amadeus2 said:

For so long there was no direct access to the Tree of Life, but now the Way is open,

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Brother Amadeus makes an awesome point as it relates to growing in "faith". The access is there even though as both you brothers have made a point of mentioning. Satan the Adversary is actively working against this very proposition that we know is true! An Assurance/Conviction in God and His Word.

That is why continued application of "faith" is necessary for not only growth, but also to cut down on the attacks we experience. The Adversary will not waste his time if his attacks to the "faith" we have, does not dissuade us from the Assurance/Conviction being applied/used. He goes looking for other means to make us fall.

I've told this story a few times, but for me it is still one of the most overt example in my life of coming under spiritual attack. One of the most difficult attacks to my faith was the fear of applying learning on Street Evangelism for the first time. I literally could not move from the chair I was sitting on and was gradually reaching a point where I was becoming physically sick. The attack even continued through my wife, though she and I did not look at it that way at the time. In her "Love" for me. She could see my distress and said that I should call those I was going to meet and tell them that I was sick and couldn't make it. Only what I truly believe was the Holy Spirit power welled up inside of me and I yelled out loud "No. Jesus!" and ran out the door! Saved me from falling to this spiritual attack.

I think one part that we need to remember is that "Faith" cannot be unused for the believer if it is to nourish and help us to continue our growing in the Lord.
With the Love of Jesus Christ.
YBIC
Nick
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amadeus2 said:

Yes, "an exercise of faith that's beyond a natural ability". The sacrifice of Jesus made this a possibility. Whether or not it goes toward God or not is up to us once we received a vision of the possibility. We must move from "through a glass darkly" to "face to face".



Yes, again, "...a measure of faith that's equal or better than Satan's attempt..." . This is why I believe that we must partake of the "fountain of Love and Faith" more and more often we eat of the wrong tree. For so long there was no direct access to the Tree of Life, but now the Way is open, but too many who see it are not moving toward it but toward that other tree again and again. Help us all dear Lord!

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Yes, yes my friend. You've got it just right!! Thank you for expanding on what I wrote.

If we are talking about the "fountain" of "Love, and "faith", then these two things come as a child of God goes into the very presence of God in Spirit. God alone by himself is love, it is not something we do as an action, it is what God does through man as an action. Faith comes to man as he hears the Word of God, not with his ears on his head, but what he hears with his heart. Jesus continually said, "these people have ears, but they don't hear, and they have eyes, but they don't see" Every one to whom Jesus spoke to heard his words, and they all saw him do miracles, but Jesus was not referring to their physical senses, but the senses of the their heart that had become calloused because of sin.

Faith always sees what hope can not see.

Rom 8:24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?
Rom 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

The person who see's his hope by faith, is no longer hoping. Hope that is seen is NOT hope. The Bible does not say that hope can not be seen, it says once you see it you are no longer hoping. "... for who hopes for what he see's" The answer to this question is he doesn't!! All hope has a time in which your wait comes to an end, which is why the Bible says....

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for...." the pas tense of hope is faith!! It is totally unwise to believe in something without having any "evidence" to why you believe it. What hope can not see, faith can, which is the evidence we have as to why we believe. No wonder the Bible tells us to not look at the things seen, but at the things unseen which can only be seen by faith.

Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

If you can not see it by faith, then you are still hoping.