SeeingFaith

     This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled, Va-yeira, meaning, "And He appeared." The title is based upon the first verse of the reading portion in Gen. 18:1: "Then the LORD appeared (ra'a - see, look, appear, behold, consider, perceive, seer, foresee, have vision, discern, gaze at, to be visible) to him (Abraham) by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat (hom/hamam - dangerous heat/hot, burning, enflamed) of the day." Abraham saw the LORD in the form of three men who were standing by him, as Abraham "lifted his eyes." (v. 2). Abraham rushed around in the heat to make provision for the three men that they should rest and be refreshed (sa'ad - comfort, strengthen, hold me up, establish, uphold a throne) in their hearts. Do we realize that we can strengthen, uphold, and establish the throne of the LORD? We do so by ministering to Him. We often ask the LORD to minister favor and grace to us in various forms, but do we minister rest and refreshing to Him? Abraham ran to minister rest and comfort to the LORD. (see v. 6-8). It is at this point that the LORD prophesied that He would return to Abraham, and his wife, Sarah would have a son. Sarah, listening in the tent door, laughed to herself when she heard this promise concerning herself and her husband in their old age. That would indeed be a miracle! (v. 9-12). The LORD knew what Sarah thought in her heart and asked her, "Is anything too hard for the LORD?...I will return to you...and Sarah shall have a son." (v. 13-14).

     We have studied ra'a appearing and sight together previously, and, although I try to avoid any repetitious studies and blog entries, I ended up following a path that brought me back to this topic again in a greater depth. Perhaps, in our present times, with many who are suffering and struggling, we need to take a deeper look at this topic. I hope you will agree.

     There is an expression, "blind faith." However, I found here that the LORD provides help for us in our walk of faith by letting us ra'a "see" Him, as Abraham did above. He gives us the appearance of Himself in a form that assures us that He has spoken, and He has promised. If we receive this gracious strengthening of our faith by the LORD, we are helped to overcome circumstances.

     Later on, after Abraham and Sarah's son Isaac (meaning "he laughs") was born, "God tested (nasa - prove, assay, try, test, put to the proof, to try by smell, to try by the touch) (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Abraham." (Gen. 22:1).

     This was the test of Abraham that was commanded by God: "Take now (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) your son, (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." (v. 2). Let's look at the word, "Moriah" used here. It is translated from the Hebrew as "Chosen by Jehovah", but the Hebrew root words that make up this word are ra'a and yah, which mean "See" (see above) and "the LORD". The Hebrew letters that make up the word "Moriah" are mem, vaw, reysh, yod, heh, which, when joined together could mean: "the water/blood of the Highest's nailed hand/completed work is shown/revealed."

     The trial of Abraham seems very severe indeed, but it was necessary in order to reveal something of earthshaking importance that would be a blessing to the whole earth: the completed work of the Son of God, His only Son, whose bloodied hand was nailed.

     Let us see how Abraham ra'a saw something that strengthened him in faith and trust in the LORD: "So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled (habas - bind up, govern, restrain, to stop, to rule, to bind up a wound, to bind by allegiance, to shut up) his (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) donkey, and took (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. (v. 3).

     It is clear from the Hebrew meanings of the words that are used for "donkey" (hamor/hamar) and "young men" (na'ar), that Abraham was "troubled, in turmoil, foaming like a raging sea, reddened, feeling emptiness, shaken, violent in commotion, very angry, growling, yelling, crying and roaring like a lion" as he struggled with the command of the LORD concerning Isaac, but he "saddled" these feelings, or restrained them because of his allegiance to God. Did we think that God's command to offer his son of promise Isaac as a burnt offering did not affect Abraham in a profound way? Did we think that because he is named among the giants of faith (see Heb. 11:8-12), that he calmly led Isaac to the place of sacrifice? He was shaken to his core. Hebrews 11:13 explains that Abraham and other giants of faith, saw the promises from afar off and were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. We are not directed by what we see in the natural, visible world, but by the promises that we see from afar off and embrace with our hearts.

     In this same manner, something happens that will drive Abraham forward. He "sees" something:

     "Then on the third day Abraham lifted his (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) eyes and saw (ra'a - see meaning above) the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) place afar off (rahoq - long ago, old, space, far from, of distant time, remote and difficult to get to of place or time, great while to come, dear, precious)." (v. 4).     

     What Abraham ra'a saw caused him to say to his "young men", 'Stay here with the "donkey"; the lad and I will go yonder ('ad - as long, how long whether of space or time, until) and worship, and we will come back (sub - return, restore, refresh, recover, come back, be returned, be brought back, to be converted as a sinner) to you." (v. 5).

     We know the rest of the account. Abraham set up the offering of (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) his son, (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) his only son, Isaac, but was stopped by the Angel of the LORD at the last moment. "Then Abraham lifted his (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) eyes, and looked (ra'a - see meaning above) and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, 'The-LORD-Will-See (ra'a)/Provide; as it is said to this day, 'In the Mount of the LORD it shall be seen (ra'a)/provided." (v. 12-14).

     Moriah is also the place that many centuries later, would be referred to as Calvary, or Golgotha, the place of the crucifixion of Christ outside of Jerusalem, as well as the possible place of the temple mount. This encounter of Abraham's, of course, speaks to us of the offering of God's only Son, Jesus, as our replacement burnt offering, just as the ram replaced Isaac. He died in our place, by which we sinners are converted (changed) by belief in Him. Jesus, God's only Son, also rose from the dead as the firstfruits or progenitor of our resurrection. Abraham "saw" this out of time, as Jesus also confirmed (see Jn. 8:56-58). Abraham then moved forward towards the destination in faith. Is our vision coming from this place, Moriah, or from another place?

     Abraham had *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) 'ayin eyes to ra'a see as we read in the verse above. These types of eyes are not exclusive to Abraham. All of those connected to *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega Messiah/Christ (see *note below), as Abraham was, have been given 'ayin eyes. However, 'ayin eyes are not just to see physical or natural things only, just as ra'a sight is not limited to the physical or natural. The Hebrew word 'ayin means, "sight, before, to flow, eyes of physical, mental and spiritual faculties, a spring or fountain [sources of fresh or new water, living water]." Are we seeing with those eyes that create a "spiritually seeing faith"? Are our 'ayin eyes springs and fountains of spiritual sight through which God supplies, not only for ourselves, but for others as well?

