As I have stated in previous blogs, "faith is the substance of the the things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen", but their is so much more to say about faith and the importance that the role of faith plays in our lives that recently circumstances and conversations with loved ones who have been steeped in dogma and teachings from the word of God or passed down through family members or teachers without the closest detail paid to the Word of God, have led me to pray about it and to try to put down into words of encouragement and education and comfort to those who may have misinterpreted things I have said.
As a born again, blood bought child of God we have been given many gifts. The Word of God as we know it, as the Bible was not written as one book with one author although we as Christians accept that the word of God was written by those inspired by God Himself and that every word we read is the truth.When in fact we have no proof of who wrote these sacred texts, nor when, nor how many of these sacred texts could exist without having been included in the canon of scriptures that we call the Holy Bible. There are in fact many other "gospels" that have been discovered over the 2000 years since the death of our Lord that were in fact left out of our Bible by Constantine and the Council of Nicea the 5th century. We do know however that God has promised us that He will" keep a watch over his word".
We do know however that there were many texts that were used and studied by early Christian churches that are not in the canon and have been labeled "apochrophyal" or "gnostic" gospels even though there is no more proof that they were not as authentically inspired by God as the rest of what we study in our Bibles, such as the dead sea scrolls and the Nag Hamadi texts. When hungering and thirsting after the things of God and finding these texts one must decide whether to read and decide for themselves as to the validity of their claims. However, many do not take into account that God has promised us that firstly He has not given us a Spirit of fear, but a spirit of love, and power and a sound mind, and that secondly that when he left us he promised us the gift of the Holy Spirit who would lead us into the knowledge of all truth. God also said that we are His sheep and that we will not come to the voice of any other. It is also important to realize that fear is a spirit, and not of God, and that it is the actual opposite or antithesis of faith and that God has stated that without faith it is impossible to please God. So I put it to those who have not read these other texts with no fear and an open mind that they are allowing themselves to be robbed of faith, and possibly missing out on important things that God has spoken for our benefit. There are several places in our own scriptures that our Lord says "as it is written" or something similar and yet I have never been able to find those writings in our Bibles but have in fact found them in these "lost gospels".
What I found even more peculiar was that these dogmatic Christian people actually were beyond fearful, but became aggitated and even accusatory stating that I was an heretic for merely suggesting that they should be studied for oneself based on the facts I have already mentioned. I felt sorry for these people as they seemed to be so involved in the church and to have so much knowledge of the word, and yet could not even hear or see the truth when it was in front of their faces, printed in the very words they did accept.
Paul even admonished us to "be as the Bereans were" not blindly accepting anything taught to them but searching out the scriptures for themselves. That was because he knew as we should all know that we are not bound by a spirit of fear but of love and power and a sound mind, and that the Holy Spirit would interpret for us and lead us into the knowledge of all truth. What was even more confusing to me was that some of these lost books explained or augmented what our meager scriptures have given us concerning some subjects. I would in no way accept that something that in anyway countered what I believe to be the true Word of God, but as all of these books were written many many years after the facts of Jesus and His ministry does it not make sense that there would be many that told the story with more and less information than others depending on the teller?
In point of fact the very book of Daniel which contains the very keys to unlocking the mysteries of the Revelation was very nearly left out of our Bible altogether! Can you imagine how lost we would be in the interpretation of one of the most enigmatic and puzzling books in all of the Bible? We are to have faith, but we are not to put all of our faith in man, as man is fallible, and God put all these gifts in our life and in His word to guide us to find all that He has for us. Don't ever be fearful to read these words and judge for yourself whether or not they are the words of God or not as He has built fail safes into the souls of His elect that will keep you safe from heresies so long as you remember who you are and who your Father is and how He has provided you with a spirit of love, power and a sound mind, and that He has given you His Holy Spirit to guide you into the knowledge of all truth.
Having faith in God and His word does not in any way mean that you are not allowed to search for the deeper things of God so long as you remember these promises God has given us and use the tools that He has given us to keep us on the correct path. Read these ancient writings and find for yourself what is in alignment with God's word and what is not. Do not allow a spirit of fear to keep you from knowing all that God has intended for you to know. After all, these writings on paper that could have been burned, or destroyed by God's own hand so many times in the thousands of years that have passed have survived, earthquakes floods, storms and other natural and man made disasters only to have been discovered in a legible form for us to read for some reason. So once again I say to you all, have faith and avoid fear like the plague that it is.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
How Real Is Your Faith?
