I remember many years ago when a man stood in my office talking with me about matters of faith and calling into question my positions on faith as I opened some mail that day. In the mail was a card for a job fair being held downtown.  This job fair would be having a drawing and giving away a new state-of-the-art DVD/BlueRay player.  I know we’ve moved way beyond that now, but back then, it was a big deal.

I sensed the Holy Spirit desiring to do something to demonstrate faith to this man and debunk his position that was based mainly on his lack of experience as opposed to what Scripture teaches regarding faith.  So I told him that I wanted him to go with me to that job fair, and I would put my name in to win that DVD player for the church, and he would see how faith works.

He was all too eager to go with me, supposing I would be made a fool. So we went, and I entered my name into the drawing. When it came time for the drawing, they got on the loudspeaker and declared, “Mr. Tim Atchley, please come to the registration table to claim your prize. You are the winner of the DVD Player today!”

I smiled at this man and happily went to claim my prize. The church had long used that DVD player for special events.  I told him faith is never frivolous, and it is not only relegated to things he deems important enough for God to be interested.

I knew God loved me, and I knew God wanted this man to see faith in action, so it was not a stretch for me to make a bold claim at that moment when the mail arrived.  I had a sense from the Spirit about it.  Sadly, this man still struggled with the whole thing despite witnessing it all being fulfilled with his own eyes.  It did not fit the narrative of faith he had developed by a lack of experience on his part.

Had I not believed I would enter that drawing and win it, I would not have gone to that job fair.  I would not have put myself in a position like that with a skeptic.  But I believed, and my belief led me to put myself in a position to receive what I believed.

The kingdom of God operates on faith in God. Its activities are based on knowing God and believing in Him according to how He has been revealed to us by Jesus.

This was the point Paul was making with the Galatians when skeptics came to them and began teaching them a wrong gospel.

Galatians 3:5 Therefore, He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

The DNA of God is a supernatural DNA that is not of this world.  He cannot deny Himself.  He will be what He is and who He is.  Our experience of Him will be subject to our level of faith in Him, and our level of faith in Him will be subject to what we’ve come to know concerning Him.  If all you ever hear and consider is teaching and thinking that aligns itself with a lack of experience, then do not expect to receive because you will not believe what is needed to put yourself in the right place to receive what is truly promised.  Believing precedes receiving.