According to Your Faith

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2013, all rights reserved.

Chapter 1

From the King James Version, in Matthew 9:29, Jesus said, "According to your faith be it unto you."

In other words, you get what you're believing for.

In that chapter there, it happened to be two blind men who wanted their eyesight.

Jesus asked them if they believed he could heal them.  They said yes.  "Then he touched their eyes, saying, Have what you're believing for." (Holy Bible, Hoehn Version)

And the blind men became seeing men.

In Hebrews 11:6 it says,  "But without faith it is impossible to please him, for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he's a rewarder of those who diligently seek him."

In Romans 1:17 we're reminded that, "The just shall live by faith."  We Christians are made just (we're justified) by the blood of Jesus.  God wants us to walk by faith.

In 2 Cor 5:7,  "For we walk by faith, not by sight."  The world walks by sight.  If they can't see it, they don't believe it.

Faith calls those things that are not as though they were. (Rom 4:17)

God places strong emphasis on faith.  The above Hebrews passage tells us we can't please God without faith.

Is it important that we please God?  Yes.  Judgment Day will come, and at that time, if we've been pleasing God, we'll get rewards at the judgment.

Those who've been displeasing God will get punishments.

But it's not just about Judgment Day, somewhere off in the future.  There are benefits now in our daily lives if we're pleasing to God.

If you have a good job, wouldn't you like to keep it?  The Lord can help you to keep it.  Or, the Lord could cause someone to lose their good job if that person is displeasing to him.

The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. (Psa 111:10)

Since God places strong emphasis on faith, we would be wise to employ faith in our daily lives.

In Mark 11:24, Jesus said, "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them."

In fact, it's really no good asking God for something if you don't put faith with your prayer.

When you ask God for something, expect to receive what you're asking for.

It would help to say out loud, "I believe I receive what I've asked God for."

There is a connection between our faith and our words.

In the book of Genesis, God said, "Let us make man in our image." (Gen 1:26)

We are made in the image of God.

We are made in the image of the God who spoke the worlds into existence.

So then, we also have some power to speak things into existence.  Let's be careful not to speak the wrong things into existence, buts let's speak into existence the good things that we need or desire.

If you're asking God for a job, say, "I call into existence the good job God has for me.  It's mine, and the Lord has put me into it."

You don't have to use those exact words, but something like that.

If you need a place to live, say, "I call into existence the good place to live God has for me (or, us).  It's mine, and I live there, a good place at a good price, with good neighbors, and good everything."

But then, Jesus also said, "Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matt 16:19)

We do this binding and loosing with words.

I'm assuming that I'm talking to Christians.  These principles won't work so well for unbelievers.  So, if you're not a Christian, then step 1 is become a Christian, according to John chapter 3 and Romans 10:9,10.

Romans chapter 10, verses

9 "That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you're saved.

10 For with the heart man believes for righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made for salvation."

You confess Jesus as Lord with your mouth, and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead.  Say a simple prayer, asking Jesus to be your savior.  He'll hear from heaven, and accept you as one of his.

For the binding, you say, "I bind all powers of the enemy that would come against me in any way, and that would hurt or hinder me in any way, in Jesus' name."

We Christians have the name of Jesus like a legal power of attorney.  Even if I personally don't have a lot of cash, I could write checks for millions if a millionaire gave me a power of attorney over his money.

Jesus is the millionaire whose name we use like a power of attorney over the enemy.

We cast out demons from people in Jesus' name.  (Luke 10:19, Mark 16:17,18)

For the loosing, you say, "I loose ministering spirits to fight for my finances, and for the things that I and my family need."

The ministering spirits are angels that you can put to work for you if you're a Christian.

After we have prayed, and after we have spoken words of faith, then we must stay in faith, and not doubt.

Chapter 2

Check out Mark 11:23, "For truly I say to you, that whoever shall say to this mountain, be removed, and be thrown into the sea, and doesn't doubt in his heart, but believes that the things that he says shall happen, he shall have whatever he says."

