11 Things You Need To Know About Faith

Love you all, praying for you,

I just love God's Word.  It tells you what faith is, and how to grow it.  Praying that you will review the PRISM Topic - Faith.  It's really important!  Have you ever thought... "I just wish I could have more faith?"  You can!  11 Things You Need To Know About Faith.
 
#1 Without Faith it is impossible to please God.  Hebrews 11:6 – And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who diligently seek him.  Faith pleases God! 
 
#2 For by Grace are you saved through faith.  The first and biggest step of faith that pleases God is Salvation through Faith in Jesus Christ.  Why? Because He loves you, and doesn’t want anyone to perish (to be eternally separate from Him), because God and sin cannot co-exist.  Like oil and water, no sin can live with God in heaven.  Ephesians 2:8 – For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith – and (even) that is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works so that no one can boast.  God said "You must be born again."  All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  The wages of sin is death, but God’s gift is eternal life – through Jesus.  If you don’t put your faith in the death of Christ in your place to cover your sins… your sins remain.  And no sin can live with God in heaven.  One day judgment will come.  We will all stand before God and give an account of our life.   Hebrews 9:27 – For it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this, the judgment.  At that judgment, all those who believed and received God’s gift of Salvation through his Son, will live in heaven forever with Him!  And all those who rejected the gift of his Son - to make them righteous like God, will be forever separated from Him, in outer darkness (a place called hell, and ultimately the lake of fire).  That truth of Salvation - takes faith to believe, the devil calls it a lie.  Who will you believe?  Your belief doesn’t change reality, it remains no matter what you believe.  Faith is for something you don’t see yet, but accept and believe by faith.  You can deny gravity, but jump off a bridge, and your lack of faith won’t change reality.  God loved the world (you) so much that He gave his only Son, that whoever (anyone) that believes in Him, will not perish, but have everlasting life.  The second step of faith that pleases God… is being filled with the Holy Spirit He promised.  Do you have faith to be saved?  Do you believe what God promised?  Do you have faith to be filled?  Do you believe what God promised?  Jesus said, "Wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will receive power to by my witnesses."  That word means martyrs, you will receive power to live the new life that you have in Christ.  God said, wait for it. Don’t go without it. It takes faith to believe in the unseen.  You walk in the Spirit by being filled with the Spirit.  Luke 11:13 -  If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”  If you put your faith in Jesus for Salvation, (God wants you to! That’s why He sent Him) then put your faith in the Holy Spirit that He promised.  Be filled, and you will speak in a new language, He will lead you into all truth, you will have power, to walk in the Spirit so you don’t fulfill the desires of your old life.  The first two steps of faith that please God – Be Saved and Be Filled.  
 
#3 You have it, but you have to use it.  You already have it!  Romans 12:3 – For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly that you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.  God already gave you the measure of faith you need for what He has planned for your life.  Use it or lose it.  I might not need as much faith as you, but I have what I need, just like you do.  God gave it.  It’s our job to use it.  How do you get your faith stronger?  1) Soak In God’s Word:  Romans 10:17 – So then, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.  Be careful how you hear.  If you hear God’s Word, believe it.  The more you soak in His Word the more your faith can grow.  2)  Pray in the Spirit.  If you have been filled with the Holy Spirit – as Jesus promised the Father would send.  Then pray in the Spirit and build your faith!  Jude 1:20 – But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting expectantly for the mercy of our LORD Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 3) Obey – whatever your hear – obey it. God warned through Hebrews 4:2 – For we also received the good news just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they didn’t accept it by faith.  If you hear God’s Word to you, you have to do it, put your faith to it!  Or what He promised or told you is of no value to you.    4) PiVAT before dinner – God’s plans for you today – is His Word to you – by faith.  Just like His written Word in the Bible, He has a rhema word, a present word for you today.  He said "I know the plans I have for you."  He wants share them with you!  Ask Him, He’ll tell you - that’s PiVAT before dinner - Faith practice! It will grow your faith daily!  You have to believe that He told you, and what He told you, do it.  Then you’ll know, “Yep, that was Him. I obeyed and He blessed it.”  PiVAT grows your faith, it’s hearing and doing the will of God that He told you. Obedience always brings joy, but obedience brings testimony which becomes proof that He spoke, you did it, and He blessed it. That’s proof from the obedience that increases your faith.   
 
