Tag Archives: The Bible

Faith

How to Make Faith Work

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. ~ Carl Bard

 

Is your faith as effective as you think it should be? Is it working for you? Are you seeing the results you want? If not, you may want to reconsider how you are using (or not using) your faith.

 

Here’s the first thing to understand: you do have faith. God created you that way. You are always believing something. If you say, “Well, I don’t believe that”, you just affirmed that you do, in fact, believe the opposite. You’ve just put your faith to work on the opposite side of the issue.

 

Actually, the title of this article is a bit of a misnomer. You see, you can’t ‘make’ faith work because it is always working. Faith is a supernatural power source. It works all the time, like gravity. Gravity keeps you from floating off the planet, but it can be a real ‘downer’ if you jump off a 20-story building! Gravity doesn’t change, but how you use it can.

 

Think of it like this: God created the ground to grow whatever you plant in it. If you want tomatoes, don’t plant beets.

 

… we also believe, therefore we speak (2 Cor. 4:13). Faith is planted by words. What you say is the harvest you will get. If you want prosperity, you shouldn’t ‘plant’ words of financial woe and lack. Faith always works. But depending on how you use it, faith will work positively or negatively.

 

The Bible says faith comes by hearing (Rom. 10:17). It doesn’t say ‘maybe’ faith will come. Faith comes. What you believe is based on what you hear. If you constantly say (and hear yourself say), “I’m broke. I can’t ever get ahead”, you are growing faith for that situation to continue. Your debt will get worse and your financial challenges bigger. Faith comes. You are planting for a harvest of lack and shortage.

 

But, if in the midst of your lack, you will begin to speak God’s promise that My God shall meet all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19), your faith in that promise grows. Every time you speak it, you hear it. Speaking what you want – based on Biblical promise – is putting your faith to work on the situation. Psalm 103 says angels hearken to the voice [speaking] His Word (v. 20). As you put faith to work by speaking what you want, you commission the powers of heaven to go to work on your behalf.

 

The Bible says even Almighty God ‘calls things that be not as though they were’ (Rom. 4:17). He started that process in Genesis. And it works… every time. Yet, even for Him, it was not always instant. He waited over 4,000 years from the first words He spoke of Jesus’ coming in Genesis until the birth of His beloved Son. Why did it take so long? Because He had to find people here on earth to agree with Him, and speak His Word out loud. Spoken words have power, either positive or negative. Which side are your words on?

 

Words create. God designed the system that way. The very first verse of the Bible says, “God created the heaven and the earth.” That first chapter of Genesis tells us how: “And God said… and it was so”. Can you imagine God thinking to himself, “I wonder what else I need to do to make this happen? I wonder if I should wave my hands, or jump up and down, or moan and complain.” NO. Words were enough to put the Holy Spirit, the angels and whatever else was needed into operation.

 

On the sixth day, God created mankind – you and me – as spirit beings in His own image and likeness (v. 26). If we’re like God, we also can create with our words. Let’s look at the concept again.

 

We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believe, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Cor. 4:13, 18).

 

The primary way to ‘work’ the works of faith is with your words! You can change the ‘temporal’ things, the facts of your life by the words you speak. The truth of God’s Word trumps facts every time!

 

I heard a story of one woman, diagnosed with an incurable cancer, who made up her mind to speak only healing verses over herself. She declared aloud, “I shall live and not die” (Ps. 118:17) over a hundred times a day. She also took Jesus at His Word when He said ‘speak to the mountain’ (Matt. 17:20). She said, “Cancer, you can’t stay in my body. I am God’s and you have no place in me. You leave my body right now!” Can you imagine how much time and determination it took to stay with that plan for weeks and months on end? As I heard it, nine months later she was completely healed!

 

What would have happened if she had believed the doctor’s diagnosis more than the Word of God? What if she had told everyone that she’d been diagnosed with inoperable cancer? “The doctors say I’m going to die.” Her family and friends would have attended her funeral.

 

Another woman, also diagnosed with cancer, stood for three years on the promises she found in God’s Word. After she was sent home from the hospital to die, she looked up every scripture on healing and health, and wrote them down. She read that list out loud at least three times a day – like medicine. And at the end of her battle, he body was completely restored. No medicines or special treatments – the doctors had given up on her. But she put the power of faith to work by saying, by speaking The Word and nothing else.

 

Let’s look at Abraham. His wife was barren. They never had a baby even when they were both young. But God spoke to him (calling things that be not as though they were) saying, “I have made you the father of many nations” (Gen. 17:5). Abraham was 99 years old! Seriously?

 

Yet… Against hope [Abraham] believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, ‘So shall thy seed be’. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform. (Rom. 4:18-21).