Jesus says you can move a mountain.  Whatever your problem is, that's your mountain.  Command it to go, in Jesus' name.  But believe that what you say will happen, and don't doubt in your heart.

The Bible teacher, Kenneth E. Hagin, said, "Keep the switch of faith turned on."

The devil is going to try to talk you out of it.  But we must  "Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you." (James 4:7)

There are many examples in the Bible of men and women of strong faith.  For a good list of them, read Hebrews chapter 11.

David used his faith and his words to defeat the giant, Goliath.  David spoke words of faith to Goliath, and said, "God will give you into my hand."  (1 Sam 17:46)

It was a time of war.  The battle was between Israel and its enemy, the Philistines.  Goliath was with the Philistines, and was defying Israel.

God did just what David spoke.  David knocked Goliath down with a sling shot, and then killed that enemy with Goliath's own sword.  Israel had a great victory that day because of David and his words spoken in faith.

In Genesis, chapter 41,

15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one that can interpret it, and I have heard about you, that you can understand a dream to interpret it."

16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me, God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace."

Joseph spoke words of faith to Pharaoh, ruler of Egypt.  Then God gave Joseph the interpretation of the dreams for Pharaoh.  Joseph was promoted to second in command of Egypt, and nourished his people, Israel, in the famine that followed.

Many military battles were won for Israel and for Judah when their leaders employed their faith to believe for the victory from God.

Some of those battles were against staggering odds, and yet God gave the victory when his people believed with their faith.

As I said, Joseph spoke words of faith to Pharaoh.  But for years before that, Joseph was walking in faith.  He had been kidnapped, and sold as a slave into Egypt.

He did a good job for his master in Egypt, but was falsely accused of a crime, and went to prison.  He did good work at the prison, and was put in charge.

A lot of bad things had happened to Joseph, but he continued to believe that God would promote him according to the dreams God gave Joseph in his youth.  Dreams in which Joseph was in a top position.

Joseph continued to believe, and got what he had been believing for, he was promoted over Egypt.

And then his brothers came and submitted to him as in the dreams.  The same brothers who had hated him, and sold him into slavery.

But Joseph was nice to them, and Israel had deliverance from the famine.

Moses put his faith to work for Israel.  If you read the first five books of the Bible, Israel faced many challenges.

God said he'd bring Israel out of the oppressive Egypt, but this new Pharaoh was very much unwilling.

But God sent many plagues against Egypt, and Pharaoh got willing.

Then Israel gets out into the wilderness, and there's no water.  But God meets the need.

God provides manna for them to eat.

When Israel has battles, God gives them deliverance.  Moses stayed in faith and did a good job for Israel.  There will be a good reward for Moses on Judgment Day.

Scriptures quoted are from the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version and the New Testament, Hoehn Version, copyright 2011, both available as ebooks for the Kindle readers from Amazon.com.

The Lord bless you.  Frederick Hoehn

www.FredHoehnMinistries.com

___James chapter 1

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.

2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,

3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.

4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.

7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,

10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.

11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.

18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.

21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,

24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2

1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,

3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"

4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

6 But you have despised the poor.  Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?

7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?

8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,

9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.

10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill."  Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.

12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.

14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works?  Can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,

16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?

17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."

19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?

22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."

24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3

1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.

2 For in many things we offend all.  If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.

4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.

5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things.  See how great a matter a little fire kindles!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.

7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,

8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.

10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be.

11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?

12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries?  Or a vine, figs?  So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.

13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you?  Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.

15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4

1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from?  Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?

2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.

3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.

4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.

5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"

6 But he gives more grace.  So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.

11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers.  He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?

13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"

14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."

16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5

1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.

2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.

3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire.  You've heaped treasure together for the last days.

4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.

5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.

6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.

7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.

8 You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.

9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.

10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

11 See, we count them happy that endure.  You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.

13 Is anyone among you afflicted?  Let him pray.  Is anyone merry?  Let him sing psalms.

14 Is anyone sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.

16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.

17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,

20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.