Acts 14:9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, andperceiving that he had faith to be healed,

Acts 14:10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

Faith is a substance – a spiritual substance:

Heb. 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Unlike beliefs, which are thoughts, faith is an occurrence, a happening. You don’t think it; you experience it. It’’s a spiritual place you come to. You’’re either in it or out of it. It’’s a state of being not just a state of mind. Faith is as much a substance in the realm of God as money is in the realms of Earth. If you have it, you can receive or give healing.

Acts 14:9 …he had faith to be healed,

Matt. 10:8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons;freely you received, freely give.

Acts 3:6 But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene — walk!”

Faith is the only substance that allows people to operate in the promises of God. While beliefs help to focus you in on the truth of what Jesus has done for us, faith is what allows you to actually operate in it. Without being in the state of faith you cannot lay hold of God’s provision, no matter how accurately you believe in it.

Heb. 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

We are told to believe – be in a state of faith – concerning the fact that God desires to reward those that seek Him. And just what is it with which God rewards those who seek Him? Would it not be that very provision for which they seek Him?

Matt. 7:8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Matt. 7:9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

Matt. 7:10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

Matt. 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children,how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

It is absolutely sinful to see how some teachers and church keepers, talk people out of faith, redirecting them towards the doctrines of men, designed by doubters to comfort the disappointed. But those who are disappointed in their lack of answers to prayer, need to hear from people of faith, who can encourage, challenge and re-direct them. The last thing they need is some excuse-peddling spiritual social worker, who has no real faith to receive from God for themselves. If I’m not reaching God with my prayers and petitions, I want to be exhorted by someone who is. I don’t need to be excused by someone who never has!

Mark 10:51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.

Mark 10:52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

Jesus rewarded seekers who came in faith, with the petitions they sought. There’’s nothing to have to “explain” as long as that is what you preach!  What is so wrong with admitting that I was not in a state of faith when I prayed? We are more concerned with protecting our own spiritual reputation or the feelings of others, than we are in maintaining the integrity of God’’s Word. We’d rather have people believe that God mysteriously exercised some exclusionary provision of His Word, in order to avoid healing them, than to risk hurting someone’s feelings, by suggesting that they really weren’t “in faith” when they prayed.

Why not admit that you weren’t in faith when you prayed? That doesn’t mean that there’’s something wrong with what you believe. Nor does it mean that you don’t love God. Being in faith is not as easy as it sounds. Having beliefs is easy, but being in faith takes great focus and resistance against doubt. I would rather discount my own flawed nature than to diminish God’’s Word. For if we take away from the Word of God, just to accommodate our doubts, then where do we leave ourselves standing; but on the shifting sands of theological compromise? And where our theology steps back from the claims of Christ, it’’s at that point where God refuses to stand with us.

I’’d rather be uncomfortable making divine claims before doubting Christians than making theological excuses before the King of Truth!

Tomorrow, our conclusion, so until then……

Stay On The Path

Acts 14:9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, andperceiving that he had faith to be healed,

Acts 14:10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

Most people don’t believe God FOR things that they believe IN. They simply have beliefs but don’’t know how to exercise faith. In fact many Christians secretly harbor frustration connected with their faith because they have tried to get answers from God by believing IN those answers, but not believing FOR them. And when their beliefs don’t net answers for them it reinforces their doubts. But the Gospel of Jesus leaves us the promise that faith moves God, not beliefs. The Jewish leaders had tons on beliefs. They specialized in their beliefs – made science out of accurately cataloguing them. Yet they had no faith FOR God when He showed up. And therefore, they couldn’t receive from Him. Faith receives from God what beliefs only think about.

The Holy Spirit revealed to Paul, a word of knowledge that the crippled man sitting in the meeting, listening to him preach, “had faith to be healed”. Notice that it doesn’t say, “the crippled man believed in healing”. It doesn’t even say, “he believed Jesus could heal him.” It says he “had faith TO BE healed”. Belief in what God can do doesn’t mean that you have faith that He has done it for YOU. Beliefs can be abstract, and one can separate himself from what he believes. But real faith always connects the one doing the believing to what is believed for.

Amazingly Paul does not “perceive” a special grace for healing, entering the meeting, but instead he perceives the presence of “faith to be healed” entering the crippled man. The presence of “faith to be healed” triggers the healing, and not some special anointing that comes on Paul to heal the man. The Holy Spirit never miscommunicates. And it was no accident that the revelation He gave Paul focused on something going on in the heart of the crippled man. God didn’t show Paul that it was His special will to heal the man. Nor does He reveal to Paul that there was a special anointing to heal the man. Paul KNEW that it was God’’s will to meet true faith in Jesus and His Gospel, with the specific answer to that faith.

The grace for healing is always present when faith is active.

The Syro-Phoenecian woman - – Matt. 15:28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Woman w/ the issue of blood - Mark 5:34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

Blind Bartimaeus - Mark 10:47-52 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. …What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

But when people have no faith for God, He CANNOT DO ANYTHING….

Mark 6:4-6 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healedthem. And he marvelled because of their unbelief.

Paul stopped his message and commanded the man to be healed. He didn’t wait for an altar call. Because the man was in a “moment of faith”.

More tomorrow on the “moment of faith”. Until then……

Stay On The Path

Acts 14:9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, andperceiving that he had faith to be healed,

Acts 14:10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

Most people hold beliefs for which they have no personal faith. For example, they will be committed to the belief that God is good, but doubt that He wants to do anything good for them. They will believe that God can heal, but have no faith that He will heal them. They will base their beliefs on the divine concept of sowing and reaping, but have no confidence that they will ever reap a blessing from God. They will believe in prayer, and participate in it without any faith that God will answer them.

The most people have lost personal faith in their commonly held beliefs because they haven’t seen any manifestation of reality in their own life. This is why people become wearied with religion. They carry on with the rituals of beliefs, but can’t remember the last time, if ever, that they had a real experience with it. Some beliefs in Biblical Truth don’’t see any real manifestation because they are wrongly viewed. But many correctly held beliefs seldom see the light of reality simply because few people actually come to the place where they can truly embrace them with faith.

John 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.

Jesus tells the Pharisees that the work of God was to believe in Jesus. Well, the Pharisees were great believers in God. But had long since lost their ability to actually exercise any faith towards Him. Hence, they were incapable of receiving Jesus, when He came, though they had believed in Him all their lives. Ironic isn’t it?

