Making the Faith Connection, Part 2

Greetings, friends and listeners, and welcome to our program of the R.G.

Hardy Ministries. I'm Sharon Knotts thanking you for joining us today because we know that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Today's message by my father, Brother Hardy, the faith connection is extremely important because everything we've received from God from the moment we're saved and everything thereafter we must receive by faith. The good news is you have faith because God has dealt to every man the measure of faith. So regardless of what your need is or how great, you can make the faith connection. We've been talking about faith and what faith is. You cannot please God without faith. And we found out that faith is our spiritual money. It's our medium of exchange like our dollar bill is to get the things in the natural, naturally, that faith is the thing that gets us what we need and want in the spiritual realm. Amen? You've got to change faith, which is a noun, to a verb, which is believe.

How many say amen? You know what a noun is, telling you about something, describing something. But you know what a verb is? It means being, the state of being. I am, you are, he is, they were, we will be, or action.

And I like to put it together, being in action. In fact, in the last sermon that faith is not in action, faith which is not working, dead. You might as well not have it. You're no better than a person that doesn't have faith if you've got faith and it's laying there dormant.

You're starving to death. How many say amen? And you've got the thing that will bring life to you and you're not using it. You've got to change faith from a noun to a verb and put it in action. Or using the monetary term, you've got to put your spiritual money into circulation. Setting in a bank, your little hole in a wall where you pour it out and count it every once in a while. How many say amen? It isn't going to supply your need. How many times have we read in the paper, recluse, found dead, starved to death, and they would find thousands of dollars all over the place.

Hidden coffee cans, hidden under the mattress. How many say amen? That money didn't do them no good. You've got to put it in operation. And faith that's not in operation isn't doing you no good. Only faith is going to bring the victory. Only faith is going to make you an overcomer. Only faith pleases God. Only faith is what God demands. Only faith is the medium of exchange in the Spirit. How many say amen?

I'm going to give you an illustration on putting your faith in action. It was one of our hot July steamy crab days in Baltimore. How many is what I'm talking about? Why do you think they call us crab town? Because our weather steams us up in July and August like you steam them crabs. And I was walking up the road to my house, and I mean the humidity must have been a thousand.

I just came from a meeting and ministering, and anybody knows when you minister, you put out a lot of energy. And I'm patting myself, and my handkerchief was wetter than my face. And I looked over in the yard, and there was a two-toned suburbium brown, let me tell you how old I am, Kaiser Manhattan. I know you people don't know what a Kaiser Manhattan is. You never heard of a Kaiser.

Only some is a dinosaur as old as I am like you, brother, only you know. These people don't know what a Kaiser Manhattan is. Well, what the Kaiser Manhattan was, was the poor man's Cadillac. It was big as a Cadillac, had them fish tails on it, and had a red ram continental engine, and before automatic steering come out, you could still take your finger and steer it like that. And when I went up and looked inside, it had, huh, imitation alligator leather dashboards with little tassels hanging down, and I fell in love with it. And I was just a poor evangelist, because a lot of people prayed, Lord, you keep them humble, and we'll keep them poor. And I thought, I like that car. I need a car, Lord. It's tough trying to get around preaching, street cars and cabs, and most of the time I travel in my early evangelistic days by air. I said, well, you had a lot of money. No, I got out on the corner and stuck my thumb out and said, air, you're going my way.

Did you ever did that? You'd be surprised how many people God would send me so I could testify to. I'd tell them, say, where are you going? I said, I'm a preacher.

I'm going out here in the country to a revival. And they say, yeah, a preacher says, you know what? I got a friend. They always got a friend, but the friend is their middle name.

And they tell me all about their friend and their friend's problems. So I was having revival going and coming. So I finally got up in the project where I lived and got out of my sauna suit, threw it aside, put something on comfortable, and got a, I don't know if it was a soda or iced tea, and sat down there and tried to fan. Of course, when you try to fan, it makes you hotter than you were.

