And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. — Acts 6:8

We are revisiting Stephen, a man who was full of faith.  This verse tells us that Stephen must have been full of the Word (see Acts 7) to be full of faith.  No Word = no faith.  Little Word = little faith.  Full of Word = full of faith.  Stephen stood out among the others because he was full of faith.  Notice the results of living a life full of faith:  he did great wonders and signs and miracles among the people.  He did-–Stephen did.  How did he do them?  God chose him to do them?  God picked him as a sign-doer?  As a miracle worker?  No!  Stephen himself chose to live his life full of faith and the result = signs, wonders, and miracles.  This is good news, because it means I can choose to be weak in faith, strong in faith, have little faith, or be full of faith.  The choice is mine!  I can sell out to the Word; I can read it, study it, I can hear it and hear it.  I can consider the promises of God rather than the problems of the world.  All Christians want to live in power and victory, but few want to take the time to build their faith through spending–-investing-–time in the Word.  You will be full of something!  It can be fear, worry, doubt, unbelief, or faith and the promise.  What you consider, what you think on, will be what you are filled with.  You, too, can be a person full of faith and power; you, too, can be worry-free, you, too, can be a person full of faith and doing great wonders and miracles among the people.  Choose to be full of the Word!

...but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.... I have not found so great faith,... — Matthew 8:8b, 10

There is potential in your life to come to a place of living in great faith.  God is always looking to use people who are living in faith.  In this verse, Jesus found a man who had great faith.  He said that the results of great faith would be “As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee” (Matthew 8:13).  Whatever great faith believes, happens.  Great faith will move the mountain, kill the fig tree, stop the storm, heal the leper, open the blind eyes.  It does not waver, it does not consider the natural evidence.  It believes one thing, it thinks one thing, it considers one thing:  the Word!  Great faith knows the Word is true, the promises of God are sure, and it is fully persuaded that God will do what God said He will do in spite of what natural opposition is there.  “Speak the Word only and my servant will be healed.”  Speak the Word only and your marriage will change.  Speak the Word only and your finances will change.  Speak the Word only and your health will change.  Speak the Word only and your children will change.  But speak the Word only-–not the problem, not the situation, not the lack, nor the symptom!  Speak the Word only!  We are moving into a time of great faith in the Body of Christ.  Revelation is being opened up to the Church like never before!  The Word is more available to us than to any other generation!  CD’s, DVD’s, TV, radio, Internet, churches, iPhones, Podcasts, and more, are all available to us in this day and hour.  Why?  We are going to need great faith to do a great work!  Don’t get caught in unbelief, don’t stay on a weak and little faith level-–come up to a great-faith and full-of-faith level.  We will give glory to God!

For we walk by faith, not by sight. — 2 Corinthians 5:7

After the new birth which brought us into a relationship with God, we will be challenged to live or walk in a new way.  Before we were born again, we lived by what we saw and what we felt.  If things were going good, we had a good day; if things were going bad, we had a bad day.  If we felt healed, we were healed; if we had a symptom, we were sick.  Feelings and emotions ruled our life.  God’s desire, accomplished through His Word and His Spirit, is to slowly change our evidence in life from feelings and emotions to His Word.  His Word never changes.  It says the same thing yesterday and today, and will say the same thing tomorrow.  If His Word says I’m blessed, then I am going to believe His Word-–yes, I’m blessed.  If it says I am to rejoice, then I will, in spite of whether I feel like rejoicing or not.  The more time I spend in the Word and make the commitment to believe it and obey it, the more I will see my walk change.  Soon stability will come into my life, and instead of being up and down, hot and cold, I will remain constant in my daily walk.  Feelings and emotions are not bad or evil, but they must be put in their right place:  subject to the Word of God.  We walk by faith and not by sight.

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: — 1 Peter 1:14

Peter tells us not to fashion ourselves according to who we formerly were.  To fashion means “to conform to, to change in appearance to look like, to change by being conformed or being transformed.”  Today, people are always in search of the latest fashions.  They consult Hollywood to know what the “in” style of clothing is–-the latest shoes, the newest outfits, and the hottest colors.  Peter is telling you to put on and wear the newest spiritual fashions.  Take off the old, former, outdated appearance and put on the “new you” style.  Fashion yourself according to the Word of God, the new person you have been made to be.  How do you do this?  As an obedient child!  Most of the time we believe obedience means to obey what God is telling us to do; but obedience is also to be what God has told you that you are!  He even gives you one piece of your new outfit:  be holy–-for I am holy (v.15)!  He is saying, wear what Jesus wore:  holiness in your life.  He does not tell you to “become” holy, He tells you to be holy, because you have been born again, made like Him, and He is holy.  Be righteous, be healed, be joyful, be peaceful, be powerful, be obedient to who He has made you to be!  Put on the new fashion, the new creation wardrobe, and stop wearing the same fashions that you wore before you were saved.  They are no longer in style.  Anger, lying, cheating, failing, depression, grumbling–-all are out of fashion.  That 1960's suit has to go!  Those striped bell-bottoms are no longer in style–-throw them away and put on a new wardrobe that fits the new you.