Today I’d like to talk about faith, because without faith it is impossible to please God.  It is written in James 1:2-4,
Jas 1:2  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Jas 1:3  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Jas 1:4  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Now I know this is EXACTLY the opposite what we feel when we are in the middle of trials, but the Bible tells us that we are to have JOY in trials, because God uses them to strengthen us, not to destroy us.  Trials can make or break us, depending upon whose strength we are trying to get through them with.  Lean on the LORD, and you’ll do fine.  Try to make it on your own, and you may, or may not.  Personally, I don’t like those odds, so depending on the LORD’S strength is my only option.

The title today is DIMMER SWITCH FAITH, and for good reason.  You see, the faith of many people goes up or down depending on their circumstances.  It’s up and bright when everything is going well, there’s food in the cupboard, money in the bank, and the car is running well.  But what about when you’re broke, the “bare” has invaded your cupboard, the car is broken, and the bank wants it back: how’s your faith THEN?  Well, if you’re like most people, your faith has dimmed a bit, if you’re honest enough to admit it.  But God did not give us a dimmer switch with our faith.  We are to turn it on, keep it on, and burning brightly at all times, not just when we’re doing our little happy dance.

You see, the measure of faith that God gave us is the very same measure of faith that Christ Jesus was given when He was born as a human, no more, no less.  You need to get that fact down inside you.  When you read the Bible, you see all the miracles Jesus did, but He did not do them as God, He did them as a man, using the same measure of faith YOU were given.  So why did His work so well? Simply this: He trusts His Father in every situation.  You have never been crucified or shed your blood for God, and up to that time, Jesus had not done so either.  BUT, His trust, His faith in His Father enabled Him to do that which we don’t even DREAM of doing, and that’s because He know the faith His Father gave Him could not fail.  He was tempted with every test we face, yet He didn’t sin, the anchor of His faith held solid and could not be moved.  Jesus was only moved by the Word of God, and nothing else.

His faith was not affected by His circumstances.  If He was feeding the five thousand, His faith was right there to do it, and they picked up leftovers when the meal was over.  Same thing when He fed the seven thousand.  When the Centurion came to ask Jesus to heal his servant lying at home sick, Jesus didn’t have to wonder if He had enough faith to do it.  In fact, the Centurion matched Jesus with his own faith, and Jesus marveled at his level of faith, greater than He had ever seen in Israel.  YOU could make Jesus marvel at YOUR level of faith exactly the same way, by simply believing what you read in the Word of God.

There are no impossibilities in the realm of the Spirit.  Some people say, “Hope, anything is possible.” But read this account and let it minister to you.
Mar 9:17  And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;
Mar 9:18  And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.
Mar 9:19  He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.
Mar 9:20  And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.
Mar 9:21  And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
Mar 9:22  And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
Mar 9:23  Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
Mar 9:24  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Mar 9:25  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
Mar 9:26  And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.
Mar 9:27  But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

Jesus wasn’t looking for “hope” here, He was looking for “faith”, for someone who would BELIEVE!   In verse 23, He said, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.   If you want to see the impossible done, it can’t be done with dimmer switch faith.  It has to be FULL ON FAITH.  This father admitted to Jesus that he had unbelief, and asked Him to help him.  And He did, too.  Later the disciples asked why THEY could not cast out that devil from the child.  Here is another account of the same incident.  You will quickly see the reason for their failure:

Mat 17:14  And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
Mat 17:15  Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
Mat 17:16  And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
Mat 17:17  Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
Mat 17:18  And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
Mat 17:19  Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
Mat 17:20  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Mat 17:21  Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Jesus said the reason for their failure to cast out the devil was due to their,  are you ready for this?? THEIR UNBELIEF! The disciples had faith, but they had the switch turned down, just like many of us do when we are faced with problems.  Rewire your faith today with “ON ONLY” and pitch the dimmer switch.  You don’t need it, and in fact, the dimmer switch is causing you many defeats.
There are two rules concerning faith:  #1, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Rule #2 is, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Rule #2 is for people who ignore Rule #1, because God wants you to get it!  Stop looking at the circumstances, and fix your eyes upon the LORD, He never loses!  The measure of faith He gave you is the same faith He created the entire creation with.  And it WORKS!  You use the same faith for every circumstance, FULL ON FAITH, never watered down or made less powerful with a dimmer switch.  Do you want to impress God and make HIM marvel?  Then use your faith according to the words of Jesus: If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.