Because we didn't have the wear condition, man, we didn't even have fans. I got ahead of myself on that story. On the way walking, God spoke to me and said, when you get home, ask me for that car. So I got home and took my clothes off and sat down there fanning and kept sitting and sitting. And God spoke to me and says, didn't I tell you when you got home, ask me for that automobile? I said, yes, Lord. He says, what were you doing? I said, I was trying the spirits. And God said, well, have you tried the spirits and what is your evaluation?

Is it me? He says, my soup knew my voice. I said, yes, Lord.

I know it's you. He said, what are you going to do? I said, I'm going to get right down there now and I'm going to ask you for that car. And when I pray, I got a little form. You've got a little form too, if you pray. I quote two or three scriptures because God said in the mouth that two or three shall every word be established.

And I got some three pet ones. Jesus said, whatsoever he asks me that will I do that the father may be glorified the son. So I said, that Lord do it so the father will get glory out of this.

If you ask anything in my name, I will do it. And whatsoever you ask the father in my name, he'll give it to you. So I got three scriptures. I quoted those scriptures. I said, God, I want that car.

I thank you for it. And you know what I got up and did? I act like I had it. You see, you got to act like you got it. I mean, you don't believe after you get it. You'll never get it.

Whatever things you desire when you pray, believe or act like you receive them and you shall have them. I act like I got it. And I had a meeting was coming up at a town and I just happened to have an atlas there and I picked it up and was getting the root that was the most direct to that meeting. And Miss Hardy came in, you know, used to be Miss Hardy now called Sister Hardy. She wasn't saved. And she looked at me and said, what are you doing? I said, I'm planning my trip with my car. She said, what car?

I didn't see no car when I came in. I said, the car God gave me. He said, you're a kook.

He said, you had a sunstroke coming up here. Now you're hearing voices. And we lived in the project like they were like the Athenians. All they lived to do was hear something new and tell something new and these went one step further. If it wasn't anything new, they made up something new.

And they told that whole project. My husband's crazy. You know, he thinks he's a minister now.

Huh? He's hearing voices. God's going to give him a car. I act like I told everybody I met in the church. I said, man, I won't be walking much longer.

God gave me a car. He said, we don't see it. I said, you know, don't need it till I need it.

See, I don't need it. I'll pack my bags. It's just as hard as it tells you, I'll have my bags packed. I didn't even have to pack my bags. They were already packed. You know, I keep my bags packed for going away meeting clothes and things.

How many say amen? And I was telling everybody I got it. They said, I don't see that car. I says, it's a dealer's prep. You ever get a car, they're going to keep it a day to prep it. God was headed to the prep shop, prepping it up, undercoating it, rust proofing it.

I didn't need it till I walked out of the house to the curb and then there it would be because it's like a enterprise. They deliver. God delivers. How many say amen?

So every time I would go out of the project, all the rubbernecks would look out the shade and here comes that guy, hearing voices. God's going to give him a car. I didn't say he was going to give him. I said, God gave me a car. Faith counts it done.

How many say amen? Well, I was walking up that same hot road on another hot, steamy day in Baltimore, but I had somebody with me. And when we got to that place, we were both tired and sweaty and they spotted that car. See, the devil was trying to tell me all week, the devil stole that car, he's going to sell it to somebody else, that guy. I said, yeah, if he does, he's going to have to buy it back because it's mine. He said, boy, that's a nice car.

He said, you need a car. And I said to myself, you know it too. I said, I believe God wants you to have that car. I said, you know it too.

And the greatest thing was the next one. Said, I believe God wants me to get that car for you. And I grabbed him by the head.

I said, I know it too, Lord. And I drug him in there because I believe in hitting it when it's hot. Don't let them get in there and get some iced tea in them and forget about it.

Get them while it's still hot. So to make a long story short, that person bought the car and you'd have to know who it is. You had to know it was God that caused her to buy that car. Pay the insurance, filled it with gas and I told her, move over because now I'm taking over. Fill that tank up and I come up that road, you know, Westport projects. You come in, you're only supposed to do 15.

I come in doing five. I made that wide left turn and all of a sudden somehow my hands slipped and hit the horn. Because I wanted to make sure all them rubbernecks was out there stretching.

And they were. And I eased down to my block and come in with my hat, into a place to park it. And I parked it and I got out.

