The Gift of Faith

To the elect at Corinth, Paul wrote the following about the supernatural abilities the Father gives to all members of his earthly family and the unique abilities and authorizations he gives only to some during this gospel age of salvation:

"Now there are a variety of gifts, but the same spirit. And also a distinction made in those who serve. but the same Lord. And there are a variety of effects, but it is the same Sovereign God which work all in all. But the manifestation of the spirit is given to everyone to profit" (1.Cor.12:4-7 KJV Para.).

The English word gifts is translated from the Greek word charisma, which in the context of verse 4 means a (spiritual) endowment, i.e., (objectively) miraculous faculty. The English word profit is translated from the Greek word sumphero, which in the context of verse 7 means to contribute.

"For to one is given by the spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit; To another faith by the same spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same spirit" (1.Cor. 2:8-9 KJV).

The English phrase To another is translated from the Greek word heteros, which in the context of verse 9 means another, the other, or different. The use of the word heteros tells us that this type of faith is not given to all the elect, but is given only to specific individuals.

The English word faith in verse 9 is translated from the Greek word pistis, which in this context means persuasion, i.e., credence, conviction, or confidence that something is true.

The question that needs to be answered is why is there a need for the Father to give a gift of faith to specific individuals when all of the elect must have and exercise faith in order to please him with their life and receive the benefits he promises for being righteous?:

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Heb.11:6 KJV).

In order to understand why the gift of faith is important to specific individuals in the Father's earthly family, this section discusses the following two types of faith that can be exercised to accomplish an effect in the physical and spirit realms:

1. Faith that gives one the confidence that the Father and Christ will keep all the promises they have made to those who live righteously during one's physical life and into eternity.

2. Faith that gives one the absolute confidence in their authority to use a supernatural ability or authorization the Father has given them and the absolute confidence that whatever is asked of him that is within his will, he will do it. This type of faith is the gift of faith referred to by the apostle Paul in 1.Cor.12:8-9.

THE BEGINNING OF FAITH

The parable of the sown seed gives insight into how faith in things pertaining to God's truth begins for some people, is rejected by some, and exercised and increased by others.

"A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and were trampled, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell on a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he declared, He that has ears to hear, let him hear" (Lk.8:5-8 KJV Para.).

There are four types of people the Father calls to salvation; each is given enough knowledge and understanding to believe the information they have received about God the Father, Christ, and their opportunity for salvation.

"And his disciples asked him, What might this parable mean? And he said, To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand" (Lk.8:9-10 KJV Para.).

Although many hear the Father's good news message about the Kingdom of God and salvation from death, only those the Father personally calls to understand his message will truly understand what he is offering them.

"Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then the devil comes, and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience" (Lk.8:11-15 KJV Para.).

If a person believes what they have heard about their opportunity for salvation and desires to move forward in a relationship with God the Father, he then gives them a spark of spiritual faith, which is a confidence beyond normal human belief. Because this spark of faith is spiritual, it gives a person the ability to interact with God the Father to make a formal agreement with him for salvation.

After receiving the spark of spiritual faith, some individuals are persuaded to disregard the opportunity they have been offered, some fail to follow through with their commitment to pursue a righteous life, while others put forth the effort required to successfully become one of the Father's immortal children.

Faith that is Confidence

Although Paul mentions the gift of faith to the Corinthians in the context of a supernatural ability (1.Cor.12:8-9), he also tells them that both he and they have the same faith (i.e., confidence) and that they will be raised from the dead as Christ was. He then quotes a portion of Psalm 116 as proof that Christ had this same type of confidence:

"And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you" (2.Cor. 4:13-14 NKJV).

The faith Paul writes of in 2.Cor.4:13-14 is the same type of faith (i.e., confidence) he writes about to the elect at Rome. This is the measure of faith the Father gives to each of his earthly children that is necessary for them to exercise in order to please him with their life and have confidence that they will receive the benefits promised for being righteous:

"For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of themselves more highly than they ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith" (Rom.12:3 KJV Para.). See also verses 4-6.

It seems logical that this measure of faith is given to each person at the time they receive the indwelling of the holy spirit. This measure of faith also gives us the confidence to exercise the abilities and authorizations the Father has given us, such as speaking directly to him, requesting things from him, resisting and overcoming evil spirits, and performing our functions and responsibilities as a member of his earthly family.

