Unwavering Faith Confirmed

"God is going to come and whisper a promise to many of you."

Laying in bed last night, I found myself unable to fall asleep. I just wasn't tired. So out came the iPod. Time to plug into my step-Pastor, Brady Boyd, and see what God was speaking through him this week.

Side note: I call Pastor Brady my step-Pastor because this past summer I began reading his blog, which prompted the thought to check out his podcasts. Although I never got the chance to hear him preach while he was still with Gateway, he's come back as a guest speaker several times since his move to New Life three years ago. Each time I have been blown away by his teaching. So, this summer I downloaded every message to a series titled Supernatural that he did from January through March of this year. It was so good, so rich, so full of truth and heavenly teaching, that I've listened to every message from that point forward. It has taken quite a bit of time to play catch up because many messages I listen to 3-5 a piece, but I now can say that I am at the point of waiting for the next week to roll around so I can listen to my step-Pastor teach.   :)

Seeing the title of the message, Luke 1, I assume he's starting a Christmas series. Nice. Most pastors only do one Christmas message a year, so I'm kind of excited to see what's coming. Yeah, well. All I can say is this was NOT your ordinary Christmas message by any shake of the tail. As a matter of fact, I'm STILL reeling from the fact that I was expecting "sweet baby Jesus lying in a manger" and I got hit upside the heart with a message on the promises of God; and received total confirmation that what God was speaking to me earlier in the day was not misheard or misunderstood.

I'm simply going to re-write the notes and direct quotes I took from this message:

• "God is going to come and whisper a promise to many of you." Pastor Brady spoke these as prophetic words and I received them knowing full well I was one of the many.
• The people who believe that whatever God says He can do, these are those with great purpose.
• If you believe it then God will come to you and give you something beyond your abilities--almost impossible--unnatural. This is the test of what you really believe.
• Will you nod with your head AND follow with your heart? Will you move forward when He calls you to the impossible?
• Yet Abraham did not waiver in his unbelief. He was fully persuaded that what God promises, God does.
• All of my chips are on the table. Even when it's mysterious, risky or dangerous, I'll say yes. 
• I don't have any preconceived ideas about 'how' it will happen, but I trust and believe in Your ability.
• God is able if we are willing.
• The journey is about trusting God for every moment; not with a lack of wisdom but with reckless abandon. (I LOVED THIS!!! This was my word!)

"He did not waiver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform." Romans 4:18-20

As I listened to this message I hit God up with this question: "God, what is your promise? I know what you want--I know what you've spoken to my heart regarding finances--but what is the promise?"

I know, without doubt, that we will follow what He's asked, but I don't want to pull a promise out of hat that seems to go along with this. I want a specific promise from God. And I'm praying for that.