Personal prophecy

[angels4u]

Dear Nebula,

The reason I was asking you this question is for your self to find out what the word "Faith" means to you.

One Accord, big Amen girl  

God Bless,Angels

[nebula]

Angels - the thing I've been struggling with is the verse that says: "and everything that does not come from faith is sin." (Romans 14:23)

It has been continuously taught and preached in charasmatic services to seek miraculous healing, claim such-n-such Scripture over your life for sun-n-such area, and all this stuff.  If there's a problem, come forward for prayer and it will all be taken care of!  And if the miracles don't come, then there is something wrong with your faith!

So, everyone goes through the routines, but not everyone "receives."  So the failed recipient tries harder and harder to do whatever it takes to express the faith for healing, but nothing still happens.  

I've been observing the difference between those that get the miracle and those that do not.  What I have seen is that those who got the miracle (whether healing or some other area that needed restoration or whatever) just "knew" God would send do the miraculous in their life.  Anything they did to express faith was because they just "knew" that is what they needed to do.  Those who stayed sick or didn't have the miracle of whatever it was moved in what I can only term "forced faith."  They were forcing themselves to believe.  They struggled to find answers, struggled to figure out what they needed to do.  It's more like they were beating themselves to believe than having the inner confidence in their hearts that it would take place.

I've had both experiences.  I've prayed for miraculous intervention in my life that just is not happening.  But there were other times I faced a bad struggle, and in reading Scripture or listening to a teaching there was one verse or passage of Scripture that just grabbed my spirit - and I just "knew" this verse/passage applied to me in this struggle.  I held onto that Scripture and kept repeating it daily until the struggle was overcome.  Other times, I grabbed a Scripture that seemed fitting, but I just could not hold onto it like those times mentioned above.

1 Corinthians 12:9 mentions faith as a gift.  When my pastor teaches Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. - he says that it would more correctly be translated as: I live by the faith of the Son of God....

So, I see true faith as an interaction between you and the Holy Spirit.  We can move in a "fleshly faith," a faith of our own power, but it comes to naught.  This is not the true faith graced upon you by the Holy Spirit.

For instance, my parents always had a rocky marriage, and I prayed for years for their unity to be healed.  When they separated, I was devestated.  I prayed for their restoration, quoting Scriptures and everything.  But, they officially divorced.  My "faith" did not move any mountains I prayed to be moved.  But, after a couple years we all had time to heal from the situation, and it is clear that both Mom and Dad have happier lives.  Now, I wouldn't want them to come back together because their differences are just too great, and their focuses, even as far as church ministry and involvement go, are too different.  They could never truly please each other no matter how hard they tried because they would both have to become something that they are not to be what the other wants them to be.  

So, I have come to conclude that faith is not claiming what I want to happen, but finding where God would have you, even if it goes against what everyone else says you should be praying for, and going with that.  If that inner confindence isn't there - you just know that you know that you know, without trying, it's just there - than you may be trying to stand in the wrong faith.

I don't know if that makes any sense to you, but I don't know how else to explain it at this point.  ("The gift of words" is not one of my strong points.)

[OneAccord]

I've been observing the difference between those that get the miracle and those that do not.

[BobbyD777]

How many times does one have to get burned. I have been accused of being charismatic, pentecostal and a bunch of other things. I believe I am a born again believer in Jesus Christ, a child of God.

[Catsmeow]

I believe the gifts are still operational, but I can't help but feel they are being counterfeited.

I don't know what the answer is, but I have found myself very sceptical of all these so called moves of God. I feel guilty sometimes because I believe that many things we see today are a dog and pony show.

First of all, Rafter...there are certainly those who counterfeit the signs and wonders. The Bible even warns us that in the Last Days there will be many counterfeit signs and wonders...

Dog and Pony show sounds accurate. I would never want to offend the Holy Spirit or deny His Almighty power. It's just that there are times when I think people and not the Holy Spirit are utilizing unholy means and counterfeit signs in order to mislead and rob unwary souls....