|
he speaks in
abiding faith
-
An Allegory Describing Abiding Faith
-
Abiding Described in Scripture
-
How Do I Abide in Jesus?
-
About Jesus
-
He Speaks When We Have Faith
· Bible Facts About Faith
· The Process of Faith
· Prayer Over Unbelief
An Allegory
Describing Abiding FaitH
Abiding faith is like being married to your best
Friend. When you wake in the morning, you open your
eyes and see your Friend and smile. When you get ready
in the morning you talk to each other about your day’s
plans. When you have coffee together, you get the last
minute details to organize the day, double check about
the previous discussions regarding difficult issues and
then you are out the door to do what you do.
Even though what you do is stressful and hard, even
though sometimes you feel pressed by many demands, you
are reminded that you are partnering with your Friend to
help make provision for those you love. You jot down
notes during the morning of things that you forgot to
share with your Friend. At break, you call your Friend
just to check in and mutually plan lunch. You meet your
Friend for lunch and have an intimate time sharing about
what matters. Some problems that arose in the morning
you ask for your Friend’s help and perspective. After
lunch, you are strengthened and believe you can tackle
the problem with renewed hope.
The afternoon breezes through very busy. When you get
stuck on that problem, you make a quick call for a
reminder of what your Friend mentioned at lunch. You
find your bearings, realigned and then move through it
with ease. You can hardly wait to get home to a snuggly
place of quiet rest and being with your best Friend face
to face.
Every part of your day is in remembrance of your Friend
whom you trust never to betray you, always to support
and encourage you, who believes in what you are doing
and appreciates everything you pour into your day to
make a difference. In reciprocal trust, you have
total faith
that your Friend is doing the very same thing you are
doing, for the very same reasons. This strength and
sustenance that you receive in your mutual relationship,
whether you see each other or not, is abiding peace that
two are better than one and that you do not walk alone.
When the day is done, you have both partnered together
to lovingly pour out for each other, and for those
around you to make the world a better place.
“ABIDING” DESCRIBED IN SCRIPTURE
Jesus spoke a key concept when He spoke about abiding in
Him. Notice how many times the following scripture
mentions the word abide: “Abide in Me, and I
in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
unless it abides in the vine, neither can you,
unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are
the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him,
bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If
anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a
branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw
them into the fire, and they are burned. If you
abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you
will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much
fruit; so you will be My disciples. As the Father loved
Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If
you keep My commandments, you will abide in My
love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and
abide in His love. These things I have spoken to
you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your
joy may be full. (John 15:4-11 NKJV)
The Greek word for abide is translated:
abide, remain, dwell,
continue, tarry, endure. It means to continue to be
present, to be held or kept, to last and not to perish,
to endure, to survive and live in a condition of waiting.
{Strongs 3306} If you were to substitute each word in
this translation for the word abide in the above verse,
it gives you an added understanding of what it means to
abide in Jesus. To me, it means to hang on tight to
Jesus and His Words, to not give up (and thus to
survive), and to wait for Him no matter what! Those
words are hang on, tenacious words depicting a deep
abiding trust and reliance upon Him. He said if we
abide in Him, His joy will “remain” in us. Guess what
the word “remain” means? It is the same Greek word as
“abide.” Therefore, if we hang on to Jesus’ Words, His
joy will hang onto us!
HOW DO I ABIDE IN JESUS?
When I abide in Jesus, I do the following things:
-
When I do not have peace over an issue, I cling to
Him in prayer until I find His assurance. It may be
simple sentences all day long. It might be
tongues. It might be a full and complete prayer at
one time until He floods me with His peace. When I
come into that peace I know I am abiding and one
with Him on His Vine.
-
When I am unhappy, I am enduring with His help,
knowing He is very near. Part of enduring is
standing with Him in what opposes His Word and His
will in my life. I endure because I love and trust
Him in the process.
-
When my life produces the fruit of love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control, I know I am abiding in
Jesus.
There are many ways to “abide” in Jesus. These give you
examples of what it means. Living an independent life
away from Jesus is the opposite of abiding.
Independence might be believing in Jesus and the Bible,
but not following what Jesus said, or obeying what
scripture says in how to live a Christian life. Abiding
is leaning on Jesus for everything there is to live
within the Christian life.
ABOUT JESUS
Sin caused an eternal separation between mankind and the
heavenly Father. He loved the people of the world so
very much that He sent His son Jesus Christ to earth, to
live among them and then die on the cross for their
sins. Those who believe that Jesus was God’s Son, and
died for their sins will have the gift of eternal life.
That means that if we tell the Father our sins and ask
Him to forgive us, He will accept us because Jesus paid
the price.
