, everlasting, and the truth itself. So, if we possess the faith that God recognizes and takes delight in, then we can receive answers to whatever we ask. 

Matthew 21:22 reads, "And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Then, why do some people receive answers immediately while others receive answers slowly or fail to receive them?

• 1. The relationship of a sincere heart and full assurance of faith

Hebrews 10:22 says, "Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." Here, 'a sincere heart' refers to the truthful heart void of falsehood and the heart that resembles the heart of Jesus Christ. Also, 'full assurance of faith' indicates to believe every Word in the 66 books of the Bible without any doubt and to keep all God's commandments. 

To the extent that we achieve the sincere heart, we can gain full assurance of faith. Only the profession of those who have achieved a sincere heart can be deemed truthful by God and God answers their prayer quickly. Many people profess to have this faith, but the extent of their sincerity is different. Some profess faith with the 100% integrity by achieving a sincere heart, and some others' profession is 50% sincere because they have not completely accomplished a sincere heart yet. In this case, God can't help but to say, "You believe Me only half way." And He can answer only to that extent. In this way the extent of sincerity is directly related to one's measure of God-recognized faith.

 In human relations saying, "I trust you", does not necessarily lead to the extent of real trust towards an individual. For example, a mother says to her child before going out, "Keep the home safe. I trust you." Does she really trust her child? If she truly trusted her child, she wouldn't need the words "I trust you." She would just say, "I will be back at such-and-such o'clock. Keep the home safe." But because she doesn't really trust her child, she says "I trust you". With concern mothers say, "I cleaned the house, so do not make a mess and don't touch my cosmetics and do not turn on the stove. It is dangerous." Even after they are out, they keep checking by calling their children and say, "What are you doing?" and "Is there anything wrong at home?" When parents say to obedient children, "I trust you", it is the 100% sincere profession from their hearts out of trust in them. As explained above, some children are trustworthy while others are not according to how much they obey and how much they are truthful. 

If a child who gains 100% trust from his parents asks something of them, they will give it without asking the reason and do it as they want. They think, 'He may really need it. He is not a child who does something wrong? and they give what they need in a full trust. However, if their trust is not perfect, they will give what they ask for only when the asking is deemed proper. To the extent that they have less trust in children, they keep checking what they need over and over again and hesitate to give it. Nevertheless, if the child continues to ask, their parents unwillingly meet their needs due to their constant asking. The same applies to the relations between God and His children. 

Thus, I hope you will not be a child who fails to gain trust and receives only a little from God because of constant asking, but be the one who achieves a sincere heart and has full assurance of faith so that God can give you whatever you ask of Him.

• 2. Abraham had a sincere heart in full assurance of faith

The reason why Abraham became the 'Forefather of Faith' is because he had a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. Abraham believes the promise of God in any kind of situation without any doubt (Romans 4:19-22). When he turned 75, God said he would form a great nation from him. However, for the next 20 years he did not gain any child. Then, it was not until Abram (later Abraham) turned 99 and Sarai (later Sarah) at 89 then she had become already infertile that God said they would have a child the following year. It was impossible to happen in human thought, but God recognized that Abraham believed without any doubt in His Word of promise. In the end, the following year He blessed him to beget a son, Isaac, as He had promised. 

But to become a forefather of faith he had to pass another test of faith. God told him to give his only son Isaac, whom he had gained at the age of 100, as a burnt offering. How did Abraham give his beloved son Isaac as a burnt offering? Since God already told Abraham that many descendants would come forth from him, he believed that God would revive Isaac because He said he would have many descendants (Hebrews 11:17-19). With the faith, Abraham built the altar and arranged the wood. He bound his son and laid him on the altar. 

At the last moment, the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me" (Genesis 22:12). Abraham revered God from the bottom of his heart, so he obeyed things that were impossible to obey and his faith could be recognized as perfect faith through the test. In this way Abraham became the 'Forefather of Faith'.

• 3. To accomplish a sincere heart in full assurance of faith

In the past, without any hope, Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee was waiting for death for seven years due to many kinds of diseases. In the meantime, he was guided to a church by his sister. He just knelt down but he was healed of all his diseases by the power of God. He received such great love and grace from God, so he went to church near his house and offered all kinds of worship services. He even attended many revival meetings and learned and practiced the Word of God. 

