Pastor Jeff Perry » faith

The Results of an Attitude of Faith

jeffcperry — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:36:52 +0000

Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:7-8

In the New Testament Gospels we see a contrast of two positions in two different towns. An approach in one town bore grim results. The other town, because of the proper attitude and reaction toward Jesus, had amazing results. And we’re out for results.

Familiarity breeds contempt. Indifference has crippling consequences. In Jesus’ hometown—Nazareth—people took offense at Jesus after questioning how someone they had known for years could have the power to heal. The results: “He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He wondered at their unbelief” (Mark 6:5-6).

The exact opposite situation is found in the town of Capernaum in Matthew 8.

But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.” Matthew 8:8-10

Say the word. Words are soldiers and sickness is a slave that must submit to Jesus’ authority. This Roman soldier understood something that still applies 2000 years later. God’s Word is active and powerful and can heal just like the centurion’s servant was healed the moment Jesus said the word.

“It shall be done for you as you have believed” (Matthew 8:13). Your ability to conquer in life hinges on your attitude. I would much rather have Jesus marvel at my faith than at my unbelief. If you feel yourself getting cynical, wash with the water of the Word to avoid the calcification and hardness of heart that was seen in the people of Nazareth. Keep your heart ready for what God has ahead for you!

The best is yet to come!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright ©2011 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

The Maintenance of Courage

jeffcperry — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 15:17:01 +0000

Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.

Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how He did it. Because He never lost sight of where He was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—He could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now He’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.

When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility He plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! Hebrews 12:1-3 The Message*

God cares for you infinitely more than you realize. Even if you have become melancholy to the point where you are numb, there is still fight on your insides that God put in you! The way you offset discouragement is to get your eyes on Jesus and receive encouragement and strength from what the Word declares—that will “shoot adrenaline into your soul.” Mind-renewal is not automatic. We have to deliberately feed our faith and starve our doubts.

The sower sows the word . . . the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. Mark 4:14, 18-20

It’s absolutely imperative that you fend off the worries and cares and hold up your shield long enough to realize the full potential on your life. So, instead of breakdown, you will have breakthrough! As you root out the cares of this world and let the Word take hold in your heart and germinate, you’ll reap the fruit of effectiveness—thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. God is able to keep you from stumbling and make you stand! (Jude 24).

You can trust Him!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2011 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. *Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Walk Through the Door

jeffcperry — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 19:39:30 +0000

A wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. 1 Corinthians 16:9

Fulfilling God’s call on our lives elicits a response from the enemy. The devil doesn’t mind when we are blasé about our existence, but when we step up in obedience, there will be opposition.

Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. But My righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. Hebrews 10:35-38

When God opens a door of opportunity, we are often tempted to halt at the door and throw away our confidence. An open door of effective service means hard work and greater responsibility.

But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. Hebrews 10:39

Get a tenacious attitude and step forward in faith (Romans 1:17). Get your mind activated with the thoughts of God (get in the Word!) to get backbone and vision. Refuse to be an idle dreamer but instead press through the door. There are many souls at stake.

Faithful is He who calls you and He also will bring it to pass. 1 Thessalonians 5:24

God bless you!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2011 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Moving Forward in God’s Power

jeffcperry — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:45:48 +0000

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14

Press on. An effective driver glances at the rearview mirror but spends most of the time looking through the windshield. Think of your life in the same way: look ahead at what God has in store for you, but only glance at your past. This doesn’t mean you bury your head in the sand. It just means you look at life through the eyes of grace. It’s good to remember what God has delivered you from—He’s covered your old sins (Romans 4:6-8; Psalm 32:1). But in Christ you are a new person (1 Corinthians 5:17) and you’re free to fix your eyes on what He has for you.

