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Bad Things Do Not Come From God - Part 12

2012-01-23T15:03:00.002-05:00

Now that we have discovered in the scriptures that Jesus perfectly reveals the Father's will and nature, let's look at the Father's will being played out in the ministry and life of Jesus Christ. Shortly after the baptism of Jesus to fulfill all righteousness as He "came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him."
(Matthew 3:13-16) He "was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."
(Matthew 4:1) This is an interesting point to know that the Holy Spirit filled Jesus and then lead Him.

Luke tells us in Acts 10:38 "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." Remember, Jesus is perfectly revealing the Father's will and nature. He went about doing GOOD and healing ALL who were oppressed by the devil. Does this even sound remotely that God causes bad things to happen?

After Jesus defeated the devil with all of his temptations, He begins His ministry and calls His first disciples (Matthew 4:12-22) Once again we see the true nature of the Father revealed through Jesus...
"And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them." (Matthew 4:23-24)

The very things that people blame God for were the very things that Jesus was setting people free from. So if the Father is some how behind causing these bad things to happen to people, then we have a serious problem. Look at the words of Jesus when He was accused of casting out devils by Beelzebub the ruler of the demons...
"Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand." (Matthew 12:25) Notice that Jesus say "EVERY KINGDOM" this would also include the kingdom of God. To say that the Father is causing bad things to happen and that Jesus in turn is causing good things to happen is a kingdom divided against itself. Now really, how ridiculous is that. That would be saying that there is no unity in the Godhead or that God's will changes. Remember what scripture reveals in Malachi 3:6 "For I am the LORD, I do not change..." and Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

There are numerous passages that show us the ministry of Jesus that reveal the Father's heart and will toward humanity, but for time sake we will only look at two more...
"When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses."
(Matthew 8:16-17) "Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people." (Matthew 9:35)

There are some very interesting things that stand out in these passages that should cause the reader to get excited and cause their faith to grow. First, Jesus "cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick." Jesus cast out demons and healed ALL who were sick. Sounds exactly what Luke recorded...
"...healing all who were oppressed by the devil..." It was the devil (demons) doing the bad things NOT GOD!!! It was Jesus who healed them all, not some, not a few, not some who deserved it while others did not, but He healed them ALL. We also see that in the cities and villages that the Holy Spirit lead Him He preached the gospel of the kingdom and HEALED EVERY SICKNESS AND EVERY DISEASE AMONG THE PEOPLE!!! My emphasis is to draw our attention to the fact that it is the Father's will to do GOOD not bad. Finally, we see that what Jesus was doing was a fulfillment of a prophecy spoken approximately 750 years prior to His advent into human history. It is God (Christ) who TAKES ALL of our infirmities and sicknesses, He does not give them for any reason whatsoever!!! Hallelujah...

From God's perspective it is not normal for any of His children to suffer with any sickness, disease, pains or anything that would be considered a bad thing. These are all works of the devil. Look at what John says...
He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8) I pray that your barometer of faith is rising and that you are seeing the true will and nature of God in the scripture. In doing so you will come to know without doubt that "Bad things do not come from God."

Bad Things Do Not Come From God - Part 11

2012-01-16T08:39:00.000-05:00

We have seen that the Father's will and nature unfold throughout the Old Testament, but it wasn't until Jesus entered man's history that we see the Father's will and nature perfectly revealed. (Hebrews 1:1-4) When we see Jesus we see the Father. If we had known Jesus, we would have known the Father. (John 14:6-10) These things indicate that everything that Jesus said and did was the will of the Father.

John had a particular reason behind writing what he did in his gospel. (Keep in mind that although John did the writing, the Holy Spirit gave the inspiration)...
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. (John 20:30-31) Please note this; that believing you may have life in His name. The word life is the Greek word "zoe" which means "life in the absolute sense; life as God has it; that which the Father has in Himself and which He gave to the Incarnate Son to have in Himself." This is the same quality of life that Christians are to experience their entire time on planet earth. Honestly, does this really sound like bad things come from God? Absolutely not!!! With that said, let's look a little deeper into the gospel of John and see repeatedly what Jesus Himself says concerning His mission of revealing the Father's will and His the Father's true nature.

First, Jesus is by Himself and He has an encounter with a woman of Samaria at Jacobs well. At the end of His conversation with her, His disciples return to Him and urge Him to eat, but look closely at Jesus' response...
Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.
(John 4:34) Notice Jesus' mission, "...to do the will of Him who sent Me.." So whatever we see Jesus do or and what ever He says, He is revealing the Father's will.

Next we see Jesus healing on the Sabbath which causes the Jews to be filled with indignation so severe that they sought to kill Him because He healed on the Sabbath. Look at Jesus' response to the Jews...
Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. (John 5:19-20) Notice that Jesus does not initiate the things that He does, "...the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do..." Jesus only does what the Father Himself does. He only does the Father's will.

Not only does Jesus' actions perfectly reveal the Father's will, but they are also proof that He is from or that He has been sent by the Father. We also will see that Jesus only does and speaks the things that He hears and is taught from the Father...
But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish — the very works that I do — bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. (John 5:36)
For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
(John 6:38)
"...I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."(John 8:26)
"...I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things." (John 8:28)

Now let's look at another very important key in the life and ministry of Jesus...
And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him. (John 8:29) Not only does Jesus perfectly reveal the Father's will and nature, but EVERYTHING that He does and says pleases the Father.
Again Jesus has an encounter with the Jews. Look at the words that Jesus speaks to them...
If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him."
(John 10:37-28) These two verses should quicken the hearts of every Christian especially those who believe that bad things come from God. Jesus is pointing to the works that He does as the work of His Father. Next He says something that should awaken every Christian from the slumber of doubt. If one cannot believe that He is the Christ, the Savior, God the Son, the Son of God, then the works that He does should bring one to understand that the Father is in Him revealing Himself through the works that Jesus is doing.

The fact that Jesus perfectly reveals the Father's will and nature is the most crucial point of knowing that bad things do not come from God, especially to one who accepts Christ as Savior, confesses His Lordship from their mouth and believe in their heart that God raised Him from the dead. Of course this takes faith because most Christians are taught and trained to believe the opposite. Next time we will spend some time looking at the life and ministry of Jesus as recorded in the gospels. In doing so we will once again let the Word of God assault and destroy the lie that says God causes bad things to happen.

Bad Things Do Not Come From God - Part 10

2012-01-09T08:17:00.002-05:00

The Apostle Paul said, For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11) So we begin by looking at the life and ministry of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Gospel of John...
Jesus said to him, (Thomas) "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him. Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. (John 14:6-11)

Christ is the way, the Truth (reality) and the life concerning all aspects of the Father. To know Christ is to know the Father. By studying the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, we will see clearly that He perfectly reveals the Father in all matters. If Christians fail to believe this truth concerning Christ as the one who perfectly expresses the Father's will in ALL matters they will continually be overshadowed with doubts which means that they will always struggle with issues that are clearly the Father's will such as healing, finances, etc. and especially as to whether the bad thing that they encounter in life come from God. Christ has already set them free through His death, burial, resurrection, ascension and glorification and yet beneath the, "I believe that" lies doubt that neutralizes what they say they believe.

While the entire Bible reveals the Father's will, much of His purpose remained hidden until they were fully revealed in Christ...
In Him (Christ) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself (Ephesians 1:7-9)

The writer of Hebrews expresses Christ revealing the Father in all matters in this way...
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (Hebrews 1:1-4)

Look closely at verse three...
"Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person...
A more literal translation of this verse would read...
Jesus Christ is the radiance or exact reflection of the Father's glory as well as the exact representation and reproduction of the Father's nature and character.
So with this in mind, we must conclude that the Old Testament as well as the Epistles cannot be properly interpreted without a clear understanding of what Jesus both taught and demonstrated in His life and ministry. No one ever revealed the Father's will, nature, character and purpose perfectly in every way until Jesus Christ.

I pray that you take some quiet time to consider these truths concerning Christ's relationship with the Father and how it is in Him that the will of the Father is perfectly revealed. Although some of these truths may be somewhat difficult for some to comprehend, do not lose heart. Jesus said, However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth..." (John 16:13) By leaning on the guidance of the Holy Spirit concerning these truths, the doubts that have kept you from living in a totally victorious life will begin to wane and faith with begin to rise.

Bad Things Do Not Come From God - Part 9

2012-01-02T08:13:00.001-05:00

As we have looked at some key issues in the Old Testament, we have discovered the source of where all the bad things that come upon humanity originates, Satan and sin. Nothing that we would consider as "a bad thing" comes from God! Everything that He has made, His purpose, His plan and His very nature and character reflects the epitome of good. As we look into the New Testament we will discover even more conclusive evidence the "Bad Things Do Not Come From God."

The first place that we must start in building any theology in the church we must carefully observe the life and ministry of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Any theology that does not find itself built upon the foundation of Christ, will not clearly express the will of the Father, God. The Apostle Paul tells us...
According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:10-11)

This verse clearly shows us why we have so much "differences of opinion" when it comes to the various doctrines in the church today. Unfortunately in much of the churches doctrine today, Christ has been either minimized or He has been completely ignored. To use any part of the New Testament to build a theology without building upon Christ first, would be like a Christian attempting to form a theology of salvation through the Law of Moses. Although the Law of Moses is God's Word, the Law itself cannot be understood or taught properly without Christ being considered. The Law does not save people, only faith in Christ can...
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. (Galatians 2:16)

So before we dig into the"Good News" of the New Testament, I would like to propose a challenge to you the reader concerning our topic. Did you ever notice while watching a MLB baseball game or an NFL football game on television as the camera pans through the crowd of fans that their is usually at least one fan that is holding up a sign that references a particular verse of scripture? You know what verse I am talking about don't you? Why of course, it is John 3:16...
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

This verse of scripture is probably referenced more than any other verse of scripture in the Bible, so let's honestly consider what it says; "For God so LOVED the world..." Love is God's most potent characteristic and for Christians to fully grasp this, they must step away from the natural type of love that every person has and look at the God kind of love...
Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]... (1 Corinthians 13:4-8 AMP)

Honestly, does this define a father (Our Heavenly Father) that would do bad things to a person especially his own children? Of course it doesn't. Now let's look at the next verse in John's Gospel...
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:17)
The word "saved" in this verse means to deliver, protect, heal, preserve, to make whole...Even logic itself says that anyone who would be willing to do these thing for another would never directly or even indirectly cause bad things to happen to them. So please take some time to meditate upon these things as we move forward in the New Testament scriptures.

Another remarkable things that we will also discover as we continue our study on "Bad things do not come from God" is that the Word of God will begin to assault and tear down much of the doubting theology that has been taught by faithless teachers who have inoculated Christians with doubt. But I am confident that the Word of God will grow your faith and give you a correct perspective of God's true nature...
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)

Bad Things Do Not Come From God - Part 8

2011-12-26T15:03:00.001-05:00

Although there are many other incidence in the Old Testament that we could address that have been used as so called evidence that God causes bad things to happen or that it is His will for bad things to happen, we will close our discussion of the Old Testament with this final word.

In the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, there is a very important statement the the LORD reveal concerning His nature that we must apprehend if we are going to see Him in the true light of His true nature.
Malachi 3:6 "For I am the LORD, I do not change..." The LORD God is unchangeable! He is not merciful one moment and then become merciless the next. He is not gracious one moment and then become discourteous the next. He does not abound in goodness and truth and then become bad and lie.
"God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (Numbers 23:19-20) He does not change! Change implies imperfection and we all know that God is perfect in all He is, all He does and all He says; in everything!

Remember God made Adam a perfect man. He was not mortal nor immortal. He was made in the very image and likeness of God. He was made a little lower than God Himself which means he was above all other things that God had created; he was also given dominion over all of Gods works (Psalm 8:5-6)
It was God who looked at what He had created and said, "Indeed it is very good." God's original plan for man was for him to be in perfect union with Him and to live forever experiencing His very divine nature. Eve may have been deceived, but God gave command to Adam and therefore it was Adams choice that brought the horrible destructive nature of sin upon humanity. It was Adams choice to turn all his authority over to Satan resulting in mankind's slavery to Satan and sin and all their destruction.

We have looked at God's revelation of Himself to Moses...
"Now the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation." (Exodus 34:6-7) Although throughout Israel's history we see them struck with plagues and in bondage to other nations, but it was not God's doing nor His will for them. His will and plan for Israel was...
"Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."(Exodus 19:5-6)
It was Israel's continous rejection and rebellion against God that removed them from God's protection, provision and blessings and placed themselves under a curse; slaves to Satan and sin.

We saw that it was Satan not God who brought all the horrific things on Job. We saw that it was not God's will for these things to happen but Job had given Satan place through fear...
"For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me."
(Job 3:25) We also saw that God does not use Satan as His tool to do evil against humanity, but saw that God is just in every situation and circumstance and acts accordingly...
"As for the Almighty, we cannot find Him; He is excellent in power, in judgment and abundant justice; He does not oppress." (Job 37:23)

We also looked at many Old Testament passages that reveal God's true nature which He had previously revealed to Moses. And now we see that Malachi tells us that God is unchangeable. It is unfortunate that many Christian leaders for centuries have convinced far to many Christians that bad things come from God when in fact it is completely contrary to scripture. It is sad that most Christians today do not have a Biblical understanding of faith and therefore rely on their sense knowledge to live out their Christianity. Sense knowledge says, "when bad things come into one's life it must be God's will for them." It is true that the faith message was twisted like many other revelations that the Holy Spirit has revealed to the church to reform and restore her, but that is certainly no reason to have true Biblical teaching of faith removed from pulpits. The entire Christian life comes down to "faith working through love."

As we explore the New Testament on this very critical topic, my prayer is that the reader rely on the Holy Spirit to have their understanding enlightened in the knowledge of Jesus Christ so that they will truly come to know the truth of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. My prayer is that the doubts that have been placed in the hearts and minds of most Christians from faithless people who preach faithless sermons be assaulted and destroyed so that they can live a free, successful and abundant life in Christ and that we all come to a greater revelation of what He has accomplished for humanity through His death, burial, resurrection, ascension and glorification.

Bad Things Do Not Come From God - Part 7

2011-12-19T15:33:00.001-05:00

In the previous parts of this series, the conclusions have been based on New Testament principles which we will discuss in greater detail in future. However, please keep in mind some of the things that we have discovered in the Old Testament which have clearly revealed the source of the bad things that come upon humanity. Some of these things are; Adam's rebellion which opened the door for Satan and sin to have their way in humanity; that bad things can happen to God's people, but it is certainly no indication that it is God's will whatsoever; that when God's people met His conditions they could expect exceeding great blessings:
when God's people rejected and rebelled against His conditions they would remove themselves from God's authority, place themselves under Satan's authority and would reap the destructive nature of sin and Satan; that God is just and everything that comes upon man is according to his works and ways.

With that said, let's look at some additional Old Testament passages of scripture that reveal God's true nature as one who does not bring bad things upon humanity, but one who blesses.

Psalms 34:19-22 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.
If it were God's will that His people have many afflictions, then He would not deliver them from them ALL,
redeem their soul and keep them from being condemned.

Psalms 91:9-10, 16 Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation."
What wonderful promises for those who trust and rest in the LORD. They will be free of evil, (Satan, the epitome of all evil and the evil schemes of man) all sickness and disease and have long life on the earth.

Psalms 103:1-5 Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Please look at these five benefits from the LORD and notice the word ALL in some of them. Honestly, does this sound like bad things come from God? Here we see that God forgives, heals, protects, satisfies, renews and is fondly affectionate toward His people.

Psalms 107:17-22 Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all manner of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing.
Who brought affliction on the people? The people did through their transgression and iniquities, NOT GOD! The people opened the door for Satan and sin to have their destructive way with them. However, we see that it is God who sent His Word to heal and deliver them. It is the LORD who pours out goodness and wonderful works upon men!!!

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'
As we have seen previously, fear is from the devil, it gives him place and it prevents God from working in ones life. However, with the absents of fear and the calm assurance that God is with you, He will strenghten, help and uphold His people.

Isaiah 54:17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me," says the LORD.
No instrument of war, no sword, or spear; no persecution or torture and no accusation either natural or spiritual will overtake one of God's children, but on the contrary. God's children will put them all to flight because it is their inheritance as a child of God.

These are but a few Old Testament passages that reveal the true nature of God. Although they may point to Israel, they also apply to the believer today who has been grafted into Israel through faith in Christ. (Romans 11:17-24) The point is, whether Israel or the believer today, bad things do not come from God, they never have and they never will. Even in the judgment to come at the end of time, it will be justice being served to the sons of disobedience, Satan and all that is evil. It has never been God's will to have evil infiltrate humanity, nor to cast man into hell. It all come down to mans rejection and rebellion against God which places him under the authority of Satan and the destructive nature of sin which prevents God's blessings and all of His goodness from flowing.

Bad Things Do Not Come From God - Part 6

2011-12-05T09:46:00.001-05:00

Now let's look at another incident that the Bible records in which many Christians have been trained to believe concerning bad things coming from God, the life of Job. The first thing that we must understand is that the Old Testament revelation of God is incomplete (Ephesians 1:9, Colossians 1:26). We must also understand that Jesus Christ alone completely reveals the will of God in all matters, (John 5:19-20, 14:7, 9) which we will see as this series continues to develop. We must also recall the things that have been clearly revealed in scripture thus far that have evidenced sin and Satan being the actual causes of all the bad things happening to humanity, through man's constant rejection and rebellion toward God.

The thought behind Job's condition is that although God may not have directly caused all the bad things that happened to Job (Job 1:6-19, 2:7) it must be His will because He let Satan have his way with Job. This type of thinking creates serious error concerning the true nature of God. It indicates that God uses or lets Satan attack people for some mysterious divine purpose that only He knows; that God operates in any way He desires even if it contradicts His Word; when God allows something to happen, whether good or bad it must be His will and therefore what happened to Job was God's will. Can you see the twisted logic in this thinking.

