Faith & Works

Faith & Works
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

James 2:17
Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Genuine faith always produces works. Genuine faith gives birth to corresponding actions. Faith that doesn't produce actions is a dead faith.

Genuine faith causes a change in your speech and in your actions.  Mark 5 talks about a lady who was suffering from the issue of blood for twelve years and had spent all that she had on doctors but instead of getting better, she grew worse. Think about this lady for a moment. Think about her speech, her actions and her life in the midst of this terrible sickness. One day, she heard about Jesus as the Healer. Romans 10.17 says, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. As soon as she heard about Jesus, her thoughts, words and actions began to change because she believed what she heard. She kept saying to herself, If I touch Him, I will be healed. Not only did she say that, she got up and went after Jesus, touched the hem of His garment and was made completely whole. Glory to God. Genuine faith always produces actions. Dead faith doesn't move. It's passive. No change. No response. Just dead! Dead faith gets nothing from God. If her faith was dead, she would not have changed her words and actions after hearing about Jesus. Faith that produces corresponding actions is a perfect faith. Faith that does not produce corresponding actions is a dead faith. What is your faith producing?

Friend, when Abraham's faith was strong, it produced corresponding actions - He started giving glory to God. Weak faith cannot produce corresponding actions. Feed your faith with the word of God. The word of God is faith food. Take Scriptures that concern you and keep listening, meditating and speaking them so that your faith becomes stronger than ever. Build your faith by praying much in other tongues. You will see your faith grow strong and producing works, producing corresponding actions that will make your faith perfect and you will never fail to receive from the Lord. Go on with Jesus!

Faith & Grace

Faith & Grace
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Romans 5:2
through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Grace means unmerited favour. It's unearned and undeserved favour. God's goodness and blessings towards us is simply because of His great grace.

Because of our sins, we deserved damnation and hell, but God in His great grace sent Jesus to die for us and thereby provided salvation for the entire human race. Everything that God does, has done and will ever do is solely based on His grace, His unconditional love for us. No one can boast of his own works and worthiness in the presence of God. You see, it's not because of your works it because of His grace. God doesn't bless you because you are good, He blesses you because He's good and because of the works of Jesus. Grace has made salvation, healing, deliverance, prosperity, protection, peace and every spiritual blessing available for you. The finished works of Jesus Christ has paid for all of the blessings of God. Faith is the only way you can access and enjoy the grace of God and the blessings provided by His grace. Faith is the only bridge to grace. Faith is the only key that will unlock the grace of God. Ephesians 2.8,9 says, 'For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it  is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.' Romans 4.16 says,  'Therefore it is of faith, so that it might be through grace..'. Because it's based on Gods grace, anyone who believes receives. This makes religious people mad because they depend so much on their works. The tax collectors and the prostitutes received grace from Jesus but the Pharisees and the religious people couldn't. Think about that! Jesus, full of grace and truth walking among the people and the crowd was thronging Him but only the lady with the issue of blood for twelve years got her healing. Why? Because she was the only one who touched him by faith. Faith is the only access to grace. She was healed instantly and was made whole. Healing was for everyone but she was the only who took it by faith. She heard the word. She said the word. She acted on the word. She refused to give up. She got her healing. She smiles! Jesus said to her, Daughter, your faith made you whole.

Friend, there is no other way you can enjoy the grace of God. It's by faith and faith alone. Without the grace of God, life is a struggle. His grace is sufficient for us. Believe the word of God. Speak the word of God. Never ever give up come hell or high water. Go on with Jesus. Your faith in the word of God will release God's grace in your life and your life will never be the same. Only believe and you will see the glory of God. This is your time.