 

Fourteen years earlier, God said the same thing. But Abraham didn’t believe. Instead, he tried to help God out by taking Sarah’s maid and Ishmael was born. God had to wait all those years for Abraham’s faith to develop enough to bring His prophecy to fruition. Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born.

 

Faith works when you are willing to rest in God’s promises, not demanding or requiring any other proof than the fact that He said it. Abraham ‘staggered not’. He set aside every doubt and question and hung onto the promise. You and I can do the same thing. It may not be easy, but it is do-able. The Bible is full of examples of God’s faithfulness to anyone who believed.

 

The woman with the issue of blood said, “If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole.”

Jairus told Jesus, “If You will come and lay hands on her, my daughter will live.”

When Jesus was tempted by the devil, He quoted The Word, the only weapon He needed.

The centurion said, “Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.”

The leper said, “If You wilt, You can make me clean” and Jesus said, “I will”.

In Mark 11:24, Jesus taught, “What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.” Did you get that? Faith believes the promise is real when you pray, not when you see it. “Shall have” is a result of working, active faith.

 

How much word ‘seed’ does it take to overcome your particular problem? I don’t know, but I do know that God’s promises are yea and amen (2 Cor. 1:20). God says “Yes! Absolutely!” if you ask in faith, never wavering (James 1:6). Jesus always said “Yes” to those who asked for healing or help.

 

Seed produces harvest. The more you sow, the greater your harvest will be. The Word is seed. Are you planting enough to fill a flower pot, a garden plot or a field? How much harvest do you want?

 

How will you know you’re faith is working? When you are able to cast the care of that situation or circumstance on God and not worry about it any longer. Are you are willing to believe that it is already taken care of, that God has it well in hand? As long as you maintain the ‘care’ (worry, stress, responsibility) of the problem, you’re not letting your faith (or God) work for you. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:6-7).

 

If you feel like your faith isn’t strong enough, remember how to get more. Faith comes by hearing. Speak the Word to yourself over and over until it becomes real in your spirit. Those women didn’t experience healing the first time they said “I am healed”. But they didn’t give up at the hundredth or thousandth or ten-thousandth saying. They spoke the Word until they saw the results they wanted!

 

Being humble doesn’t mean telling God that you’re not worthy or good enough. It doesn’t mean begging Him to do what He’s already promised. It means submitting yourself to His Word, regardless of how you feel about the situation. If He said He will do it, you must also believe that He will do it for you.

 

The next time you are faced with a difficult situation, pour it on! Put your faith to work by speaking words of victory and deliverance. When the disciples came to Jesus asking, “What should we do?” He didn’t give them a list of requirements. Instead, He told them, “Believe only.” Faith will move mountains, heal bodies, supply prosperity and deliverance.

 

Faith believes. Faith speaks. Faith works when you put it to work. And it will give you a harvest of victory, plenty and peace.

 

For more information on developing life skills, better relationships, and becoming the best YOU possible, visit [http://seebecksolutions.com] and sign up to receive your FREE subscription to “Solutions For Success”, a weekly ezine of inspiration, motivation and humor from a Christian perspective.

 

Ruth Seebeck has built a reputation over the last three decades as a life-skills coach, mentor, Christian counselor and friend. She is a business owner, author, community volunteer and event coordinator whose passion is helping others overcome life’s challenges. Seebeck Solutions: Helping you make the most of What Matters Most!

 

 

 

 

Faith

Faith Is Not for the Faint of Heart

Stay in the Word of God until you can see it so clearly on the inside that you don’t need to see it on the outside. ~ Gloria Copeland

God is faithful. Most of us have heard that statement, but have we ever really considered what faith requires? It is certainly not for the faint of heart.

The Old Testament testifies to the faithfulness of God, His steadfast love, goodness, mercy and grace. He stood by the three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace and was faithful to Daniel in the lion’s den. His grace led the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness, fed them with manna and doves, and poured water from rock. Ps. 119:90 says ‘Thy faithfulness is unto all generations; Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth’. Psalm 92 says God shows us His ‘lovingkindness in the morning and [His] faithfulness every night’. He even dressed Adam and Eve after the disaster in the Garden.

The examples of God’s faithfulness are far too many to mention, but the ultimate example was His faithfulness to Jesus. From the first prophecy spoken in Genesis (‘one is coming’) to Jesus’ resurrection from hell itself, God’s proved His faithfulness to His plan for all mankind.

Have you ever thought about the price God pays to remain faithful to us, His children? Think for just a moment how much He forgives us. Every day, every day, every day – no matter what dumb stuff we’ve done! Think about His infinite patience with our attempts to override or ignore His wisdom. Consider His constant vigilance to protect and guide us out of our messes and disasters.

