Your Faith Activates God
The Bible tells us that, “the just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11).
Let us break down what faith is. Faith is believing the word of God and acting on
it. Speaking and living by what the word of God says. We have to look at our
example, which Jesus shows us, He said, “I only do what I have been taught of My
Father”.
The world will tell you that you are lying when you speak what the word of God
says, but just as the disciples of Jesus said to the ones who told them not to speak
any more in the name of Jesus; they answered in (Acts 4:18-20) “and they called
them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
But Peter and John answered and said to them, whether it be right in the sight of
God to hearken to you more than to God, judge you. For we cannot but speak
the things which we have seen and heard”.
The Bible says that “God cannot lie”, so when you speak what God says, you
cannot be lying. Remember that the devil is the god of this world, and wants to
blind your mind (II Corinthians 4:3-4), “if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that
are lost. In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which
believe not, less the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,
should shine to them”; the devil can control things in the natural realm; what you
see, hear, feel, touch, and smell. That is why we are told “to walk by faith and not
by sight” (II Corinthians 5:7).
Abraham is called the father of faith, he is an example for us; in Hebrews 11:17-19
the Bible says “by faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac and he that
had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. Of whom it was said,
that in Isaac shall your seed be called. Accounting that God was able to raise him
up, even from the dead; from where also he received him in a figure”. God had
told Abraham to “take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and get
you into the land of Moriah and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the
mountains which I will tell you of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and
saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son,
and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of
which God had told him”. Abraham held on to the promise that God gave him “in
Isaac shall your seed be”. And by faith in the word of God, he was able to take his
son and he was preparing to offer him up, when “the angel of the Lord called to
him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham, and he said, here am I. And He
said, lay not your hand upon the lad, neither do you any thing to him, for now I
know that you reverence God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only
son from Me” (Genesis 22:11-12).
Let’s look at Mary the mother of Jesus – she got a word of God from the angel
Gabriel (Luke 1:26-31), “and in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from
God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth. To a virgin espoused to a man whose
name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And
the angel came in to her, and said, hail, you that are highly favored, the Lord is
with you; blessed are you among women. And when she saw him, she was
troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should
be. And the angel said to her, fear not, Mary; for you have found favor with God.
And, behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call
His name Jesus”. As she believed it she said, “behold the handmaid of the Lord;
be it to me according to your word, and the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:38).
By her submission, God was able to use her in bringing forth His Son.
Jesus commended many by saying “your faith have made you whole”. The two
blind men (Matthew 9:26-30), “and the fame hereof went abroad into al that land.
And when Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying, and
saying, You son of David, have mercy on us. And when He was come into the
house, the blind men came to Him, and Jesus says to them, believe you that I am
able to do this? They said to Him, Yea, Lord. Then touched He their eyes,
saying, according to your faith be it to you. And their eyes were opened, and
Jesus strictly charged them, saying, see that no man know it”. They heard of the
mighty things that Jesus was doing, and believed that He was the Messiah.
The woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:25-29,34), “and a certain woman,
which had an issue of blood twelve years. And had suffered many things of many
physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather
grew worse. When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and
touched His garment. For she said, if I may touch, but His clothes, I shall be
whole. And immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her
body that she was healed of that plague. And He said to her, daughter your faith
has made you whole, go in peace and be whole of your plague”. Malachi 4:2
which says “but to you that reverence My name shall the Sun of righteousness
arise with healing in His wings, and you shall go forth, and grow up as calves of
the stall”; she understood that there was power in the hem of His garment; and
she reached out and touched it and was healed. She acted upon the word of God.
God does wondrous things (Psalms 72:18), “blessed be the Lord Yahweh, the
God of Israel, who only does wondrous things”. James says, “do not err, my
beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and
comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither
shadow of turning” (James 1:16-17). God is not a respecter of persons, but God
acts according to faith. Faith draws you to God like a magnet, which fear draws
you to the devil like a magnet.
The Bible says “so then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”
(Romans 10:17). When we walk by faith, we are walking according to the word of
God. Let us examine what we are hearing.
Ephesians 3:20 says “now to Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above
all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us”. That power is
our faith. I John 5:4 says, “for whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world,
and this is the victory that overcomes the worl, even our faith”. Ask yourself what
are you asking for? What are you thinking about and imagining? James said “you
have not because you ask not” (James 4:2).
Jesus also said, “ask and it shall be given you; seek and you shall find, knock and
it shall be opened to you. For every one that asks receives and he that seeks
finds, and to him that knocks it shall be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8). Jesus gives us
the key in (John 15:7-8), “if you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall
ask what you will, and it shall be done to you. Herein is My Father glorified, that
you bear much fruit; so shall you be My disciples”.
Hebrews 11:6 says “but without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he that
comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that
diligently see Him”. Ephesians 6:16 tells us “above all, taking the shield of faith,
wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked”. And
Revelations 12:11 says “and they overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the
Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives to the
death”.
God told Joshua “this book of the law; shall not depart out of your mouth, but you
shall meditate therein day, and night, that you may observe to do according to all
that is written therein, for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you
shall have good success”. The key is to find the word of God for your life in the
Bible, and speak what God says about it.
Take your eyes off of what you can do in the natural and meditate on what you
can do in Christ (Philippians 4:13), says “I can do all things through Christ which
strengthens me”. It’s not what you can do, it is what God can do through you
(Romans 8:5-11), “for they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh,
but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. for to be carnally minded
is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is
enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh,
but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have
not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead,
because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of
Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from
the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you”.
Jesus tells us “all things are possible to him that believes”. As you read the Bible,
believe what it says, because it will only work for those that believe.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: June 23, 2009
The Bible tells us that, “the just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11).