Obviously the manifestations of some beliefs are relegated to the future: such as the belief in Heaven. You believe in Heaven but don’t expect to go there this weekend. That’’s fine, yet you believe in its existence and are convinced you’ll be there some day. But what about your beliefs that pertain to the here and now? Do you expect to see God manifested in the practices of your faith? Do you really harbor a living, thriving expectation within your heart and mind, concerning the promises of God when you act upon them? Or do you simply believe in them? If you read  …

1 Pet. 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

And you believe it’’s true, do you actually believe YOU were healed, when you pray for healing from a condition you’ve become afflicted with? If you do believe 1 Peter 2:24 concerning your own condition, are you able to have “faith to be healed” as the lame man did in our opening text? Or do you simply believe in the truth of the verse in principle?

The fact is that you are probably like most people: you believe the promise of scripture without having an immediate faith that God is going to do it for you, right now. Especially when it comes to extraordinary answers to overwhelming conditions, you are probably weighted down with a good deal of doubt. That would be normal. But Jesus invites us to believe His Words above the claims of the normal, the reasonable and the routine. Faith is super-normal. The faith of God, delivered to the believers by the Lord Jesus is by nature a challenge to the course of this world. Yet we hold our beliefs within the safe guidelines of reason, as defined by circumstances, rather than at face value – in the face of the One Who spoke them.

Matt. 17:18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

Matt. 17:19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

Matt. 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

We are more in tuned with our circumstances than we are with our God. And that is why we believe in Him and His Word, but don’t have faith for its manifestation in our own case. It’s a matter of who we are “with” the most.

Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

More tomorrow, so until then……

Stay On The Path

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path;

God…Is…Steady!

He doesn’t change His disposition of grace and goodwill towards us, who believe. His Face is turned towards us in favor and His mercy beams ceaselessly in our direction. There is no rotation in Him. He doesn’t go up and down. He has no emotional mood swings. Our Heavenly Father is so smart that He knows everything in the future as well as the present. Because of that, He thought out His positions very thoroughly before He expressed them. There will be no surprizes that will make Him change His mind towards you.

Psa. 89:33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.

Psa. 89:34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.

For years man mistakingly believed that the Sun moved around the Earth. While we were in the darkness of Night, we thought we had to wait til the Sun decided to rise again in the East, in order to have the benefits of it’s light and warmth. But eventually we learned better. We realized that WE KEEP TURNING AROUND not the Sun. It’s we who keep turning our back on the Sun. But the Sun never stops sending out it’s rays towards us. All we have to do to receive the benefits of the Sun’s light and warmth is to turn around and face it.

So many people are insecure in their trust of God because they have an image of Him that is taken from the examples of life and nature around us: everything changes…nothing remains the same. Their view of God is like the observers of the Sun hundreds of years ago. From the perspective of where they stood, the Sun revolved. It came and went. And many Christians view a God Who “comes and goes”, because they see Him from where they stand. They see Him from the inconsistency of their own changing attitudes. But once we saw the Sun from a neutral perspective the truth became evident: The Sun never changes positions. It faithfully shines out in all directions. Let’s stop super-imposing the shifting characteristics of nature upon our view of God. Let’s see Him in the larger light of reality. Let’s believe accurately, that regardless of our emotional fluctuations, our behavioral ups and downs, and personal inconsistencies, that the Lord has set Himself towards us in His Love and He will not revoke it.

James 1:17 ….Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

91 times the Bible states:

Psa. 107:1 ……for his mercy endures for ever.

What an amazing thought, that even when we fall short, and end up bringing hard consequenses upon ourselves, that our Heavenly Father has already taken the position that He is not sending judgment, or withdrawing in rejection; but He is facing us in His Love and mercy, and radiating His grace to help us!

2 Cor. 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Heb. 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Stay On The Path!

Jer. 20:8 For as often as I speak, I cry out; I cry, Violence and destruction! because the word of Jehovah is made a reproach unto me, and a derision, all the day.

Jer. 20:9 And if I say, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name, then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with forbearing, and I cannot contain.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

In the previous 2 devotions we saw from Mark 4:35-41 that God holds back from revealing our impending collision with trouble, as we follow the Word with which He has directed us. Yet it is for our benefit that approaching trials need not be anticipated. Instead He has taken responsibility for our care, preparing grace for us to overcome, when we meet with troubles. When He spoke to His disciples to enter the boat and journey with Him across to the other side of the sea, there was in that order, the prophetic implication, that they would arrive at the other side. The storm that was hidden from them at the outset, was an unavoidable trial which Jesus had already provided a bridge over.

The Prophet Jeremiah provides a classic example for us, when we encounter the unexpected and harsh reactions of a hostile world against our obedience to God’s Truth. Here is some background. See if you can relate to the elements of Jeremiah’s situation.

• From his youth, God had called Him and revealed a strong prophetic Word to Jeremiah. He was called as a “Prophet to the Nations”.
• That sounded VERY promising. Surely Jeremiah expected a ministry that would be appreciated by ALL who loved God.
• But the Word of the Lord God had put in Jeremiah, was one of reproof and warning to God’s people, and they hated him for it. This was NOT the reaction he expected. And he was miserable as the more he obeyed God, the worse his treatment by his peers became.
• Now dejected and feeling trapped by the Truth he knew was real, and surrounded by deceived people who had no regard for it, Jeremiah protests. He lays out his case to God:

1. 1. God used His irresistible powers of persuasion to enlist me into Prophetic Ministry.
   2. He never told me it would be like this and I was unprepared.
   3. Every time I open my mouth, His Word comes out as a reproof against the backsliders; and they plot harder against ME because of God’s Word.
   4. I tried to decide not to prophesy the Word of the Lord anymore, but the flames of passion that His Word has caused in my soul, just burst from my lips. I can’t keep silent because I am so convinced by what God has shown me. I’m ruined for any retirement!

In reality, God hadn’t forced His call upon him. He simply persuaded Jeremiah with the wonderful purity of His Truth. In receiving God’s Word, it became a flame of passion in Jeremiah’s life, and he had obeyed God implicitly. Contrasted against a culture of self-delusion and moral betrayal, Jeremiah held God’s Word like a fire in his heart. It’s purity and righteousness was beautifully superior to the contrivances of compromise all around him. It was as though he was feasting off the finest cuisine while all other men were licking dirt. Yet, there was one huge result, which God had elected not to tell him, upon which he had not counted. And that was the total rejection that he and his Word would be met with. Now they were plotting to eliminate him because of his message, and Jeremiah was devastated.

