- Feb 10, 2015
- 730
- 873
- 77
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Married
- Politics
- US-Constitution
9-8-19, The Power Of Living Faith:
Jesus Christ declared to His disciples, “Verily, verily (or, most assuredly), I say unto you, He that BELIEVETH ON ME, the works that I do (including performing miracles, and great healings!) SHALL HE DO ALSO; and GREATER WORKS THAN THESE shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask IN MY NAME (there is awesome POWER in the name of Jesus Christ, when used rightly), that will I DO, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:12-13).
Jesus went on, “If ye shall ask ANYTHING in my name, I will DO IT!” (verse 14).
In the tumultuous days of the early Church, the power of God was evident in the lives of the apostles. “And by the hands of the apostles were many SIGNS AND WONDERS WROUGHT among the people . Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the SHADOW OF PETER passing by might overshadow some of them.
There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: AND THEY WERE HEALED EVERY ONE” (Acts 5:12-16).
There was awesome spiritual POWER present in the early Church of God! The apostles had FAITH. But why has the Church lost that power? What happened to it after the days of the apostles? What happened to the kind of FAITH they had? Why is it generally missing in the Church today?
Can anybody answer? I can, to God of course, only if I ask God to help me with having that kind of faith: Mark 11:20-24 ,This I think, can only happen when I examine myself.
There again, What IS Faith?
The apostle Paul declared, “Now Faith IS the substance “realization” of things hoped for, the evidence [or, confidence] of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Heb.11:1-3).
Faith is the substance or reality of belief – conviction – assurance. Faith is BELIEVING that what God says in His Word is TRUE, and can be relied upon – even unto death! Job expressed this thought and conviction when he said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15). That shows REAL faith, doesn’t it?
Job also declared in persuaded conviction, “For I KNOW that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last upon the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another” (Job 19:25-27). Job was firmly convinced of the existence of God, and believed that he would see Him one day, and be redeemed and saved by Him.
Faith then is simply belief, or strong conviction, that what God says is true and what He says He will do, He will do without doubt or question!
But how can we increase our faith? I think by asking God to increase our Faith.
The KEYS to Greater Faith
The apostle Paul gives us the fundamental key to greater faith and conviction. He wrote, “For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things” (Rom.10:13-15).
Paul concludes, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (verse 17).
Christ Himself put it this way: “SEARCH the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39). In other words, STUDY the Bible! Pour over it! Meditate upon it daily, constantly! This is the way to increase your faith!
As king David wrote, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he MEDITATES day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2).
Mark 9:1-49 Esp. The Boy with an Evil Spirit: verses 14-29
Mark 9 BSB
Love Always, Walter
Jesus Christ declared to His disciples, “Verily, verily (or, most assuredly), I say unto you, He that BELIEVETH ON ME, the works that I do (including performing miracles, and great healings!) SHALL HE DO ALSO; and GREATER WORKS THAN THESE shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask IN MY NAME (there is awesome POWER in the name of Jesus Christ, when used rightly), that will I DO, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:12-13).
Jesus went on, “If ye shall ask ANYTHING in my name, I will DO IT!” (verse 14).
In the tumultuous days of the early Church, the power of God was evident in the lives of the apostles. “And by the hands of the apostles were many SIGNS AND WONDERS WROUGHT among the people . Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the SHADOW OF PETER passing by might overshadow some of them.
There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: AND THEY WERE HEALED EVERY ONE” (Acts 5:12-16).
There was awesome spiritual POWER present in the early Church of God! The apostles had FAITH. But why has the Church lost that power? What happened to it after the days of the apostles? What happened to the kind of FAITH they had? Why is it generally missing in the Church today?
Can anybody answer? I can, to God of course, only if I ask God to help me with having that kind of faith: Mark 11:20-24 ,This I think, can only happen when I examine myself.
There again, What IS Faith?
The apostle Paul declared, “Now Faith IS the substance “realization” of things hoped for, the evidence [or, confidence] of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Heb.11:1-3).
Faith is the substance or reality of belief – conviction – assurance. Faith is BELIEVING that what God says in His Word is TRUE, and can be relied upon – even unto death! Job expressed this thought and conviction when he said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15). That shows REAL faith, doesn’t it?
Job also declared in persuaded conviction, “For I KNOW that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last upon the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another” (Job 19:25-27). Job was firmly convinced of the existence of God, and believed that he would see Him one day, and be redeemed and saved by Him.
Faith then is simply belief, or strong conviction, that what God says is true and what He says He will do, He will do without doubt or question!
But how can we increase our faith? I think by asking God to increase our Faith.
The KEYS to Greater Faith
The apostle Paul gives us the fundamental key to greater faith and conviction. He wrote, “For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things” (Rom.10:13-15).
Paul concludes, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (verse 17).
Christ Himself put it this way: “SEARCH the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39). In other words, STUDY the Bible! Pour over it! Meditate upon it daily, constantly! This is the way to increase your faith!
As king David wrote, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he MEDITATES day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2).
Mark 9:1-49 Esp. The Boy with an Evil Spirit: verses 14-29
Mark 9 BSB
Love Always, Walter
Last edited:
