How to increase your faith

golfjack · Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2005 8:33 am Post subject: How to increase your faith

I believe that every believer has been given a measure , the same measure of the God kind of faith. Ephesians 2:8 tells us that faith is a gift from God. Romans 12:3 tells us that God hath dealt every man the measure of faith. Notice that God has done it (past tense). It's not something that he is going to do. We are not trying to get faith. We are not praying for it. We have it. Every believer has a measure of the God kind of faith. You see, God gets everyone started off the same way. Then your faith grows according to what you do with it. Many people have done what the fellow in the Bible did with his one talent (Matt. 25:25). They just kind of wrapped their faith in a napkin so to speak. They haven't used it all. So you see that this measure can increase, but you are the one that increases, not God.

What did Jesus teach about faith in His earthly ministry? In Matt. 4:4, Jesus is using a natural human idea to convey a spiritual thought. He's saying that bread is to the body, as to the Word of God is to the spirit, or to the heart, of man. We need to feed our faith on God's Word. But we also need to exercise our faith, because your faith muscles will be flabby. They won't be able to do much spiritually when it comes to moving mountains in our lives. We can feed on God's Word and thereby feed our faith, because God's word is faith food. In Romans 10:8, Paul called the message he preached the word of faith, because the Word will cause faith will cause faith to come into our Hearts. Romans 10:17. God's Word will build assurance, confidence, and faith in our hearts.

Therefore, it's up to us what we do with the measure of faith God has given us. When the storms of life come we will have strong faith, but the person who did nothing with his faith will have weak faith. Faith can grow exceedingly (2 Thess 1:3). There are many statements that Jesusade about faith: Luke 12:28, Matt. 14 14:28-31, Romans 4:19 talks about weak faith. romans 4: 19 talks about strong faith.

There are very many scriptures about faith. I would appreciate to hear from my fellow believers about this important topic.

May God bless you all

JESUS IS LORD! golfjack

paul valentine · Tadpole Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 21

hi golfjack,
okay, i'll bite...(but just a little bite to start, as you say, this is a vast subject). but, here's a few thoughts/observations about faith.

faith is hard. it contradicts our created substance. i don't believe when God created adam and eve that there was such a thing as faith. faith wasn't necessary because God walked in the garden with adam and eve in the evening. God created us with our senses, sight, smell, hearing, touch, taste and when He was done with creating said "it is good". but then we sinned and the chasm between God and man was present. so God, in His mercy, created a vehicle and called it "faith", a "substance" that He gives so we can believe in Him even though our senses don't experience Him like adam and eve did in the garden before sin entered the picture.

faith is one of the big three that "remain" (ICor.13:13), apparently one of the lessor cords of the three fold cord of faith, hope and love. this is a huge subject.

i think most of what is called faith today, is not. it's tricky. it is only natural that we want to experience God with our senses...(flesh), but the way God has provided is through faith..."the righteous live by faith, not by sight..." sight being the senses. i think it's easy to abandon faith for "sight". we tend to go one of two directions:emotions ("feeling" Gods presence, etc. the key being "feeling" instead of faith) or mental (seeing God through understanding, intellect. funny how we say when we understand a thing that we "see"). not that i think there's anything wrong with feeling or seeing, emotions or intellect...God created both, but things changed after sin entered the world, so our feelings and emotions aren't untainted and trustworthy. Jesus told Thomas, "blessed are those who believe having not seen". it's quite a study to start discerning between what it really emotion, intellect and faith. Many look for miracles, and have not because they ask amiss. asking so it can be consumed by our desire ("lust"kjv), that desire or lust is for God to demonstrate to our senses that He is (rather than our believing that He is through the gift He gave us, faith). Others look for evidence that demands a verdict (sorry Josh), or reasons (intellect) to believe that God really is. Again, I don't think intellect or emotions are a bad thing, we're just not supposed to walk by them....but we mostly do.
paul

FFT · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 12:06 pm Post subject:

"How to increase your faith"

Hm.

"Mind-expanding" psychedelics.
_________________
When Science was in its crib, Religion tried to strangle it. When Science was in its infancy, Religion tried to abuse it. Now that Science is grown up, Religion wants to be in its good graces.

Theology is philosophy/ethics for people who already know what conclusion they want to come to.

golfjack · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 12:12 pm Post subject: faith

Hi Paul, thank you for your comments. I have read some of your posts and enjoyed them. The Bible says that faith is the substance of things hoped for, of things not seen. The substance is God's Word in the Bible, Things hoped for, is the spoken word that proceeds out of the believers mouth. This is how we get saved. Yes, the saints try to complicate faith by only going by their emotions, but I believe we should go by what God has said in his Word. It's quite natural to doubt in ones mind (soulish area). Can we be healed by saying I AM HEALED BY THE STRIPES OF JESUS? You bet. Being in the ministry, I have seen this many times. The problem I see in the Body of Christ is that when gets healed, they go back to their churches and the Pastor says that it is only in your head. I will gurantee you that they will lose their healing by having doubting Thomas faith. God speaks to the heart or spirit of man. Remember, when God made man and woman in the image of Himself. You see, we are spirit, that possesses a soul, and have a body covering. The Bible says that spirit man is the candle of the Lord that searches all the inward parts of the belly. I am starting to ramble here, but I believe it is important to understand that we have a three fold nature. The only thing that God's responds to is the faith that is produced in our hearts that produces a seed (Word of God), and then grows into a physical manifestation. Bottom line, when we get something in our minds, and deposit it into our hearts, then it produces a seed of healing (physical, emotional, spiritual). Just find the Word that God wants to use to accomplish in one's life. John 10:10 tells us we can have an abundance of life. I am a kind of person that always will speak the Word of God for things that I want. Now, this doesn't mean I am going to get a million dollars. That is amiss.

Hope to hear back from you.

May God bless, golfjack

FFT · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 12:30 pm Post subject:

paul valentine · Tadpole Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 21

Hey FFT,
probably won't find to many advocates for "mind expanding psychedelic drugs" on this site (okay i'm new here, so it's a wild guess). actually the bible in the greek text addresses this in a couple of places (i think kjv translates it as witchcraft in Revelation) and er...strongly recommends against it. re the placebo effect, there are documented cases of people being healed with placebo, which would lend some strength to the argument of believing being effectual. but i suspect you're mostly teasing, no?
paul

FFT · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 3:24 pm Post subject:

paul valentine · Tadpole Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 21

Hi golfjack,
I hope you will be okay with some disagreement on a few things? I don't think that verse is actually saying that "the substance is God's Word in the Bible", but that faith itself is an actual substance. But maybe i misunderstand what you mean. I know the Bible says that "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God", so i see a connection there. the Bible as we know it has only been available to the general public for a few hundred years, and still is not available in many countries that repress Christianity, yet ironically, faith often flourishes in these places. I actually believe that faith is this independent stuff that is a gift from God enabling people to believe in Him. It's "impossible to please God without" faith, i figure that's because faith is one thing that comes only from God, we can't conjure it up, when it is truly in operation it is the witness to others that God is.
I don't believe that all will be healed by saying I AM HEALED BY THE STRIPES OF JESUS. And perhaps i misunderstand you, you may not believe that 'all' will be healed by invoking a formula. I guess the best example i can think of would be Paul. He had a thorn in the flesh that God would not remove because there was something greater at work, ie a demonstration of Gods grace in Pauls life, which i would think took faith for Paul to endure. Consider that it only takes a "mustard grain of faith to move a mountain", i would sugest it takes more faith to leave the mountain there (because a moved mountain would be proof which would negate faith for many). Abraham had righteousness imputed to him because of his faith, he believed never having received what was promised him by God. I'm not suggesting that people don't get healed or shouldn't ask for it, just that misplaced hope is harmful. hope in a result rather than in the person of Jesus. David instructed "my soul wait thou only upon the Lord for from Him is my expectation/hope", and Paul said that hope placed anywhere else will be disappointed. If Abraham can serve as an example, it's a good thing He believed God and not the promise...there was more to things involved than met the eye (sight), To put it another way, many have lost their "faith" because they believed for a miracle and didn't get it, even based it on Gods word (again i site Abraham as prescedence), a indication of misplaced hope, and consequently, misplaced faith. Since God sees our hearts He knows that what we think is faith, often isn't (just the opposite really) and in His grace does not give us the miracle so our belief won't be misplaced.
paul

paul valentine · Tadpole Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 21

FFT,
..."so because the placebo effect works, people should believe in God.."
actually, if you read what i've written about faith here you'll see that i don't think it's faith when someone basis belief on some event, healing or otherwise.

why would anyone take your suggestion to lose brain cells? what substance do you bring to the table in such a statement that would make one take you seriously? if you're flip with people it only seems like a superior attitude.

"normies" sounds like you mean to be derogatory. why do you make such a judgement with people who are probably virtual strangers?
paul

golfjack · Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2005 6:19 am Post subject: faith

Hi Paul, I don't mind if you disagree because I believe that people can learn from each other when studying the Word of God. Also, I think that we agree partly on this subject. Faith cometh by hearing (the hearing part could be a preacher, tract, book, and many other tools that God gives us as long as it lines up with the Word of God). Healing is a gift that God gives that is avaliable to every believer. I am not saying that all get healed. For example, if one is sick, he should go to a doctor because I believe God gives us many tools. We are not out of faith if we must take medication. What I am saying is some have what I call foolish faith. If a doctor says that there is no hope, then is the time to go to the great physician(our Lord Jesus Christ). Abraham has made the faith hall of fame mentioned in Hebrews 11. There are natural (Jews) and spiritual (believers) decendants of Abraham. Abraham just believed God and through his faith we today can receive many blessings. Yes, they are many Christians who are discouraged with God and fall out of fellowship with God for various reasons (not to be confused with our relationship with God).

In todays Church, I believe the Gospel has not been fully preached to us as it should have been. So believers aren't failing willingly. Remember Faith worketh by love (gal. 5:6). Most people in the faith message today are not missing it in their confessions. They are not missing it in knowing what the Word of God says. They are not missing it in believing the Word. However, they are missing it by not knowing how to walk in love. Faith is the hand that takes the things we need from God. Everything Jesus purchased for us on Calvary can be obtained by faith. This includes salvation, healing, the fullness of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, and victory over the world, the flesh, the devil, and all the powers of darkness. All of these things come by faith, but it must be faith that works by love.

As a servant of God, who is involved in the Word of faith Movement, I will always preach faith to God's people. I hope Word of faith doesn't scare you. There are some who discredit the faith message, like John Mcarthur, and many more, who in my opinion have a Calvanistic view on the Bible, but this doesn't bother me because I just don't have time to bother with heresy hunters.

Thanks for your responce, I hope I am not offending you. Hope to hear from you soon.

Have a great day in the Lord, golfjack

FFT · Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2005 6:52 am Post subject:

paul valentine · Tadpole Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 21

okay fft,
was just trying to engage you. you do come across as trite and superior to me (that may just be me being over sensitive), but in my mind those are just protection devices and i was interested if you had something to say. you're here, after all, so i assumed you might be interested. i'm not really interested in sparring here, sorry if i came across that way to you. best wishes
paul

paul valentine · Tadpole Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 21

golfjack,
i think you are right about love. i think love is probably the key to most things.
paul