Welcome to Faith School! Where my faith gets fed, my spirit grows stronger, and I learn how to be an OVERCOMER!
Why is faith a big issue? Faith is how God functions, and we're to imitate Him. It's how we live and have access to His grace, and it pleases Him.
Faith is being fully persuaded of something, being sure and confident. When you have faith in God, you are not wavering or wondering. You have full trust in Him.
You can't believe something you've never heard. That's why the Bible says faith in God comes by hearing. It comes by hearing the anointed, spoken Word of God.
Faith is confident. Whether we ask confidently or waveringly determines whether we receive or not. Uncertainty is an enemy of faith, so keep your confidence!
God is a Rewarder of those who do something--who reach out, seek, search, and step out in faith. Since faith is not passive, we must receive what God has given.
We are made in the image of God, and He has told us to be imitators of Him. Like God framed the worlds with His words, we can frame our world with our words.
The moment we begin to decree and say what He says, no matter how it looks or feels, heaven gets involved with earth. This is the secret to an overcoming life.
In order to have faith, you've got to be sure. You have to hear God's Word on that subject until you've gotten it settled in your heart and you're confident.
Believing in the Lord means believing in His existence AND in His character--in His goodness, love, and willingness to use His power for your benefit.
When you speak faith and victory, you've already won, even before you see any results. You immediately have God's approval, because faith pleases Him.
Enoch was translated because his faith pleased God. We too can draw near to God by faith, and His presence will become more real to us than ever before.
What made Abel's offering excellent and acceptable? The Bible tells us it was Abel's faith. His heart was in it, his faith was in it, and it pleased God.
By faith, Noah got ready. We can all do what Noah did: we can hear from God, be motivated by what we heard, and then act on it, because faith prepares.
By faith, Abraham obeyed. When he heard the call, he didn't have to see the whole plan before he was willing to act, and this pleased God.
We can walk in the same steps as faithful Abraham. God's instructions are progressive, so as our faith increases and barriers are broken, He is able to do more for and through us.
By faith, Sarah received strength to conceive and deliver a child. We can believe like Sarah did. In fact, God expects us to follow her example, and receive our strength, by faith.
Sarah started out laughing in unbelief, but ended up laughing in joy, at a miracle that hardly anyone could believe. Something changed, and Sarah called God faithful!
God says a lot about blessing, so it should matter to us. Every day, we have the opportunity and ability to bless like He does-through words of life, health, strength, joy, and wisdom.
When Jacob spoke over his children, and Joseph spoke over his future, they believed something and said it, and it affected not only their lives, but generations later.
By Faith, Moses' parents overcame their fear of Pharaoh and kept Moses alive. Years later, Moses sensed his purpose and forsook his title to follow his call.
Moses knew God personally and spoke to Him face-to-face. He looked to the future by faith, choosing to be a part of the eternal rather than enjoy the temporary for a season.
By faith, the Israelites crossed the Red Sea as by dry land. Do you need to get through some things? Believe God. He will get you all the way through, all the way across.
The walls of Jericho seemed like an impenetrable, unscalable barrier. You will encounter obstacles in life, and you'll think you can go no further. But by faith, you can overcome.
Barak received a word from the Lord that He would deliver Sisera into his hand.
When the Almighty tells you, faith and courage comes, and everything changes.
God called Gideon a "mighty man of valor." Gideon didn't see it in himself, but God saw it.
By faith, he acted on God's word and led the men to victory.
Jephthah found faith and courage, even in his outcast situation.
God took him from obscurity to the top, and He used him to deliver the whole country.
Samson's birth was God's response to His people's prayers. They needed help.
They needed deliverance, and Samson would be their champion.
Samson was not just a strong man, but a faith man.
His faith in God's power caused a manifestation of the anointing, and God used him to deliver His people.
Samuel's name means "God hears."
Throughout his life, Samuel would see and know things, and he would intercede, because he was convinced that God hears.
By faith, Samuel followed God without seeing the whole plan.
Take steps and trust Him, and He will lead you to be at the right place at the right time.
Many Christians have chosen to accept persecution in order to obtain a better resurrection.
Faith is willing to sacrifice today for a greater tomorrow.
Jesus endured the Cross for the joy that was set before Him.
With the right faith choice, we can secure a better resurrection, a greater reward.
The same God Who forgives you heals you.
It's based on the same sacrifice and the same work of redemption, and it's received the same way: by faith.
The miracle started for the Leper when he knelt down and worshiped Jesus.
He realized, "This Man is my Help!" and was cleansed and got his life back.