As of late I have lost friends and loved ones and now I am looking at losing more friends and loved ones because they are tired of fighting against the devil and they are giving in to the report of men instead of hearing the report of God. This vexes me greatly as I have seen and experienced miracles that have gone way beyond the cure of cancers and other difficult diseases and problems. The Lord tells us that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. When we are sick and tired of being sick and tired it is easy to let a Dr. tell you that you have an expiration date and that you are incurable, but there is no truth to that. God raised the dead, gave wholeness back to blind, deaf and even those ravaged by leprosy. So why are so many giving up to the report of mere men because they do not have the answers to the cures for these diseases? If you will clear your mind of all the thoughts that pertain to these things and focus on GOD's promises, He can and will cure you. But faith without works is dead according to the book of James, therefore we must do our part by staying immersed in His word and by believing and adhering to the promises He has made without fear.
I was told at age 35 that I was going to die of Lupus and would never reach the age of 50. I immediately got rid of that Dr. and went to Dr. Jesus and immersed myself in His word. I had my moments of doubt and I fought the devil every step of the way. I searched out those who would stand in agreement with me in prayer and I did all that I could to ignore those thoughts and words that were negative and I prayed for more faith. I turned 57 last February 6th, and I am still here. God has not taken Lupus from me as of yet, but he has sustained me and I am in better health now than I was at 35. I believe that God is able to do all that his has promised and I will cling to the hope and faith that God intends to sustain me until my dying breath, I believe that he can and will heal me of Lupus.
I saw so many people who came to Maui to die at their Dr.s bequest only to find faith and get a cure from incurable cancers and worse that I know that when the Dr's give up, you do not have to, and when you do not, God rewards such faith in Him. You can conquer anything with His help. You just have to hang on and believe and never let a man tell you you are going to die, because God is the only one in charge of your life. Who do you choose to believe and how far will you go for that title deed to your healing? Are you a fighter, willing to suffer, the plagues of Job and never give up on the promises of God, or are you going to give into the lies of the devil I do not believe that God is angry with those whose faith is weak and who are convinced by men that their time is up and succumb, but I do believe that God does provide a cure for those who diligently seek him and never give up that fight. Your faith is proportionate to your healing. Never give up on God, His timing is not our own, but he is an on time God and if you continue to cling to that title deed, I believe you can pull through anything. Yes it is appointed a man but once to die and then to face the judgement but the word also says that many are taken before their appointed time. So fight my brothers and sisters and cling to your faith that God is capable of healing you when all the men in the world cannot. Never give up. If it is your appointed time, then so be it, but even in the Book of Kings there was a story of a King named Hezikiah who was lying on his death bed, and who cried out to God in faith and asked for 15 more years, and God heard his prayer of faith and granted him those years and gave him a sign as a promise by turning back time 10 degrees. When the Apollo 13 crew was in peril and they were calculating the exact measuremets to get our boys home those 10 degrees were imperitive to making the correct calculations to return our boys safely to earth. God says that He is the same yesterday, today and forever, and that he is no respector of persons, meaning that what he does for one He will do for any of us. You take that to heart and you pray for God to grant you the healing and the time and he will!
Have faith, your title deed with you always to the things that you hope for and never give in no matter how things may appear. God can change the appearane of all things physical and He will for you just as He did for countless others whose faith was unshakeable. But the Lord warns us not to let our faith waver as the waves upon the sea if we expect to get anything from him. You must stand firm! So get into the word of God get it down into your heart and soul and imbedded into your mind and never ever give in to the storm around you. Believe in Him and His word and be prepared to be rewarded for your faith. Until next time brothers and sisters, hold fast to your faith and do not believe the lies of the devil and all his wiles and tortures to make you give up. Stand firm! God bless you all!
I was told at age 35 that I was going to die of Lupus and would never reach the age of 50. I immediately got rid of that Dr. and went to Dr. Jesus and immersed myself in His word. I had my moments of doubt and I fought the devil every step of the way. I searched out those who would stand in agreement with me in prayer and I did all that I could to ignore those thoughts and words that were negative and I prayed for more faith. I turned 57 last February 6th, and I am still here. God has not taken Lupus from me as of yet, but he has sustained me and I am in better health now than I was at 35. I believe that God is able to do all that his has promised and I will cling to the hope and faith that God intends to sustain me until my dying breath, I believe that he can and will heal me of Lupus.
