The greatest test you will ever experience as a Christian is the trial, or testing of your faith, you will find that situations and testing not to different to Job as we mentioned last week.
Faith is one of the most important instruments in salvation but sometimes the least understood. We have devoted a study for the next two weeks concerning faith.
In Mark 11:22 Jesus encouraged the disciples after they saw a fig tree wither after being cursed, to have the Faith of God.
The life a level of Christianity you obtain or have obtained is according to your Faith.
Faith is not mental, or mystic, it is very simple. It is this faith that will overcome the world….as I John 5:4 Says.
Many preachers use Hebrews which is the great textbook of faith and yet they do not fully understand it.
Saints you must have faith in God. Even If at the moment you are facing trials. The end result will be good.
Faith is not a science it is simple
We are going to read from the book of James a profound book from a man with a great reputation as having wisdom, and insight.
I will not spend too much time explaining the topic and the theme of the book, but James is looking at faith from a totally different perspective to the apostles Paul.
James is a practical Christian, he is making a notable point; which is if you are living by the faith of Jesus Christ, you life should be the evidence of it.
Have Faith in God, are you in difficulty! have faith, are you in need of healing! have faith in God, or the true translation is have the faith of God. Or better still, have the faith which comes from God.
What is faith and how do I obtain it.
Faith is your response to the word of God, or the revealed will of God usually a Rhema word.
Faith is from God by God and through our God
We have only a small part to play, it is Gods work and not ours
God revealed his will to men in the old testament and they responded….end of story, (Noah did not presumptuously say I am going to build a boat Hallelujah.. No! It was revealed to Noah and he responded. That's Faith
I will explain this through the following narratives.
James 2:14-19 & 25 he uses Rahab as an example of faith
1What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
Faith must have an evidence.
It is Interesting that Hebrews 11:31 (NKJV)
By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.
I will also use Rahab to Illustrate what faith is, and how through it you can obtain the Victory.I will also use Rahab, because the Bible says in the mouth of two or three witnesses let every word be established.
Joshua 2:1- (NKJV)
Have The Faith of God

Joshua 2:1- (NKJV)
Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho."
So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.
Rahab the great grandmother of David, A prostitute, it is clear that her brothel was where both her and the Family lived. This is a tremendous story of the grace of God, we will see how her faith saves her from the pending destruction that is to come upon Jericho.
The gate was shut, this implies to us that the people that lived outside Jericho, after hearing about the Israelites and that they were coming this way, so they took refuge in the city for safety.
God was about to destroy this city in the most peculiar way
God set the scene, he sets the scene in our lives and then gives us instruction on how to obtain Victory. Are you in a problem right now God is setting the scene so you can obtain Victory.
The spies come to Jericho, only a few this time.
They go to the harlots house, because it seems the most logical place as men to frequent without anyone asking you any questions.
Their plan is foiled and they are noticed. The soldiers come looking, and Rahab risks her life and Hides them. That's faith. Faith is taking a risk and trusting someone else.
Joshua 6:17 (NKJV)
Now the city shall be doomed by the LORD to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
Faith is your response to the word of God
Romans 10:17 "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
What are you hearing, what is God directing your heart to do?, do not worry if it is from God it will be confirmed.
Rahab acted in faith, and her works testified that she had faith in the God of the Hebrews because she feared him more than the army of Jericho.
I do not want to detour from the theme but there are some tremendous things that are taking place here.
Joshua has taken over leadership, his style of leadership and mandate is so different,
Moses brought them out of Egypt, and Joshua Is to bring them in to the land of promise
We need these two aspects at work in our lives as Christians, the anointing that delivers us from the power of satan, and sin, we also need the warrior anointing to bring us into the fullness of the blessing of salvation.
Joshua was a warrior he had to fight as directed by the Lord for every inch of land.
We must also stand, and war a warfare The Holy Bible,
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For
the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down
strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself
against the knowledge of God,

Have The Faith of God

Joshua 3:14-17 So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people,
and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.
In these verses we see again faith in action.
God revealed to Joshua specific details and the plan by which he would obtain victory, the key is first God gives the revelation. And we respond
God told Joshua to sanctify yourselves, put the priest in front with the Ark of the Covenant that symbolized the presence of God
Whatever we do in life the Lord must go before us to ensure lasting victory, in our career let us put God ahead and then follow, in our family life let us put God ahead and then we follow, in our plans let us put God ahead and then we are assured Victory. Psalms 16;8 I have set the LORD always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
Once God goes before you, the victory is Guaranteed
The priest follow the instructions and the river which at that time of year would be about 15 - 20feet deep dries up. It parts just like the red see.
Could you imagine the priests the first step is always the hardest
The priest obedience in making that step is their faith in Action.
Thank God for our challenges, thank GOD for our battles; the hotter or the harder the battle the greater the victory as the songwriter said, the bigger they come the harder they fall.
Oh that the body of Christ would arm herself and go forth to battle, we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ.
There has been so much on the news about BNP ( British national party) and there intention to remove the immigrants from this country, they have a flag, they have a banner that represents nationalism, we have a banner also, it is the Lord himself he will give us victory in our lives, we need to hold the banner up high.

As the feet of the priest touched Jordan the water parted, the water said I am out of here, I am moving, I cannot resist the command of the Lord.
As we move in the power of the Lord demons will have to go, devils will have to scatter and give way to the anointing. Hallelujah!
Faith is action, it is the response to the revealed will of God.

