Faith

Faith
By Melissa C. Pointer

Saturday, September 29, 12

We live in an interesting time. Quite frankly
we are living on a precipice and it is not just
us but the entire world. All things will soon
change, everyone both great and small will
be affected and there will be no return to
the normality we have been accustomed to.
This is a time when the integrity of a person
will be tested in a way that it has not been
before.

Let us make sure there are no cracks in our
armor, that each block of our spiritual house
is perfectly aligned with the cornerstone, so
that when our eyes see the fruition of the
promise of God we respond with a shout of
joy and not fear or weeping. Everyone’s
faith will be tested and the majority will ﬁnd
theirs crumbling before them. This will
cause worldwide distress, fear, and
volatility. However if we have true faith and
resolve we will have conﬁdence and peace
during the encroaching storm.


…Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen… Hebrews 11:1

…If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this
mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall move; and
nothing shall be impossible unto you… Matthew 17: 20

…Thou believest that there is one God;
thou doest well: the devils also believe, …⋯Jesus
saith
unto
him,
Thomas,

and tremble. James 2: 19 because
thou
hast
seen
me,
thou
has

believed:
blessed
are
they
that
have
not

seen,
and
yet
have
believed…⋯
John
20:

29

…Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works:
shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my
faith by my works James 2: 18

But will thou know, O vain man, that faith
without works is dead? James 2:20


Faith versus Belief
Evidently there is a difference from stating
belief and having the conﬁdence to do the
great feats of bravery committed by David
when he was a lad (killing Goliath), or to
continue in God’s word in spite of having your
livelihood taken away, your life threatened,
and being made blind like Tobit, or to rely and
submit to the authority of God when it is not
popular like the prophets who went before
angry multitudes at the risk of being despised,
imprisoned, or murdered in unspeakable
fashion. Brethren this is true faith not the
belief that is trumpeted in the churches every
Sunday. It is the faith that is spoken of in
Christ’s word and it will be what is needed to
survive the turmoil ahead. Like everything else
faith has a beginning, it grows and bears fruit.
Let us start at the beginning.


Faith is the
belief, the assent of
the mind to the truth
of what is declared
by another,
resting solely and
Quite simply in order to believe what someone has said you must ﬁrst
implicitly on his
authority and believe in their authority and the fact that they are correct/accurate
veracity: (veracity). In addition this belief will be based on some form of evidence. Yes,
reliance on I am fully aware of what it is written in Hebrews but also remember Christ
testimony. said he had a testimony and his testimony (the evidence he gave of his
authority) was true. For further clariﬁcation let us read what Jesus said: St.
John 10: 24-25, 37-38. It was what Christ did that proved that he was the
Son of God. St John 8:12-14. Here we see that it was the works that Christ
did that bare record of his authority and accuracy of his doctrine. Every child
of God must and will yield to God because of the evidence he gives them of
his authority over them. For some this comes in the form of a soft urging
voice and for others it will come as a shaking of the skies and frightful
wonders.


Our First Steps

Our personal experience with God is the beginning of
faith for all those who are children of God. We are
witnesses to God’s mercy, power, and truth. That
event will begin to lay the groundwork for
understanding the power and rights God has over
you, the immutability of his words and doctrine, and
the evidence of his mercy and judgment. This event is
both similar and different for each child of God. We all
have a testimony in which we converted but each
conversion is unique from person to person. No
matter the details of each of our testimony; we will all
bare record of God’s authority, his truth, and the
testimony he has given all of us.


Evidence
It is that observation that
led us to the conclusion
that not only is God real
but he is omnipotent and
infallible.

If you are willing, you can see the evidence of God everywhere: in the
sky, animals, sun, moon, and even the intricate makeup of the human
body. God demonstrates his authority and his truth within our own lives.


Our Experiences
For example you could be driving on the road, nearly spin out
of control but ﬁnd that you are not hurt in the process. You
could believe that it was luck or evidence that God has
protected you, that he has authority over the car, the ice, and
traffic patterns. Your response could be to shrug that event off
or to recognize God’s power and yield to it. Some may require a
greater level of evidence that might come in the form of an
affliction. This affliction may force them to realize that their
talent, brilliance, charm, money, or inﬂuence cannot protect
you or remedy every solution.