I saw so many people who came to Maui to die at their Dr.s bequest only to find faith and get a cure from incurable cancers and worse that I know that when the Dr's give up, you do not have to, and when you do not, God rewards such faith in Him. You can conquer anything with His help. You just have to hang on and believe and never let a man tell you you are going to die, because God is the only one in charge of your life. Who do you choose to believe and how far will you go for that title deed to your healing? Are you a fighter, willing to suffer, the plagues of Job and never give up on the promises of God, or are you going to give into the lies of the devil I do not believe that God is angry with those whose faith is weak and who are convinced by men that their time is up and succumb, but I do believe that God does provide a cure for those who diligently seek him and never give up that fight. Your faith is proportionate to your healing. Never give up on God, His timing is not our own, but he is an on time God and if you continue to cling to that title deed, I believe you can pull through anything. Yes it is appointed a man but once to die and then to face the judgement but the word also says that many are taken before their appointed time. So fight my brothers and sisters and cling to your faith that God is capable of healing you when all the men in the world cannot. Never give up. If it is your appointed time, then so be it, but even in the Book of Kings there was a story of a King named Hezikiah who was lying on his death bed, and who cried out to God in faith and asked for 15 more years, and God heard his prayer of faith and granted him those years and gave him a sign as a promise by turning back time 10 degrees. When the Apollo 13 crew was in peril and they were calculating the exact measuremets to get our boys home those 10 degrees were imperitive to making the correct calculations to return our boys safely to earth. God says that He is the same yesterday, today and forever, and that he is no respector of persons, meaning that what he does for one He will do for any of us. You take that to heart and you pray for God to grant you the healing and the time and he will!
Have faith, your title deed with you always to the things that you hope for and never give in no matter how things may appear. God can change the appearane of all things physical and He will for you just as He did for countless others whose faith was unshakeable. But the Lord warns us not to let our faith waver as the waves upon the sea if we expect to get anything from him. You must stand firm! So get into the word of God get it down into your heart and soul and imbedded into your mind and never ever give in to the storm around you. Believe in Him and His word and be prepared to be rewarded for your faith. Until next time brothers and sisters, hold fast to your faith and do not believe the lies of the devil and all his wiles and tortures to make you give up. Stand firm! God bless you all!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Faith in Times of Hopelessness
In Previous blogs, I have described to you the definition of faith and talked about its power and how HOPE must precede faith. but what do you do when you feel that all hope is gone? Without hope there can be no faith, it is a two step program. You must first have hope and then follow with faith. But what of the times when you reach a point in your life when you feel that hope has abandoned you?
This is a question that haunts me and many others I am sure. We all face "hopeless" situations on occasions and that makes the opportunity for us to grab hold of that title deed of faith impossible. That is a part of the reason for this blog on faith building. We must learn to "hope against hope" as the expression goes and dig deep to find that supernatural power that lurks inside of all of us.
The Lord God created us in His image, and in that image we are given a set of tools to work with whether we are aware of them or not...they do exist. When things around you seem hopeless you have two choices, you can give into the storm and allow Satan, the adversary to have his way and steal away your right to your copy of that Title Deed we have been speaking about, or you can shut out all the clatter and noise and dissenters and go into your "prayer closet" and pour out your heart to God in prayer. You can tell Him of all the hurt and disappointment and the many reasons for which you have lost hope and ASK Him to give you a new measure of faith, which He will. Or you can say "things are what they are and nothing can change them" taking away the power of God in your life to give you the title deed to the things you hope for. Now let me qualify that statement by saying that God is a polite God He never forces Himself or His ways on you, He stands at the door and knocks, He does not open the door and come in on His own. That decision is yours. He has the power and offers it to you, but you must ask for Him to intervene and use that power. It is your choice.
Prayer is a two way conversation, first we make known our needs to God, and then we listen. Listening it is an active form of watching, waiting and expecting signs and wonders. We may not hear an audible voice in answer to our prayers, it may come as a scripture from God's LIVING word, it may come in the form of a statement from another human being who is unwittingly being used by the will of God to answer the questions of your heart. It may come from experiencing a happening to someone around you or to yourself, but rest assured, God does answer. When you learn that God is listening and answering you then you will find that hope will spring eternal. Once you are back on the Hope road then the things that you have hope for are once again within your grasp.
God knows how easily discouraged we become and there are so many examples in His word that show that He knows that we lose hope, but he encourages us to "fear not" and to trust in Him with all or our hearts and "lean not upon our own understanding". He goes on to say that if will just "acknowledge Him in all our ways, He will direct our paths!" Now we all know that it isn't easy to ignore all the storms and blocks that Satan throws in our pathways for the one purpose of dashing our hopes and destroying our ability to gain faith...the title deed, the ownership to those things that we hope for. That is his job, to kill, steal and destroy. He kills out our hopes, he steals away our spiritual reasoning and destroys our faith whenever and however he can. But if you watch the world around you and you see people accomplishing the "impossible" then you have to remember that the devil only has the amount of power that you yourself give to him.
So many people foolishly think that God and Satan are rivals and equals, but remember God is the creator and Satan merely the created. They are in no more equal in power that you are to God. But God says that we are created in His image, giving us a special power to emulate Him in every way.
