Faith - What is Faith?
Faith is mentioned 234 times in the Bible according to my Bible software program. We have all been told what Faith is and what is should be but that’s not what I’m asking. I’m asking for a personal account of what your faith is to you. Each person has their own faith and nobody can take that faith away not even the devil. So what is YOUR faith?
My faith has grown more the past 3 years than in my whole life. Faith is not just a spiritual word anymore to me. Faith is something that is as real to me as my family. Faith is what I long to deepen. I long to have the faith of a mustard seed because with this small amount of faith I can see mountains moved.
Hebrew 11:1 says “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is doing what God tells you to do without seeing the path or seeing any means to get there. When God spoke to me and told me I was going to be going to Niger, Africa for 9 months and leaving on June 17, 2010 I didn’t have the money or means to get to Africa by myself. BUT I had FAITH that God would work out everything because I trusted God enough to know that this is what he told me and therefore if I was submissive and obeyed HIS will for my life then it would all work out. And guess what? Here I am in Niamey for 9 months and I arrived on June 17th Not only that but when I left I didn’t have enough money for my time here but I had FAITH and re-assurance from God and didn’t doubt that the money would show up. And it did within a week of me arriving in Niger. Sometimes God tells us to do something and waits to see if we are going to trust in Him and do it or run from our calling. My calling is something I have hoped for and longed for a long time. While my husband was traveling with Fresh Anointing, I always knew that I didn’t fit in there that I had a different calling but I didn’t know what it was. But I just knew deep down that I had a different calling. At times I was miserable because I wanted so bad to discover my calling but never could find the right place. However when I surrender my life to Jesus Christ and realized that it wasn’t my life but my gift from the Father then the Father told me the purpose and the calling for my life. Oh how much joy I have knowing I am fulfilling the calling on my life in Niger right now. God has blessed me with a calling and I am so thankful for it. Now back to Faith……
I’ve been reading Matthew, Esther and Isaiah lately. Why all three? Because each one of these chapters, God uses to minister to me in a different way but in a way I need. Esther had bravery and stood up for what was right despite any physical fears of death. She fasted for 3 days and immediately after fasting she went before the King. She had FAITH. She hoped for the opportunity to see the king and didn’t know the outcome. But our KING had already prepared the way, Jesus knew her heart and saw her faith and because of this she had no reason to fear death. Jesus Christ knows our hearts. He sees our faith. He knows our thoughts. Doesn’t this make you want to repent right now? I know I did/do. I don’t think Godly thoughts about people sometimes. Well like today I just wanted to say “You know what it would be nice if you would say hello instead of immediately saying this stupid computer doesn’t work”. Then that thought turned to “I hate getting complained at all the time about inanimate objects”. Well do you see where this is going? The devil started causing bitterness to spring forth just from one statement. But if I would have repented at the first thought then the bitterness would have been cut off like a bad branch and only life would have flowed. We must consider our thoughts, actions and hearts and show Christ’s love no matter the circumstances. Yes this is hard but we must forgive and love. Esther loved her people enough to stand up and face death. Would you do this?
Then we move to Isaiah. Isaiah 6:8 says, “Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send and who will go for us? Then said I (Isaiah), here am I send me”. A prophet who was told to go and tell Babylon about its destruction. Do you think he was scared of offending someone or possibly dying because of his statements? He had FAITH that because God told him to do something that everything would work out. We may be able to be killed in this world but we will live forever with Jesus Christ in heaven. The Devil can’t stop the Heaven Ever After if you are a believer of Jesus Christ! Isaiah 12 is an awesome chapter, I challenge you to go and read about God’s mercy to us sinners.
