4 Mai 1998

Our Faith ???

by Froukje Eibrink Jansen

Did you hear them too?

Those beautiful testimonies, given by happy people, who have been healed and give God the glory?

At least, that is what they think they are doing, but when you listen carefully, you hear something totally different. Ofcourse this is not with everybody, but there are many who, without realising what they are doing, are actually taking the glory for themselves.

Yesterday I was watching a tv program and here was this woman, testifying how she got her healing. She was telling how she had used the word. She had learnt by head, all the scriptures on healing and many times daily she had said them aloud to herself and that was how her faith was built up and that was the way in which she had 'earned' her healing. Or didn't she?

No ofcourse that was not the way she saw it and let me tell you, I am also very happy for her that she was healed. I want you to know that I spent some time praising the Lord, with tears in my eyes, with thankfulness in my heart, because He is so big and wonderful and He had healed this woman.

Wouldn't it be wonderful when healings would not be an exception, but take place every day, everywhere? If we did not have to wait for 'mighty' men of God to come to our city with their healing ministry? And when they do come, we often cannot go there. And if we manage to go there we have to wait long hours to get in and then when at last we have managed to find a place , we often leave again disappointed, because we did not get healed.

Wouldn't it be wonderful when we could just go down the road to a brother or sister and ask them to pray with us and wouldn't it be wonderful then to return home, and know that we have been made whole because Jesus touched us through that brother or sister?

I believe the time has come wherein we are allowed to expect for this to happen, also because worldwide the Lord has told us through His prophets, that it is His will and plan to move once again with mighty signs and wonders of healing. He is the Lord Who is our Healer.

Why do we not see this happen more often within the Body of Christ? Is it because we do not have faith? Some preachers want us to believe that that is the reason why we cannot receive our healing, because we do not have enough faith.

I was meditating on this and my thoughts went to the so-called heroes of faith in Heb. 11. I read it again... Heb 11:39 "And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise...."

I never heard one of those so-called faith-preachers mention this scripture!

In Heb 12:2 we read that Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith. This saith it all! Let me tell you something, I have noticed that the Bible here in Holland has not translated this properly and therefore they have robbed the word in many places, of its power, through the traditions of men. They translate this scripture to say that Jesus is the Leader and Finisher of our faith.

No! He is the Author of our faith. It starts with Him! Our faith comes from Him. So may I come to the conclusion here that when we need a miracle or healing from God, that we can reach out to Jesus and expect Him to not only give us our healing but also provide us with the faith to receive that healing? He is the Author and Finisher of our faith.

When Jesus walked on this earth, He healed all that came to Him. And often He said: "It is your faith that has made you whole." What faith did those people have? They were unsaved, because Jesus had not died for them yet and also He had not received those 39 stripes for our healing. Most of those people couldn't even read and didn't spend long hours to learn all the scriptures on healing, by head. Most healings took place amongst these simple people and not amongst the Pharisees, which spent hours reading and dissecting the word. Jezus didn't stick to their rules either and many times He healed somebody on the Sabbath.

Why did He do that? What did he want to demonstrate here? He wanted to show the people that they did not need to work for their healing, that healing is given by the grace of an Almighty God, when and where He wills.

Oh yes, you will say, What about that scripture: By His stripes we are healed?

That comes originally from Isaiah 53 and when we examine the word "stripes" in the Hebrew, we find that it comes from a rootword, which means: to join, to compact together, to join together, to have fellowship with.

So actually we should quote this scripture as follows: By being intimitely joined together with Him, by having fellowship with Him (Who died to pay for our sins and sicknesses) we are healed.

So where do we get the faith to receive our healing? By hearing the word of God, which is lovingly whispered in our ears by the Holy Spirit as we spend our time in intimate fellowship with Jesus. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith.

I believe in the time that Jesus walked on the earth, the people would follow Him wherever He went and their faith in Him, grew as they saw how the people were healed and set free, while He ministered to them. They really believed that Jesus could heal.

Can you remember the blind man that got healed and the people asked Jesus why this man was born blind? Jesus answered them and told them that it was not because of the sins of his parents, but that God might be glorified in this. I believe God was glorified when people witnessed how this man got healed and faith was planted in their hearts to receive their healing as well. Something to think about!...

So instead of testifying how hard we worked to receive our miracle from God, it would be better for us, to give Him all the honour and all the glory!

Those heroes of faith in Heb. 11 had something in common. They all had an intimate relationship with God. Abraham was called God's friend. And all of them received in God's time the faith to receive their promises from God. Or died, being fully convinced that God would do what He had told them, even though they had not seen it happen in their life.

People, when do we learn that there is nothing we can do to receive faith! it all comes from God. How will He be able to trust us with His power and glory, when all we do all the time, is to take the glory for ourselves?!

We must repent of our dead works and return to Him Who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. Let our prayer be: Dear Lord Jesus, You are the One I desire most of all. I want to love You, Lord, with all my heart, with all my being! I have nothing to offer You but myself. It is all Yours and I am Yours also. Draw me closer to Yourself , Lord. I trust in You.

I believe that Jesus wants to do His works THROUGH us on this earth and not the other way around. We are only allowed to strive for one thing, and that is to enter into His rest and cease from our own works.

Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Froukje
4th May 1998