# Faith



## activescrape (Jan 8, 2006)

You know how the Bible says if we had even faith the size of a mustard seed we could move mountains? And how we must become as little children in order to enter heaven? It has made me think how when my children were little. If the bicycle tire on my little girl's bike was flat and she asked me to fix it before she went to school, well, she wouldn't worry about it any more after that. As far a she was concerned it was done and she would be riding it when she got home. 
she believed me when I told her it would be done, and it would be. Why can't we have that level of faith as adults? Is is really that unattainable?


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## Postoak213 (Jun 29, 2004)

Satan has entered the picture in adult hood and has cast, fear, doubt, disappointment into the mix. We just have to keep trying to overcome those obstacles and keep focused on Jesus Christ.

Matthew 6:25-34

Chip


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## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

Postoak213 said:


> Satan has entered the picture in adult hood and has cast, fear, doubt, disappointment into the mix. We just have to keep trying to overcome those obstacles and keep focused on Jesus Christ.
> 
> Matthew 6:25-34
> 
> Chip


How true that is. There is definately something to having child-like faith when we are older.


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## activescrape (Jan 8, 2006)

That's kind of my question. There is definately something ....difficult....to having a child-like faith when we are older. I want to have that kind of faith now.


SurfRunner said:


> How true that is. There is definately something to having child-like faith when we are older.


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## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

activescrape said:


> That's kind of my question. There is definately something ....difficult....to having a child-like faith when we are older. I want to have that kind of faith now.


So do I Brother!

However, in the eyes of the non-Christian world, we probably do have that child-like faith.

As Christians, we can all probably look into ourselves and see that we need more faith.


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## Mrs Backlasher (Dec 19, 2004)

Child-like faith is attainable, or we wouldn't be instructed to have it, LOL!

Child-like faith requires submission, and we don't like to submit. After all, as adults we've acquired lots of knowledge, opinions and prejudices.

Small children are blessed with knowing that they'll receive shelter, food and clothing, as well as a few toys and some entertainment. They don't worry about where their next meal is coming from. How do they have such faith? Because their parents or guardians provided for them yesterday, the day before that, and the day before that, etc.

First of all, there is a relationship involved. The parents knew the child even before the child knew who they were. The parents provided for the child even before the child had a concept of "need." The parents loved and hugged the child. Then one day, the child hugged back! The child grew and the relationship developed. The child learned that the parents were trustworthy.

This also is how it works between us and God. He loved us before we loved him. He (through the Holy Spirit) sought us for his own. And we ran and cried and lacked. Then one day, we turned around (repented) and accepted Jesus as our Savior (born again) and hugged God back!

Now we are building our relationship with God and learning whether we can trust him. In the beginning of our "walk" with God, he reveals many new things to us and our faith is strengthened. As God provides supernaturally for us, we learn that he is trustworthy. If God said it, it's a "done deal."

Over time, we get caught up in our occupation, our activities, our family and friends. The world tells us "There is no God." It is up to US to develop and nurture our relationship with our Heavenly Father. How can we do that?

The Bible tells us that "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." So faith comes when we read the Bible. The Bible is the *living* word of God.

Reading the Bible is similar to planting seeds. You don't expect to see the harvest on the same day that you plant the seeds. Conditions must be met. The soil must be fertile (our heart must be receptive), an abundance of seeds must be planted (we must be faithful to read or hear), weeds must be removed (we "weed out" distractions to reading the Bible).

Then we watch for the harvest that *God* provides. We don't provide the harvest, we are only the soil. The Bible says that the word of God will accomplish all that he sends it out to do, and it doesn't return void (empty). Praise the Lord for that!

So we read the Bible and learn about God's characteristics and his nature. We develop our relationship with him through prayer. (It's good to "pray the Bible" as we read, and the word prompts us.) We learn to love him more and to *submit* to his leadership in our life. And *God* develops child-like faith and Christ-likeness in us.

He is trustworthy!


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## luv2fish (Mar 21, 2005)

YES LORD, HELP ME TRUST YOU MORE TODAY.




Thank you Ms B, well said. Hallelujah!!


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## Mrs Backlasher (Dec 19, 2004)

I tell you what! The devil really didn't want me to post that!

I got several paragraphs typed, then the cat jumped up on the keyboard, and it all was erased!

