CHRISTIAN SENSE
BY TOM SMIKOSKI
A publication devoted to making sense out of the twenty-first century.
FAITH the KEY that OPENS MANY DOORS
By: TOM SMIKOSKI
Faith is the single most important ingredient in obtaining a miracle from
God. This is a fundamental truth preached from every pulpit in the World. The
problem is that most people don't have Faith because they fail to understand just what Faith is.
Paul tells us that "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). We've all heard this
definition. Unfortunately calling Faith a substance, although accurate, gives the impression that
Faith is a commodity.
Because of this people constantly cry out to God for more Faith. "Oh God, please give
me more Faith," they pray. The truth is that Faith is not something that can be purchased. You
can't run out and buy an extra pound of Faith. God doesn't send down buckets of Faith from
Heaven.
Faith is something you already have. We are all given a measure of
faith. It is something we use or don't use.
Man's definition is sometimes easier to understand. Webster describes Faith as,
"Unquestioning belief. Unquestioning belief in God. Complete trust, confidence and reliance."
Faith is not a commodity; it is an attitude. It is our belief in God. It is
absolute trust, confidence and unquestioning belief. Faith describes our relationship with God.
With Jesus. With the Holy Spirit.
All of us have friends or relatives whom we trust. These are the individuals who are
always there when we need them. The ones we can turn to when we are in trouble. You know
the ones I'm talking about. The ones who are there to help us and to comfort us.
This is the kind of relationship we should have with God. This is the kind of relationship
God wants to have with us. God wants us to trust Him, to believe in Him, to
rely on Him for our every need, every moment of every day.
This is the only way to please God. As Paul continues in his letter to
the Hebrews, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must
believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."
Often times we fail to receive these rewards of God. We fail to receive our miracle
because we focus on the problem and not the solution. God is the solution.
Jesus is the Son of God. We must focus on Him not the problem.
An example of this was the time the Apostles were out on a
boat. A storm arose and the boat was tossed about in the waves. Then suddenly a figure
appeared walking on the water. The Apostles got scared thinking it was a ghost.
Jesus spoke to them saying, "Be not afraid it is I."
Peter said, "Lord if it is you then command me to come to you on the water."
Jesus said, "Come."
Peter got out of the boat and began walking toward Jesus. Imagine, walking on water.
Then Peter did the unthinkable, He looked down and saw the waves. He felt the wind against his
face, and the spray from the splashing water. He immediately began to sink and cried out, "Lord
save me."
Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him. He then said, "Oh you of little faith, why
did you doubt?"
What happened to Peter happens to all of us. Notice that while Peter had his eyes focused
on Jesus he had no problem. The moment he looked down at the sea, he began to sink.
Now rather than being safe in the boat with the other Apostles, he found himself in a much
more dangerous position. He was out in the water and became scared.
We all do this. We look to Jesus for help. We begin to trust Him. Then we look back at
our problems, and suddenly find that they are worsening. Jesus then looks at us and says, "Oh
you of little faith, why do you doubt?".
Our problem is that we don't refocus on Christ, instead we continue to focus on the
problem and it continues to grow. While we are focused on Christ, nothing is impossible. When
we look around, we look through human eyes. We see reality not Jesus. We let our physical
senses dictate what is possible or not.
Let's look at the bumblebee. God created the bumblebee to fly. Yet engineers tell us that
it is aerodynamically impossible for the bumblebee to fly. Yet, no one bothered telling the bee.
Therefore, he flies.
When we turn to Jesus, we find that His way is not always the easiest.
It is always the best, but not always easy. Lets take the case of a young girl
who finds herself pregnant. The easy way would be to have an abortion.
The hard way is to have the baby. Nine months of pregnancy. Labor pains. Three AM
feedings. Work, work and more work.
Yet the very act of bringing a new life into the World is a beautiful thing. It is the right
thing. By trusting in Jesus and having the baby we must understand that things will work out for
the best. It always does.
After all, the Bible tells us that "all things work together for good."
Do you really believe this? Or are you a fair weather friend? One who asks,
one who believes, but when the going gets tough, starts to doubt, rather then accept the course
God has created?
I am reminded of the story of a famous tightrope walker. His ambition was to ride a bike
on a tightrope suspended high above Niagra Falls.
Tens of thousands of people came to see him perform the daring feat. The crowds
cheered as he stood ready to mount the bike on a tower high above the falls.
He looked down at the crowd and asked, "Do you believe I can do it?"
The crowd screamed, "Yes."
Again he asked, "Do you believe I can do it?"
Again the response was, "Yes."
He asked the question over and over and each time the answer was the same. Finally he
looked down at one gentleman who had responded affirmatively, and said, "Come climb up on my
shoulders and join me in this historic event."
The man looked down as he shook his head no. He then started asking others in the crowd
to join him. One by one they gave a negative response.
