Faith is......

I have been examining the perplexities and profundity of Faith the last three months from the pulpit of Tabernacle Baptist Church. I have been preaching through Hebrews 11, the Hall of Fame of Faith. I have been challenged personally in this study and I hope that our church has been inspired and challenged. There are so many levels and layers to Faith, and whatever it is one subscribes to as a standard of Faith, we can not argue that unless one has Faith, it is impossible to please God and God rewards those who have Faith. The reward is not something tangible, rather the reward is God and God's sustaining power. I have had many episodes in my own life where I have had to just have Faith in God. I will be completely honest, it was not easy, matter of fact, it was extremely painful. It is difficult at times to reconcile a loving God with periods of pain and hardships, however, we are required to just put our trust in God. Many would argue that this is "blind hope", with no basis of validity or substance. There are many who allow trials and tribulations to completely dry up their confidence in God. The one thing that helped me in those moments where I felt like letting go, is when I remembered that God has never let go of me. I pray that God continue to use me to help others in this constant pursuit of developing and strengthing one's Faith, not just as a Pastor/Teacher, but as someone who knows first hand what it is to lean and depend on God. Peace and Blessings, RevCEGJr