So I started over. Typed as fast as I could so I'd remember what I wrote the first time. Typed along even farther, made progress. Suddenly, I must have hit a wrong key, and it all disappeared AGAIN!

I frantically started over again. This time, after I got several paragraphs typed, I wised up and did a "copy" routine on it.

Interruptions were numerous, phone calls, etc.

Each time I typed a couple more paragraphs, I "copied" again. When I finally got it complete, I wanted to do another "copy" before I pressed the submit button just in case anything went wrong.

Would you believe that the whole thing disappeared AGAIN?! 

So I "pasted" what I had copied up to that point and typed feverishly again, and pressed the submit button.

I'm telling you, those words must be powerful, because it was a real spiritual struggle to make that post! Maybe you folks who want to develop child-like faith should print out that post. Who knows when it might disappear next!? :wink:


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## luv2fish (Mar 21, 2005)

We "see" and "know" who prevailed. Thats real interesting because earlier I was posting a prayer for your family MS B and the same thing happened. GOD.... thats what is happening here. Praise The Lord. God is at work on 2cool so that old lying devil has to step aside every time. I just feel the spirit of The Lord moving right now in the name of Jesus. May just one person that clicks on this site, come to know YOU Heavenly Father , today. These things we pray, AMEN


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## activescrape (Jan 8, 2006)

OK, I believe every word of that Mrs.B It just seems so much harder to return to a child like faith than it was to simply start out with it, just have it. As a matter of fact I don't know if I know one person that can just ask God that it be done and not have a single doubt it will, ever. I do know people with different levels of faith, my wife for example. I jokingly tell her sometimes "I'm just going to give you my prayer list because you get better results than me." LOL It's kind of like this. When we pray for someone's healing, we all believe God CAN heal the person. And he often times does. And I will forever continue to pray for healing.He did, after all ,create them. And we pray believing that he can. But do we always pray believing he WILL heal them. Remember the person that was lying by the road when Jesus was coming by and he believed if he could just touch Jesus" robe he WOULD be healed? What would the result have been if he touched it believing that he COULD be healed?


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## JHooks (Feb 8, 2006)

I do believe it IS attainable. I beleive it because God says it is, and He wouldn't hold a pipe dream out in front of us that we couldn't have. I think we struggle in ourselves too much sometimes, and put the weight of it on us to "achieve" great faith, by our own works. I know....Faith without works is dead ...James 2:26 But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about....What is your faith based on? Or more aptly put....WHO is your faith based on?

Romans 10:17......FAITH comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

Matt 17:20 If you have FAITH as a grain of mustard seed...... (Think about that for just a moment. Faith as a SEED!)

Romans 12:3 ....He has given every man the measure of faith. (Faith=Seed) He has planted faith in your heart!

2 Cor 9:10 ....Now he that ministereth *seed* to the *sower* both minister bread for your food, and multiply your *seed* sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness

One of the fruits of the Spirit referred to in Galatians 5:22 is "FAITH".

How do we build our Spirits to where we begin to give forth fruit?

By the Word of God! By meditating in His word. To where His word is real and relevant in our everyday life, and in our way of thinking and seeing ourselves and the world around us. We see ourselves as the beloved of God our Father.

Matt 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

God is into multiplication. He gives you a seed, and you take His word and water your heart and soul with it, and HE will do the multiplying. We don't have to work for it, and try, and try to talk Him into giving it to us. We just have to water the seed He has already planted in us.

HEB 11:1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.

Take any seed out into your garden and plant it. You don't see the seed right?
But you continue to water it expecting to see what you planted spring up and grow into something more than what you stuck in the ground. Right? 
Same with Gods Word that you plant in your heart, and the SEED of faith that HE planted in you. Just keep watering it, and it has no choice but to grow. A seed will do what God created a seed to do.......It will grow!!!

HEB 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is *faithful* that promised

Just do what you know to do by His word, and He is faithful to do the rest.

By the way.........awesome words of encouragement Mrs B!!!!

God bless ya'll


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## activescrape (Jan 8, 2006)

Trust me, I'm not disagreeing with anything, I'm a sold out believer. I'm merely pointing out what I believe is a problem for many believers. I know many who read their Bible diligently, go to small groups, pray and sow seed and still don't have the level of faith my children had in me when they were little, and I think it's too bad. I'm just being honest. I believe it is attainable, just not easy, whether the reason is because it's ourselves trying too hard, or our lack of understanding or whatever. thanks for all the input, keep it coming.