John 3:13-17 NKJV
No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down
from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He
gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God
did not send His Son into the world to condemn the
world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Not only did Jesus die, but He overcame death, raised
from the grave, visited many who were mourning His
death, then visually returned to heaven in the clouds.
He told us that even though He had to leave this earth,
He would not leave us without comfort. He would send us
the gift of His ever abiding Presence through the Holy
Spirit - His very essence. That’s quite a gift!
“...I will ask the Father and he will give you
another Comforter, and he will never leave you. He is
the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who leads into all truth.
The world at large cannot receive him, for it isn’t
looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you do,
for he lives with you now and some day shall be
in you.
No, I will not abandon you or leave you as orphans in
the storm - I will come to you.” (John 14:16-18 TLB)
In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit visited and came
upon individuals, but since the day of Pentecost, (the
fulfillment of an Old Testament feast) we can have His
Spirit dwelling within us. Now, we can have a
much greater intimacy available to us in hearing God
than they ever experienced.
“For I tell you that many prophets and kings have
desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and
to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.” (Luke
10:24 NKJV)
The question arises does God speak to people who do not
believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior? The answer is
yes, God speaks to everyone at any time in any place in
every means. God speaks always. Whether we hear or
understand Him is another matter. It is very difficult
to hear what He is saying when we do not have the
Presence of His Holy Spirit within us to help make the
connection. Remember,
quickening is a requirement of hearing Him speak,
and quickening can not happen apart from the Holy
Spirit. When you pray for those who do not know Jesus,
pray that the Holy Spirit will visit them and the Father
will draw them to the Lord. Jesus said, “No one can
come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.”
(John 6:44 NKJV)
HE SPEAKS when we have FAITH
How Faith Must be Present and then the Process Faith
Takes in Hearing God
Two people who do NOT have a common language begin to
communicate. The tribesman with guttural mumbles asks
the white hunter a question. Hesitating and scratching
his head, the hunter responds with a shrug.
These two are not communicating. So instead, the
tribesman speaks a word or sentence by drawing a
picture, using sign language and pointing to the
surrounding environment, while the hunter listens and
applies. In the process they form common reference
points and begin to understand general ideas. This
is not a word for word translation.
There is a foundation of faith that must exist between
the two communicating. — A faith that says, “I
believe that you just spoke to me, and I believe I can
come to understand what you said.”
For true communication
to exist in the listening process, there needs to be a
certain measure of faith that goes beyond the language
of the mind and penetrates the heart with belief.
The Bible states these facts about faith:
1. Faith comes by hearing Him speak.
Romans 10:17 NKJV
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the
word {4487} of God.
Luke 4:4 KJV
And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That
man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word
{4487} of God.
rhema
NT:4487 rhema (hray'-mah); from NT:4483; an utterance
(individually, collectively or specifically); by
implication, a matter or topic (especially of narration,
command or dispute); with a negative naught whatever:
KJV - evil, nothing, saying, word.
This kind of Word from God is His spoken Word that may
be His telling His view on a topic, it may be a Word for
us to obey, and it may be His rebuke over what the enemy
is saying. When we hear Him speak a rhema Word it can
happen through His still small voice, a sermon, or
something someone says that is quickened and inspired to
our ears. That Word is alive and to the point of our
need. When we hear it, the quickening power hits our
heart with relevance and our faith is activated that
we have just heard God and we know it.
2. We each have a portion:
Rom 12:3-4 NKJV
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone
who is among you, not to think of himself more highly
than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has
dealt to each one a measure of faith.
3. Our faith can grow:
Luke 17:5 NKJV
And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our
faith."
Because our faith can grow, and we receive faith by
hearing Him speak, it makes sense that the more we hear
Him, the more faith grows. This is a wonderful concept,
that the more we use something He gives, the more we
receive.
Mark 4:24-25 NKJV
Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With
the same measure you use, it will be measured to you;
and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever
has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not
have, even what he has will be taken away from him."
4. The Bible describes faith:
Heb 11:1 NLT
What is faith? It is the confident assurance that
what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence
of things we cannot yet see.
Heb 11:1 AMP
NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the
title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof
of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their
reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not
revealed to the senses].
5. The Greek definition for faith
pistis
NT:4102 pistis (pis'-tis); from NT:3982; persuasion,
i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or
the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher),
especially reliance upon Christ for salvation;
abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension,
the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:
KJV - assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.
6. We cannot please Him without faith.
Heb 11:6 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.
7. To do anything without faith is sin.
Rom 14:23 NKJV
... for whatever is not from faith is sin.