The Word that God had called Jeremiah with was beautiful, like a refiner’s fire. Yet, just like that refining fire, it brought a separation between him and his peers which Jeremiah didn’t expect. Nor had God warned him about the severity of their rejection. But, by keeping the trouble concealed from him till it actually happened, had God really sent him forth unprepared? The question remains to be answered, in the next step, so……

Stay On The Path!

Mark 4:36 Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him.

Mark 4:37 And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up.

Mark 4:38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

Mark 4:39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.

Mark 4:40 And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Mark 4:41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

From part one, “Through A Glass Darkly”…

Life is a series of “crossings to the other side”, all within our one life-long journey to eternity. With callings, God is drawing us forward, into His will. If He knows that it’s important for you to get into the boat and cross over to the other side, then it’s often in your best interest not to tell you about the storm that will arise in the middle of your journey. Otherwise, you may not be so willing to get in that boat. Or your trip might be filled with such anxiety, that you’re ready to abandon ship with every gust or wave. If we knew the trials and tribulations life’s choices would bring us to, we’d likely never make them. In 1 Corinthians 13:12 Paul writes:

1 Cor. 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

God condescends to our weakness, leading us with limited views of His will for us, until we are strong enough to see the whole picture.

And now, “Grace Is There”…

If God hides approaching trouble; if He chooses not to tell us of the tribulations that are waiting for us, as we pursue His will; then He has taken the responsibility upon Himself to provide grace for us to overcome them. Some get angry with God, accusing Him of leading them into miseries for which they were unprepared. But are we unprepared? What could the disciples have done more, to be prepared against the storm that would arise upon the sea that night? Sure; they might have waited till morning, or taken the land route. But the Lord DID say, “Let’s take the boat overÖ” In reality, they had all they needed to weather the storm right there in the boat with them. They had Jesus. And surely Jesus hadn’t led them out there to die; although that thought did occur to them:

Mark 4:38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

The fact is, that there was grace already prepared for them to overcome the threat of capsizing in the storm. It was right there in the command Jesus had given them:

Mark 4:35 On that day, when evening came, He said to them (His disciples), “Let us go over to the other side.”

Jesus didn’t say, “Let’s TRY and get to the other side.” And He didn’t say, “There’s a storm on the sea, but let’s see if we can make it through”. And He certainly didn’t say, “Let’s go out there and drown in the sea.” He actually used the phrase “go over”. And the disciples had their assurance that Jesus intended to “go over” whatever was between them and “the other side”.

Here is a key in detecting the grace God places in our circumstances:

Any command of scripture or directive from the Lord, is at the very same time, a revelation of your liberties and abilities in Him. Whatever He commands, YOU can do (through Him).

When He says, “Take up your cross and follow Me.” You have just been told what you are able to do. When Peter questioned Jesus about what they (the disciples) could expect as a result of leaving home and family to follow Him, Jesus responded by saying:

Mark 10:29 …Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospelís,

Mark 10:30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

When Christians face tribulations in their cross-bearing journey with Jesus, the Lord has already built in a Word of Grace, promising family, friends and provisions. Though persecutions will be present, these blessings of grace are promised also.

So why should the Lord burden us with the details of approaching trials and tribulations, when He has already prepared us with the promises of His provisions to focus upon? He knows we will need them. So are we truly “unprepared” for unseen troubles, if we have been given His Word of grace in advance? The answer lies with our responsibility to pay attention to what He says.

Mark 4:40 And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

The Lord had expected His disciples to mitigate their fears of the storm with His command to “cross over”.

In reaching the “other side”, there are unspecified trials, for which we have already been provided with necessary grace and deliverance. If we but only pay attention, the provision is in the very Word, upon which we commenced our journey.

More on reaching the other side tomorrow, so until then…

Stay On The Path!

Mark 4:36 Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him.

Mark 4:37 And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up.

Mark 4:38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

Mark 4:39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.

Mark 4:40 And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Mark 4:41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

Life is a series of “crossings to the other side”, all within our one life-long journey to eternity. With callings, God is drawing us forward, into His will. If He knows that it’s important for you to get into the boat and cross over to the other side, then it’s often in your best interest not to tell you about the storm that will arise in the middle of your journey. Otherwise, you may not be so willing to get in that boat. Or your trip might be filled with such anxiety, that you’re ready to abandon ship with every gust or wave. If we knew the trials and tribulations life’s choices would bring us to, we’d likely never make them. In 1 Corinthians 13:12 Paul writes:

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

God condescends to our weakness, leading us with limited views of His will for us, until we are strong enough to see the whole picture. He calls us to commitments of marriage, ministry, sacrifice and service. He gifts us with visions and anointings for high purposes. And He often withholds from us the frightening details of our mission’s encounters. God has calculated that, if trouble must be faced, it need not be anticipated. For he knows that He has hidden grace in each occasion, sufficient to overcome.

In Mark 4:35-41, His disciples are simply told:

“Let us go over to the other side.”

The terrible storm that nearly capsized the boat is kept from them. All they need to know is that they are travelling with Jesus, over to the other side. If we knew how often we’d regret marriage, or children, or choices in companions, vocations, churches or ministries. If we knew that in the midst of a commitment we made by the Lord’s leading, that we’d regret ever embarking on the journey; we’d have serious second thoughts, and in many cases, we’d never make the right decision. If God had to issue disclaimers and get us to sign off on waivers, rather than to trust Him, the fact is frankly speaking, we’d probably never really follow Him. The dread of tribulation and trials would be too much for us. If we knew that before it was all over we might lose friends, loved ones, social standing, popularity and acceptance, we’d probably never take those first steps in response to God’s call. The fear of loss would be too much to overlook, in order to see the greatness and glory of His ultimate purpose in reaching the other side.

But ask any Christian veteran, who has stayed the course of spiritual warfare through life’s journeys, and they will tell you the same story of God’s power and glory revealed in the midst of the storm-tossed sea.

More on Getting To The Other Side tomorrow, so until then…

Stay On The Path!

Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

True faith is not inactive. When people in the Bible were moved with real faith there was ALWAYS some manifestation of it. Faith usually wants to express itself through some corresponding act or profession. Let me quote a statement from my devotional, “Faith Is Not Invisible”:

Belief can run deep and quiet, but faith declares the glory of God. People who are under the influence of faith and in a state of believing God for something He has promised, usually make some kind of statement by their words or actions.

To bottle up your profession of faith is to stop short the work of God, which He would do on your behalf and for His glory.

