Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

Definition of Faith

In part one of the definition of faith, we determined what faith is not. Now let us let the Bible define what faith is. I encourage you to take your religious glasses off and not assume that you know what faith is. This will not be an exhaustive definition of faith, for the entire Bible is designed to produce faith and contains further insight on principles of faith.

Notice that in Hebrews 11:1 that faith is the substance of things hoped for. Both faith and hope are eternal and will never pass away.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13 NKJV

Hope is important but has no substance. Hope can be compared to a dream.

It shall even be as when a hungry man dreams, And look—he eats; But he awakes, and his soul is still empty; Or as when a thirsty man dreams, And look—he drinks; But he awakes, and indeed he is faint, And his soul still craves…

Isaiah 29:8 NKJV

Faith is the spiritual force that brings substance to our hopes, dreams, and desires. Now, these hopes, dreams and desires must be produced from the Word of God.

Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4 NKJV

Another words, you cannot desire another man’s wife, for example. That is contrary to the written Word and does not come from God. Faith will not bring substance to that desire.

Just as faith brings into manifestation what we do hope for, fear brings into manifestation what we do not want. Fear is misguided faith. Anytime you try to tell someone about victory in Jesus they always say, “well what about Job?” The Book of Job is a whole study in itself. But , the reason Job experienced the things he did was because of fear.

For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me.

Job 3:25 NKJV

Faith is gateway for the goodness of God to be manifest in our lives. Fear is an open door for oppression from the devil.

In righteousness you shall be established;You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you.

Isaiah 54:14 NKJV

Fear is the reciprocal force of faith. Another words, the higher level of fear operating in your life, the less faith operating in your life. The higher your level of faith, the lower your level of fear.

But He (Jesus) said to them, “Why are you fearful (full of fear), O you of little faith?”

Matthew 8:26 NKJV (Parenthesis mine)

But He (Jesus) said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”

Mark 4:40 NKJV (Parenthesis mine)

NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for…

Hebrews 11:1 Amplified

Notice that the Amplified Bible includes “title deed”  in its description of faith. If I have a title deed to a car or any other piece of property, it is mine legally whether it is presently in my possession or not. The same is true with any promise in the Word of God. If you put faith in the Word the promise is legally yours.

Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Mark 11:24 NKJV

The Word translated believe (Gr-Pisteuo) is the verb form of faith (Gr-Pistis).

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

In the second part of Hebrews 11:1 we see the origin point of faith and provision.

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.

Mark 11:22 NKJV

And Jesus answered and said to them, Have ye the faith of God;

Mark 11:22 Wycliffe Bible

The second rendering of this verse from the Wycliffe Bible is more accurate to the Greek text. It could be rendered, “Use or employ the God kind of faith”. This means that this is God’s faith we are using. This takes the struggle out of faith when you realize it is God’s faith, not ours that we have at our disposal! Do you think God’s faith will have trouble producing results?

Both faith and its provision come forth from the Spirit realm or unseen realm.

while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 4:18,5:7 NKJV

Everything in the seen realm came forth from the unseen realm and is therefore subject to the spirit realm.

By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

Hebrews 11:3 NKJV

If your problem can be seen it can be subdued from the power that originates in the spiritual dimension.

For by it (faith) the elders obtained a good testimony.

Hebrews 11:2 NKJV

Continuation of the Definition of Faith

According to Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest, the preceding verses are connected to verse one of Hebrews 11. They are a continuation of the definition of faith. “Obtained a good testimony” is a little blind to us. The word “testimony” is the Greek word “martureo”. It literally means they were borne witness to. Now this has a twofold application.

1. The Word of God is witnessed to our spirit.

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Romans 8:15-17 NKJV

This is where many people miss it. They mentally agree with black print on the white page of the Bible and call it faith. They do not have the witness of the Spirit on the subject. We have to meditate the Word until we receive a revelation of that word in our spirit and then faith comes.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 10:17 NKJV

The word translated “word” is rhema. And that is a word that has been quickened in your heart by the Holy Spirit. That brings us to another point. We cannot get faith by praying for it, although prayer is important for other reasons. We cannot get faith by having hands laid on us. You only get faith from the revealed Word. A revealed Word from God has binding and loosing power.

Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 16:17-19 NKJV

Not only did Peter get a revelation from God, Jesus said that this revelation is the foundation that the entire church will be built upon. And according to the Greek text with that revelation we can bind and declare unlawful in the earth whatever heaven has declared unlawful.

…whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven.

Matthew 16:19 Amplified

There is abundance in heaven. Therefore we have the right to loose abundance in the earth. There is no sickness in heaven. Therefore we have the ability to bind and declare unlawful sickness and loose health in our physical bodies.

2. God bears witnessed by manifesting the Word in our lives in manifest reality.

God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

Hebrews 2:4 NKJV

True Bible faith will produce results in this natural seen realm. Many people do not believe that their faith will produce anything this side of heaven. This is not Biblical faith. This is not the God kind of faith. The God kind of faith will produce in this natural realm. Some say “Well, brother, didn’t Jesus say, we are more blessed if we believe without seeing?” Yes He did.

Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

John 20:29 NKJV

We have to harmonize that with everything else that He said.

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”

John 11:40 NKJV

In context, in John 11:40 Jesus was referring to raising Lazurus from the dead.  When we harmonize these two passages we conclude that if we believe regardless of what we see, we will see what we believe come to pass.  Another words, if we see sickness manifest in our body and we believe “By his stripes we were healed” (1 Peter 2:24), we will see the manifestation of our healing. If we see a need in our life and we believe that “my God will supply all my need according to His riches in glory” , then we will see that need met.

We see the progression of the twofold witness illustrated in 1 John 5:10-15.

He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.  And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

1 John 5:10-15 NKJV

Notice the progression:

1. God bears witness.

2. We continually believe on Jesus and what He accomplished in redemption.

3. We ask confidently.

4. We receive the manifestation.

By faith we understand …

Hebrews 11:3 NKJV

Faith is grounded in understanding and not ignorance. Many Christians, always tie faith with ignorance. They say, “We just never know what God is going to do. But we just have to have faith”. You can only have faith to the degree that you know the will of God. You can only endure through knowledge.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing…

James 1:2-3 NKJV

Another principle tied to this passage is understanding comes through faith obedience. Many say, “I will obey God when I get more understanding”. That is putting the cart before the horse. You have to obey God before you get complete understanding.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

Many say, “When I understand the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, I will obey Jesus and be filled.” You will never get understand. You have to obey then He will give you further direction.

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit…

1 Peter 1:22 NKJV

Our soul includes our mind, will, and emotions. Mind renewal and understanding come through faith obedience.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

Hebrews 11:8 NKJV

But 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 diligently seek Him.

Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

We cannot please God without faith. The writer of Hebrews goes on to clarify what he means. First of all we have to believe He is. That goes beyond believing He exists. It means we have to believe He is who He says He is.

He is:

The Lord our Provider (Genesis 22:8,14)

THe Lord Our Healer (Exodus 15:26)

The Lord Our Banner (Victory)(Exodus 17:15)

The Lord Our Peace (Judges 16:24)

The Lord Our Shepherd (Guide) (Psalm 23:1)

The Lord Our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6)

The Lord Ever Present (Ezekiel 48:35)

If you do not believe God is all these things, you cannot be pleasing to God. Secondly, You must believe that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. How does He reward them? By being all those things He says He is to us personally.

After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”

Genesis 15:1 NKJV

If you think He may or may not heal you, you are calling Him a liar and cannot please Him. If you say He may or may not provide for your needs you are calling Him a liar and cannot please Him.

How do we release faith?

Now that we have looked at what faith is we now need to know how to release it. There are two kinds of energy. There potential energy and kinetic energy. Potential energy is like the energy that is in a stretched spring. Kinetic energy is the energy produced when you release that spring. Potential energy is stored energy while kinetic energy is energy in motion. Faith is released primarily two ways. Faith filled words and faith filled actions.

1. Faith filled words.

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

Mark 11:23 NKJV

The Bible says we are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26). God released His power through His words. According to Jesus we have the same ability to release the power of faith through our words.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:21 NKJV

2. Faith filled Actions.

For as the human body apart from the spirit is lifeless, so faith apart from [its] works of obedience is also dead.

James 2:26 Amplified

And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked.

This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed,

said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.

