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In today's world, everyone wants more FAITH.  More faith for a bigger bank account, more faith for healing.  But I think God is calling us to a higher purpose.  

Jesus told the story of the man who saw this beautiful, perfect Pearl.   He went home, sold all his other jewels and purchased that pearl.  The purpose of Faith is like that Peal. Once you glimpse what really walking in faith means, you desire to walk in that Faith and no other faiths that you may possess mean anything without that highest Faith.

Let's look at Hebrews 11:1-3.  Now faith "IS".  Faith is present tense.  Faith is now.  No matter how many times you have had faith in the past, or what faith you hope to have in the future, they don't matter.  Only the NOW FAITH is important.

Now Faith is a "Substance".  Faith is not mystical.  It is not some "oowee" feeling.  If you break down the word Substance to its root word, you have Sub and Stance.  The word Sub means down under.  A good picture of that word is to think of the sub floor of a building.  A sub floor is built before the floor you walk on is laid.  The sub floor stabilizes, supports, and protects the floor.  The word Stance means to Stand.  Put them together and you have to "Under" "Stand" or Understand.  Faith is based on Understanding who God is and how he Cares for us.

Now faith is the substance of things "hoped for"..  Without faith, there is no hope.  If you don't accept by Faith that there is a heaven where we will know and be known, you can have no hope that you will ever be with anyone that has died.  It is the Faith that allows hope to work.  Faith is like looking in a dark tunnel and seeing a light at the end. 

Now faith is a substance of things hoped for, the "Evidence of things unseen".  How can you have evidence of things unseen?  The Spirit of God bears witness in our spirit that we have this faith.

Verse 4 -By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts...  Cain offered fruit, Able offered a lamb.  The difference?  God had made a sacrifice in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve had fallen.  Able knew what was required by God and made his sacrifice God's way.  Cain thought that he could invent his own way to God.  How many times do we try to offer what we want to offer to God and not give Him what He is asking of us?

Verse 5 - By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.  Enoch had a special relationship with God.  Enoch had the highest Faith.  He walked with God.  Wouldn't you like to have the testimony that you please God?  Wouldn't you like to walk with God?  Enoch did.  And I think it isn't a coincidence that verse 6 follows verse 5.  That they were put in this order because God gives an example then the words of how to do it.

verse 6 - 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.  We must Believe God, we must have faith.

We must believe that He "is".  He exists, He is present and all around us.  I remember a song that we use to sing when I was going to ministry school called "How Big is God".  In the chorus is says "He is big enough to fill the mighty universe, but small enough to live within my heart!"

We must believe that He is a "rewarder".  My dictionary says that rewarder is one who pays wages far above what could be expected or deserved.  In other words, God is going to overflow His blessing to us because of our faith.

... of those that diligently seek him.  He doesn't promise to reward everyone but those that diligently seek Him.  How can we diligently seek Him?  By craving God, demanding His presence, worshiping Him.    Jesus said that whoever would save their life would lose it and whoever would loose it, for his sake would save it.  I believe that we seek God by our Actions and Activities.  

verse 13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.  The type of people that God is looking are people who confess we are strangers and pilgrams and strangers in this world and be seeking our heavenly home.

God is preparing a people who are watching and waiting for Him.  Don't seek for God's money or God's healing, those all come when we are "walking" with God, seeking Him.  Press in to God's presence.