Faith & Love

Faith & Love
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

A fish cannot live without water. Faith cannot work without love. Without love, faith has no power. I Corinthians 13:13 says, And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Faith will not work in an unforgiving heart. Unforgiveness will nullify your faith. Faith needs love to work effectively. Walking in love - that is believing God loves you and loving others - creates an atmosphere where faith can freely and powerfully express itself. I Corinthians 13:2 says '..and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have no love, I am nothing.' Without love, faith has no expression. Without love, faith is dead. Without love, faith has no results. You can quote all the Scriptures you know, it won't work unless you walk in love because faith works by love. Jesus spoke about the importance of forgiveness and walking in love while teaching about faith and how it works. He said in Mark 11:25, 'And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.' No love, No faith. No faith, No grace. No grace, No power. Jesus gave us a new command in John 13:34, 'A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.' Love is a command and you can obey His command because Romans 5.5 says, the love of God is in you through the Holy Spirit. Walking in love makes your faith effective.

Friend, your love walk decides how much of your faith is actually working. Your faith result is directly proportional to your love walk. Love is the door of faith. 30% love results in 30% fruit. 60% love results in 60% fruit. 100% love results in 100% fruit. Open the door! Go for the hundred fold! If your faith is struggling today, check your love walk, choose to forgive and let go. Jesus loves you and His love is in you! Love Jesus, Love people and Love life.

Faith & Patience.

Faith & Patience.
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Hebrews 6:12
that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Faith receives the promise. Patience keeps the promise till it manifests. Both are important for the manifestation of the promises. Faith and patience walk hand in hand.  One is incomplete without the other.

II Corinthians 1:20 says, 'For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.' In Christ, every promise in the word of God is yours. It belongs to you just as much as it belongs to Jesus. Every promise has your name on it. Take it by faith, keep it by patience and you will see it happening in your life. Every time you take a promise, you will face pressure from the enemy, who wants you to give up and will give you thousand reasons as to why the promise is not for you and won't be fulfilled in your life. The enemy's objective is to steal the promise out of your heart and mouth. For most believers, faith is not the problem, it's patience. The ground has to receive the mango seed and the ground has to keep the mango seed, only then the mango tree will manifest. Faith in Gods promises always attracts pressure and persecution from Satan and his forces. This is the reason many don't see the manifestation of the promises. When pressure comes, they quickly throw away the promises. There is not a single person on this planet who has seen the manifestation of God's promises without enduring challenges, pressures and persecutions. Romans 8.28 says, all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose. Pressure and persecutions build our character so we will be equipped and complete, lacking nothing. You are born of God and therefore you have the faith of God to believe the promises and you have the patience of God to hold on to the promises against all odds. Be of good cheer! You can do it!

Friend, faith and patience are integral ingredients in the manifestation of Gods promises. Believe and receive the promise and refuse to give up the promise irrespective of what you see or hear. Don't allow the devil, people or any circumstance or situation to steal the promise of God from you heart and your mouth. Keep believing! Keep speaking! Always remember, you are standing on Gods word. Gods word is Gods integrity. Heaven and earth will pass away but His word will never pass away. The Bible says about Abraham in Hebrews 6:15, 'And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.' Go on with Jesus!

"I refuse to give up. I believe the word and I hold on to the word. God's word is God's integrity. I see the manifestation of every promise God has made to me. Thank you, Lord Jesus!"

Open the door!

Open the door!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Revelation 3:20
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

Jesus wants to help you! He's not far away from us. He's knocking on the door of your heart and is waiting for you to open the door and welcome Him into your life.

Jesus will never force His way into your life because He is gentle. He desires a close intimate relationship with you. He longs to have fellowship with us and is giving us a good opportunity to change our lives. Fellowship results in absolute dominion in every area of life. The benefits of fellowship are so much, that if we understand it, we would knock on His door. Jesus gives every human on earth the opportunity to turn their world around for the better. He knows we cannot enjoy our lives without Him and therefore He keeps knocking on our door through His Spirit, His word and His people. Opening the door simply means to believe and receive what He has to offer. His knocking is not because of our goodness but because of His goodness and love. It doesn't matter how many times you have failed, what mistakes you have made in life and what challenges you are facing, just open the door and let the Lord come in. His coming is not based on your good works but it's solely based on His unconditional love for you. This verse says Jesus will come for anyone who will open the door, irrespective of who the person is or what the person has done or not done.

