Faith of Abel

(From a recorded sermon of Bro. Julius Adewumi, Night Vigil, 6/2/95)

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen." (Heb.11:1)

The scripture says "exhort ye one another while it is called today". Reading from Hebrews chapter 11, I will point to some few things which perhaps we have not closely considered in the faith of the fathers listed here. The scripture says "faith is the substance of things hoped for, The evidence of things not seen." I hope some day when the story is told, our names also may be recorded in heaven what we have done in the pursuance of the power of God. Or how we have prayed along for God's kingdom to come. It may not be as great as these men. Maybe it will say we had a good report; even the little we are doing here in this night vigil; it will be recorded that we have a good report before God. Remember we do not gather in this night vigils just to pray for our needs to be met, but to pray along with all faithful saints that, "Come, Lord Jesus". As the scripture said, "The Spirit and the bride say, come".

My desire is that , one day the story will be told and it will not be that "these folks could have done more"; but that they did something for God! They were interceding for the body of Christ!

I was reading computer-news today of testimonies from churches concerning this prayer meeting we are having here, in every church, prayer meetings are also springing up everywhere now. Churches which were not doing it before, suddenly woke up recently and it dawned on them that "intercessory prayer meeting is necessary, and they set themselves up for it." It looks as if an urge for intercessory prayers come upon many like a wave of revival. I believe that is part of the answer to our prayers in this night vigil, that the Lord should wake up his body worldwide. If our prayer meeting is effective, the Lord surely will want more people to be praying in the same direction worldwide for the work he wants to do. That is why I say maybe one day in heaven when the story is told, it will be said about this little group of ours that "they came all the way from Africa into this corner and were praying and interceding for the body of Christ."

Remember these men who are listed in this chapter as men of faith, did not realize they did anything spectacular in their time. But God caused their names to be listed as men of faith -- for they had a good report.

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"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain." (Heb. 11:4).

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I have always wondered about this verse concerning Abel that "what is faith here?" I couldn't see what was meant by faith here until the Lord showed some few things to me this day. What is the faith of Abel? Concerning his sacrifice which God said was better than Cain's, how was faith manifested there? Now imagine when two people go to a fellowship or a church gathering or a worship service. What we've come to do here, as in this night vigil, is offering sacrifices of praise to God. In the same way, Abel offered a sacrifice to God. He brought a lamb, while the other guy brought Yams. What made Abel's sacrifice better? We have always explained the difference to be: "well, Abel brought a blood sacrifice -a lamb- which is what God wanted, whereas Cain only brought Yams". But how did that make a difference? Suppose Cain also had brought a lamb? Would there had been a difference? Think about that! That was the question I posted to the Lord in my meditation upon these verses. Then the Lord made me to grasp the main difference that will matter to Him.

What is the faith of Abel in this appearance before God which perhaps Cain did not have? Many of us had explained the difference in the sacrifices of Cain and Abel to be this: maybe God told Cain to change the offering and he was stubborn, or, Abel understood that blood was needed for atonement while Cain did not. All of those explanations have helped us out in many places when questions have been posted on this issue. But what came to me from the Lord today in meditating on this point is this: When we come here to worship the Lord, it is like bringing sacrifice of praise to God. What can make somebody gain something out of it and another person not gain anything out of the worship service? He says it is the heart! Yea, it is the heart. Imagine, someone can come to this night vigil or worship service reluctantly. Some other person can also come with the heart that "I am coming to meet with the Lord". That is faith! You can use your faith and say to the spirit world "as I step into that building to meet with God, my needs will be met immediately". By faith, you can claim victories like that. That is faith! Like a veil room of prayer. One goes into the veil room with faith expecting that he will receive his miracle once he enters that room to pray; another went into that veil room out of curiousity to see whether God is really there. How many times have mockers stood in prayer lines to feel what those people claim to feel, just to test an anointing? Can you understand what I mean by the two states of the hearts that approach God? That was the difference between Abel's and Cain's sacrifices as the Lord revealed to me.

So it is your heart that matters when you come to offer sacrifice unto the Lord. Some people come with relunctance, you know? They murmur "it's taking too long!" Or "My parents force me to come!" That is relunctance. While others are exercising their faith that "as I get to the prayer meeting, I'm believing for my miracle; I want to get something from the Lord." To such people, it doesn't matter whether they are few in the meeting or multitudes, they will still get through to God. I mentioned this because to some people if the meeting is not packed full with believers they never feel comfortable. Whereas the crowd won't help them. They more or less will be looking around to find out who came: Those family came, that brother came to the prayer meeting. They are not focused on the Lord. He that comes to meet the Lord, whether they are just three of them there, he will focus on the Lord and will receive his miracle. The only thing that made the difference between Abel and Cain therefore, is the heart's preparation. When one's heart is yearning to meet the Lord in preparing for a fellowship or worship meeting, God will teach the fellow the right way to do it. Once He sees your heart is right, the Lord will say "I will show you how to do it."

That reminds me of a testimony I had about a vision. It is simply to point to the fact that the Lord will come to a willing heart to say "I will show you how to do it".

In this vision, two men (devils) were throwing knives at me. One by one they would appear from within a whirlwind into my visibility, throw the knife and I had to duck in order to escape their knives. I would grab the knife and throw it back at the men in retaliation; but when I threw the knife at them, they quickly disappear into the whirlwind. So they were not endangered by my own throw but I was endangered by their throws. After I have thrown the knife, the wind will gather again and this fellow would step out of the whirlwind and throw another knife at me. I had to jump out of the harm's way in terror each time. This was repeated about thrice. Suddenly the Lord came to my side when I was about to throw the knife back at one of the men who has suddenly disappeared again. The Lord stood behind me and said: "I ' ll show you how to do it; don't throw it yet". I waited. The man guessed I must have thrown the knife and the wind was gathering again into a whirlwind and as soon as the man was about to step out of the whirlwind, the Lord said "now!" And I threw the knife, guarded by the Lord, towards the target and the devil was hit. The man screamed as he went back into his wind and vanished. He never showed up again.

That is what I mean, when I say when your heart is desiring to do something in the Lord's favour, He will come to you and show you how to do it. Either by sending a message or leading you to a good advice or through his Spirit, or whatever way, he will show you how to do it right. Abel had the right heart. He wanted to do something to please the Lord. It will make God to show to him how to do it right. Whereas Cain may be a relunctant worshipper. It cannot be accepted.

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"The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination unto the Lord; how much more when he brings it with a wicked heart."

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Abel exercised his faith in wanting to touch God. Similarly when you come for a prayer meeting, or worship service or any fellowship of the saints, come with a right heart expecting to receive from the Lord. Putting your faith forward, by saying in your spirit that "when I get there, I am believing God for a miracle, the answer to the prayer I have prayed."

Then the Lord will help your heart to focus correctly in the meeting to receive your desire.

Remember the faith of Abel: our heart must be right in offering to God in these worship services and prayer meetings.

I pray for all the readers that they will have the right heart and proper attitude to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Bro. Julius Adewumi, Gospel Distribution Ministry, USA.

{ If you are blessed by this literature, write and let us know. As the Lord has said, "to him that hear shall more be given."}