Overcoming Faith

1 John 5: 4

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.

We are born of God. That makes us world overcomers, does it not? Well, according to the Apostle John it does. The victory which overcomes the world is our faith. Surely John knew what he was writing about. This guy walked with Jesus daily. Additionally, he received great revelations from Jesus after Jesus ascended to heaven. So, if what he says is right, why am I not experiencing this overcoming faith in my life? And as I look around I see that other Christians are struggling with their world overcoming faith too.

Recently I determined to learn more about this overcoming power. I turned to an inspired book, clearly one of the best books I have ever read on faith. The subtitle of the book reads: The key to putting your faith to work for a successful life. That is what we all want isn’t it? We hear so much about faith and living by faith but sometimes preachers might as well be speaking in a foreign tongue for all the good it is doing me. I want to live by faith. I have determined to walk by faith but what do I do when my faith isn’t working.

The title of this life-altering book is The Fourth Dimension by David Yonggi Cho. The first time I heard of it I was handed it by my pastor. I stayed up all night reading it. The very next day things began to break my way. Cho built the largest Christian church in the world and he did it in Korea where Christianity was not widely accepted. None the less, he learned that if he would apply the laws of faith that all things were possible to him. I strongly recommend this book. 

Cho explained that there is a fourth dimension and that this dimension is the realm of the spirit. This is the realm of creative power. Cho teaches how we can operate in this realm. The first chapter of the book is dedicated to teaching us the foundations of faith. There are four cornerstones. First, you must have a clear cut objective. Second, you must have a burning desire for the attainment of that objective. Third, you pray about that objective until you have the full assurance in your heart that it is God’s will for you. It may take some time to gain the full assurance so we must be persistent and patient in prayer. Last, we must learn to speak the word according to that burning desire which is within us and which we have the full assurance of. Once God has assured us that He is in agreement with us then we speak to the mountain and call those things which are not as though they are (Romans 4: 17) until they manifest in the physical realm. God has already given us everything but it is in the spiritual realm (Ephesians 1: 3). So, we only need to appropriate it and bring it into this physical sphere. To do that we use our faith. It doesn’t take a lot of faith, only as much as a mustard seed (Matthew 17: 20). The key is knowing how to apply that faith to our needs or to situations in our lives.

Have a burning desire for a clear cut objective. Pray until you have the full assurance of it in your heart, until you know that you know that it is yours, and then start talking to it. Like speaking to the rock to get water you must speak your desired end as well. Start calling forth water and the rock will have to yield. That is the way faith works.

And buy and read The Fourth Dimension by David Cho.

It is Well

Ecclesiastes 8: 12

I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly.

We remember, of course, that when we see the word “fear” in the Old Testament related to our relationship with God, we must immediately translate that word in our heads to revere. I would go a step further, however, in this new dispensation we are under so for myself I read this passage as “It will be well for those who love God, who love Him openly.”  

What does it mean to love God openly? I can think of times in my life when my love of God was a bit of a secret. It wasn’t that I intended it to be a secret though. I think that the relationship I had with Him just wasn’t big enough. Now I don’t believe that I could keep it veiled because God has become the predominant force of my life.

Perhaps we are not always as proud of our Christian heritage as we could be. For myself, I wasn’t living in the victory of Christ to any great measure so my story was undeveloped but as with anything that positively impacts your life once your life with Christ becomes your existence then you are enthusiastic to share what is working for you with others. Then you love Him and share Him openly. People see Him on you. He becomes the gleam in your eye, the light of your countenance.

Every day we have an encounter with the Word of God. Whether we hear this question aloud or not we are everyday faced with whether or not we will choose to believe the Word. Sometimes believing what God has said requires a leap of faith. Okay, so jump! Take a chance that God is not a man that He should lie. Jump off of the end of the pier believing that He is faithful and will catch you. What if you should invest your faith, your mustard seed of believing power in the statement that if you love Him, it will be well with you? Is it a bit scary to make that leap?

There is a beautiful life out there awaiting each one of us. It is full of the riches of God’s glory and favor in Christ Jesus. God gives us all the secrets, all the answers to the test questions. He wants to give us success and beauty and riches. It is His deep desire to promote and exalt us. We need only that little mustard seed of belief. God can do so much with one life, even yours. Open your heart anew. Lift your eyes to the horizon. There is so much out there for you. Even if you think you are in the winter of your life you can get a revelation of the seeds and bulbs God has in the ground for you just waiting to bloom and grow. It is eternal spring for those who love God and who are called to Him. Let your heart grow into a new vision of what God has for you. If you can believe this little passage from the Bible, then you can experience miracles and wonders beyond your current belief level. Open your heart, receive of the Lord and live in the fullness of His blessings. Amen.