Acts 14:8-10 NKJV

Notice this man had faith to be healed but was still crippled. He had to act on the faith that was in Him.  If we want deliverance in our finances we have to tithe and give. When we give we are releasing our faith. We have to lay hands on the sick to see them recover (Mark 16:18). An act of unbelief separated man from God initially in Adam. An act of faith will reconnect us to God and His provision in Christ, who is the last Adam.

When you know the Definition of Faith, Faith will work for anyone who will put it to work.

Definition of Faith.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

“The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms” ~Socrates

One of the most common errors in Christianity is not allowing the Bible to define itself.  Although I am grateful to live in a predominately Christian nation, one of its unfortunate side affect is that everyone has an opinion about what the Bible says. We have to examine, however, where we got our ideas about the Bible.

We should view Bible study as divine communication. When we study our Bible see it as God speaking to us personally. Ed Cole said that, “Communication is the Basis (fundamental ingredient) of life”.  In any communication, however, there is always an understanding gap between the speaker and the hearer. The more you get to know the speaker the narrower the gap gets. When we hear things they go through our filters of experience, religious teaching, and other contexts so that many times the intent of the speaker is skewed. This fact is illustrated in the word “Logos” which is translated “Word” in many of our English Bible translations. According to W.E. Vine “Logos” is “a word, account, etc.,” sometimes denotes “a reason, cause, intent,”. Another words, it goes beyond merely the words spoken, to the words with the thought and intent behind it. We have to be sure God’s Word spoken to us resonates in us the way He intended it. For illustration purposes, consider Genesis 24:64.

And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.

Genesis 24:64 KJV

The uninformed American reader could easily mistake this passage for smoking a cigarette. In an attempt to look seductive to her suitor, Rebekah fired up a stogie. Conjuring up images of old black and white 40’s bombshell flicks.  Actually (as I am sure you probably know), “lighted off” is just a real Elizabethan way of saying “She got off of her camel, man.” I know this is a silly illustration, but not as strange as some I have actually heard from people!

The New Testament teaches that the whole world system is flowing with the Satanic influence (Ephesians 2:2, 1 John 5:19). One of the attempts of Satan is to replace biblical words with counterfeits. He does not take them out of our conversation but replaces them with watered down versions. For example, consider the word “believe”. In the Bible it is the verb form of pistis (faith), pisteou. Americans, however, use the word “believe” as “I think so” or “maybe so”. Someone asks, “Are you going to town tomorrow?” To which you answer, “I believe so.” By believe you mean “I think so” or “maybe so”. This is not how the Bible uses that word.

It is much like carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide kills an average of 1500 people a year. The reason carbon monoxide is so lethal is because it so closely resembles a oxygen molecule that the red blood cells readily take it in. Yet being more dense than an oxygen molecule it gets lodged in the red blood cell thus suffocating it. This is the way it is with misunderstood biblical terminology. Because it is a biblical word or phrase we innately are drawn to it and take it in. Yet, their religious tradition distorts the original meaning and it is destructive to the hearer not allowing the truth to come into their heart thus suffocating their faith.

making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

Mark 7:13 NKJV

“Faith” is one of the most understood of biblical words. The following are some misconceptions of faith.

1. Faith is not merely the belief that there is a God.

We have all experienced it. We share the love of Jesus with someone and encourage them to have faith. To which, they respond, “But I believe in God”. To which I usually respond, “Congratulations, you have attained to devil level faith”.

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

James 2:19 NKJV

Do not get me wrong. Believing there is a God out there beyond Pluto somewhere is a form of faith. It is just not Bible level faith. The implication in the previous passage is believing in God is not enough.

2. The Cessationist misconception of Faith.

Cessationism is the belief that the supernatural gifts such as divine healing, prophecy, and tongues have passed away. There are many strands of this line of thinking of which an exhaustive study is not the purpose of this article. Some teach that God withdrew the supernatural gifts when the last apostle John died .  Others teach that they passed away when the canon of scripture was complete. Regardless of when, they believe it has passed away. Bottom line, according to them, the supernatural is not happening now.  Maybe at some future point I will demonstrate how both scripture and history easily disprove this line of thinking.  The following is an exerpt from the writings of Augustine.

“We still do what the apostles did when they laid hands on the Samaritans and called down the Spirit on them…It is expected that the converts should speak with tongues.”

Augustine (4th Century)

Keep in mind this is fourth century. Long after the gifts had supposedly passed away. The Bible does not speak of a day of miracles but a God of miracles who never changes.