Matt. 9:2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

You have beliefs and may be very sincere about them. But it’s possible that you could never act upon what you believe. Many people believe that Jesus delivers but when they get into situations they always handle things in a typical carnal fashion, and simply “wish” or hope that God would deliver them. They never actually seek God for deliverance, exercising their faith to act upon His Word. Faith ALWAYS has its eyes on the answer instead of the trouble. So then faith will ALWAYS want to respond to the negative threats of a bad situation, with a positive act or profession. Since faith comes from God, it is godlike in character and will NEVER sound defeated. It will always, always, always insist upon expressing zealous confidence in God’s answer to the threat. So sharply distinct is the positive response of faith to the fearful reports of bad news, that faith often sounds crazy in light of circumstances. Consider Jesus’ advice to Jairus upon hearing that his daughter had died:

Mark 5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

Mark 5:38 And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.

Mark 5:39 And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.

Mark 5:40 And they laughed him to scorn.

The mourners thought Jesus was mad. Yet Jesus would often direct people to perform certain acts in connection with receiving their healing. These acts would have no apparent role in producing the healing, yet like pathways for faith, they became roads that led the seekers right into their deliverance:

In 2 Kings 5 Elisha told Naaman the leper to dip 7 times in the Jordan River and he would be healed, and he was.

In John 9 Jesus made clay from spit and dirt, stuck it in the eyes of the blind man and told him to wash at the Pool of Siloam; and he was healed.

In Matthew 14 Peter saw Jesus walking on the water. He asked permission to leave the boat and join Jesus. Emboldened by Jesus simple invitation to “Come”, Peter climbed over the side and began striding towards Jesus on the water. Proving that faith in the word from Jesus, “Come” was really what was holding Peter up, he instantly sank when he looked at the circumstances and began to sink.

If people’s faith was hampered by pride, fear, anger or unbelief, a reluctance to perform the corresponding act or profession of faith would hold the person back, and they’d fail to receive. Consider this story from 2 Kings ch 13, of King Joash seeking God’s deliverance from the Syrians, through the Prophet Elisha.

2 Kings 13:17 And he said, “Open the window eastward,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot,” and he shot. And he said, “The LORDís arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them.”

2 Kings 13:18 And he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them.” And he struck three times and stopped.

2 Kings 13:19 Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.”

The Prophet had already pointed out that the arrows represented the King’s victory over the Syrians. But then when he told him to take action, by striking the ground with the arrows, though the Prophet had already defined the significance of the arrows, King Joash wimped out, and reluctantly struck the ground 3 times. But God knew that just as it would take more than victorious battle over the Syrians in order to defeat them, He also knew that King Joash simply lacked the faith and zeal to receive the victory. We don’t know if he felt too foolish, was too fearful, or just where his lack of faith came from. But whatever it was, he let it keep him back from ACTING IN FAITH. The carnal mind says, ‘That’s foolish. I don’t have to do that to be healed.” Yet what the carnally minded fail to realize is that, while it’s true that the “acts of faith” aren’t necessary for God to do His work, THEY ARE NECESSARY FOR OUR FAITH TO DO IT’S WORK!!

It should be evident that people shouldn’t run around just dreaming up silly symbolic gestures of faith, thinking that these will make God move on their behalf. I knew a man who tried to walk on water during his lunch break at work. He got wet up to his neck, in front of all his co-workers. Yet more common is the danger of overly sophisticated thinkers, who are “too reasonable” to take the steps the Lord leads them to take, because they seem silly. However remember what the scriptures say about the first miracle Jesus performed, turning water into wine at the wedding feast:

John 2:11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

The rational thinker would argue that Jesus, being God, can simply turn water into wine and doesn’t need our help. He could make it squirt from fountains in the ground or just appear in their glasses. We don’t have to do anything to help Him. Yet that first miracle of Jesus began with this:

John 2:5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, DO IT….

John 2:7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

John 2:9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine…

God’s faith, residing in you, is a lot less concerned with what seems rational, than it is with, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, DO IT“.

Stay On The Path!

Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

The Douay and the Geneva Translations of the Bible renders Mark 11.22 as,

And Jesus answering, saith to them: Have the faith of God.

The Bible In Basic English (BBE) translation says,

…Have God’s faith.

While most translations agree with the King James, “Have faith in God.”, some translators have brought out the idea of actually possessing and using “the faith of God”, or “God’s faith”, in the meaning of Jesus’ words. It is certainly true that we are to put our trust in Jesus and make Him the object of our faith. But it’s also correct to say that we are to use faith that HE GAVE US with which to do that. In other words, God expects us to use the faith which he has supplied us with, when it comes to believing Him for His promises. For everyone who has ever had trouble believing God for His provision, whatever it is, THIS is something you NEED to hear!

You cannot receive the promises of God’s Word, and benefits of the Covenant, with your own humanly devised faith. You must use faith that originates with God Himself, which He Himself has given you to use!

Consider these verses in light of the previous statement:

Rom. 12:3 …according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Gal. 2:20 …And that I live now in the flesh: I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and delivered himself for me.

Heb. 12:2 Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leaderand the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection].

Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing”. If faith “comes”, where does it come from? From God. Romans 12:3 is clear: God give to each one “the measure of faith” with which to believe.

Now believing isn’t so difficult when you learn to develop and use the “faith of God”. Our human ability to believe is overrun and swamped by the staggering promises and grants of the God’s covenant with us. Yet, if you learn to look to Jesus and His Word, HE will “develop” and hone the faith He has blessed you with (Hebrews 12:2). His faith operating in you, has no problem believing the Word. Helping you to believe and act upon God’s Word is exactly why the Holy Spirit gave it to you.

Jesus is called the High Priest of your profession of faith, in Hebrews 3:1.

Heb. 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

Heb. 3:1 …give thought to Jesus the representative and high priest of our faith; (Douay)

Jesus is active, as your High Priest, according to the words of your mouth. What you say from your heart is very important to God.  Jesus is the source of your faith, your heart is the home of your faith and your tongue is the tool of your faith. We either create access or resistance to Jesus’ ministry as our High Priest, by what comes out of our mouth. He is the “High Priest of our confession of our faith”. Think about it; you open or close the door to the Lord’s ability to bless and help you with your tongue. No wonder the Psalmist said:

Psa. 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

True faith will ALWAYS declare the reality of a situation as God sees it rather than just reporting on the circumstances. In order to get Abraham to agree with Him, God not only gave him a Word and vision promising that He would make him the father of many nations, but He also changed his name to “Abraham, Father of many nations”. This way, Abraham would have to confess what God had told him, every time he gave his own name: “I am Abraham, Father of many nations”. In describing this, Paul said of God in Romans 10:17,

“…(God) calls those things that be not as though they were.”