Just because God permits something to happen, in Job's case, many terrible things, does not mean that it is God's will. We must understand that all the bad things that happen on the earth are clearly not God's will. If they were then we would have to blame God for all of the sin, injustices, losses, tragedies, pain, destruction and even demon activity because it must be His will. Honestly, to think like that is nothing more than a demonically influenced view of God, it is flat out Anti-Christ. So why did these things happen to Job?

For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me.
(Job 3:25) The Apostle Paul tells us in his second letter to Timothy...
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
(2 Timothy 1:7) Notice that Paul tells Timothy that he is dealing with a SPIRIT of fear. A spirit of fear is not from God but from Satan. Paul tells the church at Ephesus...Nor give place to the devil.
(Ephesians 4:27) Job gave the devil an open door through a spirit of fear to attack him in the areas that Job feared and dreaded. Notice that both accusations and attacks against Job were limited...
And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. (Job 1:12)
And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life." (Job 2:6)

It is quite apparent that Job was dealing with fear and dread of losing certain things but not everything, such as his own life. Therefore Satan was not permitted to take his life. Also to show that he (and I might add his friends) had no idea why these things were happening, they did exactly what Adam and Eve did when they were confronted with their sin (Genesis 3:12-13), it's called the blame game. (Job 3 - 31) Finally a young man named Elihu spoke up and corrected Job and his three friends for playing the blame game. Look at two of many statements that Elihu makes concerning the true nature of God...
Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: Far be it from God to do wickedness, and from the Almighty to commit iniquity. For He repays man according to his work, and makes man to find a reward according to his way. Surely God will never do wickedly, nor will the Almighty pervert justice. (Job 34:10-12)

There are some things that Elihu point out that are very important to grasp. Elihu considers what is taking place to be wicked and God does not cause wickness! Next he reveals that God repays or permits things to happen to people based on their works and their ways. Finally, Elihu says, "Nor will the Almighty pervert justice." God is just and responds accordingly toward man in every situation because He shows no partiality. (Romans 2:11) In other words, every person either meets or fails to meet the conditions that God has established and by this they receive the reward of their actions good or bad. The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul gives us a great example of this...

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. (Galatians 6:7-8) The words may be different but the principle applies throughout the entire Bible and will continue throughout the history of man until Christ returns. Next Elihu says...

As for the Almighty, we cannot find Him; He is excellent in power, in judgment and abundant justice;
He does not oppress. (Job 37:23) Look at these words that describe God, "...He is excellent in power, in judgment and abundant justice; He does not oppress." The word oppress in this verse means that God does not afflict, depress, browbeat, deal with harshly, hurt, ravish or weaken. We can certainly all agree that Job was experiencing all of these things, BUT THEY WERE NOT FROM GOD NOR WERE THEY HIS WILL FOR JOB!!!

Finally we see at the end of the Book of Job his repentance (Job 42:1-6) which took away the devil's place in his life and placed God in the position of authority over his life. We also see the true nature of God (Job 42:10-17) that of blessing. Unfortunately, due to poor teaching concerning the Book of Job, two main things arise in the lives of many Christians who truly love the LORD. They have been trained to accept bad things happening to them as God's will and or when bad things happen to them, they enter into the blame game and in doing so subtly blame God for bad things happening. Either way the results of this type of thinking produces serious doubts concerning the true nature of God and reduces the full redemptive work of Christ to nothing more than the born again experience and then muddling through life here on earth until one dies.

There are several reasons why so many Christians think this way, one being a lack of true Bible faith not being taught or preached in most congregations today due to a lack of faith among church leaders. If Christians leaders would put faith in the integrity of God's Word, teach and preach it to the church, the world would see the true nature and power of God in the church and run to Christ for the abundant life that is only through faith in Him!

Bad Things Do Not Come From God - Part 5

2011-11-29T10:07:00.001-05:00

The next era of mans history as revealed in the Bible begins in Exodus which is the disspensation of the Law or the Law age the lasted for 1500 years. During this time God gives man a greater revelation of Himself.
Not only does He reveal Himself through a visible manifastation of a pillar of fire and a pillar of cloud (Exodus 13:21) and as a Law giver (Exodus 20:1-17), but one of the greatest revelations that God had given to man during this time, is that He reveals His very nature to him (Exodus 34:5-7) This is very important to understand because the LORD does not change (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8)

The Apostle Paul tells us that the purpose of the Law is to show a sinner their guilt before God and stops them from justifying themselves (Romans 3:19), it brings the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20) and it defines sin (Romans 7:7). The Law does not give the knowledge of or define God, but sin.

God sets up a temporary system to deal with mans sin (Leviticus 1 - 7, Hebrews 9 - 10) but we see something revealed that shows us God's true nature even though the Law had been given. In Deuteronomy 28:1-14 we see that God is the one who blesses not the one who curses or causes bad things to happen. However, in Deuteronomy 28:15-68 it seems to indicate that God does cause bad things to happen to His people. This is where many people have learned to believe that bad things come from God. After all God does not change and bad things are happening to His people so it must be true for today also. But let's take a closer look at what the Bible reveals.

"But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:" (Deuteronomy 28:15) The first thing we need to note is that this does not say that God will cause all of the curses to come upon them, but the curses are a result of their decision to disobey God, sound familiar doesn't it (Adam and Eve). The curses would come upon them due to their CHOICE to disobey. It was the same thing that happened to Adam when he chose to disobey God and become the slave to sin and Satan. The same principle that applied to Adam also applied to Israel. However, God in His true nature of being merciful, gracious, longsuffering and abounding in goodness and truth, gives Israel the principle to live in His blessings and not the curses of sin and Satan.

"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)

All Israel had to do was choose God rather than sin and Satan to live a blessed life on earth free of bad things happening to them. However, if we look through Israel's history we see that they repeatedly rejected God and became slaves to sin which opened the door for Satan to have his way with them. Remember, Adam had forfeited his perfect life and all his authority to Satan and in doing so took himself out from under God's freedom and blessings to become Satan's slave. It was the same for Israel. They did not choose God's authority, protection and blessings to flow in their midst which would bring health, wealth and long life (Deuteronomy 28:1-14) but chose to reject God and let sin and Satan have their way bringing curses and ultimately destruction upon them. We see this very thing occurring throughout Israel's history as recorded in the Bible (Deuteronomy 28:15-68 the curse for disobedience)

We must see things from a correct perspective. God created man in perfection and gave him choice. It was man who chose to reject God and accept Satan as his master and all the evil that came with it. It was Israel that God chose and wanted to bless. It was Israel who chose sin (Satan) to rule over them through their rejection (disobedience to) of God. God does not choose bad things to happen to man, He permits them to happen because He will not encroach man's will to choose. If man chooses sin and Satan then he will reap the destructive nature of that choice. However, if man chooses God, he becomes a benefactor of all the blessings that God has promised, it is just that simple.

There are many believer that might say, "I am a believer and I did not choose this sickness, disease, fininacial problems, etc. so it must be God's will." However, when you look closer you will find that a statement like this is made due to one of two thing. One, is many believers let their body and soul have rule over their life and therefore open the door for sin and Satan to exploit them. The other is because many believers live their life in a natural type of faith that every person has. It is called sense knowledge faith or mental assent. It means that ones faith is based on ones mind and or senses, that is, seeing is believing, (John 20:24-25) and not revelation faith that emanates from the heart (spirit) that is, believing that you have received even though there is no tangible evidence (John 20:29, Hebrews 11:1) These things prevent believers from understanding the fullness of redemption which God has provided through Jesus Christ.

For many believers, redemption has been reduced to accepting Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior for the purpose of eternal life only, rather than seeing that redemption has completely restored man to what Adam was before the fall. This can only be realized through faith in Christ and in the integrity of God's Word. When believers come to realize that "Bad Things Do Not Come From God" they we begin to understand that they no longer have to live in defeat nor will they have to live a life constantly trying to defeat the devil, because he is already defeated. (Colossians 2:15) They will rest in the LORD because their faith has brought them to know that it is "God who ALWAYS leads us in triumph in Christ..."

Bad Things Do Not Come From God - Part 4

2011-11-29T07:59:00.001-05:00

Now that the state of man has changed from sinless to sinful and from having authority to being a slave, we will continue to explore the Bible to show us that "Bad Things Do Not Come From God." First we need to keep in mind some very important things...

Adam was created in the image and likeness of God in righteousness and true holiness. He was not mortal nor immortal but a perfect human being. (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:7, Ephesians 4:24)
God placed Adam in the garden and gave him authority (second to God Himself Psalm 8:5-8) and gave him a command (but also gave him choice Genesis 2:19-20) and made him a companion comparable to him (Genesis 1:28-30, 2:15-25)
We saw the deception of Satan and the disobedience of man which caused man to be banished from the garden. (Genesis 3:1-24) Through this act of disobedience, man had become enveloped by the flesh (being controlled by the desires of the body and soul Genesis 6:3) and his desire was to do evil (Genesis 6:5) because he has become spiritually dead (Genesis 2:17)
Finally we saw that Adam lost his authority and became a slave to sin or Satan (Genesis 6:5, Luke 4:5-6, John 8:44)

Remember that God had placed everything in motion at the time of creation, "He finished His work" and said, "Indeed it was very good." (Genesis 1:31, 2:1-3) It was man's poor choice that took away his authority and opened the door for all the evil that his new master Satan could perpetrate upon humanity NOT GOD!!! God did not make Adam disobey, Adam chose to believe Satan rather than obey the command of God. Although it was Eve who was deceived (1 Timothy 2:14) it was Adam to whom God gave the command (Genesis 2:15-17) so in that sense, Adam's lack of keeping his focus on the creator and using the authority that he was given, caused him to fall prey to the creation and become a slave to sin and Satan his new master.

Unfortunately, many believer's today fail in the same way. They have been taught that God let's bad things happen to them which paints a false picture of who God truly is. Christ has restored man and in that restoration has given him authority once again. By faith in Christ man is no longer a slave to sin and Satan (Romans 6:14) and yet many time believers fall prey by allowing their body and soul, where Satan continues to attack to rule them rather than exercising their recreated spirit where the believer has the power to overcome the body, soul, sin and Satan. Jesus paid the price for man's disobedience (Romans 5:17-21), He defeated Satan (Colossians 2:15) and has given the believer authority over Satan (Matthew 28:18, Mark 16:17-18, Luke 10:19, 24:49). It is a lack of faith and poor teaching concerning God's nature, character and will that promotes this unbiblical doctrine in the church.

Think about it. If sin and Satan are the product of all evil and Christ has saved humanity from these very things, then why would God still allow bad things to happen to His children? (Romans 8:16-17) He wouldn't!!! Bad things are still the product of sins destructive nature and the wickedness of Satan as it was in the beginning of man's history. However the good news is, Christ has delivered man from it ALL of these things. However, we must still keep in mind that man still has the right to chose concerning these matters. It comes down to choosing to place faith in the Truth of God's Word, not the false truth claims of faithless teachers and the deceptive lies of Satan. Remember, Satan came with his claims of truth in the garden that opposed the real Truth of God. His tactics and the destructive nature of sin have not changed, which is the very reason why believer's must "Live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us." It is only through faith in Christ and the integrity of God's Word that believers will truly know that "Bad Things Do Not Come From God."

Bad Things Do Not Come From God - Part 3

2011-11-20T18:37:00.001-05:00

Now that God had placed Adam in the garden, gave him authority, specific direction and even a companion, a wife that was comparable to him we begin to discover the actual root of bad things being unleashed upon all mankind...

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
(Genesis 3:1-5)

One of the unique attributes that God had given to mankind was the freedom of choice. Adam was a spirit with a soul encased within a body, his spirit was perfect and because of this his soul and body (flesh) were under full submission to his spirit. We do not know to this point in scripture why Satan chose to whet the appetite of the woman with his deception, but his false truth claims cause her soul to reason between two claims of truth, God's and Satan's. Finally we see that she responds...

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:6)

Unfortunately for mankind she chose wrong, but that is not the whole of it. Notice that when the woman ate of the forbidden tree she also gave it to her husband WITH HER, and he ate. Against some popular teaching that says Adam was not around when his wife was being seduced is not an accurate account. In fact he was WITH HER and watch the entire deceptive work of Satan unfold and did nothing to prevent it. Remember, he had the authority not Satan and did not use it against Satan's attack. Think about it, all he had to do was to speak and Satan would have had to obey. He could have said, "Satan get off the earth and never return" and that would have been the end of it forever. However, he chose to disobey the command of the LORD and by this act of disobedience forfeited his God given rights and authority to Satan. Now instead of Satan being under mans authority man was now under Satan's authority. Man not only gave up his authority but also his connection with God because he was now spiritually dead. God is Spirit and relates to mankind in spirit.

With Satan in charge of mans affairs so to speak let's look at what the Bible reveals as his nature. He is adversary, hater, opponent, enemy, accuser, slanderer, whisperer, enchanter, beguiler, tempter, liar, thief, murderer, do we get the point? His activities are to slander God to man and man to God; oppose God's ministers, pervert the Word of God, hold man captive through oppression, deception, possession, torments, vexing and buffeting. Because man is spiritual dead, Satan manifests these things through the soul (mind, will and emotions) and the body (the flesh). Even though there is much more evidence in the Bible that bad things do not come from God, we could actually stop here and logically conclude that all the bad things on earth are the result of the fall of man, that is, the destructive nature of sin and Satan.

The good news is that the LORD Jesus Christ conquered Satan and his gang and has made provision for all man to be set free by being turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, through faith in Jesus Christ.

Bad Things Do Not Come From God - Part 2

2011-11-08T08:32:00.000-05:00

In part one we saw that God set all things into motion at the time of creation and on the seventh day He rested
And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. (Genesis 2:2)

In chapter two of Genesis we see in great detail what God had created on the sixth day specifically those things pertaining to man. First we see that God formed man of the dust of the ground, but it wasn't until God breathed His Spirit into man that man became a new creation, he was made alive in God. We also see that God had created the earth, water and vegetation which means that the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were present before man was created. We also see that God chose a specific place called Eden where He place man and gave man specific direction. In those directions God gave Adam authority over all things on the earth. Basically from God's perspective, if anything on earth got out of line Adam did not have to ask God to deal with it, but he had the power to put it back in line. ALL things were subject to Adam. The only one that had more authority than Adam was God Himself.

For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. Youu have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas. (Psalm 8:5-8) In the Hebrew, it states that God had made man a little lower than Himself. This is very signicant to the believer today when we begin to look at what redemption truly means through Jesus Christ.

Next we see that God gave Adam one command that required his obedience...
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17) And finally we see that God made Adam a companion whom he called woman. Keep in mind that the creation of man, God's directives to man and His placement of man in Eden had all taken place on the sixth day of creation. At the end of the sixth day of creation, everything was set in motion by God. Believers must understand this if they are to truly understand that that bad things do not come from God.

For many who read this series your faith will be tried because you have been trained to believe that God does do bad things to people to either punish them or for some mysterious divine purpose. Liberal theology like this has caused doubt to fill the hearts and minds of far to many believers which has resulted in many who are weak, sick and have died prematurely.

In the next part of this series we will begin to discover the orgin of where bad things that happen have their roots.

Bad Things Do Not Come From God - Part 1

2011-11-08T07:17:00.000-05:00

Another controversial subject that affects many believers comes in the form of these questions, "Does God permit bad things to happen to His people." Does God use bad thing to chasten His People." Is God behind all the bad things that happen in the world." When I use the expression bad things, I mean sickness, disease, poverty, premature loss of life, birth defects, wars, and what we call natural disasters (hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, etc). It will certainly take some time to thoroughly address these questions, but I do want to give you the answer to these questions up front now, emphatically NO! Bad things do not come from God!

Why so many believers have fallen prey to believing that God does permit, allow or use bad things to happen is due to church leaders having a lack of understanding God's true nature and character which effects their understanding of His will. They use the statement that "God is sovereign" but in saying so they insinuate that God's sovereignty permits Him to operate outside of His Word. God certainly is sovereign but He most definitely does not operate outside of His Word. The next problem is many church leaders have a gross misunderstanding of creation. These two together have promoted a false image of the Living God.

Genesis records...
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth"..."Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was VERY GOOD. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day"...
(Genesis 1:1, 31) and "Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." (Genesis 2:1-3) Note that after God had created everyhting, "God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from ALL His work which He had done." In other words, everything that God would ever do was set in motion in the six days of creation, His work was completed. This means that everything that would happen from this point, the beginning, forward to the end of time in the mind of God has happened. Remember God is the Alpha and the Omega the Beginning and the End. He is not bound by time and space and therefore He saw the end at the beginning. If we can comprehend this, we will begin to understand many incredible things concerning God's will, word, nature and charcater as well as seeing many of the doctrines that the church has embraced over the last five hundred years are not biblically sound.

We will discuss this in greater detail, but for now it would be good for you to read and meditate on
Genesis 1:1-31, 2:1-3. Let the Holy Spirit begin leading you into "All Truth" as Jesus said He would do because what will be discussed will increase your faith in Jesus Christ, who is the Word.

Bye, Bye Flesh

2011-10-31T08:07:00.000-04:00

The Apostle Paul reveals some interesting news oncerning our flesh...
"But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:27)

To bring something into subjection means to rule over; to take authority over; to bring under control; to have dominion over. Paul considered his body/flesh to be and enemy with which he must contend. He does everything possible to subdue his weak body as well as all of its corrupt and carnal inclinations to show that he was not a slave to his body or under the dominion of evil passions, but that he is fully under the dominion of Jesus Christ.

Because Paul was an Apostle does not mean that he was more saved than you or I. It does not mean that he had more authority over his body than you or I over ours. Every believer has the ability to bring his or her body/flesh into subjection in the Name of Jesus. This is not based on shear determination, but an act of the will to submit to God and exercise faith in Christ! James tells us the power that is in our words...

"My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. Indeed, we put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh." (James 3:1-12)

A look at Proverbs we also see the power of the tongue..
"You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth."
(Proverbs 6:2)
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit."
(Proverbs 18:21)
In other words, you and I are the rulers of our bodies. We must let the spirit man on the inside rise up and take charge.