Increase Faith

It is apparent from what Paul wrote to the elect at Corinth about his own and his companions' work among them that the faith we are initially given is not to remain static, but is to increase as we practice a righteous life and perform our functions and responsibilities as members of the Father's earthly family:

"But we will not boast of authority we do not have. Our goal is to measure up to God's plan for us, and this plan includes our working there with you. We are not going too far when we claim authority over you, for we were the first to come to you with the Good News concerning Christ. It is not as though we were trying to claim credit for the work someone else has done among you. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow and that, still within the limits set for us, our work among you will be greatly enlarged" (2.Cor.10:13-15 TLB).

The English phrase will grow in verse 5 is translated from the Greek word auzano, which means to grow, i.e., enlarge.

"Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fit, because that your faith grows more and more, and the godly love of every one of you all toward each other increases . . . " (2 Thes.1:1-3 KJV Para.).

The English phrase grows more and more in verse 3 is translated from the Greek word huperauxano, which means to increase above an ordinary degree.

Faith is the foundation upon which all other gifts of the spirit must be built and exercised. Without exercising our faith in the Father, Christ, and their promises, little if anything positive in a spiritual sense can be accomplished in one's life. The question is how do we grow (i.e., increase) our faith?

Faith and Works

The apostles James and Peter both explain how to increase our faith through doing good works:

"Dear brothers, what's the use of saying that you have faith and are Christians if you aren't proving it by helping others? Will that kind of faith save anyone? If you have a friend who is in need of food and clothing, and you say to him, "Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat hearty," and then don't give him clothes or food, what good does that do? So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. You must also do good to prove that you have it. Faith that doesn't show itself by good works is no faith at all—it is dead and useless" (Jms.2:14-17 TLB).

James says it takes physical effort as well as the correct attitude to fulfill God's laws, precepts, and principles in our lives, as well as to demonstrate that a person has faith. But, how does doing good works demonstrate a person's faith?

"But someone may well argue, You say the way to God is by faith alone, plus nothing; well, I say that good works are important too, for without good works you can't prove whether you have faith or not; but anyone can see that I have faith by the way I act. Are there still some among you who hold that only believing is enough? Believing in one God? Well, remember that the devils believe this too so strongly that they tremble in terror! Dear foolish man! When will you ever learn that believing is useless without doing what God wants you to? Faith that does not result in good deeds is not real faith" (Jms.2:18-20 TLB).

It is not enough just to say you have faith. The evidence that you truly have faith (i.e., confidence) in the Father, Christ, their promises, and the biblical record can only be validated through conformity to God's laws, precepts, and principles, which means they are not only internalized but also practiced as an expression of your life.

Faith and good works are synonymous in that one can not exist without the other. True faith and good works are the natural result of yielding to the influence of the holy spirit.

Abraham

"Don't you remember that even our father Abraham was declared righteous because of what he did, when he was willing to obey God, even if it meant offering his son Isaac to die on the altar? You see, he was trusting God so much that he was willing to do whatever God told him to; his faith was made complete by what he did, by his actions, his good deeds" (Jms.2:21-22 TLB).

Abraham was willing to trust (have faith/confidence) in the Creator God no matter what he asked him to do—because of his works, his faith was complete. This account also shows that trust is a component of faith. Trust, faith, and confidence all describe the spiritual attribute the Father gives to each of his elect in order to help each one fulfill their calling and enter into his family as one of his immortal children.

"And so it happened just as the Scriptures say, that Abraham trusted God, and the Lord declared him righteous in God's sight, and he was even called 'the friend of God'. So you see, a man is declared righteous by what he does, as well as by what he believes" (Jms. 2:23-24 TLB).

True worship of God requires faith and physical effort. If we have faith and works, we are truly obeying God's way of life. Through faith combined with good works, we show God the Father and Jesus Christ that we truly love them and their way of life.

Peter

The apostle Peter writes the following about faith and adding other attributes to our character:

"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience goodness; and to goodness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness godly love" (2.Pet.1:5-7 KJV Para.).

The attributes and qualities that need to be added to faith can only be added if we first exercise faith, and then do the things that we have been instructed to do. When we exercise faith the Father will seriously consider our petition to help us increase our faith and add other gifts of the spirit:

"For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacks these things is blind [nearsighted], and cannot see afar off, and has forgotten that he has been purged from his sins. Wherefore rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling sure: for if you do these things, you shall never fail" (2.Pet.1:8-10 KJV).