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## Mrs Backlasher (Dec 19, 2004)

Activescrape,

I'll try to answer your question posed at the bottom of page 1, regarding getting back to child-like faith, and what constitutes real faith - knowing that God *can* do a certain thing, or knowing that he *will* do a certain thing. My answer has 3 parts.

1) The Bible tells us "You have not because you ask not." So we are told to ASK. Asking is a form of believing. Otherwise, why would we ask?

But when we ask, God may say Yes, No, or Wait a while. *All* of those are answers to prayer. We can display child-like faith in God, no matter which answer we get, because we can choose to believe that: 1) God is in control, 2) he knows what he's doing, and 3) he's doing it for our ultimate good.

And as has already been mentioned, reading the word of God increases our faith. I think part of that is because when we know more about God and his nature, we'll have a better idea about what to ask God for. He will not violate his word to give us what we want.

2) There's something else that the Bible does for us when we read it. It cleanses us. One of my favorite passages is John 17:6 - 26. To me, this is the real "Lord's Prayer." (What we refer to as the "Lord's Prayer" is a model prayer.) This passage is Jesus actually praying to the Father. He was soon to be crucified. In this prayer he is praying for the disciples and those who will believe because of their message. That's you and me!

In this passage (verse 17) he prays, "Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth." So the word of God cleanses our mind, and prepares us to receive God's message, and to increase our faith.

3) There is another element and it is a specific supernatural gift of faith from God. It is a moment in time when God reveals to you something he is going to do. I believe this also comes to us from the Bible. Faith is listed in I Corinthians 12 as one of the gifts of the spirit.

I can't fully explain this gift of faith, but I can give you an example of how it happened to me one day years ago. There was a young couple who had moved in next door to us. I had witnessed to the lady, Cathy, and she told me that she was a Christian, but that her husband wasn't. We agreed to pray daily that God would reveal Jesus to him and save her husband.

(Note: Not all denominations use the term "save." It's in the Bible, so I use it. It means the conversion experience, when a person goes from NOT believing in Jesus to the moment of believing in Jesus. It happens at a moment in time, though we may not remember the exact moment. The person is "born again" [that's in the Bible, too] and becomes a child of God, and for the first time has access to the Father in prayer.)

Okay, so we've prayed daily for her husband Ricky and asked God to save him. About 2 weeks have gone by. One day during my morning time of Bible reading and prayer, God spoke a specific verse into my mind. "God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." And in that moment, God revealed to me that Ricky was going to come to repentance and faith in Jesus. Now that I knew the specific will of God, my prayer changed. Instead of asking God to save Ricky, I thanked him for saving Ricky. Then I went next door and told Cathy, "We've got to stop praying for Ricky to be saved." I'm sure she thought I was crazy to tell her that. But then I went on to tell her that God had revealed to me that Ricky will be saved, and that we should begin thanking God that Ricky is going to be saved.

And sure enough, not long after that, God touched Ricky's heart, and he confessed that he's a sinner and asked Jesus to forgive him and come into his life.

I could go on and on about the miracles and answers to prayer that couple received over years of faith in Jesus. They are now grandparents and still serving God! God has been faithful through the years.

Okay, to try and sum it up!

Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Faith isn't something we can bolster up on our own strength. We don't get more faith by trying harder. We simply submit to Jesus.

1) Faith comes through reading and hearing the word of God - the Bible.
2) Faith comes through asking and receiving answers to our prayers - based on the revealed will of God in the Bible, knowing that God has our best in mind.
3) Faith comes occasionally as a supernatural gift from God for a specific outcome. It will agree with the revealed will of God in the Bible. God is not divided. His will agrees with the Bible. The Bible is our authority.

"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28 - 30

Just rest in the arms of Jesus and learn from him. He will increase your knowledge and your faith. I hope this is helpful.


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## activescrape (Jan 8, 2006)

Well, it is helpful, especially the second part of the first point. Thanks for taking the time to give such a detailed and well thought out response. Thanks to all. I can let go and let God. Even when I see old Christians who don't have the faith my children did. I guess I just long for a closer and more intimate relationship than I already have. I pray that we all desire that.