The Word says that the devil is like a roaring lion, roaming the earth seeking whom he can devour. Now think about that for a moment. If he was capable of roaring and devouring whomever he desired, then no one would be safe from the clutches of this demonic force. But because he is seeking whom he can devour it leaves us to believe that it is not up to Satan whom he can devour, or he would be devouring us all. Hope which leads to faith is our key to staying off the menu. Knowing that it is up to us gives us a tool to fight off the devil and his minions when they are seeking out those who are weak. We are told that if we resist the devil he will flee from us. Now at one time I looked up the word "flee" and it said to run away as in terror. We can terrorize the devil and make him run away simply by resisting him. We can also "plead the blood of Jesus" over our situation which horrifies the devil as he knows that the blood of Jesus saves us all. It is the one thing that he cannot undo or interfere with where we are concerned. Once we have accepted the sacrifice that Jesus made for us, and confessed Him as our saviour, we are protected under that blood. We are the children of the most high God, the King of the Universe, the creator of all things. This entitles us to come boldly into His presence and to make known all our earthly and spiritual desires through the act of prayer. So when things seem hopeless, when you can't find the hope inside you that you need to grab hold of faith, go to your Father, your daddy, and pour out your heart to Him. By doing this simple thing and asking Him to intercede for you and to give you hope and increase your faith, you will find that spark that will ignite your hope and increase your faith and bring you the desires of your heart.
Knowing that you have a Father who truly cares about everything that happens to you and who knows you so intimately that He has every hair on your head numbered should bring you comfort in a time of hopelessness. Add to that that He is the creator of all things and is in total control of all things and alone has the power to reverse or alter the laws of nature, reverse the ravages of disease, raise the dead, and perform miracles of every kind, and ask yourself, "where else would I go when I am in need of hope?"
When it seems that all hope is gone, take your fears and your needs to the throne room of God and lay them all down. The Lord said "roll all your cares upon me because I care for you." That is an open invitation to bring all your cares to Him at anytime and expect that He will help you in every situation.
If that doesn't bring you hope, then I don't know what can. Just knowing that you are the child of the King of the Universe and the Most High God and that He has asked you to bring all your problems to Him and He will take care of them should be enough for anyone. Just remember that He has also said "you have not because you asked not", so it is completely up to you to go to Him and ask for what you need.
Find your hope in Him, and once you have found that hope you are on the way to finding the faith...that title deed to that thing that you are hoping for.
So many of us have faltered along the way and forgotten all that we know about going to our Father for help, and we have stumbled and fallen more times than we can count, but practice makes perfect, and it isn't the number of times that we fall down that God is interested in, but the number of times that we get back up. So losing hope is just stumbling and falling down, but prayer will lift you back up onto your feet where you can continue on to hope and faith...the title deed to the things you desire and hope for.
God bless you all, and remember that when things look the darkest it is just before the dawn, and that Jesus is the light of the world. He is there to light up your life with hope and faith and blessings beyond all that you could ever dream or imagine. All you ever have to do is follow that formula...ask and receive, hope and have faith. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and resist the ploys of the devil and so long as you continue to acknowledge God in all your ways, He will direct your path!
Keep the faith my brothers and sisters!
This is a question that haunts me and many others I am sure. We all face "hopeless" situations on occasions and that makes the opportunity for us to grab hold of that title deed of faith impossible. That is a part of the reason for this blog on faith building. We must learn to "hope against hope" as the expression goes and dig deep to find that supernatural power that lurks inside of all of us.
The Lord God created us in His image, and in that image we are given a set of tools to work with whether we are aware of them or not...they do exist. When things around you seem hopeless you have two choices, you can give into the storm and allow Satan, the adversary to have his way and steal away your right to your copy of that Title Deed we have been speaking about, or you can shut out all the clatter and noise and dissenters and go into your "prayer closet" and pour out your heart to God in prayer. You can tell Him of all the hurt and disappointment and the many reasons for which you have lost hope and ASK Him to give you a new measure of faith, which He will. Or you can say "things are what they are and nothing can change them" taking away the power of God in your life to give you the title deed to the things you hope for. Now let me qualify that statement by saying that God is a polite God He never forces Himself or His ways on you, He stands at the door and knocks, He does not open the door and come in on His own. That decision is yours. He has the power and offers it to you, but you must ask for Him to intervene and use that power. It is your choice.
Prayer is a two way conversation, first we make known our needs to God, and then we listen. Listening it is an active form of watching, waiting and expecting signs and wonders. We may not hear an audible voice in answer to our prayers, it may come as a scripture from God's LIVING word, it may come in the form of a statement from another human being who is unwittingly being used by the will of God to answer the questions of your heart. It may come from experiencing a happening to someone around you or to yourself, but rest assured, God does answer. When you learn that God is listening and answering you then you will find that hope will spring eternal. Once you are back on the Hope road then the things that you have hope for are once again within your grasp.