Although the Father does not initially give each of his children the same amount of faith, each of us is expected to exercise faith and works and to grow in the confidence we have in the Father, Christ, and the biblical record (2.Cor.10:15; 2.Thess.1:3), because faith is required to please and serve the Father, grow in godly character, and receive the blessings promised.

ACTS OF FAITH

The writer to the Hebrews wrote that faith is the assurance of things expected and the evidence of things not seen (Heb.11:1). This definition of faith describes what faith is and what is expected to be accomplished by its exercise.

In order to understand why the Father bestows a special type of faith (i.e., the gift of faith; 1.Cor.12:8-9 KJV) to specific individuals in his earthly family during this age, it is necessary to review several accounts of supernatural abilities and authorizations which were exercised before, during, and after Christ's time on earth.

Elijah and Elisha

Elijah and Elisha were two men the Creator gave tremendous supernatural ability to that they could use at their discretion in order to carry out their function as prophets. And they had faith that what they determined to do would happen. The following are some of what they did through the power given to them.

Elijah

• He stopped the rain for three and one half years and then caused it to rain again (1.Kgs.17:1; 18:41-45; Jms.5:17-18).

• He caused the continuous production of flour and cooking oil for a woman who had fed him with the last food she had for her family and later resurrected another woman's dead son (1.Kgs. 17:8-24).

• He brought fire from the sky and vaporized two groups of soldiers and their officers who had been sent to arrest him and bring him to King Ahaziah (2.Kgs.1:1-12).

Elisha

• He caused the continuous production of cooking oil for a prophet's widow, so she could pay her creditors in order to prevent her sons from becoming indentured servants and to provide enough money to sustain her family for some time to come (2.Kgs.4:1-7).

• He gave a women and her husband the ability to have a son even though her husband was very old. Then, many years later, he raised this same woman's son from the dead (2.Kgs.4:8-36).

• He used his power to purify stew contaminated with poison gourds, increased twenty loaves of bread and grain to feed a hundred hungry men. 2.Kgs.4:38-44), and caused Naaman, captain of the army of Syria, to be healed of leprosy (2.Kgs. 5:1-14).

Both of these men were given discretionary power to manipulate physical laws, resurrect the dead, and create physical things to help people out of difficult situations.

Christ

The apostle John recorded the following about the unlimited power Jesus was given by his heavenly Father:

"Those who believe him discover that God is a fountain of truth. For this one—sent by God—speaks God's words, for God's spirit is upon him without measure or limit" (Jn.3:33-34 TLB).

Christ knew who he was, what he was sent from his Father to do, and that he had absolute power and authority from his Father to do whatever was necessary to complete his mission. Therefore, his faith was absolute, which gave him the confidence to use the tremendous power at his disposal. The following are some of his authorizations of power:

• Power to heal the sick and raise the dead (Lk.7:20-23; Jn.11: 39-44)

• Power to control evil spirits (Matt.17:14-18; Mk.1:34)

• Power to manipulate natural law (Matt.8:23-27; 14:21-26)

• Power to create physical things (Matt.14:15-21; 15:32-38; Jn.2: 1-11)

• Power to destroy the physical existence (Matt.21:18-20)

• Power to bring curses (Matt.21:18-19; Mk.11:12-14)

• Power to enlist angelic help (Matt.26:53)

Through the discretionary use of spirit power, he turned water into wine, created food for thousands, healed the sick, cast out demons, resurrected the dead, walked on water, calmed the sea, and had total discernment of spirits and people's thoughts, and much more.

Jesus not only used spirit-power at his discretion but also authorized others to use this same power. Early in his ministry, he taught the message of the Kingdom of God to twelve men he chose to be with him throughout his ministry and he sent them out to teach the same message he taught them:

"Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick" (Lk.9:1-2 KJV). See also Mk.6:7.

Jesus gave these twelve men authority and power over evil spirits and physical illness. Other scriptures show that these twelve were given other authorizations and powers, some of which they were told not to use at that point in time (Lk.9:51-56).

Jesus also taught seventy other men the same message he had taught the twelve and sent them to heal people and perform other miracles in his name (i.e., his authority) as they preached the good news of the Kingdom of God:

"After these things Jesus appointed seventy others also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, where he would go. And he said to them. . .heal the sick that are there, and say to them, The kingdom of God is come near to you" (Lk.10:1-2, 9 KJV Para.).

"And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject to us through your name. . .. Behold, I give to you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you" (Lk.10:17, 19 KJV).

