Faith

When His Disciples asked the Lord to increase their faith, He responded in this manner: ”If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you might say unto this Sycamine tree, be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you” Luke 17:5-6.

Most attribute the analogy of faith to the “size” of the mustard seed rather than the “seed principle” resident in any seed. The reason our Lord uses the smallest of seeds is, though it is small, it is destined to become a very large mustard bearing plant. However, if one were to judge it’s potential by the size of the seed, one would think it impossible. “The seed principle”, within this tiny seed is as the faith our Lord spoke of. The seed can rest in the fact that it is destined to be a mustard plant. It has no other expectations for it’s self, nor does it doubt it’s outcome.

Do we as born again believers have this faith? Being born of an incorruptible seed, the “Word of God”, can we expect to become anything less than Sons of God? However, like with any seed, the proper conditions for growth need to be present. The former and the latter rains of truth are essential to bring forth the life within the seed through faith in the promises of God, in Christ.

In Jesus days on earth, he spoke of those who would not enter in to the kingdom and would not allow others to enter in either. We have the same thing today in church buildings all over the world. There are those occupying church pews, which have the incorruptible seed within their earthen vessels, but they are not receiving the truth required to bring forth what is contained in the seed. Doctrines, which incline the people to walk by sight and not by faith are taught as truth. Strong delusion has been sent to the church at large and they teach the traditions of men, which cause the word of God to be of no effect. They say peace, peace and there is no peace. There are only wars and rumors of wars. They know not who they are, nor how they are in Christ.

God’s people have settled for the lie, that this is all we can expect here upon earth, but someday, after the rapture, when we are caught up to heaven, then we can expect our reward and only then will we know all truth. The best we can do while here is try to get as many saved as possible before Jesus comes back to receive us unto himself and brings tribulation onto this world and judgment upon all sinners. Until the rapture occurs, attend church, read your bible, have your daily devotions and pray everyday. The sad truth is, people will only have faith in what they believe and they only believe what they are taught.

May God raise up in this hour teachers of the faith of faithful Abraham spoken of by the Apostle Paul, in Romans chapter four. Abraham had faith in the God of promise. “Against hope he believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be. Being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body, now dead nor the deadness of Sarah’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what He (God) had promised, he was able also to perform”. The trouble with the average Christian today is they do consider all that they see and discount the ability of God to bring to pass what they have not seen, no matter how impossible it looks. We are saved by grace, through faith in all that God has promised in Christ. How important it is that we “know” all that God has promised to those who believe.

Ephesians chapter four states that the church was given gifted ministry, “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, to edify the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a “perfect man”, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ”.

Is it not strange that most of the accepted ministry of the day, do not believe, nor teach that the saint is to be perfected here on earth, much less come to “the fullness of the measure of Christ”? The Apostle Paul writes in Romans chapter eight how “the earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God”. The Apostle John states, “Now are we the sons of God, but it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we “know that”, when He shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as He is”.

Yes, beloved of the Lord, God is bringing many sons to glory, Jesus Christ our Lord, was the first born among many brethern. Let me ask this question, was it God’s intention that we become sons of God for heaven’s sake, or do we become sons of God to bring heaven to creation? Is heaven in need of perfected sons of God, or the creation? Brothers and sisters, the Lord is coming “to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe in that day” II Thes. 1:10. There is a catching up to meet the Lord in the air (Spirit), but it is not the rapture spoken of by the spirit of man (prince of the power of earthly understanding). The Apostle John wrote, “what-so-ever is born of God overcomth the world: and this is the victory that overcomth the world, even our faith”.

We are to have faith in God to bring to pass, all that He has promised in Christ. Our faith should not be in the teachings of men, who because of their inability to know what the Spirit is saying onto the Church, have devised fables in which the people of God have placed their faith. The people have placed their faith in these men and are not guided by the unction of the Spirit which is in them. Not that God does not use men which are anointed to teach us but we are to follow them as they follow the Lord. If the things men teach are in clear contradiction to what scripture teaches according to the Spirit of truth, Then all that will be established, is another denomination of believers with misdirected faith.

It is time to sound the trumpet in Zion for the people are at ease and have come into agreement with the world and it’s earthly concepts. The truth of scripture has been distorted into something that fits the belief system of man. Truth, has been trodden down in the streets of Jerusalem and the people have believed a lie. God restore the faith that overcomes, even the faith of Christ in this hour. Let judgment begin in the house of God but in judgment, remember mercy. Let overcoming faith, the faith of Christ, once again dominate the hearts of God’s people. Those who are born of the incorruptible seed, through the water of the word, and the seed principle will come forth as the mature fruit, which God intended even as one with Christ. I pray God open the eyes of those who have misdirected their faith toward doctrines of devils, who savor the things that be of men and not of God.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “That I may know Him, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not that I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethern, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you” Phil. 3: 10-15.

There are many in churches today who are otherwise minded. Their faith is not in the promises of God but rather in the teachings of men, who have wrested the scripture to bring them into agreement with the accepted doctrines of their particular Denominational organizations. Yet in this age, even as in past ages, in each church there are those who have “ears to hear what the Spirit is saying unto the church”. It is “to him that overcomes” that our Lord grants to sit with Him in His throne, even as He overcame and sat down with the Father in His throne”. God has determined that there will be a glorious church, one without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. He will have a bride who is a chaste virgin, and she shall produce Sons of God after His kind and in his image.

Art Groesbeck