When we begin to loose our conviction, we become like Gideon, who was hiding from his enemies, trying to survive. And even after an angel came and spoke with him, he was still uncertain about the reality of God and His promise for breakthrough. Many in the church have lost their CONVICTION.
When you find yourself in this place in life, it may be time for you to go for an encounter with God! When you have an encounter with God, your faith becomes sharpened!
In order to penetrate darkness, we need the kind of faith that goes beyond the Sunday morning church experience. If we want to be Kingdom pioneers and deliverers, we need the force of conviction. Conviction is aggressive, initiating and penetrating force that lacks in the church today. Some have called it ‘over zealousness’ and ‘intolerance’. But we are talking about … conviction! Yes, faith indeed comes from hearing the word (rhema) of God. However, when we experience the sovereign power of God, through an act of God, our faith changes. It becomes energized, sharpened and it transforms itself into conviction. And this is exactly what the devil hates to see happen in the church today. He doesn’t mind having churches full of people who are formal Christians.
What the enemy fears is people with conviction.
When our conviction becomes weak, God may even give us a sign. A sign from God is something so undisputed supernatural and transcendental in nature, that it disarms all of our fears, breaks through the barriers of the enemy, penetrates beyond our logical thinking and pierces our heart with the very evidence of the power, love, truth and reality of God.
"Because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake." (1 Th 1:5 NRSV)
The word conviction here comes from a Greek root word which means “to carry out fully (in evidence), i.e. to completely assure (or convince), entirely accomplish: --most surely believe, fully know (persuade), make full proof of”.
There are too many of us in the Church today, who are nothing more but a product of a watered down, politically correct, socially acceptable, culture friendly ‘gospel’. Also, wrong teaching on ‘faith’ sometimes creates ‘robo-Christians’ (as my dear friend, prophet John Isleib, calls them). We need once again the Gospel preached not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with FULL CONVICTION.
Where do we get full conviction from? From having an encounter with God!
Did God strike Gideon dead for asking for a sign? No, he didn’t! In fact, Gideon’s very request came from his already believing heart. He was honest before God, admitting, he didn’t have what it takes to rise up and become a leader. In fact, I believe that God was pleased with Gideon's request. When the angel gave him the sign and the fire came out and consumed Gideon’s offering, I believe that the glory of God, the presence of God’s peace and love totally covered Gideon and he fell and worshiped God as Jehovah Shalom. Gideon was overwhelmed with God’s goodness and mercy! Gideon was shocked that instead of God striking him dead, He came with peace and power.
Do we need faith? Yes! We need to learn how to walk by faith and not by sight. But at the same time, we need to get real with ourselves and with God and realize that we need HIM.
Didn’t Jesus tell the apostles to wait for the Holy Spirit to come? Wait for what? They were commissioned, they were called, and they had even seen the risen Christ. What more could they possibly need after seeing Christ risen from the dead? Well, their inner man needed AN EXPERIENCE. They’re faith needed the edge called CONVICTION.
And they had to pray for God to move…and to wait…and to receive it when it came. They had to go into the upper room and wait for an experience with God? What happened on the day of Pentecost didn't give or add faith to the apostles. It came because they already had faith. But after the tongues of fire came on these men, they went out and preached with full conviction! And they had to wait for 10 days and pray for God to send his promise! So, I say - you can pray for God to intervene into your life and shift you into a whole new place with him!
You may even know what God has for you to do for Him. But you may be lacking the force of conviction in order to move forward.
Get real with yourself; stop all religious prayers that only make you fall asleep. Realize God hears only the words that come from our heart. Ask him to send the fire, let Him be God FOR you, not only through you. Receive in humility His goodness and His miracles. Allow him to convince you with the proof and the evidence of His love. He knows how to do that.
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. (Mark 9:24 KJV)
George P. Bakalov
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