FAITH TOWARDS GOD - How Faith in God's Word Produces God's Wisdom for every situation
Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God...
Faith has been a hot button issue in the body of Christ, with the COVID19 and social distancing regulations that have been levied upon the society. The question has been do we remain open and have faith that God will protect us from catching and spreading the virus or do we use wisdom and close our doors to flatten the curve? So the debate goes, do we use faith or wisdom?
I would argue that faith is wisdom, or it is the source of wisdom. You can't have wisdom without faith and you can't have faith without receiving wisdom. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, and that hearing of the word of God is what releases wisdom or what you are to do in obedience to God's word to bring into the natural realm what God has spoken from the spirit realm.
Faith is God's word revealing by His spirit God's wisdom for your situation. Rom 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Therefore Faith is all about God. It's not about you, nor the thing you're believing for, but about God's will for the earth. Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Ultimately faith is about His return back into the earth.
Luk 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
FAITH OR WISDOM...
For Leaders that made the tough decision to have Sunday services or Not, this past Sunday...
Faith is not something Nebulous that we have for every and any situation. Faith is a moving, ever increasing or ever decreasing substance that is RECEIVED by the WORD OF GOD for every situation....
We are either IN FAITH or were NOT, based on the present Word we've heard.
FAITH COMES BY HEARING, AND HEARING....and that hearing by the Word of God. (Roms 10:17).
#1. NOTICE....Faith is something that COMES to us as we continue in the Word of God...It's not something that CAME...from the past, because you received the Word yesterday....FAITH IS NOW (Hebs. 11:1)....Present Tense, for every situation you face. It can be built upon from past experiences, BUT IT CAN'T BE ASSUMED UPON, because you had it yesterday, or because you did it a certain way last time.
#2. ALSO...Faith COMES by HEARING....NOT by having heard...So it's something that you must keep receiving, day by day through the Word and through godly men (women) of faith.
THEREFORE....It is possible for one to hear God say, don't have service today for a reason related to this Coronavirus and THAT LEADER BE IN FAITH, and another hear God say, Have service today, and NO plague shall come nigh your dwelling...AND that leader ALSO be in Faith....
GOD IS BIGGER than our finite abilities to understand why one and not the other...He could speak to one leader, because of the dynamics of their congregation and the emphasis and focus of the season that they're in and tell them during this pandemic, after prayer, counsel and time in the Word....DON'T GATHER....While another leader, after prayer, counsel, and time in the Word, along with precautions and adequate preparations, "GATHER,".... AND BOTH BE IN FAITH....If both of those leaders decisions are made with Godly counsel and wisdom from prayer, and time spent in the Word of God.
FaithLESSness is the practice of NOT consulting God (godly counsel) to receive His Word, direction, and wisdom for every and any situation.
Faith IS NOT doing something or saying something that gives you an appearance of being a person of Faith.
FaithFULness is the practice of continuing in the Word, with godly counsel to continue doing what God said, even when it doesn't feel good, look good, or is good.
THIS IS WHY IN THE DAYS TO COME....AND IN THESE DAYS WERE IN NOW, WE ARE GOING TO NEED:
1..BOTH PERSONAL & CORPORATE TIMES OF PRAYER
2...Godly counsel, wisdom and prophetic direction (Sons of Issacar) to know what the Church is to do.
3. AND FAITHFULNESS to continue doing what God tells us to do even when it's not popular or convenient.
As for Faith vs Foolishness....Faith has spiritual parameters....
1. It's the Word of God - Roms 10:17
2. Spiritual authority - Matt 8:4-8
3. Civic/Governmental authority. Roms 13
I believe there are times when the Word of God and Spiritual authority will require our Faith to be Full enough to continue to meet even during the threat of Governmental resistance or dangerous circumstances. (i.e. Daniel, Three Hebrew boys, Underground church of China, etc)
However, I don't believe this is governmental resistance.
Therefore, if the Governmental authorities are mandating social distancing for the purposes of limiting the spread of an infectious disease, for everyone EXCLUDING religious organizations, and it is to our discretion as to whether we should meet or not in a national/world pandemic, it then becomes our responsibility to seek God for our particular body....
IF IT IS A COMPLETE GOVERNMENTAL MANDATE NOT TO MEET FOR THE GOOD OF THE REGION WE SHOULD FOLLOW THE LOCAL/CIVIC AUTHORITY....
IT STILL CAN BE A WITNESS OF OUR FAITH TO THE AUTHORITIES, with an opportunity to work with authorities, and in OUR Spiritual authority to STOP THE PLAGUE FROM SPREADING IN OUR REGIONS.
Either way, we can stand in faith, for this PLAGUE to be STOPPED IN ITS TRACKS IN YOUR REGION.
If YOU GATHER IN FAITH your faith can be a sign and a wonder...And IF YOU DON'T GATHER IN FAITH....Your decision can bring Favor with City officials that can also be a sign to the unbeliever.
IT'S WHEN WE DON'T GATHER IN FEAR OR FAITHLESSNESS (Above definition) OR WHEN WE GATHER IN FOOLISHNESS (Without taking the necessary precautions and preparations) that our decisions can have negative consequences.
I BELIEVE GOD HAS ALLOWED THIS PLAGUE, AND THAT IT IS A SIGN, NOT OF THE END, BUT OF THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS and will reveal the spiritual temperature of the Body worldwide, and where we need to get for what's coming....(Luke 21:11; Isaiah 26:20);
I also believe these are days for Solemn Assemblies of Prayer worldwide, both in person, corporately, in churches, arenas, stadium gatherings AND online gatherings; To PRAY, REPENT AND RELEASE HEALING & REVIVAL INTO THE EARTH.
BUT, if the situations prohibit us from ALL being able to be together in person because some are quarantined and others are not, God has given us the technology for us ALL to be able to continue to come together, across border lines, boundary lines, congregational lines, racial lines and denominational lines, to PRAY FOR THIS PLAGUE TO BE LIFTED......IN FAITH, FREE FROM FEAR.....
Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Isaiah 41:10 NASB