     We also know that 'ayin eyes see more than the physical realm because they can be darkened, not with physical blindness, but with spiritual blindness by God when His people refuse to "see". Those whose 'ayin eyes are darkened in this manner can no longer perceive the LORD or His works, and they become a people of unbelief rather than faith. They become so spiritually blinded that they cannot even perceive that they are spiritually blind!  How terrible it is to lose our 'ayin eyes! The Lord said this to Isaiah the prophet: "And He (the Lord) said, 'Go, and tell this people: Keep on hearing but do not understand; Keep on seeing (ra'a - see above) but do not perceive.' Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes ('ayin - see above); Lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed." (Isa. 6:9-10).

     The LORD also said through Isaiah the prophet: "Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind!...For the LORD has poured out on you the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) your eyes ('ayin - see above)..." (Isa. 29:9-10, excerpt). Even *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega eyes may be closed by God because the eyes of those who are meant to belong to Messiah/Christ refuse to "see".

     Jesus also talked about eyes that have become darkened to spiritual knowledge. (Mt. 6:22-23). In these verses, the eyes are the Greek word and root ophthalmos/optanomai. These Greek words mean: "eyesight, the eyes of the mind and knowing/to look at, behold, to gaze with wide open eyes at something remarkable as opposed to casual vision, watching from a distance, earnest and continual inspection." Jesus also said in another place that the religious leaders who had chosen to be spiritually blind and continued leading others into the same spiritual blindness as their own, were like "the blind leading the blind." Both will fall into the pit that is before them. (see Mt. 15:10-14, Lk. 6:39-42).

     Paul wrote that he prayed for the believers, "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, that Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of His glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age which is to come." (Eph. 1:16-21). There is an awesome knowledge of the power and dominion of God in Messiah/Christ waiting to be imparted to the eyes of our understanding. Imagine the faith that is created through the opened and enlightened eyes of our spiritual understanding!

     Are we ra'a seeing afar off with our lifted 'ayin eyes, as Abraham did, and believing? Are we seeing it? Have we asked God to give light to our eyes that we may see in this way? It is the LORD who gave us those eyes, and it is the LORD who gave us that sight, and He did so for a reason. Abraham was almost overcome with horror and anger, but then he lifted up his eyes to the place where the LORD commanded him, and he saw.

     Paul wrote that there is no testing/trying/proving/temptation of faith and character that a man may experience from God of which God has not also prepared, produced, appointed, ordained or shown the way out so that we can bear it, especially for those "upon whom the ends of the ages have come." (see 1 Cor. 10:11-13). Abraham was allowed to "see" what he needed to see in order to be able to bear the test that the LORD had placed upon him for our sakes. In these times of testing and refining that come before the return of Messiah/Christ, it is a blessing and a necessity to know that the Lord shows us even the unseen things so that we may overcome. It is the blessing and lesson of this Va-yeira, "And He appeared," Sabbath. 

     The LORD said to Jeremiah, while Jeremiah was imprisoned: "Thus says the LORD who made it, the LORD who formed it to establish it (the LORD is His name): "Call (qara' - call out, cry out, utter a loud sound, summon, invite, call with the name of God/meet, encounter) to Me, and I will answer you, and show (nagad - declare, show, show forth, make known, be apparent, to be in sight, to be manifest, to bring to the light, to conquer, to overcome, to celebrate with praise) you great (gadol - great, high, greater, mighty, great of magnitude or extent) and mighty things (basar - inaccessible, fortified, secret, mysteries), which you do not know (yada in the negative - not perceived, not known, not seen, not revealed, not observed, not aware)." (Jer. 33:2-3). The LORD then showed Jeremiah the wonderful and miraculous restoration that He had planned for Judah.

     The blessed vision that God has ordained for us that is connected to His overcoming Son, Jesus, is not just for the purpose of seeing the darkness and length of the tunnel, but it is provided to us so that we might be able to see "the light at the end of the tunnel," to coin a familiar and applicable phrase. Now that we know that this sight is available to us, we can ask it of the LORD. Are you struggling or waiting upon the promise of the LORD? He is with us in all circumstances in His supernatural way to help and strengthen us. (see Ps. 124:1-8, Isa. 41:8-10).

     If you would like to know more about faith that "sees", you can join my prayer: "Heavenly Father who sees and knows all things, You are not partial nor a respecter of persons. You called Abraham to faith for our benefit, to be a blessing to all the nations and families of the earth, and as our example to follow. Abraham heard Your voice and obeyed. Abraham saw Your appearance, Jesus, and was strengthened by it, and followed the way in which You led him. I pray that I, also, have ears to hear and eyes to see, and a heart to receive what You desire to show me of things that are not yet seen in the natural world, but have already been established and completed in the Spirit. As I am tested, give me eyes to see the way out that You have ordained for me, not just to escape, but in order to strengthen and purify the faith that You have given to me. Show me, Lord, and I will "see." I ask this in the name of Jesus. AMEN."

*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13. 

Unbelief

      This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled B'shallach meaning "When he let go". The title comes from Ex. 13:17: "Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, 'Lest perhaps (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt." The LORD led the Israelites by the longer route around the Red Sea instead of the direct route through the land of the Philistines. The LORD did not think that they had the faith (in Him) to face battle at that time.

     The LORD knew His *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega people well, because when, shortly thereafter, they appeared to be trapped between the Red Sea and the pursuing Egyptian army, God's *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega people said to Moses: "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, 'Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness." (Ex. 14:11-12).

    The Israelites had just witnessed and participated in one of the greatest and most dreadful encounters with the power of God exhibited on their behalf - the death of the first born of Egypt, and the Israelites' escape from the angel of death by the blood of the lamb applied to the doorposts and lintels of their homes, which is the Passover. However, they did not believe that the LORD could deliver them from the Egyptian army.

     As we know, the LORD would again rescue the Israelites from the Egyptian army by parting the waters of the Sea, allowing Israel to pass through it on dry land, and then drowning the chasing Egyptian army as the waters of the Red Sea closed upon them. Of this miraculous escape the LORD said, "Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen." (v. 18).

     It is almost inconceivable to us how millions of Israelites could repeatedly lose faith in God after seeing these miracles and many others in the wilderness, yet they did.

     Right after the Red Sea was divided and the Israelites crossed safely, Moses and the Israelites sang a song celebrating the greatness of God. Miriam, a prophetess and sister of Moses, led the women in a dance of victory. However, about 2 months later, the Israelites were in a panic because they had no meat nor bread. They said to Moses and Aaron: "Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) whole assembly with hunger." (Ex. 16:1-3). It didn't take long for their celebrations of God to turn into a "pity party".