The fact that Jesus is Lord will never be successfully disputed ever, anywhere. Yet whether or not He is able to exercise all the benefits of His Lordship, on your behalf; blessing you with healing, comfort and provision; will all be determined by the flow of faith or unbelief from your lips. Declaring that Jesus is Lord is one thing, but letting His faith fill your heart and overflow your lips will lead to demonstrating His Lordship.

Another step of faith tomorrow, so…

Stay On The Path!

Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

True faith is not blind faith, and neither is it dumb or invisible. When people in the Bible were moved with real faith there was ALWAYS some manifestation of it.

Matt. 9:2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

The most common way that faith is manifest is through some verbal profession. In the Bible these were not religious affirmations but spontaneous expressions. The believer’s heart would be filled with faith, usually upon hearing Jesus or the Word of God. Then faith, as it rose up in them, would inspire them to act or speak accordingly. Then their words or actions were like staking a claim to a treasure.

Mark 5:28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

Luke 5:19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling (the roof) with his couch into the midst before Jesus.

Luke 5:20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

Often, the words or actions that faith would lead us to express, seem nutty or irrational to those around us. But consider that even Jesus would tell people to go and do peculiar things in connection with obtaining their healing. The reasons were simple. He knew that faith needs to take action and not remain as unexpressed abstract belief. So Jesus would direct people in an action that would allow their own expectation to arise.

John 9:6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,

John 9:7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

Obviously there was no healing virtue in the waters of that pool, nor was there any special healing-activator in the water, for Jesus had healed many without using any water from that pool. BUT there was a kind of activator in the faith of the blind man, which evidently rose within him as he acted on the words of Jesus. Faith is NOT invisible or silent. It seeks for expression. That is why faith glorifies God; because it isn’t silent. Belief can run deep and quiet, but faith declares the glory of God. People who are under the influence of faith and in a state of believing God for something He has promised, usually make some kind of statement by their words or actions.

To bottle up your profession of faith is to stop short the work of God, which He would do on your behalf and for His glory.

Consider again our text from Mark 11:23

Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he says shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he says.

Notice that Jesus mentions believing one time:

…but shall believe that those things…

However, He mentions saying 3 times:

…whosoever shall say unto this mountain…

…those things which he says shall come to pass…

…he shall have whatsoever he says.

True faith will ALWAYS talk crazy (by worldly standards) in the face of obstacles. God called childless Abraham, “The father of a multitude”. Jesus called unstable Peter, “a rock”. Peter told the lame man he could give him the power to walk and then pulled him to his feet. And yet, it’s not that faith works if you talk boldly, but rather that if faith is working you will talk boldly. Faith isn’t “fake it till you make it”, by just spouting brazen confessions. True faith doesn’t originate in the mouth but in the heart. Yet, it’s absolutely clear that when the heart is generating true faith the tongue MUST cooperate with the appropriate confession.

Rom. 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved (saved, healed and delivered);

Rom. 10:10 for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation (saved, healed and delivered).

To bottle up that profession of faith, or to fill your mouth with doubt-filled talk and complaining, will most certainly take the life out of your faith; and the mountain will just stand there and laugh at you. Remember that God is glorified through your faith because its profession from your lips let’s the world know Who’s doing the blessing on your behalf!

Tomorrow, another important step; so until then…

Stay On The Path!

Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

From, “How Can I Believe?”:

The secrets to faith are discovered in the WHAT, WHY AND HOW to believe. We’ve covered, WHAT and WHY. If you’re solid on those points you can now look at HOW to believe and these principles will work for you. First let’s make a simple statement that will sum up the ‘HOW TO’ part of faith:

Fix your faith on something YOU CAN believe.

True faith is not blind faith. There is no such thing as believing that something will happen, without your faith stemming from some reasonable expectation. In other words, faith is NOT believing in magic. The true nature of faith is that you believeIN or BECAUSE OF something. It’s not believing without a reason. That is “wishing”, and wishing lies in the realm of fantasy, not reality. If faith were a science, this statement would be part of defining its function:

Your heart will not exercise real faith without being convinced of a credible reason for believing.

Spend a few minutes thinking about that. You will realize that there is no such thing as “blind faith”. Blind faith is believing without any reason for believing, or believing without looking at something. Jesus NEVER endorsed the idea that anyone should blindly believe; or believe without looking at something. He ALWAYS gave us something to look at, something to fix our faith upon. The problem that everyone has, who has ever had trouble believing Jesus, is that they don’t look at what He’s given them to fix their faith upon. Jesus has given us His Word, backed up with faithful demonstrations, for us to look at and fix our faith on, in order to believe. Picture this for yourself personally: Jesus sits in front of you, takes your hands, looks into your eyes and says, “I have come to take your sins, all oppression, disease and pains. It is your Heavenly Father’s perfect will, as His child, to be healed, well and whole.” Then consider that He has backed up that promise by demonstrating absolute faithful consistency in healing and delivering EVERYONE that ever came to Him in the Bible. THAT is what God wants your faith to look at and see! The Bible actually teaches (Hebrews 12:2) that your faith is developed while you LOOK away from all distractions and focus completely on Jesus’ Word and work:

KJV Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith

AmpB Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader andthe Source of our faith

GWord We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith

Consider then, what it takes to have faith, true “mountain-moving faith”. You don’t have to know how to make a mountain move. Just LOOK at Jesus; HEAR what he has said; UNDERSTAND it clearly without doubting, BELIEVE He has accomplished it, and then act upon it. God is the One Who will do the work. In most cases He has already done the work and made the provisions. They wait only for faith to appropriate them. So the only time faith is blind is when it’s not looking at Jesus, doesn’t see the Answer, and in that case it’s simply wishing. Faith is ‘blind’ when it looks at people or circumstances for the answer because it will never see anything that will give it life. But when you LOOK at Jesus and really hear His Word faith’s eyes will open and you will see healing, provision, deliverance and salvation. And when your faith sees it then know that mountains were moved that you might have it!

Tomorrow faith takes a few more steps.  So until then…

Stay On The Path!

Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

From, “Secrets Of Faith”:

There is nothing more essential to the Christian walk than faith. If you can operate in genuine God-like faith, then all Heaven is opened to you. If you can’t seem to get from blind wishing to focused faith, then all the promises of God’s Word will do you little good in this life. To speak with God you must know His language, faith. Every praise, plea, complaint and petition will be heard by God when expressed through faith. But the most brilliantly crafted legal case will fall on deaf ears if it’s argued before God without faith.