God knows how easily discouraged we become and there are so many examples in His word that show that He knows that we lose hope, but he encourages us to "fear not" and to trust in Him with all or our hearts and "lean not upon our own understanding". He goes on to say that if will just "acknowledge Him in all our ways, He will direct our paths!" Now we all know that it isn't easy to ignore all the storms and blocks that Satan throws in our pathways for the one purpose of dashing our hopes and destroying our ability to gain faith...the title deed, the ownership to those things that we hope for. That is his job, to kill, steal and destroy. He kills out our hopes, he steals away our spiritual reasoning and destroys our faith whenever and however he can. But if you watch the world around you and you see people accomplishing the "impossible" then you have to remember that the devil only has the amount of power that you yourself give to him.
So many people foolishly think that God and Satan are rivals and equals, but remember God is the creator and Satan merely the created. They are in no more equal in power that you are to God. But God says that we are created in His image, giving us a special power to emulate Him in every way.
The Word says that the devil is like a roaring lion, roaming the earth seeking whom he can devour. Now think about that for a moment. If he was capable of roaring and devouring whomever he desired, then no one would be safe from the clutches of this demonic force. But because he is seeking whom he can devour it leaves us to believe that it is not up to Satan whom he can devour, or he would be devouring us all. Hope which leads to faith is our key to staying off the menu. Knowing that it is up to us gives us a tool to fight off the devil and his minions when they are seeking out those who are weak. We are told that if we resist the devil he will flee from us. Now at one time I looked up the word "flee" and it said to run away as in terror. We can terrorize the devil and make him run away simply by resisting him. We can also "plead the blood of Jesus" over our situation which horrifies the devil as he knows that the blood of Jesus saves us all. It is the one thing that he cannot undo or interfere with where we are concerned. Once we have accepted the sacrifice that Jesus made for us, and confessed Him as our saviour, we are protected under that blood. We are the children of the most high God, the King of the Universe, the creator of all things. This entitles us to come boldly into His presence and to make known all our earthly and spiritual desires through the act of prayer. So when things seem hopeless, when you can't find the hope inside you that you need to grab hold of faith, go to your Father, your daddy, and pour out your heart to Him. By doing this simple thing and asking Him to intercede for you and to give you hope and increase your faith, you will find that spark that will ignite your hope and increase your faith and bring you the desires of your heart.
Knowing that you have a Father who truly cares about everything that happens to you and who knows you so intimately that He has every hair on your head numbered should bring you comfort in a time of hopelessness. Add to that that He is the creator of all things and is in total control of all things and alone has the power to reverse or alter the laws of nature, reverse the ravages of disease, raise the dead, and perform miracles of every kind, and ask yourself, "where else would I go when I am in need of hope?"
When it seems that all hope is gone, take your fears and your needs to the throne room of God and lay them all down. The Lord said "roll all your cares upon me because I care for you." That is an open invitation to bring all your cares to Him at anytime and expect that He will help you in every situation.
If that doesn't bring you hope, then I don't know what can. Just knowing that you are the child of the King of the Universe and the Most High God and that He has asked you to bring all your problems to Him and He will take care of them should be enough for anyone. Just remember that He has also said "you have not because you asked not", so it is completely up to you to go to Him and ask for what you need.
Find your hope in Him, and once you have found that hope you are on the way to finding the faith...that title deed to that thing that you are hoping for.
So many of us have faltered along the way and forgotten all that we know about going to our Father for help, and we have stumbled and fallen more times than we can count, but practice makes perfect, and it isn't the number of times that we fall down that God is interested in, but the number of times that we get back up. So losing hope is just stumbling and falling down, but prayer will lift you back up onto your feet where you can continue on to hope and faith...the title deed to the things you desire and hope for.
God bless you all, and remember that when things look the darkest it is just before the dawn, and that Jesus is the light of the world. He is there to light up your life with hope and faith and blessings beyond all that you could ever dream or imagine. All you ever have to do is follow that formula...ask and receive, hope and have faith. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and resist the ploys of the devil and so long as you continue to acknowledge God in all your ways, He will direct your path!
Keep the faith my brothers and sisters!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
The Faith of Abraham
Abraham was a man of great faith, in the book of Hebrews the 2nd chapter and 23rd verse it states that Abraham believed God and that it was accredited to him as righteousness, and that he was called a friend of God.
What was it about Abraham that made him a friend of God? How did he show his faith in a way that many others did not? The book of James states that faith without works is dead. So not only did Abraham believe God and accept the word of God as the ultimate truth, and base his life on those specious promises that even though he was more than 100 years old and childless that he would be the "father of many nations", he proved that he believed it by his actions. Now referring back to the previous blog, this went against everything that he knew to be true in his life. People just didn't become fathers at that age, let alone a "father of many nations"! Yet he put aside all that he knew to be true and ignored the scoffing of all his friends and associates and he held fast to the promise in the words of his God. He had the title deed to the things that he hoped for. He was going to be a father! His wife also being of a great age of more than 100 years old laughed at the thought that this could be true, but Abraham did not doubt nor sway in his belief. He had that title deed in his hand and he held onto it for dear life. Even when the Lord told him to take his son and sacrifice him. He was fearless because he knew that he posessed that deed that could not be revoked by any human law, and that God would provide a way out of that situation because He had given Abraham His word, and God is not a man that He can lie. It was a test of Abrahams faith, and he passed with flying colors. Because just as he was about to take the life of the son that God had provided him in obedience to God's command, a ram caught in the thicket appeared and his son was spared as a reward of his faith.