Smith Wigglesworth said it this way. “If someone asks, how is Smith Wigglesworth feeling today?” I tell him, I never ask Smith Wigglesworth how he feels, I tell him how he feels.”

A great prayer that you can start confessing over yourself is...
"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers."
(3 John 2) However, do not pray this prayer and blatantly get into debt, abuse your body or do things that you know are appealing to your flesh that you know is wrong. As your soul prospers in the knowledge of Christ and the more you will prosper in other areas of your life which includes walking in divine health. These things will cause your faith to grow. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

There are numerous verses of scripture that believers can confess over their lives, only know this one very important thing, confess the Word in faith!!!

Things to Have (Part 2)

2011-10-24T12:08:00.000-04:00

When encountering the works of the devil and his gang here is another thing that believers must have in their arsenal …

"But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you."
(Matthew 12:28) Believers must depend on the Holy Spirit to help, guide and give discernment. A great example of this is reflected in an encounter that Paul and Silas had in Philippi.

"Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation." And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And he came out that very hour." (Acts 16:16-18)

The demonized woman was speaking truth concerning Paul and Silas and she did this for many days. The demons purpose was to discredit Paul and Silas before both Jew and Gentile. But when Paul got discernment from the Holy Spirit he cast the demon out of the woman. Although all sickness and disease finds its roots in sin and or the devil, over 25% of the healings in Jesus’ ministry shown in the gospels, a demon had to be directly dealt with. This is why we need a good understanding of God’s Word (See Things to Have Part 1) together with the Holy Spirit’s guidance. .

If the wiles of the devil try to come upon a us, instead of accepting it and taking it as though somehow we deserve it or that’s just part of life, we are to remember, the name of Jesus belongs to all believers and all believers have the right to use His name.
"Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)
"Resist him, steadfast in the faith…" (1 Peter 5:9)

The key is FAITH; Fully convinced that God will do what He says He will do period. The Bible clearly tells us that Jesus has defeated Satan and stripped him of his power (Colossians 2:15) The Bible also says the as children of God that we are heirs with God and joint heirs with Christ. What Chrst has acomplished
believers are heirs to, that is by faith we are entitled to all that is in Chrsit, such as, the authority over the Satan and his gang. Jesus said...

"Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19) This means absolutly nothing, not sickness, disease, poverty, premature death, or second death. However, as said earlier, it takes faith in the integrity of God's Word.

Things to Have (Part 1)

2011-10-18T17:19:00.002-04:00

Although believers have authority of demonic spirits, they do not have authority over the human will. Believer's cannot just go around exercising authority over demonized people unless the demonized person truly wants help because they have authority over their own lives. When encountering the works of the devil and his gang there are some things that believers must have in their arsenal …

"When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick." (Matthew 8:16) First, believers must have a good understanding of God’s Word. In what is called the temptation of Christ it is recorded…

"Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'" Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'" (Matthew 4:5-7) Satan tried to use God’s Word to tempt Jesus. But Jesus recognized what it was and responded with truth that was not twisted.

Let’s look at what Satan didn’t say concerning the scripture he used…
"For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone" (Psalm 91:11-12) This is the Word of God that Satan quoted. However, let's see in the same Psalm what he didn't say...

"Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;" (Psalms 91:9-10) and...
"You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot." (Psalms 91:13)

Now isn't that interesting. Satan tried to build a good case with scripture, though out of context and we can see why. God's promise is safety from evil and plagues, the epitome of Satan and treading upon the lion, cobra, young lion and serpent are all references to Satan and his gang. No wonder Satan took God's Word out of context.

The Point is, believers must have a good knowledge of God's Word and place their faith in the integrity of God's Word or they can be easily deceived. A good thing is that many in the church know God's but few put their faith in it. The Apostle Paul hit the nail on the head when he said, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love." (Galatians 5:6)
Not the knowledge of God's Word working through love, but faith working through love.

Are You Being Watchful?

2011-10-09T17:28:00.001-04:00

The Apostle Paul begins to conclude his letter to the church at Ephesus by saying...
praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:18-20)

Paul is not making a summation that spiritual warfare is only accomplished through prayer. He is saying that no matter how skillful or courageous the believer may be in spiritual warfare, without prayer, that is, communication with headquarters, we can be defeated. Not only are we to engage headquarters with various types of prayer but are to rely on the aid of the Holy Spirit to do so. The believer is to always be on the lookout for the enemy so that he does not tempt or assault the believer by surprise. The believer does this with all perseverance, that is, never losing sight or becoming complacent thinking that somehow the devil will leave me alone. Peter tells us...

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith...(1 Peter 5:8-9) Although the devil walks about seeking to do harm to believers, we resist him by being steadfast in our faith. Jesus shows us the power of faith...
For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (Mark 11:23-24)
In Luke 4:1-12 we see the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness. There is something that believers need to see that is very important...
Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.
(Luke 4:13)
Believers need to understand that after Jesus’ 40 days of being tempted of the devil the devil did not throw up his hands and say, “Oh well I guess I’ll leave Jesus alone, He defeated me through all that I could tempt Him with.” No! The devil looked for other opportunities that he could use to tempt Jesus. If Jesus personally defeated the devil but the devil continued to look for an opportunity to tempt Him, do not think that he will somehow stop attacking believers even after they have won a victory over him.

Believers are to never let discouragement cause them to give in and confess doubt and unbelief; Never think that we can take on the devil without faith and staying in contact with heaven. We also must keep in mind that the believer is seated together with Christ far above principalities and powers; believer’s have authority over the Devil and His gang and are called to enforce and carry out Christ’s plan in our daily lives expanding His kingdom over all the earth

Take a Stand

2011-10-04T08:24:00.000-04:00

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6:13)
“The evil day”…The times of temptations or assault. Paul is not insinuating that this is the only time when believers are to take up the armor in fact “Having done all, to stand” is a military term meaning to be ready at all times to maintain our ground, repel every attack and take the enemies spoils. How do believers do this?

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
(Ephesians 6:14-17)
Gird your waist with truth…as a soldiers belt holds the rest of the armor in place, believers are to have a clear understanding of God’s word to keep our lives in place.
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:31-32)

Put on the breastplate of righteousness…the breastplate protects our most vital parts, especially the heart.
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. (Matthew 15:19)

Shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace…Being prepared at all times proclaiming God’s Word
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; (1 Peter 3:15)

Take up the shield of faith…unwavering faith in Christ assures the believer complete safety where no power of the enemy can penetrate
Abraham did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what God had promised He was also able to perform. (Romans 4:20-21)

The helmet of salvation…a soldier would not fight hard and well if in his mind there was no hope of victory
But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. (1 Thessalonians 5:8)

The sword of the Spirit…the Word of God is an active offensive weapon in which believers use to strike down the lies and accusations of the devil.
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

Believers need to take a stand daily against the wiles of the devil. But in doing so, they must operate in faith that Christ has defeated him and has given to the each believer authority over him.

Are You Ready to Rumble?

2011-09-25T18:46:00.001-04:00

As was shared last time, the Apostle Paul concludes his letter to the church at Ephesus with a very important piece of imformation that all believer's must get into their spirit. He continues with the next phase as to what the believe must do...
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)

What Paul is talking about here is NOT this awful fight that we are in against the devil nor is he talking about how powerful the devil is. Unfortunately many believers have been taught to think this way and therefore conclude that this is the reason why we put on the whole armor of God. We are to look at this verse from the perspective of what the Holy Spirit has revealed through Paul in the first part of Ephesians...
"...what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." (Ephesians 1:19-23)

Do you see that? Christ has been placed far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body. Where are all principality and power and might and dominion? Under His feet. Also see that He is the head over His body which is the church. Now what are the things that the body walks or stand on? Its feet. Do you see that? These same principality and power and might and dominion are under the feet of the believer, the church, His body.

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."
(Ephesians 2:4-6) Believers are together in Christ far above principalities and powers and might and dominion which are under His/our feet! PTL

Unfortunately many believers are not taught to think like that because it takes faith in the integrity of God's Word to believe that Satan is no longer our master but in Christ we are now His master. This is why James tells us..."Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7) He will flee because we know what Jesus did...
Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. (The cross) (Colossians 2:15) So it is up to the believer to activate their faith, believe God's Word and uphold and enforce what Jesus did. The lives of the lost are depending on us.

Let's Turn on the Power

2011-09-14T18:09:00.000-04:00

Paul's letter to the Ephesians is filled with faith building and identification verses. Paul concludes this letter with some very important information that believers need to get into their spirit because all the information will not mean much if we do not do what he proposes in his conclusion...

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-11)

The Apostle Paul concludes his letter to the Ephesians with what has become known as spiritual warfare scriptures. His prayer in the beginning of the letter is for the purpose of believers become spiritually acute to the incredible revelation that the Holy Spirit is unveiling through him. Although Ephesians is only six chapters, in my opinion he covers enough areas of Christian life that if completely applied, the believer will be powerful and successful from church life to family life to personal life. But like everything else, believers must live by faith.

When I talk about spiritual warfare, I do not refer to it as many others do. Spiritual warfare is not going head to head with the devil in some sort of combat prayer, although prayer is a part of it. When I mention spiritual warfare I simply mean enforcing what Jesus did...
"how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." (Acts 10:38)
Believers are to carry out His plan by exercising authority over the devil and his gang in their daily lives as they expand the kingdom of heaven on the entire earth.

Another aspect of spiritual warfare that believers need to know is that the believer who puts on this armor is marked. The devil will do everything in his power to keep believers from coming into the revelation that they have authority over him. I know through my own personal experiences that he will fight over this matter more than any other. The devil will test us and we may fail but we must never let a test cause us to throw up our hands and say something to the effect, “This authority stuff does not work for me.” That is fear, doubt or unbelief at work. In fact what one is really saying is, God is a liar, His word is not true. Who is the real liar? it is the devil, so let’s never forget that!

We will look deeper into what Paul is conveying to the church but for now, let us remember exactly what Paul is saying...
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-11) SELAH

A Noble Gesture

2011-09-06T16:21:00.000-04:00

So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe. (John 4:46-48)

Here we see a nobleman coming to Jesus seeking help for his son who was sick. Look at Jesus’ response to the nobleman’s request, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” It almost sounds like Jesus is rebuking those around Him, especially the nobleman. Well, He is. This is noteworthy to every believer that needs to see a manifestation in order to believe. This was the problem that we see with the apostle Thomas after Christ's resurrection (John 20:24-29) he needed to see in order to believe. The God kind of faith (Mark 11:22) is able to believe that is has received without seeing to believe (Mark 11:24)

There may be times when there are not immediate results when looking to be healed of sickness, disease, injuries, all matter of pains or when you have a financial need, etc. If you have spoken God's Word or prayed and this happens, do not get discouraged, but think how you may have prayed or spoken. Are you sure that your words came from a heart filled with faith or a head filled with faith? Every person has faith, but not every person operates in the God kind of faith. Faith must be based on what God’s Word says and not based on a manifestation! If it is based on a manifestation then we are not operating in a heart filled with faith but in a head filled with faith.
Unfortunately when circumstances don’t immediately change, many believers become discouraged and slip into the natural (head) kind of faith. Their faith turns to hope by saying or thinking “If others see this person get up from this wheel chair” or their confession becomes one of doubt “I am not sure that God wants to heal” they defeat themselves because they give place to the devil. Doubt, fear and unbelief come from the devil not God.

Smith Wigglesworth said it this way, “I’m not moved by what I see. I’m not moved by what I feel. I’m moved only by what I believe.”
What he was talking about is not what he beleives in his mind, what what he believes in his heart. The apostle Paul tells us, "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:10) Next we see the nobleman's response to Jesus...

"The nobleman said to Him, Sir, come down before my child dies! Jesus said to him, Go your way; your son lives. So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, Your son lives! Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, Your son lives. And he himself believed, and his whole household." (John 4:49-23)

Once again we see the nobleman plead with Jesus on behave of his son. Jesus respose to the man in an entirely different way and says, "Go your way; your son lives." Why would Jesus go from rebuking those around Him to speaking the word's of healing, "Your son lives?" It is due to one thing, "the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him." His son was not present. The nobleman did not see a manifestation of healing. He simple believed and recieved the word that Jesus spoke to him and then he got the manifestation.
It is just that simple.

However, for most believers it is a diffecult thing (pride) to admit that their faith is weak so they have been taught to blame God for them not receiving what they have desired of Him. They do not blame Him directly but their words are cloaked in religious jargen like, "Whatever the LORDS will is" or "God has some purpose for not healing or providing for me." Please understand three things...

God's Word never fails. What He said He will do, He does...
"God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" (Number 23:19)
Faith from the heart and not the head is the only faith that God responds to...
"For with the heart one believes..." (Romans 10:10)
Your faith can always grow...
"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

It's Time to Come Out

2011-08-29T08:23:00.000-04:00

Without a doubt, the Apostle Paul was a real man of God. He was given abundance of revelation concerning Jesus Christ and what His advent to earth and His ascension to heaven means to all believers. His travels lead him into some very interesting situation to say the least, but as he told Timothy, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7) What a testimony. He did not waver when it came to doing what the LORD had commissioned him to do, nor did he retire. He finished what the LORD had called him to do.

One of Paul's trips took him to Philippi where he and one of his traveling companion Silas a prophet, had an encounter with "a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation." And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And he came out that very hour. (Acts 16:16-18)

Wow it sounded like free publicity for Paul. However, sometimes things may look or sound right, but believers are to discern what is going on and exercise their authority in the name of Jesus and demand that which is contrary to God’s will to come into alignment with it. This is exactly what happened here. Although this woman was speaking truth concerning Paul's mission, it was still the enemy that was trying to bring confusion to the Jews and Gentiles of Philippi.

The people of Philippi knew that this woman had a spirit of divination although what she was saying was true, Paul discerned what was going on, acted in faith, and used the authority in the name of Jesus to cast the spirit out. If he didn’t it would have appeared to the Jews that Paul was working with the wicked spirit and it would have appeared to the gentiles that there was no difference between the power of darkness and the power of God. This would have destroyed Paul's credibility as a true servant of Christ and would have squelched the gospel from having an effect.

I have met many Christians who think of the Name of Jesus as they do a good luck charm. They put more faith in a hand full of beads, a horoscope or a rabbit’s foot than in the name of Jesus. Their thinking is, “Well maybe it will work” or “Hopefully something good will happen”. But if your thinking is wrong, your believing will be wrong and if your believing is wrong then what you confess will also be wrong and it will be witnessed by your actions or inaction's.

The name of Jesus belongs to all believers and all believers have the right to use His name. When the devil or his gang tries anything, by faith any believer, even if they were saved today can command them to leave in the Name of Jesus and it must leave. PTL

Who is Responsible Here?

2011-08-22T11:21:00.000-04:00

It is the churches duty and or responsibility to exercise all the authority that can be exercised upon the earth because Jesus is no longer here in His physical body. The church is the body of Christ. It is no longer an option nor will results be produces by leaving everything up to Him. He has conferred His authority on earth to His body, the church. How do we know this?

"...and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." (Ephesians 1:19-23)

The Father has placed Jesus as supreme ruler far above all principalities, powers, might (rule, authority, power) and every name that is name in heaven, on earth and under the earth, whether the angels of heaven, earthly kings or rulers, fallen angels and Satan himself. They are all under His feet (authority) forever. The Father has also placed Christ as head over His body, the church, where the fullness of Christ dwells. This may be hard to swallow, but the problems that exist are because believers permit them to. We are the ones who are suppose to do something about them. However, instead of using the authority that we have as His body and demanding that which is contrary to His will to come into alignment with His will our tendency is to ask God to do something. The problem with asking God to do something is, HE ALREADY HAS and is waiting for believers to act in faith and enforce what He has already accomplished through Christ.

Again, all the authority that was given to Christ the Head is to be exercised through His body, the church. He carries out His work on earth through His body. The major aspect of Christ’s work on earth through the church is to conquer the devil and his gang in all areas of life. But if believers do not apply faith in what God has said (His Word) then the things that the devil and his gang bring, sickness, disease, poverty, etc. on
believers is not God's fault!

Jesus told seventy other disciples, "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, (the devils gang) and over all the power of the enemy, (the devil) and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19) hallelujah!

Here is another mindset that may have to be dealt with. Christ cannot do His work on earth without the church. Most believers have been taught that God doesn’t need me but I need Him. The fact is He cannot get along without believers any more than believers can get along without Him. HE IS THE HEAD OF THE BODY, THE CHURCH. The Head and Body are indivisible. This is exactly what the Apostle Paul was conveying in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. Not only can the head not function without the body, but the body needs every part to function properly to carry out the commands of the head. There is not one human body that does not need its head to function nor is there one human head that does not need its body. Likewise Christ cannot get along without us, because the work of Christ (God) is carried out through the body of Christ, the church. Again, believers must operate in faith in what God has said!!!

"God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19) And we all say, Amen!!!

Jump up and Shout

2011-08-15T18:04:00.000-04:00

The Apostles Peter and John had a very interesting encounter one day as they made their way to the temple to pray at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer. When they arrived at the temple there was "a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms." The incredible thing is what took place next...

"And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us." So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them walking, leaping, and praising God." (Acts 3:4-8)

What had taken place is that Peter used the authority in Jesus’ name to command or demand the lame man to be healed. Peter did not demand anything of God, because God didn’t make this man lame, Satan did. Peter was demanding that which was contrary to God’s will to come into alignment with God’s will. Peter knew what Jesus had spoken to them. He had no doubt, only faith in God's Word.
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who BELIEVES in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask (demand something due) in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask (demand something due) anything in My name, I will do it." (John 14:12-14) This was not only a statement made to the Apostles but to "HE WHO BELIEVES."
When Jesus taught His disciple to pray as recorded in Matthew's gospel He made some very important and powerful declarations, one of which is...

"Your (Our Father in Heaven) kingdom come. Your (Our Father in heaven) will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) So let's answer this question. Is it the Father's will for there to be sickness, diseases, plagues, pains or injuries in heaven? Of course not! Well if it is the Father's will for these things in heacen, then it is also the Father's will that these things take place on earth. HEALING IS GOD'S WILL!!!