Jesus rebuked the fever, and it left her immediately.
It wasn't prayer, but an authoritative, faith-filled command. Jesus, our Example, demanded it be done.
When Jesus spoke to the fever, He didn't deal with the symptoms; He addressed the cause--the unseen, spiritual origin that caused the problem.
Jesus was preaching in the house, so the power to heal was there before they broke through the roof.
They just had to believe and respond in faith to receive it.
Jesus first said, "Your sins are forgiven." Why?
You must get rid of condemnation to be bold in faith, and it was going to take all his faith to act on Jesus' words.
The power of God manifested miles away, in another town, the moment the nobleman acted in faith on a revealed word from God: Your son lives.
The nobleman returned home after he received a word from the Lord.
You can get a word from Him, too. Once you do, put both arms around it, receive it, and rest.
Jesus cares more about people than rules.
He cared more about healing the man's withered hand than adhering to the glaring Pharisees' religious doctrine.
When Jesus told the man to stretch out his withered hand, he did it, in expectation and faith,
and it was restored whole--right there in the synagogue, on the Sabbath.
The centurion believed that when Jesus spoke the word, his servant would be healed.
Great faith esteems and respects the authority of the word of God.
The centurion is a military man, and he understands authority.
He acknowledges Jesus' authority and asks Him to give the command, so his servant will be healed.
Jairus said, "...she will live." He had that report in his heart before he ever started talking to Jesus.
It matters what we believe, and that our faith is focused.
Jairus believed Jesus' words and refused to fear.
They went to the house, kicked out all of the crying and unbelief, believed God, and saw the miracle.
When she heard about Jesus, her focus shifted.
She stopped looking to man and believed there was a supernatural way to be healed--by the power of God.
When she touched His garment, the power flowed and changed her body.
What twelve years of spending and procedures couldn't faze was fixed in a moment of time.
She said within herself, "If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole."
It matters what we say. The Lord works with our words and confirms what we say about Him.
Many were touching Jesus that day, with nothing happening.
What made the difference? She touched Him in faith, and that activated the power that healed her.
She heard about Jesus and had faith.
She believed, said it in her heart, reached out, touched, and received. Was that the end? No. Then she testified.
Something they heard motivated them, because you don't go to this kind of effort and keep on pursuing unless you are convinced something can happen for you.
She heard about healing and deliverance in Jesus' ministry and decided it was real--and that she was going to get it for her daughter, whatever it took.
She wasn't initially in a position to receive, but because of her faith and persistence, she got there.
She made adjustments, and her daughter was healed.
Jesus took the man aside from the multitude. Why? There was a hindering atmosphere of unbelief there, and in that environment, it makes it hard for a person to receive.
They brought the man to Jesus and besought Him to minister to him, then they were out of the picture.
It was just the man and Jesus, because this was his healing to receive.
Jesus didn't just take the blind man away from the crowd.
He took him all the way out of town, because He was severely limited as to what He could minister there.
That which is ministered perfectly can be received partially.
This is true with anything from God. If you haven't received it all, keep receiving until you do.
The disciples had been ministering healing to people, and it had been working.
But that day, it didn't work. Why? Jesus said the problem was their unbelief.
If it's hurting, vexing, or torturing, it's not God. And if it's not God, don't ever receive it; you resist it, and it will have to flee from you.
This healing was Spirit-initiated because the man didn't come to Jesus; Jesus saw the man.
And it wasn't about assigning blame; it was about fixing the problem.
His healing was a special thing, but you don't have to wait for something special.
Healing was paid for in the redemption, so you can receive by faith any time.
Men's religion opposes God's healing and the goodness of God.
The synagogue ruler was indignant, but Jesus ministered healing no matter who didn't like it.
The Word was pronounced, and the power made it happen. He told her she was loosed, then He laid His hands on her.
The anointing manifested, and she was made straight.
They put the man with dropsy in front of Jesus, expecting He would heal him on the Sabbath.
Jesus didn't want him hurting, and He doesn't want you hurting either.
It's significant in the healing of the ten lepers that there was no prayer, touch, or anointing oil.
By faith, they asked for mercy and received a miracle healing.
The power of God began working in their bodies the moment they turned and took a step.
Each step took them further into the manifested power of God, that can heal anything.
When Jesus is passing by, miracle power is available, but it doesn't mean it's going to automatically happen.
Bartimaeus had to call, to reach out with his faith.
There was an excitement in Bartimaeus's voice.
Jesus heard something that stopped him in His tracks. Believing is not begging. Believing has a victory tone.