The Book of Matthew – What I find interesting in reading Matthew is that this book refers back to Isaiah a lot so it was amazing to me to be reading both of these chapters at the same time. In Matthew, Isaiah is called Esaias the prophet. I noticed some interesting things in my reading in Matthew
• When Joseph was told something from God he was told in a dream every single time. God didn’t vocalize or speak to Joseph but showed it to him in a dream. We shouldn’t cast off the dreams we have but look to see if God is trying to speak to us through dreams. – Matthew 1:20, Matthew 2:12 – 13, and Matthew 2:19
• Jesus called to the disciples to follow him. Will you answer when he calls you? Matthew 4:18-22, Matthew 9:9
• When Jesus commanded the devil or demons to flee they did so immediately. Sometimes without being told just at the mention or sight of Jesus. Matthew 4:10, Matthew 4:24, Matthew 8:28-33, Matthew 9:32-33
• Pray in secret to the Lord and he will hear our prayers. God knows everything we need and knows our hearts. We must get into a quiet and reverent setting to go before the King of Kings and not be distracted by worldly things that would draw us away from praying with our whole heart. Matthew 6:6-8, Matthew 7:7-8
• Have Faith in God to supply all your needs – Matthew 6:30 -34
• Don’t turn your back on worldly things when JESUS stands before you – Matthew 8:21-22
FAITH – This is what encouraged this blog. Matthew 8 and 9. Jesus healed so many people but why? Because of their faith and acknowledgement that Jesus Christ could heal them. When you ask for healing do you truly have the faith that you will be healed by Jesus Christ or do you secretly doubt in healing? Do you put your faith in the person praying for you or in Jesus who hears our prayers? God knows your needs before you ask him but you still must humbly ask for his help! I’m listing the different healing and miracles performed by Jesus in these few chapters I have been studying.
• We need to have FAITH that God can heal our sickness and infirmities. There is not a single disease or sickness that God can’t heal. Matthew 4:23-25, Matthew 9:35
• In Matthew 8:2 we see a leper come and worship Jesus and state if thou wilt thou canst make me clean. Ever thought about worshipping Jesus while receiving your healing? Jesus spoke 5 words and immediately his leprosy was cleansed. WOW! I’ve actually seen leprosy since being in Niger and to read this is amazing! He was immediately healed. Not kinda healed or kinda better but HEALED, GONE, NO MORE, GROWN BACK. Let’s try worshipping Jesus through our healing and praise him for the healing!
• Matthew 8:5-13 – A centurion (Roman officer of the army) comes to ask for healing for his servant. This was a different case because this healing was requested for a servant not a family member or self. This centurion probably had the money and means to take his servant somewhere to be treated but he knew who the great physician was and went to find Jesus. This centurion also knew by his FAITH that JESUS could just speak the word and his servant would be healed. He had faith to know that Jesus didn’t even have to go to his house and lay hands on the man but could just speak the word. Jesus commends the man from his face in Verse 10. In Verse 13 Jesus tells the man “Go thy way: and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.” And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour. When Jesus speaks the word healing begins immediately not later but immediately. The man believed that Jesus could heal his servant and because the man believed in Jesus Christ, his servant was healed. Hrmmmmm…..do you believe Jesus can heal you with just a word? Seek his face and pray for your healing.
• Matthew 8:14 (interesting side note - Peter the disciple of Jesus was married and his mother in law was sick) When Jesus touched her hand she was healed. Did she stay lying in her sick bed? No she got up and ministered to them! We should minister to JESUS as humble servants all day!
• Matthew 8:16 – Jesus healed ALL that were sick. He didn’t pick some and not the others. He healed ALL!
• Forgiveness and then healing is demonstrated in Matthew 9:2-6. If the palsy man hadn’t arose when Jesus told him to where would he have been? We must arise and be ready when Jesus commands us to do something!
• Matthew 9:18-25 DEATH is defeated by the name of Jesus. Here is another example of worshipping before asking for healing. This man had a daughter who had died but he had FAITH that Jesus could just lay his hand on her and she will live. Jesus cleared the house when he arrived (Matthew 9:25) sometimes we need to get rid of the scorners or people who aren’t a good influence in order to receive our healing.