Personal Experiences
However there is a being that has the power to
turn hearts, to heal diseases, to give you favor in
the eye of the oppressor, and to make a way when
it simply seems to be impossible. Still others may
believe that it was luck or by their abilities they
were able to resolve the situation. I have my own
personal example in which I know God
intervened. For nearly a year my workplace has
been and still is a battleground. I had been used
to having a reputation of being caring,
hardworking employee that was capable of
working difficult workloads with little complaint. I
am not always liked at ﬁrst but I often used a
killing with kindness approach to make working
conditions easier that worked very well.


That was not the case in my new profession. No
matter how hard I worked, how polite I was or the
fact I did not complain; my workplace was a
treacherous combat zone. So much so I thought
about quitting after the first 3 months. I was so
perplexed about the situation I was in. There were
many perks to working there; I had every Sabbath
off, Feast days would never be an issue nor would
vacations but my colleagues were nearly
intolerable. Then I was told by the Spirit of God
that I would never be accepted by them. That was a
fact I was just going to have to accept but later I
was told that he would confound my enemies.
Brothers and sisters, I am witness to exactly that: Even when things are difficult we must not
my abusive supervisor was demoted, a colleague allow enemies to discourage us from
that continued to complain about my performance walking as we should
was silenced and suddenly approved of my actions,
my director looked favorably upon me and told me
I was doing well and was happy that I was a
flexible employee, and so many other things have
happened that have made my work situation
better.


Evidence and Trust
Brethren I know that it was not by my brightness, cheerfulness
or my relationships with other hospital staff that changed my
situation. Only God could have caused that turn around. God is
the one that gives us abilities and he can take them away and I
saw that in that department; for he said he would reduce their
brightness with the new computer system and it happened.
Zechariah 4: 6. Everyone there complained about a simple new
system because they could not understand it or operate it; it was
amazing. My belief that God gives talent and takes it away has
grown by simply watching the news and hearing a former
president who was once praised and acknowledged for being an
excellent orator say foolish things recently that have alienated
some of his most loyal constituents. Job 1: 21 Isaiah 40: 21-23,
28-29 Proving again God gives and he takes away. This evidence
has increased my trust in him and belief that God knows best
and that I must lean upon him to have success. Before David
became king he had seen the evidence of God. I Samuel 17:
34-37. What should be noted is what he said in verse 37.


…The lord that delivered me out of
the paw of the lion, and out

Of the paw of the bear, he
will deliver me out of the hand of
The Philistine.

He did not attribute his success against two ﬁerce predators to
his strength or courage. He did not boast about how bright he
was or how fast he killed these powerful animals. Instead he
knew that only God could have delivered him and gave him the
ability to overcome these animals. This was proof enough for
David that God had the authority and the ability to protect him in
all situations as long as he served him.


Authority

…Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am…
St. John 13:13


A simple deﬁnition of the word master is a person who has
authority over others. Lord is deﬁned as a person with renowned
power or authority over others and/or lands. From the very mouth
of our Savior, he stated that he is our master and lord. This
authority was given to him by his Father, the ancient of days.

Hebrews 1: 8-12. Which means Christ has the right to tell us
what to do, how it must be done, where it must be
accomplished, when it is to begin and end, and he does not
have to tell us why? In addition he has the authority to award
those who have been devout and to reprimand those who were
disobedient. Satan does not believe in Christ’s authority or his
right to punish or award. Instead he has tried to strip Christ’s
authority from him by manipulating the word of God in the
churches of this world. Common songs and sayings persist
today about the supposed fallacy of God’s word: It is not
necessarily so the things you read in the bible, we are no longer
living under the Old Testament, the Old Testament/ Sabbath
day/ food laws/ have been done away with.


Entire portions of God’s sacred word have
been denied, sacred tenets have been
removed, and vital information has been
discredited because the authority of God has
not been respected. It is that exact disbelief in
God’s authority that will prevent you from
believing in God without question. You will be
incapable of accomplishing certain feats for
God if you don’t believe that he has the ability
to give you the strength to carry out the act.
Simply put a rejection of Christ’s authority will
make you incapable of incorporating his Word
into your life. Let us recall what our Savior said
to Martha:

…I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in
me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and
believeth
in me shall never die. Believest thou this? John 11:25-26


Her response was that she did believe that he was the Son of
God. In other words, being God he had the authority over all
things in the earth and in heaven; including raising the dead
to life. Know this if you do not believe that Christ or his word
has authority over you then you do not have faith. Jesus is
not the cornerstone of your foundation. Another doctrine has
taken precedence and that is what you have built your life
around. Remember brethren that whatever has taken the
place of God in your life it cannot save you.