     Again, God heard the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) murmurs of the people and sent quail and manna flakes of grain from heaven with the dew for the Israelites. (Ex. 16:9-12). The LORD fed His people in such a manner that they would know that He is the LORD their God. As we see from the above verses, when the *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega people of God murmur and complain, those complaints become *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega murmurs and complaints. That is a shame upon God's people. Do we think that our complaints do not reflect upon the character and being of Messiah/Christ Jesus, the Alpha and Omega? The written Hebrew says that they do.

     Moses revealed this truth when he said to the complaining Israelites: "...for the LORD hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) complaints/murmurings are not against us but against the LORD." (Ex. 16:8). Our murmurs and complaints, and we have many, are not against flesh and blood but against God Himself, who has charge over us.

     Another reading portion from this B'shallach, "when he let go" Sabbath from Psalm 78 describes the generation that had been delivered out of slavery in Egypt as: "A stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not set its heart aright, and whose spirit was not faithful to God...And forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them...they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His salvation...they still sinned, and did not believe in His wondrous works. Therefore their days He consumed in futility, and their years in fear...their heart was not steadfast with Him, nor were they faithful in His covenant." 

     These verses tell us that this rebellion and faithlessness is a heart and spirit problem. We will also see this later in verses from the New Testament.

     Psalm 78 also reminds us of the command that we saw previously from the LORD to tell the new generation of the greatness of God: "That the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments." (V. 6-7). Faith begins to be built into our children's hearts as we glorify God to them.

     We see another form of unbelief in a different reading portion from this Sabbath. In Judges 4, the Judge and prophetess of Israel, Deborah, sends for Barak (baraq - lightning, flash of lightning, the brightness of a sword, a gleam, swift brightness, swift destruction, cast forth lightning) and said to him: "Has not the LORD God of Israel commanded, 'Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor; take with you ten thousand men...and against you I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin's (king of Canaan) army, with his chariots and his multitude at the River Kishon; and I will deliver him into your hand?" And Barak said to her, 'If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go." (Judges 4:6-8).

     Deborah is not giving Barak the instruction to go into battle. She is confronting him with the fact that the LORD had already commanded Barak to gather an army and go into battle with Sisera, a Canaanite general. Barak refused to obey the LORD's command the first time and refuses again to Deborah unless she goes with him into battle. We can see from the meaning of Barak's name (see above) that he was destined and appointed by the LORD for this task. However, Barak's faith was not in God but in the physical presence of the prophetess. Do we also place our faith in man rather than God? The apostle Paul challenged the idea that the churches placed their faith and identity in a man, including himself, rather than God. (see 1 Cor. 3:3-7).

     Although the battle against Sisera and his army would be won, Deborah said that because Barak did not honor God, he would get no glory from the victory. Instead, Deborah said, a woman, Jael, who was not even an Israelite, would kill the enemy general Sisera in her tent.

     Jesus told His followers that faith and belief would be seriously challenged in the times before His return. The challenges would come in all forms from natural disasters, wars, disease, famine, persecution and earthquakes to false prophets and false Messiah/Christs who would come to deceive and rob the faith of others. The danger would be so extreme that even the elect could be deceived and unless the days were shortened no flesh would be left on the earth. The apostles who wrote the epistles of the New Testament warned of the same. As Jesus said, "I have told you beforehand." (Mt. 24:21-25). He told us beforehand so that we would be prepared for the troubles.

     Before He suffered on the cross, Jesus also promised His believers that He would send them the Holy Spirit to teach them and to bring them peace as He goes away to His Father in heaven and returns again. As Jesus said above about the trials and tribulations coming, He also said of the promise of the Holy Spirit: "And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe." (Jn. 14:25-19). Jesus wanted us to believe.

     How much of the above-mentioned catastrophes the believers in Christ will experience before Jesus calls us away (see 1 Cor. 15:51-55, and 1 Thess. 4:15-18) is unknown, but we are seeing at least the beginning of these challenges now. Will we be able to hold onto faith? Jesus wondered if He would find any faith on the earth when He returns. To His disciples who saw miracles daily in their walk with Jesus, including the raising of the dead, Jesus still had to say to them: "O ye of little faith." (see Mt. 8:25-26, Mt. 14:29-33, Mt. 16:8-12). 

     Instead of having a false confidence in our own faith, our prayer should be as the father prayed to Jesus while seeking a miracle healing for his child: "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief." (see Mk. 9:22-24). This desperate father revealed a subtle truth to us here. Faith is not generated by us, but it is a spiritual gift given to us by God (see 1 Cor. 12:7-11, Eph. 2:8-10). Faith and faithfulness are also a fruit of the Holy Spirit (see Gal. 5:22-25) meaning that it multiplies. So our first mistake is in thinking that we generate our own faith rather than God. This mistake causes us to walk in spiritual pride which is carnal and hardens our hearts. All good and perfect gifts, including faith, come down to us from our Father of lights. (James 1:17-18). God's faith is perfect and unaffected by any circumstance. Why do we not pray for faith? Faith is part of the armor of God and the power of His might that He has provided for us (Eph. 6:10-18). Why do we insist on wearing our own armor against spirits of wickedness and darkness?

     Daniel wrote that the people who know their God will do great things in the coming trials of the latter days. Do we know our God as intimately as we think we do?

     Do we think that our self-generated faith is far superior to the faith of the Israelites in the wilderness? or superior to Barak's faith above? That is the first sign of a hardened heart: "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil (poneros/ponos/penes - evil things, labors, hardships causing pain and troubles, hurtful, degeneracy, diseased, derelict/great trouble, pain, anguish/poor, starving, to toil for daily sustenance) heart (kardia - the heart as an organ and as a center and seat of physical and spiritual life of the soul) of unbelief (apistia - faithless, unbelief, disbelief, withholding belief in the divine power) in departing (ephistemi - draw away, fall away, depart, remove, withdraw, become faithless) from the living (zao - to live, breathe, be among the living, not dead, true life, life as active, blessed and eternal in the kingdom of God, life as active, powerful and effective producing the desired or intended result) God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called, "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers (metochos/metecho - partner, sharing in, an associate/take part, belong to, of the thing hoped for) of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence (hypostasis - firm foundation, real being, substance, assurance, confidence, resolution, firm trust, essence, support) steadfast to the end, while it is said: 'Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion (of the Israelites)." (Heb. 3:12-15).

     As snares are set for the people of God, and troublesome times increase in severity, let us reconsider what we need to know about faith. It is not foolishness but humility of heart that asks the Lord to gift us with His faith, for without that faith it is impossible to please God.

