Unity Church of Castro Valley
Sunday Message for July 13, 2008
Faith
This week we are talking about Faith. And Faith is really the basis, the foundation, of everything we teach. It is the starting point in all spiritual paths. In the 11th chapter of Hebrews it gives us the meaning of faith. It says, (Hebrews 11:1-3) "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible."
Charles Fillmore writes in The Revealing Word that faith is "The perceiving power of the mind linked with the power to shape substance. It is a magnetic power that draws to us our heart's desire from the invisible spiritual substance."
THE TWELVE POWERS OF MAN
In The Twelve Powers of Man Charles Fillmore talks about the twelve faculties that we need to develop. These are represented by the twelve disciples of Jesus. Peter represents Faith and was the first disciple that Jesus called to follow him. We begin our religious experience, our unity with Divine Mind, by having faith in that Mind as omnipresent, all-wise, all-loving, and all-powerful Spirit. Faith is the essential foundation for the building of a spiritual consciousness.
At first our faith is wavering and changeable. (Matthew 14:26-31) "When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"
Peter became frightened while walking on the water and later when in fear, he denied knowing Jesus. Our faith, too, can be quite shaky in the beginning. We try it out and sometimes it doesn't seem to work the way we expected. But it does work perfectly. Because what we manifest in our lives shows us where our faith is placed. Peter began to sink because his faith was pointed in the direction of fear. So we need to look at what we have faith in; and turn that faith to God.
(Matthew 16:21-23) "From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you." But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."
So we must teach Peter (or our faith) to concentrate. Teach him to center on true words. Analyze what you are saying to yourself most of the time. Are you saying, "I am whole, perfect, and complete" or are you declaring, "My arthritis is getting worse" or "My allergies are really bad this year"? If so, then maybe you, too, should declare, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."
It is through your faith that you feed your sheep - or your other faculties. Keep him right at his task. He is inquisitive, impulsive, and dictatorial, when not firmly directed. It says in (John 21:20-22) "Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?" When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about him?" Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!"
When Peter (or faith) questions your dominion and tries to dictate the movements of your other powers, put him in line with, "what is that to you? Follow me!" If we continue to affirm our faith in God, a steadfast faith becomes established in us and is the rock upon which our spiritual consciousness is built.
THE SECOND YEAR OF JESUS' MINISTRY
In the second year of Jesus' ministry he returned home to His headquarters in Capernaum. He was met there by Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue. Jairus pleaded with Jesus to come to his home to heal his young daughter, who was critically ill. Jesus immediately responded, but the crowds that followed Him slowed His progress because there were so many people.
(Mark 5:25-29) "Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, "If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well." Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease."
This incident is one of the great lessons on faith. The woman had been ill for a long time, yet, she had not given up hope of regaining her health. So it never matters how severe or for how long the disease has been with you.
When she heard of the remarkable cures that Jesus had effected, she made a determined effort to reach Him by pushing through the crowd. Her faith was so strong that she believed she would recover, even if she only touched the hem of His garment.
Healing comes when we make contact with the Christ, whom Jesus represents. We need to come boldly before the throne of grace and push through the "crowd" that separates us from our Christ self. This "crowd" is our own destructive thoughts and feelings. Our part is to be persistent in making our way through them.
Jesus said that it was the woman's faith which brought about her healing, and faith also brings healing to us. If we believe that it is God's will for us to be well, we will not let anything keep us from contacting the Christ and receiving wholeness from Him.
While Jesus was speaking to the woman who had touched His garment, word was brought to Jairus that his daughter had died and that there was no need for Jesus to come. (Luke 8:50-55) "When Jesus heard this, he replied, "Do not fear. Only believe, and she will be saved." When he came to the house, he did not allow anyone to enter with him, except Peter, John, and James, and the child's father and mother. They were all weeping and wailing for her; but he said, "Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and called out, "Child, get up!" Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then he directed them to give her something to eat."