The Bible uses the word ‘faith’ and its derivatives almost 350 times. While Old Covenant references talk about God’s faithfulness, the New Covenant shifts from His faith to ours. The entire New Testament shows us how Jesus walked by faith and how we are to learn to live by faith. If we look at the lives of the disciples, we soon realize that faith is not for the faint of heart!

Most of them were persecuted for their faith and spent time in prison. Yet the Church continued to prosper and grow. Today, we are millions strong, all because of twelve dedicated men and the additional 108 who met in that Upper Room so many centuries ago.

One of the strongest instructions regarding faith was given to Joshua after Moses’ death. Joshua was one of the twelve who were sent to spy out the Promised Land. After God told the Israelites that He had given them the land, only two – Joshua and Caleb – agreed with God’s Word. The other ten came back complaining that the task was too difficult and the tribes of Israel could never win. They doubted God’s Word, giving it no credit at all. They were faint of heart.

Forty years later, after Moses’ death, it fell to Joshua to complete the task God had given the Israelites four decades earlier. Everyone in the previous generation was dead. Their complaining and doubting had shortened their lives. Only Joshua and Caleb remained to lead the people. Here’s what God told him: Only be strong and very courageous, that you mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses My servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go. (Josh. 1:7) We can learn a lot from that instruction.

Faith believes. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all. (I Tim. 4:15) Whether the ‘profit’ you need is financial, physical, mental, social or spiritual, you must start with what you believe. If you don’t believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6), you will never have enough faith to defeat the devil’s attacks or the world’s problems. If you believe that He is able, but don’t believe He will do it for ‘you’, then your faith is unplugged from the Source. Like Jacob, your heart [spirit] will faint (become weak and ineffective) because you believe not (Gen. 45:26).

Faith is strong. And His name, through faith in His name, hath made this man strong… hath given him this perfect soundness (Acts 3:16). ‘Perfect soundness’, to me, is another way of describing the Hebrew word for ‘peace’ – Salem. It is translated ‘wholeness, completeness, with nothing missing and nothing broken’. That would include physical health, overflowing finances, peace mentally (no stress or torment) and socially.

Faith creates strength. Weak men do not win tournaments. If you want to overcome life’s adversities, you will have to exercise your faith (practice it, like an athlete or musician practices their craft) until it becomes strong. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Eph. 6:10), then you will be like the woman with the issue of blood whose story is told in Matthew, chapter 9.

She said to herself, “if I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole (sound, strong, healed). She put her faith on the line. She’d been bleeding for twelve years. No doctor could help her, and she had spent everything she had. She could easily have been faint of heart, but she chose not to let her illness or weakness stop her. She crawled through the crowd, speaking the result she wanted – calling things that be not as though they were! (Rom. 4:17). And in the very next verse, Jesus told her, “Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith has made thee whole” (v. 22).

Faith is courageous. Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them; for the Lord thy God, He it is who doth go with thee. He will not fail thee nor forsake thee (Deut. 31:6). God has called you to be a soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 2:4). Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand… and having done all, to stand (Eph. 6:11, 13). As His soldier, He’s armored and equipped you to win every battle.

War – whether physical or spiritual – requires courage. Courage enables you to take a stand and take the ground. Jesus said you can move mountains with a grain of faith! (Matt. 17:20). But you have to bold and courageous enough to stand until the battle is won. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart (Ps. 27:14).

Faith is diligent. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues [forces] of life. Prov. 4:23 God told Joshua to observe to do according to all the law. In the next verse, He said to ‘meditate on His Word day and night’. Why? So the promise would be stronger and more alive to Joshua than the obstacles he faced. When you’re up against a seemingly impossible situation, you need to meditate on God’s promises until they become bigger inside you than any problem you face in the world.

Faith wavers not. Let us hold fast to the profession of our faith without wavering (for He is faithful who promised) (Heb. 10:23). James asked the question, “Does a fountain send forth from the same place sweet water and bitter?” (v. 3:11). In other words, are you speaking faith one minute and grumbling the next? Do you believe God can and will turn your situation around or are you busy telling everyone how bad things are and how it will never change?

Instead, become like Abraham who believed in the Lord; and He accounted it to him for righteousness (Gen. 15:6). Abraham believed God even to the sacrifice of his teenaged son – the very same boy God had promised him. Abraham waited almost three decades for Isaac’s birth. How difficult it must have been to trust God to restore the boy’s life after Abraham himself killed him on the altar. It didn’t get that far because God stilled Abraham’s hand. Yet four thousand years later, Jesus trusted God enough to surrender to Pilate and be crucified, believing God for His resurrection… the just shall live by faith (Rom. 1:17).

