FAITH 101: 'WHAT IS FAITH ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE?'
STEP 1:
'Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.' (Romans 10:17)
Faith comes from hearing the message which is heard through the word about Christ. Faith can ONLY be germinated in us when we hear the message through the word about Christ. Some people never have faith because they never try to hear the messages of God or they don't even considerate what God tells them.
During some of the darkest times of my life, I would often call one of my best friend, Barnard, to seek advice. And since he knew me well, he would always start our conversation with the question: 'Maurice, what is God telling you?'
He knew my ability to hear from God...
And this is the same question I am asking (especially if you are experiencing troubles): ' what is God telling you?'
One of the reasons why James tells to pray during times of affliction (reference James 5:13) is to seek a word from God. After all, prayer is supposed to be conversation. The word you will hear during prayer time will germinate faith in you.
STEP 2:
'Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen' (Hebrews 11:1)
The germinated message you heard will creates a substance. And in turn, the substance will create Hope. Once you hear the message from God, there will be Hope. Hope fuels the willingness to expect from the future. Hope fuels the willingness to look ahead into the tomorrow.
By speaking to you, God even goes further by creating a picture in your spirit. That picture is 'the evidence not seen to the naked eye'. For example, in the Old Testament, God would often describe the Promised Land as the 'Land of Milk and Honey'. By describing it that way, He wanted to place a picture in the Spirit of His people. That picture is the evidence not seen to the naked eye'.
Not only you need Hope, but you also need evidence in the form of a picture planted in your spirit. When God spoke to Abraham about his descendants, He also used the stars and seashore sands as descriptive pictures (evidence) of the promise (reference Genesis 22:17).
Sometimes, the problem with many is in the fact that they are 'Hope experts' but they never have a picture planted in their spirits. Hope is important but it has to be combined with a picture.
This is my question to you:'beyond hope, what is the picture planted in your spirit?'
It is important to have the evidence(picture) in your spirit because life will throw real physical images seen through the news or circumstances. And during those times, you will need the 'evidence' (picture) from God to refute and contrast what reality will project.
STEP 3:
Activate.
In James 2:14-26, the Bible says a good number of things about faith. And the same passage, in my opinion, is the dividing line separating:
*the boys from men
*girls from women
*the dogs from the lions
*the cats from lionesses
You see, my friend, for years after my conversation, I lived with hope that things would change and progress just because. It is a good thing to hope but it can become dangerous to adopt permanent and perpetual residence in Hope. The Children of Israel had Hope for better tomorrows while in the desert but they refused to step up by fighting for the land. It was okay to hear about the 'Land of Milk and Honey' but when it was time step up with a fight, they backed down.
Here is another example illustrating the danger of adopting perpetual residence in Hope: 'When Jesus came to Israel, most Jewish refused to recognize Him as the Messiah and instead, they decided to reside in the hope another messiah. Till today they are hoping.
The reason why so many of the visions and dreams given by God don't come to past is because the receivers are using 'dead faith'. Hope is good, but the Bible does not say that faith becomes alive through hope.
Faith becomes alive with works (reference James 2:26).
As much as we believe in the existence of God, demons believe too! But the works of faith are a differentiator between them and us.
This is where the line between heroes and villains is drawn.
Just like the Jewish people of Israel, we can remain stuck in one place by adopting Hope as a perpetual residence. It took me years of understanding the following principle:' Hope is good and necessary, but strategies are found in faith and love'.
Rick Page and professor Akande were right to say: 'Hope is not a strategy'.
It is possible to dwell so much in hope to the point of thinking that you are advancing...while you are not.
'Hope fuels the desire to look towards the future. But when we live in faith, we DO according to what God says. Faith turns into reality the picture planted by God in our spirits.
Raise the level from Hope to Faith.
'Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.' (Romans 10:17)
Faith comes from hearing the message which is heard through the word about Christ. Faith can ONLY be germinated in us when we hear the message through the word about Christ. Some people never have faith because they never try to hear the messages of God or they don't even considerate what God tells them.
During some of the darkest times of my life, I would often call one of my best friend, Barnard, to seek advice. And since he knew me well, he would always start our conversation with the question: 'Maurice, what is God telling you?'
He knew my ability to hear from God...
And this is the same question I am asking (especially if you are experiencing troubles): ' what is God telling you?'
One of the reasons why James tells to pray during times of affliction (reference James 5:13) is to seek a word from God. After all, prayer is supposed to be conversation. The word you will hear during prayer time will germinate faith in you.
STEP 2:
'Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen' (Hebrews 11:1)
The germinated message you heard will creates a substance. And in turn, the substance will create Hope. Once you hear the message from God, there will be Hope. Hope fuels the willingness to expect from the future. Hope fuels the willingness to look ahead into the tomorrow.
By speaking to you, God even goes further by creating a picture in your spirit. That picture is 'the evidence not seen to the naked eye'. For example, in the Old Testament, God would often describe the Promised Land as the 'Land of Milk and Honey'. By describing it that way, He wanted to place a picture in the Spirit of His people. That picture is the evidence not seen to the naked eye'.
Not only you need Hope, but you also need evidence in the form of a picture planted in your spirit. When God spoke to Abraham about his descendants, He also used the stars and seashore sands as descriptive pictures (evidence) of the promise (reference Genesis 22:17).
Sometimes, the problem with many is in the fact that they are 'Hope experts' but they never have a picture planted in their spirits. Hope is important but it has to be combined with a picture.
This is my question to you:'beyond hope, what is the picture planted in your spirit?'
It is important to have the evidence(picture) in your spirit because life will throw real physical images seen through the news or circumstances. And during those times, you will need the 'evidence' (picture) from God to refute and contrast what reality will project.
STEP 3:
'Faith without works is dead'(James 2:26)
Activate.
In James 2:14-26, the Bible says a good number of things about faith. And the same passage, in my opinion, is the dividing line separating:
*the boys from men
*girls from women
*the dogs from the lions
*the cats from lionesses
You see, my friend, for years after my conversation, I lived with hope that things would change and progress just because. It is a good thing to hope but it can become dangerous to adopt permanent and perpetual residence in Hope. The Children of Israel had Hope for better tomorrows while in the desert but they refused to step up by fighting for the land. It was okay to hear about the 'Land of Milk and Honey' but when it was time step up with a fight, they backed down.
Here is another example illustrating the danger of adopting perpetual residence in Hope: 'When Jesus came to Israel, most Jewish refused to recognize Him as the Messiah and instead, they decided to reside in the hope another messiah. Till today they are hoping.
The reason why so many of the visions and dreams given by God don't come to past is because the receivers are using 'dead faith'. Hope is good, but the Bible does not say that faith becomes alive through hope.
Faith becomes alive with works (reference James 2:26).
As much as we believe in the existence of God, demons believe too! But the works of faith are a differentiator between them and us.
This is where the line between heroes and villains is drawn.
Just like the Jewish people of Israel, we can remain stuck in one place by adopting Hope as a perpetual residence. It took me years of understanding the following principle:' Hope is good and necessary, but strategies are found in faith and love'.
Rick Page and professor Akande were right to say: 'Hope is not a strategy'.
It is possible to dwell so much in hope to the point of thinking that you are advancing...while you are not.
'Hope fuels the desire to look towards the future. But when we live in faith, we DO according to what God says. Faith turns into reality the picture planted by God in our spirits.
Raise the level from Hope to Faith.