FAITH FOR FELLOWSHIP

Time with Jesus - 14 Sept 2013

Hi all,

In the late 1970’s early 1980’s, a change came to South Africa concerning what was believed. The “Faith” movement, which had begun in the USA, was preached and introduced here. It was not so much something new. Rather, it was something which had been known in the past, reintroduced into our land. This new introduction came largely as a result of the teaching of the Hagen’s, Copeland, Savelle, McCauley and members of the Rhema organisation. 

In many ways, it was like a breath of fresh air into the stiff formalism of many of the traditional denominations. Suddenly the Gospel of Jesus Christ became alive to many people. Men and women began to believe, what was written in the Bible, applied as much in the 20^th century, as it did in the days of Jesus and the church fathers. 

Many of us, Phyllida and I included, were swept up in the euphoria of the moment. Suddenly, Christianity took on a vibrancy that had been missing for many years. 

Sure, there had always been small pockets of Christian enthusiasm dotted round South Africa. But the “Faith movement” in RSA seemed to unite our people and gave us a common focus. It was a very exciting time. One we look back on with great fondness.

HEBREWS 11:1
ASV	Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen.
ESV	Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
GW	Faith assures us of things we expect and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see.
KJV	Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
MSG	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.
NASB	Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
NIrV	Faith is being sure of what we hope for. It is being certain of what we do not see.
NIV	Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
NLT	Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

On reflection it seems clear that although we all said we knew what faith is/was, we didn’t really understand much of what was being spoken. The problem is/was that although we could see how faith worked, we didn’t really know much about it. Many of us thought we did and used Hebrews 11:1 as our definition of faith.

For convenience I’ve listed 9 versions of Hebrews 11:1 from various translations which all indicate that faith is more “abstract” rather than a noun or a verb.

However vs. 1 is not really a formal definition of faith. It’s more a description of what faith does for us. In some respects it’s like electricity. You can see it working as you turn lights on and off. You can hear it “buzzing” in the overhead power lines. We’re told of the movement of electrons and other things. But we can’t see it.

Faith, electricity, wind and time are all “abstract". You can’t go into the local supermarket and ask for R10,00 of faith. The same is true of wind and time. You can buy electricity because there are methods of measuring what it does. That’s what we pay for. If you buy batteries or put money into your electricity card, you are paying for what it does and not the actual “thing”.

Faith makes things hoped for as real as if we already had them. It provides unshakable evidence that the unseen, spiritual blessings of Christianity are absolutely certain and real. In other words, it brings the future within the present and makes the invisible seen.

Faith is confidence in the trustworthiness of God. It is the conviction that what God says is true and that what He promises will come to pass.

Faith must have some revelation from God, some promise of God as its foundation. It is not a leap in the dark. It demands the surest evidence in the universe, and finds it in the word of God. It is not limited to possibilities but invades the realm of the impossible. Someone has said, “Faith begins where possibilities end. If it's possible, then there's no glory for God in it.”

Courtesy Believers Bible Commentary

At the same time, Faith is something that can increase or decrease. Yet it depends entirely on God! Having “faith” in “faith” is pointless. That doesn’t work. 

Listen for His Voice and
DO what He Says

People have “thrown away their medicine” on the basis that if they do so, they will be healed. That’s presumptuous. Healing doesn’t come by throwing away medicine. Healing comes from God. It comes through hearing from Jesus Christ. Paul writing to the Romans stated, ¹⁷ Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Rom 10:17 NIV In other words, when Jesus tells you to throw away the medicine, you may confidently do so.

One of the errors we so often stumble into is mistaking the reading of the Word for hearing a word from Jesus. At the same time, unless you read the “Word” and assimilate it, you will not hear a direct word from Jesus. 

The second depends on the first. Faith depends on your hearing what He says to you now! When He has spoken, you can be confident of the outcome. If He hasn’t, your “faith” is useless. The only way to journey into faith is to spend time listening for His voice. In simple terms, “If you don’t, He won’t!” In engineering terms we say, no input = no output. Faith is just the same! No input with Jesus = no output from Jesus!

