The power of your faith

"Everything is possible for one who believes."  Mark 9:23
"Nothing will be impossible for you."  Matthew 17:20c

Jesus consistently responded to faith.  

He rewarded belief and rebuked disbelief.  

Belief amazed Jesus.  Disbelief angered Jesus.

There didn't seem to be an in-between for him.  He seemed to see no reason to doubt or disbelieve him, or God the Father.  No reason at all. 

Of course, he's right.  RA Torrey said, "Every act of sin is an act of distrust in God.  Trusting God deprives sin and temptation of all their power.  He who trusts God will do right though the heavens fall."

Trusting God is the source of sinless perfection and power.  And why shouldn't we trust God? 
He is perfectly good, perfectly powerful, and perfectly wise.

It should be the easiest thing in the world for us to do.  And it is something to do, as it is also written, "Faith without works is dead. As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead."

Notice what James is doing in those words:
Faith=the body
Works=the spirit.

I learned the opposite.  I learned that faith animates works, but James says works animate, or give life to, faith, as the spirit gives life to the body.

We all know this.  If we really believe something (or someone), we act on that belief.  We do what we really believe.  And when we believe, we can do anything.  As Jesus said, everything is possible, and nothing impossible.  Why?  Because, as Jesus also said, "With God, all things are possible."  So it's logical:

With God all things are possible.
I believe in God.
Therefore, with me, all things are possible.

Or put it another way.  If everything I do is an act of trust in God, with whom all things are possible and nothing impossible, then everything I do will be possible, because everything I do is His will.  This is why with people like Joseph, it was written, "God was with Joseph and gave him success in everything he did."  God is the only one who succeeds in everything he does.  So if someone is succeeding in everything he does, then it must mean God is with him.

Look at this yet another way. 
It is written, "God is love."
It is also written, "Love never fails."
Therefore, God never fails. 
And we never fail when we love.  As it is also written, "Love is the fulfillment of the law."
And "the only thing that counts is faith, expressing itself in love."

So we come full circle.  Love never fails.  Love is the expression of faith.  Therefore, faith never fails.  This is the power of your faith.

How to Overflow with Hope

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  Romans 15:13 NIV

I've been seeing that hope is the key to life, at least for me right now.  If I don't believe I can expect anything good today, tomorrow, or for my life, it weakens me intensely.  I read a verse today that gives me the promise of the hope that I need to live a meaningful life.  I hope this helps you as much as it helped me.

GOD IS A GOD OF HOPE
God is a God of hope, a hopeful God.  A God who "knows the plans He has for us, plans for good and not evil, to give us a future and a hope."  As you have probably heard to the point of it sounding cliche, "God has a wonderful plan for your life."  He actually does.  He is hopeful about me and you because He knows the good plans he has for us.  He causes "all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose."  We love Him, don't we?  Aren't we called according to His purpose?  Then how can we lack hope when our God is a hopeful God, the source of our hope and of all hope?  We don't live in a hopeless world of fate and chance like some do.  If there is no God, no good and hopeful God, then we might as well commit suicide.  But there is a good and hopeful God, the God of hope, from whom hope comes.  Because of this we can be filled with joy and peace.

GOD'S HOPE FILLS US WITH JOY AND PEACE
What is hope?  It's knowing that something good is waiting for us.  As I write, Christmas approaches.  And there are kids full of joy and peace, at least some of them.  Why?  Because they have hope of something good waiting for them under the Christmas tree.  So they are happy and relieved, full of joy and peace.  That's what hope does.  When we know we have money coming, if we really need money, we are full of joy and peace.  Joy because our need or desire will be able to be met.  Peace because our anxiety about our unfulfilled need or desire has been relieved.  But how does this happen?

WE HAVE HOPE WHEN WE TRUST IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT
It is written, "Faith is the assurance of what we hope for, it is the evidence of what we do not see."  We have hope when we can trust in the promise of goodness.  And we trust a promise when the one who promises is perfectly trustworthy and capable.  For example, if you need money, and you ask someone for money who is wealthy, and that wealthy person loves and likes you, then you will have assurance of what hope for--the money you need.  The person has a lot of money, they like and love you, and you ask them for something they have in abundance  They say yes, and based on their yes alone, you are filled with joy and peace, and thus overflowing with hope. 

The Spirit loves and likes you.  He is God Almighty. Everything belongs to Him.  So when you ask Him for something good and God glorifying, if that's what you're really hoping for, you can be sure of what you hope for.  God's promise and goodness is the evidence of what you don't see--the check in the mail, the gift under the tree. 

God is a God of hope, a hopeful God, from whom all hope comes.  Because He has good plans for us, we can be filled with joy and peace.  We can overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit if we put our trust in Him and His promises.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  Romans 15:13 NIV