“But without faith it is impossible to please Him: For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”(Hebrews 11:6). “Then touched He their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it unto you” (Matthew 9:29).
The faith of Jesus is the faith that allows the power of God to intervene and heal and work miracles. The faith of Jesus kept Him on the cross. The faith of Jesus is what ignites the Holy Spirit. It is the fire shut up in our bones! The faith of Jesus brings the power of God (His grace) to intervene in our lives, minds and bodies to work all things together for good to them that love Him, and to the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
But many think that faith is just trusting or having the intellectual knowledge that Christ is the Son of God, that He came from Heaven to Earth in the form of man. They think having faith is just what brings healing from the diseases of the body; but the faith of Jesus brings healing from God unto the mind and body–to the entire soul.
The faith of Jesus comes to the soul from experiencing the knowledge and love of God, through the working of the Holy Spirit perfecting Christ character in the soul through sufferings. The faith of Jesus is the faith that God will send angels in the speed of light.
Let us exercise the faith God has given us that it be increased. And it shall be increased more and more until we have the faith of Jesus. We are saved by grace (The Power of God) through faith.
It was a prayer meeting night: Wednesday. Only a very few of the large church family were in attendance. The few members were asked to give a special offering. A family had lost their home. A fire had destroyed everything they possessed.
I didn’t know the family, because I was a fairly new member. But I looked into my purse to find something to share. There was only a $20 dollar bill. I knew I needed to give something. But I didn’t want to make a fuss about getting change. Besides, I’d rather not draw any attention to the amount I would give. I had a decision to make.
Impressed to give it all, I rolled the bill so that you couldn’t see the amount. Quietly, so as not to draw any attention, I slid the bill into the offering plate. Giving $20 was a lot of money to me at the time; and I didn’t want to give the impression that I had a lot of money or that I was being showy. I kept my eyes downcast as I gave, so I can’t be sure if anyone noticed.
Only three days later, I was back at church for Sabbath services. Afterward, a smaller group met downstairs to receive cards with the names and addresses of Bible students, who had completed a course of study by mail. While I waited for the meeting to begin, I felt a hand on my left shoulder. I looked into a fairly familiar face, but not someone I knew beyond the normal casual greetings at church meetings.
She smiled and beckoned me to get up and step outside with her. Once into the hallway, she decided we should step into the empty meeting room next door. We did. She came quite close to me, took my hand, and looked very directly into my eyes. I didn’t know what to expect. But I knew it must be important and very private.
I waited for her to speak.
She had something hidden in her hand. She placed the something into my hand and folded my fingers over it, as she whispered, “I was impressed to give this to you.” She smiled, but it was clear. She was serious. She pressed my fingers so that my fisted hand would remain tightly closed. With that, she left. I thanked her and returned to my seat. Beyond that, I couldn’t speak. I was so amazed.
I knew it was money, but I was too timid to look into my own hand. It was all so very secret, it seemed. I sat there for awhile, actually until the suspense took over or that I felt it was okay to look. Gently, I unfolded the bill only enough to see how much this very caring-hearted woman had shared with me.
I was stunned. The memory still brings tears to my eyes and touches my heart. Forty-five years later even now, I can assure you that you cannot beat God’s giving. Just as I rolled up a $20 bill and quietly gave it to help a family in need, a $20 bill was rolled up and quietly pressed into my hand–just three days later.
Yes. I gave, and to me was given, just as Luke described it. “Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down and shaken together and running over shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:36 KJV).
Never question God. Just believe what He makes clear to you by His Word, even when it makes no sense to anyone else. Just do what He tells you to do, even when logic tells you it could only do you harm. Now and ultimately, God is in control. In God’s own time, He will restore. Remember the story of Job. He ended up with far more than he lost. Maybe that is at least one of the reasons this song “God Restores” is one of my all-time favorites. It’s because I’m a living testimony that God restores.
Interestingly, I read a group text today that read this way: “March 1, 2023, Day 60 of 365. This is the month you have been waiting for. God is bringing you uncommon restoration. He is giving you a reason to smile and soar in places where you were once ashamed and defeated. Expect God to meet you at every point of need – healing, providing, guiding, and leading you.”