Friend, there is nothing that Jesus cannot fix. Why don't you open the door of your life and invite Him in?. He will show you great and wonderful things, He will teach you the principles of life and help you fulfill His call with excellence. As you fellowship with Him, you will begin to live the higher life He has for you. Give Him charge of your life and every arena of your life for in Him all things are held together. When Jesus is in His place, the first place, then everything else will be in it's place. Open the door!

Humility gets Gods attention!

Humility gets God's attention!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Psalms 138:6
Though the Lord is supreme, he takes care of those who are humble, but he stays away from the proud.

The Lord is supreme, He is on high, above all of us. He holds the highest and the greatest place in the universe. He is the Most High God and there is no one higher than Him. Yet, He takes care and regards the humble.

Humility is a big thing in the eyes of God. Humble people get His attention, His care and His respect. Humility is not debasing yourself in the eyes of God and man. Humility does not mean to keep a sad face, throw away all your jewellery and to wear white clothes all the time. Thats not humility, thats a lack of word knowledge. Humility has more to do with your heart than with your outward appearance. The Pharisees and the religious people did so many religious things as far as their outward appearances are concerned but in the eyes of God, they were proud. God doesn't see as man sees. Man looks on the outside but God looks at the heart. Humility simply means to acknowledge that without Jesus you are nothing and you can do nothing. Its a total dependence on the Lord - submitting and conforming to His word and His Spirit. You are what He says you are, You say what He says, You do what He tells you to do and You have what He says You have. James 4.7 says, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. God hates pride. Pride is a declaration of one's independence from God. A proud person does not submit to the word and ways of God - always rebelling and standing against God. He mocks the ways of God and follows his own ways and plans to his own destruction. This verse says God stays away from the proud. Proverbs 11.2 says, When pride comes, then comes shame. Proverbs 16.18 says, Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 29.23 says, A man's pride will bring him low.

Friend, choose to humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and He will exalt and promote you in due time. Jesus said in Matthew 23:12, whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. The Most High God gives you His attention and your exaltation is on the way! Glory! Go on with Jesus!

Practice makes perfect.

Practice makes perfect!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Hebrews 5:13‭-‬14
For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Babies feed on milk and full grown people eat solid food. In the kingdom of God, there are baby believers and there are mature believers. Milk is not enough to display the excellence of the one who called us, it is only by strong meat, solid food.

Every believer starts with the milk of the word. It is sad to say that many are still feeding on the milk and therefore they are not ready for the strong meat of the word. The writer of Hebrews wanted to share some deeper truths with the people but because of their inability to receive it, He didn't share it. Refuse to be a baby anymore, grow up in the things of God. These verses gives us the key as to why some are still babies and others have become mature. Practice makes perfect! The ones who receive the word and exercise it are the ones who grow. James 1.22 says, 'Be doers of the word and not just hearers only, deceiving yourself.' The ones that are mature today are the ones who consistently hear the word, consistently receive it and consistently act on it. They exercise the word consistently. A man or a woman who does regular physical exercise tend to be physically mature and strong. Likewise the ones who regularly do their word exercise are the ones who grow in the kingdom of God. Word excercise : Hearing the word, Receiving the word, Reading and studying the word, Meditating on the word, Speaking the word and Doing the word. These exercises when done consistently affects your mind and your five physical senses in such a profound way that your mind and your five physical senses begin to see the difference between good and evil as God sees it. You begin to stand out and stand tall in every arena of your life. You become a role model and a blessing for many.

Friend, practice the word consistently. This is the key to maturity. The body of Christ around the world is filled with babies who are still on milk - afraid to face the devil, sin conscious, sick, broke, depressed, worried and tormented. Thank God it's changing and babies are becoming mature in God. Give great honour to God's word because God and His word is one. Give the word first place and make it the final authority in your life. Babies can't do much, they just cry a lot. Grow up and let the world be blessed through YOU. This is your time!