Faith Actually

By James Caso

This book is about utilizing the faith that actually works in the life of a believer. Discover how and why the great hero's of faith in the Bible were able to realize miraculous power in their lives.

With faith there is no 'if', only doing. By faith we can do all things, so why aren't we doing 'all' things? Learn why, and how to overcome the obstacles that stand in our way.

Living by faith sets the believer free from living by religion. Faith is as faith does. Faith isn't limited by rituals and traditions. Find the true liberty that God intended for believers to have by faith in Christ through his grace.

In the pages of this book we explore the possibilities of realizing actual faith in the everyday life of believers. Learn the difference between belief and faith. Discover the source of faith that can overcome any challenge in life. Understand how to 'receive' and 'achieve' limitless possibilities through the power of God, and become a champion of faith. This book will help empower a new vitality in your spiritual life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Caso
• Release date: Mar 14, 2012
• ISBN: 9781452469058

James Caso

Jim Caso is an author, podcaster, speaker, minister, and a founder of a non-profit organization helping the Nowhere Child. Once he received his degree in theology, Jim started and pastored a non-denominational church. After some years he felt God calling him to minister to those outside the confines of the church building. He authored Exousia to share the premise that everyone has the Power to be a child of God. His second book X-Faith examines the way the life of a believer can experience Extraordinary change through Faith. In his new work, Faith Actually, he continues the journey of Faith with a transparent look at realizing miraculous possibilities that can be embraced through experiencing Actual Faith, rather than religious homilies. In addition to writing, speaking, and podcasting, Jim serves as a leader and a voice for the Nowhere Children of the world. Through his non-profit organization, Crimson Cord (www.crimsoncord.org), he seeks recognition, rescue, justice, safety, education, and equality for children who's lives exist in a despicable place that goes unseen by society. Jims favorite songs are; 1) What a Wonderful World by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, 2) Temporary Home by Carrie Underwood, 3) Remind Me Who I Am by Jason Gray, and 4) Give Me Your Eyes by Brandon Heath. He lives in Southern California with his wife, and is devoted to his children and grandchildren.

Book preview

Faith Actually

Experience extraordinary possibilities through the power of God.

by J Caso

Copyright 2012 J Caso

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgement

Prologue

Section 1: The Source of Possibilities

Section 2: The Challenge to Achieving our Possibilities

Section 3: No 'If's' in Possibilities

Section 4: Prepared to Receive Possibilities

Section 5: Is there a Limit to Possibilities?

Conclusion

Epilogue

About the Author

Acknowledgement

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. ~ NLB ~

The phrase above, taken from the New Living Bible translation (Ecclesiastes 4:12), is one of my favorite verses. It's meaningful to me because for most of my life I've had to do things on my own.

As I undertook this project I came to appreciate the strength that is derived from having someone at your side supporting you. Not necessarily to agree with you, but to stand with you, and encourage you in seeking the truth.

Like the braided strands of a cord, the more strands the better the strength, so the more who stand with us the better our outcome will be. The more who can advise us, counsel us, guide us, and motivate us, the better our chances are that we will succeed in our effort.

With this in mind I want to thank those who stood with me through this process. It is with heartfelt appreciation I recognize the patience, effort, and compassion you showed me through your sincere comments and opinions.

It should go without being said, first and foremost I thank God for my salvation through Jesus Christ, and the spirit that inspired this book. I thank my wife Lisa for her love and patience. I thank Gus Morfis for his genuineness. I thank Gail Owens for her sincerity. I thank Elise Arter Johnson for her compassionate heart. I thank Jason Benesh for his honesty and judgment. I thank Matt and Nancy Logan for their grace and wisdom. I thank Linda Hill for her forthright spirit.

May God walk with you and make your path level. May he bring breezes to refresh you through your days. May he cause rivers to spring before you and quench your thirst. May he bring forth bountiful land in your midst to satisfy your hunger. And may he fill each passing day of your journey with living health, compassion, joy, love, faith, hope, and the assurance of life everlasting.

Prologue

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. ~

What is faith?

Webster defines faith as; 1) an allegiance to duty or a person, like loyalty, fidelity, or sincerity. 2) a belief and trust in and loyalty to God, or doctrines of religion. 3) a firm belief, without question, and complete trust in something for which there is no proof.

For you, do these definitions really describe your personal understanding of faith?

Allegiance, duty, loyalty, fidelity, belief, and complete trust? Aren't these just words? Faith is more than words. Faith by its very nature defies definition. Faith is limitless, and to define it would be to place unnatural boundaries upon faith.

In First Corinthians 13:13 the Apostle Paul says that faith is one of the 3 most lasting qualities we can possess in our life, But now abide these three, faith, hope, love.

Like hope and love, faith is multi-faceted and complex. Faith has depth, and width, and height. Like love and hope faith isn't one dimensional. To define faith would be to marginalize faith and make it shallow.

How would you define love? How would you define hope? It's a difficult question, right? Now ask someone you know to define love and hope. Really, I mean it. Before you continue on with this book, ask someone you know to define love and hope.

