“Faith Versus Hope” (John 11:17-27) “It’s very important to know the difference between faith and hope. Hope is always in the future while faith is always in the now. If it’s not now it’s not faith. Faith is grasping the unrealities of hope and bringing them into the realm of reality. Dito maraming nalilito na mga mananampalataya dahil di nila alam ang pagkaka-iba ng faith at ng hope. The book of Hebrews tells us “Now faith is the substance of things hope for, the evidence of things we don’t see.” (Hebrews 11:1) In other words faith is now not in the future. In our study today let us see two people operating in faith and in hope. Jesus operates in faith while Martha operates in hope. Our text for today is found in the Gospel of John the eleventh chapter and verses seventeen to twenty seven; “Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” Kung titignan natin sa umpisa si Martha ay nasa pananampalataya subalit di nagtagal bumagsak siya sa pag-asa o hope. Tignan natin ang kanyang statement; “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Kaya sinabi ni Hesus sa kanya na ang kanyang kapatid ay babangunin mula sa mga patay ngayon na. Subalit sumagot si Martha ng hope noong sinabi niya kay Hesus; “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Dito makikita sa mga sinabi ni Martha na wala na pala siya sa faith bagkus nag ooperate na siya sa hope. Remember hope is always in the future while faith is always in the now. Dito napapahamak ang maraming mga believer dahil akala nila sila ay nasa faith iyon pala ay hope. Maalala ko ang isang pangyayari sa aking ministry. Mayroon noong bedridden na tao ng more than nine months na at pinapasyalan ko. Noong pang-apat na papasyalan ko, may ibinulong sa akin ng Spiritu ng Diyos sa aking puso na nagsasabing, ‘pakinggan mo ang kanyang tenses.’ Kaya tinanong ko siya kung naniniwala siya na sa pmamagitan ng mga sugat ni Hesus ay magaling na siya. (1 Peter 2:24) At sinagot niya ako ng ganito, ‘naniniwala ako Pastor na gagaling din ako balang araw.’ Sinabi sa akin ng Holy Spirit na iyon ang problema, akala niya nasa faith siya iyon pala umaasa siya na mangyayari sa hinaharap. Sinabi ko sa kanya na di siya talaga naniniwala sa Word of God, dahil ang sabi ng Salita ng Diyos, siya’y magaling na hindi gagaling. Suddenly faith entered into his heart and he got it. Sinabi niya na magaling na pala siya, hindi gagaling baling araw, revelation has come into his heart. Now the bible says faith without works or corresponding action is dead. Kaya sinabi ko sa kanya kung naniniwala siya talaga dapat bumangon siya at tumayo at lumakad. And for the first time in his life after more than nine months he got up and walked and was completely healed and delivered. Marami sa atin ang uma-asa sa isang bagay na matagal ng ibinigay ng Diyos sa atin. Ang kagalingan ay ibinigay na iyan ng Lord sa atin more than two thousand years ago. Jesus Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by being made accursed for us. (Galatians 3:13-14) Itong sumpa ng Kautusan na ito ay sakit at karamdaman, kahirapan at kamatayan. Siya na ang nasumpa upang tayo ay dina masumpa bagkus tanggapin ang pagapala ni Amang Abraham. This is the year of the Lord’s favour not tomorrow but today. Today is our healing not tomorrow. Today is our prosperity not tomorrow. Huwag tayong umasa sa mga bagay bagay na matagal na palang ibingay ng Diyos sa atin sa pamamagitan ng pagtubos ng ating Panginoong Hesu-Kristo sa Krus ng Kalbaryo. The bible says, ‘this is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ We rejoice because today is the day of deliverance not tomorrow. Today is the day of victory and success not tomorrow. “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.” (2 Corinthians 2:14) “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:55-58) Abraham operates in faith and conquered hope and receives the promised child Isaac. “Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Saras womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” (Romans 4:18-21) It’s about time to operate in faith if we want to see the Promises of God will be fulfill upon our lives. Faith is what pleases God. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
Posted on: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 21:44:11 +0000
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