Hi Phil,

Beautiful article on FAITH.  I think that says it all for me this 
evening and says it wonderfully.
73 and 88's!!

IN HIS MATCHLESS NAME,

purple Mari



88's



At 02:31 PM 5/13/2007, you wrote:
>I was thinking of posting this article the other day but can't recall if I
>did or not.  I cleaned out my deletion folder and my sent mail folder so I
>can't check.  It is on my website but there is more to come on this topic.
>This article, however, capitalizes more on the application of faith but I'll
>be posting the background information later.
>
>The Object Of Your Faith
>
>By Phil Scovell
>
>
>Philippians 4:19
>But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in
>glory by Christ Jesus.
>
>1.  Focus.
>
>* "But my God."
>
>      This is our personal focus.  If we don't start there, it
>isn't going to happen no matter whom we claim as our favorite
>preacher.
>
>2.  Fulfillment.
>
>*  "Shall supply."
>
>      This is our fulfillment.  The Greek word for "supply" is the
>same word translated "filled in Ephesians 5:18 "and be ye filled
>with the Spirit," as well as the same word rendered "complete" in
>Colossians 2:10 which says, "And ye are complete in Him which is
>the head of all principality and power."  Try and improve upon
>that.  Like we used to say in the sixties, "Far out."
>
>3.  Fruitfulness.
>
>* "All your need."
>
>      This is your fruitfulness.  The word rendered as "need" means
>what you think it means.  However, it is a stronger word which
>also encompasses your wants, that is, whatever is required to
>conduct business, and provide to the fullest.  No lack, in other
>words.  It isn't just in reference to money.
>
>4.  Fortune.
>
>* "According to his riches in glory."
>
>this is your fortune, that is, those things which are eternal and
>what comes from Heaven to Earth in your behalf for provision.
>
>5.  Faith.
>
>* "By Christ Jesus."
>
>      this is the object of your faith.
>
>Hebrews 11:1 is perhaps the most popular of passages on faith.
>Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of
>things not seen.
>
>Compare this passage with another reference from the same book.
>
>Hebrews 1:3
>Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of
>his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power,
>when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand
>of the Majesty on high.
>
>      There is absolutely no doubt to whom the writer of Hebrews is
>referring; Jesus The Christ.  The word for "person" in this
>passage, "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express
>image of his person," is the same Greek word translated as
>"substance in Hebrews 11:1 which says, "Now faith is the substance
>of things hoped for."  Thus, the passage can literally read, "Now
>faith is the person of things hoped for."  Stated precisely, it
>reads, "Now faith is the Christ of things hoped for."
>
>The Bottom Line
>
>      This is my personal opinion, of course, so you can take it
>for what it's worth.
>
>      Jesus the Christ is the object of our faith.  Most of us
>attempt exercising faith.  Why?  It's how we've been taught, for
>the most part, so we "practice" our faith.  The frustration of
>this philosophy is that we have to keep practicing and practicing
>and practicing.  Eventually, therefore, we grow tired of trying
>and figure it just must be because we don't have enough faith.  If
>we don't feel that way, somebody somewhere will be sure to tell
>us such is the case.
>
>      Romans 12:3 tells us that God has given to every man the
>measure of faith.  If you study the Greek word for "measure," you
>will quickly learn that the faith we have is an exact measurement.
>That is, everybody who comes to Christ as Lord and Savior
>receives the same, or exact, or identical measurement of faith.
>It is like cutting a pie into exactly six pieces.  Everybody gets
>the same size.  I don't have more than you and you don't have more
>than me.  In fact, the preacher you are listening to on the
>television doesn't even have any more faith than you have
>regardless of what he says.  On the other hand, it is what we do
>with the faith that counts.
>
>      I have literally heard Bible teachers comparing faith to
>muscular strength.  Therefore, the more you exercise, lift
>weights, the stronger you become.  According to proper
>interpretive Scripture methodology, that is, hermeneutics, this is
>completely erroneous theology.  The truth is simple; Jesus Christ
>is the object of our faith.  If you go any place else for it, if
>you attempt to practice faith, if you follow a four step plan, or
>if you attempt to use the faith you think you see in someone else,
>you will experience nothing in return.  You heard me correctly.
>Faith is an experience.  I will prove what I just said in a
>moment.
>
>Illustration
>
>      when I was little, I was fascinated with watching my dad wash
>his car.  He would screw a nozzle on to the end of the long snake
>green hose and turn on the water.  The adjustable nozzle had four
>settings which were used for different purposes.  One setting was
>a needle spray which was so fine, if you placed your bare hand in
>front of the hose, it literally would sting your skin.  This was
>perfect for lasering off thick encrusted dried mud stuck in the
>wheel wells.  Other settings allowed you to gently caress the
>car's surface to wash away loose dirt.  One setting I always
>enjoyed playing with was a hard cylinder shape of water which
>gushed out of the nozzle under tremendous force.  It was so
>powerful, I could hold the nozzle in the air and the spray of
>water would arc high into the air across the yard and land a good
>30 feet away.  Yes, you are correct.  I spent more time playing
>with the hose and the water than I did washing the car.
>
>      One day, dad told me to go out and wash the car.  I loved
>doing it so I was happy to obey.  I didn't know where the nozzle
>was so I just decided to use the hose by itself by placing my
>thumb over the end of the hose, just like I had see my dad do at
>times, and thus increase the pressure coming out of the hose.  It
>had so precious little effect, it was obvious I couldn't wash the
>car that way.  Putting the hose down, I ran to look for the
>nozzle.  Shutting the water off, I screwed the nozzle on the end.
>Twisting the water back on, I dialed up the various settings.
>That made all the difference in the world.  Now I could finish the
>job and do it right and in a lot less time, too.
>
>      One day, while meditating on faith, the Holy Spirit reminded
>me of this childhood memory.  He said, "This is faith."  I asked
>the Lord what He was talking about.  He clearly told me that
>faith was a fixed and exact measurement of His own nature which He
>had given to all those truly born again.  The water running
>through the hose was a picture of that exact measurement of faith.
>I asked the Lord what made the difference in how the water was
>used.  He said, "Whatever you screw on to the end of your faith.
>
>      What are you using on the end of your faith?  If you are
>using a favorite testimonial you heard in a sermon, if you are
>using some outline, if you are practicing on small things at first
>to see if it works or not before reaching for bigger acts of
>faith, then you will discover not only does it not work, but you
>will eventually become deceived by the Enemy for "your lack of
>faith."  "It is your fault, you aren't spiritual enough," or, "you
>have secret sin in your life," are some of the Enemy's most
>favorite lies he will drop into the flow of your daily thought
>processes.
>
>      Let me ask you this question.  What did you use for faith
>when you received Christ as your Savior, confessing you were a
>sinner, and couldn't save yourself?  That's right.  You used Jesus
>as the object of your faith.  May I now ask this question?  When
>did you stop using Jesus as the object of your faith?  It is time
>to rethink what we believe.  Do it now.
>
>
>It Sounds Like God To Me.
>www.SafePlaceFellowship.com