     If you would like to learn more about the importance of godly faith in your walk, you can join me in prayer: "Heavenly and Gracious Father, through Your Son, Jesus, and through Your Holy Spirit, help my unbelief. Pour out Your perfect gift of faith into my heart so that I might please You, and walk with You in the days ahead. Help my prayers to be filled with Your faith and show me how to walk in Your armor. Help me not to rely on my own understanding and strength, but in Your might, which You freely and lovingly provide for me. I ask this in the name of Jesus. AMEN."

     *NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.

Words&Vision

With this week's Sabbath reading portion, we are beginning the fifth Book of the Torah, which we call Deuteronomy. From the Greek, the word "Deuteronomy" would be translated as "A copy or repetition (of the law)". In Hebrew this fifth Book is called D'varim, or "Words (of Moses)". To review the Books that we have studied in the Torah: B'reshiet ("Beginning") is Genesis, Sh'mot ("Names") is Exodus, Va-yikra ("Called") is Leviticus, B'Midbar ("In the wilderness") is Numbers, and now, D'varim ("Words") is Deuteronomy. D'varim, referring to Moses' words to the Israelites, is also the title of this Sabbath reading portion. However, this week's reading portion is also connected to a special Sabbath. It is the Sabbath before Tisha B'Av, also called the Ninth of Av. The Ninth of Av is a date with important meaning to the Jewish people, because on this date throughout history they suffered many disasters, and the ninth of Av is considered by many to be "the saddest day on the Jewish calendar". Among the events associated with this date, both the Temple of Solomon and the Second Temple in Jerusalem were destroyed by enemy nations on this date. Jewish tradition holds that the ten spies who brought back the frightening report of giants in the Promised Land to the Israelites, and caused them to refuse the enter the land as God had commanded them to do, happened on the ninth of Av. A Jewish revolt against the Romans around the ninth of Av in 135 AD was crushed, and hundreds of thousands of Israelites were killed. Jews were expelled from England on the ninth of Av in 1290, and from France on the ninth of Av in 1306, and from Spain on the same date in 1492. On the ninth of Av, SS Commander Heinrich Himmler received formal approval from the Nazi Party for "the final solution", which resulted in the Holocaust. Jews were deported from the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland by the Nazis, and transported to Treblinka death camp on the nnth of Av, 1942. These are just some of the disasters that are related to Tisha B'Av, the ninth of Av. Many Jewish people fast on this day in prayer and repentance. However, it is a deep thing to consider that this special memorial Sabbath is also called Chazon, or "Vision". What sort of "Vision" is the Lord telling His people to have? Many Jewish people meditate during this time upon the prophesied Third Temple, yet to be built, from a "vision" given to the prophet Ezekiel. Will this week's D'Varim words of Moses give us any insight into God's call for "Vision"? Yes- the direction for the "Vision" is revealed immediately in the first chapter of Deuteronomy. The D'Varim of Moses were spoken before the Israelites entered the Promised Land, on the eastern side of the Jordan River, in the plain (araba - desert wilderness, sterile region, darkened, to wander/heaven, pledge, give as security for a debt, be liable for another) opposite Suph (referring to the Red Sea). The place from which the D'Varim, or words of Moses, began was, to the natural eye, a darkened wilderness, a sterile environment, but, according to the Hebrew meaning of the word used, it can also mean "heaven" and the concept of a substitute given for a debt as assurance of payment, which is what Jesus did for us as He made atonement for us, and redeemed us. So which "Vision" should we have in this place of the D'Varim? We can choose the natural Vision of darkness and lifelessness, or we can choose the spiritual Vision of heaven and redemption, which is God's Vision. The specific places within this area mentioned in this first chapter, from Paran Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, to Dizahab, also direct us to the chazon Vision. Their meanings are, on one hand, "caverns, white as diseased skin, whitewash, foolish, insipid, false, false prophet or false prophecies", or, on the other hand, they can mean "beautify, glorify, gleam, adorn, bestow aid, make white, purify, cleanse, purge, the sounding of the trumpets, protected enclosure, abounding with gold, brilliance, splendor, fair weather". Which chazon Vision shall we see, believe and exalt into manifestation? Here is a timely reminder of scripture's definition of "faith": "Now faith (pistis/peitho - strong conviction of the truth of something/induce by words to believe, obey, trust) is the substance (hypostasis - the cause, the underlying foundation, the substantial quality of, the essence, the assurance) of things hoped for, the evidence (elegchos/elegcho - proof, evidence, proved or tested/ to bring to light) of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible." (Heb. 11:1-3). Look at the power of a chazon Vision of faith! All things are established by it. According to the verse above, God even used it to create the worlds. Upon the foundation of faith, all things are built. It is so necessary and required of the people of God that without it, it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). We can find more information from the D'Varim words regarding the chazon Vision in this portion from Deuteronomy: "Now it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that the LORD had given him..." (Deut. 1:3). Now, besides the meanings found in the places of their current location, time is used to expand on the chazon Vision. The meanings of "eleven" and "forty" in Hebrew are revealed in rabbinical teaching. This is a quote: "Eleven refers to the conveyance of the Divine Light which transcends the limits of the world within the limits of the world. The world was created with ten utternances. Eleven, thus refers to a level above the limits of that set. Nevertheless, since it is also a number which follows in sequence to ten, we can understand that it refers to the fusion between the transcendant Divine Light and the framework of limited worldy existence." So even though in the world, this number creates the Vision for us of the power that transcends the limits of the world. While this teaching is not found as such in scripture, the idea of it is definitely found in the D'Varim Words of Christ: "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life'...'These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (Jn. 8:12, Jn. 16:33). From the same rabbinical sources, we also have commentary on the significance of the number forty/fortieth: "The number forty in Torah is the ascent from one level to the next higher one. We get a new mission at forty. But the attainment of the higher level can come only after first fulfilling all aspects of the previous level...and allowing for the emergence of something entirely new." It is mentioned that the basis for these thoughts was the nature of the many events in scripture that revolved around the number forty. So the number forty used here is bringing God's people to a higher level, a new level in God's chazon Vision for His people. In this case, the Israelites were coming to the end of the forty year period when God commanded them to wander in the wilderness because of their disobedience. He kept His Word to them that within this forty year period, the disobedient generation would pass away (see Num. 32:13, Josh. 5:4-7), leaving the new generation to take up the chazon Vision of God, and enter into the Promised Land. A trip that should have taken eleven days took forty years because the people of God, including Moses at one point, failed to see and follow the "Vision" of God. Here is another indication of the chazon Vision that can be seen again in the D'Varim words from Deuteronomy Ch. 1: "On this side of the Jordan...Moses began to explain this law, saying, 'The LORD our God spoke (d'var/dabar) to us in Horeb (horeb/harab - desert, dry/waste, desolate, decay, destroyer, dry up [parch], slay, smite down, kill), saying: 'You have dwelt long enough at this mountain. Turn (pana - turn oneself, look, regard, prepare, appear, behold, turn towards the face, direct one's course), and take your journey (nasa - journey, go forth, forward, depart, break up camp, cut out quarry stones, bend a bow), and go to the mountains of the Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the plain, in the mountains and in the lowland, in the South and on the seacoast, to the land (eres - earth, nations, land of the living, Sheol: the land without return) of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates. See (ra'a - see, look, consider, respect, regard, enjoy, foresee, have vision, discern, gaze at, look intently at,to be caused to see, experience, meet, visions), I have set the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega:see Rev. 1:8, 21:6, 22:13) land before you; go in and possess the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) land which the LORD swore to your fathers - to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - to give to them and their descendants after them." (Deut. 1:5-8). These words relate that while in one of the (spiritually) worst places, Horeb, God spoke His D'Varim Words on the Mount to Moses, giving him the Law. Then they were to take the Words of the Vision of God, and go forward. Jesus gave the same D'Varim Words to His disciples, which we call the Great Commission: "Go, therefore, into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature ...make disciples of all the nations teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you..." (Mk. 16:15, Mt. 28:19-20). While the Israelites were still on this side of the Jordan River, waiting to cross into the Promised Land, Moses was repeating the chazon Vision to this new generation so that they might be established in it. An elderly Joshua would do the same at a later time, reinforcing the Vision of God before the Israelites, after they had settled in the Promised Land, and the Vision was renewed among the people again at that time. (see Josh. 24). When the LORD commanded the Israelites to SEE the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) land, it was in the sense of seeing with the same Vision as the LORD sees, according to the meaning of the word. This foundational idea, or "beginning" principle, was established in Gen. 16:13: "Then she (Hagar) called the name of the LORD who spoke (D'var/dabar) to her, You-Are-The-God-Who-Sees; for she said, 'Have I also here seen (ra'a - see above) Him who sees (ra'a - see above) me?' Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi ("Well of the Living One seeing me" or "Well of the Life of Vision"); observe (hinne/hen - see, behold!/they which see), it is between Kadesh and Bered (two very dangerous places in meaning)." That verse from Genesis brings a powerful moment of revelation that made the difference between life and death for those involved. With the same Vision that God used to see her, Hagar saw the life-giving well that appeared before her to save her son, and herself in a sterile, desolate wilderness. Anyone and everyone can see with the natural eyes of men, but only the people of God are called to carry the chazon Vision of God, rather than the vision of the world. There is a beautiful prayer-song with this thought titled, "Be Thou My Vision". The vision of the world has always been, to me, a faith-killer, rather than a faith-builder. Before Tisha B'Av, the ninth of Av, and the remembrance of its tragedies, the LORD has ordained through His Sabbath reading portion for this week that His people renew their Vision to be the same as God's saving and providing chazon Vision. While we live in the world and its vision, we are not to be of the world and its vision. (Jn. 17:11; 14-16). From another portion of this Sabbath's D'Varim reading, Isaiah was called into His prophetic office by a Vision: "The vision (CHAZON/haza - vision, oracle, revelation/see, behold, look, prophecy, to have a vision of, to see God) of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah." (Isa. 1:1). Isaiah begins by exposing the rebellion and iniquity of God's people: "The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints." (v. 5). The body of God's people is without soundness. The land and cities of His people are desolate and burned. Except for a small remnant left, they would be wiped out completely like Sodom and Gomorrah (v. 6-9). Their feasts, prayers, and sacrifices are without value before the LORD because they have fallen backwards into evil, and their hands are full of blood (v. 11-16). Their cities have become full of murder, injustice, corruption and thievery (v. 21-23). Isaiah saw the spiritual condition of God's people. They had turned aside from the Vision of the LORD. They were no longer seeing as God sees. Because of it, destruction was heading their way. However, the LORD begins to speak (D'Var/dabar), and the people will now be told the Vision of the LORD for His people: "Therefore the Lord says...I will turn My hand against you, and thoroughly purge away your dross, and take away all your alloy. I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her penitents with righteousness. The destruction of transgressors and sinners shall be together..." (v. 24-28). The LORD continues His remarkable chazon Vision in Isaiah Ch. 2. The LORD gives the word (D'Var/dabar) that will create His awesome Vision before the eyes of the people: "Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word (D'Var/dabar) of the LORD from Jerusalem." (Isa. 2:1-3). As we read further into Chapter 2, we can see that all of the nations are changed, because of the Words of the Vision that the LORD has spoken to His prophet. The LORD does not leave His people without His chazon Vision. One of the LORD's prophets wrote: "I will stand my watch and set myself apart on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected. Then the LORD answered me and said: 'Write the vision (chazon - see above) and make it plain on tablets, that he may run (rus - run, guard, hurry, bring hastily, to cause to hasten) who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak (puah - breathe, blow in order to excite, or kindle [a fire]), and it will not lie. Though it tarries (mahah/ma - is reluctant/because it is questioned such as "to what purpose?", "how long?", "by what means?", "because of what?"), wait (haka/haqa - be adhered or tied to it [as piercing]/entrenched, carved into it); Because it will surely come, it will not tarry (ahar - delay, slack, defer, be hindered, be late, stay behind)." (Hab. 2:1-3). As Jesus brought the prophetic Word regarding the tribulation to come in all of its terrors and troubles, He concludes with a Vision for us. He told us to "watch", and He said: "Now when these things begin to happen, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." (Lk. 21:28). Peter tells us that when we see the destruction of the Day of the Lord, faith tells us: "Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." ( 2 Peter 3:12-13). The chazon Vision of God is waiting there for us to discover. It is a Vision that will bring us to the next, new level, and will overcome the conditions of the world, rather than be overcome by them. I believe that if we will see as God sees, we will be part of the Vision that will change the world. If you would like to know more about the D'Varim Words, and the chazon Vision of God, you can pray with me: "Dear Father, I ask You to give me eyes to see as You see, and a heart to receive and understand the chazon Vision that You have given in Your D'Var Word, which is Jesus. Your Vision leads me to repentance, and causes me to seek Your face and Your path. Your Vision provides for me before I even have need. Your Vision keeps me from being overcome by the world. Your Vision, created in Your D'Varim Words, directs my faith, so that it is no longer my faith, but the faith of the Son of God. Let my eyes be full of Your Divine Light, Your Son, Who is the saving Light of the world. I also pray in agreement with the prayer of the Jewish people, who pray in part, '...let our eyes gaze upon Your compassionate return to Zion. Blessed are You, LORD, who restores Your presence to Zion.' I pray all of these things in the name of Your Son, my Savior, Jesus. AMEN."

