Every time we talk about Faith. We all speak Faith. However, the question is how many actually live in Faith when trials, temptations, frails, storms, persecutions and disappointment come.Now the Scripture gave us definition of Faith, Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Kenneth E. Hagin had this said, “Faith gives substance to things hoped for”. In other words, hope does not have any substance. Faith is taking hold of the unseen realm of hope, and bringing it into the realm of reality. In other translation, “Faith is a warranty deed that the thing for which you have fondly hoped is at last yours”.
If that is the case, hope is not Faith. Faith is not likewise Hope.
But what is real Bible Faith?
​
​
Mark 11:24 gave more clarity on Faith, saying to us; “What things soever ye desire , when ye pray, Believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Matt.21:22).
Hannah would be called barren, but she refused to allow herself addressed like that. 1 Samuel 1:4-19, the Scripture declared her situation and how Faith worked out in destruction of her barrenness.
​
1 Sam 1:4 And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:
1 Sam 1:5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb.
1 Sam 1:6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.
1 Sam 1:7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
1 Sam 1:8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?
1 Sam 1:9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.
1 Sam 1:10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.
1 Sam 1:11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
1 Sam 1:12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth.
1 Sam 1:13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
1 Sam 1:14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.
1 Sam 1:15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.
1 Sam 1:16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.
1 Sam 1:17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.
1 Sam 1:18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.
1 Sam 1:19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.
​
Experience:
​
Hannah was the first wife. She was barren because God shut up her womb. No doubt, She was loved by the husband. The husband could not wait in the love because it was of fleshly affection
(Philo-). He (Elkanah) married second wife and had children, because he was desperate to be a father of many children. Peninnah always provoke her each time she witnessed that their husband wanted to return to the philo- one’s life that could make her have children. Hannah had been fighting two battles alone-barrenness, and the assault of Peninnah (adversary). She wanted the husband to do it. The husband always assure her he worth more than ten children to her, but himself did not saw the true love to wait for God’s time in marrying second wife. Hannah after that faithful occasion realized she was wrong. She should not depend nor rely on Elkanah, but only God. She had to defy some orders and protocols by moving to the Temple where women were forbidden to be. She was mistaken for a drunk. She was not annoyed, but accepted it because it was not as insulting as that of Peninnah. She got relieved, grabbing the Faith opportunity as Eli releases Faith words, “Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him” 1 Sam. 1:17
She changed her countenance (FAITH comes in), 1 Sam 1:18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad”.
That was it, she saw a baby. She saw a prophet, a high priest, a judge, a father and a husband with dignity. She agreed with the Spirit and took the baby Samuel she had not seen with gladness of heart and fullness of joy in spirit. That was why her countenance changed. That is Faith in action.
I don’t know what might have shut your womb, dreams in academic, office, business and marriage fulfillment; I activate your Faith to receive an opening of that womb in Jesus name
We have Faith when we believed and act. But fear will never allow you to believe and act. Fear will always show you some weaknesses in you, inaccuracies, imperfections, lapses and numerous reasons you will not be able to get succeeded. It (fear) will always portray negative sides of you. What you cannot and ever will you do, because no one ever achieved. Those who did were highly connected, very well to do, super-humans, intelligent and so on.Devil lives in fear, It uses fear to intimidate us humans. It uses fear to condemn, kill and deny you whatever you need. It paints pictures of non-existent life situations for you to draw your mind away from getting successful, healed from your sickness, getting into that dream office, business, marriage, skill acquisition, realm in spiritual fulfillment and more, and more abounding blessing and destiny.
​
Fear is enemy of God and man. Devil is enemy of God. It means “Fear” is devil as “Love” is God.
​
​
Fear will never allow you to speak before a monumental situation like a giant standing before you. It will quickly remind you how poor, helpless, lonely, rejected, weak you are. It can never tell you that you are able, that you can; you are more than wonderful, you are awesome and will get anything you desired. In other words, it closes all your positives. You can’t see your potentials any longer. It makes you a dwarf where you are a spiritual giant in the Holy Ghost. You start immediately to condemn your family, your career, wife, husband, your past and there in it gives you frustration, depression and disappointment; suggesting suicide, quitting and chaotic entrapment that will perpetually lead to total destruction in your life.
​
It happens to any one, be you rich, wealthy, civil servant, businessperson, student, applicant; name them, the least is endless.
Merriam Webster Dictionary defines Fear as, “to expect or worry about (something bad or unpleasant). To be afraid and worried.”
That was why most people expect failure, death, disappointment, poverty and get so much worried because these things certainly if happened will mar and destroy the person’s life.
Faith conquers fear. Faith is the boldness outward assurance that turns the situation possible. Physical appearance of the unseen desire. Victory even, before the battle. Celebration before the season comes. Faith tells you, “it is done”, and it is so. That’s why God in creation said, let there be…., and it was so because there was no doubt in His words.
Know it that when you live in Fear, you become a slave to devil. It dictates for you what to do and what not to do. You got to break away from spirit of fear. 2 Tim. 1:7 said, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind”. Joel 2:21 tells us, “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things”. Land here talks about inhabitants of the land, people living there in.
Hebrews 11;6 said, “But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him”.
Gen 18:2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, (emphasis is mine: He saw the Trinity coming to him. Father, son and Holy Spirit).
3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: (He valued God who visited a mortal man like him)
4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
​
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.
7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetch a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
Abraham had spiritual eyes. He saw that these men were not just ordinary strangers, but they represented the triune God. He got flour to represent Carbohydrate (strength that he and Sarah had lost due to aging), butter for restoration of fat in their aging bodies, milk to revitalize Sarah’s fertility and the young good calf for a sign of the male child needed in the family.
​
​
After the strangers had eaten, they declared the authentic, irreversible and unchanging fulfillment of that which Jireh had sealed in the Abrahamic covenant with Him.
The scripture stated that Abraham believed, and it was accounted to him as righteousness. He believed every God. He had Faith in every word and promise God made to him and the generations that will come after him. He was rewarded to the effect of marrying Keturah the Egyptian woman after the death of Sarah who had five children for him.
Gen 25:1 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.
2 And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.
God did fulfill all that he had promised him and was confirmed in
Heb. 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
​
​
​
WHAT IS FAITH?
FAITH AND FEAR
Kenneth E. Hagin in his book “Bible Faith” Study Course, 7 Steps to Highest kind of Faith (Part 1); mentioned this first three points;
​
-
Know the integrity of God’s word.
​
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
​
“The word comes first".
The gifts of tongues, interpretation of tongues, and prophecy are inspirational vocal gifts given to us in order to inspire us in line with the written word of God”.
The next in the line is “My decision to believe the Word…the more I study the word of God, the more I saw that Faith and healing were true. And regardless of Church teaching, I determined I was going to walk in the light of what the Word says, because the Word of God is God speaking to us now” K. E. Hagin.
2. Know the reality of Our Redemption in Christ.
Redemption is not just a doctrine, creed or philosophy, but in Christ we are actually got redeemed from the authority of satan Col.1:13.
We are delivered from Satan’s kingdom,
Col.1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
3. Know the reality of the New Creation.
You got know that legal side of redemption, that you are no more a slave of sin and devil. 1Jon.3:14,
1Peter1:23 said, Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Isaiah 43:25 said; I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
​
​
​
​