Just as a reminder, even if you do not accept that God and his
words have authority over you they still do and you will be held
liable for them. Just as if you visited a foreign country and
unwittingly or willfully broke one of their laws, ignorance or
believed superiority is never an acceptable defense. You are still
within the jurisdiction of their authority and will be required to
yield to it. The entire earth and heaven is under God’s
jurisdiction and we are all subject to the laws and regulations
that he puts forth. Psalm 89: 11 Ecclesiastes 12: 14


Veracity
We must believe deep within the marrow of our bones to the depths of our
heart that the instruction that God gives is the only way we must live our
lives


Remember that faith is based on the
authority and the truthfulness of the
testator. If you have any doubt in the
credibility of God you cannot have faith.
Now people may say they lack in faith but
what they are not aware of is that they have
probably subscribed to a philosophy,
doctrine, or other belief system. How is that
possible because nearly every human being
uses some form of personal belief to justify
and build their life upon? For example many
believe in the doctrine of capitalism. They
believe in its tenets because of the proof in
their lives that it works. They are one with Everyone builds their life around something.
the pursuit of wealth and that that pursuit For some its the pursuit of money. However
beneﬁts everyone that works towards that this is faulty because it can not give you
goal. In their eyes it has given them the best
eternal life!
and the most acceptable way to live and
govern themselves. Now let us listen to
what Jesus said:


…Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life…
St John 14:6


We know that Jesus is God because
of the evidence he gives to us. We
also know that his word is the true
and the only standard to live our
lives by because of the Spirit of God
that convinces us of it in our daily
lives. John 14: 26, John 15: 26, John
16: 7-8, 13-14. During this process
the Spirit of God will prove to us the
fallacies of all other beliefs,
philosophies, self-wisdom, and
personal doctrine: how they will
always collapse given the correct
pressure, that they never meet the
promised reward if you are faithful
to them, and that they are
unbalanced and to their core unfair.

Other doctrines are at their core
untrue, unbalanced, and unfair. They
cannot defend you or come to complete
fruition.


He will show us that Jesus is the authority
on uprightness because he created it and
he is the standard that must be adhered to.
He never forgets, he sees all, he is not
biased, and he weighs everything perfectly.
Unlike all other doctrines, his will not fail
and we know this to be true because of the
evidence we have been given: whether we
yield or disobey we are forced to see that
God is true and all else is ﬂeeting. God is
constant, he does not change, and the
correctness of his laws is evident by our
own experience when we obey them or
when we do not adhere to them. Lessons
that we receive from the Spirit of God
prove to us that God is immutable and that
the instruction he gives is perfect and
unfailing. Remember what Jesus said about
being the corner stone and how he
determines a person or nations
correctness: Matthew 21: 42,44 Amos 7:
7-8 Ephesians 2: 20-21.


God’s words never fail and can be
depended upon in the time of storm


Brethren let us begin our investigation first with the
definition of the word truth. It is a fact that has been
verified, it is honest and has integrity. It is also something
that is unwavering, correct, exact and has the attribute of
fidelity. For further clarification let us review over some
definitions:


Fidelity
It is the strict observances to promises. Has God ever fallen short of a promise that
he given to his children or the children of men? We only have to look at ourselves
and are difficult lives in this world for the answer. Consider the blessings and curses
in Deuteronomy 28. God said he would bless Israel and he did and said he would
make them a byword, astonishment, and a proverb among the nations if they
disobeyed. Did Israel disobey? Yes. Was Israel punished? Yes. Are we still
astonishment, yes! God also said he would send a Messiah that would instruct us on
how to live. Deuteronomy 18: 15. That he would save his people from their sins and
that he would have victory over death. I Corinthians 15: 54-57. Ephesians 4: 7-10.


Can we say the same for other doctrines? Let us evaluate another philosophy
called the American dream. According to the American dream if you are
diligent and hardworking you will be able to overcome great obstacles and
obtain prosperity. This is a complete fallacy. Our ancestors had multiple
obstacles and built this nation with its blood, sweat and tears. We have no
wealth and we have never been accepted by this nation. It does not matter
how well off you are, your position of power, your intelligence, talent or
athletic ability you are considered 2nd if not a 5th class citizen in this
country; a group of people loathed and the target of hate and rage. This
doctrine is not only a fallacy for Blacks but it is slowly being disproved in the
population at large.


Exact
Strictly accurate or correct, precise, capable of the
greatest precision. God is more exact than any other
being in existence. Hebrews 4: 12. He sees all, hears all
and knows all. He knows what motivates us, the extent
of our abilities, and the intentions of our hearts.
Revelation 19:6. This exactness is based upon his law
which is a standard that has been constant since it was
first established.

