Abigail and Dolley readers I've been thinking a lot about Faith. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The substance is defined in Strong's as the bedrock, the foundation, that footings of a building - thus, faith is something tangible. It is the evidence of what we can not see. Thus, faith, in this passage, is in the invisible... Understanding that is a key to why Salvation changed from the Old Testament to the New Testament and why faith will change during the Tribulation and the Millennium. For it does not take faith to believe when the eyes SEE.
Think about it, if Jesus is on His throne in Jerusalem, ruling the Nations - how much faith do you have to have? How much faith do you need to have to believe that Queen Elizabeth II is the sovereign of England? None - you can see it, thus there is no real reward for believing it. During the Tribulation when angels are flying over head issuing proclamations, do you need a lot of faith to believe? When prophecy is opening right in front of you in perfect detail, you don't need a lot of blind faith to believe. If you are an Old Testament believer on Mt Carmel and Elijah calls down fire from Heaven, how much faith do you have to have?
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| Elijah on Mt Carmel - The Evidence of God |
"Blessed are those who believe but have not seen." John 20:29 is the last beatitude that Jesus gives before the Ascension. Thus, the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is personal. Your faith can not be strengthened by the work the Spirit does in me - I can not share with you the ways that He moves in my heart and my life and have that be REAL to you. Our faith becomes personal - the depth of it our own choice. He can move and speak to each of us through the wind, through a red cardinal on our porch, through a word a stranger says in passing. We can share these things with other believers but they remain significant only to ourselves and can be frustrating to share.
In the end, Hebrews 11:6 and without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. So we press on as this age of faith draws to a close, where the powers of darkness seem to over shadow the Almighty. Where from what we can SEE the enemy is the one in power on this Earth but by faith we believe in His promises. We believe in His soon return, we believe in His power and we long for the day when the evidence of our faith is manifested for ourselves and for this unbelieving World to see.
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