Steve Fowler, June 19-20

One of the things I am very grateful for in life is having grown up in a climate of faith. I’m not speaking of being raised in a Christian home. I am very grateful for that gift of God to me, and I understand how blessed I am because of it. But this is not the climate of faith I am referring to. I am referring to the environment of spiritual belief that leads to risky, faith-filled endeavors for the honor of Jesus. A “noun faith” is an important starting place with Jesus, but “verb faith” is what is prompted by what we say we believe. The foundation of the faith we profess gives birth to acts and attitudes of faith because of who we know Jesus to be and what we hear Him saying. This brings honor to Christ which is why the writer of Hebrews pens, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” Doubt, fear and unbelief close down the operation of God. Matthew 13:58 says Jesus did not do many miracles in his hometown of Nazareth because of their lack of faith. God loves to create a climate of faith, because it opens doors for Him to further reveal Himself to us. The enemy of the church works hard…he works very hard to create a climate of unbelief, because he knows unbelief and human reasoning is the best environment to grow religion and stifle spiritual vitality. Those who live in a climate of unbelief and human reasoning have a form of godliness but deny its power. They are always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth (2 Timothy 3:5,7). Who wants to live like that? In the physical world, climate change typically has bad news associated with it. It is my opinion that God has had us on a journey in the past years and months in which the environment of faith here is growing, and there is a discernible change in the climate of faith. I am expectant for the future, because Jesus does His best work in a climate of faith.