"HOLD FAST" by Nancy Dufresne

Faith has several actions – faith believes, faith stands its ground in the face of opposition (fights the good fight of faith), and faith receives the manifestations. But faith also holds fast to what it has received.

     Bible faith isn’t only interested in receiving, but it’s interested in every action of faith. Bible faith refuses to lose anything it has received from God! Everything you receive from God, the devil is going to try to steal from you.

     When something is received from God, but then seems to diminish or decline – if healing or increase is seemingly diminishing, where is the leak? What’s the remedy? HOLD FAST!

     Hebrews 1:1-3 reads, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

If we’re holding fast, we’re rejoicing.

- Nancy Dufresne

     All that God created still had to be upheld.

     First Thessalonians 5:21 instructs us to, “Prove all things; HOLD FAST that which is good.” “Hold fast” means to hold hard.

     Ongoing feeding on the Word is what enables us to HOLD FAST. Anytime we have backed up on standing our ground, we quit hearing as much as needed.

     Kenneth E. Hagin tells of his healing testimony. After he was raised up off his deathbed from an incurable heart condition, heart symptoms again began to return. He didn’t know where he was missing it. But then one day he saw it. He had received his healing, but then when he started feeling heart symptoms try to come back, he would talk about how his heart symptoms were coming back. He realized that this was where he was missing it – he wasn’t holding fast. He had two confessions; he was saying he was healed, but then talking about his heart symptoms. After he learned to only have ONE confession, instead of two opposing ones, all his heart symptoms again left.

     After he was raised up, the doctor still said that he would be dead in 90 days, for the doctor thought he was only up by willpower. Brother Hagin said, “I’m not up by willpower, but I’m up by faith – and MY FAITH WILL HOLD!” I like that – my faith will hold!

     Once the spirit of faith is in place and you are confident something is yours, don’t back up – hold fast to what is yours!

     Hebrews 3:5 & 6 reads, “And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”

     If we’re holding fast, we’re rejoicing. Rejoicing helps us to hold fast.

     Revelation 2:25 instructs, “But that WHICH YE HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED HOLD FAST till I come.” We ALREADY HAVE healing, supply, victory, and all the things Jesus purchased for us. We don’t just hold fast to things that have manifested, but we also hold fast to all that He provided, whether or not it has manifested. Hold fast to what God says is yours!

     We are to master our confession – where only one confession is made. To master our confession also involves mastering our thought life.

     Faith can receive a miracle, but it’s a continuous, ongoing exercise of faith that maintains and holds fast to what has been received.

"Jesus Longs To Answer Prayer" by Nancy Dufresne

About six months ago, God began dealing with me to tell more about my husband’s and my testimonies, for answers for people’s lives are in our stories.

     In Mark 5, the woman healed of the issue of blood told her story, and people who read it and believe receive answers and are healed today because she told her story. Even though she is in Heaven, we still tell her story and receive answers. What we rehearse, God repeats.

     With this in mind, I want to refer back to a vision Kenneth E. Hagin had of Jesus. It contains answers for us. Dad Hagin told this account in his book, I Believe in Visions, in the chapter titled “I Have Come To Answer Your Prayer.” Dad Hagin wrote the following:

     At the close of my message one night, a spirit of prayer descended upon the congregation and we all gathered around the altar to pray. We prayed for quite some time.
    

After a while I got off my knees and sat on the steps to the platform. I was sitting there with my eyes open, singing in other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance, when suddenly I saw Jesus standing about three feet in front of me. He said, "I have come to answer your prayer."
    

I knew exactly what He was talking about. I had been praying for some time for my wife, who had a goiter. It was growing larger and larger until now she was having choking spells.
    

From the time we were first married, I had sensed in my spirit that my wife would die at an early age, and I thought that perhaps this time was approaching. I prayed the rest of the night about this and said to the Lord, "I have obeyed You and have done Your will. I have left my church and my family and have been in the evangelistic field for many years. My wife has stayed at home and has been faithful to raise our children. I am still a young man (at that time I was in my 30s), and we have been married for many years. Please let me keep my wife.”

     In the vision the Lord said to me, "I have come to answer that prayer. Tell your wife to be operated on, for she will live and not die."

     Although I didn't mention it to my wife, I had felt all along that if she were operated on she would die. She later told me that she had known for several years that she would die when she was operated on for this goiter.
    

But the Lord said to me, "She will live and not die. According to the natural course of events without divine intervention, she would die. But I have heard your prayers and have come to answer them. She shall live…."
    

Then Jesus said something that absolutely melted me, and I have never been able to forget it.
    