Again he asked, "Do you believe I can do it?"
The crowd continued to answer yes. But not one person would climb upon his shoulders
and ride across the Falls.
Isn't that what happens in our relationship with Jesus? Don't we beg Jesus to help, only to
turn our back on him when He says to hop up on His back and let Him take over. Or, worse yet,
turn our back when He asks for something in return?
Isn't that what happened to the rich man in Mark's Gospel (Chapter 10, verses 17-22)?
The rich man came to Jesus and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus told him to keep the commandments. The rich man said that he had been doing this
since his youth.
Jesus then told him, "Go and sell what you have, and give it to the poor. Then come
follow me."
With that "his face fell and he went away sad, for he had many possessions."
You see faith is a two-way street. Remember that
friend I mentioned who is always there for you? Well are you always there for him?
In other words, this person is willing to help you at all times. What if you heard someone
talking about that person? Would you stand up for him? Would you go out of your way to help
that person who always helps you?
Jesus is that kind of a friend. He is always willing to help you. He is loyal
beyond comprehension. Are we that loyal in return?
If you lived during the first Century, would you have been willing to die for Jesus?
Christians were crucified. Some were fed to the lions. Others were burned. Is your faith so
strong that you would have been willing to die for the one that died for you?
Martyrdom didn't end in the first Century. In fact, it is said that more people have been
martyred in this the twentieth Century then the previous nineteen. Behind the iron curtain, in
China, in the middle east, in Africa.
You may not be required to die for your faith. But, is your faith strong enough that you
can stand up for Jesus in today's society? Or, do you turn you head when you hear His name
being taken in vain? Are you ashamed of going to Church? Are you afraid of being called a "holy
roller", or one of them "born again" people? .
Jesus asks us to trust Him. Can He trust us? Will we stand up for Him
like He stands up for us? I hope the answer is yes. Because this is the kind of relationship which
will bring miracles and blessings into your life.
In fact, when you achieve this kind of relationship, the kind that
Abraham, Moses, Isaac, and Elisha had, then you will cease to worry about your troubles and
your problems. You will no longer concern yourself with the things of this World.
You will begin trusting God for your every need. That is not to say that
you will no longer have to work, or go to doctors, or struggle through life. It means that your
will conforms to God's will. It means that in all you do, you will strive to do your very best, and
trust God to do the rest.
How do you increase your faith? Paul tells us that "faith cometh by
hearing and hearing by the word of God." This means that to increase your faith you are to
study the Word of God. The more you know about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, the greater
your faith.
we must understand is that GOD IS. This is the most
basic of fundamental truths in the Bible. God is the creator. He always was and always will be.
The Alpha and the Omega.
We must also realize that God is ALL POWERFUL. God can do anything and
everything. There is nothing impossible for God.
The Bible refers to God by several names. These names are very significant in learning
about God. I already mentioned that God referred to Himself as "I AM". This reference to
Moses indicates that He was, is and always will be. Abraham called Him "El Shadai". In some
translations we learn that "El Shadai" means "sufficiency". In other words, all sufficient, without
lack. Other translations say it means "more than enough".
God is more than enough. He is all that we will ever need or
want.
Throughout the Bible God is referred to as the "Almighty". The one problem with the
English word "Almighty" is that we automatically think of it as "All Mighty". We picture God as
a great warrior.
The term "Almighty" in Latin is "Omnipotente", or omnipotent, meaning "able to do all
things". In Spanish it is "Todopoderoso", again referring to the ability to do all things. God canall things. Never forget it.
Our problems worsen when we focus on them and not Jesus. When we think of our
problems and not God, we look at them through human eyes. We say, "this cancer has spread too
far". We say, "this problem is beyond solving". This may be true for humans, but not for God.
God can replace an amputated leg as easily as He can paint a rainbow in the
sky. He can heal cancer as easily as He can make it rain. He can solve your marital problems,
your financial problems, or any problem, regardless of how bad, as easily as He makes the sun
rise in the East.
I have cited, and will continue, to cite miracles throughout this book. For the most part, I
have tried to tone them down. Friends tell me not to mention any that are too bizarre, too
unbelievable. They tell me, that these will turn off the reader. They say I shouldn't talk about the
man in California that was born with one arm. Who was prayed over, and in full view of the
congregation grew an arm.
Yet, why should we get turned off? Why would any miracle be considered "too bizarre",
or "too unbelievable"? Isn't God capable of such a feat? Why would anyone
be surprised, that He performs such a miracle?
When we study the word of God, we find that God is ALL KNOWING. The Bible says
that He knows the number of hairs on your head. He knows how many grains of sand are on the
beach.
He knows your problems even before you know them. He knows what is worrying you.
He knows what is troubling you. God even knows the solutions.
God knows everything. God can do all things. Will He answer our prayer? Again, the
more we study His word, the more we are led to believe that the answer is YES.
