July 23, 2008

• When Faith Comes I Know Has Arrived by Pastor Don

  These are some notes from a recent discipleship class, and it is so important to share because the Body of Christ sometimes struggles with faith and faith issues.  I know that at times I do, for God is teaching me more and more about faith.  I will be quoting from some pages of the discipleship manuel that accompanied this course.

  Hebrews 11:1  Now faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

  NOW means that it is in the present. Our faith must be the central basis of how you live your life.  Faith and believing.

  Faith is a SUBSTANCE, it is something, not nothing.  It has matter, it is not out of the air. When we hope for something it is a reality that what you hope for you have.  Hope doesn’t wait.  Hope turns into faith over time, and then the substance appears.  As we hope, faith appears.  Faith is believing and receiving in the realm of the supernatural essence.  You have it even though the substance hasn’t materialized.

  Pastor Don gave the example of a light switch, where  you don’t stare at the light switch and hope it will light.  There is electricity is in the system before you even turn it on. Then when you take the proper action of flicking the switch the light comes on. That is the essence of faith – it is a reality, just as electricity is a reality.  It is there to access, but doubt can disrupt your faith.

  At times what we perceive in the natural clashes with the reality of faith.  What you are seeing in your circumstances is not real if it doesn’t line up with the Word of God for your life, what you think is reality (your circumstances) is not real, but faith is real.  God spoke everything into existence, everything was made from nothing.  When you understand that, then you know that faith is not a hard thing.

  Hebrews 11:3 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.

  Everything that God  made didn’t come from something else already in existence.  God said it, and spoke it into existence.  God saw in His mind, then He spoke it into existence.  There may be a time period between when you speak it and it manifests, and becomes material.  Our flesh looks at chronos time, and if we lose faith before what we have spoken manifests, we may lose the manifestation. 

  When we are speaking faith — it is a reality in my mind and in my mouth.

  God spoke to Abram, tellling Abram that he would have a new name – Abraham which means father of many nations. But Abraham was 75 years old and had no kids.  For 25 years he spoke his name as Abraham – father of many nations, and God said that Abraham never doubted it would happen. And Abraham did become the father of many nations.

  We get caught in this time period and then we lose our faith. In this time period we may not see the manifestation of our faith, but that is not important.  We need to hold onto, in faith,  ”I see it, it’s mine”  even though you do not have it physically. 

  The other place we get lost is in understanding the difference between my desire and God;’s plan.  All of us want a miracle healing, victory, and instant gratification. We can see it now.  We think, I deserve it.  I am a good Chritian, why should I be in want?

  God isn’t on the clock.  Our faith is not working on the basis of qualification.  Abraham was a heathen when God first started dealing with him.  God did not make Abraham a father of many nations based on Abraham’s righteousness or unrighteousness.  It has nothing to do with manipulation of forces in the supernatural.

  Electricity can work whether you are a good or a bad person.  Good or bad, you can turn on the electricity and make use of it. Faith works for the devil and he is evil.  The devil tried to trick Jesus to obey him, and it took faith to put it out and try to possess Jesus.

  The angel came to answer Daniel’s prayer, and it took 21 days.  The angel had to do battles with great forces and even send for the help of another angel to be able to be freed up to deliver the message to Daniel.  The message was sent the instant Daniel started to pray, but the forces in the heavenlies prevented it’s delivery for a time. Had Daniel spoken words of doubt and unbelief because the answer did not come immediately, the angel would have gone back and not delivered the message.

  Jesus cast out the demons from the man possessed with a legion of demons (6,400 demons).  He did not use swords or wrestle with the demons, Jesus used the Word of God.  Jesus’s faith made it happen.  The Word spoken, is spoken for the realm of faith.  There are different levels of faith operating in the supernatural , in the same way that electricity works.

  Negative faith will reverse positive faith, for example , there is positive and  negative  in electricity.  If you get the wires mixed up you can blow the circuit. It is no different in the heavenlies.

  If you try and cast out a demon it has to leave, but if the demon  detects any fear, doubt or unbelief, it knows that it does not have to do what you are saying for you are not speaking in faith.

  There are different levels of faith.  Some have 20 amp faith, some 50 amp, others 200 amp, and then there are those of oh ye of little faith.  It is not that you need more power, for the electricty (faith) is there waiting to be used, it is that you need to have the faith to believe that the power is there and use it.

  If you feed 5,000 or 1,000 it is all the same power, just that it is a different circumstance.

  You can have faith for feeding, faith for sickness, faith for healing, faith for money, faith for poverty, faith for wisdom, faith that we will do stupid things.  Pastor Don said, and oh yeah, you will do stupid. Our negative faith can come into the realm of our lives and we will have the negative faith things that we say as well.

  In answer to a question, Pastor Don shared that sometimes you can bring into your house an item brought from another country or in a store, and that item is dedicated to a different spirit. That demon spirit can use that item and wait to plug into your life when you manifest a doubt or unbelief that leaves the way open for that spirit to manifest,.

  In the heavenly realms there are witches and demons who do exercises to prove to the heathen that their stuff works. If you fall into the belief that the stuff from the witches and demons works, then they can take that stuff and work over and against you.

  Pastor Don spoke about Hati, and how it is one of the most demon possessed places in the world, and when he went on a Christian mission there, that the forces wanted to prevent the spread of the Gospel. There was a problem with a neighborhood where there was going to be a demon celebration.  Demon possessed people took to the streets for 24 hours, all
  night and day. They were playing pvc pipes, screaming, and doing mischief – drunk and demon possessed.  The local Christians had to leave and get to the mountains where they could continue their ministry for that time period, for in that instance the demon spiritis could see the Spirit inside of you. But we need to remember that GREATER IS HE WHO IS IN YOU THAN HE WHO IS IN THE WORLD.