I feel expectant. I trust Him. And I believe His Word. “They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied” (Psalm 37:19 KJV). And this: “Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more” (Isaiah 54:4 KJV).
An easy thirty-five years ago, children were playing in a rural yard in Central Florida. Before they were all done, the innocent play turned potentially deadly. A snake had bitten the heel of one child and apparently slithered away before it could be identified.
Typically, venom must first be tested to determine what course of action to take. Meanwhile, the entire leg would likely begin to swell. But in this case, a wise old lady prepared a charcoal poultice and applied it where the child had been bitten. The mother was certain that course saved her son.
That was my introduction to the term activated charcoal. I had never even heard of it before. But soon I had my own supply and have since made it an essential part of my personal first aid kit. I had determined if it can save a child from a snake bite, then it will be my first choice for lesser poisonous bites: bee stings, mosquito bites, and for any other unidentifiable critter bites.
Just out of curiosity, one day I asked an EMT what course would be taken if he encountered a person who was poisoned. He quickly answered that activated charcoal would be administered. I was very surprised. Knowing back then that ipecac was the norm, I asked why charcoal rather than ipecac. His matter-of-fact response really shocked me. He said that for ipecac to work successfully, it would have to be ingested first, then the poison.
What!!??!! Well, that makes no sense. Even today, thirty years later, it is hard to wrap my brain around that.
I wondered how it ever came to be standard practice for EMTs and still is advisable for emergency use. Or is it? There seems to be conflicting information as to its current use, even its continued production.
To further complicate matters, the FDA’s Code of Federal Regulations claims “ipecac syrup is considered the emetic of choice.” The page, last updated 1/17/2023, adds that every year “about 500,000 accidental poisonings occur in the United States and result in approximately 1,500 deaths, of which over 400 are children.” And although they admit controversy over its over-the-counter availability, they unanimously concluded amounts up to 1 ounce may be readily available for in-home emergency use only after securing professional medical advice. They claim that it is the “consensus of informed medical opinion that ipecac syrup should be used only under medical supervision in the emergency treatment of poisonings.”
Further still, the World Health Organization lists activated charcoal, but not syrup of ipecac, as an essential most-effective antidote, safe for nonspecific poisonings. Why then, would the FDA issue a warning letter against the sale and use of activated charcoal? I have a thought or two about that.
Nevertheless, DrAxe.com has a full article detailing the Top 10 uses for activated charcoal. While they acknowledge that there is “confusion and skepticism out there about its safety and efficacy, activated charcoal that comes from a natural source,” they say, “is not only safe, but effective for promoting detoxification.” For that reason, they say that it is being used in trauma centers worldwide.
In a clear and easy-to-understand layout, DrAxe.com provides instruction for using activated charcoal for dental health, to reduce gassiness, for cleaning mold, for filtering water, addressing toxic overload, bug bites, snake and spider bites, treating acne, detoxing the digestive system, routinely removing toxins, and reducing cholesterol. They warn against taking “activated charcoal within 90 minutes to two hours of taking any prescription medication or supplements as it can prevent proper absorption.” I remember reading (or hearing) somewhere (probably decades ago) that activated charcoal identifies medicine as foreign matter and poisonous to the body and promptly binds and removes it from the body before it can be absorbed.
Either way, I am very grateful my mother never had to call 911, because I accidentally swallowed something poisonous. I would not like to have horror stories about both the poison and syrup of ipecac. Actually, 9-1-1 was not even an option during most of my childhood.
And I can testify to successfully using activated charcoal for dental health, gassiness, bug and spider bites, removal of toxins, filtering water, and purifying air. I would suggest to only purchase it from sources you can trust, like your local health food store. I would not purchase it with sweetener additives, even at a health food store. DrAxe.com advises, “Look for activated charcoal made from coconut shells or identified wood species that have ultra-fine grains, like activated bamboo charcoal and activated coconut charcoal powder.”
Likely in the wake of poor air quality and mask mandates over the last three years, the activated charcoal rush is on for cleansing the air with bags of “specially formulated activated bamboo charcoal.”
