Why Is Faith So Important?

"Without faith it is impossible to please God." (Heb. 11:6)

Faith is critical to being able to see God's favor on our life.  But I have to ask, why is faith so important?  Isn't faith just believing?

Faith is - no, I don't want you to parrot the "Now faith is ..." passage. (Heb. 11:1) Faith is a conviction of the truth of a matter that is so strong it results in a change of behavior marked by a passion for that truth and for sharing it with others.  Faith that leads to salvation also results in those who are saved being passionate about sharing what they have found with others. (Acts 4:20) Evangelism is not a program of visitation or series of special services meant to bring church growth.  True evangelism is, like in the book of Acts, the real outgrowth of a personal and tangible relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Faith, real faith, biblical faith, is the inviolate belief in the truth of the Word and the God who inspired it.  Those who are in true faith will change their behavior, their lifestyle, and their priorities to come into agreement with those of the God who is our salvation.

Faith is the result of impartation that happens when the Word is proclaimed under the unction, an anointing, of the Holy Spirit.  To make it as simple as I can, when the Word that goes forth is activated by the work of the Holy Spirit it is literally an expression of the heart of the Father that is planted in our hearts and becomes an alive and vital revelation.  This revelation changes us.  The reality of the truth proclaimed is so real to us that it supersedes the things we see, hear, feel or have learned.  We begin to operate on a supernatural basis and alter our belief system, values, and priorities accordingly.  This is the kind of faith God approves of, the kind of faith God honors, the kind of faith God can bless.

Why is this faith so important?  Real faith is something that cannot be compromised, will not be forsaken, and is so tangible that it gives God a bridge from the supernatural to the natural.  It becomes the legal authority for the Kingdom to operate in the lives of men.  It sets the course for our journey toward our destiny.  In faith is the answer to every question, the key to opening every door, and the provision to see every dream fulfilled.  Faith puts us on track to see God's will manifest in our lives.

How Do You Stay in Faith?

Faith, we hear about it so much in sermons, but how much time do we really spend thinking about it?  What about when it doesn't seem to be working?

Faith is not something that is preached as hard, requiring extraordinary diligence, or that will keep us under pressure or in need of a special impartation from God, but sometimes it does.

Think about a couple of heroes of faith, Abraham and Joseph.

Abraham is considered the "father of faith."  He, along with his darling wife, Sarah, were to be the people God would use to change the history of the world.  The fruit of their faith is still here for us to see, the nation of Israel.  But their faith was sorely tested, forcing them to stand in the face of certain failure, tested for 25 years.  And they were found faithful.  But how did they do it?

Our second example of one who stood in faith in the face of adversity is Joseph.  Called by God as a lad, he saw the destiny that was mapped out for him by God.  He experienced a life journey that looked nothing like the destiny God has set before him.  From the time he is sold into slavery as a lad until he stands before Pharaoh as Prime Minister is estimated to be more than 15 years.  Challenged by family rejection, slavery, false criminal accusations, people who failed to come through on their promises, and a lengthy imprisonment, Joseph was still able to see the destiny ordained by God come to manifestation.  How did he stay in faith through the trials?

Both Abraham and Joseph began their faith odyssey with a simple utterance from the heart of the Father they would come to love and trust.  Abraham had no history on which to base his trust, no, just his willingness to take God at His word.  Joseph had heard the testimony of God's faithfulness to his father, his grandfather, and his great-grandfather, but he himself had not experienced such fidelity for himself, but he had a vision imparted to him from the Father's heart, a vision that would sustain him through the trials.

One word from God is enough for those who believe, for, you see, "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." (Romans 10:17)  Faith is the stuff of the unseen world, the material that we use to build our hopes and dreams, hopes and dreams inspired by something God has spoken into our heart. (Heb. 11:1-6) The reason we can stand is that the Word from God is more real to us than the things we see.  We cannot consider another course, another outcome because, like Sarah, we "count Him faithful Who promised." (Heb. 11:11)

In the face of adversity we can say, "This isn't how this ends, I know, I have heard from God and He never lies. (Num. 23:19) I'm not worried about what it looks like, I know the end; I have God's Word on it."  No matter what the circumstance. symptoms, or feasibility of what God has said, He said it, and that is enough.

How do we stand, by standing, not in our own strength and power, but in the power, strength, and ability of God Himself. (Eph. 6:10-18) The Word is clear, for those who are "justified," the "redeemed," faith is our way of life. (Hab. 2:4, Rom. 1:17, Gal. 3:11, Heb. 10:38)  The life of faith affects everything we do.  We see it in the lives of those who have gone on before, those who have been championed by God throughout history.

We see the testimony of those who have gone before, and we glorify God for their victories, their ability to stand in the face of adversity and win.  Now it is our turn.  Let us grab on to the Word God has spoken to us, the vision He has placed in our hearts, and, as Paul said, "run the race with confidence, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith." (Heb. 12:2)

Say What You See - OR - See What You Say?