Although he did manual hard labor in a construction site, he attended Dawn Services. He always thought of how he could listen to more sermons and realize the will of God more deeply. He heard that it was not proper for believers in God to drink and smoke, so he quit. He was also taught that he had to give tithes and thanks offerings, so he gave them right away. Since that time, he has never broken what he was taught. Reading the Bible, he did what the Bible tells us to do and kept what it tells us to keep. He didn't do what it tells us not to do and threw away what it tells us to throw away. If he found himself difficult to cast away something, he ended up throwing it away by fasting and praying. To the extent that he obeyed the Word of God, God gave him precious faith as a present. 

By doing so, his faith in God became stronger and he never doubted God even when tests came or he was faced with things that were difficult. Because he committed everything to God the Almighty and prayed with faith, he came to have a true heart void of falsehood. After he was called as a pastor by God, he was focused on arming himself with the Word of God and prayed fervently to be a powerful pastor. After the church opened, he simply passed all tests and trials by praying to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith whenever the tests and trials came. Every time he did so, God gave him greater and great power. Based on the God-given powerful works, he conducted overseas crusades beginning in 2000 and led countless souls to the way of salvation. 

What should we do to possess true heart and perfect faith? We should completely believe the Word of God written in the 66 books of the Bible without any doubt and keep His commandments. Only when we fight against sin to the point of shedding blood and cast away every form of evil can we achieve the heart of the Lord. I hope you will achieve sincere heart and perfect faith that please God and glorify God by receiving answers to whatever you ask.

Imani

Soma: Waebrania 10:22

Mstari wa kukariri: Waebrania 10:22

Marejeo: 1 Yohana 3:21. Lengo: kuwasaidia waumini kupokea wanachoomba kwa kuwa na moyo wa kweli na imani kamili kama watoto wa Mungu.

Neno la Mungu halibadiliki, ni la milele na ni kweli yenyewe. Tukiwa na imani anayoitambua na kuipendezwa nayo Mungu, tunaweza kupokea tunachoomba. Mathayo 21:22 husema, “Na yote mtakayoyaomba katika sala mkiamini, mtapokea.” Kwa nini wengine hupokea majibu mara moja, wengine baadaye na wengine hawapokei?

• 1. Uhusiano kati ya moyo wa kweli na uhakika kamili wa imani

Waebrania 10:22 husema tumkaribie Mungu kwa moyo wa kweli, katika utimilifu wa imani, mioyo yetu ikiwa imenyunyiziwa na kuondolewa dhamiri mbaya na miili yetu kuoshwa kwa maji safi. “Moyo wa kweli” ni moyo usio na udanganyifu, unaofanana na moyo wa Yesu Kristo. “Uhakika kamili wa imani” ni kuamini bila shaka Neno lote la Biblia na kushika amri zote za Mungu.

Kadiri tunavyofikia moyo wa kweli, ndivyo tunavyopata uhakika kamili wa imani. Mungu huona kuwa maneno ya mtu mwenye moyo wa kweli ni ya kweli na hujibu maombi yake haraka. Wengi hudai kuwa na imani, lakini mioyo yao haina kiwango sawa cha ukweli: wengine wana moyo wa kweli kabisa, wengine bado hawajakamilika. Kwa hiyo Mungu anaweza kusema, “Unaniamini kwa sehemu tu,” na kujibu kwa kiwango hicho. Kiasi cha ukweli moyoni kinahusiana moja kwa moja na kipimo cha imani anayoitambua Mungu.

Katika mahusiano ya watu, kusema “Ninakuamini” hakumaanishi kwamba mtu anaamini kabisa. Mama anaweza kumwambia mtoto, “Ninakuamini, linda nyumba,” kisha aongeze asivuruge nyumba, asiguse vipodozi wala kuwasha jiko kwa sababu ni hatari. Akiwa nje huendelea kupiga simu kuuliza anachofanya. Hii inaonyesha kuwa hamwamini kabisa. Lakini mzazi anapomwambia mtoto mtiifu “Ninakuamini,” hayo ni maneno ya moyo wa kweli. Watoto wengine huaminika zaidi kwa sababu wanatii na kusema ukweli.

Mtoto anayeaminiwa kikamilifu akiomba kitu, wazazi wanaweza kumpa bila kuuliza sababu kwa kuwa wanajua anakihitaji na hatafanya jambo baya. Ikiwa imani haijakamilika, wazazi hutoa tu maombi wanayoona yanafaa, huchunguza tena na kusitasita. Wakati mwingine mtoto hupata anachotaka kwa kuendelea kuomba. Vivyo hivyo katika uhusiano wetu na Mungu. Usiwe mtoto asiyepata imani ya Mungu na kupokea kidogo kwa kusisitiza tu maombi; kuwa na moyo wa kweli na uhakika kamili wa imani ili Mungu akupe unachoomba.