How many of us could have done what Abraham did? How many of us would have held onto that title deed of faith, believing that God would provide a way out for us?
Abraham was a man just like the rest of us, flawed and sinful as the rest of us, but his faith was legendary, and to this day is held up as an example of the supernatural power of faith and God's promises to us.
When you are faced with a situation that seems impossible, and when you think there is no way out but to let go of that title deed called faith in the things that you hope for, remember Abraham and stand firm in the knowledge that faith is stronger and more real than your circumstances. Remember that the spiritual laws are superceded by any physical laws or circumstances that you may be facing. Your faith will be credited to you as righteousness just as Abraham's was.
Your faith will be tested in many ways and many times during the puff of smoke that is your life, just hold fast to the knowledge that God will never tempt you beyond what you can bear, and that He will always provide a way of escape.
Hold fast to your faith, it is your title deed to the things that you hope for. Ignore the clatter, the discouraging words of others and the circumstances around you that may try to force you to believe that God is not still in charge. When you feel discouraged remember that once you have that faith, that title deed in your possession, nothing on this earth can take it from you...only you can let go of it, and hold fast to it and the promises that go with it.
Remain faithful my friends, be remembered as a friend of God. It is your choice, and your priviledge as a child of the most high God, never forget that and your life will be fuller and richer than you could ever imagine!
What was it about Abraham that made him a friend of God? How did he show his faith in a way that many others did not? The book of James states that faith without works is dead. So not only did Abraham believe God and accept the word of God as the ultimate truth, and base his life on those specious promises that even though he was more than 100 years old and childless that he would be the "father of many nations", he proved that he believed it by his actions. Now referring back to the previous blog, this went against everything that he knew to be true in his life. People just didn't become fathers at that age, let alone a "father of many nations"! Yet he put aside all that he knew to be true and ignored the scoffing of all his friends and associates and he held fast to the promise in the words of his God. He had the title deed to the things that he hoped for. He was going to be a father! His wife also being of a great age of more than 100 years old laughed at the thought that this could be true, but Abraham did not doubt nor sway in his belief. He had that title deed in his hand and he held onto it for dear life. Even when the Lord told him to take his son and sacrifice him. He was fearless because he knew that he posessed that deed that could not be revoked by any human law, and that God would provide a way out of that situation because He had given Abraham His word, and God is not a man that He can lie. It was a test of Abrahams faith, and he passed with flying colors. Because just as he was about to take the life of the son that God had provided him in obedience to God's command, a ram caught in the thicket appeared and his son was spared as a reward of his faith.
How many of us could have done what Abraham did? How many of us would have held onto that title deed of faith, believing that God would provide a way out for us?
Abraham was a man just like the rest of us, flawed and sinful as the rest of us, but his faith was legendary, and to this day is held up as an example of the supernatural power of faith and God's promises to us.
When you are faced with a situation that seems impossible, and when you think there is no way out but to let go of that title deed called faith in the things that you hope for, remember Abraham and stand firm in the knowledge that faith is stronger and more real than your circumstances. Remember that the spiritual laws are superceded by any physical laws or circumstances that you may be facing. Your faith will be credited to you as righteousness just as Abraham's was.
Your faith will be tested in many ways and many times during the puff of smoke that is your life, just hold fast to the knowledge that God will never tempt you beyond what you can bear, and that He will always provide a way of escape.
Hold fast to your faith, it is your title deed to the things that you hope for. Ignore the clatter, the discouraging words of others and the circumstances around you that may try to force you to believe that God is not still in charge. When you feel discouraged remember that once you have that faith, that title deed in your possession, nothing on this earth can take it from you...only you can let go of it, and hold fast to it and the promises that go with it.
Remain faithful my friends, be remembered as a friend of God. It is your choice, and your priviledge as a child of the most high God, never forget that and your life will be fuller and richer than you could ever imagine!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Faithbuilders
In times of trials, whether they are financial, spiritual, health, realationships with our fellow man or other forms of trials, we as human beings are often faced with times of doubt, fear, discouragement, or feelings of defeat. As a result,we often question ourselves as to our worth, or impact upon the world, and perhaps we even question the age old question, "what is the point"?
We have to deal with those around us who have little or no faith in our abilities or desires to accomplish something which can in turn cause us to lose faith in ourselves. The very nature of being human with all of the accompanying frailties can be stymying, but we can find encouragement in the words of the Bible, friends, family members, and the remembrances of past accomplishments that we have made at times of extreme duress, or by looking at the accomplishments of those around us who may be functioning under even worse circumstances than our own.