You know how you shine it up? And I hollered, I told you, God was going to give me a car. How many say amen?

You got to act like you got it. You get prayed in the healing line, act like you're healed. Somebody asks you to get healed, say I hope. No, that's not it.

That's not it. How many say amen? Yeah, I'm healed. Try to do something that you couldn't do.

Amen. You call in on the phone, the seers or whoever, and order it. You don't have no money, don't know where you're going to get the money. Just act like you got it.

Call in. You don't need it till you need it. I've had a lot of times that I didn't get it till the last moment. Because if God give it to you ahead of time a lot of us, we'd spend it on something we shouldn't. If God would give us all of our money that we need at the beginning of the year for the whole year, most people would be broke the next day. I know some people that are on assistance or once a month they get an IRA check and at the end of the month they're hollering, come on first. IRA check, you know, Social Security, come on third.

The first and third comes and the fourth comes, come on first. You don't need it till you need it. You don't need it a day of time. You don't need it an hour ahead of time. You don't need it a minute ahead of time.

You only need it when you need it. Now God let me live through these illustrations. Sister Harley wasn't saved. Sharon was a little girl and I was out of work and Sister Harley told me the day that the rent isn't paid and there isn't food on the table, you are going to Sweet Jessup's. Anybody knows what I'm talking about? Jessup's Cut.

Somebody said why they call it the cut because it's a hundred to one after you're there one minute somebody's going to cut you. How many say amen? That out of unemployment, child didn't call me back, put all kind of applications in, nothing happened and God said I want you to pray and fast because I'm ready to open the door for your full time ministry. I obeyed him. How many say amen? I didn't think much of it the beginning of the month after I just paid the last payment that guy was going to get without a miracle.

How many say amen? But every day when it's ten days off, but here it come down that week. He's coming from Washington D.C. to get his money and he was an alcoholic and he ain't going to fool somebody with his alcohol money. And I got all the way down to the last day. Not only did I get to the last day, but he's knocking on the door and I ain't got penny one. And that demon and devil was shouting the victory, I got you now. I told sister how to go through the door and said I ain't going through the door.

Try to stick it off with her. I said I got to fix the music. I opened the door and to make a long story short, he paid my rent. He didn't know I didn't have no money. And you know what he did it?

He did it for three months in a row. He didn't know I didn't have no money. But I knew I had a big God. Man, I mean that devil was married because the rent's paid. There ain't no food on the table. No food on the table, they sing.

I know he's able. One Sunday morning, real early, somebody knocked on the door. I went to the door and I opened up and didn't see nobody. Of course I didn't look down.

I was looking up and when I went to step, I almost fell over. And when I looked down, there's bags of groceries. How many say amen? Somebody said who brought it? I don't care. I don't care who brings it. I don't even care if God makes the devil bring it. Just let somebody bring it. I don't care.

He's the one that did it. I'm going to give him the praise whether it comes by angel delivery, demon delivery, or man delivery. All I want is delivery. How many say amen? Amen.

I mean milk and honey and cereal, healthy food. Amen. You see, especially a minister getting into ministry and full time, you got to believe God.

Sorry to say, I'm letting some secrets out. I've preached meetings and he didn't give me an offering at the end. I've preached meetings and I spent more money to go to the meetings and get my clothes cleaned.

Then I got money. But I didn't worry about it because I'm doing what God says. I mean, he's going to supply my need.

I'm on his payroll. I don't care if nobody pays their tithes. I don't care if no one sends me any money on TV to pay for the time. I'm not going to spend the whole service trying to take an offering.

Amen. I'm going to go on television. I'm going to tell someone to help the people. When God saved me 50 some years ago, he calls me to pray, God, give me something that will help your people.

I believe God has done that. I believe he's gave me something to help the people, and I'm going to help the people, and God's going to supply the need. He's going to give me chicken if he says chicken, even if he has to make the neighbor's chicken fly over the fence and commit hairy-carry by jumping on my rotisserie.

I'll heat it up. He's going to supply my need if he has to do like Elijah send the ravens to feed me. He's going to supply my need if he has to send an angel, and if the angels won't do it, God's going to come on the scene and supply my need because I got faith in his word, and he can't lie. How many say amen? And he gave me what pleases him is faith. How many say amen?

