So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Romans 10:17.
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God says:
Faith makes it or breaks it. When people came asking Jesus for healing, He would often ask if they believed He could heal them. When they answered in the affirmative, He would tell them “Let it be done according to your faith.” Sometimes He would tell them “Your faith has made you whole,” or, “all things are possible to those who believe.”
According to your faith. If the results in your life are according to your faith, you would be wise to consider your life and your faith. If things in your life are not matching up with My Word, it is time to evaluate your faith. “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” 2 Corinthians 13:5.
It maybe you need to stop begging and start believing if you want results.
Consider Hannah. While she cried, wept, begged, pleaded, grieved, and pouted about having a son, nothing happened. She remained barren. She was miserable and so was everyone around her. But suddenly, a word from Eli the priest gave her faith that I had heard her, and she was “no more sad.” She just knew by faith that the baby she longed for was on the way, though nothing else had changed from before. And then she had the longed-for son and he was a champion! And after that she had five more children as she sang praise and thanksgiving at the victory.
The same with Gideon. As long as he hid in fear and blamed Me and cajoled Me for not delivering Israel nothing happened, nothing changed in the oppression by the enemy. But when I gave him the Word that he was a champion, that is, a hero with the strength of an army, and he walked with Me a bit, he got faith in the victory and the triumph he desired happened! And he led the Israelites to victory over the oppression of the enemy. He blew the trumpet and had everyone else do so too.
And consider Mary and Elizabeth. Both women believed My Word with no doubts and they knew that I was acting for them to bless them and make them great. And the results came just as foretold to them. Zachariah doubted My Word but Elizabeth’s faith carried him through while I kept him silent so he could not ruin the desired result with his words of doubt and unbelief.
When you do not believe, you go away sad and miss the opportunities I open up to you, like the rich young ruler. But when you have strong faith, like the centurion, you have the results according to your word. Same like David with Goliath. David stepped out and told Goliath just how I was going to make the battle turn out. And so it did. Same with Elijah on Mt. Carmel.
There is great joy and peace in believing.
You cannot be of two minds, one of faith and one of doubt and unbelief. Consider Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah under attack by a united front of three enemy armies that far outnumbered them. Once they prayed and got My Word on the matter, they whole heartedly went with My Word in praise and thanksgiving and had an amazing victory that humanly speaking was impossible. As My Son told you, “things that are impossible for man are possible for God.” He knew Me. And so did My servant Paul, he had no fear of evil conquering him for he knew “Him in whom he had believed” and that I was able and willing to deliver him.
And here you have found the key to faith, great faith. Faith depends on your knowledge of the character, ability, and concern and care the one has for you in whom you are to believe.
Yes, to have faith you must have the knowledge of three things: 1. The character and nature of the one in whom you are to put your faith; 2. The ability to perform his promises; and 3. The care and concern he has for your needs and happiness. I can sum these up for you in one Word that proves all three to you about Me: My Glory. And that is why Moses asked only one thing for Me to show him about Myself: My Glory.
My Glory is My goodness (which is My character and nature), My power (which is My ability to perform My promises), and My presence with you (which shows My concern and care for you).
When My prophet Isaiah had a glimpse of Heaven and Christ seated on the throne, he heard the Seraphim crying out to one another: Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory!” Isaiah 6:3. Full of My goodness, My power, and My presence.
Now I will tell you how faith comes, strong faith. Faith comes from seeing My Glory in your life.
In seeing Jesus you see Me. He is the manifestation of My glory. As it is written, “For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6. And, “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known.” John 1:18.
“You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Acts 10:38. Do you see the manifestation of My glory? Character: He went about doing good. Ability: anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power. Care and concern: healing all who were oppressed by the devil. In Jesus you see My character, My ability, and My concern for you in every way, spiritual, physical, emotional, and relational.
That is why I call Him the author and perfector of your faith. Look to Jesus to have the knowledge of My glory in your life. Christ in you, your hope of glory.
Look at Jesus and what do you see? A humble, gentle, compassionate, strong, wise, and loving man who rejected no one who came to Him, forgave those who rejected and hurt Him, had compassion for the lost, the sinner, the sick, the lame, the possessed and healed them all, was tireless in seeking out and saving the lost, embraced the children, and took your sins, pains, ills, and sorrows on Himself to redeem you and set you free. Look at Him healing, providing, guiding, teaching, preaching, exhorting, edifying, praying, and doing justice; acting in honor and integrity, always filled with love and goodness, and you see My glory and you know the three things that you have to have knowledge of to have faith. In Him you see My glory incarnate—goodness, power, presence, which is character, ability, and care and concern. He is the author and finisher of your faith.
