MORE ABOUT BELIEVING
In the Bible there are a few themes that run from Genesis to Revelation, one theme is Jesus Christ and another theme is believing. It is imperative to believe God. Not to believe that there is a God but to believe God, to believe the Words that were given to holy men (II Peter 1:21). Without believing you will live in the realm of the five senses where circumstances control your life and where you are tossed about with every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14). With believing you will rise up above the circumstances where you are protected by God and all things that you need are provided.
MORE ABOUT BELIEVING
In the Bible there are a few themes that run from Genesis to Revelation, one theme is Jesus Christ and another theme is believing. It is imperative to believe God. Not to believe that there is a God but to believe God, to believe the Words that were given to holy men (II Peter 1:21). Without believing you will live in the realm of the five senses where circumstances control your life and where you are tossed about with every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14). With believing you will rise up above the circumstances where you are protected by God and all things that you need are provided.
Psalm 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Psalm 36: 7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
Phillipians 4: 19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
People think that God should do special things for them and when he doesn’t then they get discouraged and start thinking that God doesn’t love them or that they have sinned to the point where God can’t help them or that God doesn’t care. Let me assure you that God does care and that God knows every hair on your head (Matthew 10:29) and that God longs to help His people.
II Chronicles 16: 9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.
God can only work within the limits that He has set. Those limits are set in the Bible, the Word of God. God moved in Christ Jesus by allowing Christ to die for us and then raising him from the dead, thus, ushering in an era of a new people, Christians, taken out of both Jew and Gentile.
I Peter 1: 17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
God moved, now it is our turn to move! We must believe! Believe what? Believe what the Bible says about us, that we are sons of God, that we are more than Conquerors through Jesus Christ and that God will take care of us. We must come before God in prayer and demand that which He has promised.
Hebrews 4: 14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
There are many examples of and teachings of how to believe. The whole Bible is full of them. Following are a couple examples out of the Gospels.
Matthew 21:18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Mark 11:11 And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.
12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
19 And when even was come, he went out of the city.
20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.
22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Matthew 17: 14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is a lunatic, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Luke 17: 5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
A mustard seed is the smallest of herb seeds but grows into the largest of herbs. It grows into a tree where even birds can rest in its branches. Our believing is to grow like that. The roots of our believing have to be deep in the soil of God’s Word and they must take nourishment from the rich truth of God’s wonderful matchless Word.