Way too many Christians are frustrated and confused about faith. They don’t understand the difference between believing in God and believing God. This simple focus will help:

God does not want you only to BELIEVE in Him but to FOLLOW Him.

John 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Knowing what God wants does not bring joy. Doing what He wants does. Essentially, faith is what it takes to do what He wants. Faith is ACTING on the Word that you believe in. It’s one thing to believe God has promised to meet your needs. But it’s entirely another to live by Faith. That is, to seek after and follow the Lord, trusting in Him (His Word), praying and actively believing God for your provision. In this context you can’t have one REASON for living that’s other than pleasing the Lord, and then occasionally believe God and expect provision and answers from Him that lie outside of pursuing His will for your life. Real faith that receives from God always, always, always has God’s will as its REASON for believing. Look carefully at1 John 5:14-15 from the Amplified Bible.

And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us.

And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.

It pleases the Lord and glorifies Him when He is able to deliver, answer and provide for His children as they follow Him and act upon His Word. Every time the faith of an obedient Christian is met with divine provision, God is glorified and shown to be faithful to His Word. Knowing that God is glorified by fulfilling His Word to you, through your obedience, is good enough REASON for you to believe God. Consider 2 Corinthians 1:20…

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

That is only one of many verses that tell us that God is glorified when we act upon His promises. Notice Paul said that God being glorified happens through us, as we believe and appropriate ALL the promises that are already approved for us in Jesus. Now there’s a REASON that faith will take hold of.

Here are a few examples of our REASONS for believing affecting our faith:

Mark 10:35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.

Mark 10:36 And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?

Notice that Jesus didn’t turn them away for confidently approaching Him with their desire. Let’s continue.

Mark 10:37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.

Mark 10:38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

Mark 10:39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:

Mark 10:40 But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.

Their request would be partially granted, in as much as they will sit with Him in glory. But the ultimate request must be postponed because God has not yet offered it. We must ask for things for which we can find offers from God in His Word. Those offers extend a REASON for asking.

Here is an example of a disqualifying reason that would keep your desire from generating real faith:

James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Notice that James doesn’t say that the person asks for the wrong thing, or that he asks for some form of contraband. But that his motives, or REASONS, are for self-indulgence. Remember the basic rule:

Real faith that receives from God always, always, always has God’s will as its REASON for believing.

It is conceivable that God could bless another person with the very thing that this person was denied because of he is interested in his own will rather than the will of God.

Finally, from the Gospel of Mark, chapter 7, comes the remarkable story of the Canaanite woman, who sought Jesus for the deliverance of her possessed daughter. When Jesus pointed out that she had no basis (reason) to expect Him to answer her request, she responded with great humility and appealed to Him on the basis of His Lordship. That did it! Jesus said to her:

Mark 7:29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.

The Canaanite woman came initially with her own interests. Unselfish as they may have seemed, she had no thought of giving acknowledgment or glory to Jesus. She got nowhere. Jesus was turning her away because there was no faith; no REASON that He could respond to.

You MUST see this point.

But when she acknowledged that Jesus was the Lord of healing, her request and deep desire made a significant connection with the Heart of God. Her petition now began to bear down on the fact that Jesus was God, and that he was good, and that He was willing, and that was exactly what her desire needed in order to release true faith that would draw the miracle provision from the Master’s heart. It was absolutely God’s will for healing to meet her faith. And once her REASON lined up with glorifying Jesus, like a great nuclear reaction, faith fired from her heart, and Jesus responded!

Plant your desires on the altar of God. Some of them may not survive. But any wrong motives or immature reasoning will be reproved and corrected, so that you will be able to make adjustments. Those adjustments will always be efforts to get you to truly live for God’s will. Then let the glorification of Jesus Christ and the acknowledging of His Lordship, be your qualifying REASON for faith.

Tomorrow we explore another secret of faith. So until then…

Stay On The Path!

Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

From, “Secrets Of Faith”:

There is nothing more essential to the Christian walk than faith. If you can operate in genuine God-like faith, then all Heaven is opened to you. If you can’t seem to get from blind wishing to focused faith, then all the promises of God’s Word will do you little good in this life. To speak with God you must know His language, faith. Every praise, plea, complaint and petition will be heard by God when expressed through faith. But the most brilliantly crafted legal case will fall on deaf ears if it’s argued before God without faith.

Many people have beliefs without ever focusing any desire or exercising any passion for what they believe in. Their beliefs are more like immature expectations. In this series of devotionals we are not looking so much at what we believe in as we are looking into what we believe FOR. For example: you believe IN Jesus. But you seek and believe Him for specific things, such as: peace, healing, wisdom, provision, etc. In our discussions here, faith refers to what you are specifically asking and believing Jesus FOR. What I want to help you think about is, ‘WHAT specifically am I going at ask of God and have faith FOR; and HOW do I exercise my faith?’

David is a great example of faith. He was a common, young kid with an uncommon determination, when he began exercising his faith in God. The powerful ways that God used David and the answers to prayer that he experienced didn’t just fall out of the sky on him, because it was God’s weird, mysterious, unknowable will. The secret to David’s faith was very simple. So simple that every Christian today can walk in the same experience. It’s found in Psalm 27:4, where David said,

One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

First off, David didn’t just believe in the Lord. He DESIRED to be close to Him. Secondly, David SOUGHT AFTER the thing he desired. He didn’t just expect it to happen or wish for it. And because David sought after what he desired (which was to KNOW the Lord), he LEARNED about God by pursuing Him. That sharpened David’s faith because he studied God’s Word to learn about God. He learned it inside and out. He LOVED God’s Word. The entire Psalm 119 is perfect for seeing how David felt and acted towards God’s Word. But verse 24 in particular, show’s David’s heart towards the Word of God:

Thy testimonies (Words) also are my delight and my counselors.

He let God’s Word tell Him what to cherish and how to think about life. David learned about God specifically from His Word. He didn’t allow the culture around him to tell him how to think, act and live. But he took God’s Word as his advisor and counselor. God’s Word is His voice; and David let God talk to him through the Word. He took the time to meditate upon it and learned to understand God through His Word. Then as he applied what he learned in his own life, he gained experiences that helped develop his faith. Here is what David said in Psalm 19:7-11, about his own study of God’s Word:

The teachings (the Words) of the Lord are perfect.