Have The Faith of God

Getting back to the story of Rahab
She hides the Spies her faith is demonstrated
She is about to send them out, but she asks for a token Joshua 2:12-13
Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have shown you
kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father's house, and give me a
true token, and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that
they have, and deliver our lives from death."

She asked for an evidence a sign a proof, that also she lived in Jericho, she was not a part of them.
We have a token, the Holy spirit and the blood of Jesus, judgment will not come to our house, we have the proof, the evidence.
I remember one year when returning to England from Kenya, there were so many stand by passengers looking to board the plane, so they had to distinguish who was booked and who was not, so when it came to board the plane those that had already booked were given a tag to distinguish. So that as you were boarding the Steward would check that you had the tag, I cannot remember the color but for arguments sake let us say it was red.
I was glad when it was my turn to board…I just showed them my Tag.
Rahab had a token, it was a red or scarlet string hanging outside her window, it was her proof her token. While the whole of Jericho was flattened, their was one section standing!
Rahabs house.
Have faith in God, act and respond in obedience to his word.
If God can find time to assist a prostitute he will help you, in fact I think this is the very reason this story is in the Bible, it is to show us the grace of God, he is not a respector of Persons.
They marched around the walls of Jericho six times and blew the trumpet, and on the seventh time they marched seven times and then blew the trumpet of the Lord, and the walls came tumbling down. But ther was one building left standing, one building that was untouched, it had a scarlet cord hanging. It was the house of Rahab

Have The Faith of God
Have The Faith of God Draft notes

In Mark 11:22 Jesus encouraged the disciples after the saw a fig tree wither after being cursed, to have the Faith of God.
The life a level of Christianity you obtain or have obtained is according to your Faith.
Faith is not mental, or mystic, it is very simple. It is this faith that will overcome the world….as I John 5:4 Says. Faith is not a science it is simple
It is not some mystical energy, or force as some teach.
Many even teach about releasing your faith and exercising faith as if we have any control
Story about when I was saved and my strange understanding of faith.
What is faith and how do I obtain it.
Faith is your response to the word of God, or the revealed will of God usually a Rhema word.
Faith is from God by God and through our God
We have only a small part to play, it is Gods work and not ours
God revealed his will to men in the old testament and they responded….end of story, (Noah did not presumptuously say I am going to build a boat Halelujah..No! It was revealed to Noah and he responded. That's Faith
James is a practical Christian, he is making a notable point; which is if you are living by the faith of Jesus Christ, you life should be the evidence it.

James 2:14-19 & 25 he uses Rahab as an example of faith Hebrews 11:31

Joshua 2:1-6……..9-12 Rahabs confession…Romans 10;9 it comes from a believing heart
What is our Confession as Christians?
The Token she was given is a scarlet thread
And what is our Token?
What grace Ephesians 2:8-9
Her actions demonstrated her faith.
God revealed to Joshua how to destroy Jericho
God will give us instruction on how to overcome the struggles in our life.

Joshua 6:17 (NKJV)
Now the city shall be doomed by the LORD to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.

Have The Faith of God Draft notes pt 2

Everything is according to your faith, Faith is vital to your experience with the Lord.
As we mentioned last week James mentions faith and that our works are the evidence of faith.
In Hebrew 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
. Faith is not a science it is simple
It is not some mystical energy, or force as some teach. It cannot be released by you as it is not yours to release.
I cannot when working in my Job give my colleagues a week off, and release them from work, because they have worked hard…because I am not the person in charge. It is not my position; Faith works on the same premise. God is in control, he is the boss of faith, it comes from him.
Faith is the victory that will overcome the world
In Ephesians Paul mentions the shield of Faith, when thinking of a shield we are not to compare it to the shield that the Vikings or others use, but Paul was thinking of the Roman shield which is almost a persons height, and you can comfortably hide your whole body behind it. We can easily dodge the darts of satan by hiding behind the shield of faith.
Jesus said when the son of man comes will he find faith on the earth. Faith Have the Faith of God.
We will again address the issue of Rahab but first we must look at the events that proceeded the Destruction of Jericho. There has to be some lesson we can learn from it.
Hat is why the scripture is there.
Joshua has taken over leadership, his style of leadership and mandate is so different,
Moses brought them out of Egypt, and Joshua Is to bring them in to the land of promise
We need these two aspects at work in our lives as Christians, the anointing that delivers us from the power of satan, and sin, we also need the warrior anointing to bring us into the fullness of the blessing of salvation.
Joshua 3:14-17 Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.
In these verses we see again faith in action.
Thank God for our challenges, thank GOD for our battles; the hotter or the harder the battle the greater the victory as the songwriter said, the bigger they come the harder they fall.Getting back to the story of Rahab
She hides the Spies her faith is demonstrated
She is about to send them out, but she asks for a token Joshua 2:12-13
We have a token, the Holy spirit and the blood of Jesus, judgment will not come to our house, we have the proof, the evidence.
They marched around the walls of Jericho six times and blew the trumpet, and on the seventh time they marched seven times and then blew the trumpet of the Lord, and the walls came tumbling down. But ther was one building left standing, one building that was untouched, it had a scarlet cord hanging. It was the house of Rahab