Faith is patient. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; fret not thyself… (Ps. 37:7). Patience isn’t learning to put up with bad things with a good attitude. Biblical patience means taking a stand of faith without wavering or doubting… for as long as it takes. It means casting all your care upon Him because He cares for you (I Peter 5:7) and not allowing stress, pressure, doubt or fear to move you away from your faith.

The disciples asked Jesus, “What shall we do, that we might work the work of God?” and He responded, “This is the work of God: that ye believe in Him whom He hath sent.” (John 6:28-29) Later, Jesus told the ruler of the synagogue, “Fear not, believe only”. Patience puts a wall between faith and the bombardment of arguments and attacks that come your way. Patience says, “I don’t care how long it takes, I believe God. Nothing is impossible with Him. I will see the salvation of the Lord in this situation!”

Faith forgives. And when ye stand praying, forgive if ye have aught against any… (Mark 11:25). Just like the fountain that can’t spew sweet water and bitter, faith cannot function if unforgiveness clogs the channel. In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, He explains that ‘faith works by love’. In other words, if you’re operating outside of love, faith cannot work. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand (Mark 3:25). I know, it takes strength, courage and patience to forgive those who hurt you, but Jesus’ instruction is clear: “love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you.” Several chapters later, when Peter asked, “How often shall… I forgive him” Until seven times?” and Jesus responded, “Not… seven times, but until seventy times seven.” (Matt. 18:21-22).

Even on the cross, after torture and extreme pain, Jesus put forgiveness into action saying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” If He can do that, we must also be strong enough to forgive.

Faith is tough. If it weren’t, everyone would be a faith giant. Faith requires commitment, steadfastness and tenacity. It’s definitely not for the lazy or faint of heart. But if you will be strong and very courageous, spend time meditating the promises of God’s Word, keeping your ‘shield of faith’ in place and wielding the ‘sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God’ (Eph. 6:17), you can become a faith hero, just like Joshua and Abraham. And you will see the glory, goodness and blessing of the Lord, just like He promised.

For more information on developing life skills, better relationships, and becoming the best YOU possible, visit [http://seebecksolutions.com] and sign up to receive your FREE subscription to “Solutions For Success”, a weekly ezine of inspiration, motivation and humor from a Christian perspective.

Ruth Seebeck has built a reputation over the last three decades as a life-skills coach, mentor, Christian counselor and friend. She is a business owner, author, community volunteer and event coordinator whose passion is helping others overcome life’s challenges. Seebeck Solutions: Helping you make the most of What Matters Most!

 

Faith

Keys to Effective Faith

Faith reaches into the realm of the spirit, grasps the promise of God and brings forth a tangible, physical fulfillment of that promise. ~ Gloria Copeland

Let’s talk about faith – the God kind of faith. He defines it as effective faith – faith that moves mountains.

The Apostle Paul knew a lot about faith. He wrote most of the New Testament letters and talks about faith in those Epistles more than 200 times. I’m guessing he has a lot for us to learn about the keys to effective faith.

You might remember that Paul (Saul) persecuted Christians, sanctioning their scourging and execution or imprisonment, prior to his spiritual transformation on the road to Damascus. When he discovered the truth of Jesus Christ, he also discovered the power of effective faith – absolute trust in the integrity and surety of God’s power, grace and mercy. He is the one who declared that God meets ALL your need; that God’s promises are sure, and faith is your connection to the manifestation of every promise.

In Philemon, Paul prayed that the communication of your faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus (v. 6). Let’s take a deeper look into the wisdom of that scripture.

… the communication: Communication is a means of exchange or expression. Faith communicates. It is not stagnant or ineffective. It connects with, reveals, or causes a transfer of something.

We talk about communicating disease from one person to another. We are aware that our emotions communicate themselves to others. And we communicate verbally by sharing stories, ideas and concepts, warnings and information. You get the idea.

Faith communicates. On a physical level, you place your faith in people and circumstances. “I believe my mom is picking me up after school.” Or… “I trust my boss to pay me on Friday.”

On a spiritual level, faith communicates your trust in God and His Word. In Hebrews, Paul says faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not [yet] seen (v. 11:1). Be assured, God wants to meet your needs, provide everything you require, and give you the desires of your heart (Ps. 34:7). Faith is the key that connects you to God’s heavenly supply.

… of your faith: Paul said in Romans that God gave every man the measure of faith (v. 12:3). That means if you’re here on this earth, faith is in you and available, ready to be put to work. Later, in Ephesians, he noted that we should all come into the unity of the faith and… the measure of the fullness of Christ (v. 4:13). If you’re going to ‘come’ to something, you must not be there yet. In other words, you’re going to have to grow and develop your faith until it is strong and unshakeable – just like Jesus’.

Jesus never met a disease or situation that He couldn’t heal or change. He fed thousands, healed lepers, calmed storms and raised the dead. After He defeated Satan, He affirmed His resurrection to His disciples and sent the Holy Spirit to live in every born-again believer.

