“Hold On to Your Faith!” By Pastor Reba Rambo-McGuire (The River At Music City)

The River seems to be a church where the “seeing gifts” tend to thrive more and more.

A few weeks ago Pastor Dony was teaching about the power of forgiveness and one of our pastors, Pastor Robin, began to have an amazing vision… Suddenly the sanctuary was filled with not only throngs of angels but all sorts of otherworld heavenly beings. They would listen intently with their hands cupped to their ears as Pastor Dony spoke, but then they would turn and lean into the members of the congregation and ask one another, “Are they getting it?  Are they really hearing and absorbing what he is saying?” There was great, wide-eyed anticipation on their faces coupled with breathless ecstatic joy.

All at once a beautiful sword appeared dazzling bright with the jeweled word “Forgive” on the living blade. An angel thrust it, handle-first into Pastor Robin’s hand. As she began to wield her sword, she thought of someone who she really didn’t feel she had unforgiveness in her heart against, but she recognized there was just a kind of sad sigh when she saw this person… a heaviness.

Holy Spirit opened her eyes further. As she saw them, she realized they were wrapped in cords of unforgiveness. She thought of the times that she had heard ministers say, “You need to forgive others because of what it will do for you,” so she began to take the sword and cut them free from their bonds. Pastor Robin not only began to feel lighter and freer, but she saw the countenance entirely change on the one she had released. The person was instantly transformed and took up a sword and began to liberate others. The room was enlarged and there were thousands of swords flying with precision and grace setting the captives free!

Earlier last week I was at my desk thinking about that vision and began looking through some of Pastor Dony’s sermon notes. I saw the poignant phrase, “Hold on to your faith!”

Suddenly I was transported to a beautiful, wind-tossed sea where I was holding on to a sort of boogie board with a small motor. Written across the board with blazing letters was the word “Faith” and on the motor was the word “Love.”

Immediately I thought of Galatians 5:6… For [if we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love. Love is the power plant for my faith… it’s the battery in the flashlight… the gas in the tank!

But then I heard, “Look closer.” Even though I was holding on to my faith and it was operating somewhat in love, I could see beneath the water’s surface and realized there was a ball and chain around my foot holding me down. On the ball was written, “Unforgiveness.”  I wasn’t drowning because of my faith, but I wasn’t really going anywhere because of the weight of unforgiveness.

In fact… I was just stuck.

I looked around and there was a sea of people on the water with me… trying desperately to hold on to their faith… trying to move in love but held back from forward progress by weights. As I looked closer, I saw written on some of the ball and chains things like “fear, bitterness, offense, anger, hatred.” I realized Father wasn’t holding these things against us… we were holding them against others and ourselves. Again, powerful living swords appeared and I along with others began to wield them victoriously. Many began to free themselves and others by the spiritual weapon of forgiveness.

Oswald Chambers said, “Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God Whose ways you may not understand at the time.”

Beloved, it’s time to cling to our confidence in the character and integrity of God. It’s our moment to perpetually move and conduct our lives in His unconditional love that never fails. Let’s rise up and use our swords of forgiveness to release prisoners from every weight that so easily entangles us.

It’s time to stop being stuck and stagnant. Let’s launch on out into the deep and ride the glorious waves of His majestic, supernatural Kingdom!

Surf’s up… it’s time to hold on to our faith!

May GOD bless Nigeria, America and Israel and take care of us; May GOD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the LORD lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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