They renew the soul.

The testimony (the Words) of the Lord is dependable.

It makes gullible people wise.

The instructions (the Words) of the Lord are correct.

They make the heart rejoice.

The command (the Words) of the Lord is radiant.

It makes the eyes shine.

The fear of the Lord is pure.

It endures forever.

The decisions of the Lord are true.

They (God’s Words) are completely fair.

They (God’s Words) are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold.

They (God’s Words) are sweeter than honey, even the drippings from a honeycomb.

As your servant I am warned by them (God’s Words).

There is a great reward in following them (God’s Words).

So you see, David’s faith started as a simple seed of belief, just like yours and mine. But David’s faith grew because he pursued God’s heart. He pursed it, not in a wishful, immature fashion. But he was disciplined and persistent enough to study God’s Word for the sole purpose of learning what God thought about things. He studied and fell in love with God. And God said David was a man after His own heart.

Your faith is the hand with which you receive provision and blessing from your Heavenly Father. Think of faith as the language that God speaks. Remember from the example of David, that faith is believing God for things that you have come to expect through reading His Word and acting upon it. So if faith is the hand that receives from God, then you must see that, simply wishing for God to do things, or expecting them to happen because you believe in God, is not faith. That’s actually more like asking God to prove Himself. There’s no desire for God on your part in just having beliefs and expecting things to happen because you do. But when you begin by nurturing a love for the Lord, and you pursue getting to know Him through His Word, then faith will begin to build on that foundation.

Gal. 5:6 For [if we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed andworking through love.

More on faith tomorrow. So until then…

Stay On The Path!

Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

From, “Secrets Of Faith”:

There is nothing more essential to the Christian walk than faith. If you can operate in genuine God-like faith, then all Heaven is opened to you. If you can’t seem to get from blind wishing to focused faith, then all the promises of God’s Word will do you little good in this life. To speak with God you must know His language, faith. Every praise, plea, complaint and petition will be heard by God when expressed through faith. But the most brilliantly crafted legal case will fall on deaf ears if it’s argued before God without faith.

Another ingredient of faith is REASON.

“I believe that I receive _________ when I pray, BECAUSE__________________________.”

God has made us to be reasoning souls. Therefore real biblical faith will not operate without a legitimate reason. Faith must answer the question, “WHY?” before proceeding on to agreement with God. To secure a desire which faith can lift before God for an answer, it must have a reason that satisfies God’s willingness and your hunger. The reason for your desire of faith must certainly agree with God’s purposes, which are more vast and allowing than you might think. But your reason must also have the witness of the Holy Spirit in your own heart. That inner witness is the endorsement of the Spirit and will inspire real faith in you. Then the anointing can get under your desire and lift it with that faith and confidence before the Father. When this happens, Heaven’s answer is assured!

1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

1 John 5:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

When faith is given a proper course to follow in our lives, the awesome possibilities for prayer are staggering! Just take a moment in light of this thought and consider this verse from the Apostle Paul:

2 Cor. 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

The best ‘reasons’ to believe God to provide for a particular desire are always found in the Word. The more we understand the Lord’s purpose for us, and delight in it, the more clearly our desires will be supported by a clear conscience of faith. It’s one thing for you to see that Jesus provided healing for you in the atonement.

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:24

But often times we still lack confidence that this promise is specifically for us, even though the Word clearly presents it.

example: You let personal feelings of inferiority or guilt, disqualify you as a candidate for healing. In short, your faith is shot down by your own misguided ‘reasons’. You let your feelings take precedent over the Word of God. So you now need to find a reason for WHY to believe for your healing. Even though you know academically, that God has provided it, you need a REASON. Here is where it’s so important to know God’s Word and have an understanding of His purposes. At this point, like a lawyer, you could piece together a case, siting the depth of your need and how deserving you are. The problem with that is simply that the anointing of the Holy Spirit within your own heart, is just not going to arise with confidence based on your own righteousness or need. The Holy Spirit moves in relation to one thing: Jesus’ glorification. So now, if you can find in God’s Word, where your healing will glorify Jesus, and get your mind around that motivation, you will see faith arise to receive God’s provision for your desire. Understanding that, what God has provided for you glorifies Him when you receive it, is itself a good reason to believe for it. Jesus carried your sickness and pain through 39 stripes upon His body, so that you could have access to His healing grace. Why then, would He endure such suffering, only to deny you access to the very faith He inspired in you? The desire to glorify the Lord by appropriating the covenant provision of healing he has made for you, is itself, the high qualifying reason that your faith is looking for.

Tomorrow we’ll continue. So until then…

Stay On The Path!

Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

From, “Secrets Of Faith”:

There is nothing more essential to the Christian walk than faith. If you can operate in genuine God-like faith, then all Heaven is opened to you. If you can’t seem to get from blind wishing to focused faith, then all the promises of God’s Word will do you little good in this life. To speak with God you must know His language, faith. Every praise, plea, complaint and petition will be heard by God when expressed through faith. But the most brilliantly crafted legal case will fall on deaf ears if it’s argued before God without faith.

The first secret of faith is DESIRE. You must aim your faith for it to be more than mere wishing. Faith will always look for a desire to focus upon. Jesus is Who you believe IN, but faith deals with what you believe FOR. You can believe IN Jesus, but if you’re sick, belief IN Jesus, will never bring healing. You must, through Jesus, believe FOR healing. That is faith. Faith seeks the object of your desire. God wants you to have desires. It’s how He leads you into His purposes.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

But not every desire will elicit true Bible faith. You may be surprised to learn that your faith is often disqualified, not because you have desired things that are against God’s will, but because they are not ACCURATE DESIRES on your part.

What is an “accurate desire” you might ask? It is the opposite of a shallow whim. It is a desire based in a thoughtful understanding of the need. It is a clearly reasoned desire. Think of it like this: often in life, people experience desires, even strong desires; but they ‘pop up’ and are not thought through, to see if they are genuine desires. Accurate desires are based in an understanding of one’s self and life around them. If you don’t understand yourself, particularly in the context of your relationship with God and life, then your desires will often be misdirected without leading you to any real satisfaction. God is very interested in answering your prayers for things that you desire, when you have those desires in the light of truth, reality, and an understanding of His will. You’d probably be surprised at how liberal and unafraid God really is, of “things” and prosperity. But He does not want to support deception, misunderstanding. Understanding is key in qualifying your desires:

Prov. 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Prov. 4:8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honor, when you embrace her.