Life matters. Though this life is brief, it counts. Paul did not wince at the full-spectrum nature of life— trials, bewilderment, and all. He learned the secret of being full and of going hungry (Philippians 4:12), and he thrived on challenge. But he didn’t do it in his own power. Paul wrote, “I can do all things through Him [Jesus] who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18

God’s Word is power. We aren’t sissies who shrink back in fear, but neither are we superheroes trying to do things in our own power. God’s power is available to us, and He has packed specific gifts, resources, and usefulness into each cell of our being. I pray we get so tuned into Jesus and so filled up with His Word that, instead of buzz words or religious affectation, God’s life flows out of us and people can tell we’ve been with Him.

God’s at work in you. Endeavor to live worthy of the calling, investing all your life and energy into Jesus. If you feel like you are a crummy Christian, know that God is at work in you. He is looking for people whose hearts are open to Him (2 Chronicles 16:9). If you give God a thimble full of devotion, He’ll expand it as big as heaven. Give Him a mustard seed of faith, and He’ll respond (Matthew 17:20).

God is faithful!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2011 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

The Anatomy of Victory

jeffcperry — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:50:49 +0000

Then they came to Jericho and as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” Mark 10:46-49

Get Desperate and Determined. Blind Bartimaeus was desperate and in need, and he called out to Jesus. So often, when we get under pressure, the temptation is to shift into neutral and zone out in front of the TV. Instead of letting lethargy set in, we need to get desperate and cry out to God for help. “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles” (Psalm 34:6).

Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.
Mark 10:50-52

Get Specific. “What do you want Me to do for you?” Jesus wanted Bartimaeus to give a specific request. Don’t go through life in generalities. Getting out of the vague and general and making a specific request is an expression of faith. Pray specifically—not manipulatively—and according to God’s Word.

Get in the Word. We learn that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Faith is not based on a feeling but on the Word. As you meditate on the Scriptures, faith will come. A world can be changed by a breed of people who will desperately believe God’s promises and expect answers.

This is our moment to take our stand and take hold of what God has for us. I encourage you to trust God with your situation. As we do life together, forgive, walk by faith, overcome, learn, and grow, we’ll continue to see broken people come to Jesus and watch God heal their lives.

God bless you!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2010 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Fulfilling the Mission

jeffcperry — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 18:57:23 +0000

And He [Jesus] opened the book and found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Luke 4:17b- 19, 21

All of heaven rejoiced at this merger of the Scriptures with Jesus, the Word made flesh. Jesus looked to the Scriptures to state His cause and purpose, and then He fulfilled it. And just as definitely as God called Jesus, so He is calling you fulfill the mission “to preach the gospel to the poor . . . proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

Ful•fill: v. To convert into reality. Implies a complete realization of ends or possibilities. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary*

Now faith is the turning of dreams into deeds; it is betting your life on the unseen realities. Hebrews 11:1 Cotton Patch Version

You can’t have fulfillment unless you have a vision and a dream. You get that vision when you understand what is written about you in the Scriptures, that you are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), for good works (Ephesians 2:10), to show forth His praises (1 Peter 2:9).

I challenge you to use the Scriptures as a mirror to see your reflection, to see who you really are in God. It’s possible that we can win the Muslim nations to Christ; that Communist China can have the greatest move of the Holy Spirit in history; that Africa will become the great sending nation of Christians. God knew you would be born at this time. If you seek first His kingdom (Matthew 6:33), the destiny for your life will come to pass, and you will bear fruit that will last for generations to come (John 15:16).

God bless you,
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright ©2009 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. *”Fulfill” — Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary 2010. “The Cotton Patch Gospel” by Clarence Jordan © 1963.

Alert Expectancy

jeffcperry — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 21:19:49 +0000

We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!
Romans 5:3b-5 The Message*

God wants all of us to be ready for what is up ahead in terms of our call and fruitfulness. The presence of lethargy signals the absence of faith, and that’s why many people in a crisis situation become numb with fear. A percentage of people, though, respond to adversity with clarity and boldness.

Alert expectancy is not baseless optimism, but bold and courageous faith in God. If we know God hears us, we know we have the requests we ask of Him (1 John 5:15). Faith is getting the truth of God’s faithfulness inside you and then speaking to your mountains.

