do you believe?

             Believing God does not come naturally to anyone, it requires some effort.  When we were children we were sent to school to be taught the basics, we were sent to believe.  To this day I believe two plus two is four.  So if a person wanted to know and believe the truth about God, where should He go?  The obvious answer would be the church!  But not all churches believe the Word of God.  Some don’t understand and so they have inserted their  “own bible” that they call religion.  How does one distinguish between the truth and religion?  The truth will make you free.
 
Mathew 9:28-29 Two blind men came to Jesus asking for mercy.  Jesus said to them: Do you believe I am able to do this?  They said yes.  According to your faith be it unto you.  And their eyes were opened. 
 
What God can do in our lives is determined by what we can believe.  When I read my Bible book, listen to a preacher or hear a CD, I am hearing in order to believe.  When I hear a good solid testimony, I confess that I believe.  Faith is not an automatic impartation.  It comes by hearing and hearing and believing. 
 
2Peter 3:3-4 In the last days scoffers (false teachers) will come.  They will say: where is the promise of His coming?
 
These scoffers are teachers who certify the Word of God based on what they see, hear and feel.  These are dangerous people because they have a position in the church but they don’t believe the head of the church.  I determined years ago that if I don’t understand something I will not teach it until I do.  And if I teach something that I later discover to be error, I will publicly correct myself.  God’s truth is far more important than my reputation and dignity.
 
Mark 9:23-24 Jesus said, if you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes.  And the father said, Lord I believe, help me with my unbelief.
 
The father in this Scripture had brought his son to the disciples to cast out a devil but they could not.  He wasn’t sure Jesus could get it done, but he needed to believe.  How does Jesus help us with our unbelief?  He sent His Spirit to guide us into all truth.  If we are not willing to be led, there is nothing He can do for us.  If we cannot believe, He cannot help us.  Folks who are in pursuit of the truth will believe everything God says.  For without faith (belief in Him) it is impossible to please Him.
 
Luke 8:13 When the Lord sows the Word, some will hear and receive with joy; but they have no root, they will believe for awhile but in a time of temptation fall away.
 
These folks have no depth of consecration.  They have no stability to stand against persecution or trials.  In other words, their willingness to believe was a preference, not a conviction.  Our willingness to believe God is a matter of life and death, it is nothing to trifle with.  If we truly believe, then our faith can stand every assault of the enemy.  The devil’s worst nightmare is a Christian who believes God without reservation.
 

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