Newness

The old year is passing away, and the new year is beginning. We all know what the secular world is saying about the difficult year that has past, and the deadly projections they have for the near future. Hope for deliverance is being placed in the hands of man and science. However, what should we be saying: the same thing as they are, or something different? There is a promise in scripture that comes with the appearance of the New Jerusalem, which is arrayed as a Bride: "And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them, and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these things are true and faithful." And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be His God, and he shall be My son...." (Rev. 21:1-7). These words are very powerful. The promise contained within them is so great, that we can only humble ourselves and bow our heads before its magnitude. These words reflect the glory of God, and remind us all that our deliverance comes from God, not man, and not ourselves. These words cause us to repent before such a loving promise that we could never earn or deserve by our own righteousness. You may say that the verses written above are for a future time, after some terrible things have come upon the earth, even the great tribulation, which will be a time of severe testing and judgment. However, Jesus described Himself above as, "I am...", not "I will be". This has already been spoken, and it has already been written, as John was instructed to do. "It is done!" is the promise, not "It will be done". We can say this prophetic promise in the same way that we say, "Maranatha, come quickly, Lord Jesus." (Rev. 22:17, 20). In another part of scripture, Paul explained, "...from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh...Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new. Now all things are of God who has reconiled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation..." (2 Cor. 5:16-18). It is not wrong to declare the merciful, miraculous deliverance of God, even in the middle of judgment, is it? I don't think it is. We are a prophetic people. Our Lord is the Spirit of prophecy. The Lord wanted John to write the prophetic promise of Rev. 21 for our benefit with the assurance that it was true and faithful. As often as we speak about how things "are", perhaps we should consider the powerful effect that is created by saying the same thing that Jesus is saying here, especially in times of death, sorrow and destruction. This is the essence of faith. Scripture describes God this way: "God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did..." (Rom. 4:17). In another place it is written, "Now faith is the substance (a setting or placing in order; the substantial quality of) of things hoped for, the evidence (proof, that by which a thing is proven) of things not seen." (Heb. 11:1). It is by faith that we are all here to begin with. God believed for our creation and spoke us into being, before we were seen. We became receivers of the sanctifying blood of Christ and written in the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundations of the world were visible (Rev. 13:8). We were prophetically created, prophetically called, and prophetically assigned the "homologia", or "speaking the same as" (see Heb. 4:14). The Torah and haftarah readings for this Sabbath, the first Sabbath of our new solar calendar year, illustrate a similar principle. These readings are titled, "Va'yechi", meaning, "And he lived". However, these readings deal with, you guessed it, death. Jacob is about to die. He calls Joseph's two sons to him, and tells Joseph that these two grandsons, Manasseh and Ephraim, are now HIS sons (Gen. 48:5). Although Jacob is passing away, he will impart a transformative prophetic word over Ephraim, even though he was the younger son. About Ephraim Jacob prophesied, "...but truly his (Manasseh's) younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations." (Gen. 48:19). In Hebrew, the words used here and translated as "a multitude of nations", are "m'loh ha goyim", which can also be translated, "the fullness of the Gentiles" (Rom. 11:25-26, Lk. 21:24). With this prophetic blessing pronounced by one who was passing away, Jacob called the Gentiles into the people of God, and set in order the time when all Israel shall be saved. Jacob then called his other sons before him, and began speaking over each the prophetic word regarding "what shall befall them in the last days" (Gen. 49:1), as they would each represent a tribe of Israel. Over Judah, the dying man proclaimed, "Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up...The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh (he whose it is, that which belongs, tranquility; at rest, prosper) comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people...He washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes." (Gen. 49:8-12). As we know, this prophecy spoken over Judah by the passing Jacob is also prophesying the coming and rule of the Messiah from the house of Judah. These are not the kind of words that the worldly man would be saying as he faces his death, but these are the words of a prophetic man of God speaking into being those things that are not yet seen in the natural, but are clearly seen through the eyes of faith. In the haftarah reading, David is getting older, and he announces that Solomon will be his successor, and the builder of the house of God that David had desired to build. In this pronouncement, David cites the prophecy of Jacob regarding the tribe of Judah. Judah is David's tribe, and as David says, God declared through Jacob that it is the tribe of kings (1 Chron. 28:4). In these examples, those who were passing away, spoke not what was, but of what was to be. They spoke things that would directly affect Gentiles, Israel, a future prophetic revelation of Ezekiel (Ch. 37), and the coming of Christ, the King, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. May we speak those things that not only are a relevant part of the natural events of this current time, but more importantly, those life-giving, and life-changing prophetic promises that are not yet seen, but are true and faithful nonetheless. Our Father has called us to be and to declare the passing away of old things and the newness of all things. If you would like to experience the newness which is in Christ, you can pray: "Lord Jesus, You are the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I believe that You died for me, and that You rose again from the dead, and that You are the King as Jacob had prophesied long ago. Come into my heart and my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit. Make me new, as You have made all things new in Your Father. I speak these words of faith in prayer, in Your name. Amen."