Why? So that we would have access to the same kind of faith-power that He did. He explained it this way: Verily, verily I say unto you, he that believes in Me, the works that I do he [you] shall do also; and greater works than these shall he [you] do, because I go unto My Father (John 14:12). He expects us – you and me – to develop our faith to the point where we expect miracles to happen as a result of our prayers.

… may become effectual: Effectual – effective, producing the desired result. If you’re not seeing the results you want, something’s not working right. Face the fact that God is not the problem. He’s already provided everything, every promise and every instruction that you need. Somewhere along the line, your faith is being hindered. It’s not making a clear, strong connection.

If you’ve ever tried to make a cell phone call in the mountains or some rural area, you know the chances are pretty good that the trees and hills are going to block your reception. You need to find out what’s blocking your faith-connection – and fix it.

Often, faith is weakened by a lack of faith-food. You may not be spending enough time studying and meditating in The Word of God. It’s easy to let the cares and responsibilities of daily life crowd out time with God. Jesus taught as much in the parable of the sower. He said they choke the Word, and [faith] becomes unfruitful (Matt. 13:22). Faith needs nurtured and fed, watered by The Word, to become strong and effective.

Sadly, most people won’t do that. They’d rather hope that God will just ‘fix it’ – wave a magic wand, so to speak, and make it all better. Miracles do happen, but they are usually triggered by someone’s faith. Everything God does on this earth is a result of faith and grace. Paul explained in Romans that it [whatever ‘it’ you are believing or hoping for] is of faith, that it might be given by grace [why?] so that the promise might be sure to all the seed (v. 4:16). The promise is ‘sure’, confirmed, absolute from God’s side. Are you willing to do what it takes to develop your faith to make a strong connection?

… by the acknowledging of every good thing: One way to develop your faith is to recognize and acknowledge the good that is already present in your life. You need to know and admit that whatever good comes your way, it’s from God. He’s the Master behind it all! His good plan incorporates every good and perfect gift (James 1:17) – from the smallest to the greatest.

The question is: how grateful are you? Do you take time throughout the day to say ‘thank you’ to your Heavenly Father, to acknowledge His hand in your life? Are you grateful for running water… or the fact that you can get out of bed in the morning. If you don’t have those particular blessings, what else can you be grateful for?

It’s easy to get your thoughts tangled up in the negatives. Your whole body might feel just fine, but if you have a hangnail, the only thing you notice is the pain in your fingertip. For your faith to be effective, however, you need to focus on the positives and be ‘eternally’ grateful. In every thing give thanks… (I Thess. 5:18). No matter what you’re going through, find the ‘good thing’ you can be thankful for. Keeping your mind on things which are above (Col. 3:2)is key to developing effective faith.

… which is in you in Christ Jesus: Here’s the bottom line. Whatever you need or desire, as long as it’s in line with God’s Word (I assume you’re not praying for an infinite supply of drugs, or for God to hurt someone), the promise is accessible in you! The Bible says that Christ is in you. You carry the seed of faith, love, peace, abundance and every good thing. Now, you need to grow that seed!

Just before He died on the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished.” (John 10:30)What was? Everything He came to earth to do: to bring healing, deliverance, abundance, grace and mercy to every person. All He did during His earthly ministry would now carry forward into eternity. Old Testament verses that say ‘shall’ or ‘will’ became past tense with the death and resurrection of Christ! It is already done, as far as God is concerned.

You can have it all – every promise. Actually, you already have it- it is already in you! Jesus made the connection from heaven to earth. Now you need to use your faith to finish the connection.

Think of it this way. Electricity (power) is readily available at any outlet. But if you don’t plug in the toaster or laptop, you won’t have any power for your situation. No toast. No email.

Your faith ‘communicates’ with God, plugging in to the power of heaven. Study and meditate, then communicate your faith through prayer, praise, thanksgiving and affirmation. Stay with it until your faith overpowers every faith blocker, every doubt and fear. Then you will experience the results of effective faith and the fulfillment of every prayer.

For more information on developing life skills, better relationships, and becoming the best YOU possible, visit [http://seebecksolutions.com] and sign up to receive your FREE subscription to “Solutions For Success”, a weekly ezine of inspiration, motivation and humor from a Christian perspective.

Ruth Seebeck has built a reputation over the last three decades as a life-skills coach, mentor, Christian counselor and friend. She is a business owner, author, community volunteer and event coordinator whose passion is helping others overcome life’s challenges. Seebeck Solutions: Helping you make the most of What Matters Most!