All eighty-two men whom Christ sent to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom performed supernatural acts that they were authorized to perform. But, why did these men believe that Christ had the authority to authorize them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and use supernatural power to do the things he told them to do? They believed his message because the Father gave them insight into who Jesus was, they saw him work miracles, and they were actually able to use the power he authorised them to use.

All eighty-two men had the authority to exercise spirit-power at their discretion; they did not have to ask Jesus each time they wanted to exercise this power. This same discretion was given to some in the early church, it is given to some today, and will continue to be given to some of the Father's elect who live during the end of the age just before Christ returns.

Casting out a Demon

Mark, Matthew, and Luke record the account of Jesus removing an evil spirit from a young man that his disciples could not remove. But, what is the reason that these men who were authorized to remove evil spirits from individuals were not able to remove this particular demon?

"A man in the crowd said, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a mute spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not" (Mk.9:17-18 NIV Para.).

Jesus reply to this statement in verse 18, gives us the first clue as to why the disciples could not remove this evil spirit:

"O faithless generation, Jesus replied, how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me. So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into convulsions. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this? From childhood, he answered. It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do something, take pity on us and help us. Jesus said, If able everything is possible for the one who believes. Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, I do believe; help me overcome my disbelief!" (Mk.9:19-24 NIV Para.).

The English word believes in verse 23 is translated from the Greek word pisteuo, which can mean to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e., credit; by implication, to entrust.

The boy's father said he believed, but then qualified his statement by asking Jesus to help him have a belief that was absolute. This man had belief based on what he had come to know. He knew that Jesus had cast out many demons, but he did not have a belief beyond doubt that Jesus could cast this demon out of his son. After Christ removed the demon from the boy the disciples wanted to know why they could not remove it:

"After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, Why couldn't we drive it out? He replied, This kind can come out only by prayer" (Mk.9:28-29 NIV Para.).

In verse 29, the King James translators of the Bible added the words and fasting after the word prayer. These added words, which are not in the Textus Receptus, give a false impression of what Jesus said.

Did Jesus pray before he cast out the demon? Nothing in this account indicates he did. So why did he mention prayer? His mention of prayer is the second clue as to why the disciples could not remove this evil spirit.

The disciples were all authorized with the power necessary to heal people and cast out demons, so why would a person who is authorized to remove demons need to pray in order to perform this task?

The English word prayer in verse 29 is translated from the Greek word proseuche, derived from the Greek word proseuchomai, which can mean to pray to God (i.e., supplicate or worship). Proseuche means prayer in the context of worship; by implication, an oratory (chapel, i.e., a place of private worship): Jesus was not simply speaking of petitioning God for something, he was referring to participation in a temple worship system.

The disciples did not have absolute confidence in their authority and ability to remove this exceptionally powerful demon. This is why Jesus spoke of them as being faithless.

Faith that is absolute is the kind of faith Jesus had. Jesus had the holy spirit, which made him his Father's temple on earth (see 1.Cor.3:16-17). These men were not yet the Father's temples; therefore, they could not receive the gift of faith from God the Father referred to by the apostle Paul in 1.Cor.12:8-9. The Father's gift of faith gives one absolute confidence in their supernatural abilities.

Matthew's account of this event adds the rest of what Jesus told his disciples about their lack of faith.

"Then the disciples came to Jesus privately, and said, Why could not we cast it out? And Jesus said to them, Because of your unbelief: for truly I say to you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Remove from here to that place over there; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you" (Matt.17:19-20 KJV Para.). See also Matt.21:19-21, Lk.17:6.

A person does not have to ask their heavenly Father for help if their faith is unwavering. Unwavering faith is a gift from the Father which gives one absolute confidence that they are authorized to use a supernatural ability at their discretion, and that whatever they determine to happen through their use of this ability will happen. This kind of faith is unwavering in its exercise of spirit-power.

Crossing the Sea of Galilee

While Jesus and his disciples were crossing the sea of Galilee with some other people, a storm came up and the disciples began to worry that the boat would sink and they would die:

"And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he [Jesus] was in the stern of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they woke him, and said to him, Master, don't you care that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said to them, Why are you so fearful? how is it that you have no faith? And they were very afraid, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" (Mk.4:37-41 KJV).

Jesus' faith in his authority over the physical realm was absolute. Nothing in the physical realm was beyond his ability to control and manipulate. This is the kind of faith the apostle Paul says is a gift from the Father. This is the kind of faith the disciples did not yet have, but would be given when they received the indwelling of the holy spirit.