MustardSeed

Jesus described the power of faith by saying that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed, we can speak to mountains and they will move. We can tell a tree to uproot itself, and it must obey, even to replant itself in the sea. Small mustard seed-sized faith grows into a mighty tree. It is so powerful, that nothing is impossible with faith, even if your faith is as tiny as the size of a mustard seed (Mt. 17:18-20, Lk. 17:6). There is faith in my life, but I know that what Jesus was talking about is on a whole different level. I wanted to look into it more closely.
Without faith, the scriptures say, it is impossible to please God. That pleasing faith is evidenced, according to the scripture, by our coming to Him, because we must believe He exists in order to do that. That faith is in seeking Him, because we believe He will reward us by allowing Himself to be found by us (Heb. 11:6). However, the Word also says that we cannot come to the Father except through the Son (Jn. 14:6), and we cannot come to the Son, except the Father draws us (Jn. 6:44-45, 65). So even this beginning faith spoken of in Hebrews 11, originates in the Father, and the Son, and not in ourselves. Every measure (fraction) of faith that man has, has been given to him by God (Rom. 12:3), so we do not generate any faith of ourselves for which we can feel pride.
The kind of faith I am looking for is found in the Father and Son.
There are two interesting examples in scripture where someone asked Jesus to "help my faith". One example was when Jesus taught His disciples about forgiveness without limits (Lk. 17:3-4). The disciples then said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." (v. 5). Even forgiveness requires faith it seems, and for the disciples, forgiveness in unlimited measure could not be accomplished by a natural kind of forgiveness found in the will of man. It would require something more. Therefore, they went to the Source of faith that they perceived, and asked the Lord to increase their faith.
In another example, a father came to Jesus because his son was being continually convulsed by a spirit which would throw the child into the water, or into the fire in order to destroy him. The disciples of Jesus were not able to cast out this spirit from the child (Mk. 9:17-27). The father asked Jesus, "...if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us. Jesus said to him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes. Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" This father perceived that Jesus was the Source of faith. Jesus was able to not only cast the evil spirit out of the boy, but to raise the child up from a death-like condition afterward.
The father of this child must have struggled to find faith to begin with, to hope that his child would someday be healed of this demonic affliction. How much more of a challenge it would have been to find that faith within himself after he had seen that the disciples had failed.
How often do we ask Jesus to "increase our faith", or to "help our unbelief"? I know that I have not often heard this requested, nor prayed this for myself. Faith has become entangled in our pride. We consider faith to be something that we are supposed to have, develop, and exercise of our own strength and understanding. "Don't you have faith??", we might ask someone judgmentally. However, faith is something that pleases God because we come to Him seeking. Jesus said,
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."  Mt. 7:7-8
Jesus also emphatically told His listeners and disciples that the faith connected to this asking, must be attached to His name:
"And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."  Jn. 14:13-14
Jesus' Hebrew listeners would have heard Him speak "Shem", referring to His name. This would have a powerful correlation with God for the Jews, to whom His Person is so holy, His name should not be uttered according to their tradition, but is referred to as "haShem", The Name. In Greek, "in - My - name" would be interpreted: (in) in the interior of some whole, within - (My) that which I possess, that which I have proceeding from me- (name) everything the thought or feeling of which is aroused in the mind by mentioning, hearing, remembering the name.
Sometimes, it seems that the phrase, "in Jesus' name", is tacked unto the end of our prayers almost by rote, but I think we end up cutting short the meaning and vital importance of Christ's instruction. The purpose of asking in His name, according to the verse from John 14, is so that the Father may glorified in His Son, not even by our prayers, but in the Person of His Son. The Person of Jesus, who IS our faith, who IS our hope, who is ever our intercessor before our Father, and is also the author and finisher of our faith, and prayer:
"...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author (author, chief leader, pioneer, predecessor, example, beginning, origin, that by which anything begins, to be the first to do anything) and finisher (perfector, one who has in his own person raised faith to its perfection and so set before us the highest example of faith; to make perfect, complete, carry through completely, to accomplish, to add what is yet wanting in order to render a thing full, to be found perfect, consecrate, wanting nothing necessary to completeness, full grown, mature) of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  Heb. 12:1-2
One of the words used to mean "faith" is the Hebrew word aman. Aman includes the meaning "to go to the right hand". Jesus is positioned in the place of faith.
I think that in teaching His disciples about faith the size of a mustard seed, He was telling them that something that powerful, even in that tiniest amount, is not something that comes from man, but to seek it from where it is generated- Himself. In Gal. 2:20 (KJV) Paul speaks about the life he lives now in the flesh as he is crucified with Christ, "I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." It is not his own faith that fills Paul's life, but the faith of Christ. This is the kind of faith that Jesus expected in His disciples - His own.
Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith comes by (ek-out of, from, proceeds, denotes origin, the point whence action or motion proceeds) hearing, and hearing by the word (rhema- uttered by a living voice, spoken word, speech) of God."
The end result, faith, in the above verse comes from the origin or source: God Himself, and His Son, Who is the Word of God.
Even the Holy Spirit is sent by the Father in His Son's name (Jn. 14:26). We are believing in a much needed reviving, restoring, renewing move of the Holy Spirit in these times. The faith for that revival is expressed through our prayers, but the source, or origins of both the faith, and the sending of the Holy Spirit, is in the Son's name.
From what I have found, the faith that I am seeking is not something I can will or decide or create into my life. It is not an act of man, but of the Father, and Son. Considering how powerful faith is, even in the tiniest amount, this shouldn't come as a surprise to me. Now, I can go directly to the Source, and start believing through HIS faith, which is perfect and complete. By this kind of faith, indeed all things are possible.

Our Father has revealed the Source of miraculous faith, even the size of a mustard seed.

Fusion

fusion- the process or result of joining two or more things to form a single entity.
      - the merging of diverse, distinct, or separate elements into a unified whole.
      - the union of atomic nuclei to form heavier nuclei resulting in the release of enormous quantities of energy when certain light elements unite.

