Faith to believe

     Growing up, I was always around and surrounded by the Word of God. My dad is a preacher who does prison and street ministry (mostly). He was saved way before I entered this world so I was always hearing the Word of God as he traveled from place to place sharing the gospel. That was the one thing he made sure of. I actually felt forced at times to do so to be honest. I always told my mom, "daddy think we are living in the ice ages." Others times, I wasn't shy about expressing how I felt about his conservative practices (not allowing my siblings or myself to spend a night with friends, no "foolishness"on tv (including Disney channel), homecomings and prom? Oh no!) I was a young girl who desired more of what the world offered than what my dad was trying to force upon me. It wasn't until the age of 15 that I actually began to understand the gospel and why my dad did the things he did. I remember talking on the phone with my brother many nights when he was away at Northwestern State University. We'd dive deep into the scripture, discussing and studying the things we learned as children. It was then that I grew fond of how my mother and father raised my brothers and sisters and I. At age 15, I began taking the gospel seriously. The seeds began to fall on good ground. Well, you can say the Word began hitting and working on my heart. *I did stray when I began college, but  if you "train up a child in the way he (she) should go, And when he (she) is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6 NKJV). That's the story of my life- literally!*

     Though my life may or may not be interesting, this isn't really about my life, but I'd like to share something I've learned as I matured in my relationship with Christ- I guess you can call it a revelation. During that time, God humbled and purified me (in a sense). Believe it or not, it was my years that I went astray that I learned the most about Christ and afterwards that my relationship was strengthened. It's something about reading the Bible and it begins making sense to you. You begin to get revelation- rhema word. You no longer fall asleep when you read a couple scriptures, but you eagerly search through the instructions that God has given to be written upon our hearts. You take ahold of the promises from our Father that we have been so undeservingly graced with. You begin to understand what THE FAITH is truly all about. Faith is one of the biggest topics discussed today and mentioned countless times throughout the Bible for a good reason. Without faith it is impossible to please God. 

   

     Here's some simple knowledge: it takes faith to believe in God, so if you don't have the faith to believe then the Gospel is invalid. Faith is unseen. It's the SUBSTANCE of things HOPED for, the EVIDENCE of things not seen. It's by faith that we put our hope and trust in God. Since I grew up "in the Word," the concept of faith wasn't new to me, but I never fully understood it until I really drew near to God. Let me go off the record here and say that many people do not grasp the concept of faith. We live in a country where more than half of the inhabitants claim to be Christians, yet the church (as a whole) is not making much of an impact on the world. A country filled with faith filled believers .... that lack faith.

One of the biggest things about faith that we must understand is this: "..faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17 NKJV)

     Simply put, if you're not hearing, then faith doesn't come which means your faith isn't strengthened or increased. You'll either become stagnant or slowly drawn away. This is what often lead to falling to temptation. I've often been baffled at the many people (myself included at one point) who are Christians, yet never pick up their bible to read/study. The only sign that shows they're a Christian is their attendance at a church (building). Outside the walls of the church building, the life if Christ isn't considered. This type of life leads to a lack of proper faith. A faith that should  bring change, conviction, salvation, love, restoration, and healing. How can we live Christian lives when we don't even know who Christ is- haven't read about His life (gospels). Other times, tests and trials come to test our faith. In these times, it is especially essential to strengthen our faith by ensuring that we are constantly reading and hearing the word of God- lest we faint and lose heart. It's easy to grow weary in well doing during times of trials. Notice something about the armor of God mentioned in Ephesians 6: gird your waist with truth, breastplate of righteousness, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel, helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit. Take a close look at verse 16: "above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one." In battle, when a soldier holds up his shield, it protects him from whatever is coming his way; whether an arrow or the strike of an enemy's sword. If he lets his shield down, then the arrow can hit his heart (breastplate of righteousness). Doubts begin to flow in, temptation gets more tempting (helmet of salvation-protection of the mind), the feet aren't prepared to go and how can you swing a sword (of the Spirit) when you're under full assault. In order to be used by God, you must ensure that you are properly clothed for battle. If your shield is up, it's the first thing that the fiery darts of the enemy will hit, protecting you and ensuring that the rest of your armor remains intact.

     Our faith is what keeps us. When I really began to understand the gospel, I listened to many preachers and evangelists (must be discerning). I have notebooks full of notes from these people, my pastor, my dad, bible studies I've attended, and most importantly my own study and personal meditation time in the word. I began studying great men and women of the faith. I found people who will hold me accountable and I them (iron sharpens iron). We must put ourselves in a position where our faith will be strengthened. If not, then it becomes easier to be drawn away. "But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed." (James 1:14 NKJV). There are many ways to ensure that you are constantly hearing the word of God. First and foremost, pray so that you can hear His voice directly. Attending church, connecting with others believers through different ministries, listening to gospel music, etc will all help in increasing our faith in whatever circumstances life brings. Many of the things mentioned were things that I have done prior to going astray and my life after going astray. Only it was much more intensified after I "returned". I then saw the importance of strengthening my faith. Because I allowed my faith to get weak, I was easily drawn away. Going into the world (with no regard for the things of God) only showed me how much I needed my Savior. It was fun, but not worth the trouble nor my soul. It allowed me to see how much of the world I don't want. Now, I see the importance of hearing, and hearing by the word of God." So now when test, trials, and temptations come my way I can "trust in the Lord with all your (my) heart, And lean not on your (my) own understanding; In all your (my) ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your (my) paths." (Proverbs 3:5, 6 NKJV)

     If we (the church) wants to move forward, we must grab ahold of this unchanging, loving faith and allow it to work in us to reconcile the world back to God. The Apostle Paul was a man of great faith and was described as "the man who was turning the world upside down." One man! We too can allow God to use us, but we must put our faith to action (faith without works is dead). We can “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature... And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. (Mark 16:15-20 NKJV)

Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. (I Corinthians 16:13 NKJV)