Malchus came to arrest Jesus, not get healed, so this wasn't Malchus' faith at all.
The Spirit of God prompted Jesus to demonstrate grace and mercy by healing him.
He had never taken a step his entire life.
In a moment of time, by the power of God, his feet and ankle bones received strength, and he could walk, leap, and praise God.
The response to immediate obedience of faith is instantaneous results.
Peter and Aeneas weren't playing with this. When Peter said, "Get up," immediately Aeneas stood up.
The Spirit of God rose up in Peter and prompted him to call her name.
God's kindness gave Tabitha back to her community, and that kindness drew many to faith in Jesus.
When you've never taken a step in your life, and now not only can you walk, you can run, jump, and leap, that's not just restoration;
that's a miracle of healing.
Even though the work was already done, and the Gospel was preached, and the man had faith to be healed,
he still didn't experience it until he acted on his faith.
The healing of Publius' father was a miracle that resulted in many healings all over the island.
And it started with the kindness and hospitality of the people.
When Paul prayed, he sensed the anointing and prompting to put his hands on Publius' father,
and healing power was ministered to him by the mercy of God.
Like Epaphroditus, if you care about people, you don't want them distracted and burdened about issues with you.
Cast all your cares over on the Lord, not on others.
When Epaphroditus took provisions to Paul in prison, he became sick to the point of death,
but God healed him--showing mercy to him and also to those who cared about him.
You and I are born of God, and whoever is born of God is a predestined winner, an overcomer. Our spiritual makeup, the very DNA of our being, is victory.
The Gospel is the report of good things. Choose to believe the good report, and the power of God will show up in your life, confirming what you say you believe.
The Gospel of Blessing had been preached to Abraham, our father of faith. We who believe on Jesus are called the children of Abraham, and we are blessed with him.
Rather than being overwhelmed and defeated, the spirit of the overcomer rises up in faith, finds strength and answers, and overcomes instead of being overcome.
Giants are not indestructible. Yes, they're big, they're ugly, they're bad, but your giants are not indestructible. And by your faith in God, you will overcome.
Faith comes by hearing the good report of what God says. Fear comes by hearing the bad report of what the enemy says. It's our choice what we hear and believe.
God is Light. In Him is no darkness, no evil at all. Seek Him for discernment to know the difference between good and evil, and He will reveal the truth.
God's people had every reason to believe but chose not to, proving that seeing miracles doesn't give you faith. Remember His miracles, and believe His goodness.
Caleb and Joshua had a different spirit. They had made up their mind. It didn't matter what they saw. God told them it was theirs, and they believed it.
Unbelief robbed the Israelites, and it will rob you too. Start talking faith and victory. Refuse to let unbelief rob you of the blessings God has for you.
When you choose to believe, everything starts to open up to you. Believe God is real, He cares about you, and if He said it, He can do it. That's faith.
Their first failure was failing to trust God. They saw Egyptians behind them and ocean before them and panicked. But God already knew and had the answer.
Feeling fear doesn't mean you've yielded to it. That's not the end of the battle, it's the beginning. Choose the good faith fight and resist the fear!
When God says, "Fear not," there's power in His command. But you still have to make a choice. Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.
Unbelief is disrespectful. Refuse to be unthankful and disrespectful to God, to His Word, and to His leaders. Show respect, have faith, and receive miracles.
When Pharaoh pursued the Israelites, they panicked. But God in His mercy parted the waters. They walked through on dry land, and their enemies were no more.
Three days after the Red Sea miracle, they were murmuring about the bitter waters of Marah. They let unbelief flow and missed another chance to trust God.
Their murmuring expressed their resentment, fear, and defiance. They murmured forty years, until their life was over, and their opportunities had passed.
Manna fell from the sky, showing God can feed them anywhere. His simple directions about gathering and storing the manna was a test of trust, and they failed.
They were in the desert, and there was no water. In fear and unbelief, they got into strife with Moses, blaming him and pressuring him to fix the situation.
They repeatedly saw God's miracles, but their reluctance and refusal to believe revealed the hardness of their hearts. They limited what God wanted to do for them.
By all the evidences of what God had done for the Israelites, there should be some faith now. But He was never able to convince them of His good plan for them.
Feed on the Word and trust God's love for you! Don't let your heart become hard and bitter by thinking on the wrong things and believing lies about God and other people.
They still complained, after all He had done for them. It made God so angry that fire broke out and destruction occurred. Decide today to trust God, and don't complain.