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## Mrs Backlasher (Dec 19, 2004)

activescrape said:


> ... I can let go and let God. *Even when I see old Christians who don't have the faith my children did*..


Every Christian is a work in progress. We can't judge the faith of others; even some old people haven't been Christians very long; we don't know where they came from, or how far they've come in their walk with God.

Fortunately, God doesn't hold any of us accountable for the faith of anyone else. That's why we are free not to judge them. :wink:


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## activescrape (Jan 8, 2006)

you are correct, touche


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## Mrs Backlasher (Dec 19, 2004)

Good show, young man! Sign of a moldable, teachable spirit.

OOPS!

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to activescrape again."


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## EricF (Feb 14, 2006)

I was playing softball one saturday afternoon and tore my ACL in my knee. The pain was terrible. I decided I needed a doctor to take a look at my knee. I went into his office the next day and sat in his waiting room. I noticed all of the large medical degrees that adorned his walls. They were all quite impressive. He has an MD degree and a "fellow" in several different organizations. He took me back to his office and took one look at my knee and diagnosed my problem. Several days later I allowed him to completly put me to sleep and cut my body open, and do all of the gross stuff that doctors do. See, I had faith in his abilities. His degrees on the wall showed me that he knew what he was doing. Even before I took my problem to him I had to make a personal decision. I was hurting , I needed help, and the problem was too big for me to fix on my own. I had to choose to hand the problem over to the doctor. Faith can only begin when you are in control enough to understand that you are not in control. The faith of a child is attainable again, however, I'm a long way from it. 


A great book to read is Classic Christianity by Bob George. Like he says, life's too short to miss the real thing....

Eric


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## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

It is my experience Faith comes with spiritual growth. This thread could go with Paleriders thread on pain.

I have experience a lot of pain in the last 15 years. But, I look back and realize that if I had not have walked through that, my faith would now be a superficial type of faith.

It is all the work of God in us. Not us trying to give it to ourselves. Therefore, we can rest in Him.

Maybe child-like faith is a faith we have when we first become born-again. I think we have a tendancy to lose that kind of faith as we mature spiritually........I could be wrong.


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## Stumpgrinder (Feb 18, 2006)

Mrs. B , you have some serious perception and interpretation skills . Thank you for your efforts. You and I are probably of differing "religious" factions but I just know that we all pray to the same God in the end.


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## ComeFrom? (May 21, 2004)

Mrs Backlasher said:


> Every Christian is a work in progress. We can't judge the faith of others; even some old people haven't been Christians very long; *we don't know* where they came from, or *how far they've come in their walk with God.*
> 
> Fortunately, God doesn't hold any of us accountable for the faith of anyone else. That's why we are free not to judge them. :wink:


*Brilliant!!*


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## luv2fish (Mar 21, 2005)

This Thread Is Powerful. Praise The Lord


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## JHooks (Feb 8, 2006)

I apologize if I came off wrong. I am not a FAITH Giant by no means. I struggle too and need this reminder as well.

I beleive at times I try to "figure out" how Gods gonna answer my prayer, and that is how I end up in unbelief! Didn't mean to go there, but once I "reasoned within myself" as Jesus put it, I discounted HIS ability to do the supernatural. My mind can only know the "natural" way of things, NOT the God way. That's why the bible refers to Gods ways being HIGHER than our ways.

1COR 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 
1COR 2:12 Now we have received, not the *spirit* of the world, but the *spirit* which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely *given* to us of God.

Philemon1:5Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints; 6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

I believe as we mature in His word, and as we pray for spiritual revelation that we will become more like Him. And that our faith will be more effective. That is, if we stay diligent and faithful and don't grow weary. 
Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

I love Ephesians. It stirs me up!

God bless you all.


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## bambinosan (Feb 9, 2005)

The little girl was focused on the solution and not on the problem because she had faith. When we truly expect an answer to our dilemma, the omnipotent God will deliver. No situation is too big for God. Look past the problem to the solution and it will be done.


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## huntinguy (Aug 22, 2005)

Have a look at the whole passage of ephesian 6:10- bout 20 but esp vs 16. To have doubts or questions is not wrong so long as we bear them out in seeking TRUTH. A good read on the subject is "Case for Faith" by Lee Strobel.

Good thread.


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