He said, "I did this, son, just because you asked Me to. You don't know how I long to do for my children if they would only ask Me and believe Me. Many times they beg and cry and pray, but they don't believe. And I cannot answer their prayers unless they have faith, because I cannot violate my Word. But how often I long to help them if only they would let Me by taking Me at My Word and bringing Me their problems, trusting Me to undertake for them."

     Again He said, "Tell your wife to be operated on, for she will live and not die." With those words He disappeared.
    

Even though the doctors were greatly concerned about my wife's condition, my wife and I had great joy through it all because we knew the outcome in advance.

I want us to look at several of the things Jesus told Brother Hagin.

     Jesus stated that He LONGS to do for His children, but we must ask Him and believe Him. His longing to do for us shows His depth of interest in us and in anything that pertains to us. But for Him to answer us, we must have faith – not just a need. Jesus doesn’t answer needs – He answers faith. Jesus can’t violate His Word just because we have a need – we must also have faith. Brother Hagin had a need for his wife’s healing, but if he hadn’t released faith when he prayed, she would not have been healed. 

     A lot of people pray, but it’s BELIEVING prayer that receives answers. Mark 11:24 reads, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, WHEN YE PRAY, BELIEVE that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” 

     Jesus stated, “Many times they beg and cry and pray, but they don't believe.” Notice, they’re doing a spiritual act of praying, but without faith, it’s not Bible prayer. Bible praying involves the releasing of faith. Begging, crying, and praying is praying out of the emotions – and that misses the mark. Believe that God’s power goes to work for you the moment you pray – whether you feel it or not, for God’s power isn’t always seen and felt.

     Jesus told Brother Hagin, “I did this just because you asked Me to.” We don’t have to EARN His help – it’s available for the ASKING. We don’t have to beg and cry – just ask. James 4:2 tells us, “...ye have not, because ye ask not.”

     Jesus also told him, “How often I long to help them if only they would LET ME by taking Me at My Word and bringing Me their problems, trusting Me to undertake for them." In this statement, He tells us how to “LET HIM” by: (1) taking Him at His Word, (2) bringing our problems to Him, and (3) trusting Him to undertake.

     Worry is a sign you’re still holding onto your problem and not LETTING HIM undertake for you. If you’re thinking about it, you’re worrying. First Peter 5:7 reads, “Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully” (Amplified). When it’s in His hands, He can work on it. When it’s in your hands, He can’t. Worry is a sign that it’s in your hands – not His. When tempted to worry, say, “I refuse to worry, for I have cast that problem into His hands, and He is working on it right now.”

     Jesus told Brother Hagin, "I have come to answer your prayer." Jesus showed up and worked in response to his prayer. Jesus didn’t initiate the rescue – Brother Hagin did by praying. Because Brother Hagin prayed in faith, Jesus was able to intervene. 

     There are many things that can be changed if we will pray in faith. If we don’t pray, things happen that shouldn’t happen. Jesus wants to work on our behalf, but we must invite Him to work, for He doesn’t force Himself on people. 

     When we pray in faith, that invites Him to move on our behalf – which He longs to do.

"Answer The Need With What God Says" by Nancy Dufresne

Psalm 37:18 & 19 (KJV) reads, “The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.”

    The NIV translation says, “The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.”

    The NLT translation reads, “Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever. They will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough.”

    Our inheritance (our blessings) from God is forever. As the above verses show us, our inheritance doesn’t fluctuate in evil times, in disaster, in hard times, or in times of famine (times of “not enough”). Our inheritance doesn’t fluctuate with the times. The inheritance that He has made ours belongs to us and works for us, no matter what circumstances surround us. Changing times or difficult times don’t alter our inheritance. We will not be left embarrassed or disgraced. 

    Psalm 107:2 instructs us, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.” 

    Since we are redeemed, we have to say it, we have to talk it. We have to say that we are redeemed. Our redemption won’t work for us until we say so.

    We must add our faith to our inheritance; we must mix faith with what God says. Speaking is how we release the faith in our heart, and our faith is what activates the blessings that belong to us – we have to say so!

    In the evil times that show up, days when the enemy opposes us, we have to talk about our inheritance; we have to say that we have an inheritance! During a time of famine, we have to talk about our inheritance. We are not to talk lack, but we are to talk about our inheritance. When we are faced with a need, we must answer our need with what God says REPEATEDLY and CONSISTENTLY. We have to add our faith to the inheritance He provided by talking about our inheritance. 

    Say to your need what God says to you through His Word and by His Spirit. 

    What did God tell you about that home, about your business, or about other things? When it looks like it’s not going the right way, you have to remember what God said, hold to it, and answer the need with what God said to you. When it looks like there’s not enough, you have to tell that need what God said.

   We have an inheritance that lasts forever – our days and our future are to be full of inheritance, so let’s say so!