Now we know that there is all manner of sickness, diseases, plagues, pains or injuries on the earth, but it is not the Father's will, it is Satan and the destructive nature of sin that is still in operation on the earth. However, like Peter, believers have the authority in the name of Jesus to "ASK" demand that which is contrary to God’s will to come into alignment with it. "Whatever you ask (demand) in My Name, I will do it.”

We also see in this encounter that Peter and John had with the lame man something else that is revealed here. “And he (Peter) took him (the lame man) by the right hand and lifted him up…” James says, "I will show you my faith by my works;" Peter was acting upon his faith. What he believed he confessed and acted upon it. Next we see the lame mans response; “So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them walking, leaping, and praising God.” The lame man also had a response in faith by acting upon what Peter demanded. How do we know this?

"And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all." (Acts 3:16) Faith is produced or comes through Jesus. The church is His body and His fullness dwells in His body. If this is so, then we must understand as the head has power and authority to move mountains, then the body also has the same power and authority because the head and the body are one. But believers must keep this very important fact in mind. Believers are not the basis of power and authority, "It is His name, faith in His name" that releases the supernatural, period.

Something is Fishy

2011-08-08T09:05:00.001-04:00

The story of Jonah is an interesting narrative and implies many things. The story basically goes like this. God calls Jonah to preach repentance to the wicked Ninevites. Jonah perceives that God is going to show them mercy. However, Jonah turns down the assignment from God and heads for Tarshish instead. But God begins to deal with Jonah's refusal to do what He had called him to do by having him tossed off the ship that he was traveling on and then swallowed by a great fish. In the fishes belly Jonah realizes that God is serious about His command so he prays and God has the fish vomit Jonah onto dry land where he goes to Nineveh and preaches the Word of the LORD.

One of the things that Jonah reveal about himself is a lack of revelation knowledge of God's love. It may have been acceptable for Jonah to go and preach repentance to his "own nation", but not to these wicked Ninevites. When Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus He said, "For God so loved the world..." not a specific peoples group, but every nation, kindred and tongue, all the people of the entire world. Most believers can agree with this (it's sad that many don't) however what has happened within the body of Christ? Why is there such great division and contraversy when we are called to love one another?

With a closer look at the scripture we see a command that Jesus gave that many believers tend to receive as did Jonah when God had first called him to go to Nineveh. John records...
A new COMMANDMENT I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." (John 13:34) Jesus is not making a good suggestion, He is not giving an option, there is no picking and or choosing, and this does not only apply to His disciples. The LORD is serious about this command. Jesus then continues with...
"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35) One of the smallest words in this verse becomes the main ingredient for the world to know who belongs to Christ. The word is "IF."

Unfortunately, many believers are trying to love through their flesh, that is, a natural or carnal love that every person has. The problem with natural love it can turn to anger in a moment because it is a part of the fallen nature. When believers operate in natural love it can cause them to break relationships, leave the congregation that they know LORD had called them to and like Jonah, abort the call of God in their life. Even though this is very sad, what sets Jonah apart from believers that operate this way is that Jonah put down his pride and returned to that which God had called him to. Today however, there are many Christians who sit in church buildings that they have not been called to or stay home altogether who will justify these kind of actions with a long list of reasons. But interestingly enough they would certainly have a quick change of heart like Jonah if a great fish swallow them also.

It takes faith to exercise the God kind of love, but according to Paul...
"...the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5) Believers do not have to ask God for more love, His love was placed within them the day that they were born again. Instead of asking God for more love, begin to "Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh," (operate in the natural or carnal kind of love)

Believers must keep in mind every moment what the Holy Spirit said to Paul...
"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13)

And with this in mind that only leaves one thing more, "JUST DO IT." Abide in the God kind of love!!!

Demanding Something Due

2011-08-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

John's gospel by far reveals some things that many congregation have permitted to slip away due to a lack of faith from church leaders or through liberal theologians who hold their wisdom above that of the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells us...
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. (John 16:13)

Notice that Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth. Well then if the Holy Spirit is not being permitted to guide, then the possibility exists that there many of the so called truths today that are accepted by many believers are nothing more than the product of the wisdom of men and not truth revealed by the Holy Spirit. Could this be why more believers are trained to doubt than to believe. Let's look at something that Jesus said that most church leaders have trouble accepting as a part of the ministry of the church today...

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. (John 14:12)

There are some things that must be settled in our hearts concerning what Jesus is saying. First, is this statement figurative or literal? Is it only for the apostles are for all believers? Well if you believe that it is a figure of speech and or because is was spoken to the apostles it was only for them, then you operate in doubt and not in faith. However, if you are convinced that this statement is literal and is for anyone and everyone who truly believes in Jesus, then it's time to release your faith and act upon it. Next we see something equally incredible...

And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:13-14)

The reference here is not concerning prayer, but it refers to the believer acting upon Gods will by exercising spiritual authority in the Name of Jesus which every believer has the right to. The word "ask" means; to inquire; to request; but in the context of these verses it means to demand; to demand something due. It also carries with it the assurance that whatever we have asked or demanded in the Name of Jesus, it will be granted. It is not to place a demand on God, but in the sense of demanding that which is contrary to God’s will to come into alignment with it.

Jesus is teaching His disciples and us about using His Name as a basis for authority. He is saying that believers are to demand that which is contrary to God’s will to come into alignment with it. That is the power and authority that is in the Name of Jesus and when believers demand something due in His name, He says that He will do it. Now I want to remind the reader again that we are not demand anything of God but demanding that which is contrary to God's will to come into alignment in the Name of Jesus. What a promise. The only thing that we must keep in mind is that we have to release faith for these things to happen.

Got Authority?

2011-07-26T20:23:00.000-04:00

Jesus made a statement in the closing of what we call "The LORDS Prayer" that is very important and believers need to grasp in their spirit "...For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (Matthew 6:13) Think about that, ALL kingdom, power or authority and glory belong to God and Him alone! (Selah)

Though Jesus has defeated Satan for all humanity, what sets people totally free from Satan’s power, authority, dominion and jurisdiction is placing their faith in this truth; ALL kingdom, power or authority and glory belong to God!!! His kingdom authority operates through Christ who has all authority, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18) but also God's authority operates through believers, the church, "And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:22-23)

Looking at these passages of scripture reveals some things that believes must comprehend in their spirit. There are to many believers that live in defeat by letting the devil push them around by inflicting sickness, disease, pains, poverty, hopelessness, discouragement, fear, doubt, unbelief, etc. upon them when in fact believers have been given authority to put the devil and his gang in their place, UNDER OUR FEET!!!

Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and earth; God raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come; God put everything under His feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. So you see, if the head has all authority, then the body, which is connected to the head has been given delegated authority to function. For instance, the human head speaks to the body and the body (if functioning properly) carries out the heads commands. If a person wants to pick something up in their hand, the head give delegated authority to every part that is involved in the hand carring out that function. In the same way, the Body of Christ (believers) have been given delegated authority to carry out the commands of Jesus the Head of the Body.

Colossians 2:15 Tells us that Jesus disarmed principalities and powers (Satan and his gang)…1 John 3:8 tells us that, The Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Well believer, the devil and his gang are still at it, so that means the work that Jesus did is to be enforced by the church.
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
(John 14:12-14) Any questions?

Of course this comes down to a believers faith. Not sense knowledge faith which the Apostle Thomas operated in at one time (John 20:24-25) but revelation knowledge faith. The difference is, sense knowledge faith relies on ones senses to believe whereas revelation knowledge faith relies on our heart (spirit) to believe. Christians are to "believe that they receive" not receive and then believe. Think about it, if you receive something, do you really have to believe for it? Of course not, you already have it.

Jesus said, Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10:19) and if you believe that this only applies to the 70 disciples that He sent out, then it is no wonder why you live in defeat and blame God for things that have happened to you that He DID NOT DO!!! The following are some statements that believers use to blame God for things that He has not done, without directly saying, "It's God fault."

God does not heal, deliver, do the supernatural, etc. today...
God uses sickness, disease, pain, poverty, etc. in a believers life for a divine purpose...
God is soverign and it's up to Him to do whatever He wants...
Whatever happens, God's will be done...
God has a specific time when He will intervene in this situation...
God allows bad things to happen to His children as a learning experience or to correct their character...

These statements are only a few that are spoken by Christians that reveal a lack of understanding of God's will, nature, purpose, character and plan as well as a lack of taking the authority in the name of Jesus over the devil and his gang. I believe that every true Christian has enough faith, but they must destroy all the doubts that they have been innoculated with from pulpits that cause them to believe and spaek words that are contrary to God's will. There is a saying that I hear occasionally from believers that goes like this, "Let go and let God." I have a word of advice for any one who says that, "It is not a matter of letting go and letting God, it is a matter of believing and receiving what God has already accomplished and given through Christ."

What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.
(Hebrews 11:1 TLB)

Do You Know Your Place?

2011-07-18T08:53:00.002-04:00

Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented." And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." (Matthew 8:5-9)

The centurion recognizes Jesus as more than a Rabbi or a Prophet. He addresses Him as LORD. He responds in humility and with great spiritual insight. He explains that like Jesus, he is also a man under authority. His response reveals his understanding of the principles involved with authority; Authority is present where submission and obedience are present.

The centurion knew that he could give verbal commands to those under him only because he submitted and obeyed the orders of his superiors and expected the same of his subordinates without question. Based on his request, he recognizes that Jesus was living in direct submission and in obedience to "Authority" and therefore knew that Jesus had authority to command the healing of his servant in the same way that he could command those under him. This is very important for believers to understand if we are to fully operate in the authority that we have been given in the name of Jesus.

This Roman centurion believes and is confident without question that Christ has the authority to heal just by speaking a word. Please understand, believers do have authority, but it is not because the Bible says so or because someone else told us. It is due to our faith in Christ. It also comes by way of believers knowing that they only operate in delegated authority in Christ and in Christ alone. Notice verse 9, the centurion did not directly say that he had authority, but that he, like Jesus was under authority. Understanding how authority works is directly related to understand how faith works.

When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." hen Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you." And his servant was healed that same hour. Matthew 8:11-13

Jesus praised the spiritual insight of the centurion and marvels at the centurions understanding of authority and credits him as having great faith. The centurions faith opened the door for his servant to be healed. The centurions knew his place as a man under authority, he also reconized Jesus' place as a man under authority, but do you really know yours?

Establishing the Kingdom

2011-07-11T18:19:00.001-04:00

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
(Philippians 2:5-8)

In this passage of scripture we see two incredible things that had taken place in the Son of God. First, we see that He emptied Himself in His divinity; and second He humbled Himself in His humanity. By the time the LORD came into the world He had emptied Himself of the all the glory and power that He shared with the Father and became an ordinary person of this world. He was fully God yet fully man and as a Son He willingly submits to the Father’s authority...
"O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.
(Matthew 26:42)
I am going to the Father, for My Father is greater than I. (John 14:28)

This act of submission reveals two things; The Father is the position of authority and the Son the position of obedience to the Father’s authority. For people to become obedient it is a simple act of humility. For Christ it is no simple matter. The one of whom all things were created through had to let go of all that authority, glory and power accept human limitations of time and space, become a servant and even humble Himself further and “became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)

Although Adams act of disobedience had stripped him of the authority that God had given to him on the earth, both authority and obedience have come together in Christ. This is why it is so important to continually grow in faith, not a general unspecified faith in Christ but rather a directed unwavering faith that is totally convinced that Christ has fully and perfectly revealed the Father’s will, purpose and nature through His actions, teachings and commands and has provided the fullness of redemption in all of its forms. In other words Christ’s obedience has totally restored humanity and has established Gods authority on earth to all who come to Christ, that is through the church. We see this played out in the scripture...

Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28:18)
And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:22-23)

Jesus is the Head and beleivers are the Body of Christ. It is now up to the Body of Christ, the church to exercise faith and enforce what Jesus has established on the earth by using His name which carries His authority.

To Believe or Not to Believe, That is the Question

2011-07-04T16:49:00.000-04:00

One of the greatest examples of faith is found in the life of Abram, who was later given the name Abraham by God. He received a call from God...
Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:1-3) Abram immediately responded. Keep in mind that Abram did not have a road map per se as we do today called the Bible. According to Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

The Apostle Paul also tells us of Abraham's great faith...
For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations") in the presence of Him whom he believed — God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "So shall your descendants be." (Romans 4:13-18)

To operate in the grace that comes from God requires faith on our part. The Almighty, all knowing, Creator of everything seen and unseen who gives life to the dead and calls those thing which do not exist as though they did, will never fail accomplishing what He has promised. However, many time believers begin to doubt His call if they do not see it manifest immediately. As a pastor I have watched countless people do foolish things such as quit jobs and leave the very congregations that God had called them to because they received a call from God but would not wait on Him to make it happen. Even Abraham tried to help God by accepting Sarah's maid Hagar to have his child. But Abraham stayed the course. Paul goes on...
And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore "it was accounted to him for righteousness." (Romans 4:19-22)

Wow...Abraham was called at age 75 and the promise of God did not manifest until he was 100, According to the natural realm, he and Sarah were beyond child bearing years plus Sarah was barren. However, God is almighty, and does according to His will and will fulfill His promise. God promised Abraham a son, so Abraham "did not consider his own body”. He did not give into unbelief, but was strengthened in faith being fully convinced that what God had promised He was able to perform. We must believe and act as though Gods Word is true!

Let’s be honest, there is so much scepticism in the church concerning God's will, and it's because most believers have been trained to doubt. The point is, Abraham is just one example of someone having great faith. Today we are very fortunate people to have a record (the Bible) of people who had faced incredible circumstances yet held their ground because of their unwavering faith in God. If the same scenario that was presented to Abraham was presented to most believers today, chances are that they would give in to doubt and abort the call of God due to their lack of faith. How do I know this? I listen to how believers talk and one of the greatest statements of doubt that I hear is, "If it be God's will." Sadly, this statement reflects doubt and ignorance by those who say they believe the Bible is the infallible Word of God and yet don't know His will. I want you to think about the following words that Jesus spoke...
"...when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8)

Please Remind Me

2011-06-27T07:24:00.000-04:00

There is a heavenly court that God calls His people into to plead there case before Him in a way that is much like the Parable of the Woman and Judge (Luke 18:1-8), it goes like this...
Put Me in remembrance; Let us contend together; state your case, that you may be acquitted.
(Isaiah 43:26)

God urges Israel to present their case to Him so that they can be acquitted. In other words, like the Parable of the Woman and the Judge, God calls His people, in a sense to remind Him of His promises. Not that He has forgotten, but do we believe His Word and through faith present our case, believing what He has promised to do, He will perform? Do we place our faith in the integrity of His Word? Do stand on what He has promised? Here is some examples of praying for healing and putting God in remembrance...

Father, Isaiah 53:4-5 says that part of the plan of redemption in Christ is that He has paid in full for me to be healed. Sickness you must go in Jesus’ name…or…

Father, according to Matthew 9:27-28 two blind men asked Jesus for healing and Jesus asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” Father, I believe that you are able to heal me and in the name of Jesus I am healed...or…

Father, according to Mark 1:40-41 a leper came to Jesus and said, “If you are willing, You can make me clean”. Jesus answered him and said, “I am willing, be cleaned. “ Father, I know it is your will to heal, in the name of Jesus I am healed, Thank you…

Let's consider these 3 scenarios. Did I pray the same prayer? No…What did I do? I am simply pleading my case before God quoting His word in an area of my life that I need to receive what He has already promised, healing. I may not see the physical evidence but I am being persistent, standing on His Word expecting to be healed and thanking Him for the healing. If what you have prayed for hasn’t materialized and if you pray again, don’t pray the same prayer, that would be unbelief. We are to be persistent, remind God (Isaiah 43:26 Put Me in remembrance) of what His Word says, that is, present our case, use various scriptures, stand on His Truth, receive what I have asked for and thank Him for it whether it has manifest or not. Our faith must be in Christ and what He has done not in a manifestation. This is what Thomas did, "Unless I see," and was rebuked by the LORD for it.

One of the greatest examples of this is...
Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations") in the presence of Him whom he believed — God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "So shall your descendants be." And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore "it was accounted to him for righteousness."
(Romans 4:16-22)

Abraham did not let unbelief (doubt) have place in his life; He did not consider the condition of his body; He did not have a Bible to look at; He did not let the devil lie to him; But was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. This is the key to real Bible faith! Being fully convinced that God will do what He said that He will do.

If it is God's will to heal (it is) then He will heal me if I am fully convinced that God will do what He said that He will do. It is not a matter of time it is a matter of my faith, "Be it according to your faith." The good news is, faith can always grow. Like most other things, the more we practice our faith the more it grows. The point is God will honor and make good on His Word all the time.
I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name. (Psalms 138:2)

But do we truly believe His Word?

Believe That You Have Received

2011-06-20T11:18:00.003-04:00

It has been said, "If you pray seven times for any one thing, you prayed six times in unbelief.” Are believers not to be persistent in prayer? Didn't the Apostle Paul pray three times for the same thing? So what does it mean, "If you pray seven times for any one thing, you prayed six times in unbelief.”

First of all, Luke 18:1-8 Jesus shares a Parable revealing persistence in prayer. The Apostle Paul also tells us that believers are to "pray without ceasing", (1 Thessalonians 5:17) So prayer itself is not the issue but how we are praying. Looking at other scripture Jesus address the issue of how to pray or how not to pray...

And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. (Matthew 6:7)

True prayer is from the heart that is, in faith, not from the mind, which is mental assent. God is moved through fervent prayer that is spoken in faith, not lofty long prayers that are repeated over and over that may sound holy but are not rooted in faith. Jesus continues...

Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. (Matthew 6:8)
Well, then why bother praying at all? Because prayer is not meant to inform God, it is to encourage believers to draw near to Him, to talk with Him, meet with Him, to know Him in an intimate way and assure ourselves that He hears and answers us. It’s communication with God. But do believer's really believe (?) that He hears are prayers and is also willing and able to answer every time? Upon a closer look at Luke 18:1-8 we see some events that we can learn from...