As the Lord speaks to you, and you find “Words”
together, faith grows and blossoms. The Bible says
Jesus is “...the author and finisher of our faith...”
(Hebrews 12:2 KJ) He not only is the source of our
faith, but also the completer.
THE PROCESS OF FAITH
Sometimes the particular Words the Lord speaks to me
go through a faith process of sifting,
wavering and quickening before they become planted and
firmly established into a strong, bold, resting faith:
1. “SIFTED faith” - The Words of the Lord are
turning in circles without a secure, stable, home. I
KNOW I have heard the Lord - I just don’t know how it
applies. This is faith with no sense of balance,
security, or establishment. It is like a small screw in
a big hole, turning round and round never becoming set
or secure.
Luke 22:31-32 NLT
"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to have all of you, to
sift you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for
you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you
have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and
build up your brothers."
2. “WAVERING faith” - I know the general place
the Word applies, but don’t understand what He means.
This swings back and forth between different opinions.
The wobbly screw needs to be deeper in the hole to be in
a sure, strong, place. This happens with time and
confirmation concerning what is believed.
James 1:6-8 NKJV
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he
who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed
by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will
receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded
man, unstable in all his ways.
3. “QUICKENED faith” is like a screw sunk into
the right place. The Lord speaks a Word and I discover
a place it fits. When the quickening comes it has
finished its turning, finally finding its proper
placement, its niche.
Isa 22:23 AMP
And I will fasten him like a peg or nail in a firm
place; and he will become a throne of honor and glory to
his father's house.
4. “BOLD faith” is when I know that I know.
Having complete confidence on the inside, I know and
understand what the Lord is saying. This is complete
faith without doubts and with absolute assurance.
Acts 4:31 NKJV
And when they had prayed, the place where they were
assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God
with boldness.
5. “Resting
faith” - When we have grown to the place of complete
faith, we come into what the Bible calls Sabbath rest.
It is a place where we no longer struggle with an
issue in life. We hear the Lord’s perspective on a
matter, rest, and believe Him. We cease from our own
restless pursuits and trust Him. Sabbath rest is
perfect belief in His Words to us.
Heb 4:1-3 NKJV
Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His
rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come
short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as
well as to them; but the word which they heard did not
profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who
heard it.
One of my favorite examples of what I believe is someone
entering sabbath rest is Smith Wigglesworth. He was an
anointed preacher in the early 1900’s who led thousands
to salvation and healing. He was very close to the
Lord, in fact testified of seeing Him. In the process,
he overcame enemy opposition. One particular night the
devil stood in his room, and when Wigglesworth saw him,
he said, “Oh, it’s only you” and turned over and went
back to sleep. That’s what I call sabbath rest! He
knew his opponent, understood his own authority over
such, and simply rested in that truth by literally going
back to sleep! That’s bold faith. Obviously the
Lord had spoken to Smith about the enemy prior to this,
probably several times. Smith believed God and was just
not upset at all. He had come into a resting faith.
PRAYER OVER UNBELIEF
PRAYER: Lord the only way we are going to
believe, is that You “build” our faith. The only way
that happens is to hear Your Word. The only way to hear
is for You to open our ears and open our eyes. It is a
Sovereign act of Your will oh Lord!
Forgive us for our hardened hearts where we have
resisted Your voice. Forgive us for our independent
ways. Oh God please do not give us over to unbelief, as
You did to Israel, that seeing they would not see, and
hearing they would not hear!! Lord we are at Your
mercy, only Your mercy oh God.
We cry out to You to bring us Your quickened Words, the
ones that kindle and ignite our faith into the passion
to move. Lord we have grown sick and lethargic and
slumber because we do not hear Your voice. Oh Lord, draw
us and we will run after You! Enflame our hearts and we
will beat with the passion of Your zeal to usher in Your
kingdom rule upon earth. We are hopeless and helpless
without Your quickened Words of life. Bring them, send
them, and restore our ears and eyes that we may hear and
see once again.
Oh God we are but blind, deaf and dumb and know not our
way without You going before us and preparing our path!
We are but stupid mules who have no sense unless You
prod us. Oh Lord lead us with Your gentle eye. We do
not want to be given over to bits in our mouths. Bring
us into holy sensitivity that we know You from within
and can feel the wind of Your Spirit stirring us to the
right and to the left. Let not our minds and unbelief
hold us in captivity to yesterday’s limitations.
Increase our boundaries Lord. Bring us past the past.
Abba have mercy on our independence, we are but dust
without You. We ask that You grant us Your grace to
move past unbelief into genuine faith that we can
cultivate and grow. In Jesus Name.
|