  The “electricity” in us is greater than the electricity in the world.  At times you need to remove yourself from the area, but remember that God has far more power than any demonic force, but He also knows when it is best to deal with a situation.  God is God.

  Faith is knowing that the power that runs through you is real and has substance.  The anointing is a mnifestation of faith.  People who worship God believe that they are worshipping God, that their prayers and praise is going somewhere.  God will not show up without faith in manifestation. Faith, praise, worship, the Word of God are important for faith.

  If you have trouble sleeping at night, elevate your faith. So often our faith is more for doubt and unbelief than faith in what we believe.

  Positive and negative electicity only sits there, it does not put out voltage, just as a passive light does not do anything unless the current flows through it. There is power in there, in the wires, in the building of faith, and when we go to turn on the light, or believe by faith, we say I know it is going to work.  If I touch that light switch something is going to happen.  Power is going to flow.

  God came up with this system.  Without faith we cannot please God. Faith worketh by love, and that is why positive faith is greater than negative faith.

  In the Lord of The Rings, there is spiritual warfare and battle. In the end all of the evil power of Sauron and the kingdom of Mordor were defeated by three Hobbits.  They believed what they were doing, and won the war.  The weapon used by Sauron was a ring of power which perverted those who sought to use it.  The Hobbits ultimately defeated the enemy by destroying the ring.

  We as Christians need to see ourselves as Frodo.  That we are nothing, but it is God who is within us, who is greater than we and all our “powers.” It is impossible for evil to outnumber one guy who has no power, but is willing to be a vessel that receives the power from God to accomplish what God wants to accomplish.

  Hebrews 11:4-6  By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 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.

  God will reward those who seek Him. There are levels of reward.  Martyrdom is the highest reward, there are also crowns of victory that we can cast at Jesus’ feet. Martyrdom has to have a purpose and be part of God’s plan for your life. We need to be obedient to God and the Holy Spirit.

  Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

  Noah was warned about things that he had never seen.  It took over 100 years to build the ark, and there was no rain at the time. His neighbors and friends probably gave him grief over what he was building.

  Hebrews 11:8-11  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. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.

  All heros of faith, and Abraham went to a place that God told him to go, not knowing where he was going.  They were all heirs of the promise, a promise they would not see in their lifetime.

  Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

  They never saw the fruition of what had been promised, but God was preparing things in the supernatural realm. Isaac and Ishmael saw a few generations, but still the population had not grown to be as the number of stars in the sky. In the flesh we may not always see things that have been promised, but in the Spirit we can see that.

  Abraham can now see all the generations that God promised him. He has many Children of Faith, and not all are Jews, but the gentiles are also part of his generations.

  What we seen in the spiritual we might not see accomplished on earth in our lifetime, but God will accomplish it, in His way and time.

  Moses met the Lord at the burning bush, and as he walked with the Lord, he was able to talk about the Rock of his salvation. A pre-Jesus experience that helped him realise that the Lord is a reality to him.

  Hebrews 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.

  Pastor Don reminded us that the walls of Jericho fell straight down into the ground, they did not tumble over in heaps.  And he reminded us of what we saw when we visited Israel, how the walls just sank into the ground – fell down into the ground.  It is possible that that was the way God dealt with all the sacrifices and death and blood that was used in the construction of the walls, providing a good burial for those sacrifices.

  Notice the sign was defaced so that there was no mention of Biblical history.

  

  Here are some pictures of the walls at the site of Jericho.

  

  

  

  

  

  Hebrews 11:32-34 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

  Watch the transition. The following are hard passages.

  Hebrews 11:35-40 Women received their dead raised to life again.  Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.  And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

  All people who live by faith are victorious, they slew dragons, accomplished great things with or without the sword. Some were raised from the dead, others used their faith in a different way, and chose not to accept deliverance. Deliverance was available, but they did not choose that.  It takes the same faith to die as to live. The motive of these faith heros was to use their faith to obtain a greater reward.  Some chose the crown of martyrdom, so they could cast those crowns at the feet of Jesus.  The people who killed the Body could not destroy their faith.  Faith is the victory that overcomes the World. We don’t know what we would choose if we were placed in similar situations.

  Paul chose deliverance, not because he wanted to stick around on earth, but he said that he would stay around for our sakes.  Paul was stoned and left for dead, he has seen the 3rd Paradise, but the saints gathered around him and prayed him back.

  Everyone we pray for will not be raised from the dead, people will receive Heaven and decide that they want to stay, or they may decide that they are a better witness here on earth.

  1 Thes 4:15-18 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

  Revelation 7:9-11 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God

  Revelation 7:14-17 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat;  for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

  Those who sacrificed their lives will be led to fountains of living water and God will wipe away their tears.  Those on earth who caused their suffering will face Judgment, and the Day of The Lord, and God’s wrath.

  We have to have faith in God in the midst of this.

  Our class took a break – it was a long class, and when we came back we started looking at passages in the Discipleship manual and examples from the Word to help us understand faith even more.

  I pray this is a blessing to you.  I count myself very blessed to be able to sit under the teaching of Pastor Don, he teaches so clearly and is so willing to answer any questions so that we all understand.

  Heather

  • 9:30 pm
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