Understand that the woman went to a “Judge” seeking justice. It does not matter that this judge did not fear God or have respect for people. The point is that he was a judge, one who is to make a ruling based on evidence not bias. So we need to think in terms of a case being tried in court. We do not know what evidence the woman has presented to convince the judge to rule in her favor. What we do know is that she continuously presents her case to the judge. In a court of law evidence is not repeated over and over, it is presented from different perspectives or witnesses, that builds a solid case.

If an attorney presented the same one piece of evidence over and over again and his opponent presents a multitude of evidence that refuted the one bit of evidence, who do we suppose the judge will rule in favor of? Let's be honest, the judge would rule in favor of the one who presented the most and best supporting evidence. Though it is obscure as to how she presented her case and what she said to the judge we have to conclude that she presented her case not only persistently but also with enough compelling evidence that the judge ruled in her favor.

In 2 Corinthians 12 Apostle Paul prayed or pleaded with the LORD three times For Him to remove the messenger of Satan that was buffeting him. There is no indication at all that Paul asked the LORD the same way all three times. Ignorance would say, "Well it doesn't mean that he didn't ask the LORD the same way all three times". Why ignorance? Because Paul was a praying man (as indicated in the invocation of his epistles) he knew the LORD very intimately (as indicated by the abundance of revelation that he received) and therefore we would have to assume that from the time of his conversion, he continued to pray as "the hypocites" scribes and Pharisee's (which Paul was a former Pharisee) that Jesus mentioned in Matthew 6.

So now we can see that it is not so much what we pray for (although it must be according to His will, 1 John 5:14-15) but how we pray. If I don't have an answer to my prayer, I can pray for the same thing but I must adjust my prayer. The reason why I must adjust my prayer is very obvious in light of God's Word. The problem is not with God, it is with me. I have to suck up my pride and admit this one hard fact, I probably have not prayed in faith...

For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (Mark 11:23-24)

Receiving Prayer

2011-06-13T09:51:00.001-04:00

Boy wouldn't it be wonderful if we received everything that we ask for in prayer? According to the Apostle John whether we can believe it or not every Christian can...
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1 John 5:14-15) However, this does not just happen, it takes faith.

What a wonderful promise from the LORD. The Apostle Paul knew this and prayed a wonderous prayer for the church...
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:9-14)

God wants believers to know His will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. In other words, He desires that believers have knowledge of divine things taught by the Holy Spirit. Believers are to have a life that reflects true Christianity which pleases the Father, produces fruit in every good work and have continuous grow in the knowledge of God. They are to rely on Gods strength and His glorious power believing, hoping and enduring ALL things with joy as well as “Giving thanks to the Father,”

God Himself has qualified believers to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. What does that mean? This means that there is something that God has given to believers, so something belongs to us. For instance, God has delivered us in Christ. He is not going to deliver us, He already has!!! He has delivered us from the power of darkness, that is the power, authority, jurisdiction and dominion of the devil and his gang which is a portion of our inheritance. PTL

And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:13-15)

Jesus disarmed, spoiled, reduced to nothing principalities and powers. In other words, Jesus reduced them to nothing as far as their being able to have dominion over believers in any area. The Apostle John tells us...
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
(3 John 2)

The devil has no dominion over believes financially, physically or spiritually. We are the triumphant ones because of what Jesus did. He did not do this for Himself, He did not need it. What Jesus did was for us. When He defeated Satan, we defeated Satan. How do we know this?
And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18)

If your head is injured doesn’t it affect the entire body? If your body is injured does the head recognized it? The body does not have one experience and your head a different one at the same time. It is the same with the body of Christ. Jesus’ victory is our victory. This is why the church is not to consider itself a warring church but a triumphant church. The church in a sense is to be like Judah was in II Chronicles 20. We worship and praise God, He has destroyed the enemy in Christ and we mop up the enemies spoils. That’s the real army of God. Jesus went before us and destroyed the works of the devil, (I John 3:8) and we by faith occupy, possess and have dominion over the devil and receive everything that Adam delivered to the devil. (Luke4:5-6)

Are You Willing?

2011-06-06T18:02:00.000-04:00

When Jesus prayed to the Father in Gethsemane, He said something very interesting "Father if it be Your will, remove this cup from Me; nevertheless not my will but Yours be done." (Luke 22:42).

We see that Jesus seems to be asking the Father for some clarity concerning His will. However, Jesus
knew the Father’s will for Him was to go to Jerusalem be rejected and killed. He revealed this to His disciples in all four gospels. So why would Jesus say, “If it be your will”? He was not questioning the Father’s will nor somehow did not know the Father’s will, He was showing us His willingness and availability to do everything and anything that that the Father wanted. His commitment to the Father was, “Nevertheless not My will but your be done”.

Some believers may end a prayer this way because Jesus did it here in the garden. But a prayer ending this way is not a prayer of faith. We need to understand that Jesus was not praying a prayer of faith but one of dedication and commitment of Himself to the Father’s will. Believers should only use the phrase “If it be your will” because they also want to be willing and available to do what God wants them to do. In other words, many times believers may need healing for themselves or prayer for another person for healing and then finish their prayer by saying, "The LORDS will be done," and then struggle when their prayers are not answered. It is apparent that they are not sure that God wants to heal. Their prayer leaves it up to God to decide whether He will heal or not.

Unfortunately, for them without an act of divine intervention, they do not receive their healing. Why? Because God has healed through His plan of redemption in Christ and has made it available to all who act in faith that it is God's will to heal. They are waiting for God to do something when in fact God is waiting for them to receive what He has already provided through faith in Jesus Christ as Healer. When James talks about the sick coming to the elders of the church for healing, he tells us that "The prayer of faith will save the sick." This is not the prayer of hope, the prayer of desperation or the prayer of dedication and commitment. It is the prayer of faith. Let's contrast two passages of scripture that involve the Apostle Paul to further show this point.

"And when we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, greeted the brethren, and stayed with them one day. On the next day we who were Paul's companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied. And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. When he had come to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit,'So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'" Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered,"What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying,"The will of the Lord be done." (Acts 21:7-14)

The Apostle Paul showed His willingness and availability to dedicate and commit himself to do everything and anything that the Father wanted of him as spoken by Agabus by the Holy Spirit. So the brothers conceded by saying, “The will of the LORD be done”. Whereas…

"And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother's womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice,"Stand up straight on your feet!" And he leaped and walked. (Acts 14:8-10)

The Apostle Paul did not question the Father’s will when it came to healing. He saw that the man had faith to be healed and spoke it…Do we see the difference? It should be the same with every believer. We have Gods Word so we can know His will and speak as I John 5:14-15 teaches us. But when the Bible is obscure concerning Gods will, and we desire to commit and dedicate ourselves to Him, we can say, “If it be your will” or "LORD what is your will concerning this?" So when we pray to the Father, let's look to His Word to find His will and pray the prayer of faith when we find it.

The War Continues

2011-05-30T13:14:00.001-04:00

Memorial Day is a national holiday where Americans pay their respect and heartfelt gratitude to fellow Americans who have sacrificed their lives in wars throughout the world to protect the freedoms that we enjoy in USA. Whether people believe in the one and only true eternal. immortal, invisible all wise God and the LORD Jesus Christ or not, for generations America was, is and will always be "One nation under God."

However, there is another war that is still taking place. This war started shortly after the creation of man and for thousands of years has taken countless human lives. It is a war that has a leader whose sole purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. His arsenal is includes, sickness, disease, poverty and every sin known to man. Sadly enough this leader uses people many time to do his bidding against other people. He is known as destroyer, murderer, liar, deceiver, accuser, enemy of the human soul, the devil and Satan. He is the epitome of all that is evil and there is no good or truth in him. He is the one who causes every bad, horrible, grotesque and unimaginable things to happen to people. It is all due to his great hatred for humanity and the Creator of life. The Apostle Paul tells us, For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)
But there is wonderful news for all humanity...

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)

Through faith in Jesus Christ people no longer have to live under the tyrannical rule of Satan because Jesus Christ took the punishment for every sin of every man, woman and child in His own body on the cross. Satan and sin, which are synonymous, has been defeated and humanity can now be free.

Unfortunately, Satan has blinded the minds of many people from this truth and has created a false reality of life. People have become so attached to the world of sin that they cannot see that they are connected to the god of this age. They have been convinced that good is evil and evil is good. They are deceived to think that God is the one behind all the terrible things that happen in the world. The time has come for believers to be thrust into the harvest field to unplug human lives from Satan's system of the bondage of sin with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Believers must go forth preaching the "Full Gospel" to get the results that the early church received. The Apostle Paul tells us what it means to preach the full gospel...
For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient. In mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have FULLY PREACHED THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. (Romans 15:18-19)

Notice that the full gospel is not only through words but also in actions, that is, a demonstration of mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Holy Spirit. It takes faith to believe that every Christian has the power and authority in the Name of Jesus Christ to walk in this manner. However, the enemy of humanity has and will continue trying his best to convince believers that signs and wonders are not for the church today. If this is so then we must conclude that Jesus mistakenly said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. (John 14:12) But we know that Jesus did not make any mistakes because "He is the way, the truth and the life." So let's exercise our faith in Him, go forth and fight the good fight of faith.

I Just Want to Say Thank You LORD

2011-05-23T19:09:00.000-04:00

Jesus tells us in Luke 18:1 "that men always ought to pray and not lose heart." Prayer is a very important part of the believers life. But how many times have you spent a half and hour to an hour just thanking the LORD for who He is, what He has done and or what He is to do? How about thanking for all He has done for us and all that He is yet to do for us and through us?

The Apostle Paul tells us that "Giving Thanks" is a normal part of praying...
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Although this particular scripture places the focus on dealing with anxiety or worry, Paul tell us, "By prayer and supplication with thanksgiving continue to make your requests (wants) known to God.” Believers should be a people of thanksgiving...
Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; Sing praises on the harp to our God, (Psalms 147:7)

The point is this, whether it’s general prayers of faith or the specific supplication we are to offer both "with thanksgiving." We are to pray about everything, and with every prayer we are to also give thanks. No matter what the circumstance or situation is that we are praying about, our prayers must reflect an attitude of gratitude. The Apostle John tells us...
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (I John 5:14-15)

We are thankful because faith says, if we ask according to His will He hears us and gives us the petitions that we have asked of Him, whether we see what we’ve asked for or not.
Faith is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead. (Hebrews 11:1 TLB)

Notice also that thanksgiving together with prayer and supplication produces peace. It is not produced by prayer alone, but by prayer with thanksgiving. The peace that Paul is talking about is the same peace that we see Jesus giving in John 14:27, “My peace I give to you…” His peace is a tranquil, quieting and uninterrupted happiness of mind

Greek Philosopher Aristotle said; "A return is required to preserve friendship between two persons, and as we have nothing else to give to God except gratitude, let us abound therein. If we have no fruit of the field, let us at least render to him the fruit of our lips. Have you no thanks to bring? How, then, can you expect further favors? Does not liberality itself close its hand when ingratitude stands in the way? What, never a word of gratitude to him from whom all blessings flow! Then may even the ungodly despise you.

So in our prayers and supplications, let's exercise an attitude of gratitude and give thanks to the LORD...

Got Joy?

2011-05-18T10:58:00.000-04:00

Joy is defined as; rejoicing; the emotion of great happiness; to make glad or happy; to experience great pleasure or delight. The Bible says, "The joy of the LORD is your strength," (Nehemiah 8:10); "In His presences is fullness of joy," (Psalm 16:11); The LORD desires His joy to remain and be full in the believer, (John 15:11); and, one of the fruits of the Spirit is Joy (Galatians 5:22). It should be obvious that believers should experience joy at all times, even if the storms of life should come upon them.

James tells us, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:2-4)

But why should believers count it all joy when trials come? James tells us that trials try ones faith. They act as proof that the believer courageously and patiently stands on the promises of God's Word. They act as a witness that the believers faith is in Christ the Savior, Delieverer, Protector, Healer, etc. and reveal that the believer "Walks by faith and not by sight".

However, is this the way that most believers approach trials in their lives? Let's take a look at a scenario. If everything was going well, that is, there were no pressures of life distracting the believer, then of course having joy would certainly be no problem. But when something happens what do believers tend to do? Worry, fret, murmur or complain or maybe even try to figure something out in their own strength?

So let us consider, before the trial was God still LORD? Were we His children? Was His plan of salvation (rebirth, healing, deliverance, protection, provision, etc.) some how changed? How about when a trial comes. Is He still LORD? Are we still His children? Was His plan of salvation (rebirth, healing, deliverance, protection, provision, etc.) some how changed? If not then what has changed? Only a life situation or circumstance, not God, not His Word nor any of His promises.

Believe it or not, trials have a positive affect on the soul if believers exercise faith and let joy prevail. Why? Because Christ like character is formed and the believer is made whole in all parts of their lives, lacking nothing. Basically, all we are doing is following in the foot steps of Jesus...

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls." (Hebrews 12:1-3)

We have joy in trials by, looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our FAITH and by consider what hostility He endured for us. In doing so our trials will pale and joy will prevail. Hallelujah...

New Covenant Prayer

2011-05-10T07:13:00.000-04:00

The Bible records that Jesus was in a certain place praying and His disciple said to Him, "LORD teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples to pray." We then see Jesus' response...

So He said to them, "When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." (Luke 11:2-4)

Notice the beginning words, “Our Father…” but also notice the ending words, “But deliver us from the evil one." or as recorded in Matthew 6:13, “For Yours is the kingdom and power and the glory forever. Amen” We need to understand that Jesus taught His disciples to pray this way before His death, burial and resurrection. In other words Jesus and His disciples were still under the Old Covenant and their prayers were spoken directly to God. However, Jesus mentions something in John's gospel which opens the door for prayer to answered prayer to those who are under the New Covenant that was established through His
death, burial and resurrection. This is very important for believe to understand if they want their prayers answered. As Jesus taught His disciples to pray under the Mosaic dispensation, He now tells them how to pray under the New Covenant that would be established and ushered in by His resurrection.

"A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father." Then some of His disciples said among themselves, "What is this that He says to us, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'; and, 'because I go to the Father'?" They said therefore, "What is this that He says, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is saying." Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, "Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'? Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. (John 16:16-22)

Jesus explains to His disciples His soon departure from His time on earth as the Son of Man, in doing so He also tells them of His resurrection. Then He tells them a very important key that opens the door to the Father's will being done on earth as it is in heaven.
"And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:22-23)
Jesus tells His disciples (all believers) that asking the Father in His name is the key to seeing the Father's will being done. When it comes to asking the Father for something, Jesus says we are to ask the Father in His name. There is no other way to approach the Father in prayer or any other way. We come in faith asking the Father in the name of Jesus. Keep in mind what Jesus said to His disciples after His resurrection...
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28:18)

It was the Father that gave Him all authority. It is His name that, "Whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you", opens the door for the Father's will being done on earth as it is in heaven. It takes faith to believe that statement. Unfortunately, most believers have been taught not to believe that the Father will give them whatever is asked in Jesus' name or they have twisted this promise to think that the Father will give them whatever they ask even if it is outside of His will. Look what John says...

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1 John 5:14-15) Notice how we are to ask and who we place our confidence or faith in. We are to ask according to His will (His will is His word and His word is His will) and then have confidence, that is faith in the name of Jesus. Hallalujah, what an incredible promise. Believers must put away all the doubts that faithless church leaders have promoted concerning God's will and His promises if we are to live in the fullness of redemption. The reason why most Christians see God's will as unpredictable and even unreliable is due to not believing that what God says is so and exercising unwaviering faith in His Word.

The devil is a liar and will do everything he can to get Christians to live in a realm where they believe that some how God is behind all the bad things that happen in their lives. I want to leave you with this thought...
"For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
(1 Corinthians 11:29-30) Keep in mind that this is talking about Jesus' physical and spiritual body.

Shaking Things Up

2011-05-07T07:05:00.000-04:00

The phrase "In one accord" means, to be in one mind; to be in agreement; to be in harmony; agreement or concurrence of opinion, will, or action. When believers flow in one accord the LORD will move mightily. One glorious example of this is found in Acts 4 practiced by the early church...
"For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:27-31)

Boy could we use this in the church today, but it's going to take faith. In this example we see a large number of believers coming together in one mind; in agreement; in harmony; agreement or concurrence of opinion, will, or action to accomplish God's will, to reach the lost by preaching the gospel with boldness and by working signs and wonders in the name of Jesus. We see the early church doing what they were commanded...
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Not only was the early church obeying the LORDS command, they were duplicating His very ministry...
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. (Matthew 4:23)

These very things can also accomplished on a smaller scale.
"Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. (Matthew 18:19)

Although in context with the preceding verses dealing with church discipline this verse is still universal and applies to all believers and all prayer. The phrase, “If two of you agree” is a metaphor reflecting a number of musical instruments set to the same key, skillfully playing the same tune and being pleasant to the ears. It means a perfect agreement of the hearts, desires, wishes, and voices of two or more persons praying that is highly pleasing in the sight and ears of the Lord. This is being in one accord, both agreeing, not one believing and one hoping, but both agreeing, that is, believing. When this happens, we see the Father's promise manifest as it did in Acts 4, “It will be done for them by My Father in heaven.”
(Also see - Matthew 21:21-22, Mark 11:23-24)

Next Jesus continues...
For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."
(Matthew 18:20)
“I am there”, only God is omnipresent so not only is He able to be any place at any time where two or more are gathered in Jesus' name, but this statement proves that Jesus is God. The LORD places a high premium on two or more believers coming together in His name agreeing in prayer; He is there!!! In light of these things, it is no wonder why Satan works overtime with his lies. Two of the deceptions that he uses (which by the way have not changed from mans beginning), first he does not want believers to come into agreement and secondly, he convinces them not to believe that these things are so for the church today. The early church clearly shows us that faith and agreement working together are very powerful. Unfortunately these same two areas that proved powerful in the early church are lacking in most congregations and individual believers today.

