How To Grow Your Faith

Romans 10:17
"Consequently, faith comes by hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."

We have been seeing lately that in order to walk in our inheritance as Christians and enter into everything God has for us, we need to do so by faith.  Without faith, not only is it "impossible to please God", but it is also impossible to step into the inheritance God has for us.

That may sound a bit harsh.  But before dropping your head and feeling like you're not worthy enough (please no!), remember that we have each already been given a measure of faith (Romans 12:3).  So it's not like you have no faith!  The point is to grow the portion of faith we have within our hearts.

Before I get into "how to grow your faith", let me answer some of you questioning "why it is impossible to step into our inheritance without faith".  Well, if you don't have some small ounce of belief that what you are about to do might just work, then you will never do it.  Every person who prays for a sick person has at least a tiny ounce of belief that the person might just get healed.  Every person who takes a risk on a business idea they believe God is leading them into does so because they believe, even slightly, that the idea really was from God and it might really just take off.  This is what faith is all about.  Our challenge is often countering unbelief, it is not necessarily that we don't have enough faith, it is that we have too much unbelief counteracting our faith.  But that is another topic.  Hopefully this paragraph has helped some of you shed some light on what faith actually is.

The topic I am addressing here is how to grow your faith.  Well, it is simple:  It is clearly laid out for us in this verse of Romans 10:17.  It comes by hearing the message of Christ.

Firstly, note that the verse says the Word of "Christ", not the "Word of God".  While I agree that the Word of God is our sustenance, I can also tell you many people who think they are preaching the "word of God" are actually preaching a legalistic message of condemnation.  This is where and why I am glad the Scripture differentiates it with the "Word of Christ".  Because the term points toward a hearing a message about our Saviour and what He has done for us.  The Good News.

My friend, if you want faith to go out and pray for the sick, to take business opportunities, to sow financially, etc...  Get your hands on Gospel-based materials!  Read brief encouragements like this, download Mp3 sermons from Gospel-centered churches, read books magnifying the Work of Jesus, read/listen to testimonies of what God has done for other people, watch DVDs or YouTube videos of Gospel-centered sermons and preachers.

Fill your life with the Word of Christ!  For It is our daily bread.  He is our daily bread.  When we consume Him, our faith cannot help but grow.  And when our faith grows, we will truly shine among the nations!

Glory and Grace 2012 Summary Recap

Glory and Grace 2012 was simply an incredible time.  God moved in so many of our lives, and we will truly never be the same again.  There are mighty things happening in the spirit realm, and as we turn our ear to Heaven, we will be aware of what to expect and prepare ourselves accordingly.  In this blog post, I am just going to highlight some of the stand-out points that the speakers made in order to recap on what was shared, and to provide a reference for you to remind yourself of what inspired you.

Here are some of the important points made and shared:

Session 1 - Wednesday evening - Rob Rufus
- God so loved the world He didn't send a Message, He sent a Person!
- Theology and doctrine can never replace the Glory of the Presence of God.
- True identity comes from a true vision of how God sees you.  We need revelation of this!
- How God saw you before time began is how God sees you today!
- We must learn in our identity not to fall into the trap of self-pity.
- If you keep reaching for more power deeper than the level you understand your identity, eventually you self-destruct.
- Nothing can stop your destiny when you see yourself the way God sees you!
- "Blessing" means "the empowerment to prosper"
- Untested faith is no faith at all.
- We must make the Gospel of Grace attractive by the lives we live and display to the world!
- Most of us have been trained from childhood to see ourselves negatively.

