"Faith & The Impossible" by Nancy Dufresne

We can only move with God by faith, so to advance spiritually, we must continue to feed our faith. If our faith isn’t growing, our spiritual life isn’t developing.

     In Hebrews 11, speaking of the heroes of faith, we see the phrases “by faith, through faith, and in faith” recorded 20 times. These faith heroes moved with God by faith.

     God majors on faith. God’s Word majors on faith, therefore, we should major on faith. 

     In Mark 4:24 Jesus stated, “…Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you—and more [besides] will be given to you who hear” (AMPC).

     How much we give ourselves to feeding on the Word will affect the measure of power we walk in. So, be careful of what you feed on. Feed on materials that feed your faith and accelerate your spiritual advancement.

     2023 is a year of “Flourishing Faith.” That’s not simply a confession, but a directive to us. God’s Word is food for our spirits – it’s faith food. We are to feed on God’s Word, meditate on it, speak it, and act on our faith as our lifestyle. 

     Jesus stated, “…the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent TAKE IT by force” – by the force of faith” (Matt. 11:12). This verse tells us what this violence does – it takes it! It takes all that Heaven has provided for us and refuses to be denied! We are to be so full of faith that our faith becomes violent!

     Faith brings us into the impossible. Faith is the only way to enter the impossible. The impossible is off limits to the natural man, for the impossible is reserved for faith. The only way to fulfill the impossible is by faith.

     Faith is to be a part of every fiber of our being, for then it will color everything – the way we think, speak, and act. If someone dyes a piece of cloth, that dye cannot be separated from it – it becomes part of the fiber of that cloth.

     Faith in God’s Word is to be in the fiber of our being so that it is not separated from our life. For the rest of our life, we are to fortify faith into the fibers of our life.

     God’s will for our lives can only be carried out by faith. So great is God’s plan that only faith can fulfill it. It can only be carried out by faith because it’s impossible. But because it is impossible, faith can have it. Everything that flows from Him is impossible for the natural man – but it’s completely possible for faith.

     We cheat our life if we stay with our plan because then we will only live in the flow of possibility. Our heart will feel cheated because our heart was created in the image of God, Who is always and only in the flow of the impossible.

     If we’re going to measure what God says to us by our natural understanding, we’ll talk ourselves out of it – we will step back from it. Human reasoning cannot have the impossible, for it’s reserved for faith. Human reasoning makes it off limits.

     We are to live our lives in the impossible because that’s the miracle flow. That’s the divine flow. That’s the God flow. That’s the Holy Ghost flow.

     The Holy Ghost is not leading us to the possible. He’s leading us in the impossible every day. But if we’ll live and walk by faith, God will do the impossible in every single arena of our life.

     As Dr. Lester Sumrall often told us, “Feed your faith and starve your doubts!”

"Faith That Impresses Jesus" by Nancy Dufresne

There are two things that made Jesus marvel. Let’s see what they are.

     Mark 6:1-6 reads, “And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. But Jesus, said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he MARVELLED because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.”

     Jesus marvelled at their unbelief! But He gave them the opportunity to change their unbelief into faith, for verse 6 tells us, “And he went round about the villages, teaching.” Teaching is the cure for unbelief.

     Now, let’s see the second thing that made Jesus marvel.

     Matthew 8:5-10 reads, “And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he MARVELLED, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” 

     Jesus marvelled at faith!

     Both unbelief and faith made Jesus marvel. We want Him to marvel at us the right way – for our faith!

     What qualified the centurion as having great faith? He just took Jesus at His word. Words were enough for him. When God’s Word is enough for you, that’s great faith!

The Choice Was Up to Me

     Several years ago, I had something I wanted to pay off, and when I talked to God about it, He told me that the money would come by the end of the month. A large sum of money did come about midway through the month that was just the amount I needed.

     But I also had it in my heart to bless someone financially with that same amount of money.

When praying about whether to pay off the debt or to give the money, it seemed to me that God was leaving it up to me.

     To pay off that debt and to sow to this person would call for two large amounts in the same month, and I had not ever received two amounts that large in one month.

     I asked God if it would affect me financially to give the money instead of paying off the debt, and I was reminded of Proverbs 11:25, “… he that watereth shall be watered also himself.”