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4

When you face obstacles properly, spiritual muscles grow. God is working to establish you with enough proven character to weather the next steps of what He has called you to do and be. God is calling you to step out of mind-numbing stagnation and provide leadership in your home, your work, and your world.

God bless you!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright ©2010 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. *Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

God’s Promises for Your Life

jeffcperry — Mon, 31 May 2010 18:22:44 +0000

And Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours . . . seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness . . . for by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises . . . 2 Peter 1:1, 3-4

The Bible is filled with amazing examples of people who obtained God’s promises. By following their examples and learning from their victories and mistakes we can see clear steps of how to claim all that God has for us!

With BOLDNESS Caleb claimed the promises of God.
Now, as you can see, the Lord has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise—even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old. I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. So Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave Hebron to him as his portion of land.
Joshua 14:10-11, 13 NLT

By FAITH Abraham obtained the promises of God.
For this reason it is by faith . . . that the promise will be guaranteed . . . to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all . . . in hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “so shall your descendants be.” Romans 4:16, 18

Through PRAYER David received the promises of God.
Now therefore, O Lord God, the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house, confirm it forever, and do as You have spoken. For You, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made a revelation to Your servant, saying, “I will build you a house”; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You. 2 Samuel 7:25, 27

Caleb, Abraham, and David were able to claim the promises of God with confidence because they knew with certainty what He had promised. So too for your life there is a promise in scripture for every difficulty you face. The devil always intimidates in areas of uncertainty, so if you are feeling double-minded, get in the Word and find out what God has for you. Spend time seeking God about the Promised Land He has for you.

Press On!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Faith

jeffcperry — Mon, 24 May 2010 15:27:15 +0000

And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him.” Mark 11:22-23

Have faith in a faithful God. To understand faith, look no farther than the One who is ever urging us onward, the One who is ever present and all about seeking and saving. We need to trust God, who is our teacher, and study the Word, which is more than a history book—it’s God’s heart revealed.

Refuse to doubt in your heart. The devil is a liar and tries to rip off people who are victorious and make them feel as if they are losers. The only counter action to a lie is the truth, and the truth of the Bible brings clarity to everything. As Lester Sumrall said: “Feed your faith and starve your doubts to death.”

Therefore I [Jesus] say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you. Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. Mark 11:24-25.

Pray in no uncertain terms. When you know God’s will according to His Word, you can pray with full confidence that your prayer will be answered. It’s not just babbling words—it’s a heart connection that happens when God’s Word becomes alive to you. “The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous
power available [dynamic in its working]” (James 5:16 AMP).

Whenever you stand praying, forgive. Forgiveness is such a critical piece of the faith walk. Maintain a clear conscience and forgive—this includes forgiving yourself. Life is a fight of faith, but the Bible tells us it’s a good fight (1 Timothy 6:12) because Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, and God has given us the ability to speak to impossible situations and see them turn around!

God is faithful!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

This Present Result

jeffcperry — Mon, 17 May 2010 20:56:46 +0000

God is faithful. Whatever you are going through, Jesus is right there wanting to sustain you and give you direction and breakthrough. He’s in the details. He gave His life to restore your access to God. You can trust Him!

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. Isaiah 43:2

What the devil or others have meant for harm in your life, God turns around for good—even for the furtherance of the gospel!

Now I (Paul the Apostle) want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel. Philippians 1:12

And as for you [Joseph’s obnoxious brothers], you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. Genesis 50:20

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

Don’t back down for a minute. We’re not in heaven yet. Keep pressing on, knowing that even though life has challenges, the present result is that we are saved from eternal death, and as we keep relying on the faithfulness of God, we will see
situations turn around!

But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. Romans 8:25

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18

God has a way of redeeming everything! Shake off the “what-ifs” and the “could’ve beens” and lift your eyes to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

It’s so good to know Jesus!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®