FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-2

Everyone mentioned in Hebrews 11 obtained a witness from God that they were pleasing Him because they took a stand in faith and they did that because of what they chose to believe. Hebrews 11 is full of men and women who took a stand on what God promised them and by doing so they pleased Him. I had a friend who has now gone home to be with Jesus and I had the privilege of sowing God’s Word into his life. He slowly became an integral part of our ministry and he worked with me for the first 20 years. His family was camping in Yosemite one time and after fixing breakfast, he was faced with a bear that seemed to want to take their food supply. As the bear was getting on top of their breakfast, righteous indignation rose up and he walked toward the bear and started to command the bear to depart. He called the bear a thief and stated it had no right to that food. His wife who was hiding in the tent started screaming, ‘You’re tempting God! Stop it, you’re tempting God!!’ But he kept moving toward the bear and commanding it to depart and leave their food alone, in Jesus’ name! He believed all authority was given unto him in heaven and earth (Matthew 28). And that bear left them and their breakfast and ran off. That is a testimony of faith in action. I know that testimony because his daughter relayed it to me on different occasions and each time I heard it I laughed because it is such a testimony to the fruit of the life of my friend Gerard Antonis. When someone has the faith to take on a 600 pound bear and command him to depart, it is a Hebrews 11 feat as far as I am concerned. I have had the privilege of teaching those who believed God’s Word who took it, integrated it into their life and commanded mountains to move – whether it was in the form of a business enemy, or sickness or a giant bear the mountain moved. That describes faith for the end-times!