 

Faith

Faith – What Every Christian Needs

The early church operated in powerful faith as seen in the following. The believers were passionately committed to God, to His kingdom and to His church. They were hungry for the Word and the presence of God. They operated in a spiritual environment that saw healing, miracles and gifts of the Spirit. As a result of their faith, they gave liberally to God: some of them even sold properties to help those in need. Led and empowered by the Spirit, they evangelized the lost and planted churches. Their faith was radical and life changing. Smith Wigglesworth said, “When faith lays hold, impossibilities must yield. When we touch the divine and believe God, sin will drop off; disease will go; circumstances will change.”

The Definition of Faith
Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

The Bible says that we are to walk by faith not by sight. This means that we do not live our lives based on how things look. We must develop the ability to look at things through God’s eyes. God sees infinite possibilities; He sees miracles, breakthroughs and deliverances; He sees the way where there seems to be no way; He sees His kingdom and His purpose being worked out. By faith, He wants us to see what He sees so that our thoughts and prayers can be in agreement. God wants us to see into the realm of the Spirit so that we can see beyond the natural, into the spiritual reality that determines natural reality.

Faith calls us to have confidence in God. It recognizes the attributes of God. Through faith we see God as omnipotent: He is able to do anything; He is the almighty who by His great power created the vast universe and beyond that created every spiritual entity. Further, He is good and loving and will do those things that are in our best interests. Faith expects something from God and is confident. We pray in faith because we anticipate that God is going to do something. It makes no sense praying if there is no expectation. The expectation may be salvation of a loved one, missionaries to be sent around the world, financial provision, grace and wisdom to deal with a problem; whatever it is, there must be an expectation that God will do it. Faith is also confident: we are to come boldly before the throne of grace. In this light, faith causes us to recognize who we are: we are sons and daughters of God who have been given the right to come into His presence and present our requests to Him.

We must believe God for the right things: those things that bring God glory. For example, we can pray for the salvation and the blessing of others. There are many things that we can believe God for, which include some of the following. We can pray for revival in the nation: that God will move in a mighty way to save and to deliver and to transform society and government so that His kingdom is established. We could pray for the blessings of God on the church: God wants to bless the church so that it experiences His fullness and realizes its purpose. We can pray for deliverance for others: that God will set free those who are in some kind of bondage to demonic forces. Additionally, we can pray for family and self: for healthy marriages, financial provision, godly children, personal success, deepened faith. There are many other things we can pray for such as healing, anointing, wisdom, provision of a job or a promotion, protection, influence, favor and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The key principle is that God must be glorified in our prayers.

The enemies of faith are doubt, unbelief, uncertainty, ambivalence (doublemindedness) and worry. Doubt is the failure to believe God and to trust in His promises. It is the inability to see things through God’s eyes.

Circumstances are magnified while God is minimized. In one town, Jesus was unable to do many miracles because of the people’s lack of faith: God will hardly move in an environment that is saturated with doubt. People who doubt think naturally rather than supernaturally; they think in the flesh rather than in the spirit. Unbelief is a lack of belief, a lack of confidence in God, His Word and the moving of the Holy Spirit. God’s fullness does not come to the person who doubts.

People who are uncertain are not sure that God wants to intervene miraculously; they don’t know if what they are praying for is God’s will or they are not sure that God is interested in doing a particular thing for them. They may have a feeling that there are certain barriers preventing God from doing something miraculous. However, the prayer of faith can eliminate any barrier and break through to access the power of God. People who are ambivalent waver between faith and doubt. Such ambivalence paralyzes them from moving forward in faith. The Bible says that a doubleminded man is unstable in all his ways. Faith causes us to be sure, to be unwavering, knowing the mind and the will of God. Persons who are worried are anxious about the situations of life. They put all the responsibility on themselves rather than placing the majority of that responsibility on God. The enemies of faith must be overcome if believers are to experience the supernatural fullness of God.

Faith Is Needed to Please God
Hebrews 11:6 – And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Faith is needed to please God. You could be pleasant, mannerly, respectful, knowledgeable, attend church, preach, fast, give and do a lot of other good things, but none of that really matters unless you have faith. There are two things we need to look at. We must believe that God exists: He is the I am that I am, the eternal, self-existent God – the God without beginning and end who does not depend on anyone for His existence; while we need God, God does not need us. He is Savior and Redeemer: the One who delivered us from the control of Satan and sin and graciously gave us eternal life. He is the Elohim, El Shaddai, Jehovah: He is the God of greatness and glory who created the world ex nihilo (out of nothing); He is the omnipotent God, the God who faithfully keeps His covenant.

We need to have a right concept of God. A song writer says, “I have made you too small in my eyes… Be magnified O Lord, for You are highly exalted and there is nothing that you can’t do, O Lord my eyes are on you.” God must quicken my understanding of who He is. That’s why worship is so powerful: in worship, we rehearse who God is. Our faith is stirred up the more we recognize who God is.