When you take the time to consider your desires in the light of wisdom and understanding, you will then focus your desires on those things that youunderstand will bring you to where you truly want to be. God is not afraid of the desires in the heart of people who govern them by wisdom.

Psa. 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Our Heavenly Father is the God of purpose. He wants us to want His purposes for us rather than to serve Him out of detached religious formalism.

Psa. 27:4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

Faith is the spiritual language through which God speaks. It’s the current that He rides upon. The spirit of faith will only be present where true accurate desire exists. Where there is no desire there is never any faith. Faith is regulated by the level of our desires.

So what is it that YOU want? Remember, think deeply about what you truly want. The man who has had 5 jobs in 2 years and lost them, and is now unhappy in his present job and trying to believe God for a new job; he is probably not focusing his desire accurately. God may be perfectly willing to provide him a new job, but that is not really going to satisfy the man. What he truly wants is to understand why he’s been losing his jobs. When he focuses his faith on desiring wisdom for his situation, his faith will arise and meet God’s provision.

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

When you focus your desire on the things above…

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth…” Col. 3:1-2

…that’s when you will have faith for the things of God in your life. When Jesus is your highest desire, believing His Word will be your easiest work.

Tomorrow we look at the second secret of faith, so until then…

Stay On The Path!

Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

From yesterday’s devotional, “Secrets Of Faith”:

There is nothing more essential to the Christian walk than faith. If you can operate in genuine God-like faith, then all Heaven is opened to you. If you can’t seem to get from blind wishing to focused faith, then all the promises of God’s Word will do you little good in this life. To speak with God you must know His language, faith. Every praise, plea, complaint and petition will be heard by God when expressed through faith. But the most brilliantly crafted legal case will fall on deaf ears if it’s argued before God without faith.

The secrets of faith are found in WHAT, WHY and HOW you believe.

Let’s begin with “WHAT”.

What do YOU believe for? The question isn’t, ‘what do you believe in?’ but, what do you believe FOR. Assuming that your faith is IN Jesus, the question that faith must begin with is, “What do you WANT?” The secret to faith begins with DESIRE. What you believe in never has any bearing whatsoever in this world, nor does it threaten the citadels of Satan, until it influences what you believe FOR. Beliefs are for establishing memberships, but Faith is for MOVING mountains!

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

God is a Being of purpose and not simply a mindless formula or universal function. He has made us in His own image and we too, are purpose driven, and not simply human animals, grazing our lives away. Therefore both God and we are desire driven. We are beings of choice and sort our pursuits according to our desires. God has very clearly revealed Himself in priorities; and in doing so, He has wooed our desires. In short, God is not interested in responding to our correctness but rather to our genuine desires and passions for Him and His righteousness. Therefore, faith must begin with true focused desire.

Faith is not some ambiguous seeking of good luck at a divine wishing well. God does not want His people praying and believing for things that never come to pass. Everything in His Word tells us that He delights to answer our prayers and demonstrate His faithfulness through our faith. But too often we try to believe for things for which we have not made soul-searching consideration of. To often our failures to receive what we believe for are the result of shallow interest rather than reasoned desire. Lack of passion and commitment to our own requests disqualifies our faith as mere wishing in disguise. True faith presses in to see the mountains move because it can settle for nothing less.

1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

1 John 5:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

God is looking for passion from His people, instead of competition with shallow cravings. The divided heart cannot hold onto faith. Faith requires a firm, focused grip. The heart that distills it’s desire down to ONE THING, rather than trying to juggle 10 competing interests, will form one hand with which to receive from God. The first secret of faith is, learn to aim your desire. What God wants is of little benefit to your faith, (which is waiting to be launch by your desires), until it becomes WHAT YOU WANT.

Tomorrow we delve into the world of Desire, so until then…

Stay On The Path!

Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Welcome To The Light-Washed Path,

There is nothing more essential to the Christian walk than faith. If you can operate in genuine God-like faith, then all Heaven is opened to you. If you can’t seem to get from blind wishing to focused faith, then all the promises of God’s Word will do you little good in this life. To speak with God you must know His language, faith. Every praise, plea, complaint and petition will be heard by God when expressed through faith. But the most brilliantly crafted legal case will fall on deaf ears if it’s argued before God without faith.

Here are some important facts about faith:

God has given Every Christian.

Rom. 12:3 …according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Your faith can grow.

2 Th. 1:3 …your faith grows exceedingly

Your faith can increase with use.

Luke 17:5 Lord, Increase our faith.

Faith can come to you by hearing God’s Word.

Rom. 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Through faith ANYTHING in God’s Word is possible to you.

Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou can believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

Without faith you cannot possibly please God.

Heb. 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God

Faith based in Jesus, God will honor.

John 6:35 he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

John 6:47 He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

John 12:46 whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

John 14:12 He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do…

When all these statements from God’s Word are considered together, it becomes apparent that faith is a quality of the Spirit of God; and that it is produced by the effect of God’s Word upon a receptive heart. In short, the status of your faith can change dramatically from day to day, all depending upon the condition of your heart, relative to God’s Word. Two things are certain:

Number one: Apart from faith you will never relate with God. And,

Number two: In the face of all that God has provided, giving us access to His Spirit and Word, there is no excuse for the lack of faith.

With these things understood, let’s now begin to explore the Secrets of Faith. Here are a couple focus statements to help bring our attention to a point of proper reason:

Faith is not believing that ’something will happen’.

And…

Faith is not believing that ‘things will turnout OK, because I believe in Jesus’.

Instead, faith is asking God for something that you expect Him to give you, and are prepared to trust Him for.

In all fairness to reason, how could it be faith if we have no expectation? We may leave our minds open to the Creator’s provision, but to expect nothing is an indication of the absence of faith.

True biblical faith, the kind that Jesus asked us to have, and said would move mountains and obtain answers from the Father, is not unfocused, irrational wishing. But true God-like faith is the specific exercise of our covenant relationship with the Father through His Son Jesus. Simply put, faith is believing and acting upon the Truth. God loves to be approached with faith. The greater the faith, the greater His joy in responding. Our exploits of faith bring glory to Jesus, and further demonstrate His claims to have made us sons of God.

The secrets of faith are found in WHAT, WHY and HOW you believe. We are going to look at WHAT you believe for, WHY you believe it, and HOW you exercise your faith. We are going to take a walk through the science lab of faith and begin to examine what the secrets to successful faith are as well as what they are not.

To keep the all-important perspective, let’s remember, faith is the key to successfully talking with God! Tomorrow is Lesson One, so…

Stay On The Path!