Spirtiual Farming 101 (pt 1): Faith. What is it?
Spiritual farming may sound strange to you but it is a Biblical principle that every Christian should be familiar with. There are several areas that I will discuss but we will begin with the most basic Christian “must have” which is faith. With out faith your farming will be unfruitful at best.
What is faith? Hebrews 11:1Hebrews 11:1
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
11
1 Now faith is assurance of [things] hoped for, a conviction of things not seen.
defines it as this:
(AMP) NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]
(Darby) Now faith is the substantiating of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
(MKJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
(NASB) Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
(YLT) And faith is of things hoped for a confidence, of matters not seen a conviction,
The last part of the Amplified states it best, “faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses”. If we break down this verse you will see that faith operates in two realms. The first and most apparent realm is the here and now; the realm where you can physically possess a thing. The other realm is the spiritual realm where you receive what you have faith for first. Mark 11:24Mark 11:24
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
24 Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
says:
(AMP) For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].
Notice in Mark11:24 it begins with the prayer for something, anything, then faith in the fact that God has already performed what you asked of Him, then you receive in the here and now. A prayer in faith will always be granted. The only stipulations are, that God has not already spoken against it in His Word and that you as a believer are in a place where God can perform what you ask. Remember, God will not and can not do things that are contrary to His word. The believer must be in right relationship with God to receive freely from Him. You can not live in sin and be in right relationship with God. You can not ignore and deny God or ask with doubt in your heart and expect to receive anything from God.
Jas 1:6Jas 1:6
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind.
Jas 1:7Jas 1:7
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord; For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything [he asks for] from the Lord,
In faith there is no room for doubt. Doubt will undo anything asked for in faith. Jesus stated this same point in Mark 11:23Mark 11:23
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
23 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it.
.
(AMP) Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him.
Take note that Jesus says, “… and does not doubt at all in his heart….” not head but heart; since He said this we must believe that not doubting is important. If doubt wasn’t a problem then why did He say this to us. He, also, made it a point to say “doubt in the heart”, which is important to understand. I have heard Kenneth E. Hagin state on numerous occasions that if you do not doubt in your heart you will receive from God what you ask no matter what nonsense your head is trying to tell you. Keith Moore, in some of his sermons, has said, “sometimes you have to just say, shut up head, you don’t dictate the outcome so just shut up.” That’s not an exact quote but you will get the message. In other words, what you believe in your heart and speak with your mouth is what you will have, positive or negative. You should take note, Mark 11:23Mark 11:23
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
23 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it.
isn’t talking about prayer but believing in your heart and speaking with your mouth what you want. Sound familiar? If you have read your Bible as you should be you may have seen this before.
Rom 10:9Rom 10:9
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
9 because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus [as] Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
Rom 10:10Rom 10:10
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
10 for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
That’s right, this is how we claim the free gift of salvation. We believe in out heart and confess with our mouth. There is no pray involved here, just believe and speak. This is a principle through out the Bible, even in the old testament. People have made the choice to believe God and take Him at His word, then act on what He said, speak what He said and expect Him to perform what He said. This is called faith.
Here is a scenario. In the physical realm you have a need or want in your life. You have read the Word and know that God has promised you that what you ask in faith He will do. Nothing in His Word says you can’t ask for what you need or want, so you can move forward in your pursuit. At this point, Mark 11:23Mark 11:23
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
23 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it.
or 24 will be the way you choose to pursue what you want. Verse 23 is for things that we know God has already granted us through salvation such as healing, deliverance, prosperity, protection. These are the things that were completed on the cross when Christ became our sacrifice. Verse 24 deals with things that were not specifically done through salvation. However, we are promised if we abide in Him and His word abides in us that we can ask anything and He will do it (John 15:7John 15:7
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
). Back to our scenario. You choose to pray for what you want or need. So, when you pray you must believe that what you have asked God has already done, in the spiritual realm. If God has already done what we ask in the spiritual realm when we asked, then all that is left is to not doubt in your heart that you will have it in the here and now, the physical realm. Ignore your head and just believe in your heart and begin to speak in faith that you have what you asked, even before you can see it in the physical realm. This is faith in action.
Faith is an action. Faith without works is dead (James 2:26James 2:26
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.
). A work of faith is to speak even though you do not see, yet. We speak because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ (Romans 10:17Romans 10:17
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
17 So belief [cometh] of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
). It doesn’t matter from where we hear the words of Christ but that we hear them so faith can come. If we speak Christ’s words we are still hearing them. The Word is the Word, no matter who speaks it, even you.
The Physical Realm
Faith is: the substance of things hoped for or expected that we have asked of God or we know He has already granted us through salvation. Taking God at His word knowing He can not lie.
The Spiritual Realm
Faith is: the evidence of things not seen. Faith is the evidence, to you, that God has performed, already, as soon as you asked, what you asked Him to do but in the spiritual realm. Things are done in the spiritual realm before they are ever manifest here on earth before our eyes. We believe first then we see. If you have to see to believe you will never receive from God.
You know, the simple fact that God can not, will not lie should be enough information to set the Church on fire, burning up all the devils strongholds. We the Church should want for nothing. God has granted to us, through salvation, everything we need to stay productive as a ministry. Health, finances, things, time….. the list goes on. These are all things God knows we need to do His work. We receive these things through faith. God gives liberally to those who have faith and believe.
If we look at Christians today we see people who are missing what God has promised us. We see a Church, which is made up of these Christians, that is unproductive and beaten by Satan and his world. The world sees no reason to be a Christian; there is nothing in it for them but more of what they already have. Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. Our lack of faith shows the world God is no different. By being weak in faith we show God to be a liar to the world and that just isn’t true. It is your duty as a Christian to exercise your faith daily. Exercise makes the body stronger; and so it is with faith as well.
Don’t make God out to be a liar because your faith is weak. Now is the day to begin to believe in the Word of God and to take Him at His word. God is sitting on the edge of His throne, giddy, at the thought of blessing you. If you will only allow Him. Put yourself in right relationship with Him so He can.
He is not a liar! He is truth. Have faith in God.
Filed under: Farming 101