How to Effectively Use the God-kind of Faith – Part II

Let’s go back to the beginning to find out why speaking your faith is the way we are to use it to get results.

Genesis 1:1-3 (KJV) 1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

I want you to notice that even though the Spirit of God was hovering over the over the face of the deep in total darkness, nothing happened until God literally spoke His faith-filled Words, “Light be!”  And light was.

God just didn’t wave His hand over the darkness and poof light was. No, He actually had to speak those Words for it to happen. Why? Because that’s how He has set it up to work and that’s how it will work for us if we’ll do the same thing that He does because we’re made in His image. [Genesis 1:26]

Next I want you to notice that in chapter one of Genesis, when God did something, He said it first. That’s how He called it into being. There are ten times that God said, and each time it came to pass. Why is it written this way? Why didn’t the writer just say, “God said” and then list all the things that God said? Here’s the reason:

God was making a point that if we want our faith to work, we must speak it forth. This is key to using our faith. That’s how God did it and does it, and that’s how we are to do it.

Continued next time – Pamela

How to Effectively Use the God-kind of Faith – Part I

Hebrews 3:1 (KJV) 1  Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

It’s one thing to have the God-kind of faith but how do we use it effectively to get our desired results? As I mentioned in an earlier post, faith is voice activated which means we have to speak our faith, not just think about it.

In our opening scripture, the word profession means confession – to profess something is to confess or speak it. Jesus is the High Priest over our confession, over what we say. That means He’s there ready to cause to come to pass what we say in faith, in accordance with His Word.

As Keith Moore says, “If you say what Jesus says, you’ll get what you say!” Can’t be any clearer than that. Jesus watches over your words to see if they line up with His Word. If they do, then He can legally cause them to come to pass. Everything is about being legal according to the Covenant God made with mankind. [More about the covenant at a later time.]

So, the first thing we see in how to use our faith, is that we must speak it. That means we have to say the same thing that God has said if we want God-results. We can’t just make up our own prayers and shoot them up hoping God will have pity on us and answer them.

Of course you know that in order to say the same thing that God has said, you have to know what He has said in His Word. You just can’t get away from His Word if you want to walk in the victorious life He has for you!

Continued next time — Pamela

How Do We Get Faith? Part V

Romans 10:17 (KJV) 17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Matthew 4:4 (KJV) 4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
1 Timothy 4:6
(KJV)
6  If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

Jesus said that we are to live by every Word that proceeds out of God’s mouth. That’s where we get the spiritual food to feed our spirit and our faith. If we don’t feed on God’s Word, we’ll be malnourished and on shaky ground and easy prey for the enemy!

God’s Word is nourishment to our spirit and our faith and therefore, we must develop a hunger and a thirst for His Word if we’re ever going to be strong in faith and able to move mountains. Remember to spend most of your time in the New Testament because that’s we live today. We have a New Covenant bought and paid for by the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Romans 1:17b (KJV) 17  … The just shall live by faith.

Living by faith is to be the way of life for Christians. He’s already given us His faith but now it’s up to us to exercise and develop it so that we can be the powerhouses He’s called us to be.

If righteousness is going to reign in this earth, it’s going to come from God flowing through His people. God wants to move in this earth realm but He has set it up to do so through the believers. The catch comes when we realize that the only way He will do this is through our operating in faith. He speaks to us through His Word, using it to show us the path to take.

John 15:7 (KJV)
7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Abiding in Jesus is abiding in His Word. It’s not just visiting once in a while but letting the Word take up residence in you so that when you need it, it comes out with power! That’s when we see the miracles and supernatural signs and wonders. Praise the Lord of Glory!

Continued next time — Pamela

How Do We Get Faith? Part IV

2 Thessalonians 1:3a (KJV) 3  We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly

Paul is exhorting the brethren that their faith is growing and that means our faith is to grow.

Faith is a heart issue as I’ve said many times. With God, it’s always a heart issue. Too many times people want to figure it all out in their head before they’ll step out in faith. But that’s the not the way it works. Faith is a choice. It’s not in your head; it’s in your heart – your spirit. You can actually believe things in your heart that your head has trouble understanding. Hm-m-m! How ‘bout that! You choose what you will or won’t believe.

We’re still talking about how we get the God-kind of faith. Let’s look at some more scriptures.

Romans 12:3b (KJV) 3  … but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Galatians 2:20 (KJV) 20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

These Scriptures show that God has already given us a measure of His faith when we got born-again. That’s the measure of faith Paul is referring to in Romans 12:3. It’s the same measure for each of us. No one has more or less than someone else. Remember the muscle analogy!

Sometimes it seems that one person has a lot of faith and another person has a little faith. What you’re observing is that one person has developed their faith and the other one hasn’t. Everyone starts out with the same measure or lump of faith. Flex those faith muscles!