Let's look at some of the things that Jesus tells us. In Matthew Chapter 7, verses 7-11,
He says, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto
you:
For everyone that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that
knocketh it shall be opened.
Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will give him a stone? Or if he
ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more
shall your Father in Heaven give good things to them that ask Him?"
The same words are repeated in Luke's Gospel, Chapter 11, verses 9-13.
Notice the words that are used by Jesus. He is quite emphatic when He says, "Ask and
you SHALL receive. Seek and ye SHALL find. Knock and it SHALL be opened."
Jesus did not say may receive, might find, or could be opened. He said, "SHALL,
SHALL, SHALL". His repeated use of the word SHALL tells us that there is no room for
doubt. What ever you ask you receive.
In Mark's Gospel, Chapter 11, verses 23-24, He tells us, "For verily I say unto you, that
whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall
not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things that he saith shall come to pass; he shall
have whatsoever he saith. Therefore, I say unto you. What things so ever ye desire, when ye
pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."
Jesus is again telling us that through Faith all things are possible. He even says we can
move mountains. Are you faced with problems that seem like mountains before you? Jesus says
that you can remove these mountains through prayer. Pray believing and you SHALL have what
ever you ask.
These words are very easy to understand. Jesus is not talking in riddles. He is telling us in
very plain everyday language how to receive our miracle.
W. Clement Stone made famous the statement, "Whatever the mind can conceive and
believe, it can achieve". Is this statement any different than what Christ is telling us?
Christ said that the things that we say and believe will come to pass. Stone says that the
things we believe will come to pass. Neither says that only the good things will happen. They say
that whatever we believe we receive. Be it good or be it bad.
This is why we must be very careful what we say. We must be very careful what we think.
Negative thoughts and negative words, open the door for Satan. It allows him to enter our lives
and bring about these negative consequences.
This is why when someone gets up in the morning and says they're going to have a lousy
day, they usually do. People who talk about the pain of their illness and how it'll never get any
better, are never free from pain. People who complain about their bills and talk about how they'll
never be able to pay them, don't. We get exactly what we say. We get exactly what we think.
We get exactly what we worry about. That's why I get upset when I hear doctors talk about
how a person will never recover. How a person will never walk again. How a person will never
be pain free. They are, in effect, sentencing their patient to the life described.
I like the doctors who explain to their patients that in most cases these are the results. In
most cases, a patient suffering from your illness will not recover. In most cases your injury
results in permanent paralysis. However, there are always exceptions.
I love the doctors who always try to leave a little hope. Who explain to their patients that
no diagnosis, no prognosis, no mortal opinion is ever etched in stone.
Always think positive. Always focus on Jesus. Always say the things you
want to happen. Never ever talk about the negatives.
If we believe in God. If we believe that Jesus is God. And, if we believe that He has sent
His Holy Spirit to be with us, then there can be no doubt in our hearts and minds.
As I said earlier, God can do all things. That is, He can do almost everything. One thing
He cannot do is lie. The Bible is the inerrant Word of God. Believe it. Read it. Grow in
Faith.
Do you want to receive your miracle? Read the Bible every day. In fact, if you haven't
read from the Bible today, then I strong urge you to put down this book and first read the Bible.
You should hunger for the Word. You should study the word. You should make the
Word of God part of your life.
The Bible is the owner's manual of life. I worked in retail for quite some time. Customers
used to come back, time and time again, complaining that the product is not working right. In
most cases the product was fine, the customer was not using it correctly. They failed to read their
owner's manual.
Let's say you purchased a Television. You would take it home. You would unbox it.
You would carefully place it on the stand. Then you would open the manual and follow the
instructions. First you would hook up the antenna. Then you would plug it in. Finally you would
press the on switch. Would you be surprised when it came on? Of course not. You would be
surprised if it didn't. Why? Because the manual says that it is supposed to come on.
Yet, if you tried to explain television to someone a hundred years ago, they would have
thought you were crazy. Why? Because one hundred years ago, people did not understand
electricity. One hundred years ago, people did not understand television. Yet, the basic principle
was always there.
The same is true for miracles. God gave us the Bible as an owner's
manual. It tells us that we can receive our healing. So why are we shocked
when He performs one. Shouldn't we be shocked if He doesn't perform one?
Someday we are going to stand before Jesus in judgement. We are going to complain
about how we didn't know. How things were so hard. How the complexities of life caused us to
fall.
Jesus is going to ask us why we never looked at our owners manual. The instructions for
life were given to us and we failed to use them. Rely on the Word of God for your every need.
The Bible is the greatest self help book in the History of mankind, use it.
The Word of God is the food which nourishes your faith. Faith is
the key that unlocks the door to a miraculous life in Christ Jesus. With Faith you will be blessed
beyond your wildest dreams. Through Faith you "SHALL" receive your miracle.
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