ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH

Time with Jesus - Tuesday, 15 January 2013

Hi all,

Today’s meditation is all about “faith”. To write about “Faith” in South Africa today is a bit like running blindfold through a swamp infested with crocodiles. Everyone claims to know all about it. Certainly there have been some very good teachers on this topic over the past 30 years. There have also been some not so good teachers. What we have also found is that there is still more to learn about faith than we all realise.

Blessings,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Tuesday, 15 January 2013			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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INTRODUCTION			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	According to your faith
Today’s Scriptures focus on faith. I’m always reticent when it comes to speaking or writing about faith. Unfortunately it’s one of those topics in Christianity which everyone has heard about and has fixed ideas on. Indeed, the “Church” has just passed through a time when “Faith” was taught by all and sundry. Sadly, sundry seems to have won the speaking contest and has left many of us down-stream without a paddle. Before I proceed with this, please allow me to make it clear that Phyllida and I were very much a part of the faith movement. We loved it and learned many lessons that we still regard as invaluable. We are much indebted to men like Jerry Savelle and the Hagin family. Oddly enough, the best message we heard on faith was in 1982 in Rhema Randburg by Lester Sumrall. He called it “The Trajectory of Life”. The little illustration he gave at the time, lives with us today. He spoke of a young girl standing on the stage. Her father walked up to the stage and said to her, “Come on honey, Jump!” The little girl took one look at her father. Then she ran up to the edge of the stage and leaped into his arms accompanied by shrieks of delighted laughter. A few moments later, Lester tried it out on the little girl. “Come on honey, Jump!” She looked at him, then looked round for her parents. She couldn’t see them. So she looked back at Lester sadly and shook her head. Lester then asked a profound question. He asked us why the little girl didn‘t jump? He was as big as her father and as strong as her father and his arms were just as good. But she wouldn’t jump. “Why?” he asked. His answer was simple. She had no faith in Lester, because she didn’t know him. He then told us that faith was knowing God. Since that day, Phyllida and I have taught people that faith was not a “commodity” that you can have more or less of. Faith is knowing God. The more we know Him, the more faith we have; and the more we trust Him. We have taught this now for almost 31 years. At times we have been accused of having no faith. We’ve no problem with accusations of that sort. Why should we? By His grace He has kept us going for the past 31 years. I’m reluctant to say it was achieved by faith. The reluctance stems from the fact that it’s been a daily walk, step by step with Him. Yes, we’ve made mistakes. Yes we are not perfect. Yes there is still so much for us still to learn. In spite of all this and more, the fact is we have developed a relationship with Him. It may not be all that it could be. But we trust Him to the best of our ability and, as the relationship has deepened, so our trust and thereby faith in Him has likewise increased. Today’s meditation takes a look at faith from this particular angle. Some of our brothers and sisters may not agree. But that’s fine. Eugene Peterson translates Hebrews eleven verse one as follows: - 1 The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. Heb 11:1 MSG This “definition” is a beautiful picture of Jesus Christ. He makes everything in life worth living. It’s not a “magic handle” on getting stuff from God. Who wants “stuff” when we can have Jesus? Jim & Phyllida Strickland			12 Think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. Rom 12:3 ESV 1 Welcome people who are weak in faith, but don't get into an argument over differences of opinion. Rom 14:1 GW 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God. Rom 4:20 TNIV 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Mat 14:31 ESV 28 Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly. Mat 15:28 ESV  28 When he entered the house, the (two) blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." 29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you." Mat 9:28-29 ESV 5 The apostles came up and said to the Master, "Give us more faith Luke 3 17:5 MSG 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, Jude 1:20 ESV 7 Have your roots in him. Build yourselves up in him. Grow strong in what you believe, just as you were taught. Col 2:7 NIrV 21 It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, 2 Cor. 1:21 NLT 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast 1 Peter 5:10 TNIV 1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Rom 15:1 TNIV 13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. Rom 14:13 TNIV	The big misunderstanding about our “faith” today, Is thinking we can measure it. It doesn’t work that way. The faith we often speak of is a “quality” of God. He is the One Who gives it. It isn’t something odd. It isn’t something that we own; it never will be ours. The Father distributes it, a bit like April showers. There isn’t “lots” or “little” He gives it as He wills. According to His Holy ways the Master comes and fills, Believers with what’s needed; within a circumstance. It’s not a Holy lottery that we can leave to chance. It’s trusting the Lord Jesus for what you think is needed. It never rests upon how much that you have prayed and pleaded. It never does take very much; a mustard seed in me, Could cause a giant sycamore to jump into the sea! The essence is believing that Jesus Christ can do, Everything that’s needed to make the dream come true. “According to your faith”, He said. Not faith in me or you. But trusting only in what Christ, the Lord of Life can do. We cannot generate it. We cannot make it come! It’s not something inflatable. To think that way is dumb! It’s always very simple. It’s like the A B C. It starts and ends with Jesus. It’s His ability. Of course we’d like to do it. Of course we’d like the power. But only He can ever cause the seed to bloom and flower. In fact, if I could do it, why should I trust in Him? Then life would be a fairy tale like those by brothers Grimm! It isn’t fatalism. It isn’t cast in stone. It’s going to the King of Kings and trusting Him alone. A pious Christian guru can never get it done. But when we put our faith in Christ, God’s One and Only Son, Things get in proportion. That’s when we get things right; For only He can ever change the darkness into light. So when we think of having faith, don’t make a big mistake. Don’t run around; punch the air, tremble, scream or shake. There really is no purpose. You cannot bring it on. The pagan priests on Carmel succeeded – not a one! That’s when you ask Him humbly, if He will intervene. It’s not some “quantity of faith” but hope in the unseen! An absolute assurance in what the Lord can do; And not relying on the “faith” you’ve got inside of you. The fact is there is nothing that “faith” can bring about. But when your faith’s in Jesus Christ, the answer’s not in doubt. Jim Strickland  Written 15th January 2012.