Above are some definitions of the word "fusion". I found that the definitions added clarity in our topic today. There are people for whom I am currently praying that desperately need a healing miracle. The situation is literally "life and death". Perhaps you also have people in your prayers who desperately need a miracle. I wondered, "Where are the miracles of Christ?" I have indeed seen miracles, and received them myself, but I cannot say that miracles, signs and wonders are routinely pouring from my life as I would hope to see. As I once again began to pray, I thought, "But healing isn't a thing...He's a Person."
Fundamental truths that I learn regarding salvation, healing, everlasting life, resurrection, atonement, sacrifice, life, holiness, righteousness, faith itself, prosperity, deliverance, peace, joy, prayer, and many other parts of our walk, are thought of as "blessings", "promises", "works", etc. Thinking of them in that manner though makes all of those powerful fundamental truths become "things". However, all of these are an aspect or quality of a Person. I create a distance from the Person when I think of these aspects as things to be achieved or received. Saying,  "I need healing", "I need provision", "I need a miracle", "I need deliverance", in a way de-Personalizes, making an aspect of the Living God into a thing we receive from Him. I hope I am explaining effectively what I am feeling in a way that it can be understood.
Our Father has always been a very personal God. Although He is eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present in character, God has always dealt very personally with the individual: from the greatest kings to lowliest leprous outcasts; from small children, even children who have not yet been born (Ps. 139:13-16, Jer. 1:4-7, Lk. 1:41-44), to people who were very old; with sinners, and with those whom He called righteous.
From the beginning, God walked and talked with Adam in the Garden, and was personally connected to him. God knew immediately when His preciously created man fell.
When God introduced Himself to Moses, He spoke the very personal "I AM...". He used His personal relationship with men, to identify Himself to other men: "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
When God provided His salvation, He didn't send a thing, He sent a Person, whose very name IS "Salvation", Yeshuah, Jesus.
Salvation isn't a concept, or even a miracle. He is a Person. Healing isn't a doctrine or an answer to prayer, He is a Person (Ex. 15:26) . Peace and joy aren't just things we all desire, but a Person (Jn. 14:27, Neh. 8:10). The provision of everything we need for our lives is a Person (Jn. 6:35, 48, Gen. 22:14, 2 Pet. 1:3).  Resurrection and everlasting life isn't a goal, promise, place, or thing. He is a Person (Jn. 11:25). Faith isn't just a thing we should try to have and speak. He is part of a Person, as in "the faith of the Son of God" (Gal. 2:20). The force of life in all men isn't a thing to be debated regarding "when" or "how". He is a Person (Jn. 1:4). Even light is not a thing, but a Person (Jn. 1:9, Jn. 8:12). Truth is not a thing, but a Person. Our daily spiritual walk and progress is not an effort we make, but a Person: "I am the way (road; journey; course of conduct; a manner of thinking, feeling, deciding; a progress; a mode or means), the truth, and the life" (Jn. 14:6). Is it possible to "become" what we are called to become if we think of all of this as doctrines, tenets, blessings, works, things, rather than Christ, Himself? 
The victory of Christ is not to make "things", even miraculous things, available to me. The victory of Christ is to reconcile me (bring back a former state of harmony: definition-pleasing combination of elements in a whole) with Himself, and His Father, my Father (Rom. 5:10-11, 2 Cor. 5:18-19, Col. 1:19-22, Eph. 2:13-18). The victory of Christ is to make me one with the Persons of the Godhead. Jesus prayed to His Father:
"...for those who will believe in Me...that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as we are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one. and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world." 
                                                                                                           Jn. 17:20-24
The commands, "Be thou holy as I am holy", and "Be thou perfect as I am perfect", are not for the purpose of demanding that I attain some sort of spiritual goal I don't think, but to call me to a fusion with the Person who is holy, with the Person who is perfect (2 Cor. 5:21, Col. 1:21-22) until it can no longer be differentiated where I end and He begins. Then I become holy also, and then I become perfect also. The Father wants us to find Christ and cling to Him, meld into Him. We understand that scripture tells us that we have received Christ, that it is "Christ in us, the hope of glory", and "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation...", but our walk is often about ourselves, and what we do, and who we are, rather than this fusion with Christ. There is no "us" or "me" if I am one, fused, with Him. There is only Him. Jesus also said:
"Abide (Grk-meno-remain, not to depart, to be held, kept continually, to remain as one; Heb.-yashab- dwell, remain, to sit down, seat, marry) in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, bears much fruit; for without Me, you can do nothing. If  anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned." 
                                                                                                         Jn. 15:4-6
The fruit comes with abiding in and with Christ, as a branch is one and the same with a vine. Jesus also said:
"If I do not the works of My Father, do not believe Me: but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him."  Jn. 10:37-38,  AND
"Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."   Jn. 14:10-14
Usually we read these verses with the emphasis on the works. However, I am now reading them here with the emphasis on that to which the works point: the fusion relationship. The "works" came from Christ's fusion with the Father, His inseparable relationship and identity with His Father. He said even if we don't believe Him, believe the works that He does, because the works are His Father's.To Jesus, the words and works were evidentiary of the fusion with His Father. Even His own identity was secondary to this fusion relationship: Believe Me or not, but  believe the works of the Father in Me.
We look for the works apart, but do not sacrifice ourselves to the necessary fusion into the Father's identity, as Jesus did. Jesus speaks above about going to His Father. We accept that the greater works that Jesus spoke of would result from His bringing His blood offering to His Father. It is also the result of the even greater fusion accomplished once His flesh body was cast off. That last separation, that veil, which was His flesh, is rent, and the way into the reconciling unity that He provided for all of us with the Father is completed (Mt. 27:51, Heb. 10:19-20).
In John 17, Jesus prayed that the world will come to the knowledge and belief that Christ was sent to us from God because we are one in Christ and the Father. We wonder why we seem to see such indifference of the world toward the Christian faith, even its disgust. Is it because they have not seen the Christian faith as it has been intended all along? Trying to bring the world to Christ when we have not been willing to come totally to Christ ourselves is futility, and would seem also hypocritical. The Holy Spirit has come to us for the purpose of fusing us into Christ, but we, perhaps unaware of the opposition of our natural mind, desire to keep the distance and separation, and retain our separate identity. If we want to see His glory, if we want to be "Exhibit A" to bring the world to belief, if we want to see the "works" as they were always intended, then it will require fusion with the Person of Christ.
What is the beginning point of this process? Perhaps just the acknowledgement of the depth expected in our relationship with Christ, and the Father. Keeping this at the forefront in our minds, which tend to pull us the opposite way. Having my focal point as entering into Christ, and He into me, growing into the unity, the knowledge, the perfect, the measure of the stature of His fullness, growing up in all things into Him-Christ (Eph. 4:13, 15). Saying as John the Baptist said, "He must increase (become greater, cause to grow, enlarge), but I must decrease (make less or inferior in dignity, make lower, to lesson in rank, influence, authority, or popularity, smallest, least)." (Jn. 3:30). Perhaps understanding that the real meaning of taking up my cross daily and following Him is not only about others persecuting me for my faith as He was persecuted, but that I lay down my own life, my own identity, freely- no man takes it from me - in order to enter into Christ and the Father:
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me..."
                                                                                                              Gal. 2:20
Look at what we have been called to do according to the above verse. This is the standard that has been set for our relationship with and in Christ. Are we prepared to enter into Him in such a way? Is the world seeing Christianity in its intended fullness as stated above? Or have they only seen people who talk, but are not being? Are those coming with prayer requests who are perishing, either spiritually or physically, receiving that above effective standard of care from me? It is a standard in which I cease, and He lives instead. This is where I can, from this experience, also be directing those who have needs: "Come, fuse into Jesus and into the Father with me."
These are going to be my first steps in understanding.
I've had it all wrong. Healing isn't a thing, He's a Person. As we pray for needs, whether for ourselves, or someone else, let us, as a first step, seek a deeper fusion with the Person who IS all in all (1 Cor. 12:6, 15:28, Eph. 1:23).

Our Father has sent a Person, Jesus, for our reconciliation and fusion into Him.