Unwavering
To not vacillate back and forth. To be settled in opinion.
When has Christ ever wavered or his judgment fluctuate?
Malachi 3: 6. Unlike man, his word has never changed
and his standard has been like bedrock that does not
move with any change in the ground. Thou shall not
steal has been thou shall not steal since it was first
established. It is man that changes and tries to
manipulate God’s holy law. Mark 7: 8-13


Can we say this about the
modern religions of this world.
The catholic church does not
look like anything it was 1500
years ago, 500 years ago, 100
years ago, or even fifty years
ago. At first their priest were
allowed to marry and then they
were banned from doing so.
Doctrines of the church have
often been combined and
adjusted to fit the needs of the
The Catholic Church has had people. Even the service of mass
significant changes throughout has changed through time:
the years prayer used to consist of hell,
judgment, merits of the saints,
and one true church. Theses
references are not included
today


The method of communion has
even changed it was once placed
directly on the tongue it is now
given by hand by lay persons.
During the middle ages the church
performed passion plays that led to
the persecution of those outside of
Christian beliefs now tolerance of
other religions is being upheld.

The Catholic Belief has morphed like all
other common philosophies unlike the
Word of God.


Correct: to be free from fault or error. For example when you bake a cake using a
correct recipe you will have a better outcome and result than with one full of
errors. Now you may ask how God’s law has been found to be valid above other
doctrines or our own personal beliefs and standards. We learn that when we use
a different standard or system it will eventually fail. Things that we thought
would turn out well; don’t. We only have to look at what happen to Jonah the
prophet to see that. Jonah was given a commandment by God to prophesy
against a city. Instead he decided against what God said and ended up in the
belly of a whale. Do you think that is how he wanted to spend his time? Jonah 2:
1-2.
Considering the words that he
used to describe his situation,
it is obvious that he did not
enjoy or even found it bearable
to be tangled in seaweed in the
belly of a ﬁsh. He knew that his
way was not correct and it was
best to obey God. Another
example is that of the three
Hebrew boys during the reign
of Nebuchadnezzar. They
refused to obey the king and
instead leaned upon God’s
word instead. They were sent
to a ﬁery furnace but did not
die.


Proving that just because you obey God doesn’t mean
you will not go through difficult times but God will be
with you and that in the end you will have the best
outcome. Can this be said about other doctrines? Let us
look at the doctrine of democracy. It is considered to be
the best form of government that gives liberty, freedom
and happiness to its participants. It is supposed to
prevent tyrannical rule from dictators. What has been
proven in Iraq that democracy may not be the best form
of government especially when one part of the populous
is bent on killing the other. Many felt that this form of
government has not lived up to its promise because of
the individuals elected to office do not always have the
nation’s best interest in mind. Elections can be
manipulated and the contentions that arise can often
destabilize a nation and lead to bloodshed.


We can look at these aspects of God’s
law and understand why we can trust in
it and the promise that is within it. It is
because we can trust him we can do
excellent feats in his name. We can leave
mother, father, brother, sister, spouse,
friend, job, home, and even nation if
need be for God. We can deny ourselves
the pleasures of this world because he
promised us a better one if we yield to
him. We can look at ourselves in the
mirror and be willing to kill the part of
us that offends God without mercy. We
can face persecution, trials, and When you walk in the truth God will be with
afflictions we can do all of this because you when you are faced with fears and enemies
we know what God has said is true and
unfailing.


Even if others do not see it
or try to convince us that it
is not real we know within
in our core the truth that
he is given us. We can do
these things because we
know what was said in
Philippians was not a myth
or a pretty saying… I can
do all things through
Christ which strengthen
me… Philippians 4:13. God
does not lie, his word is
true and we have witness
him make a road in the
middle of frightful
boisterous waves, he has
removed enemies before
us, he has kept us safe
while we were in a den of The greatest mountain is nothing
lions, and protected us in compared to God
ways we could not began
to realize.


Just like Job we all have or will soon realize that God
giveth and he taketh away. We know what happens when
we do well in keeping our Saviour’s laws and what
happens when we disregard his word. It is that evidence
of God’s power that we have all seen and forces us to
bow to his authority. In our own lives we have seen his
power and how God controls all things including us and
that is the beginning of faith.


Faith

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to Faith

Similar to Faith (20)

More from Household of Israel Temple of Jesus

More from Household of Israel Temple of Jesus (20)

Faith