This was the second instance where Jesus raised a dead person. It is recorded in sufficient detail for us to understand the steps that He took in performing the miracle. When He entered the home He shut out the multitude, but took Peter (faith), James (judgment), John (love), and the parents with Him. The three statements Jesus made contain the secret of a quickening from death to life. 1st He said to the child's father, "Do not fear. Only believe, and she will be saved." Fear must be dismissed from our consciousness and replaced with a steadfast faith. 2nd He denied the reality of death, "she is not dead but sleeping." The life of God that gives animation to the body always exists. 3rd He spoke directly to the Christ life within the child and said to her, "Child, get up." The word spoken in faith brings about a restoration.
So, even when the faith within us seems to be nonexistent or dead we need to believe that we can resurrect it. "Do not fear. Only believe, and your faith will be saved." The main thing is to not go into fear, for that is the opposite of faith. Actually faith never dies within us, but is merely misdirected. We are placing our faith in the negative instead of in God. So know that "faith is not dead but sleeping." God is always with you, you only need to turn toward Him. So speak directly and forcefully to that Christ within you and demand that your faith arise and be directed toward God.
THE THIRD YEAR OF JESUS' MINISTRY
In the third year of Jesus' ministry it looked, to all appearances, that the Pharisees had gained the upper hand temporarily. Seeing that little could be accomplished in Galilee, Jesus and his apostles journeyed to the cities of Phoenicia. It was during Jesus' trip to Phoenicia that the healing of the daughter of a Canaanite woman took place.
(Matthew 15:22-28) "Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly."
The mother was a Gentile, and when she asked Jesus for help, He at first turned her down. He said that He, as a Jew, felt that His ministry should be to His own race. Even Jesus could use an attitude adjustment sometimes. This is the turning point in His ministry, when He realized that his teaching was for everyone - not just for Jews. He now realizes the scope of the mission that God has given him.
The spiritual significance of Jesus' words to the Gentile woman is that Gentiles represent the worldly mind, but Jews (Children of Israel) represent the mind that is turned toward God. Only those who have some love for and understanding of Truth can receive spiritual enlightenment. However, the mother persisted in her plea, showing that faith was awakening in her.
To Jesus' objection that it is wise to use care in sharing spiritual things with those still in the depths of mortal consciousness, the woman replied, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Though she knew she was unworthy, she believed that Jesus would help her. Her humility and faith aroused Jesus' compassion, and He commended her for her faith. He then healed her daughter. So even though we may still be functioning largely on the plane of mortal thought, a humble faith in God enables us to receive His good.
PEREAN MINISTRY
When the apostles were alone with Jesus, they made a request of him. (Luke 17:5-6) "The apostles said to Jesus, "Increase our faith!" He replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, "Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."
Jesus followed this with the parable of the unprofitable servants. Its lesson is that no one is to be praised for doing what his work requires. Each of us has personal responsibilities to discharge, but if that is all we do, we are indeed "unprofitable servants." It is only when we go beyond the personal and fulfill our obligation to God in love, obedience, and service that we are rewarded with the faith that accomplishes mighty things.
Faith in God is the substance of existence. To have faith in God is to have the faith of God. We must have faith in God as our Father and source of all the good we desire.
Faith is more than mere belief. It is the very substance of that which is believed. It works by love. Thoughts of condemnation, enmity, and resistance must be released and divine love declared; then faith will work unhindered.
Faith working in spiritual substance accomplishes all things. This is the faith that co-operates with creative law. When faith is exercised deep in spiritual consciousness, it finds its home; and under divine law, without variation or disappointment, it brings results that are seemingly miraculous.
SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 11:1-3; Matthew 14:26-31; 16:21-23; John 21:20-22- Mark 5:25-29; Luke 8:50-55; Matthew 15:22-28; Luke 17:5-6
REFERENCE: The Revealing Word Charles Fillmore; The Twelve Powers of Man Charles Fillmore; Your Hope of Glory Elizabeth Sand Turner
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