Let us break down what faith is. Faith is believing the word of God and acting on
it. Speaking and living by what the word of God says. We have to look at our
example, which Jesus shows us, He said, “I only do what I have been taught of My
Father”.
The world will tell you that you are lying when you speak what the word of God
says, but just as the disciples of Jesus said to the ones who told them not to speak
any more in the name of Jesus; they answered in (Acts 4:18-20) “and they called
them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
But Peter and John answered and said to them, whether it be right in the sight of
God to hearken to you more than to God, judge you. For we cannot but speak
the things which we have seen and heard”.
The Bible says that “God cannot lie”, so when you speak what God says, you
cannot be lying. Remember that the devil is the god of this world, and wants to
blind your mind (II Corinthians 4:3-4), “if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that
are lost. In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which
believe not, less the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,
should shine to them”; the devil can control things in the natural realm; what you
see, hear, feel, touch, and smell. That is why we are told “to walk by faith and not
by sight” (II Corinthians 5:7).
Abraham is called the father of faith, he is an example for us; in Hebrews 11:17-19
the Bible says “by faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac and he that
had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. Of whom it was said,
that in Isaac shall your seed be called. Accounting that God was able to raise him
up, even from the dead; from where also he received him in a figure”. God had
told Abraham to “take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and get
you into the land of Moriah and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the
mountains which I will tell you of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and
saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son,
and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of
which God had told him”. Abraham held on to the promise that God gave him “in
Isaac shall your seed be”. And by faith in the word of God, he was able to take his
son and he was preparing to offer him up, when “the angel of the Lord called to
him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham, and he said, here am I. And He
said, lay not your hand upon the lad, neither do you any thing to him, for now I
know that you reverence God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only
son from Me” (Genesis 22:11-12).
Let’s look at Mary the mother of Jesus – she got a word of God from the angel
Gabriel (Luke 1:26-31), “and in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from
God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth. To a virgin espoused to a man whose
name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And
the angel came in to her, and said, hail, you that are highly favored, the Lord is
with you; blessed are you among women. And when she saw him, she was
troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should
be. And the angel said to her, fear not, Mary; for you have found favor with God.
And, behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call
His name Jesus”. As she believed it she said, “behold the handmaid of the Lord;
be it to me according to your word, and the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:38).
By her submission, God was able to use her in bringing forth His Son.
Jesus commended many by saying “your faith have made you whole”. The two
blind men (Matthew 9:26-30), “and the fame hereof went abroad into al that land.
And when Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying, and
saying, You son of David, have mercy on us. And when He was come into the
house, the blind men came to Him, and Jesus says to them, believe you that I am
able to do this? They said to Him, Yea, Lord. Then touched He their eyes,
saying, according to your faith be it to you. And their eyes were opened, and
Jesus strictly charged them, saying, see that no man know it”. They heard of the
mighty things that Jesus was doing, and believed that He was the Messiah.
The woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:25-29,34), “and a certain woman,
which had an issue of blood twelve years. And had suffered many things of many
physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather
grew worse. When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and
touched His garment. For she said, if I may touch, but His clothes, I shall be
whole. And immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her
body that she was healed of that plague. And He said to her, daughter your faith
has made you whole, go in peace and be whole of your plague”. Malachi 4:2
which says “but to you that reverence My name shall the Sun of righteousness
arise with healing in His wings, and you shall go forth, and grow up as calves of
the stall”; she understood that there was power in the hem of His garment; and
she reached out and touched it and was healed. She acted upon the word of God.
God does wondrous things (Psalms 72:18), “blessed be the Lord Yahweh, the
God of Israel, who only does wondrous things”. James says, “do not err, my
beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and
comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither
shadow of turning” (James 1:16-17). God is not a respecter of persons, but God
acts according to faith. Faith draws you to God like a magnet, which fear draws
you to the devil like a magnet.
The Bible says “so then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”
(Romans 10:17). When we walk by faith, we are walking according to the word of
God. Let us examine what we are hearing.
Ephesians 3:20 says “now to Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above
all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us”. That power is
our faith. I John 5:4 says, “for whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world,
and this is the victory that overcomes the worl, even our faith”. Ask yourself what
are you asking for? What are you thinking about and imagining? James said “you
have not because you ask not” (James 4:2).
Jesus also said, “ask and it shall be given you; seek and you shall find, knock and
it shall be opened to you. For every one that asks receives and he that seeks
finds, and to him that knocks it shall be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8). Jesus gives us
the key in (John 15:7-8), “if you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall
ask what you will, and it shall be done to you. Herein is My Father glorified, that
you bear much fruit; so shall you be My disciples”.
Hebrews 11:6 says “but without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he that
comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that
diligently see Him”. Ephesians 6:16 tells us “above all, taking the shield of faith,
wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked”. And
Revelations 12:11 says “and they overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the
Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives to the
death”.
God told Joshua “this book of the law; shall not depart out of your mouth, but you
shall meditate therein day, and night, that you may observe to do according to all
that is written therein, for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you
shall have good success”. The key is to find the word of God for your life in the
Bible, and speak what God says about it.
Take your eyes off of what you can do in the natural and meditate on what you
can do in Christ (Philippians 4:13), says “I can do all things through Christ which
strengthens me”. It’s not what you can do, it is what God can do through you
(Romans 8:5-11), “for they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh,
but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. for to be carnally minded
is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is
enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh,
but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have
not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead,
because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of
Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from
the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you”.
Jesus tells us “all things are possible to him that believes”. As you read the Bible,
believe what it says, because it will only work for those that believe.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: June 23, 2009
