I have been in the process of moving my business to my home after hearing from the Father one morning in prayer. When I came to the Lord the only knowledge I knew was what my parents had told me and learn from their churches. The knowledge I learned was not wrong, I just didn't fully understand it and most of it was a mystery. When I came to the Lord back in 1997 I had heard so many wonderful thing that were far beyond what I had learn or heard growing up in the churches I was raised in. So when I received Jesus into my heart, I wanted the same thing that those people had and more. I said there has to be more.

I left the denominational line of churches when I was 17 or somewhere about that. This is when mom and dad quit fussing about me not going to church or at least as bad. This was a plan from YHVH, but I didn't know it then. So when I accepted Jesus, I accepted Him head first. I dove right into the Gospel and all the things the Lord had for me. I had almost a childlike faith, I was still messed up by the worlds thinking, but I didn't have to break down the doctrines of the denominational churches I was attending that are not completely accurate. (The doctrines are not wrong, but I never read them, so I got the washed out version. You know like reading the Bible verses hearing it, something’s get left out by only hearing what the Word says.)

So with me diving head first in to the scriptures, YHVH gave me something very special, a gift of Faith. There is a difference between a measure of faith and a gift of faith. I believe that everyone gets a gift of faith, but it is toward their ministry that it is used. We also have a healing ministry and the gift of faith that we have gives us faith to see and believe the miracles in the healing and restoration field. Someone else like our friends in our church has an intercessory prayer ministry and a prophetic calling. Well their gift of faith is in that area to believe that what they are doing so they can go on and do the work of YHVH. Now my gift of faith doesn't necessarily believe in what they believe or vice versa. That is why I might be called the foot and they are the arm. I don't know what part I am; I just know I am a part.

As my faith grew, I started asking YHVH to show me more. Give me greater faith. And He did, just not the way I thought He would. A friend came up to me and told me that in two years I would have faith like a child. He was right. But how it came about was different than
I expected. He cleaned me out. The problem to not moving in the Lord is not changing in the Lord. If you don't change, your not going to move or advance. I was willing to change, so He and I removed the junk and thinking of the world so that He could dwell in places of my body to be able to have greater faith. So my faith didn't really increase but the junk in my life decreased so that the faith that was already there came out. The faith I had at that time was incredible. I could speak to someone and see things happen almost before my eyes. I would lay hands on people and see the Lord use me as a vessel and they get healed. You can ask my mom about that one. It was most incredible.

Then I let the junk creep back in. I wasn't going after YHVH like I should have. The enemy comes back in a little at a time, which is why you need to have an open and constant communication with YHVH. It lasted a little while until I realized that nothing was going the way it had before I started backsliding. So I went back after Him. What had happened in my backsliding state was fear came back in. The parable that Jesus talked about when you cast out a demon and it will go out and get seven more worse that the first and you will be worse off than if you never casted it out. Well this scripture is very true. I got so scared that I couldn't even explain what I needed prayer about to those who were praying for me.

Well not too long ago, I got released from the fear. It was a long battle out of it. But I am coming out of it. The faith is returning. One area in my life that has always been a burden was my money. It never worked for me, no matter what we did, it wasn't working. I had learned all the many things in the Bible to do to get you right, but it wasn't getting right for me. Then one day a pastor from our church started talking to me about getting out of debt. The Lord says, you are the lender not the borrower. Well I was the borrower and not the lender. I didn't take that too well, a pastor coming up to me and telling me how to run my money. You know stay out of my affairs. But what was happening was I had asked the Father what to do and He sent a rowboat. What the pastor said isn't at first what we did, but it got me worried and he pointed out some thing that I needed to find out for myself. So I took it to the Father and asked Him what the next step was. My faith was starting to rebuild or the junk was being removed again since I was willing to change.

I felt to bring my business home. Well my first almost completely at home with my business week, I worked on a webpage. I thought it was going to take a day or so. I had listen to what YHVH had said and what the pastor had said about getting a budget together. So we had, and I needed a $350.00 by what I brought in and Renee would bring another part. To give us a total of $500.00 a week. Well the webpage took until Thursday to finish the webpage. I was getting frustrated and needed the money for our budget. So I stopped working on the webpage and went downtown to get some things from the old office. I tried to get some money while I was down there. This is Thursday afternoon, no money for the week, the webpage was being an irritant and I had to get some money from a client that finally decided to pay me in two weeks. I was losing it. So I left and was going to the church to see Renee. I asked the Lord what to do about this and why it was happening to me. I felt that I needed to sow a seed. I was desperate, I had always heard, you have a problem give it away. I am needing money, so I gave a portion of my house payment away to the church. I had Renee agree with me and the ladies of the church. I told them I was going to have a testimony for this one and I believe in Faith that I would have a return on the money I sowed that very day.

Well I left there and went home and within two hours I finished the webpage. I was no where close to finishing it, but I got finished. I don't know how He did it, but I finished it. I put my faith into action, put a time frame on it and watched it come to past. But I was still way off from my personal goal. I was at $220.00 and I needed $350.00 to make my goal. Well I knew a friend that was going to give me a little money for some things that I sold for him, but I felt that it was just a little and was looking for additional income to satisfy the commitment I made. I still felt that I would receive that $350.00 and I knew I was going to a major return on what I sowed. I am believing for a thousand-fold return like in Deut.1

Saturday morning (this morning) I got up and opened the door to see if it was still raining, after I found it was not I went back and laid down with Renee and just talked about business stuff that I was trying to get accomplished. Renee got out of bed and went out front, she then returned with a check for $131.49. Well folks, my faith paid off. And YHVH is still in control. His Word is still working and I met my $350.00 for the week. I sowed a seed believing that I would get what was needed and I did. The best part about giving to the Lord is when you give first and I have never figured out how this is done. He can take the same money you have made every week and make it stretch if you give to Him first. If you don't you will come up short every time. He will provide.

BE Blessed!
Richard