The second thing that we need to note from Hebrews 11:6 is that God rewards those who diligently seek him. There must be fervent passion when we approach God. We are to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness: this is no 5 or 10 minute experience. Too many Christians spend hours doing things that have no eternal value: shopping, watching television, attending sports events and other activities, but devote very little time to prayer, to seeking God’s face and encountering His presence. The Bible tells us that if we seek God we will find Him and He will show us great and mighty things that we did not know. The seeking here is a passionate, heartfelt seeking that tenaciously pursues God. There is nothing casual and complacent about this seeking.

The problem is that we don’t want God bad enough. We are not hungry enough for the presence of God, not thirsty enough. At times we sing songs without grasping the full intent like “You are the air I breathe, you are my daily bread; I’m desperate for you, I’m lost without you.” We should be able to sing with all conviction, “When I look into your holiness, when I gaze into your loveliness, when all things that surround me become shadows in the light of you. When I’ve found the joy of reaching your heart, when my will becomes enthralled in your love… I worship you, the reason I live is to worship you.” People want house, car, husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, money, popularity, position and whatever else before God. Passive Christianity is dead Christianity: God doesn’t want us to be lifeless, weak and anemic. When we seek God, He will reward us according to His perfect will. Scripture says delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart and that the blessings of God make rich.

Conclusion
Do you have faith? Do you really have faith? Faith produces results. Faith results in obedience and worship. Faith will move mountains. Faith releases the glory of God. Faith causes you to be a blessing. Faith brings victory and joy. Faith brings power to overcome problems. Faith releases God’s resources. Faith results in miracles. Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God. Faith comes by getting a revelation of God: Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up; the apostle John had a revelation of Jesus Christ and fell at His feet as though dead. God wants to increase your faith, so that His supernatural presence is with you wherever you go.

 

Faith

Perfect Faith!

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth IN me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith “OF” the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20 KJV

 

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives IN me. The life I live IN the body, I live by Faith “IN” the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20 NIV

 

Look at the two versions of this same verse; one says “Faith IN the Son of God, while the other reads “Faith OF the Son of God.”

 

So which One is right?

 

If Christ NOW lives IN me, it is because OF His Faith I NOW live. If Christ NOW lives IN me, I NOW live by the same Faith as which dwells IN the Son of God, so both versions are correct as it is only His Faith.

 

I am crucified with Christ?

 

Crucified means killed, so I have to conclude since I was formed before the foundation of the world IN Christ, then this also means when Christ was killed, I was killed as well. So if I was killed it means I am dead, doesn’t it?

 

“Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth IN me.”

 

So I was dead, but IN Christ (who is the Resurrection and the Life) I am now made alive by His doing alone. I died but He IN me NOW lives.

 

And this whole revelation can only happen one way. Since I died to all things that are me, I also died to the perception of having a natural and limited faith of my own. It is NOW by His Faith that I live.

 

But what does that mean?

 

If I have died to everything that was me, then the ONLY One who lives is NOW Christ. He NOW lives where I used to live. And not only does He live, but He does so by His own Faith which is NOW working IN and through me.

 

His Faith? The perfect Faith of Christ is the Faith of God Himself!

 

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever… so does His Faith ever change or does it waiver like our limited own human faith does? Isn’t that a fair question?

 

The two foundational and immovable truths I learned by losing everything in life that I valued are as follows:

 

Knowing God’s Love for me is truly unconditional and has no conditional strings attached to it.

 

Knowing that the God who loved me and gave Himself for me will never abandon me, no matter what it is I do or don’t do.

 

So if it is true that it’s ONLY by the Faith of (the Son of) God, and that it is not a combination or mixture of His Faith along with mine, then does His Faith ever change?

 

No, it is Christ alone who lives IN us, and it is His Faith alone by which He lives His very Life IN and through us. Anything else that is labeled faith is merely another form of human wishful thinking.

 

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD. I Corinthians 10:31

 

So my question to the body of Christ is how do we do anything, including exercise a faith of our own if it’s true that we no longer live?

 

For it is God which worketh IN you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13

 

So whatever you or I do we do it all for the Glory of God, right? But if it is God who is willing and doing and then it must also be God who accomplishes anything IN us. And if He is the One willing and doing IN us, then it must be by His own Faith.

 

And His Faith is perfect; the perfect Faith which is just like His perfect Love, and it never fails.

 

And so NOW that we know it is His faith alone, and since we also Know He will NEVER abandon us, we have to conclude that everything we do, we do it by the Faith of the One who lives IN and through us all the time.

 

And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” So then, no more boasting about human leaders! ALL THINGS ARE YOURS, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future-all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God. I Corinthians 3:20-23

 

If ALL things are ours, what part of ALL includes something else? Not one thing.