Peter's Gift of Faith

Acts 3:1-16 contains the account of Peter and John going to the temple at the hour of prayer. While they were entering the temple area, Peter healed a crippled beggar who had asked them for a gift.

Although Peter and John along with other men, had been authorized by Christ to heal people and had done so for about three and a half years, this healing was different. Peter and John were now of the Father's elect with the indwelling of his holy spirit and had been given the gift of faith by the Father. This type of faith gives one the absolute confidence that whatever ability the Father has given a person can be used without reservation at one's discretion to accomplish its intended purpose.

Greater Works

The disciples and other people were always amazed at the supernatural power Jesus was able to wield as he went about proclaiming his Father's good news message of salvation and his coming kingdom.

During a conversation with his disciples about his return to his heavenly Father's spirit realm, he made the following promise to them and those who would believe in him in the future:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, He that believes in me, the works that I do he shall also do; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to my Father" (Jn.14:12 KJV Para.).

Believing in Christ entails more than just an acknowledgment that he lived. Many people acknowledge this, even evil spirits believe he and his Father exist (Jms.2:19). However, few people believe to the point that they are willing to truly follow Christ's teachings. In order to be able to do greater works than Christ, a person must be authorized to use the same spirit-power from the Father that Christ used.

SUMMARY

Few people realize the awesome power the Father gave to the early church as a unified body and the discretion with which they were authorized to use this power. Each authorization of supernatural power and ability was to be used to build the early church into a powerful and dynamic force in order to perfect the elect, for the work of the ministry, and to carry out other functions of the church. See Eph.4:7-12; 1.Cor.12: 8-10, 28-30; Rom.12:3-8.

Although there are obviously a number of authorizations and powers that were only given to elders, there were many authorizations given to others (men and women) in order to benefit the Father's entire family and perform the work of the church.

Whether or not you are given specialized authorizations and powers from the Father, all supernatural gifts from the Father are useless without the faith to exercise them, because a person must truly believe they can exercise them before they can be used for their intended purpose.

The scriptures show that some of the elect are given unique abilities, attributes, and authorizations of power for the purpose of performing certain functions, responsibilities, and tasks for the benefit of their brothers and sisters in the faith, and that other supernatural gifts from the Father are given to perform the work of the church to proclaim his good news message.

There is a tremendous difference between asking the Father for something and using your delegated authority and power in order to influence, control, or cause an event to happen in the physical or spirit realms. This is why a person with unique authorizations, such as a prophet, evangelist, or one with the ability to heal the sick, cast out evil spirits, or perform other supernatural acts must have absolute confidence that, when they exercise their authority, what they expect to happen will happen.

Faith

The writer to the Hebrews wrote, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Heb.11:6). Clearly, everyone who is called to salvation and receives the holy spirit must have the kind of faith noted in Hebrews 11:6 as a prerequisite to please the Father. This is yet another proof that the gift of faith referred to by Paul in 1.Cor.12:8-9 is above and beyond that required to please the Father through belief in him and his promises.

Although having faith in the Father, Christ, and in their promises to us is a major part of our relationship with them, the scriptures show that this kind of faith alone is not enough to have the confidence required to use authorizations from the Father and Christ beyond that which is normally given each member of the Father's earthly family.

Not all individuals require the gift of faith which is above and beyond the faith required to exercise our authority as one of the elect, such as our authority to communicate with the Father, request things from him, resist evil spirits and their influence, and perform our functions and responsibilities as members of his earthly family.

Not all individuals require the gift of faith from the Father to exercise their authority or ability. But for some individuals, the gift of faith is necessary for them to have absolute confidence in their authority and ability to perform supernatural acts, such as the ability to heal people, remove evil spirits from people, or raise the dead. Without the gift of faith from the Father, none of these can be exercised to their full potential.

The Commission

"And he said to them, You go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. The one that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but the one that does not believe shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name [i.e., his authority] they shall remove evil spirits; they shall speak with languages new to them; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (Mk.16:15-18 KJV Para.).

The type of belief to which Jesus refers is based on a knowing and a confidence that is beyond normal human belief. This type of belief (i.e., faith) is a gift from the Father and is only given to those who need it in order to have absolute confidence in their authority and ability to use the powers they are given from him to perform their functions and responsibilities as members of his earthly family.

By B.L. Cocherell b14w4