#4 Faith counts as righteousness.  It still does.  Abrahams’ faith in the promise of God – was counted to him as righteousness.  Our faith in the Son of God (that God said to put your faith in) is counted to us as righteousness – that’s how we become the righteousness of God – in Christ!  His righteousness gets assigned to us, our sin gets assigned to Him.  We get what He paid for.  We become the righteousness of God, through Jesus’ righteousness counted unto us. 
 
#5 It Doesn’t Take Much.  If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can tell mountains to move.  Matthew 17:20  He replied, “Because you have so little faith.  Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” God has given you the measure of faith you need, you just need to build it to the place where you can speak to mountains.  It doesn't take much... you have what you need.
 
#6 – God is impressed by faith, not talent or money.  Even though all three came from God. Matthew 8:8 – The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.  But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me.  I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes.  I say to my servant, “Do this," and he does it.”  When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” Do you want to please God? grow your faith.  His Word, Pray in the Spirit, PiVAT Before Dinner, Obey what He tells you!  And Give your testimony – you overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony! It's how your faith gets stronger!
 
#7  When it comes to faith - what you say is what you get.  You can have little faith or great faith – Your words will grow faith or grow doubt.  Guard your words so you guard your faith.  2 Timothy 1:13 – Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.  What is the pattern of your words?  Never speak words that are not faith.   2 Corinthians 4:13 – It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”  With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak.  What you speak is what you get.  Be sure the pattern of your words are faith.  God gave you a measure, you decide what to do with it.  You get to decide how big it gets.  God gives you faith, and tells you how to increase it.  But how much it increases depends on your love and obedience, and the words you speak.
 
#8 Faith without action is lifeless.  Faith requires action. If you have faith, you will act on it.  If you there's no action, you have little faith. Even Abraham’s faith that was counted to Him as righteousness was proven by what he did, when he left his home for a land that God said he would show him, and when he offered his son as a sacrifice, even though God promised that this son would be the one that would give him descendants as the sand on the seashore.  James 2:17 – In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.  Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.”  But I say, How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds?  I will show you my faith by my actions…”  Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions worked together.  His actions made his faith complete.  God has actions for you.  PiVAT before dinner, get His plans and do them.  It's how you get to the good that He has for you, you walk in faith.  
 
#9 You can misplace faith.  Psalms 20:7 - Some trust in horses, some trust in chariots, but we will trust in the Name of our God.  Some even have more faith in fear… than God.  They think that what they fear is bigger than the God they claim to serve.  The devil tries to send the spirit of fear, to replace faith, to cancel it.  Fear is a temptation to put faith in what you fear, over faith in God, or what He promised.  Some trust in themselves.  Psalms 49:12 – People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. God said trust in the LORD, with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding (or strength or ability), in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.  Don't have misplaced faith...  
 
#10 You can misuse faith.  I’m just believing God for that new Cadillac.  That’s not faith, that’s greed. That’s not what God intended faith for.  Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you.  Don’t seek first the things that you want.   James 4:2 – You desire but you do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight.  You do not have because you do not ask God.  And when you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your own pleasures.  You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Therefore anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.  Faith is intended for the purposes of God, not the pleasures of the world.  God has a purpose for the faith He has given you.  It’s for eternal gain, not temporal. 
 
#11 Have Faith in God.  It will help you stand firm.  Romans 5:1 – Therefore, since we have been justified though faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace (supernatural power) in which we now stand.  And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Put your faith in God.  Stand firm in the Grace He gives you.  Increase your faith, He rewards those who diligently seek Him.  Be Saved, Be Filled, Read His Word, Pray in the Spirit, Obey, do PiVAT before dinner. It’s faith practice.  Getting His plans for you each day – is exercising your faith in God.  Believe that He will tell you, believe that was Him that told you, and do what He told you.  Your faith will grow every day.  I Corinthians 16:13 – Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.  Do everything in love.  Galatians 5:6 … what matters is faith expressing itself through love.  Your faith will be rewarded. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him, whose faith expresses itself in love.  Increase your faith - so your faith can please God!

Love you all,
dad