     Also, the scripture about the centurion soldier opened up to me. I saw that Jesus said to him, “I will come to your house and minister to him.” But the soldier said that it wasn’t necessary for Jesus to come to his house; he told Him to just speak the word – Jesus’ word was enough for him! Jesus didn’t end up going to his house – He just spoke the word.

     I saw this – Jesus left it up to the soldier. Jesus had already agreed to come to his house, but the soldier said that He didn’t need to come, for Jesus’ word was enough.

     Jesus was impressed with that faith – He said that He hadn’t found such great faith in Israel.

     If you had someone on the verge of death in your home and Jesus said He would come to your house to raise them up, would you have faith to say, “No Jesus, you don’t need to come – just send Your word – that’s enough for me!” That’s exactly what this soldier did. He said that the Presence of Jesus (something tangible) wasn’t necessary as long as he had Jesus’ word.

     I saw that Jesus left it up to the soldier – Jesus would come to his house or just send His word – it was the soldier’s choice. The soldier chose Jesus’ word over Jesus’ Presence – and his choice impressed Jesus!

     For my financial situation, I saw that Jesus was leaving it up to me – I could either choose to keep the money or give it. I wanted to make the choice that would impress Jesus.

     I chose to give it. And before the end of the month, I received a second large sum that handled my own need. God can pay for more than one thing at a time!

     God leaves some decisions up to us – but one choice will impress Him more. We want to make certain that God is pleased and marvels at the faith in the choices we make.

     Every choice we make is a demonstration of our faith.

"A Word For 2023" by Nancy Dufresne

Two years before my husband died suddenly, the Spirit of God said to me, “All I want you doing is practicing peace.” He was telling me what to emphasize in my daily life to help prepare me for what was ahead. I didn’t know what was ahead, but HE did! God was preparing me for that day so that day wouldn’t take me off course.

     I obeyed Him. I practiced peace. How did I do that? Every thought that didn’t add to my peace, any thought that tried to trouble my mind, I answered it with the Word of God, then I cast it down, refusing to touch it in my thought life. I paid attention to my thought life.

     I saw that one of the primary ways that the Spirit comforts us is He prepares us for what’s ahead. No, God had nothing to do with the tragedy of that event, but He had everything to do with preparing me for that tragedy. John 10:10 tell us that the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Anything that steals, kills, and destroys in from the enemy – not from God! In that same verse, Jesus went on to state, “I’ve come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” That which is life-giving comes from God. Only that which is good comes from God.

     Just as God prepared me for the future by telling me what to emphasize, God prepares us all individually, He prepares local congregations, and He also prepares the whole Body of Christ. He prepares us for the future by telling us what to emphasize in the different seasons of life, but He will also tell us what to emphasize as we come into every new year. As we obey Him in how He is leading us now, then we will be prepared and ready to move with Him, even in the coming years.

     One thing that God said to me recently was, “In the next 10 years, there will be explosive growth and development in this ministry.” So we are taking steps now to prepare and be ready to move with that.

     Always remember that anything God has planned for us personally, as a congregation, and as the Body of Christ, won’t come to pass AUTOMATICALLY – but ON PURPOSE! We must add our part to it – our obedience and our faith.

     What God has also directed me about this new year of 2023 is that it will be “A Year of Flourishing Faith!”

     This is not simply a confession to make, but an action to take; He is instructing us what to emphasize and do in 2023. As we obey Him, we will be prepared and be able to keep pace with His plan for this year and upcoming years.

     The definition of “flourishing” means growing vigorously. In 2023, we are to see to it that our faith is growing vigorously!

     We are to pay particular attention to our “faith life.” To do that, we are to:

1. – Feed our faith on the Word – faith comes by hearing the Word of God

2. – Meditate on the Word – that’s how we build the Word in our spirits

3. – Release our faith – through words and actions

4. – Receive from God – faith is a receiver

5. – Hold fast to what we receive – through our confessions of faith and through a lifestyle of praise and thanksgiving to God.

     Every new year should bring advancement, promotion, and increase, and 2023 should be no different. As we actively obey God in how He is leading us, we will be prepared and positioned to move with Him as He takes us further into His plan.