And who is He? My Word made flesh dwelling among you and now in you by My Spirit. It is My Word that gives you faith, but it is My Word concerning Christ. It is written, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17. The hearts of the disciples on the way to Emmaus went from cold, unbelieving hearts to hearts on fire with faith when Jesus explained Himself in the Word to them.
“And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14.
Jesus tells you that if you keep His Words, He will reveal Himself to you. John 14:21. And what does He reveal? My glory.
When Moses asked Me to show Him My glory the true answer was to show Him Jesus. And that was what I showed Him on the holy mountain of the transfiguration. I told Moses you cannot look full upon My face and live for I am beyond the light line and you are below it, but I have shone in your hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of My glory in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6. In one like you, but who also is one with Me. Son of God and Son of Man. He reveals Me to you in a way you can understand. “Show us the Father and that will be enough for us,” cried Philip. And what did Jesus answer? “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.” John 14:9-11.
When Thomas saw Jesus, he believed. He saw My goodness, My power, and My presence. He saw My character, My ability and My care and concern. And you too, when you see Jesus in the Gospels, in the Old Testament shadows and types, and in the New Testament revealed in all His glory, you believe. Believe in what? You know and believe in the love I have for you. He gave His life for you. He emptied Himself for you. Of His fullness you have all received, grace upon grace.
When the woman with the hemorrhage of twelve years HEARD ABOUT JESUS, faith came, for she heard of His goodness, His power to heal, and His presence and concern among the people. And My Son told her that her faith had made her whole. Faith came by hearing and hearing the Word concerning Christ.
Do you need more faith? What you really need is more glory manifesting in your life. And how does that happen? I am enthroned on the praises of My people and that is how Isaiah saw the glory. Let Him tell you, “In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord (Adonai not YHWH) sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.” Isaiah 6:1-4. And what is written in the gospel of John? “These things Isaiah said because he saw His [Jesus’] glory, and he spoke of Him.” John 12:41. And remember when Solomon dedicated My house in Jerusalem that he had built for Me? “When the priests came forth from the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard to divisions), and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps and lyres, standing east of the altar, and with them one hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice accompanied by trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and when they praised the LORD saying, “He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting,” then the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.” 2 Chronicles 5:11-14.
Where two or three gather in His Name, Jesus is in the midst of them. Corporate prayer and worship will bring the glory. Make Me a gathering place, a place to share My story and My glory. The Church.
And the more faith you have, the more of My glory you will see. Glory gives faith and faith brings glory. Jesus told Martha, “did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” John 11:40. You who believe will do the works Jesus did and greater for the praise of My glory. John 14:12-13. That the Son may be glorified in you and you in Him. I have called you into My own Kingdom and glory. 1 Thessalonians 2:12. And what did My servant Paul pray for you who believe? “To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12. And again, “For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” Ephesians 1:15-19.
When My people Israel and Judah turned away from Me to idols, the reading of My Word and the praise of My glory stopped, and My prophet Ezekiel saw My glory rising up and departing from the house that Solomon built for Me. My glory had been surrounding them and holding them safe and in perfect protection, as My cloud by day and My pillar of fire by night did for the Israelites in the wilderness as they came out of Egypt headed for the promised land. But when they turned their faces away from My glory to other gods, My glory left them and the enemy attacked. The glory had left them so naked they be. That was what happened to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They had been clothed in majesty and glory but when they turned away from My Word to another’s word, the glory left them.
But I told My prophet Isaiah, who saw Christ’s glory, “When the Lord (Adonai, not YHWH, which is Jesus) has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (the place of grace) and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning (the Holy Spirit), then the LORD (YHWH) will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy (wedding canopy, bridal chamber). There will be a tabernacle (sukkah) to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain.” Isaiah 4:4-6. My Glory surrounds you with perfect protection—My goodness, My power, and My presence, all for you who know Me.
Invite Me in, invite in the Glory, and great things will happen. Prayer like the early Church, “Grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:29-31.
If you are looking for My glory, just keep your eyes on Jesus and you will constantly have My goodness, My power, and My presence before your eyes. And that is how faith comes. As it is written, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18.
I love you. Faith comes by seeing My glory in your life. And the more glory you see, the more you believe, and the more you believe the more glory you see. Grace upon grace. Ever increasing faith.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17.