“ For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob…”

Malachi 3:6 NKJV

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Hebrews 13:8 NKJV

Although most followers of the cessationist doctrine trace their origin to John Darby and C.I. Scofield the fingerprints of this deception trace back to even Jesus’s day.

We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.”

John 9:29 NKJV

Notice the mentality. We know God spoke back then but not now. This way of thinking has tainted many people’s concept of faith. They are convinced that the fact that they believe that Jesus healed the sick two thousand years ago is the same as biblical faith.  They say, “I believe Jesus healed the sick, Amen”. “I believe Jesus walked on the water, Hallelujah”.  They are convinced that makes them a faith giant. The entire thrust of their faith is rooted in the past. Another symptom of cessationist thinking is future based.

Jesus said to her, “Your brother (Lazarus) will rise again.”

Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

John 11:23-24 NKJV

Martha would fit in well in many modern churches today. Jesus is talking to her about raising Lazarus from the dead right now. Yet, she gets religious and says, “I know he will be raised  up in the last day. In the sweet by and by, when we all die or fly, but ‘til then we are going to cry because all we can do is try.” Jesus had to refocus her faith from being future oriented to present tense oriented.

Those are the two ditches that cessationist find themselves in. I know God did something back then and I know He will do something again when I get to heaven. But, according to them, if you need something now you are sunk because that all passed away. According to the Bible that is not faith. Bible faith is always in the now.

Now faith is (present tense) the substance of things hoped for…

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

But without faith it is (present tense) impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is (present tense), and that He is (present tense) a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray (present tense), believe that you receive them , and you will have them.

Mark 11:24 NKJV

(Parenthesis mine)

When we put everything we receive from God off into the sweet by and by , we will faint and lose heart.

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

Psalm 27:13 KJV

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.

Psalm 27:13 NKJV

Can you see how the cessationist mentality has created weak and discouraged Christians. They have no faith nor hope of anything that pertains to this life. If we want to be victorious and pleasing to God (see Hebrews 11:6), we must appropriate the faith of God in all of our present circumstances.

3. Faith verses Fate/Fatalism.

Fate- 1.something that unavoidably befalls a person; fortune; lot: It is always his fate to be left behind.

2.the universal principle or ultimate agency by which the order of things is presumably prescribed; the decreed cause of events; time: Fate decreed that they would never meet again.

3.that which is inevitably predetermined; destiny: Death is our ineluctable fate.

Fatalism–noun 1. the acceptance of all things and events as inevitable; submission to fate: Her fatalism helped her to face death with stoic calm.

2.Philosophy . the doctrine that all events are subject to fate or inevitable predetermination.

(Dictionary.com)

The belief that all events are decided in advance by God or Fate so that human beings are powerless to alter their destiny.

The Definition of Faith is Not Fate or Fatalism

What many people, even Christian, call faith is actually fate or fatalism. We can easily see how the two could be confused by the fact that they even sound the same. Fatalism says, “Ca sara, sara, what ever will be will be.” Many call this a Christian doctrine but it traces to Greek and Roman mythology. According to Greek and Roman mythology, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos control human destiny and are referred to as “the Fates”. I am embarrassed as a Christian that much of the professing Christianity could be hoodwinked by mythology. Let us look at some fatalistic phrases.

a. “God is in Control”

We see this phrase everywhere from songs to bumper stickers yet it is an unscriptural concept. I know this flies in the face of everything  you have ever heard from religion. But we have to see what the Bible says. Dominion over this earth was originally given to man.

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26 NKJV

The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s; But the earth He has given to the children of men.

Psalm 115:16 NKJV

What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?

For You have made him a little lower than the angels (literally-Elohim-God), And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,

Psalm 8:4-6 NKJV

All dominion over the earth was given to Adam and he bowed his knee to satan and forfeited his dominion to him.

Then the devil, taking Him (Jesus)up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.  And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.

Luke 4:5-6 NKJV

Had this statement not been partialy true, it would not have been a valid temptation. This authority was delivered when Adam bowed his knee reliquishing his authority . This is how satan became the “god of this world”.