• Reach out to Jesus and just touch him and you shall be healed. Matthew 9:20-22 – This woman was an outcast because of her “unclean” issue of blood. For 12 years she was humbled by this disease but the day she heard Jesus was in her area she knew she had found the one who could heal her and she went and found Jesus. She sought him and didn’t stop till she touched him. Jesus told her “Daughter be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole” and guess what? And the woman was made whole from that hour. Immediate healing. Her faith has made her whole. When is the last time you pressed through and truly sought out Jesus and didn’t stop till you felt his presence? I challenge you to seek Jesus and don’t stop till you reach his presence.
• Even the two blind men followed Jesus. Matthew 8:28-30 BLIND MEN followed Jesus. Hello somebody? BLIND MEN who can’t see the road or Jesus but they followed him. Jesus asked them “Believe ye that I am able to do this?” They said unto him, Yea Lord. Then he touched their eyes saying “According to your faith be it unto you. They were blind to this world but knew the only one on this world that could cure them without even seeing him. Faith is the substance not seen but hoped for ;)
Do you have a deep faith that Jesus can heal? Do you kinda believe but kinda wouldn’t believe your own eyes if healing did take place? Well we must move past this point and KNOW JESUS HEALS ALL! Strengthen your faith and seek out Jesus! And you shall be healed!
Thanks to my good friend Liz I have a devotional called “Streams in the Desert” this devotional has been very encouraging to me during the past month. Last night talked about “We live by faith and not by sight” this goes along with what I’ve been reading. Here is one of the lines from the devotional. “As believers we live by faith and not by sight. God never wants us to live by our feelings. God wants us to face the facts and not the feelings. He wants us to face the facts of Christ and His finished and perfect work for us. And once we face these precious facts and believe them simply because God says they are facts, HE will take care of our feelings. Our feelings may be as uncertain and changing as the sea or shifting sand. God’s facts, however, are as certain as the Rock of Ages Himself “Jesus Christ….the same yesterday, today and forever – Hebrews 13:8.”
In conclusion to this long study I leave you with these statements:
DOUBT = FEELING
HEALING IN JESUS = FACT
FAITH = JESUS CAN DO ANYTHING NO MATTER THE ODDS!
GOD BLESS YOU!
Stacey
My faith has grown more the past 3 years than in my whole life. Faith is not just a spiritual word anymore to me. Faith is something that is as real to me as my family. Faith is what I long to deepen. I long to have the faith of a mustard seed because with this small amount of faith I can see mountains moved.
Hebrew 11:1 says “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is doing what God tells you to do without seeing the path or seeing any means to get there. When God spoke to me and told me I was going to be going to Niger, Africa for 9 months and leaving on June 17, 2010 I didn’t have the money or means to get to Africa by myself. BUT I had FAITH that God would work out everything because I trusted God enough to know that this is what he told me and therefore if I was submissive and obeyed HIS will for my life then it would all work out. And guess what? Here I am in Niamey for 9 months and I arrived on June 17th Not only that but when I left I didn’t have enough money for my time here but I had FAITH and re-assurance from God and didn’t doubt that the money would show up. And it did within a week of me arriving in Niger. Sometimes God tells us to do something and waits to see if we are going to trust in Him and do it or run from our calling. My calling is something I have hoped for and longed for a long time. While my husband was traveling with Fresh Anointing, I always knew that I didn’t fit in there that I had a different calling but I didn’t know what it was. But I just knew deep down that I had a different calling. At times I was miserable because I wanted so bad to discover my calling but never could find the right place. However when I surrender my life to Jesus Christ and realized that it wasn’t my life but my gift from the Father then the Father told me the purpose and the calling for my life. Oh how much joy I have knowing I am fulfilling the calling on my life in Niger right now. God has blessed me with a calling and I am so thankful for it. Now back to Faith……
I’ve been reading Matthew, Esther and Isaiah lately. Why all three? Because each one of these chapters, God uses to minister to me in a different way but in a way I need. Esther had bravery and stood up for what was right despite any physical fears of death. She fasted for 3 days and immediately after fasting she went before the King. She had FAITH. She hoped for the opportunity to see the king and didn’t know the outcome. But our KING had already prepared the way, Jesus knew her heart and saw her faith and because of this she had no reason to fear death. Jesus Christ knows our hearts. He sees our faith. He knows our thoughts. Doesn’t this make you want to repent right now? I know I did/do. I don’t think Godly thoughts about people sometimes. Well like today I just wanted to say “You know what it would be nice if you would say hello instead of immediately saying this stupid computer doesn’t work”. Then that thought turned to “I hate getting complained at all the time about inanimate objects”. Well do you see where this is going? The devil started causing bitterness to spring forth just from one statement. But if I would have repented at the first thought then the bitterness would have been cut off like a bad branch and only life would have flowed. We must consider our thoughts, actions and hearts and show Christ’s love no matter the circumstances. Yes this is hard but we must forgive and love. Esther loved her people enough to stand up and face death. Would you do this?
