The Test of Faith

Faith can be, and is usually tested. God tests your faith to prove if it is genuine or not.

First I would like to start off with a story.

There was once a very brave and good acrobat called Charles Blondin. He was so good that he can walk on a tightrope across the Niagara Falls without any safety net. One day he announced that he was going to do it again- pushing a wheelbarrow full of heavy cement. To cut a long story short, he succeeded. As he was emptying the wheelbarrow he asked a reporter, "Do you believe that I can push the wheelbarrow with cement across the tightrope and get safely to the other side?" The reporter replied, "Yes." "Now, do you believe that I can push the wheelbarrow with a man inside and get both of us safely across?" Blondin asked. The reporter replied again, "Yes. i believe that." Blondin then said, "Good, get inside the wheelbarrow and I'll push you across." The reporter disappeared into the crowd. He asked many more people, and they too, walked away. Finally, there was one person that agreed to get onto the wheelbarrow. This time many people began betting. halfway across the tightrope, someone partially cut the rope to increase the chance of both of them falling to their deaths and making it look like an accident. With the decreased stability of the rope, it started rocking in the wind, and Blondin had to try very hard to keep his balance. Blondin told the man, "Get out of the wheelbarrow, your arms go around my shoulders and your legs go around my feet. Do it or die!!" The man followed, and the wheelbarrow plummeted into the depths below. Blondin had to use all his years of experience to get to the other side safely, and he did.

It is very easy to say "Jesus I believe in You." but it is hard to put your life on the line and trust that He will bring you over. This is where the test of faith comes in. People who do not put their faith into action don't have genuine faith. God will test your faith to prove if it's genuine or not. This message was spoken by Pastor David Davies from Israel. When he and his wife were called to Jerusalem, God tested their faith. Iraq bombed that place with 1 shell every 3 seconds. They stayed and set up a drug rehab centre.

The example that Pastor David drew from this is Elisha. The story goes that Elijah stayed in a cave and God called Elijah up, gave him Elisha's address and called him to go there. Now before Elijah was taken up to heaven Elisha requested him to give a double portion of his faith. Elijah promised that only if Elisha saw him get taken up into heaven. So they arrived at the Jordan River with about 10 other young people behind them. They must have been thinking, "I believe that he has great faith, but I'm not going to follow him.". Only Elisha went with Elijah and to make a long story short Elijah got taken up into heaven and when he was going he threw out his cloak, and Elisha picked it up (also receiving his annointing). I'm running out of time so here's the  thing: None of the +-10 people that were there got Elijah's annointing because GOD CANNOT TOLERATE LUKEWARMNESS. It's either you are on fire for Him or not. If you claim to be a Christian then exercise your faith and behave like one.

Exercise your faith, genuinely. It's good for us. At times I also have to work on this, so yea, let's exercise our genuine faith together, as a Body.