Every believer has a measure of the God-kind of faith—a measure of the faith that created the worlds in the beginning. Every believer has a measure of the mountain-moving faith!
…according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. (Rom. 12:3)For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.
(Eph. 2:8)So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
(Rom. 10:17)
The clincher is Second Corinthians 4:13.
We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.
(2 Cor. 4:13)
Notice we’re not trying to get faith. We’re not praying for it. We have it.
From this verse, you can readily see that this is the same spirit of faith that Jesus talked about in Mark 11:23, because He said, “… whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saithshall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”
Every believer already has a measure of the God-kind of faith. You see, God gets everybody started off the same way. He doesn’t give one more faith than He does another one. He gives to every man the measure of faith (Rom. 12:3). Then your faith grows according to what you do with it.
A lot of people have done with their faith what the fellow in the Bible did with his one talent (Matt. 25:25). They’ve just wrapped their faith up in a napkin and hid it. They haven’t used it.
It’s up to you what you do with the measure of faith God has given you. So my second thought to you is this: This measure of faith can be increased. But you’re the one who increases it, not God.
Certainly God furnishes the means whereby faith can be increased. But this measure of faith is increased by you doing two things: feeding it on the Word of God and exercising it or putting it into practice.
The Bible very often uses natural, human terms to teach spiritual thoughts. For example, this is how Jesus taught in Matthew 4:4.
…Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
(Matt. 4:4)
Jesus is using a natural, human idea to convey a spiritual thought. He’s saying to us that what bread or food is to the body, the Word of God is to the spirit—to the heart of man.
You know that if you eat good food regularly, it will build you up physically. But even if you eat right but don’t exercise, all you’ll do is get flabby and out of shape.
In much the same way, you need to feed your faith on God’s Word. But you also need to exercise your faith, because if you don’t, your faith muscles will be flabby. They won’t be able to do much spiritually in the way of moving mountains in your life.
I’ve seen people who were big people, yet they could hardly lift any weight at all. They hadn’t used their muscles. Then I’ve seen some little fellow come along and lift weights over his head that a big fellow couldn’t even get off the ground!
What made the difference? Was it size? No, because the one fellow was bigger than the other fellow. But he hadn’t used his muscles. That’s what made the difference. The big fellow fed his body, but he hadn’t exercised it.
You can feed your spirit and feed your faith, because God’s Word is faith food. But you also need to exercise your faith in order to develop it and cause it to grow.
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach.
(Rom. 10:8)
Paul called the message he preached the word of faith. He calls the Word of God the word of faith, because the Word will cause faith to come into your heart (Rom. 10:17). God’s Word will build assurance, confidence, and faith in your spirit or heart. Then you’re to exercise that faith.
So we know that the measure of faith we’ve received can be increased by doing two things: by feeding it on God’s Word and putting it into practice or exercising it in everyday living.
by Kenneth E. Hagin.
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications
Rev. Hagin served in Christian ministry for nearly 70 years and was known as the "father of the modern faith movement." His teachings and books are filled with vivid stories that show God's power and truth working in his life and the lives of others.
Rev. Hagin was born on Aug. 20, 1917, in McKinney, Texas, a son of the late Lillie Viola Drake Hagin and Jess Hagin.
Rev. Hagin was sickly as a child, suffering from a deformed heart and an incurable blood disease. He was not expected to live and became bedfast at age 15. In April 1933 during a dramatic conversion experience, he reported dying three times in 10 minutes, each time seeing the horrors of hell and then returning to life.
In August of 1934, Rev. Hagin was miraculously healed, raised off a deathbed by the power of God and the revelation of faith in God's Word. Two years later, he preached his first sermon as pastor of a small community church in Roland, Texas.
In 1937, Rev. Hagin was baptized in the Holy Spirit and began ministering in Pentecostal churches. During the next 12 years he pastored five churches in Texas: in the cities of Tom Bean, Farmersville (twice), Talco, Greggton, and Van. In 1949, he began an itinerant ministry as a Bible teacher and evangelist.
During the next 14 years, Jesus appeared to Rev. Hagin eight times in visions that changed the course of his ministry. In 1966, he moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he opened a ministry office. That same year, he taught for the first time on radio—on KSKY in Dallas. In 1967, he began a regular radio broadcast that continues today as Faith Seminar of the Air. Teaching by his son, Rev. Kenneth W. Hagin, is also heard on the program.
In 1968, Rev. Hagin published the first issues of The Word of Faith magazine, which now has a monthly circulation of more than 250,000. The publishing outreach he founded, Faith Library Publications, has circulated more than 65 million copies of books by Rev. Hagin, Rev. Hagin Jr., and several other authors worldwide. Faith Library Publications also has produced more than 9 million audio teaching tapes and CDs.
Other outreaches of Kenneth Hagin Ministries include RHEMA Praise, a weekly television broadcast hosted by Rev. and Mrs. Kenneth W. Hagin; RHEMA Correspondence Bible School; RHEMA Alumni Association; RHEMA Ministerial Association International; RHEMA Supportive Ministries Association; the RHEMA Prayer and Healing Center; and a prison ministry.
In 1974, Rev. Hagin founded RHEMA Bible Training Center USA and in 1976 moved the school and ministry offices to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, where they remain. To date, RHEMA Bible Training Center USA has 23,000 alumni, and RHEMA Bible Training Centers have opened in 13 other nations: Austria, Brazil, Colombia, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Romania, Samoa, Singapore, South Africa, and Thailand. Together, the 14 schools have more than 28,000 graduates worldwide.
RHEMA Bible Church, pastored by Rev. Hagin Jr., began holding services in October of 1985 on the RHEMA campus in Broken Arrow and has since grown to become a thriving congregation with more than 8,000 members.
Rev. Hagin's daughter and son-in-law, Pat Harrison and the late Doyle "Buddy" Harrison, founded Harrison House Publishers in 1975 and Faith Christian Fellowship International Church in 1977. Both organizations are based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Until shortly before his death in September 2003, Rev. Hagin continued to travel and teach throughout the United States and into Canada conducting All Faiths' Crusades and other special meetings.