The Bible in Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as the "substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen."In essence this is saying that faith is not an ephemeral thing, but something of substance, as real as any physical object with a tangible quality. In the Amplified version of this scripture it likens faith to the "title deed" to the things that we hope for. For instance, if I were to give you the title or deed to my home or my car, you would have absolutely no doubt that the object in question belonged to you legally, rightfully and would in no way be questioned by any authority. Therefore if we are to take these words and apply them to faith, then faith is the title deed to the things that we hope for. It is the evidence, or the proof that the things that we hope for are in fact our own, providing that we believe and adhere to the supernatural laws concerning faith.
It has been said that if you possess the faith of a mustard seed, a tiny seed smaller than a sesame seed, that we can in fact order a mountain to remove itself from it's place and be cast into the sea. Now considering that we do not see many mountains being cast into the sea, can we assume then that faith, this incredible substance is in short supply? The question then becomes how do we get this faith, and how do we increase our faith enough to attain these things that we hope for? When we are sick, financially unstable, suffering through the death of a loved one, or a nasty divorce, and we are hoping for health, financial security, comfort, or reconciliation, we must realize that hope preceeds faith. It is the first step to having faith. What must follow is the total belief, devoid of any doubt that we have the right and the ability to attain that which we have now hoped for.
One of my favorite examples in the Word of God is the story of Peter walking on the water. Now Peter was a simple man, who was a fisherman and who knew the seas and how water works. His logical mind and all his experiences told him that it was impossible for a man to walk on the surface of the water. By any standards he would have been considered wise to have come to those conclusions, and perhaps more than a little foolish to think that he could ever defy the laws of nature and all that he knew to step out onto the water believing that he would do anything but sink, yet Peter got out of the boat at Jesus' bequest and while keeping his eyes fixed upon Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, he let go of all that he knew to be true, disregarded any fears, or comments from others who may have been saying things like "what are you crazy? Surely all your years as a fisherman and a human being have taught you that just as gravity and other forces and laws of nature decree, you will sink!" he stepped onto the water with a title deed in his hand stating that he, Peter, a common man, could and would walk across the surface of that water to Jesus. But just as so many of us do, when the storm kicked up around him by the devil distracted him from his goal he immediately let go of that title deed and began to doubt and question and as a result he took his eyes off his goal, and with his faith gone...his title deed, the rights to what he had hoped for were revoked, and he sank into the water like stone. He had already taken steps onto that water, he had the deed in his hand, he knew for a fact that he could do it as he had already begun the process, but when he let go of that faith, that deed to the thing he hoped for, he sank. No one took it from him, he merely let it go and let all that he had been taught and had experienced take over and pull him down. When he refocused and realized this he took back the title deed and stepped up onto the waters surface defying all that he knew and all that he had experienced in his life up to that point, and he focused on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith and he took back what was rightfully his, ignoring the raging storm all around him and he walked across the surface of that water and into the arms of the Lord.
Now I apply this to your life. You are feeling sicker than you have ever felt in your life, and the hope wells up in you to overcome the illness that is ravaging your body just as that storm would have ravaged his, you close your eyes and say "Lord, give me the title deed to my healing and let me walk through this storm without paying a bit of mind to what I see, or what my experience has taught me about others who have tried to overcome this", and you fix your eyes upon the author and finisher of your faith and you stand, and walk over the waters of the surety that you will be destroyed by the ravages of this illness. You ignore the shouts from the disbelievers and you believe the words of Jesus who says that all things are possible to him that believes and you disregard the storm that the devil has kicked up around you that in your knowledge and experience would mean certain death, and you walk through the storm, fearless, certain and fully believing in the promises of a supernatural law that supercedes the laws of nature and into the arms of the author and finisher of your faith...the substance of all that you hope for.
You hear of stories everyday where someone has beaten cancer, or heart disease, or any number of other fully defined causes of a sure death, and you say "wow that was a miracle!" And you fail to realize that God has promised that He is no respecter of persons and that what He has done for one He will gladly do for another, never realizing the potential that you have for that same miracle. All it takes is faith.... that title deed.
So when you are approaching what seems to be an impossibilty, when the Dr's tell you nothing can be done, that you will surely die, remeber Peter walking on the water. Fix your eyes on Jesus and remember that He has the power...all the power, and that believing Him is all that He asks of you. Walk boldly, unafraid, ignoring the storm around you into the healing of your body, your broken relationships, your poverty into the waiting arms of your Lord and Saviour. Be an overcomer...have faith...it's the title deed to all that you hope for.