I believe the one thing that makes Christians dangerous in any culture is when they believe God period. Not believing what faithless church leaders, bible college or seminary professors have to say, but being fully convinced that what He says He will do. Faith really shakes things up. plus it is what pleases God...
(Hebrews 11:6)

Who is on Your Throne?

2011-04-28T09:24:00.001-04:00

A great lesson that believers seem to fail to grasp was spoken in James 1:2-3, My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. Two things that believers must understand, first, God does not bring trials on His children and second, a trial is a testing of ones faith. A trial will reveal what a believers faith is resting upon. The Apostle Paul tells us that faith will rest either upon the wisdom of men or on the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:4-5) One of the greatest New Testament examples of faith resting on the power of God is seen in the lives of Paul and Silas.

The Bible records in Acts 16 that Paul cast a spirit of divination out of a woman which used the woman to bring her masters a means of income. At this, a multitude rose up against Paul and Silas, their clothes were torn off, they were beaten with rods, thrown into the inner prison and their feet were fastened in stocks. Again, God did not bring this trial upon them. In fact, James 1:13 tells us, "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone."

Think about it. Why would God use Paul to preach the gospel in obedience to his calling in Christ, then use the authority in the name of Jesus Christ to cast out a demon all for the purpose of God bringing a trial upon him. Not only would that be unlogical but also a great misunderstanding of the will and nature of God. We can see that Paul and Silas understood that this trial was not from God but from their enemy the devil by their response to their situation...

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. (Acts 16:25)

Paul and Silas chose not to murmur or complain to God or to one another about their situation. They chose to pray and sing hymns to the LORD. In fact they prayed and sang so loud that the prisoners were listening to them and something incredible happened, …

Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. (Acts 16:26)

This all happened at “midnight”. However, midnight is also symbolic of tests, trials and seemingly the darkest of times of ones life. Most believers do not have trouble praying or singing when they have minor issues to deal with, but it takes real faith to minister to the LORD in a dark and seemingly hopeless situation, which Paul and Silas exhibit here. Believers must understand that LIFE MAYBE HARD, BUT GOD IS GOOD, HE IS FAITHFUL AND HIS WORD NEVER FAILS!!!

Paul and Silas were not overcome by their circumstance but were delivered from them. Unfortunately many believers face defeat because they let the circumstanced run over them, joy is sapped from them and they have no strength because there faith was not in the One who is both willing and able to deliver.

The storms of life come and every storm that comes will reveal just how much or how little faith a believer has. A believer’s attitude during the time of tests and trials makes all the difference. Our attitude should be something like this; “LORD, things are not going the way I would like them to go, but I choose not to fret about it and trust that you will work it out because…

We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

A Minister unto the LORD

2011-04-19T09:29:00.000-04:00

Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said,"Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. (Acts 13:1-3)

We see two type of praying associated with fasting. I want to look at them in reverse because our focus will be on the latter. Fasted and prayed; this is known as petition praying in which we are asking God to do something for us shown in verse 3. However verse 2 reveals something a little different. They ministered to the LORD and fasted; which is known as worship prayer.

The word minister means to be a servant; to be a worshipper of God. The differences between both of these types of prayer are obvious. But, one is not more important than another. However, in most times of prayer we are seeking God on our own behalf praying that certain needs be met or seeking God on the behalf of another, ministering to one another (and we certainly need to do this). Notice something else in verse 2…“The Holy Spirit said”. There was a response of the Holy Spirit as they ministered to the LORD. We need to understand that this type of prayer creates an atmosphere where the LORD can move.
But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. (Psalm 22:3)

When believers minister to the LORD they should do so in faith not just going through a ceremonial or religious routine. In doing so the door is opened to unlimited possibilities of the LORD moving in the midst as we saw in Psalm 22:3. In acts 13:2 the Holy Spirit spoke to launch Barnabas and Saul (Paul) into ministry. But think about a typical church gathering. Should we really expect the Holy Spirit to speak or move as we minister to the LORD? Emphatically yes. Anytime believers gather in the name of Jesus, His promise is that He would be in the midst and if He is in the midst then we should release our faith and expect that He will move in the midst. Unfortunately it is quite sad that there are people who truly love the LORD but when they gather together they have no expectation that the Holy Spirit will move. Maybe we need to revisit the Parable of the persistent woman and the judge and learn a lesson concerning faith.

Spending Time With the Father

2011-04-11T15:44:00.000-04:00

The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 2:5 that believers are "a holy priesthood" in a similar way that the Levitical priesthood was. The difference is, believers today are to offer "up spiritual sacrifices" not natural sacrifices as the Old Testament priests. However, like the Old Testament priests we are to minister to the LORD...

"And the Levites who went far from Me, when Israel went astray, who strayed away from Me after their idols, they shall bear their iniquity. Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, as gatekeepers of the house and ministers of the house; they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister to them. Because they ministered to them before their idols and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity, therefore I have raised My hand in an oath against them," says the Lord GOD, "that they shall bear their iniquity. And they shall not come near Me to minister to Me as priest, nor come near any of My holy things, nor into the Most Holy Place; but they shall bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed. Nevertheless I will make them keep charge of the temple, for all its work, and for all that has to be done in it. But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood," says the Lord GOD. They shall enter My sanctuary, and they shall come near My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge. (Ezekiel 44:10-16)

In the passage above Ezekiel describes two types of priests (Levites). One group (verses 10 & 11) was upholding religious practices, that is, ministers of the temple and to the people but not to God. Even though they made offerings to God, He didn't accept them, because they were not glorifying Him nor were they ministering to the LORD first and foremost from their heart. However, we see that the other group (verses 15 & 16) was ministering directly to the Lord, honoring Him as holy and obeying him with their hearts.

To "minister to the LORD" is to worship him alone in all that we do. Most often when believers think of worship it is limited to singing heartfelt songs to the LORD. However, Christian worship is any act of passionate devotion directed toward God that is motivated by an overwhelming feeling of profound love and admiration in all that believers do. So, any ministry that is directed towards others without first being directed towards God is not ministering to the LORD. This is why faith plays such an important part in a believers life. Hebrews 11:6 states, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." This applies to every aspect of Christianity which includes "Ministering to the LORD".

At the Cross, Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for all of humanity. He was both the sacrifice and the priest who presented the offering of Himself to God the Father. Hebrews 10:19-22 reveals that believers are covered by the blood of Christ and are now able to enter the "holy of holies" and present ourselves to God the Father. Ministering to the Lord does not mean that He needs us to stroke His ego; rather, it describes the kind of worship and service that God finds acceptable, that is, that which completely depends on the power of his Spirit, instead of flesh and blood. "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:23-24)

As Christ was and is our example of both Offering and Priest, let us through faith in Him also offer up spiritual sacrifices as priests that are "Holy and acceptable to the LORD which is our reasonable service."

Fighting the Good Fight

2011-04-07T07:07:00.000-04:00

Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus lays out several very important things for believer's to grasp and hold on to. In brief summary...

Believers have been chosen by the Father…
Redeemed by the Son…
Sealed by the Spirit…
Before rebirth everyone was dead to God, but rebirth makes one alive in Christ…
God through Christ has reconciled Jew and Gentile into one…
God has now made known the mystery of the church that was hidden to those in the OT…
When Jesus ascended to the Father He gave gifts to equip the church…
How to put off the old nature and put on the new nature created according to God…
How not to grieve the Holy Spirit but be being filled with the Holy Spirit…
Directions for a successful marriage and family and how to be good servants on the job…

Paul concludes his letter to the church with a strategy and not an after thought because he knows that Satan will do his best to oppose the things that he had written. So he reveals what believers are up against and also reveals a combative approach to withstand demonic attacks.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints (Ephesians 6:10-18)

There are several things that Paul brings out that believers must understand. First believers are to have strong faith in Christ and know that it is His power at work in the believer, His name given to the believer and through His victory for the believer at the cross that repels the enemy. Believers are to put on the "whole armor" not a portion. The enemy ranks are numerous and mighty and unless the believer is clothed with the divine armor, victory will be impossible. The idea here is that Satan does not carry on an open warfare. He does not meet the believer face to face. He advances covertly; he attacks in darkness; he uses deception rather than power, hence, the necessity of being constantly armed to meet him whenever an attack is made.

Next we see that a believers fight is not in the natural but in the spiritual against the various ranks of Satan’s demonic army. Believers are to make war on all these forms of evil, and never to yield in the conflict. We contend with these fallen spirits for the exceedingly great and precious promises that God through Christ has made available to every believer. Paul tells of of an "evil day", that is, the day of temptation; any day when you are assaulted. He continues in saying, "Having done all to stand” which

He shows us the various aspects of the pieces of armor and their position. However, there are some very important keys to fighting this fight as well as standing firm to destroy every foe and the receiving of all of the promises of God. “Take up…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”…Praying always…The believer’s battle is fought in prayer standing firm on Christ and Gods Word. Unfortunately too few believers realize the importance of standing in faith on the Word of God in prayer. If believers would just put down teaching that builds doubt instead of faith, there would be fewer causalities in the church and more victories.

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:12)
If believers did not face opposition to their faith there would be no reason for God’s Word to have this verse. In order to fight the “Good fight of faith” believers must learn how to use the sword of the Spirit. Fighting the good fight of faith is confessing the word of God with your mouth and believing it in your heart. This is why it is so important to meditate on Gods word daily. So take up the sword of the Spirit daily and fight the good fight of faith!!!

Sweet Victory

2011-03-28T15:30:00.000-04:00

Isn't it a wonderful thing that Jesus did for all humanity. Not only did He make a way for people to have eternal life through His meritorious work at Calvary, but He also defeated the flesh, the world and the devil and through faith in Him anyone can live a victorious life on planet earth.
In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:11-15)

In short there was a day that all we knew was sin. But then we met Jesus and when that happened everything that was against us, all sin, the OT Law, Satan, every demon and all the corruption that dwelt within humanity was nailed to the cross and was crucified with Jesus. Therefore those who are in Christ have been freed from these things, that is, all accusations that man and or Satan and his bunch may try to being.

However, although Colossians tells us that Christ has taken away the curse of the Law and has overcome the power of Satan through His sacrificial death on the cross, it does not mean that the devil and his bunch do not try to judge, accuse and deceive believers. It simply means that ones faith in Christ has freed them from everything that was set against humanity for their eternal ruin. To further emphasize the devils activities, Peter writes to the church…

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (I Peter 5:8)

The devil takes great effort to alarm and overpower believers as a lion does it prey. He uses things like fear, anxiety, worry, fret, doubt, condemnation, etc. which neutralizes faith. But it doesn’t stop there…
And no wonder! For Satan transforms himself into an angel of light. (II Corinthians 11:14)
Satan also comes in a subtle fashion counterfeiting the things of God with his lies. He does it with false doctrine, powerless and false religion as well as a variety of socially accepted ideology that sets itself up against and is contrary to the Word of God. Unfortunately many churches have bought into these lies and have accepted it as truth., meanwhile believers pay the brunt of this because as Paul says, "They have exchanged the truth of God for a lie".

Believers who have been taken captive through this liberal theology will never live a true victorious life because it erodes the very thing that Christianity hangs on, faith in Jesus Christ. Not a mental assent, but a faith that is from the heart that says, "I am completely convinced that God is willing and able to do what He said He would do." PTL

Getting Pumped

2011-03-23T14:13:00.000-04:00

The Bible shows various ways that believers can grow in and be built up in faith. Naturally the number one way to do this is found in Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. This is not to mean everyone who hears the Word of God responds favorable to it. It means that faith is present in the Word of God. When the Word of God read, studied, meditated upon, taught and preached faith is present. However, Acts 14:6-10 shows us an interesting situation. Out of a crowd of people who heard the Word of God preached, only one man received the Word and was healed. The explanation of Parable of the soils by Jesus also bears witness to this point. Not everyone believes it, receives it and retains it. However, the more of the Word that believers hear, the more faith will grow. Not just reading it, but studying and especially meditating on His Word daily grows faith.

Romans 12:3 reveals to us that "God has given every believer a measure of faith." 1 Corinthians 12:9 The Apostle Paul presents nine supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit in which the "gift of faith" is one. It is no more difficult to receive the gift of faith than it is to receive any other gift. How do we know this?
1 Corinthians 12:7, 11 tells us that the manifestations of these gifts are distributed to any believer at any time as the Holy Spirit wills. The Holy Spirit gives supernatural faith at times to accomplish the impossible as He wills. Also I Corinthians 14:1 tells believers to desire spiritual gifts (plural) because they are an advantage for the common good of all.

Next we see that within Galatians 5:22-23 among the "Fruit of the Spirit" is faithfulness. It is the same Greek word that is translated faith elsewhere. The Holy Spirit is at work in us growing faith in our lives.
According to James 1:22, 2:14-18 "faith without corresponding actions is dead." Faith also grows by putting action to God's Word. For instance, if I truly believe that Gods will is to heal, then I put action to that by laying hands on people and pray for healing. Last but certainly not least Jude 20 tells us that by "praying in the Holy Spirit," that is our pray language, an unknown tongue, believers can "build themselves up in faith."

So, if a believers faith does not grow, it is certainly not Gods fault. His Word increases our faith, He has given every believer a measure of faith, the Holy Spirit manifests the gift of faith and the fruit of faith, our faith grows when we act upon Gods Word and we build up our faith through praying in the Holy Spirit. However, this all hangs upon what each individual believers understands or misunderstands about God. If believers do not believe (interesting thought) certain things that the Word of God says are true, then they limit their faith from growing and releasing the things that God has given to the church and every believer. Honestly, how can a believer even think that God's Word does not work today like it did in the early church. The only way that happens is that some how God has changed, HE DIDN"T, His will has changed, IT DIDN'T or just maybe believers have been taught to doubt by leaders who have no faith, MOST LIKELY. So let's exercise our faith and get ourselves pumped up in HIM!

Does Anyone Want a Fig?

2011-03-15T15:03:00.003-04:00

The Gospels of Matthew and Mark present some wonderful lessons on faith. We will look at one particular instance and begin in Matthew's gospel and then look at Mark's account of the same events that take place.

Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, let no fruit grow on you ever again. Immediately the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, how did the fig tree wither away so soon? (Matthew 21:18-20) There are many points to consider here but I want to focus on the disciples response to what they saw and then Jesus' answer. The fact that the diciples asked Jesus a question concerning what they saw, should trigger something in believers. Rather than just being amazed as to what happened and moving on, they wanted to know, "How the fig tree wither away soon quickly."

A point to consider here is, why do so many believers read the Word of God, which is a very good thing to do, but do not question the LORD when they do not fully understand certain things in the Bible especially when Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would guide believers into ALL truth. (John 16:13) The disciples really wanted to know and understand this marvalous thing that has taken place...
So Jesus answers and said to them Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
(Mark 11:22-24)

"Have faith in God" literally means have God kind or God like faith. This was exactly what Jesus was doing. He was exercising "God like faith". Doubt would respond something like this, "Well that was Jesus and that is why He was able to have God like faith." However, we need to consider the next two verses and not let doubt neturalize faith. Jesus' resonds by saying, "WHOEVER says...and does not DOUBT in his heart, but BELIEVES...” What Jesus says is not figurative, it is not rhetorical, there is no subliminal, hidden, mysterious message that has to be figured out nor is it because He is the Son of God. Jesus tells them that His ability to do what was done to the fig tree is to simply to believe, have God like faith.

Jesus continues, "...but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says." Keep in mind that Jesus has also presented an even greater miracle in the beginning of this Verse (23)..."For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes..." Jesus is telling His disciples as well as the "Whoever" that they will have the ability to do miracles like what happened to the fig tree and also be able to move mountains by simply having faith without doubt. Jesus reveals something important to the disciples and us. It is obvious that the Father’s will is much greater and diverse than most believers have faith for. Jesus continues…

"Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." WOW, what an incredible statement of fact that Jesus makes here. It does seem from what Jesus says here, that believers are to determine what it is that they want to happen, believe that they have received and then they will have it. We must keep in mind that the things that we believe and ask for for must be according to the will of God. "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." (1 John 5:14-15) But the fact remains that if believers act in faith without doubt that they will receive.

It also seems that the one thing that will prevent God from answering whatever we want according to His will is simply doubt. Unfortunately, many believers are waiting for God to reveal His will and His purpose, when in fact God is waiting for believers to exercise their faith and receive what He has already given in Christ. The faith that Jesus is talking about, is not mental assent or head faith, but faith from the heart (the spirit). The difference is, faith from the heart believes without question, whereas head faith says I believe BUT...

If you are born again you already have faith, so now it's time to assault and destroy the doubt(s), (the buts)!

Oh Boy, What Did I Just Do?

2011-03-07T09:36:00.000-05:00

We saw in the last post Gods true purpose for man. However, Genesis 3 reveals the act of treason on Adams part which brought a curse upon all humanity. We see that the woman began to reason within herself the truth claim of the serpent which was not the truth at all and she ate of the tree. Adam responded to the voice of his wife transgressed the commandment of God. Although the woman, Eve was made equal and comparable to Adam and that she was deceived, God had given Adam the responsibility and authority over all the He had created. This means that Adam was the one charged with committing treason against God thereby forfeiting his rights and authority given to him by God, to Satan by way of transgression. How do we know this?

Then the devil, taking Him (Jesus) up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours." (Luke 4:5-7) The devil could not have made such a claim if he did not have the authority over all the kingdoms of the world. But in fact he did have the authority because we see the devil's claim, "for this has been delivered to me.". Adam did indeed forfeit (deliver) everything to the devil.
2 Corinthians 4 reveals why many people do not except the gospel when it is preached, "whose minds the god of this age (Satan) has blinded" (2 Corinthians 4:4). Besides this, if the devil did not have this authority then it certainly would not have been used as an instrument of temptation against Jesus at all.

Make no mistake, Satan’s desire is to have authority. "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High." (Isaiah 14:12-14) Adam’s act of transgression relinquished his position as the god of the world to Satan which means that God is not ruling over the kingdom’s of this world, yet. "Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15) Of course this speaks of events yet to come.

