Faith, The Things Unseen

The reason why unbelievers have no Faith is simple; they have no physical proof, no evidence to confirm that the belief is valid. However, not having proof is the very definition of Faith. If we could see the proof before having Faith, then we wouldn't be required to believe it exists. How silly would it sound if someone asked, "Do you believe there's a sun in the sky? Have faith! It's there!" Everyone can plainly see that it's there and feels its warmth, so having faith in it is not required. It's the physical realm. Faith is entirely based on the Spiritual realm. We cannot see it, touch it, or smell it. It's not tangible. It's UNSEEN. Hebrews 11:1-3 "Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen."

• this means that those who have great Faith will see the evidence of it. This evidence, however, is still in the Spiritual realm and cannot be shown as proof to the unbeliever.

• the two main ingredients of faith are: Hope and Understanding that God is the Creator of everything

Speaking from my experience (my evidence) Three days after my Repentance, when the veil lifted up, I saw the Light and recognized Jesus Christ right away; then exclaimed, "Abba Father!" (these words escaped my mouth spontaneously), and a moment later, I heard a trumpet.

• Galatians 4:6 "And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”

• This verse was shown to me after the fact, and I just cried with joy! (my knowledge of the Bible was very limited before repentance)

Another time I was in a state of what I would describe as a "twilight zone" (being half asleep yet half awake) where I saw a Spirit being, whose face was covered (it wasn't a ghost). I was unable to move or speak, but I could understand what was said telepathically (there was another one beyond my view). It felt like I was given a glimpse of seeing Spiritual reality. Then, this Spirit touched my eyes, and I fell back asleep. I didn't feel the touch, but I felt an enormous amount of compassion and love. Do I need more proof? No. I already had Faith, but I'm required to have even more of it now because these events completely changed my life, and I'm adjusting to THAT reality. I cannot find the words to describe it; beyond amazing! Light and effortless! But, the adjustment is not always pleasant;

• Galatians 4:19 "Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives."

• it's like being ripped off the 3D world and its entire programming

Unfortunately, I haven't met anyone else who would share this experience. I only read about it in the Bible. However, even the Bible says that not everyone will experience it.

• Matthew 13:16-17 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it."

2 Corinthians 5:16-18 "So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him." I'm not saying it to convince anyone; I cannot do that because I have no proof to convince. It's up to each individual to either have faith or not, which doesn't affect me in the slightest. I would love for all people to have faith, so they would also experience all that and know how much more there is to life than clocking to work, eating, and trying to impress others. To exist only in the physical realm is very limiting, and, quite frankly, unfulfilling and boring! Same thing, only a different day. There's an adventure, right around the corner of Repentance! 2 Corinthians 5:5-8 "God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord." If you're one of those people who want to have faith but find it hard to believe; I always say, "Fake it 'til you make it!" Stretch your imagination and curiosity! Throw away the TV, turn off the worldly noise, and just close your eyes! Don't limit yourself, but also recognize true faith from fantasy. If it's not in the Bible, then it's a fantasy. Ephesians 2:8-9 "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is NOT A REWARD for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."

• Galatians 2:2-21 "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die."

1 Corinthians 2 "When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God. Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ." Those who aren't Spiritual DID NOT recognize Jesus Christ Luke 24:13-21 (After Resurrection) "That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. But God kept them from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?” They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.” “What things?” Jesus asked. “The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago."

• Cleopas did not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; he only thought of Jesus as a prophet and a good teacher but not from his perspective. He "hoped" he was a Messiah, but his hopes vanished once Jesus was crucified. God kept them from recognizing Jesus because they had a wrong idea about Jesus and no faith; he only repeated what he heard.

Did people recognize Jesus before the crucifixion? No. John 1:6-12 "God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about THE LIGHT so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a WITNESS TO TELL ABOUT THE LIGHT. The ONE WHO IS the true LIGHT, who GIVES LIGHT to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world he created, but the WORLD DIDN'T RECOGNIZE him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God."

• John 14:17 "He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be IN YOU."

• 1 Peter 1:10-11 "This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward."

Seeing is not always believing John 2:1-11 "The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.” “Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions. When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!” This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him."

• The master of ceremonies didn't believe Jesus turned water into wine, so he automatically assumed that the bridegroom hid the jars somewhere which contradicts his own point because if the bridegroom indeed had them, he would have served them first. It's a standard rule to this day

• Disciples believed because they had Faith, so they also saw the evidence

Jesus Christ's Miracles Jeremiah 32:27 “I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me?"

• No! And those who want to be healed receive healing through Faith and humility!