Unfortunately I was unable to take notes during Fini de Gersigny's Session 2.  You can download it on our sermons page:  http://www.highwaysermons.com/sermon/?date=2012-1-01&enddate=2012-12-31&series=16
The sermon is entitled:  "A call to spiritual fathers"

Session 3 - Thursday morning - Rob Rufus
- The Bride of Christ exists to change the culture of nations.
- Our business is to change the world, see the lost saved and to equip to change the world!
- Our weaknesses are an invitation for other people's strengths
- True service in the Kingdom must come out of a place of a secure heart
- The church has manu vision casters but not enough vision carriers
- "Your seed will dispossess cities!"  Abraham's promise from God.
- If cities do not dispossessed by the sons of God, He will be guilty of perjury.
- The Law condemns the best of us, Grace approves even the worst of us

Session 4 - Thursday Evening - Isi de Gersigny
- The voice of God is faster than the sound of reason
- Too many of us doubt what God has done in our lives because we think it was us who did it!
- God doesn't grieve the way we think He does, because He is not in time
- God doesn't need to change His mind about who you are
- Nothing is birthed without waters
- Creation recognises the sound of God
- When you agree with God you resonate with His reality and you start to manifest His Nature
- God is so worthy, that we will never run out of the desire to cry our how worthy He is!
- You can have as much revelation as you want to
- You can become as much revelation as you want to
- The greatest gift God ever gave us is the gift of hunger
- Prepare your kids for Heaven
- Revelation 5:8 - You are never worshipping alone
- The angels come from the Face of God and look for your voice, and they match it with THE Voice of God!
- Don't be intimidated by the Bible, God won't give you all 5 loaves at once!  He will give you the Truth of Manna and multiply it in you.
- When God reveals something to you, bury yourself in it.  Saturate yourself in it.  SAY IT!  Because when you say it, you create it!

Session 5 & 6 - Friday morning - Rob Rufus
1 Corinthians 1:17 - What empties the Cross of its Power?
- When you go back to Law, your faith stops completely!
- If you take the Law off people but you don't release them into faith you will have worse people!
- I don't just want the doctrine of faith, I want the spirit of faith!
- Galatians 3:12 - The Law empties the Cross of its Power
- Faith in the Power of God is unbelief in the wisdom of man
- A man hearing how He is the righteousness of God is not compatible with being stuck in sin

Session 7 - Friday evening - Rob Rufus
Mark 5:21
- Faith mobilises us to touch and engage the Power of God
- There is something very dangerous about passive self-pity
- You need 3 gifts to raise the dead:  1) Faith to do it. 2) Miracles to uncongeal the clotted blood etc. 3) Healing for whatever killed them in the first place.
- Faith cannot work with condemnation
- Faith is knowing you can receive good things from God that you don't deserve
- People say "I don't have time to meditate on God's Word".  Well, worrying is meditating on the demonic!
- "I'm not aggressive with people. I'm aggressive with the devil!"  Smith Wigglesworth
- Jesus didn't say "my anointing made you well", He said "your faith has made you well."
- Fear will make you run from God, faith will make you see God Face to Face
- Look at Mark 6:56, after the miracle of the woman with the issue of blood.  Her faith set a divine precedent for all to touch His cloak and be healed!

Romans 10:17

"...faith comes from hearing the Message, and the Message is heard through the Word of Christ."

Now, I have shared from here before, but it is an important follow-on from last week's message out of Romans 12.  As we saw last week, our mind's need to be renewed from the pattern of the way the world thinks to the pattern of the way Christ thinks.  Christ thinks positively.  He always has hope.  He always sees life.  We need to see things from His perspective.

How do we do that when we are faced with negative circumstances and depressing stories on a daily basis?  Well, it is absolutely imperative that we immerse ourselves in the Word of Christ.  Notice that the translation of this verse I have used actually says "the Word of Christ", not the "word of God".  There is a difference.  The Word of Christ reveals the Glorious Nature and Person of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  We need to immerse ourselves in that Word that breathes life into all situations.

When we do so, faith will naturally arise in our hearts.  Just like when the Springboks (not in this case) won the Rugby World Cup it doesn't take much for you to get up off your chair and clap and shout.  Faith isn't something you need to work up.  It is the natural by-product of the hope-giving Message of the Word of Christ.  

THis is why it is imperative we immerse our ears and eyes in Scripture, teachings, preaching, books and sermons that reveal the Good News of Jesus.  When we do so, our minds will be renewed to think about things from Christ's perspective and not the perspective of this world's hopeless pattern.  And when we're thinking that way, the Kingdom will come in so many more ways than we can imagine!