Contemplations on presumptuous faith.

So dear faithful readers, I have been contemplating, since about 7 Am today, a conundrum. At least in my world it is a conundrum. As you know I am currently pregnant and David and I have been praying and believing for twins this time around. Not that we have Bible verses to back us up, or even a prophetic word, we just believe that we are having twins. I personally will believe it until the day that I deliver. (With Solomon I believed that I was having a boy, even though the Dr. told me I was having a girl. I told everyone I was having a boy and his name was Solomon. Sure enough, I had a boy.) Ok, back on track. Recently I was asked if I was "really" having twins. My reply was that speaking in faith, yes, I am having twins. The reply I received was that the person didn't want to hear any of that faith stuff, what did the Dr say. I said that the dr hasn't said anything, but that doesn't really mean anything. The person then proceeded to tell me that it was one thing to hope for something to happen and another to be presumptuous. I just nodded my head and decided that I wouldn't get into a debate right then with someone I didn't know very well, on a subject that is very close to my heart and therefor emotional. (said subject being the existence or non existence of the twins I have named and come to love already...Zach and Dene.) So, at 7Am this morning my brain (for whatever reason) started to meditate on faith itself and I came to the question, Isn't faith presumptuous? Let's start with my faith in Jesus.

First I PRESUME to believe in a God that according to the laws of matter doesn't
"exist" I can't see, hear, feel, touch, taste or smell Him. But through FAITH I believe He is there. I believe He is real. I believe that someone I can't see and I have no physical proof of created the world in 7 days.

Let's take it a step further.

Next I PRESUME that this God, this ultimate creator, sovereign, loves me and wants me. Now logically, what does God want with me, why does He love me? That's a pretty big presumption. Even Esther risked her life to presume that her HUSBAND loved her enough to not sentence her to immediate death. And she was still scared. Hmmm.... King Xerxes vs God?? Huh, that's a no brainer, the much bigger presumption here is that God loves me.

Then I PRESUME to believe that God not only loves me, he loves me enough to send his son, and that son loves me enough to come willingly and lay down his life for me, just on the chance that I'll love Him back. (Can you see where I'm headed with this?)

We've been learning with Pastor John about who we are in Christ, because of what Christ has done for us. One of the things we've learned is that Christ, when he died, made is co heirs with him. We've also learned that he gave us the same power he has. Also a pretty big presumption.

Now, let's move on to what the Bible says about Faith.

Hebrews 11:1 says," Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

The word faith, here in the greek is the word: Pistis
according to Strong's this is what it means:

1) conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it

a) relating to God

1) the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ

b) relating to Christ

1) a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God

c) the religious beliefs of Christians

d) belief with the predominate idea of trust (or confidence) whether in God or in Christ, springing from faith in the same

2) fidelity, faithfulness

a) the character of one who can be relied on

The word substance in greek is the word : Hypostasis
it means:

1) a setting or placing under

a) thing put under, substructure, foundation

2) that which has foundation, is firm

a) that which has actual existence

1) a substance, real being

b) the substantial quality, nature, of a person or thing

c) the steadfastness of mind, firmness, courage, resolution

1) confidence, firm trust, assurance

Next is the word evidence:Elegchos

means:

1) a proof, that by which a thing is proved or tested

2) conviction

and lastly the word seen: blepo

meaning:

1) to see, discern, of the bodily eye

a) with the bodily eye: to be possessed of sight, have the power of seeing

b) perceive by the use of the eyes: to see, look descry

c) to turn the eyes to anything: to look at, look upon, gaze at

d) to perceive by the senses, to feel

e) to discover by use, to know by experience

2) metaph. to see with the mind's eye

a) to have (the power of) understanding

b) to discern mentally, observe, perceive, discover, understand

c) to turn the thoughts or direct the mind to a thing, to consider, contemplate, to look at, to weigh carefully, examine

3) in a geographical sense of places, mountains, buildings, etc. turning towards any quarter, as it were, facing it

So if I am understanding this right

The conviction of the truth of anything, or the belief in something is the foundation, substantial quality or firm trust and assurance of things that I hope for and it is the proof, or conviction of things that aren't discernible with the naked eye.

The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21

This one is a little more difficult for me to grasp...but I'll try.

Death in Hebrew: Maveth

1) death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead

a) death

b) death by violence (as a penalty)

c) state of death, place of death

Life in Hebrew: Chay
as an adjective:

1) living, alive

a) green (of vegetation)

b) flowing, fresh (of water)

c) lively, active (of man)

d) reviving (of the springtime)

As masculine noun:

2) relatives

3) life (abstract emphatic)

a) life

b) sustenance, maintenance

As a feminine noun:

4) living thing, animal

a) animal

b) life

c) appetite

d) revival, renewal

5) community

The word power: Yad

1) hand

a) hand (of man)

b) strength, power (fig.)

c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)

d) (various special, technical senses)

1) sign, monument

2) part, fractional part, share

3) time, repetition

4) axle-trees, axle

5) stays, support (for laver)

6) tenons (in tabernacle)

7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)

8) wrists

The word Tongue: Lashown

1) tongue

a) tongue (of men)

1) tongue (literal)

2) tongue (organ of speech)

b) language

c) tongue (of animals)

d) tongue (of fire)

e) wedge, bay of sea (tongue-shaped)

Ok, so maybe it's not as hard as I thought to grasp. The first part of the verse is pretty straightforward. We have the power to cause life or death with the words that we speak...We can speak something that is dead to life and vice versa.

More on Faith:

Matthew 17:20,He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."^[a]

Contextually, A man brought his son, who was demon possessed, to Jesus to be healed. He told Jesus that he'd already brought his son to Jesus' disciples but that his son wasn't healed. Jesus makes the statement about an unbelieving and perverse generation. (seems exasperated to me, but that's my personal observation) He then proceeds to heal the boy. The disciples ask Jesus why they couldn't cast out the demon and he replies with verse 20.

It seems pretty straightforward to me, but we'll look into it.

The word Faith here is the same as the one in Hebrews.

The word mustard seed: sinapi

1) mustard, the name of a plant which in oriental countries grows from a very small seed and attains to the height of a tree, 10 feet (3 m) and more; hence a very small quantity of a thing is likened to a mustard seed, and also a thing which grows to a remarkable size

again, so far it's pretty straightforward.

After looking at the greek words, this verse means exactly what it says. If you have faith the size (or like) a mustard seed you can command a mountain to move.

So does that mean I can speak to my own womb and, through faith in the power of God, cause there to be twins?

Is it presumptuous to firmly believe, to have faith, that I'm having twins, but not presumptuous to believe that if I lay hands on a sick person they'll recover, or that if I cast out a demon it will have to leave?

Is there a line drawn that says, You can work these miracles, but these others over here are off limits?

What are the parameters of faith? Are there confinements? If so, what are they?

I'm sure some people will say that Jesus meant the mountain thing to be figurative, not literal, but is it figurative, or can I really, through His power in me, speak to say, Mt. Everest and tell it to jump in a lake, and it will literally do it? Does Jesus have that power? I think He does, and it would follow that if He has that power, and he has given me (as Pastor John says) legal power of attorney here on earth, Do I then have that power?

Is there such a difference in believing for the healing of Cancer in my dad, and in believing that I'm pregnant with twins even though there's no physical proof of either?

Hmmm...what do you think?