FAITH IN GOD
By William G.Clouse

Someone recently asked me what had been an outstanding inspiration for my faith in God. In trying to answer that question, I realized that, for me, faith had grown little by little, almost like a process of osmosis. Even though part of my family background was Buddhist, throughout my childhood and adulthood God has manifested Himself to me by His written Word, the infilling of the Holy Spirit, by my hearing the gospel message, by physical healings and extraordinary moments of protection.

One day I encountered a drive-by shooting and a bullet raced by my face. It was a matter of a split second that God put His shield around me. Another day, God healed my tailbone which had been injured in childhood. On another occasion, during confession to a catholic priest, God said to me in a still voice, "You may be confessing your sins to man, but I AM the only One who can forgive and wash your sins away".

Little by little I realized that God was the source of my faith. In the midst of troubles and stressful times, I experienced powerful victories not in my own strength but in His. I also realized that only in the fear of the Lord, in surrender and brokenness was I able to grow in faith. The more I humbled myself, obeyed and trusted God, the more His divine revelation, power and anointing became evident in my life.

Moreover, it became obvious that we need to fight with tenacity to gain and keep thet which God has for us. Satan tries to destroy, distract and deceive in order to hinder us from our destiny in Christ and our purpose of living. God wants us to increase in faith and to multiply in bearing good fruit. He also calls us to produce faith, hope, salvation and good fruit in peoples' lives. We are called to be laborers in His kingdom, tilling the ground of peoples' hearts, sowing the seed of His Word and cultivating a holy harvest to the glory of His name. With the freedom that Christ has set us free, we are called to deliver those in bondage and to present them to the King of the harvest.