However, the kingdom of God is revealed on the earth. First through Jesus Christ, "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17) Through His disciples, "And as you go, preach, saying,'The kingdom of heaven is at hand". (Matthew 10:7) Then after Christ's work on earth in His physical body was accomplished, through His church, "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18) God’s authority on earth is in and through the church. Remember, Satan wants authority which should cause us to understand why he works so hard at lying and trying to deceive believers. However, there is great news for those who place their faith in the Lordship of Jesus Christ, because those who do will be partaker of total and complete restoration of mankind. Hallelujah

Adam, Who are you?

2011-02-28T13:56:00.000-05:00

One of the most incredible things that could happen to any human being is to come to know Jesus Christ as LORD. He has done such great and wonderous things for ALL people, that it sometimes is difficult to comprehend. One of the things that believers must come to truly understand is where they came from and what the Heavenly Father has provided through Jesus Christ. If believers can truly understand what Gods purpoe and plan for man was and is they will finally see just how wonderful it is to be one of His children.

GENESIS 1:26-27, 2:7 reveals the creation of man where Gods breathed His Spirit into mans body whereby energizing man as a living soul, a living creature. And that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:24) And have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.
(Colossians 3:10) Man was created in Gods image and likeness, in knowledge, righteousness and holiness and because God is Spirit and eternal, so man was also created as an eternal being. Being created in the image and likeness of God means that man is a spirit living in an earthly body. God desired children who would be like Himself. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
(John 4:24)

God did not create man for heaven, He created man for the earth. Gods plan for man was this; God ruled the unseen realm in heaven and man would rule the visible realm on earth, with God and man enjoying continual communion through their spiritual natures. It is important to know that man was created not only to fellowship with God but he also was given the responsibility to rule over what God had created. Everything that God created was for man! This is a very important key and the only way that a believer will comprehend these things is through faith, believing God and acting upon His Word.

Psalms 8:4-8 puts it this way; What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas.
The word “angles” in the above is the word “elohim” and in Psalms 82:6 I said, you are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High The word “gods” is also define “elohim”. The word “elohim” means “mighty ones” it is also the creation name of God when capitalized.

The Hebrew for “You have made man a little lower than the angel’s” is actually “You have made man a little lower than God”. This means that not only was man given dominion over the physical earth and all the creatures, but also over the angels of heaven, fallen angels and Satan himself. I other words, man was created as the god (small “g”) of this world. Man was created as Gods “mighty ones” a little lower than Himself. Woman was made to be a suitable, compatible and comparable helper to man and her position was the same, a little lower than God.

Just knowing Gods original purpose and plan for man should cause believers to be excited and very thankful because of what the Father has accomplished through the Son. As we look further into what had happened to man, the fall, we will also look at the restoration of man and incredible thing indeed that can only be experienced through faith in Jesus Christ.

I Will Not Believe

2011-02-23T10:30:00.000-05:00

"I will not believe" are the very words that the NKJV records Thomas saying when the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the LORD." (John 20:25) Though this may sound paradoxical, but unfortunately many believers today including church leaders also do not believe. Doubt or unbelief is generally produced through several means...

A lack of knowledge of the Word of God...
A lack of understanding ones position in Christ...
A lack of understanding of who one is in Christ...
A lack of understanding what we have been given in Christ...
A lack of understanding of our authority in Christ...
An excess of the wisdom of man which produces liberal theology...
A flat out lack of faith...

Doubt or unbelief come in several forms but they all are based on questioning the integrity of Gods Word or His will. They manifest in one or more of these arguments...

Gods will is different for different people even if the circumstance or situations are the same…
God has a divine purpose for using sickness, injury, diseases, poverty, etc. in a believer’s life…
God has a specific timing for all aspects of salvation (healing, deliverance, being made whole, etc.) therefore no matter how much faith one has He prevents these things from happening until His timing has been met…
God is sovereign and He will do whatever He wants to do…

Doubt will always prevent a believer from acting on the Word of God because true faith is always revealed through actions as James 2:18 says…”Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” As we can see here in James faith is not static. If believers do not spend daily time in the Word, come to know their position in Christ, know who they are in Christ, know all that they have been given through Christ and reject doctrine that contrary to Gods Word, the faith that they already have simply will not grow. It is a lack of faith in the believers life that causes them to fall far short of all that the Father in heaven has provided through Jesus Christ.

Believers must come to a place in their lives that they do not question what God can do, He has already fully restored humanity and has provided salvation (rebirth, healing, deliverance, protection, provision, etc.)through Jesus Christ. It simply comes down to one thing, what YOU CAN BELIEVE!!!

If I Just Had More

2011-02-15T14:41:00.000-05:00

All to many time believers defeat themselves for a number of reasons. But one of the ways that believers are defeated is because they have a lack of understanding as to what they have been given in Christ. There is a lack of standing in faith and receiving Gods Word as the truth whether situations, circumstances, feelings and even what our senses may dictate. The following list (not inclusive) shows us what the Father has restored, that is, what He has given to believes through Jesus Christ...

   • We have been given power through Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8)
   • We have been given the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ (Acts 2:5)
   • We have been given peace with God through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1)
   • We have been given love in our hearts through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:5)
   • We have been given the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwelling in us (Romans 8:11)
   • We have been given faith through Jesus Christ (Romans 12:3)
   • We have been given grace through Jesus Christ (Romans 12:6)
   • We have been given salvation through Jesus Christ Romans 10:9-10)
   • We have been given the gifts of the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 12:7-11)
   • We have been given the Fruit of the Spirit through Jesus Christ (Galatians 5:22-23)
   • We have been given the ability to do all things through Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:13)
   • We have been given the right to come before the throne of God through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 14-16)
   • We have been given wealth and health through Jesus Christ (III John 2)

The list goes on and on, Hallelujah. Look at this list and meditate on these verses. What a wonderful inheritance that believers have in Jesus. If Christians would just start believing that the Bible is true and act like they believe it, the devil would not stand a chance. The first thing that would happen would be the restoration of the church. Church leaders would put away their persuasive words of human wisdom, walk by faith in demonstration of the Spirit and power. This will squelch all the twisted doctrine that has infiltrated the church through partial revelation mingled with the wisdom of men and a lack of faith. The disunity would be dispelled, we would be in one accord and those held in captivity by the devil and his gang would be set free through the gospel and power of Jesus Christ.

Deuteronomy 32:30 says, "How could one chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight unless their Rock had sold them and the LORD had surrendered them?" Do we see the implication in this verse? Think about every true believer putting away their pet doctrine(s) and really believing Gods Word? O what power would be released on the earth, O what glory the Father would receive and O how the name of Jesus would be exalted. This can happen, but believers must put faith in Gods glorious Word and not the wisdom of men that unfortunately comes forth from many pulpits throughout the world especially from the pulpits, seminaries and Bible colleges in the USA.

With that said, here is some food for thought...
"...Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8)

I Am Different!

2011-02-06T16:01:00.000-05:00

What a wonderful priviledge to be a Christian. We have been redeemed from every nation by the LORD God Almighty through faith in His Son our LORD Jesus Christ and to Him we are special...
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (I Peter 2:9-10)

Think about this passage; Jesus tells us in John 15:16 that we did not chose Him but that He chose us (We are a chosen generation), Revelation 1:5-6 says, "...To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father..." (We are a royal priesthood) and in I Corinthians 6:11…But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (We are set apart – a Holy nation) then in
I Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. (We are a special people – Gods private property) and finally Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! (A people of praise)

Make no mistake, Christians are different and we need to act upon God's Word and live a Biblically correct life because there is a fallen world filled with the very people the Christ died for. It's sad to think of all the people who attend the various congregations throughout the USA that do not see themselves the way that Gods Word tells us as to who and what we are. Why do so many believers act upon their feelings instead of faith? Why do they say they believe God's Word but their actions and words prove other? Why is it that when some believers say that they are what the Word says they are, that they are considered prideful or boasting about themselves? Could the problem be what Paul tells us in his second letter to Timothy?
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.
(II Timothy 3:1-5)

Although Paul mentions many things I believe that the last of these is the worst and greatest in the lives of most who attend congregational meetings on Sunday, having a form of godliness but denying its power. Unfortunately many people who consider themselves believers are destitute of the life of God in their souls and deny that a life filled with the power of Christ can be experienced today. But again it takes Bible faith to really understand and live the true Christian life, "The just shall live by faith". This brings us to a very important question that we must ask ourselves, "Do you really believe that what you believe is really true?" Selah...

Assume the Position

2011-01-31T18:06:00.000-05:00

Through Jesus Christ believers have been given many benefits. The reality of these benefits come by way of our faith in Him who has made all things possible, Jesus Christ. It has been said, "If God says that it is so, then it is so." This means that a believers faith must stand on the integrity of Gods Word. One of the benefits that believers get to enjoy is our position in Christ.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2) One of the areas that believers can rejoice in, is that through Jesus Christ exchanging His sinless life for our sinful life. We are no longer enemies of God but now have peace with God, that is, right standing before God through our LORD Jesus Christ.

Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10:19 ) The phrase , nothing shall by any means hurt you is a mandatory binding provision, an essential action that never changes. It is binding, it has been executed by and is upheld by the one to whom all authority has been given in heaven and on earth, JESUS. Believers have been given authority over the devil and His gang. That means every firey dart of the devil, sickness, disease, poverty, etc. I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Another area of position that believers have is found in John 17:20-23.
Jesus is saying that believers can have the same relationship with the Father that He had while on earth. In Christ we have right standing with the Father, have been given authority over our enemies and can experience the same relationship that Jesus had with the Father, but it takes faith that comes from the heart not the mind.

These are only a few areas the God in Christ has given to believers. If only we could apprehend the truth and walk in our position that we have in Christ, which takes true Bible faith, it would only take a few believers to do what the early church did, "Turn the world upside down." PTL

Who Am I?

2011-01-24T13:17:00.000-05:00

The Bible clearly shows us numerous times as to who or what we have become through our profession of faith in Christ. The born again person needs to understand in their heart that they are now a new creature.
"Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP)

Being a new creature in Christ is not based on ones feelings, thoughts or senses but fact as to what God Word says. The words “new creature” means created new, as to tear down an old building and replace it with a new building. Unfortunately many believers do not know or maybe do not understand that they are new creatures. They think that when they received Christ as LORD that God had only forgiven their sins and has given them eternal life. The problem with this kind of thinking is that it puts God in a box and falls way short of His plan of redemption in Christ. It causes believers to say, I am a sinner saved by grace" rather than I was a sinner saved by grace but now I am the temple of God, a new building, a new creature in Christ. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. ( Corinthians 5:21) Hallelujah

This takes heart or Bible faith to embrace who the believe has become in Christ because thoughts, feelings, senses and or the devil will try to convince them that it's not so. The old creature was crucified with Christ. It was torn down and a new building has replaced it. We are no long to be slaves to sin, the old building, but are free from sin. We were dead, but now are alive in Christ. We are new creatures in Christ the old creature has died, it's deceased, it's torn down!!! (Also see Romans 6:1-7, 11).

True faith from the heart says, "I am a new creature in Christ because God says that it is so."
Whereas mental faith, the kind of faith that agrees with Gods Word but say, "I know I should be a new creature but for some reason I don't feel like one." Do you see the difference?

Jesus said, "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." (Mark 11:23-24) Doubt or faith will come forth from the heart. "...for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (Matthew 12:34) True faith from the heart says, "I am a new creature in Christ because God says that it is so." Mental faith, or human faith, agrees with Gods Word but say, "I know I should be a new creature but for some reason I don't feel like one." Do you see the difference?

Believer, it's time to act as though Gods Word is true. Agreeing with Gods Word in our minds will never release God to do what He has said that He would do. Believers must believe in their heart, this is Bible faith, the kind of faith that makes the impossible, possible. (Matthew 17:20)

Do You Really Know the LORD?

2011-01-18T11:54:00.000-05:00

"My people are being destroyed because they don't know me." (Hosea 4:6 NLT) It saddens me when I listen to believers, especially church leaders make statements concerning the character, nature, actions and the will of God that are contradictive to His Word, the Holy Bible. When I hear contradictions several things are revealed, the top reason being what God reveals in Hosea, "They don't know me." This is very sad especially when He has revealed Himself through His Word.

Whe greatest means to know God is through His Word. His Word reveals His character, nature, purpose and His will. A lack of knowing His Word will hinder believers and keep them from living a victorious life for two reasons. First is a person cannot act upon God’s Word beyond their knowledge of it and second, if a believers does not know the LORD they will not know His will. The greatest assest of knowing Gods Word other than it's the best way to know Him, is that it provides the best resourse for believers to grow their faith, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17)

In one of Jesus' many confrontations with the religious leaders He exposes their lack of knowing God, "Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God." (Matthew 22:29) Even His disciple who basically lived with Him for 3 years struggled with knowing Him, "Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him." Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? (John 14:5-9) There will be no mistake, if we know Jesus we know the Father. As believers observe the ministry of Jesus throughout the gospels, what He said and did, we come to know the Father, that is, His nature, His character and His will. We come to know HIM as well as growing our faith!!!

Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and is profitable (advantageous) to teach the will of God, to convince people of the truth, to straighten out false notions (concepts or impressions) and for tutoring mankind in faith in Jesus Christ. So that no one is lacking in integrity, in the knowledge of Christ, in faith in Christ, in loving God and man as well as being a successful preacher of the Gospel. (II Timothy 3:16-17 AMP) Wow, why would any believer not want to have a daily diet of knowing God through His Word?

Defeated No More (Part II)

2011-01-10T09:59:00.000-05:00

Another wonderful circumstance revealed in the Bible of how right thinking produces great results is found in Mark 5:25-34. "Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well." Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?" But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'" And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."

Here we see that this woman “Had a flow of blood." According to Levitical Law (Leviticus 15:19) a discharge or a flow of blood from a woman was considered unclean and if another person touched her they were also unclean. Think about it, for 12 years she struggled with this condition. She also "Suffered many things from many physicians" which means that the physicians attempts to help her were painful. She also "Spent all that she had, was no better but rather grew worse." Let's try to put ourselves in this humilating, costly and painful situation if we can. Have you or a loved one ever experience such a costly and painful situation?

Well something happened in her life that radically change everything, she heard about Jesus. That's all, she heard about Jesus. We do not know what she heard, but we see that it produced an action, "She came behind Jesus in the crowd and touched His garment." Her action was a product of what she thought. This produced a confession "if I only touch His clothes", which then produced faith, "I shall be made well." Had she not acted upon what she thought, confessed and believed, nothing would have happened, nothing would have changed.

Her thinking, believing, confession and actions had come together based solely on "She heard about Jesus" Notice that she exercised and acted upon faith first and then the fountain of her blood was dried up and "she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction." She believed without seeing any evidence that what she was hoping for would happen. But isn't that true Bible faith? Faith is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead. (Hebrews 11:1 TLB)

Finally, we see what caused the healing to manifest in her, "Daughter, your FAITH has made you well.” Not only did Jesus tell her (us) what brought her healing, but He reassures her of her healing, “Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction." Her faith went ahead of her healing, that is, thinking right, believing right, confessing right and putting action to what she believed and confessed. God will always do what He has promised to do when His people act in faith.

God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (Numbers 23:19)

For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (Mark 11:23-24) PTL

Defeated No More (Part 1)

2011-01-03T09:45:00.000-05:00

It is simply wrong thinking, wrong believing, wrong speaking and wrong actions that defeats most believers. If our thinking is right our believing will be right. If our believing is right then our confession will be right and if our confession is right then our actions will be right. In Matthew 8:5-13 we see Jesus' encounter with a Roman centurion.

In Matthew 8:5-8 we find that some how this centurion heard about Jesus or observed Jesus as He ministered so he went to Jesus and pleaded for his servant who was "lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented." Jesus’ response was immediate, “I will come and heal him”. There was no questions concerning the Father’s will to heal this mans servant. However, the centurion offers Jesus an alternative “Lord I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word and my servant will be healed.” This is important because it reveals some things concerning the centurion and Gods will.

First we see the centurion’s faith at work. He heard about Jesus or observed the ministry of Jesus, it produced thought, he believed and he confessed by offering an alternative to Jesus coming to his house and healing his servant. Next, Matthew 8:9, The centurion tells Jesus that he is a man under authority just like Jesus is. He knew that he could verbally command soldiers under him and they would obey because they recognized his authority. He had discerned the authority that Jesus had and in the same way that the centurion commanded soldiers he believed that Jesus could command healing on his servant without Jesus going to his house.

In Matthew 8:10-12 We see that Jesus marveled at this mans spiritual insight and then brings a word of conviction to those who were Gods children and should have faith in God. Could the same statement be said to the church today, "I have not found such great faith" and be true as it was then? Jesus equates this mans understanding of authority as having great faith. In other words, "I have not found such a great confidence in my power, even among the Jews, as this Roman, a Gentile, has shown himself to possess.”

Finally Matthew 8:13 shows us the results of this encounter. The centurion heard, thought, believed, confessed and now he acted, “Go you way”, and then he received, “His servant was healed that same hour.” The fact that the centurion changed the circumstance in which Jesus was to heal his servant also shows us that God is far more willing to do things than most believers have faith for. We do not know if the centurion was a follower of Christ or not, but what is evident is true faith is all that it takes to move our Heavenly Father as we ask in Jesus' name.

Believers can and should speak the Word of God with authority being fully convinced that what God has promised He is also able to perform. So let's begin right now by changing our thinking, believing, confessing and actions from being manipulated by doubt, fear and unbelief and place our faith in the integrity of God's Word. Let us declare right NOW that 2011 will be the most fruitful year that we have ever experienced for HIS glory...

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

2010-12-28T15:21:00.000-05:00

This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
(Ephesians 4:17-32)

The Apostle Paul clearly shows us the process of wrong thinking producing wrong believing producing wrong confession and finally producing wrong actions. These are all a product of the old nature. But believers are to put on the new nature. The attitudes of the heart and mind are to be renewed, edifying speech is to come from their mouths and their actions are not to be sinful. Believers need to pay close attention to verse 27. The devil cannot read minds but he hears our words and see our actions, which are a reflection of what is in our heart. He then lays out his deceptive game plan in hopes that the believer will greive the Holy Spirit through wrong thinking, etc.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:22-26)

Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit in the believer produces wonderful attributes to live by. But the question comes as to whether believers are walking in the Spirit where the passions and desires of the flesh are squeleced? This is easily uncovered if believers are not living out Galatians 5:26 and Ephesians 4:31-32.
We simply need to get Gods Word into our hearts and act upon what it says. Acting upon Gods Word is faith in action. Again, it is wrong thinking, wrong believing wrong speaking and wrong actions that defeat most believers, not the devil. The devil has already been defeated and the weakest believer has the authority to overpower him if he is standing on the integrity of Gods Word and his faith is in Jesus Christ.