Unbelief looks back and romanticizes the past. They pressured and challenged God, from a place of lust and longing, until He gave them the meat they demanded--and then some.
God's will was to bring them into the land where they'd be free and prosperous, living the dream. But that whole unbelieving generation refused to possess it, so they never enjoyed it.
This is a coup, an uprising of 250 well-known leaders who publicly oppose Moses and Aaron. Their complaint: Who do you think you are? Who put you in charge?
Faith is a choice. And it doesn't matter how many miracles you experience or see, you can still doubt, and you can still slide right back into unbelief.
This attempt to overthrow their leadership shows zero repentance and full blame. When the enemy is involved, there's dishonesty and rebellion and force.
They are speaking against God's anointed, God's choice. They don't realize it, but they're hours away from being judged and perishing from the earth.
God chose them to lead. He put them in charge and took it personally when the coup disrespected the ones He chose. God takes delegation seriously, so we should too!
Unbelief is disrespectful, disobedient, defiant, and rebellious. Mankind has rejected God's choice throughout history, and people are still doing it today.
We have a measure of God's own faith--faith that created planets--inside of us. Choose to believe it, act on it, proclaim it. All things are possible when we believe.
When the light of the truth reveals you've gone the wrong way, it's time to humble yourself and repent. Admit it, quit it, receive His mercy and help, and live.
They stopped being thankful for their call. The next thing you know, they're envious of Moses' and Aaron's place, talking behind their backs and plotting to replace them.
It wasn't a matter of ignorance, that they didn't know what to believe. They knew clearly what to believe, but they absolutely refused to believe it. Unbelief is rebellious.
Unbelief is an enemy--a present, pervasive enemy. It's a thief that robs people, even God's people, of His will and benefits and blessings for their life.
Unbelief keeps you from protection. Moses tried to get them to repent. He was trying to save them, and their households, but they wouldn't respond. They wouldn't listen.
Out of all the dead, dry sticks, only one grew blossoms and almonds: Aaron's rod. God did a sign to demonstrate His choice, but they still refused to believe--and died in the wilderness.
They're having water problems because they're somewhere they should not be. When you disobey God, you end up in places you shouldn't be, with problems you shouldn't have.
When confronted with the revelation and realization that you've missed it, be willing to be corrected. Be willing to repent and change. And when you do, God will give you grace.
After journeying in the dry, desolate wilderness, they became mad and discouraged. They listened to the lies of the enemy, and they forgot all that God had provided for them.
Up until this point, they've been having no trouble with snakes. The Lord has kept them. But they murmured and complained, and their protection was removed.
When the Lord says, "Don't do it, or you'll get pulled in," that's the only way to stay safe. But they did it, and they lost His protection, blessing, and favor.
Follow close to the Lord your Shepherd. Don't stray, wander off, or do your own thing, but follow Him. And if you'll do that, you will always have everything you need.
It is always God's will for us to have abundant provision because He is the God of more than enough. He is always good, and never bad. Lack never comes from Him.
God is my very own Father, and He sees me the way a great, wonderful father looks on his little child. I am part of His family forever, and my good Father always takes care of His family.
God my Father takes care of me. He sees ahead and provides the supply, so I am never in lack. I always have everything I need, because He is faithful to provide.
Poverty and lack are not a part of God's original creation. He created a world of plenty, of vast abundance, that we could never use up. Don't be concerned. All we need, God will provide.
Our needs are not met by the limited resources on this planet. Rather, they're met according to God's unlimited riches and resources in heaven, where His will is being done.
The blessing protects, provides, heals, and delivers. It belonged to Abraham, and the New Testament says the blessing of Abraham is now ours through our faith in Jesus Christ.
God established His covenant with Abraham and his seed after him. It's an everlasting covenant that did not end with Abraham. We who are Christ's inherit all of the same promises and benefits.
Abraham tithed, but not because of a requirement or a law. It was out of honor. He was acknowledging God, Who had protected him, given him victory, and made him a very rich man.
When you return the tenth part to God, in faith, the blessings from Heaven will empower you to prosper, increase, and multiply far beyond what you could ever work for and produce.
If you want to see everything in your life come up to another level of good and blessing, then increase your respect for God. Increase your honor for Him, His Word, His Spirit, and His people.
God has always connected honor and wealth, and glory and riches. He wants us to have resources today, too--to honor Him, His Word, and His Church, and to do His ministry the way it should be done.
God wants us to listen to Him and get wisdom to do things His way. He gives us knowledge and understanding to achieve a desired outcome, which includes substance, riches, and wealth.