In Galatians we see that the faith we have is the faith of Jesus! This is so awesome because it means we actually have been given a portion of His miracle-working, devil-defeating, victorious-living faith! That’s why Jesus said in John 14:12 that the same works that He did, we are to do also.  How awesome is that!

John 14:12 (KJV)
12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Continued next time – Pamela

How Do We Get Faith? Part III

Romans 10:17 (KJV) 17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

There’s revelation in every Word of God. Actually, there are layers and layers of revelation and insight in every scripture but how do we get it out? One way is to pray before you read His Word and ask the Lord for revelation and insight. Praying in tongues is really the best way to go before you read the Word. It sets you up for divine insight. And since the Holy Spirit is in you and He’s the Author, He can reveal the Word to you.

You’ll find that even after you’ve read the same scripture over and over, there will be a time when all of a sudden something will pop out and you’ll wonder why you never saw that before. That’s revelation knowledge coming forth. And it’s so exciting!

That’s why you must never say, “I’ve heard that scripture or teaching so many times!” There’s always more to know because we just don’t know everything and never will this side of Heaven. In fact, we’ll be using our faith throughout all eternity because God is a faith God and we’re made in His image. Since He’ll be using His faith throughout all eternity, so will we. We’re in boot camp!

Continuing about how we get faith, know that faith has to be fed and developed and that comes by feeding on His Word and exercising our faith by using it. 

Faith is like a muscle. And just as muscles have to be exercised or they’ll atrophy, so does our faith have to be exercised or it will become weak and non-productive.

If you wonder why some Christians are depressed, discouraged, and defeated, it’s because their faith is weak. They need to feed it with God’s Word and start using it to be the overcomers God has ordained them to be.

Continued next time — Pamela

 How Do We Get Faith? Part II

Romans 10:17 (KJV) 17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

When it comes to what people say – their opinions – treat them lightly. But with God, believe every Word He has said, unequivocally! He is faithful, faithful, faithful and never, never lies! His every Word is true now and forever. If He ever went back on His Word, the universe would implode because it’s held together by His Word. [Hebrews 1:3]

Too many times people think that asking God for more faith is the way to get it. No, no, no! Where’s the scripture for that? Remember, we can’t just make up our own rules. We have to check out what God has already said. He never said that we are to ask Him for more faith. Let’s look at how Jesus responded when the apostles asked Him to increase their faith.

Luke 17:5-6 (KJV) 5  And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
6  And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

Jesus didn’t tell them that He would give them more faith but what He said was that if they wanted to increase their faith, they were to speak the faith they had. All they needed was a mustard seed-size to see results but it had to be spoken in faith, no doubt and unbelief mixed in. And that’s one of the ways to active your faith – by speaking. Faith is voice activated. You don’t think faith; you speak faith!

We can’t just think faith and expect results. We have to speak our faith and that means speaking what God has said in His word. Speaking to the problem in the Name of Jesus is how we release our faith. We’ll get into this more when we talk about how to use our faith.

Continued next time — Pamela

 How Do We Get Faith? Part I

Thus far we’ve discussed why faith is important and what the God-kind of faith is. I realize that these are just short, cliff notes about faith but it’s a start. Each of these subjects can be expanded in greater depth which I would like to do in an in-person teaching setting, but for now, let’s do what we can.

Even though there aren’t different kinds of faith, faith can be divide into different areas of development: faith for salvation, faith for healing, faith for deliverance, provision, protection. Just because you have faith to get saved, doesn’t mean you have developed your faith to be healed or developed it in the other areas I just mentioned. It’s the same faith but it must be developed in those areas.

Faith for salvation comes from hearing anointed teaching on salvation. It’s the same with healing, deliverance, provision, protection, etc. It’s the same faith but it must be develop if you want results.

And, of course, the way you develop your faith is by getting God’s Word into you, particularly the New Testament, where we live. There’s no God-kind of faith outside of the Word of God. To the degree you get God’s Word into you and believe it and exercise it, to that degree you develop your faith. In other words, more Word, more faith.

So, having said all that, let’s get into how we actually get the God-kind of faith. We’ll use Romans 10:17 as our foundational scripture.

Romans 10:17 (KJV) 17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

I want you to notice that faith comes from hearing God’s Word! Not from having heard! It’s a progressive, on-going way of life. Just like you can’t say you ate a meal yesterday so you’re good for the next week! 

Now about hearing God’s Word… It’s not just hearing with your physical ears what someone reads or shares about God’s Word. Any unbeliever can quote the Bible if they want to. What is referred to in verse 17 is the Rhema Christosthe anointed spoken Word of God.

It’s the anointing of God on the Word that is spoken that really ministers to the hearts of the hearers. We are to hear with our hearts. That’s why it’s so important that you filter who you listen to and check out everything you hear someone say. Does it line up with the Word of God or is it someone’s opinion or theory?