I'm going to use it. That's why everything associated with this ministry has got faith in it, faith tabernacle. I applied for the incorporation papers, faith tabernacle.

The state wrote me back and says you can't have that name. I got down and prayed. God told me to call the faith tabernacle. I said, what about this God? God said, go ahead and put the sign up like I said. I gave it to you. I'm going to move.

It wasn't long. God said, you can go ahead and do it. I mean, God holds the hearts.

God will do it. You got to know God's voice. You got to know you're in his will. You got to know you're doing what he said. You got to get on his word and in his word. You got to act the word. How many say amen?

I don't worry now. What I say now is, how are we going to do it now, God? We're going to run through the troop and leap over the wall, or we're going to break through the wall and leap over the troop because I know you're going to do it. I know God's going to do it. God's not a man that he should lie. Neither is he the offspring, the son of man that he's got to change his mind because he can't do it. If God says it, God said, if I said it, I'm going to do it.

I'm going to bring it to pass. All I got to do is come boldly in the name of Jesus to the throne of grace and pull out my spiritual money faith and God's going to do it. How many of you know God's going to do it? You need something from God?

You got the scriptures to cover it? Then you can come boldly. Not only like Jacob and say, God, this is what you said, and not only you said it, but I believe it. I'm here to pick up my check. I'm here to get what I asked you for. God said, I've been waiting. I told him, get it, angels, because this guy ain't going to quit.

He's going to be like that little widow woman. He's believing. He's going to get it.

How many say you're mad? Oh, he's going to get it. I got it. When I get in there and get it, I'm going to come out shouting. I got just what I wanted.

People say, what are you happy about? I said, I got just what I wanted. I put my order into God and God heard me because if I ask according to his will, he hears us. If we know that he hears us whatsoever we ask, we know we have the petition.

I got it. I'm going to let everybody know that God's a good God. I want you to know God's a good God. He ain't a bad God. He don't tell fairytales. He don't mislead you.

How many say he ain't mad? He don't promise you something he can't make it good. God said, if I've said it, take it to the bank.

Take it to the bank. I'm going to do it. I'm going to bring it to pass. You abide in me. My words abide in you. Ask whatsoever you will and it shall be done unto you.

Amen. Oh God, you're such a good God. You are a provider. In fact, I'm praying now, Lord, I'm not making any special requests. You, I give you carte blanche. You know what I need and you know, even if I don't need it, that would make me feel good and you just want to bless me with it. You go ahead at your discretion. Do what you want because I know you're going to do it. Have you ever got something you never asked God for and you've been wanting it and he gave it to you?

Oh my, my, my, my, my. Because he said, if your life pleases him, he'll give you the desire of your heart. Come on and pray.

Amen. What a dynamic faith energizing message by my father, brother Hardy, the faith connection, the plight of the woman with the issue of blood is one of the most desperate in the new Testament. She had pursued every specialist promising her a cure for 12 long discouraging years, yet with no results. In fact, she grew worse with each year and now she was broke, but she heard about Jesus and Romans 10 17 says, faith comes by hearing the word of God. She said within herself, if I could just get to Jesus, if I can touch the hem of his garment, I know I will be made whole. And she set out to make the faith connection. It didn't matter about all those years of suffering and despair that day, the healer, the one who had the power of God was passing her way that day.

She reached out to touch Jesus and she made the faith connection and the rest is Bible history. You too can make the faith connection and we believe this message is the word of God that you need to hear again and again to energize your faith. The faith connection is available on CD for a love gift of $10 or more for the radio ministry. Request offer 185. Our mailing address is RG Hardy ministries, P O box one seven four four Baltimore, Maryland two one two oh three. Or if you prefer to order online at RG hardy.org, that's RG hardy.org. Once again, the offer is 185 for the faith connection and your love gift of $10 or more for the radio ministry. The mailing address is brother Hardy, P O box one seven four four Baltimore, Maryland two one two oh three. Until next time, this is Sharon Nazi, Maranatha.