Then we move to Isaiah. Isaiah 6:8 says, “Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send and who will go for us? Then said I (Isaiah), here am I send me”. A prophet who was told to go and tell Babylon about its destruction. Do you think he was scared of offending someone or possibly dying because of his statements? He had FAITH that because God told him to do something that everything would work out. We may be able to be killed in this world but we will live forever with Jesus Christ in heaven. The Devil can’t stop the Heaven Ever After if you are a believer of Jesus Christ! Isaiah 12 is an awesome chapter, I challenge you to go and read about God’s mercy to us sinners.
The Book of Matthew – What I find interesting in reading Matthew is that this book refers back to Isaiah a lot so it was amazing to me to be reading both of these chapters at the same time. In Matthew, Isaiah is called Esaias the prophet. I noticed some interesting things in my reading in Matthew
• When Joseph was told something from God he was told in a dream every single time. God didn’t vocalize or speak to Joseph but showed it to him in a dream. We shouldn’t cast off the dreams we have but look to see if God is trying to speak to us through dreams. – Matthew 1:20, Matthew 2:12 – 13, and Matthew 2:19
• Jesus called to the disciples to follow him. Will you answer when he calls you? Matthew 4:18-22, Matthew 9:9
• When Jesus commanded the devil or demons to flee they did so immediately. Sometimes without being told just at the mention or sight of Jesus. Matthew 4:10, Matthew 4:24, Matthew 8:28-33, Matthew 9:32-33
• Pray in secret to the Lord and he will hear our prayers. God knows everything we need and knows our hearts. We must get into a quiet and reverent setting to go before the King of Kings and not be distracted by worldly things that would draw us away from praying with our whole heart. Matthew 6:6-8, Matthew 7:7-8
• Have Faith in God to supply all your needs – Matthew 6:30 -34
• Don’t turn your back on worldly things when JESUS stands before you – Matthew 8:21-22
FAITH – This is what encouraged this blog. Matthew 8 and 9. Jesus healed so many people but why? Because of their faith and acknowledgement that Jesus Christ could heal them. When you ask for healing do you truly have the faith that you will be healed by Jesus Christ or do you secretly doubt in healing? Do you put your faith in the person praying for you or in Jesus who hears our prayers? God knows your needs before you ask him but you still must humbly ask for his help! I’m listing the different healing and miracles performed by Jesus in these few chapters I have been studying.
• We need to have FAITH that God can heal our sickness and infirmities. There is not a single disease or sickness that God can’t heal. Matthew 4:23-25, Matthew 9:35
• In Matthew 8:2 we see a leper come and worship Jesus and state if thou wilt thou canst make me clean. Ever thought about worshipping Jesus while receiving your healing? Jesus spoke 5 words and immediately his leprosy was cleansed. WOW! I’ve actually seen leprosy since being in Niger and to read this is amazing! He was immediately healed. Not kinda healed or kinda better but HEALED, GONE, NO MORE, GROWN BACK. Let’s try worshipping Jesus through our healing and praise him for the healing!