That’s why I use scriptures when teaching so that I can show what God has actually said. It’s not about what I say, or what you say but what God says. That’s what counts and that’s what will work. And again I exhort you to check out against the Word of God everything you hear and believe. Where is it in the Bible? If it doesn’t line up or even contradicts the Word of God, throw it out! You’ll never get God’s answers believing anything that’s opposed to His Word.

Continued next time — Pamela

What is the God-kind of Faith? Part V

I’m going to end this teaching regarding the God-kind of faith by giving you a capsule teaching on spirit, soul, and body which will further explain some of the insights into faith.

God is a Spirit and He’s a triune God – God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three persons make up the God-head – one God, three manifestation/personalities.

John 4:24 (KJV) 24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Since we are made in the image of God, we have three parts also.

Genesis 1:26a (KJV) 26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (KJV) 23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are not just a body and mind. Our spirit is our real self. We have a soul which is our mind, will, and emotions. And we live in a body which encompasses our five physical senses. Our body is our earth suit through which we operate on planet earth.

There are two realms that we deal with: the physical realm where we live and the spirit realm where God operates.  The physical realm was created by the spirit realm and is therefore subject to it. That’s why we can change things in the natural realm by using our faith because faith operates in the spirit realm. Faith is the bridge between the spirit realm and the physical realm.

This might seem heavy, heavy, heavy to you if it’s the first time you’ve heard it but that’s how it is. I’ll be referring to this more and more as we go along. In the meantime, read this lesson over and over to better understand spirit, soul and body which is fundamental to walking with the Lord and operating in His faith.

Until next time — Pamela

What is the God-kind of Faith? Part IV

We’ve been discussing the God-kind of faith. All faith has to do with faith in God! We’re not talking about different kinds of faith. There’s only one TRUE faith and that’s the God-kind of faith that calls things that are not as though they were. It’s the kind of faith that Abraham had.

Romans 4:17 (KJV)
17  (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

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

There are two things about faith we need to see. Faith has to do with things that are not seen and things that have not yet happened. 

The saying seeing is believing is simply not true because once you see it you don’t have to believe it. The correct way to say this is believing is seeing. You must believe before you actually see the manifestation. That’s what it means to call things that are not as though they were. You’re actually calling for the thing you want. This is faith.

Faith sees beyond the natural realm and into the spirit realm where the answer is and by faith calls for it to manifest in the natural realm. Faith is the bridge between the spirit realm and the physical realm. Once it manifests in the natural realm, you don’t have to use your faith on it because you now have it. We’ll get into this more when we talk about how to use faith.

2 Corinthians 4:18 (KJV)
18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

This is a great scripture because it shows that everything in this life is temporary which means it’s subject to change by the Word that created it. The things of God are eternal. We will never run out of the availability of God’s power!

That’s why we need to develop our faith so that we can overcome the obstacles that confront us. The more we get into God’s Word and get it into us, the more persuaded we become that His Word is TRUTH and trumps everything. And we become more stable!

Continued next time — Pamela

What is the God-kind of Faith? Part III

We need the God-kind of faith to function in our everyday lives. We need faith to get healed, delivered, be protected, get provision, pray effectively, and fulfill the plans God has for us. But, we can’t get or do any of this if we don’t know what God’s will is because faith only starts where the will of God is known and it stops at the question mark. [F. F. Bosworth and Charles Capps]

If you don’t know what God’s will is in a certain situation, you cannot pray effectively because you won’t be fully persuaded, convinced, assured, or confident that what you’re praying is according to God’s will. You’ll be wavering and we know that wavering will cancel our faith.

James 1:6-8 (KJV)  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

What is wavering? It’s indecision. One minute you’re in faith, the next minute you’re questioning if your prayers will work. And as you can see, those who waver don’t get anything of the Lord because they’re unstable in all their ways. They’re not reliable. The “stick-to-itiveness” isn’t there. It’s just like they’re bouncing around in the wind, from here to there and never getting anywhere. They’re unstable, confused, and not fully persuaded that what God has promised will work for them. And that’s because they don’t know what God’s will is!

The first thing we need to do is find out what God’s will is before we even pray about a situation. That’s where the Word of God – the Bible – comes in. The Word of God is the will of God. We need to have a love of the Word of God if we’re ever going to have success in this faith walk.

We honor God by honoring and reverencing His Word. As Keith Moore says, there will never be a 2.0 version update of the Bible! God said it perfectly the first time!

When you honor God’s Word, He delights to work with you to get you the desired results. But we can’t be independent mavericks, doing things our own way and then asking God to bless it. That won’t wash with Him. We have to get into the Word of God and learn what He has said to us! You can’t have faith beyond the knowledge of God’s Word which puts the ball back in our court!

Continued next time — Pamela