Michael Hindes

Believing God for Something

Over the last few days I’ve been thinking about what, if anything, I’m believing God for.  Not just salvation stuff, that’s already settled, but the other stuff.  I want to know is it big enough, wild enough, audacious enough?  Because I’m convinced God wants us to believe Him for BIG THINGS!

Well, I’m mostly convinced He wants “others” to believe Him for big things ;(

Right now, I have a friend believing God to heal him of cancer.  I have another friend believing God for recovery from heart surgery.  Yet another friend believing God to provide his financially challenged church a new building.  I have many around me believing God for a clear word about the next season.  Some believing to be debt free, some believing for the birth of healthy grandchildren, and still others believing for healing from the emotional wounds of the past.

Jesus teaches us a parable about faith and prayer - it’s entitled The woman and the unjust judge.  I won’t go into a full exposition right now, I just want to focus on the last few words “…when the son of man returns, will He find faith…”

“Will He find faith”?  Will He find us in belief, in trust, in settled confidence about something?  And if that’s what He’s looking for in us, what does He find in me?

I’m a realist by nature.  Mostly, I’m expecting the upstream hard push, the normal setbacks of life, and even at times the other shoe to fall.  When in doubt, lower your expectations, right?

Rereading those previous statements, I actually sound pessimistic…

But right now, I have some stuff I need to believe God for.  And not just for the numerous needs listed above.  I actually have some things that are going to require my faith to be activated and stretched.

 The words of my earthly father are shouting in my head “do something, even if it’s wrong”.  I also sense my heavenly Father asking me to believe something even if it’s wrong, even if I’m not sure, even if it’s too bold - “you have not because you ask not”.

So the challenge is clear, are we believing God for something?

As I write this, I’m outside on the patio, I’m praying in the Spirit, I’m activating myself prophetically, and I’m getting ready to shout the BIG ASK…

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“Without faith it is impossible to please God…” Hebrews 11:6

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The Gathering a Night of Miracles April 23rd

The Torment of Fear

Here are the notes from a message I shared back in July at The Gathering.

Fear Defined - a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, or pain; fear isn’t necessarily dependent upon reality

Top 10 Fears - flying, heights, clowns, intimacy, death, people, snakes, success, driving, public speaking

Top Relational Fears:
Being Wrong
Failure
Rejection

Usual Outcome of Our Fears:
Job 3:25-26 “For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me.”

We normally manifest our fear… if faith is substance of things hoped for, fear must be the substance of things dreaded.

Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified Bible) “Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]”.

Let’s substitute Fear for Faith and see how it reads: “Now fear is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] dread, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [fear perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]”.

Physical Responses to Fear (adrenal responses):
Fight (combative)
Flight (flee, withdraw)
Freeze (paralyzed, indecisive)

Control of Fear (when in fear, we lose control):
So, fear manifests in control to keep us safe
Plus, fear makes us susceptible to the control of others
Remember this, controlling people and controllable people are fearful people

Torment and Thievery of Fear:
I John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love

John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…”

II Timothy 1:6-7 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (an actual presence, or being of fear)

What Fear Steals (from II Timothy 1:7):
our “power”, so we become weak and impotent
our “love”, so we become rejected and controlling
our “soundness of mind”, so we become confused and panicked

Some Fear Antidotes:
Remember your faith -
Don’t be afraid just (continue to) believe (Mark 5:36). Faith is our shield Ephesians 6:16

Remember the calling -
Stir up the Gift (II Tim 1:6)

Remember to reach out - 
To Those Stronger (I John 4:18) “but perfect love casts out fear”. Here’s my transliteration of that portion of this verse - “mature, tested by fire and circumstance, greying around the temples, adult, unconditional love casts away or throws off the fear that tries to take us down”. In short, we need each other and each other’s experiences…

Matt is working on the audio link so come back later and listen to it.