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV

in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air (satan), the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

Ephesians 2:2 NKJV

We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

1 John 5:19 NKJV

When Jesus raised from the dead he stripped satan of all authority and regained the authority Adam had lost.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Matthew 28:18 NKJV

Because of what Jesus did we as individual believers have our authority restored. We can take dominion over the elements of the curse operating in our lives. However, the earth will not be back under God’s dominion until Jesus sets up His earthly kingdom during the millinial reign. So all of the disaster happening on the earth is not the will of God. It is, rather, the work of satan who is the “god of this world”.

Some say, “Then why don’t God just hurry up and kick the devil out”? The answer is that when God finally judges satan and removes him from the earth all those who  have not accepted Jesus as their personal saviour will be judged as well. It is spiritual law that people receive the same judgement as their lord (which if you have not received Jesus as Lord, satan is your lord by default). God is holding back in His mercy to give everyone ample opportunity to avoid judgement.

If everything that happened was the will of God we would not be commanded to submit to God and resist the devil.

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you

James 4:7 NKJV

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  Resist him, steadfast in the faith, …

1 Peter 5:8-9 NKJV

Jesus says that everything that steals, kills, and destroys if from the devil (John 10:10). There fore we must resist anything that steals, kills, and destroys.

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Acts 10:38 NKJV

And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.  But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”

Luke 13:11-13,16 NKJV

The rich man’s wealth is his strong city; The destruction of the poor is their poverty.

Proverbs 10:15 NKJV

Since poverty destroys then we know it is from the devil and must be resisted.

b. “It must not be God’s time.”

As innocent as it may sound, this second phrase (or any dirivative of it) is another form of fatalistic thinking. In the general will of God, covered in the Bible, God’s time is always now.

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

2 Corinthians 6:2b  NKJV

Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity.

Psalm 118:25 NKJV

c. “God works in mysterious ways”/ “You never know what God is going to do.”

Once again, very religious sounding but not biblical.

But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

1 Corinthians 2:10-12 NKJV

that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts [of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly] bestowed on us by God.

1 Corinthians 2:12 Amplified

Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Ephesians 5:17 NKJV

God would be unjust to command us to know His will if it were not possible to do so.

d. “…if it be thy will.”

Many sincere believers tack this faith destroying phrase at the end of their prayers. The implication being, if they receive what they pray for it was the will of God. If they do not receive, it was not the will of God. I have heard many Christians say, “God answers three ways. Yes, No, and wait a while.” But this violates the clear teachings of scripture.

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

2 Corinthians 1:20 NKJV

For as many as are the promises of God, they all find their Yes [answer] in Him [Christ]. For this reason we also utter the Amen (so be it) to God through Him [in His Person and by His agency] to the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 1:20 Amplified

All of God’s promises have their yes in him. That is why we say amen through him to the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 1:20 Common English Bible

Christ says “Yes” to all of God’s promises.

2 Corinthians 1:20 CEV

We have to know the will of God before we pray or we will not have confidence.

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

1 John 5:14-15 NKJV

If we put an “if”in our prayer, we are not in faith.

Jesus said, “If? There are no ‘ifs’ among believers. Anything can happen.”

Mark 9:23 The Message

e. “This must be happening for a reason”/ “I must be suffering for God’s glory”.

It is human nature to try to find some high spooky spiritual reason for their suffering. The reason they are suffering is that satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Others are even as arrogant to say that their suffering is somehow redemptive. This implies that, first, you are qualified to redeem mankind with your suffering. This is the height of spiritual pride. Secondly, it implies that Jesus’s sacrificial work was not enough without you adding to it. The New Testament teaches that we will suffer persecution. But anything Jesus suffered for us we need not suffer. Jesus was made poor with our poverty (2 Corinthians 8:9) so we need not bear it. Jesus was made sick with our sickness.

He is despised, and left of men, A man of pains, and acquainted with sickness, And as one hiding the face from us, He is despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely our sicknesses he hath borne, And our pains — he hath carried them…

Isaiah 53:3-4a YLT

Jesus bore our sickness so need not carry them and to do so would be to belittle Jesus’s sacraficial work. Jesus was made sin with our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) so we need not carry the penalty of them.

These are just a few examples of fatalistic phrases that even Christians use. I will leave you with one final thought.

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV

If you try to discern the will of God by what is manifest in the seen realm you are walking by sight and not by faith. The only trustworthy guide to finding the will of God is His written word.  Learn how the accurate Definition of Faith will work for you.