• 2. Ibrahimu alikuwa na moyo wa kweli na uhakika kamili wa imani

Ibrahimu aliitwa baba wa imani kwa sababu alikuwa na moyo wa kweli na uhakika kamili. Aliamini ahadi za Mungu bila shaka katika hali yoyote (Warumi 4:19-22). Alipokuwa na miaka 75, Mungu alimwambia atafanya taifa kubwa kutokana naye. Kwa miaka 20 hakupata mtoto. Ibrahimu alipokuwa na miaka 99 na Sara miaka 89, naye hakuwa tena na uwezo wa kuzaa, Mungu akasema wangepata mtoto mwaka uliofuata. Kwa mawazo ya kibinadamu jambo hilo halikuwezekana, lakini Ibrahimu aliamini ahadi ya Mungu bila shaka. Mwaka uliofuata Mungu akampa mwana, Isaka, kama alivyoahidi.

Ili awe baba wa imani, alipitia jaribu jingine. Mungu alimwambia amtoe Isaka, mwanawe wa pekee aliyempata akiwa na miaka 100, awe dhabihu ya kuteketezwa. Ibrahimu alimtoaje mwanawe mpendwa? Mungu alikuwa amesema wazao wengi wangetoka kwake; kwa hiyo aliamini Mungu angemfufua Isaka (Waebrania 11:17-19). Kwa imani hiyo alijenga madhabahu, akapanga kuni, akamfunga mwanawe na kumweka juu ya madhabahu. Wakati wa mwisho malaika wa Bwana alimwita kutoka mbinguni akamwambia asimdhuru kijana; sasa Mungu alijua anamcha kwa kuwa hakumnyima mwanawe wa pekee (Mwanzo 22:12). Ibrahimu alimtii Mungu hata katika jambo lililoonekana kutowezekana, na imani yake ikathibitishwa kuwa kamili. Hivyo akawa baba wa imani.

• 3. Jinsi ya kupata moyo wa kweli na uhakika kamili wa imani

Zamani, Mchungaji Mkuu Daktari Jaerock Lee alikuwa akingojea kifo kwa miaka saba kwa sababu ya magonjwa mengi. Dada yake alimwongoza kanisani; alipiga magoti tu, lakini Mungu akamponya magonjwa yake yote kwa nguvu zake. Kwa sababu alipokea upendo na neema kuu ya Mungu, alihudhuria ibada mbalimbali, mikutano ya uamsho na kujifunza na kutenda Neno la Mungu.

Ingawa alifanya kazi ngumu ya mikono katika eneo la ujenzi, alihudhuria ibada za alfajiri na kutafuta kusikiliza mahubiri zaidi na kuelewa mapenzi ya Mungu kwa kina. Aliposikia kwamba waumini hawapaswi kunywa pombe wala kuvuta sigara, aliacha; alipofundishwa kutoa zaka na sadaka za shukrani, alianza mara moja na hakuacha. Alisoma Biblia na kufanya inachosema tufanye, kushika inachosema tushike, kuepuka inachosema tusifanye na kutupa inachosema tutupe. Aliposhindwa kuacha jambo fulani, alifunga na kuomba hadi akaliweza. Kadiri alivyotii, Mungu alimpa imani ya thamani.

Imani yake ikaongezeka na hakutilia shaka Mungu majaribu yalipokuja au hali ngumu zilipotokea. Alimkabidhi kila kitu Mwenyezi Mungu na kuomba kwa imani, akapata moyo wa kweli usio na udanganyifu. Baada ya kuitwa kuwa mchungaji, alijitahidi kujifunza Neno na kuomba kwa bidii ili awe mchungaji mwenye nguvu. Baada ya kanisa kufunguliwa, alikabiliana na kila jaribu kwa moyo wa kweli na uhakika kamili, naye Mungu akampa nguvu zaidi kila mara. Kuanzia mwaka 2000, alifanya mikutano ya Injili ng’ambo na kuwaongoza watu wengi kwenye wokovu kwa msingi wa kazi hizo za Mungu.

Tufanye nini ili tuwe na moyo wa kweli na imani kamili? Tuamini bila shaka Neno la Mungu katika vitabu 66 vya Biblia na kushika amri zake. Tujitahidi kuishinda dhambi hata kwa gharama ya maisha na kuacha kila aina ya uovu ili tupate moyo wa Bwana. Naomba uwe na moyo wa kweli na imani kamili inayompendeza na kumtukuza Mungu, na upokee majibu ya maombi yako.