• Matthew 8:5-13 – A centurion (Roman officer of the army) comes to ask for healing for his servant. This was a different case because this healing was requested for a servant not a family member or self. This centurion probably had the money and means to take his servant somewhere to be treated but he knew who the great physician was and went to find Jesus. This centurion also knew by his FAITH that JESUS could just speak the word and his servant would be healed. He had faith to know that Jesus didn’t even have to go to his house and lay hands on the man but could just speak the word. Jesus commends the man from his face in Verse 10. In Verse 13 Jesus tells the man “Go thy way: and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.” And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour. When Jesus speaks the word healing begins immediately not later but immediately. The man believed that Jesus could heal his servant and because the man believed in Jesus Christ, his servant was healed. Hrmmmmm…..do you believe Jesus can heal you with just a word? Seek his face and pray for your healing.
• Matthew 8:14 (interesting side note - Peter the disciple of Jesus was married and his mother in law was sick) When Jesus touched her hand she was healed. Did she stay lying in her sick bed? No she got up and ministered to them! We should minister to JESUS as humble servants all day!
• Matthew 8:16 – Jesus healed ALL that were sick. He didn’t pick some and not the others. He healed ALL!
• Forgiveness and then healing is demonstrated in Matthew 9:2-6. If the palsy man hadn’t arose when Jesus told him to where would he have been? We must arise and be ready when Jesus commands us to do something!
• Matthew 9:18-25 DEATH is defeated by the name of Jesus. Here is another example of worshipping before asking for healing. This man had a daughter who had died but he had FAITH that Jesus could just lay his hand on her and she will live. Jesus cleared the house when he arrived (Matthew 9:25) sometimes we need to get rid of the scorners or people who aren’t a good influence in order to receive our healing.
• Reach out to Jesus and just touch him and you shall be healed. Matthew 9:20-22 – This woman was an outcast because of her “unclean” issue of blood. For 12 years she was humbled by this disease but the day she heard Jesus was in her area she knew she had found the one who could heal her and she went and found Jesus. She sought him and didn’t stop till she touched him. Jesus told her “Daughter be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole” and guess what? And the woman was made whole from that hour. Immediate healing. Her faith has made her whole. When is the last time you pressed through and truly sought out Jesus and didn’t stop till you felt his presence? I challenge you to seek Jesus and don’t stop till you reach his presence.
• Even the two blind men followed Jesus. Matthew 8:28-30 BLIND MEN followed Jesus. Hello somebody? BLIND MEN who can’t see the road or Jesus but they followed him. Jesus asked them “Believe ye that I am able to do this?” They said unto him, Yea Lord. Then he touched their eyes saying “According to your faith be it unto you. They were blind to this world but knew the only one on this world that could cure them without even seeing him. Faith is the substance not seen but hoped for ;)
Do you have a deep faith that Jesus can heal? Do you kinda believe but kinda wouldn’t believe your own eyes if healing did take place? Well we must move past this point and KNOW JESUS HEALS ALL! Strengthen your faith and seek out Jesus! And you shall be healed!
Thanks to my good friend Liz I have a devotional called “Streams in the Desert” this devotional has been very encouraging to me during the past month. Last night talked about “We live by faith and not by sight” this goes along with what I’ve been reading. Here is one of the lines from the devotional. “As believers we live by faith and not by sight. God never wants us to live by our feelings. God wants us to face the facts and not the feelings. He wants us to face the facts of Christ and His finished and perfect work for us. And once we face these precious facts and believe them simply because God says they are facts, HE will take care of our feelings. Our feelings may be as uncertain and changing as the sea or shifting sand. God’s facts, however, are as certain as the Rock of Ages Himself “Jesus Christ….the same yesterday, today and forever – Hebrews 13:8.”
In conclusion to this long study I leave you with these statements:
DOUBT = FEELING
HEALING IN JESUS = FACT
FAITH = JESUS CAN DO ANYTHING NO MATTER THE ODDS!
GOD BLESS YOU!
Stacey
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