—Jeremiah 32:17-20

Everyone is looking for a sure thing. Security is a commodity sought after even in prosperous times. A lifetime guarantee that everything will be well for you and your family would be quite a calming assurance. God said through the prophet Jeremiah that the effect of righteousness would be quietness and confidence forever. Doesn’t that sound like a guarantee? A secure home, an undisturbed place of rest and blessing are certainly things I want for my life. My friends, such a guarantee does indeed exist—it’s God’s Covenant.

Even if you’re flat broke, jobless and homeless, you can get in on this. You can earn four figures or six, it doesn’t matter to God. The nation you were born in will not inhibit The Covenant’s ability to change your life. All you have to do is believe—it’s as simple as that. Abraham believed and entered into that Covenant. Today, The Blessing of Abraham comes upon us when we enter into The Covenant through Christ.

This is The Covenant—the lesser being blessed by the greater and God swearing to bless you! All you have to do is agree and act. There is security in God’s Covenant. Study the lives of biblical people who walked in The Covenant. Old and New Testament—they overcame every trial. When human err affected them, The Covenant was still in tact. In the Old Testament, it was sealed with an animal’s blood. For you and me, it is Jesus’ blood.  Let’s look at Hebrews:

When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, He swore by Himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

—Hebrews 6:16-20

Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

—Hebrews 7:22

Regardless of circumstances, The Covenant offers security. It was designed for those who agree with God to live in His comfort and provision at all times. God does not show favoritism. Anyone who chooses to enter into God’s Covenant is assured protection, peace and, yes, prosperity. Psalm 84 is one of my favorites. It concludes by saying, “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. LORD Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.”

Cain and Abel both brought offerings to God, but Abel obviously believed what He had been taught by his father about The Father. Abel was counted as faithful and righteous because his belief caused him to act in obedience. Noah believed and was therefore obedient when God told him to build the ark. And Abraham, who is the father of our faith, was considered righteous because he believed God. Abraham’s act of obedience again ushered in The Covenant. What does this have to do with you? How does this help you deal with whatever challenges you are currently facing?

All of these men were ordinary people who responded to God’s call and accepted His invitation into The Covenant. Today, you are invited to do the same by way of Jesus Christ. Enter the security that comes with life in The Covenant. Yes, that includes the tithe. But before you get uptight about that, remember First John 5:2-3 which states, “This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome….” Jesus also encourages us this way in Matthew 11:28-30, “ ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’ “ Tithing is simply an act of obedience. It’s not meant to be a burdensome unbearable yoke. Besides, most of us don’t own livestock, so cash is easier. And for those of us who do, we still can’t bring our best cow or goat to put in the offering Sunday morning!

The Covenant ensures security and ushers in The Blessing. It’s not complicated. Just believe and act. The Kingdom of God is immune to economic downturns, epidemics and mass panic. God can not lie. He wants to bless you, and earth’s conditions will never change that. Psalm 89:34 reminds us, “ I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered.” God has and has always had a wonderful plan for your life. Find out what God wants you to do and just do it. Choose Jesus Christ and The Covenant today—your life will NEVER be the same.

From the start, I’d like to show you where I learned these steps. Jeremiah 17:7-8 AMP is posted on my refrigerator and I read these words daily. It says, “Most blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; and it shall not see and fear when heat comes; but its leaf shall be green. It shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall it cease yielding fruit.” Isn’t that awesome! Now, let’s look at each step.

Step One: Believe in the Lord. 2 Chronicles 20:20 tells us, “Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

Step Two: Trust in and rely on the Lord. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.” I recite this verse daily as well.

Step Three: Hope in the Lord. Psalm 147:11 declares, “The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.”

Step Four: Be confident in the Lord. I love the way Hebrews 10:35-39 puts it, “Cast not away therefore yourconfidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

These steps will bring you into the fatness of the Blessing. You will bear and continue to yeild fruit. How can you work this Word and not prosper? Whatever you do will prosper! The world is experiencing many forms of drought. Notwithstanding this, Jeremiah says that we would not even see or fear when heat comes. How so? Believe, trust, hope and put your confidence in God. And as a result, you will be the most blessed!

Be blessed friends, and have the perfect day everyday!

Psalm 138:8

—Shontta