Monday, January 9, 2017

10 things NOT to do if you want faith


1. Don't ask when you don't need to know


All information on a need to know basis. 
In Exodus God assures Moses of victory beforehand. Notice He does not say how this will be accomplished. Those things will become evident when they need to be. All God says, for the sake of Moses’ faith is the outcome.

Exodus 3:21-22
And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty. But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.

Moses will need greater faith for the future tasks God has for him.


2. Don't second guess yourself when you know what God told you


After assuring Moses that he would have victory in Egypt, Moses continually asked God to get somebody else for the job.

Exodus 4:13-14
And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.


3. Don't follow plan "B" when God devised plan "A"


God was patient. He willed it for Moses to go alone but He allowed Moses to use His brother. Nevertheless, by not following God’s initial plan there were still repercussions later. Aaron was the one who made the satanic golden calf for the people later and he also rebelled against Moses later on. Moses’ request would basically not make things easy but hard for him to carry out God’s plan.
God basically said “ok, you wanna follow plan "B" that;s fine but it’s not the best and you’ll see why later”. We may not always know the way God will carry things out for us and we don’t need to know. We just have to trust Him.


4. Don't wait until you believe


Belief in the truth is a choice. I think that in the end, most of us believe without seeing (John 20:29). Belief in the ultimate truth (“truth” as explained in note “Armor of God”) is a decision. For even if the dead will rise many do not believe (Luke 16:31).



5. Don't place logic before your relationship with God

Pontius Pilate asked Jesus many questions to which he received an answer. When he asked “what is the truth” (John 18:38) Jesus was silent. He chose or was unable to explain what the truth was to Pilate precisely because Pilate did not have a relationship with the Father. Pilate would not be able to understand it or accept it without himself choosing to understand and to have a relationship with God. 
In the same way, when answering the Pharisees, Jesus said “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” (Luke 20:8). There is no point because the Pharisees did not have honest motives and were not seeking the truth. They would not have recognized the authority because they did not recognize the truth.


6. Don't trust the mid for the greater things


Faith is in the spirit not the mind. The mental arena will never take you into abundance. What a renewed mind does is when something comes up that needs faith, is that it steps aside and lets the faith from the spirit flow. (Nancy Dufresne)


7. Don't pick and choose

Don't select what parts of the Bible to believe. Believe it all!

2 Timothy 3:2-5
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

The end of the verse talks about people denying God’s power; denying out of choice instead of ignorance. People with the attitude “I’ll take some of the teaching but not all.” The verse seems to put these people in the same category as the ones practicing horrible things. Denying God’s power when you can know better through Scripture is not a neutral stance; it is a serious act.
Jesus said those who add or subtract anything from the commands will be least in the Kingdom. (Matthew 5:19)
When we have clear understanding we must believe God. So important it is to take God at His word that in the case of Abraham (Genesis 17), even when the things God asked him to believe for himself seemed insane and ridiculous Abraham still believed and God saw him as righteous because of this act of faith.

Romans 4:18-25 (ESV)
18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness[a] of Sarah's womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.


8. Don't be afraid when God gives you something good

Receiving prosperity and good things from God does not make us walk less by faith. We still need faith as we wait on the good things He has for us. Some people have the religious mentality that only through lack and suffering can a person’s faith stay sharp. This is nonsense. 


9. Don't ask when you should declare

When we are saved God does a lot in our lives. Many Christians believe that they can only progress into another level in the relationship with God by asking for a direct revelation from Him. God is generous and can come through. To have a revelation is crucial because with a revelation the power of God can come out of us.
However, when it comes to claiming your authority it is not done by asking. You are the one who are supposed to step up and claim it. "The container of faith is risk (Steve Brown, Key Life). You must risk by having the faith to standing on your power, your authority. It takes faith because you have no power but through the Father (John 19:11).


10. Don't shy away from your responsibility



John 14:14
If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

God brings power to the table but we always bring faith. If we (or somebody else) do not bring our supply then we are left stranded and we think God hasn’t heard us. So to ask God is a responsibility but many people don't want that responsibility and that is why they attack the Word of Faith movement.

Notice in the next verse after John 14:14 what Jesus says:

John 14:15
If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Another condition: “IF you love me you will do as I say.”
People accept the responsibility for caring for the poor, in feeding the hungry, in comforting the poor in spirit but when it comes to the miraculous they shrink from it.

I know why (I was there too): because it requires more faith. Some are afraid they do not have the faith and instead of developing it they attack those who are doing so. Fear is from the Devil and causes dissent in the body of Christ, the Church.


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