We have to deal with those around us who have little or no faith in our abilities or desires to accomplish something which can in turn cause us to lose faith in ourselves. The very nature of being human with all of the accompanying frailties can be stymying, but we can find encouragement in the words of the Bible, friends, family members, and the remembrances of past accomplishments that we have made at times of extreme duress, or by looking at the accomplishments of those around us who may be functioning under even worse circumstances than our own.
The Bible in Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as the "substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen."In essence this is saying that faith is not an ephemeral thing, but something of substance, as real as any physical object with a tangible quality. In the Amplified version of this scripture it likens faith to the "title deed" to the things that we hope for. For instance, if I were to give you the title or deed to my home or my car, you would have absolutely no doubt that the object in question belonged to you legally, rightfully and would in no way be questioned by any authority. Therefore if we are to take these words and apply them to faith, then faith is the title deed to the things that we hope for. It is the evidence, or the proof that the things that we hope for are in fact our own, providing that we believe and adhere to the supernatural laws concerning faith.
It has been said that if you possess the faith of a mustard seed, a tiny seed smaller than a sesame seed, that we can in fact order a mountain to remove itself from it's place and be cast into the sea. Now considering that we do not see many mountains being cast into the sea, can we assume then that faith, this incredible substance is in short supply? The question then becomes how do we get this faith, and how do we increase our faith enough to attain these things that we hope for? When we are sick, financially unstable, suffering through the death of a loved one, or a nasty divorce, and we are hoping for health, financial security, comfort, or reconciliation, we must realize that hope preceeds faith. It is the first step to having faith. What must follow is the total belief, devoid of any doubt that we have the right and the ability to attain that which we have now hoped for.
One of my favorite examples in the Word of God is the story of Peter walking on the water. Now Peter was a simple man, who was a fisherman and who knew the seas and how water works. His logical mind and all his experiences told him that it was impossible for a man to walk on the surface of the water. By any standards he would have been considered wise to have come to those conclusions, and perhaps more than a little foolish to think that he could ever defy the laws of nature and all that he knew to step out onto the water believing that he would do anything but sink, yet Peter got out of the boat at Jesus' bequest and while keeping his eyes fixed upon Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, he let go of all that he knew to be true, disregarded any fears, or comments from others who may have been saying things like "what are you crazy? Surely all your years as a fisherman and a human being have taught you that just as gravity and other forces and laws of nature decree, you will sink!" he stepped onto the water with a title deed in his hand stating that he, Peter, a common man, could and would walk across the surface of that water to Jesus. But just as so many of us do, when the storm kicked up around him by the devil distracted him from his goal he immediately let go of that title deed and began to doubt and question and as a result he took his eyes off his goal, and with his faith gone...his title deed, the rights to what he had hoped for were revoked, and he sank into the water like stone. He had already taken steps onto that water, he had the deed in his hand, he knew for a fact that he could do it as he had already begun the process, but when he let go of that faith, that deed to the thing he hoped for, he sank. No one took it from him, he merely let it go and let all that he had been taught and had experienced take over and pull him down. When he refocused and realized this he took back the title deed and stepped up onto the waters surface defying all that he knew and all that he had experienced in his life up to that point, and he focused on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith and he took back what was rightfully his, ignoring the raging storm all around him and he walked across the surface of that water and into the arms of the Lord.
Now I apply this to your life. You are feeling sicker than you have ever felt in your life, and the hope wells up in you to overcome the illness that is ravaging your body just as that storm would have ravaged his, you close your eyes and say "Lord, give me the title deed to my healing and let me walk through this storm without paying a bit of mind to what I see, or what my experience has taught me about others who have tried to overcome this", and you fix your eyes upon the author and finisher of your faith and you stand, and walk over the waters of the surety that you will be destroyed by the ravages of this illness. You ignore the shouts from the disbelievers and you believe the words of Jesus who says that all things are possible to him that believes and you disregard the storm that the devil has kicked up around you that in your knowledge and experience would mean certain death, and you walk through the storm, fearless, certain and fully believing in the promises of a supernatural law that supercedes the laws of nature and into the arms of the author and finisher of your faith...the substance of all that you hope for.
You hear of stories everyday where someone has beaten cancer, or heart disease, or any number of other fully defined causes of a sure death, and you say "wow that was a miracle!" And you fail to realize that God has promised that He is no respecter of persons and that what He has done for one He will gladly do for another, never realizing the potential that you have for that same miracle. All it takes is faith.... that title deed.
So when you are approaching what seems to be an impossibilty, when the Dr's tell you nothing can be done, that you will surely die, remeber Peter walking on the water. Fix your eyes on Jesus and remember that He has the power...all the power, and that believing Him is all that He asks of you. Walk boldly, unafraid, ignoring the storm around you into the healing of your body, your broken relationships, your poverty into the waiting arms of your Lord and Saviour. Be an overcomer...have faith...it's the title deed to all that you hope for.
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