Rejoice! God does not lie because God cannot lie

Isaiah 53:1: "Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?"

After all that has been said and prophesied by Isaiah up to this point, he pauses and asks this question, understanding that if folk don’t believe what he's saying, then it won’t profit them anyway. And seeing that what he was saying was nearly all-prophetic in nature, he wants to know, who actually has faith in God's Word?

Do you believe the report of the Lord?

Unconditional faith is the ability to have strong belief with associated activity without having the object of your faith being proven. You believe the source just because of who the source is.

No need to get "deep" here. Simple truth: You can believe God because God doesn't lie.

Simple, but powerful.

Think about that. Isn't it awesome that God doesn't -- and as a matter of fact, cannot -- lie?

I wish I could hang around some people like that. Don't you?

Paul gives us a snapshot of the character of God as he told the Hebrews that “…by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie" (Hebrews 6:17-18).

Now see, we can’t just blow by this. I know y’all are spiritually deep folk, and y’all are possibly looking for some deep truth to come forth, but at the time, this is it.

We just can’t fly by this. It’s important to know that God cannot lie.

There are folk you know who don’t lie, but if properly motivated, you can’t be positive about what they would do.

Don't forget about Peter: "Lord, I'll never deny you." Yeah, right. Not only did he lie; he spewed out a couple of four-letter words, too.

But let's not sweat Peter. Some people say they don’t lie, but then again, those same folk will tell you a lie because they want to protect your feelings. They don’t consider that as really lying, but God simply cannot lie.

God measures what he has said, and he performs what he has promised. He is incapable of lying.

How many things in your life would have gone much better if had been impossible for men and women to lie?

I mean, if humans couldn’t lie, your life would have had much more peace and much less drama than what it has experienced.

Am I right or am I lying?

Imagine if humans couldn’t lie. Imagine that.

“Baby, do you love me?”

“Honey, does this dress make me look fat?”

"I'll call you right back."

"The check's in the mail."

By the way, how many dependants did you claim on your income taxes?

People often wonder, "Why isn't the Word working for me?"

Do the basics. Quit lying. Do what you say you're going to do, and build some integrity about yourself -- a commodity that many in the Body of Christ are lacking, from the pulpit to the doorkeepper.

If those that carry titles in front of their names in the church would exhibit integrity, I believe that same spirit would fall on the members as a whole.

"God is not a man that he should lie, neither the son of man that he should repent." That ought to make you shout, for what he has promised, he will perform.

Till later...tell the truth.

Pastor Jim

Believe God. Don't just believe in God

Faith has always been an important topic in our walk with Christ. And if I were to ask you, as a believer, "What is faith?," it would not be uncommon for you to respond, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen." After all, that is the biblically correct answer to that question, is isn't it?

Many believe that faith is the activity of believing in God. However, I have found that while many in the Body of Christ believe in God, not so many believe God.

Believing in God says, "I believe that there is a God and I believe that He exists."

Believing in God says, "I believe that God is almighty. I believe that He can do anything but fail. And I also believe that there is none like Him."

Sounds good, doesn't it?

That's believing in God.

However, believing God is not about what's said. It's about what's done.

Believing God is viewed, not heard. I hear what you're saying, but I know where you really are by what I see you doing. This is believing God.

Believing in God is a mental agreement that He is indeed THE spiritual entity, the man upstairs, the Holy Father.

Believing God is evidenced by action that is caused by understanding that He is who He is, and that action is based and founded on faith in God's word.

How much action is going on in your life? Are you just sitting around waiting for God to move while He's actually waiting for you to get up and move?

One of the dangers in the church world is what I call "spectator faith." Many would rather watch a good testimony than to be one.

But the great thing about a "blessed man," according to the word of God, is this: "And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."

The "blessed man" (or woman) believes God to the degree that it causes him/her to get up, and on the foundation of their faith in God, do something, build something, start something, create something, be successful!

Remember, whatever a blessed man or woman does -- it prospers!

Pastor James C. Williams III
Tabernacle of Faith Church
Toledo, Ohio

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!

Speaking of Lakewood Church, check out the following video. It's Israel and New Breed performing "Again I Say Rejoice" at Lakewood. I tell ya: This Christian band is almost as hot as the fire that was shut up in Jeremiah's bones!

Despise not the day of small things

Lakewood Church of Houston, Texas, held its first service on Mother's Day, 1959, in an abandoned feed store.

It was led by Pastor John Osteen until 1999 when his son, Joel, took on the leadership of the congregation shortly after his father's death.

Since 1959, the non-denominational church has grown to over 30,000 members, requiring a move to a facility the size of the colossal Compaq Center, where the Houston Rockets use to play.

At capacity, the renovated facility seats 16,000 people with parking for 8,000 vehicles.

Its multiple weekly services are broadcast to a television audience of more than 7 million people.

When you look at our "growing" congregation, what do you see?

Since "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1), we pray that you see Tabernacle of Faith Church through the eyes of faith.

We pray that you see our church filled to overflowing with thousands and thousands of believers and seekers and making a world of difference through worldwide outreach ministries.

It's the will of God that we grow numerically as well as spiritually (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:47; 4:4; 9:31; 16:5).

Therefore, we believe it, we see it, and we receive it...by faith!

Lakewood Church, 2005

Greater is he that is in you...than the giant in your way!

There are many things in our lives that hold us down and hold us back from being, doing and getting all that God has for us.

Those things are giant obstacles that we must face and overcome.

Preaching from 1 Samuel 17, which recounts David's defeat of a giant Philistine soldier, Pastor Jim reminded us of that Sunday.

And he encouraged us, not to wait around for our giants to go away, but to run out and conquer them with the weapons of our warfare that are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.

Such giants may be sin, fear, doubt, a spirit of conformity, so-called "comfort zone," or any number of other things that so easily beset us.

Regardless of the kind of giants that are standing in our way, we must directly confront them and conquer them, if we expect to step into an abundant life lifestyle.

None of us should be the type of believer that is scared or afraid to fight their giants, as David's brothers and the men of Israel were.

Instead, we are to "bum rush" our giants with a focused attitude and fervent faith that the same God that delivered us in the past will also deliver us this very day!

Don't put off your deliverance. Be determined to take hold of it...today! Say like David said, "This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand!"

Quit putting your deliverance date in the future! Claim it for today, right now, this minute, this second and slay any giant that attempts to stand before you!

You have the power through Christ Jesus. The victory is yours...today!

Thanks for the generosity

Tabernacle of Faith Church would like to thank all those who have been so generous in donating to us during this time of transition after the fire which destroyed our building but did not quench our praise. A special thank you goes out to Bob Fleisher, Bob Goatley and Michael Colbert -- Franklin Park Lincoln Mercury, Toledo, Ohio -- for their generous weekly donation of a 7 or 12-passenger van which facilitates transportation of members from our previous neighborhood to our temporary site.

Let's keep in touch

Thanks for visiting www.tofchurch.org. This blog serves as the online newsletter for Tabernacle of Faith Church in Toledo, Ohio. Please bookmark this site today and visit regularly for up-to-date news and information about our wonderful worship services and life-changing ministries. This site will also feature inspirational material, including words of encouragement from our pastor, James C. Williams III. We also welcome your feedback and suggestions, so feel free to leave comments on this site or send email to info@tofchurch.org.