 

So NOW take another look at Galatians 2:20, and see it is by His Faith we live, and that it is He alone who is living, moving, willing, and doing within us. He is the All IN All who NOW says to us “All things are yours.”

 

So would all also include when we are in season and out of season, when we are depressed or angry, or when we are happy or sad? All things are all things!

 

And as believers IN the Christ who lives IN us and as us, He is always living by His own Faith IN us. So is it any wonder that when we focus on the one thing, we get that very thing we focus on. If we have our focus on lack, we get more lack by the Faith of the Son of God, and if we focus on His abundant Life IN us, we get more of it. And so His Faith is ALWAYS working, whether it’s the things we desire or don’t really want at all, ALL THINGS ARE YOURS, by the Faith of the One who we NOW know is our Life.

 

If it is true that your treasure is where your heart is, then it must also be true that whatever we focus, whether it is good, bad, or in between, we get by the same Faith we receive everything, which is the Faith of the Son of God.

 

But having THE SAME Spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE,” we also believe, therefore WE ALSO SPEAK. II Corinthians 4:13

 

So if ALL THINGS ARE OURS by the Faith of Christ, and I believe it is, then verses like the following NOW make a lot more sense:

 

Therefore I tell you, WHATEVER YOU ASK FOR IN prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24

 

You may ask Me for ANYTHING IN My name, and I will do it. John 14:14

 

So what exactly does Mark mean “IN prayer” or John “IN my name” other than IN the Faith OF the Son of God, the only real Faith that exists today!

 

But when we look at the church today, we see anything but a people who believe they live by the Faith of the One who rules and reigns within. They instead see a separated God who lives in a separated place, whether it be heaven, the next revival, or the second coming. They continue to see and believe that the Head (Christ) somehow exists separated from the rest of His own Body. Why would God create a people that He Himself refers to as His Body, and then want us to see the two (the Head and the Body) as being separated?

 

NO! Apart from Him we can do nothing!

 

I am the Vine, you are the branches; he who abides IN Me and I IN Him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me… YOU CAN DO NOTHING. John 15:5

 

The Vine/branch union is One. Even though there are two distinct entities involved, it’s only because of the Vine that the branch has any purpose or life. The life of the branch is the same Life as that of the Vine.

 

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the One who called you to live IN the Grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- which is really NO GOSPEL AT ALL. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the (True) Gospel of Christ. Galatians 1:6-7

 

It’s because of this different gospel, which is nothing but a powerless form of the real thing and that promotes the God of separation, which is the reason why the people of God today have been indoctrinated into believing in a faith that is also separated from God. A God we have to beg for him to come to us, when the reality is the One True God is closer than our next breath. The truth is there is no such thing as human faith!

 

But without (His) Faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

 

Would God be cruel enough to have us seek Him with our whole heart and never find Him? The only way we will never find Him is by looking for Him in the wrong place and with the wrong perception of Faith.

 

No, the Word is very near you; it is IN your mouth and IN your heart so you may obey it. Deuteronomy 30:14

 

If the Word is the Bible, which many say is true, how is it possible for the Bible to be “IN your mouth and IN your heart?”

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

 

But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is IN your mouth and IN your heart,” that is, the WORD OF FAITH we are proclaiming: Romans 10:8

 

The Word is not a book, nor is it performance based separation theology, no the Word IN us is as Paul said, it is the Word of Christ, which is none other than the Faith of the Son of God.

 

And for generations the people of God have been deceived into believing it is our faith that comes by our performance, with our goal to somehow get “closer” to the God who has already taken His rightful place at the throne of our heart.

 

But if the light that is IN you is darkness, then how great is that darkness?

 

But if the people of God insist on seeing and trusting in a separated God and a performance centered faith then God will allow it for as long as it takes for us to see the One and only truth.

 

It is His Faith, His Life, and His plan! It is also ONLY HIM only NOW who is able to fulfill His perfect plan, the plan of God that is our only future and our Hope for His Glory alone!

 

“I am the LORD; that is my Name! I will not give my Glory to another or my praise to idols. (Isaiah 42:8)

 

And the only Glory of God is the Son of God, and so now we know as we Glory IN Christ as our Life, God is glorified by EVERYTHING that concerns our life, and that means the things we think we want and the things we receive, whether it is what we consider good, or we consider not so good, all of it has to come by the One Faith of the One Christ who lives IN us to the praise of His own Glory!

 

And why would this God of all Grace expect anything from us, when it is He alone who deserves all the Glory?

 

IN Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope IN Christ, might be for the praise of His Glory. And you also were included IN Christ when you heard the message of truth, the Gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked IN Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession-to the praise of His Glory. Ephesians 1:11-14