GOD'S FAITH PRINCIPLE !

GOD'S FAITH PRINCIPLE ! It was obvious that Abram was too old to father a child in the natural, and his wife was 90; well past childbearing years. But God calls things that were not as though they were. Then in order to get Abram to do the same, God changed his name. God said, "your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham." (Genesis 17:5) (Which means "Father of Nations" or "Father of a Multitude"). God was not playing make-believe, and neither should you ! This was His way of getting Abram to operate in the principle of the God kind of faith. God uses His own kingdom principle and laws. He knew that if he kept that could get Abram to say what He said, it will produce faith. For faith comes by hearing the Word of God. (Romans 10:17). I remember one morning during the fall, I was studying along these lines; renewing my mind to God's thoughts and God's way putting what I had learned in the religious institution that is called church behind me. As I was preaching to the four corners of that room as if I had an audience, I heard these words; "say what I say." The voice sounded audible I thought someone was standing behind me, so I look back it was nothing there but my China Cabinet. But I recognize the voice ! It was the voice of the Lord. Now, Abram could read (Romans 10:17) to find this truth. God knew there was enough faith in the name to cause it to come to pass. So God changed Abram's name to Abraham. Every time he walked up to someone and said, "My Name is Abraham," he was saying, "I am the father of many nations" or thus says the Lord: I am the father of many nations." The people from the Eastern culture understand these things better than the people from the Western, they understand the meaning of names. The Bible is an was recorded in the East therefore you and I must approach it with a Eastern mindset ! Now, can you imagine, when all the people who work for him, how many times Abraham's name was called each day ? They would say, "Oh, Abraham, what do you want to do with this fence ? Abraham, what do you want to do with the sheep ? Abraham, what do you want to do with the cattle ? Abraham -- Abraham -- Abraham . . . But the truth is he didn't hear Abraham and all. He heard, "Father of nations. . . Father of nations . . . Father of a multitude. . . Now remember faith in God comes by hearing and by hearing the Word of God. Finally, he threw away his cane and said, "praise God, I believe I am !" And he started walking better and standing straighter because he believed God. "And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness." (Romans 4:22). It doesn't take God to change our name to get us to believe, we have the written Word of God which is the power of God unto deliverance, unto soundness, unto preservation, unto healing. That is the word salvation means: it doesn't just mean to go to heaven !