Matthew 8:5-13 "When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen FAITH like this in all Israel! And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. BECAUSE YOU BELIEVED, IT HAS HAPPENED.” And the young servant was healed that same hour." Matthew 15:26-28 "Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.” “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your FAITH IS GREAT. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed." Works Without the Spirit This is an excellent example of trying to "manifest" something without belonging to God. Acts 19:11-16 "GOD GAVE Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.

• God worked through Paul's Faith!

A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. But one time when they tried it, the EVIL SPIRIT REPLIED, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but WHO ARE YOU?” Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered."

• Don't try to do works without faith and the Spirit;

• Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’"

"Manifesting" worldly pleasures When God freed His people from Egypt (it represents sin and slavery to Satan), He gave them manna to eat; the food of angels, but people were ungrateful. Instead of wanting to please God, they only wanted to please themselves. Numbers 11:4-6 "Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain. “Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed. “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!”

• Even Moses complained

Numbers 11:13-15 "Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people? They keep whining to me, saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I can’t carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!”

• For failing to display God's Glory, Moses will not enter the promised land

Numbers 11:23 "Then the Lord said to Moses, “Has my arm lost its power? Now you will see whether or not my word comes true!”

• Manifestation "worked"

Numbers 11:18-20 “And say to the people, ‘Purify yourselves, for tomorrow you will have meat to eat. You were whining, and the Lord heard you when you cried, “Oh, for some meat! We were better off in Egypt!” Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will have to eat it. And it won’t be for just a day or two, or for five or ten or even twenty. You will eat it for a whole month until you gag and are sick of it. For you have rejected the Lord, who is here among you, and you have whined to him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’

Consequences

Numbers 11:31-34 "Now the Lord sent a wind that brought quail from the sea and let them fall all around the camp. For miles in every direction there were quail flying about three feet above the ground. So the people went out and caught quail all that day and throughout the night and all the next day, too. No one gathered less than fifty bushels! They spread the quail all around the camp to dry. But while they were gorging themselves on the meat—while it was still in their mouths—the anger of the Lord blazed against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. So that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah (which means “graves of gluttony”) because there they buried the people who had craved meat from Egypt."

• In other words: the 3D world of tangible things is a TRAP! and it's not worth it.

1 John 5:4-12 "For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory THROUGH OUR FAITH. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross—NOT BY WATER ONLY, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. So we have these THREE witnesses— the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree. Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son. And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life." When people's faith is based on TANGIBLES; It's IDOLATRY. Not Faith. Colossians 3:5 "So put to death the sinful, EARTHLY THINGS lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world."

• 1 John 5:21 "Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts."

Isaiah 44:12-20 "The blacksmith stands at his forge to make a sharp tool, pounding and shaping it with all his might. His work makes him hungry and weak. It makes him thirsty and faint. Then the wood-carver measures a block of wood and draws a pattern on it. He works with chisel and plane and carves it into a human figure. He gives it human beauty and puts it in a little shrine. He cuts down cedars; he selects the cypress and the oak; he plants the pine in the forest to be nourished by the rain. Then he uses part of the wood to make a fire. With it he warms himself and bakes his bread. Then—yes, it’s true—he takes the rest of it and makes himself a god to worship! He makes an idol and bows down in front of it! He burns part of the tree to roast his meat and to keep himself warm. He says, “Ah, that fire feels good.” Then he takes what’s left and makes his god: a carved idol! He falls down in front of it, worshiping and praying to it. “Rescue me!” he says. “You are my god! Such STUPIDITY and IGNORANCE! Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see. Their minds are shut, and they cannot think." Jonah 2:7-9 "As my life was slipping away, I remembered the Lord. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies. But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.” Trying to Score Salvation Galatians 4:21-31 "Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. The SON OF THE SLAVE wife was born in a HUMAN ATTEMPT to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the SON OF FREEBORN wife was born as GOD'S OWN FULFILLMENT of his promise.

• John 3:6 "Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life."

These two women serve as an ILLUSTRATION of GOD’s TWO COVENANTS. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. But the other woman, Sarah, REPRESENTS the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. As Isaiah said, “Rejoice, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into a joyful shout, you who have never been in labor! For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband!” And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit. But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman."

• The "woman" and "our mother" is not a person (definitely NOT Mary!). It represents New Jerusalem, God's Chosen people, and the Holy City; that will descend from Heaven.

Galatians 4:10-12 "You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years. I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing. Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to live as I do in FREEDOM FROM THESE THINGS, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws."

• Paul was born into Judaism, but He knew that true circumcision is not in the body, and following the law, but in the heart, through Repentance

• Galatians 3:27–29 "And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you."

Does it mean that those who belong to Jesus Christ can disobey the commandments? Of course not; on the contrary. It means that obeying them becomes effortless. 1 John 5:3 "Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome." 2 Corinthians 3:14–18 “But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”

Mark 9:23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”