Faith is a force that operates in the realm of the unseen - and so does fear.  What then do we do with the things we see?  We know what the Word says,

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Heb. 11:1)

So, if faith is the stuff the invisible is made of, what should we be doing with what we can see?  Maybe a better question is, what should we do with faith?  How do we get the unseen into the realm of the seen?

This is the heart of the Christian life.  For instance, salvation is a commodity from the realm of the unseen.  We cannot see it, cannot touch it, and have no way of making it real, or do we?  If we have no way of "seeing" our salvation, how can we know we are saved?  The Word is clear about what we are supposed to do to see the object of our faith manifest.

^6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) ^7 or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). ^8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): ^9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ^10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ^11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” ^12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. ^13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  (Romans 10:6-13)

Do you see it?  There is a direct connection from the unseen to the seen that runs through our heart and mouth.  It is no surprise that we see the link between the heart and mouth, after all, "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." (Matt. 12:34)  So your ability to see the unseen is found in what comes out of your mouth.

Faith has to make a decision when it sees things that are not in agreement with the truth of the Word.  You can say what you see or you can say what the Word says.  You can agree with the circumstances or you can agree with the Word.  Faith says what is true in the unseen even though it seems ridiculous.

^22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. ^23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says."  (Mk 11:22-23)

The answer to the question, say what you know to be true in the Word and you will see what you say.

Promises, Judgment, and Our Hope of Blessing

The life we live, the experiences we go through, and the truth of the word all come into conflict on a regular basis.  Why is it seemingly so difficult to see what the Word promises manifest in the life of the believer?

The Word is clear, "For all the promises of God in Him are 'Yes,' and in Him, 'Amen,' to the glory of God through us." (2 Cor. 1:20 NKJV) Every promise is meant to be manifest in the lives of those who are in Christ.  That is a tall order, and yet it is true.  "So why aren't we seeing the promises of God manifest?" you ask.  The reality is, you are.

• God promises blessing for those who are willingly obedient. (Isa. 1:19) But doing the right thing for the wrong reason brings no reward.  As a matter of fact, those who refuse and rebel are promised discipline. (Isiah 1:20)
  
• Adherents to the Word of God are promised wonderful things. (Deut. 28:1-14) But those who are disobedient, refusing and rebelling against God's Word, brings the promise of stiff penalty. (Deut. 28:15-68)
• God is the "Good Giver" of good and perfect gifts. (James 1:17) But He is also the Righteous Judge who will not hesitate to mete out judgment to those who deserve it. (Rev. 22:12)

The Word is full of promises, more than 3,000 by some counts, and with almost every promise is a condition by which the promise must be appropriated.  From Cain's promise of acceptance "if you do well" (Genesis 4:7) to the promise of judgment to the church at Sardis if they did not repent and watch for His coming (Rev.3:3,) we see that every promise has a God-part and a man-part.  Blessings flow freely from God when we do what He asks of us, and judgment comes as we do what God has outlined as deserving judgment.

As you look at your life, know that it is a reflection of your conformity to the requirements God puts on us.  If you are not seeing the blessings of God manifest to you, it's time to go back to the Word and find out why.  Remember the injunction of 2 Tim. 2:15.

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

The Word holds the answer to your situation, dig in, get into the Word, let the Word get into you, and, I promise, the Word will make a huge difference in your life.

Got a specific question?  Post it and we'll address it.

Original Intent

If you listen to some preachers you'd think that is was God's will that everyone would be poor and pathetic.  I am not sure how we got here from where man began.

In the Garden we see God's perfect will for Man.  God tailor made a place for the man He created.  Look at what He built.

• A lush, plush tropical garden paradise
• An abundance of precious metals and gems
• More food than he could consume in his lifetime
• Full employment with everything he needed to do all that was expected of him
• His own zooalogical park
• A simple legal system with only one law
• A soulmate designed for his every need
• A no-brainer wardrobe
• And an unhindered, unlimited inteaction with the Creator

How far man has fallen ... but we need not stay down.

God has given us who are believers some pretty awesome promises.  There are so many I don't have room to list them all here, but all of them are promises of good things that have been given to "the righteous."  Look at this,

"For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God" - 2 Cor. 1:20 NKJV

Whatever your need, find a promise that applies, put faith to it, and watch what God will do.  You will find out that you are living way below what God has for you.

God wants to prosper you so that you, like Adam, can accomplish all He has for you.  Go on, live large in Him, and change your world to the glory of God.

Fear Not

"God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."  (2 Tim. 1:7 NKJV)

In just a few days all the posturing, posing, and marketing of the Presidential Campaign will be over.  Have you ever been so aware of the fear mongering that goes on as in this political cycle?

Fear is easily bred, easily manipulated, and used by the media, the politicians, and even the church to control people's behavior.  I am always amazed at how susceptible those who call themselves Christians are to the forces of fear.  Obviously it was not a new problem.  Look at history.

God speaks to Abran in Genesis 15, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."

God speaks  through Joshua, "Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

We see it in the Psalms of David, the prophesies of Isaiah and Jeremiah, and the teachings of Jesus.