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – 14 Sept 2013			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
©	These devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it is for non-commercial Christian purposes					©
	INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	FAITH FOR FELLOWSHIP
“Friendship with Jesus, fellowship divine, Oh what wonderful communion. Jesus is a friend of mine”. Do you remember singing this song or one of its slight variations? A good friend told me that the tune was that of an old “Negro Spiritual”. We shouldn’t be surprised. For many years, “Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs” have been put to the tunes of the day. I’m told that the Wesley brothers used the tunes of their day and composed wonderful hymns of praise and worship to God. The people sang them with great gusto. It’s not quite so easy today. We find that the words and tunes are copy-right protected. I’ve sometimes wondered what the words were before the Wesley brothers “saved” the tunes for God’s glory! It does happen. I understand that Cliff Richards had a small problem along these lines. He took the song “I Did It My Way” and wrote the words, “I Did It His Way” He was only able to sing it once. He was informed that he had infringed copy-right and that was the end of that. I wish I had heard back then. I like Cliff’s singing anyway. I’ve done the same thing now and then. But I’ve never had an opportunity to sing my version in public. Just as well I suppose. One song I distinctly remember was called “Vincent”. It was the tribute to Vincent Van Gogh and was very popular at the time. The version I composed was a tribute to Jesus Christ. The words are different. The tune is the same. If you put your ear right next to the speaker of your computer, you might hear me sing it for you. Probably not! This whole copy-right thing is a bit of a problem. I know that writers and composers should be entitled to some form of financial return for their effort. What that should be and how it should work, is a horse of a different colour. How do you reward someone for what they like doing? We are all confronted with this to one degree or other. Many people love their job of work. They are so devoted to it, they are willing to commit all their time to it. I know this because I’ve met people who have made their passion in life their means of employment. Professional football players and their ilk fall into this category. I suppose great orchestra conductors are similarly devoted. At the other end of the scale we have those who dislike their job with a passion that is hard to understand. Those who are forced to work in sweat shops fall into this category. Being free and with the right to choose your own destiny, appears to be very much a by-product, of those who love the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s simple to see why. The fact is no one can be compelled to love. Freedom and love go together as a unique combination. They are a by-product of a relationship with Jesus Christ. This was one of the great tragedies of apartheid. For it to “work” it had to be enforced. It was an unrighteous and illegitimate concept in the first place. There was no room for love in such an environment. There was no way it could continue indefinitely. Ultimately it would implode at the expense of the people it sought to control. That’s what happened. Today it is part of SA’s dark and tragic past. There was a popular song that describes what had happened so well. The words are, “The song has ended, but the melody lingers on”. Our country will only know fellowship & enjoy peace. when we are united in Jesus Christ. It could happen! Will it? Jim & Phyllida Strickland			9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:9 ESV	Jesus Christ is faithful. That’s how He’s always been. He’s utterly reliable, regardless what we’ve seen. We don’t know why He does it. He’s always been this way; And even if we ask Him, we know what He will say. “Right back at the creation, We knew what was required. A creature that would follow us and do what was desired. We didn’t want a robot. Some strange automaton, Without a mind to think with, but would just carry on, Doing what we told it. We’d make them by the score. Not one of them can love you. That is their fatal flaw. The purpose was to fellowship with people who were free. To choose that which they wanted and turn away from Me. We wanted men and women, whom We would not control. A people who would love Us with all their heart and soul. We knew that it was dangerous. The whole lot could rebel, And choose their independence; But would they love as well? It could have taken ages. But not for Deity. We knew the best solution, instantaneously! And that’s when We decided that We could then proceed. And so We put in motion that first creative deed. The rest of it is history. It isn’t a mere tale. We know how it will all work out in minuscule detail. Realise We love you; you’re children of the Lord. Please do not be frightened; do not be overawed. Our love is given freely There isn’t any charge. We’ve made it all available to all the world at large. Many folk don’t know us. It really is a shame; They can find salvation by calling on My Name! Be an imitator and copy My lifestyle. That’s the way that You should go to make Our Father smile. None of you are servants. You are joint heirs with Me. Moulded in My image, from sin and death set free! No! You cannot feel it. Believe it is a fact. You will only know it when you begin to act, And live within the compass of that which I have said; Following My Spirit, the way that He has led. Put aside timidity. Let your light be seen; Other folk will see you, and know where you have been. Then they’ll praise My Father for all that He has done; And want to be a follower of Me, His Holy Son. Soon I will be with you. Shortly I’ll return; Bringing the reward for faith that nobody can earn! Freely I have given. Freely do the same. And you’ll know the fellowship of those who love My Name. Jim Strickland Written 14th Sept 2012
			17 Jesus resplendent with light from God the Father as the voice of Majestic Glory spoke: "This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of all my delight." 2 Peter 1:17 MSG
			1 How great is the love the Father has given us so freely! Now we can be called children of God. And that's what we really are! The world doesn't know us because it didn't know him. 1 John 3:1 NIrV
			1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children Ephesians 5:1 NIV
			17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Romans 8:17 TNIV
			3 This Son perfectly mirrors God, and is stamped with God's nature. He holds everything together by what he says--powerful words! After he finished the sacrifice for sins, the Son took his honoured place high in the heavens right alongside God, Hebrews 1:3 MSG
			16 "In the same way, let your light shine in front of others. Then they will see the good things you do. And they will praise your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16 NIrV
			2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 ESV
			13 "I am coming to you now. But I say these things while I am still in the world. I say them so that those you gave me can have all my joy inside them. John 17:13 NIrV
			5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:5 TNIV