Is faith about me? Let’s see, I am given the seeds of it, so I didn’t obtain it, it was a gift. I don’t increase it yet I patiently wait for its increase that I might better communicate with God and navigate the circumstances of my topography. I don’t place faith in my own performance, understanding or physical assets but rather in the performance, devotion and righteous gifts of God, so I have no effect over it. I did not create the rule that without faith it is impossible to please Almighty God, so I had no responsibility for measuring the performance measures most consistent with my view of reality. I don’t know if I have any until I successfully face the trials and tribulations that I never wanted to face in order to see its potency. When I display that faith I can take no credit for it but yet feel encouraged and empowered because it brings me closer to the blessings of My Father God.

Shall I ask questions of those who continue to live by the objects, appearances, evidence and occurrences of this world and sensory qualification? Am I to subject those who apparently are absent of faith to slander, derogatory remarks or classification because I see them struggling with finding a relationship with the supernatural? Am I to measure all people by there position within reality either choosing the carnal or spiritual understanding of this life and the next? What does it mean that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Is this all just a series of suggestions for life optimization or are they the rules God who gave us faith has set out for a swath of peculiar people to live within?

What is the deceptive nature of a clever enemy and what things would that enemy have me believe that could so corrupt my walk that I am not prepared for the Lord’s Return? That is the toughest part of this battle between carnal and spiritual for without the indwelling Spirit and crying out for wisdom such that we are given the fear of God and subsequently receive the gift of wisdom and discernment, we are left to a reliance upon ourselves or worldly Gnosis as our substitute for actual faith.  What a tragedy to call yourself by the name of the Lord yet never receive the gift of eternity, forgiveness, sanctification and the mind of Christ because of the machinations of the enemies of God. We are given faith not as a reward but as a protection from this original deceptive capacity. That seed of faith leads us to the Truth that is God which we are all given according to Roman’s 1. So God foresees the deception in anticipation and gives us the basic protection from it but as always it depends upon “Choice” as the activation key from Free Will, for the Lord will not have us say that He predetermined our position in eternity but gave each of us the opportunity to choose where we spend our afterlife.  Not the choice in a carnal sense but in the spiritual sense, because I cannot simply choose for myself that I am righteous enough to attend heaven, but that God provided me the key to determine the spiritual understanding that I might believe upon His Gift of Grace and thus CHOOSE my eternal position.

Faith is not about me but about the Creator who gives it to me, perfects it through trial and answers my prayers that are offered in that Faith that they will be answered. I pray that your Faith is increased and know that the only ways to increase your faith are through trial, meditation and prayer. I pray that you welcome and utilize all three of these avenues to increasing your faith as they are presented you by the Father. May you be richly blessed with all those things that God has stored for you this time in which we celebrate the Birth of the King of Kings, The Lord Jesus Christ.