Understand, the Bible does not tell us to walk in denial of the things that would bring fear, it gives us the key to being strong and courageous in the face of them.  Look again at God's encouragement to Timothy through Paul.

"God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."  (2 Tim. 1:7 NKJV)

God has invested, empowered, equipped, infused the believer with everything he needs to be victorious in the face of fearful things.  We have the ability to face any threat with confidence in the God who is our shield and buckler.  Giants, no problem, God is bigger.  Famine, no worry, God is able to give me all I need to thrive in the midst of the worst famine.  Political persecution, nothing to be troubled about, God will give me clear direction as to how to come out victorious.

Look at the list of what God has already given us.  

• Power, an inherent strength and ability that is made resident in us as a result of our relationship with God.  It is His power living in us in anticipation of our need to use it later.
• Love, the God kind of love, the kind of love that causes men to change their behavior and come in line with God's plan and purpose for their lives.  It is a love that is constantly looking to the needs of others in a commitment to help, to make a difference.
• A Sound Mind, actually, it is the ability to act wisely, to live with self-control.

All of this is resident in us to counter the effects of fear.  Let us rise in boldness and change our world.

I Am Encouraged

Each day the sun rises and sets in a monotonous progression, never changing its course.  The tides ebb and flow with methodical rhythm in a dance that will lull you to sleep.  Without thinking, the waters rise from the earth only to condense and again fall to the surface in an unending cycle.  Looking at this, some people are depressed or discouraged, but others are buoyed and renewed with each new sunrise, every new high tide, and with the falling of a new crop of rain drops.

David said, "When I consider the heavens ..." (Psalm 8) Looking at the same atmosphere we live in, seeing the same stars, and faced with the same challenges, David was encouraged by looking at the mundane.  In looking to the cycles of his environment David saw something from which he drew great encouragement.

The great expanse of the universe made David aware of how small and insignificant he was.  I feel that way sometimes.  What real difference does my life make in this world?  Why should anyone care if I live or die. after all, I am just a dot on a speck in the panorama of the universe.  But, like David, I see something else that makes me feel very special, I see the Father's genuine, demonstrated love toward me.

Look at David's words, "What is mere man that You give him a thought, the son of man that You pay careful attention to his every step?"  David saw, as do I, that the Father not only cared about him , but He was involved at every level of the life of the one who trusted Him in faith.  In worship, God showed up and spent time with Him, quality fellowship.  In sin, it was God going out of His way to find us and make a way for us to return to His presence and to righteousness.  He, the Father, cares so much that He numbers the individual hairs on your head, gathers your tears in a bottle, and counts the seconds you draw breath, and why?  What do we have to offer Him?  I mean, really, He's God; what can we give Him, do for Him, offer that He doesn't already have?  The answer is nothing.

So why does God bother?  That is David's epiphany.  God didn't go out of His way to be in touch with us for what we bring to the relationship.  The Father came looking for us so that He could lavish on us His wealth, His love, His power, and His wisdom.  Everything was Him loving us, what made us valuable to His was His choice to love us, and I am so glad He did.

Locate Your Heart

I bought a new laptop and was faced with a decision, did I want to subscribe to "Lojack for Laptops?"  It got me thinking about how we locate stuff.  Cars, kids, etc. all have options and gadgets available that let us keep track of where they are so we can recover them if they are lost and stolen.  What a great idea; wish I'd have thought of it, but I digress.

Locating people is something that I have found fairly easy to do.  Spiritually, emotionally, and even financially, people have "tells," those little give-aways that let you know where they are on the map.  Jesus pointed out one of these in the Gospels.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  (Matthew 6:21 NKJV)

If you want to know what someone values, look at what it is they give their money to.  I have been chastised many times for not investing my money in things that will guarantee me a cushy retirement.  What they don't understand is that a cushy retirement is of little value to me.  I love being active and involved in the things that make life worth living.  My heart is not in being able to kick back and relax in an empty existence.  My treasure is going to things like the encouragement of those who serve the Body of Christ around the world.

I remember Zig Ziglar saying, "You are going to spend a lot more time dead than you are alive; make your plans accordingly."  In other words, invest yourself in eternal things.

Where are you invested today?

In case you haven't noticed, once you pass from this globe your memory will be short-lived.  No matter the legacy you leave here may get you a statue, a bridge, a building, or a street as a memorial, but your memory will surely fade into the past and disappear within a generation.  But you can invest in something that will give you a return of eternal consequence.

You can invest in things of eternal value, things that God values.  You can invest yourself in people, the only thing God really cares about.  Be it through your local church, through a missions program, or by way of a special ministry project, you can be one who changes the course of history for someone else.  Giving needy children a shot a a normal life and an intorduction to the love of Christ, bringing health and healing to those who are hurting while giving them a chance to choose eternal life as well, or supporting those who are getting the Good News to those who have not yet heard, the choice is yours.

Where is your heart?  Where are you putting your money?  What are you spending your time on?  Join me in making our lives a force for the Kingdom of God.