Compare your definition of love and hope with the one you just received from the person you asked. It's different, right. In fact anyone you ask will define love and hope slightly different. Why? Because we're different?

True enough, but it's more than that. The reason everyone defines love and hope differently is because these concepts are personal.

How many people are in the world? That's how many definitions there are for love and hope.

Faith is also personal. Faith isn't the same for all of us either. But the secret that has been kept hush-hush from us for all these many centuries by stalwarts of religious thought is, faith doesn't have to be the same for all of us.

In Hebrews 11:1 the writer defines faith this way; "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

Already we have a difference of opinion between this writer and Webster. The Hebrews author mentions nothing about loyalty, allegiance, duty, or sincerity. In fact he doesn't even use the words trust and belief in his description.

To the writer of Hebrews, faith is something very different than what Webster defines as faith. Who's right?

Well, it's not really a matter of right and wrong. It's a matter of perspective.

Webster is defining faith for intellectual purposes, while the Hebrews writer is defining faith for practical purposes.

Intellectually, faith is a concept; Practically, faith is an emotion.

To turn a Forrest Gump phrase from the movie, "Faith is as faith does."

When Forrest was asked why he ran across the country, he basically summed up his response by saying, When I get tired, I sleep. When get hungry, I eat. When I got to go, I just go.

Simple, but true. If we're tired we do something about it. If we're hungry we do something about it. If we're thirsty we do something about it. Forrest, like our Hebrews writer was a practical man, with practical responses.

In the same way a person doesn't have faith because they know the intellectual definition of faith, they have faith because they respond to it practically, with action.

The Apostle James says the same thing when he writes, But someone may well say, 'You have faith and I have works'; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (Jas 2:18)

Faith is, as Faith Does!

James can be confusing because he also said just prior to the previous statement in verse 2:17, ...faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

James never says that faith without works isn't faith. He's trying to explain that if faith has no animation, then it's lifeless, static, or stagnant. And this isn't what we want our faith to be, right?

Here's an example of what I think he means. Draw a picture of a stick figure. As you look at it in front of you it appears lifeless; frozen in time. Now draw a bunch of stick figures, just like the first one, only adjust the arms and legs slightly like they're walking. Put all the pictures together in the proper sequence, and thumb through them quickly. The stick figure now appears to be alive. The stick body no longer seems lifeless or stagnant.

This is the point James is making. If we do nothing with our faith, we're like that single stick figure. We are motionless and still. Our faith is of no benefit to us, or anyone else because it's inert. But if we add motion to our faith, our faith comes to life, and it's now animated and vibrant.

Faith is faith, and faith is as faith does. But, if our faith doesn't act, then it's motionless, or dormant. But if we put activity together with our faith, it becomes vigorous, or full of life.

Have you ever desired a more dynamic spiritual life? James says, do something with your faith and you'll discover the energetic spiritual awareness you seek.

James goes on to prove our point here, that faith is personal, and therefore is defined personally by different people when he says, You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is inactive? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? (Jas 2:19-21)

As I stated earlier, the writer of Hebrews gave us his definition of faith and he continues in chapter 11 of Hebrews to give us a roster of people who lived by his definition of faith. One of those people on his list is Abraham. James, above, also calls on the same Abraham to prove his point, that a person is justified by the works of faith.

These two writers have different views regarding faith. Which of them is right? Yes, they see faith in dissimilar ways, but they're both right.

How could this be? Because faith is larger than personal views. This is possible because faith has depth, width, and height. This happens because faith is multi-faceted. There is room for difference because faith is as varied as there are people who possess it.

Faith is as faith does!

Some of you may be thinking, The writer of Hebrews and James are saying the same thing about faith. But what the writer of Hebrews is saying is, Because people have faith, they do things because of their faith. On the other hand what James is saying is, Because people do things, they have faith because of the things they do.

To which I can agree they are both discussing faith. But they aren't talking about it from the same perspective.

It is like the argument, Which came first the chicken or the egg? Some may say it doesn't matter because we have both now anyway. But others would argue it absolutely matters because it's a fundamental dilemma of precedence.

How would I answer the question? My answer would be, neither. That's right, neither the chicken nor the egg came first, at least not as we know them. If the egg came first, it didn't come from a chicken (at least not a chicken we've ever seen before), and if the chicken came first, it didn't come from an egg (at least not an egg like we know an egg). So neither the chicken or the egg came first, but something else came first that we've never seen before, or since.

The same is true about faith. Which comes first, faith or actions? The answer is still the same, neither. There is something different than faith and actions that convinces us to act upon the conviction of faith.

When the Hebrews writer says, "Now faith is the assurance (the ground on which we stand) of things hoped for, the conviction (convincing us) of things (of deeds) not seen (we see)." What does he mean?

He is saying literally;

Faith is 'the foundation' upon which we base our hopes. Faith 'convinces' us to act before seeing the reward.

You know how you always heard the phrase,