If our thinking is right our believing will be right. If our believing is right then our confession will be right and if our confession is right then our actions will be right. If one of these areas is wrong, then they all we be wrong…

Our Words Do Have an Impact

2010-12-20T16:20:00.000-05:00

Jesus tells us that, "Those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." (Matthew 15:18-19) But where do they orginate? The Apostle Paul tells us that believers deal with arguments and thought (II Corinthians 10:5) and anxiety (Philippians4:6). The Apostle Peter tells us that believers deal with various cares (I Peter 5:7) and Jesus tells us that believers deal with worry (Matthew 6:31), the opinions of man and the lies of the devil (Matthew 16:13, 23) to name a few things that affect the believers mind.

All of these things work in the believers mind and can have an adverse affect on their very core, their heart. Medical science is also discovering that negative thinking can cause physical ailiment and emotional distress that begin in the mind but finds its way to the seat of a persons very being, the heart. So now we can understand better what Jesus meant in Matthew 15:18-19. So when the heart is infiltrated from negative thought of the mind, out of our mouth proceeds negative speech or confession.

James 3:6 tells us, "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that IT DEFILES THE WHOLE BODY, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell." What an impact the tongue has on the believers entire being. However, Hebrews 10:23 says, "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)" Believers are to have a good confession, a positive confession, a confession filled with faith. But if a believers mind hold fast to thoughts that breed doubt then their hearts (what they believe) will also be tainted and the natural course will be a confession of doubt and not faith.

There is something that can be done. Paul tells believers to "refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ" (II Corinthians 10:5) As believers "cast down" these things of the mind and replace them with thing above, they can expect to there confession to be one of faith and not doubt. When this happens believers will be imparting grace to those who hear their speech, that is, their confession.

Come, Let Us Reason?

2010-12-14T15:44:00.000-05:00

The battle that believers face on a daily bases is not so much the devil as it is with the way they think. A believers thinking will have a great influence as to what they believe. For instance, if you were taught that two plus two equals five and you believed this long enough, it would be very difficult at best to be convinced to believe that two plus two actually equals four. So then we can say that right thinking produces right believing but on the other side of the coin we can also say that wrong thinking produces wrong believing. Well this is the problem that Jesus encountered in Nazareth.

In Mark 6:1-6 we see Marks account of wrong thinking that produced wrong believing. Jesus taught in the synagogue and the people commented on what they had witnessed...
And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying,"Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! (Mark 6:2)

Although they witnessed these incredible events and were even astonished by them the next verse reveals their thoughts (their thinking)...
Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" So they were offended at Him. (Mark 6:3)
With wrong thinking comes the inevitable, wrong believing...
And He (Jesus) marveled because of their unbelief...(Mark 6:6)

The sad thing that we see through these events is found in verse 5...
Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. (Mark 6:5)
Notice that is does not say that Jesus “would not” do mighty works, but that He “could not” do mighty works due to their unbelief. It is the arguments, thoughts, reasoning and vain philosophy of the mind that Paul tells believers to take captive in II Corinthians 10:3-6. A person can only act upon what they believe or have faith for. These people admitted that Christ spoke with wisdom and performed mighty works but missed a move of God as it were because they did not believe. Faith does not come from the mind by from the hearts. However, what one thinks will determine what one believes.

Unfortunately the same dilemma is repeating itself among most believers today. We have Gods Word, the Bible, and we have the Holy Spirit to guide us in to all truth and yet there are very few times when the power of God is evident in churches throughout the USA. There is too little teaching today from most pulpits about true Bible faith. Instead of trying our best to be politically correct, it's time to rise up and become Biblically correct. But this will not happen without first putting down wrong thinking (arguments, thoughts, reasoning and vain philosophy of the mind) and exercise faith. This means believing God's Word over the words being spoken by many religious leaders from pulpits across the USA. The good news is, Peter and John had to make the same decision. (Acts 4:19-20)

It's time to put away churchianity and start living out true Christianity. We can start by taking serious the words of Jesus...
"..nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8)

Who Said That?

2010-12-09T15:25:00.001-05:00

According to Matthew 16:13-17, 21-23 there are three voices that believers have to sort out in this life…“So they said some say," (what men say)…"flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven," (what God says)…"Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God," (what Satan says). This can be a difficult thing, however believers have a wonderful gauge which seperates them all, the Bible, God's Word. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17) As believers submerse themselves in God's Word their faith grows to where it becomes easier to discern between the voices of fallen man and Satan to where they hear the voice of the LORD clearly, "...and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice" (John 10:4)

The Apostle Paul reports in I Corinthians 2:14-16 that the unregenerate person cannot know the mind of Christ because he does not have the Spirit of God in him to discern and know the mind of Christ. However, the born again, spirit filled person is capable of discerning and knowing Christ’s mind. Through the Holy Spirits who does not "speak on His own authority," believers can have the mind of Christ. Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 "not to be conformed to this world, " that is, do not let Satan or humanity to mold us to think their way, but to let our attitudes and thoughts be completely reversed by the Holy Spirits influence so that believers can know Gods will and His purposes.

Although Satan stands to oppose believers Paul tells us in II Corinthians 10:3-6 that believers have weapons available to them that are mighty in God for the destruction of fortresses. What are these weapons that are mighty in God for pulling down strongholds (destroying demonic fortresses)? Ephesians 6:17”…The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;” It’s the Word of God, the same thing that Jesus used against the devil and all men who opposed Him. We use the Word of God to cast down and demolish every argument, every thought, all reasoning, all philosophy and all plans and purposes of Satan and man that opposes Gods Truth. It becomes an act of aggression. Believers are to forcibly stand against these attacks in faith with the Word of God.

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." (Matthew 11:12) Jesus is saying that there is a violence that takes place in people that earnestly desire to obtain the Kingdom of God. Understand, Christianity is like a contact sport such as wrestling. However, we battle in the spirit not in the flesh. Having the mind of Christ gives believers the edge because they can know what Satan and his bunch are up to before they get a chance to attack. But having the mind of Christ is something that believers must work at daily.

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things." (Philippians 4:8) It is accomplished through God's Word which builds faith.

Believing That God is Able

2010-11-30T13:02:00.000-05:00

It’s been said in different ways that, “The faith that most believers have, needs to take an 18 inch trips south, from their head to their heart.” Most believers will agree mentally that Gods Word is true. We’ve been programmed to believe that the Bible is the infallible Word of God, yet many believers will confess that "I can’t understand why when I pray I do not have the answer to what I ask?" Let's look at a scripture that most believers know and refer to as "The Romans road to salvation"...
"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10)

According to verse 9 how is one saved? “CONFESS with your mouth the LORD Jesus, (His Lordship) and BELIEVE in your HEART,” not your mind. According to verse 10 how does salvation happen? “For with the HEART one BELIEVES and with the MOUTH CONFESSION is made,” again not believing with the mind. Ephesians 2:8-9 paints the pictures for ones salvation, "‘For by grace you have been saved, (Sozo: saved, preserved, healed, delivered, made whole) through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast..”

It’s been almost 2000 years since Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. No one living today were actual witnesses of these events. So explain to me what tangible evidence you have today that these things are so? What is the evidence of these things that we have not seen? Why do we believe in rebirth through Christ? Why are we so sure of eternal life? The answer lies in the verses above from Romans, “CONFESS with your mouth the LORD Jesus, (His Lordship) and BELIEVE in your HEART. In doing so "He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself...And this is the testimony, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son". (I John 5:10-11)

It is this same witness in our spirit that believers should experience today that we can receive "Anything according to His WILL". This is not limited to rebirth only but every promise of God. The same way that people are born again "confess with the mouth and believe in the heart" is the same way that all the promises of God are released. However, most believers in the USA have been so trained in knowledge that it thwarts faith from arising from the heart and believing is more of a mental assent.

A believers desire to know Christ more is certainly a great desire, but believers must move past knowing His word, to knowing Him who is the Word (Revelation 19:13) It is in this place where trust is built in the name above all names. It is knowing Him that causes believers to not waver at the promises of God through unbelief. It is knowing Him where faith is strengthened, because it is this place where the believer is fully convinced that what God has promised He is also able to preform, believing in your heart...

Now Faith IS...

2010-11-23T10:06:00.000-05:00

The Bible clearly shows us one of the foundation stones of Christianity...
"For we walk by faith, not by sight". (2 Corinthians 5:7) "..."The just shall live by faith".
(Romans 1:17) "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6)...it is faith. So why is there so much misunderstanding as to how faith works? How is it when a believer does not get their prayers answered they are told that they do not have faith and if a believer reports that the LORD gives him all that he ask Him for they have that flaky name it and claim it faith? Their are two great examples of how faith truly works.

JOHN 20:24-29 tells us the story of Thomas' refusal to believe the report that Jesus had risen from the dead and had appeared to some of His disciples. The time comes when Jesus stands before Thomas and Thomas finally believes because he now sees. But Jesus' response holds the key to living by faith, "Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29)

Faith is not receiving from God and then believe because we have received it, I have it, so now I believe it. This is what Thomas did, unless I see, I will not believe. Faith is believing that we have received it and then we get it, believing (receiving) without seeing. This applies to ALL things that Christ has acquired for humanity. Many people want to know first then believe it. I personally do not believe in healing because I saw brother or sister get healed, I believe in healing because Gods Word says healing is a part of redemption (Isaiah 53:4-5, Matthew 8:17, I Peter 2:24) Think about from this perspective. If I already have something I would not have to believe for it, it’s already mine, it’s in my possession. For believers to come to a place where they KNOW that they already have what they ask God for, believe without seeing, they have to base their faith totally in the integrity of Gods Word. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

The other picture of what faith is and how it works is found in Romans 4:16-22. Notice the difference between Abraham’s faith and Thomas’ faith. Thomas’ faith was based on his mind, “if I can touch and see, I’ll believe.” (We need to understand that Thomas was present as evidenced in all 4 gospels at the Last Supper where Jesus spoke of His resurrection from the dead, but he had to be persuaded in his mind.) Abraham on the other hand did not consider that he was 100 years of age and that his 90 year old wife Sarah was barren and was well beyond child bearing years. It says, "No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God, Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised." (Romans 4:20-21 AMP) Abraham believed God's Word, he did not question it, he did not doubt it, nor did he make up a reason why year after year for 25 years he did not see any evidence of what God had said. Abraham believed in his heart and did not let his mind breed doubt. Thomas believed in his mind and therefore doubted in his heart.

This uncovers the main reason why most believers do not see their prayers answered. They rely on faith that comes from their mind (mental assent) rather than faith that comes from the heart (the spirit). I have experienced several believers including pastors who refused to be healed because, "They DON'T BELIEVE in healing for today" or "They DON'T BELIEVE that Jesus healed everybody". Unfortunately their own words kept them from receiving what God accomplished through Christ at the cross. It is sad that we have to come up with disclaimers instead of admitting that our faith is weak. One of the advantages of admitting that one's faith is weak is that faith can always grow. So let's begin to believe that every word that is recorded in the Bible is Gods word, that His word is truth, that Jesus is the Word, and that He does not change.

"So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)

Being Victorious Through Humility

2010-11-16T08:09:00.000-05:00

I Peter 5:5-9 gives believers a principle for living victorious lives. Believers are called to be clothed with humility in both their outward appearance and conduct as proof of a humble heart. Humility then releases the unmerited unearned ability and desire to do Gods will (Grace). That means that no matter how difficult a circumstance or situation a believer finds himself in Gods promise it to elevate a humble believer above them.

However, there is a very important key to not letting life's difficulties pressure believers into discouragement, fear, anxiety and disappointment, "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7) The Amplified Bible says it this way, "Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully." Wow, what a wonderful Father that we have in heaven. Our heavenly Father does not want His children to worry or be anxious about anything. He wants believers to cast all anxieties, all worries and all concerns, once and for all upon Him. This means to cast our cares on Him and not take them back. This can be a difficult task for believers because Peter reveals where anxiety, worry and concerns come from, "...your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." (I Peter 5:8)

The devil uses lies, deception, accusation and persecution to create circumstances and or situations to cause believers to fret, worry and or be filled with anxiety and concerns because it neutralizes faith. This is why Peter tells believers to be "sober, be vigilant", that is, not showing agitated emotions due to the concerns of the world but being watchful (on guard) because the devil who is an evil spirit has access to us everywhere we go. The devils primary objective is to contend with and oppose believers all the time to get there focus off of the LORD and on anxieties, worries and concerns. What are believers to do?

"Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world." (I Peter 5:9) Stand against the devil! Do not be weak in faith! Do not waver at the promise of God that He will exalt you and that He will take all anxieties, all worries and all concerns if we give them to Him. The crises of this life come to all of us. The difference is believers have the Word of God, the Spirit of God and the name of Jesus to use to resist the devil and stand in faith. We must get out of the habit of worry and anxiety and get into the habit of exercising faith knowing this; the weakest believer has the authority to overpower the devil if his faith is in the Son of God. Hallelujah

The Peace That Passes All Understanding

2010-11-10T08:31:00.000-05:00

The Bible tells us, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;" (Philippians 4:6) Believers are not to fret or have any anxiety about anything no matter how big or small a situation may seem to be. God tells us what steps to take in order to to rid ourselves of fret or anxiety, ..."in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." God's Word then tells us the results that a believer will have when fret and anxiety are dealt as He has perscribed, "And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 4:7 AMP)

Therefore the peace of God in a believers life is the result of praying (the prayer of faith or praying with faith) and obeying His Word. Philippians 4:6 tells us how to enjoy Philippians 4:7. A believer cannot circumvent verse 6 to receive what verse 7 promises and yet most believers will ask another believer(s) to pray for them so that they can have peace and not take it upon themselves to stand on Gods Word, pray and believe. Looking closely at verse 7 we see that it starts with the conjunction "and" which directly connects it to verse 6. So we cannot experience the "peace that passes all understanding" with applying verse 6.

However, as I have mentioned before, believers are in a constant battle with the opposing forces of darkness. You may pray and stand on God's Word in faith, receive His peace and then a day or so later find yourself dealing with fret and anxienty all over again. Well Praise the LORD the Bible tells us how to assault and destroy the thought that the devil will try to fill our minds with that breed fret and anxiety. Believers are to meditate on; Focus one's thoughts upon, esteem highly, recommend heartily, and practice fervently, these things...

Whatever things are true: All that is agreeable to Gods unchangeable and eternal truth...
Whatever things are noble: Superior in mind, character, ideals and morals...
Whatever things are just: That which is legally correct, agreeable to justice and righteousness...
Whatever things are pure: Purity of the mind, and body...
Whatever things are lovely: Attributes of beauty, harmony or grace in conduct and conversation...
Whatever things are of good report: Actions that are truly reputable and agreeable that are useful and profitable to all people...
If there be any virtue: That which conforms to a standard of right that promote the general good of mankind...
If there is anything praiseworthy: Things that are applaudable or worthy of high praise...

So once a believer gets to the place in their faith where they have the peace that passes all understanding, in order to keep it, they must reject negative thinking and fill their minds with the right things. In other words, God incredible peace is not going to be able to gurad your mind unless you think right. Remember this simple principle, right thinking produces right believing, right believing produces right confession and right confession products right actions.

"Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength." (Isaiah 26:2-4) PTL

Be Anxious for nothing? Are you Kidding?

2010-11-02T08:18:00.003-04:00

In a quick summary of Matthew 6:19-34 Jesus tells us that worry robs us of life because when we worry it shows a lack of faith and that our utmost affections have been placed on things other than Him. He tells us that our Father in Heaven knows what we need so set our utmost affections above and He will meet all of our needs. In Philippians 4:6 the Apostle Paul addresses an issue in the church that is synonymous to worry, anxiety. Anxiety is defined as an emotion that is experienced in anticipation of some (usually ill-defined) misfortune.

The first portion of Philippians 4:6 says, "Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything"...(AMP) God's Word tells us not fret or have any anxiety about ANYTHING." Should not a believers response be, "Yes LORD, you said do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, so I am going to commit myself to do what Your Word tells me do. I choose not to fret or have any anxiety about anything?” Most definitely! This is faith in action.

The next portion Philippians 4:6 “...But in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.”(AMP) reveals how we deal with anxiety. So a believers response should be accordingly, “LORD I am taking this problem and turning it over to You. I thank you for the answer. It is no longer my problem, I gave it to you and you will work it out. Romans 8:28 tells us, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

This truly is an easy thing to do. However, for most believers it really isn't easy. Many believers have been raised in a family where a parent, family member or someone they were close to were worriers and they themselves have adopted the same habit. We also know that the devil will use his arsenal to rob people from believing God because worry/anxiety manifests where there is a lack of faith. What do we do? We trust God and stand on His Word with a response something like this, "LORD I am giving you this problem and I am not going to take this problem back, I give it to you, it is your problem, you keep working on it. Satan worry and anxiety are not from God they belong to you so you take your things and go in the name of Jesus. I receive the peace that Jesus has given me and I thank you Father for solving this problem, in Jesus name."

Remember, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12) Believers are in a battle 24/7 whether they believe it or not. Believers also deal with this battle in their minds. "Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."
(II Corinthians 10:5)

The point is that if the problem that a believer gave to the LORD tries to fill their mind again causing worry or anxiety then they must exercise faith and by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. In other words, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7) As believers take a more agressive part in 'Fighting the good fight of faith" they will enjoy the promise of God that we will look at next. So in the mean time, "Resist the devil, steadfast in the faith".

The Game of Worry

2010-10-25T11:06:00.000-04:00

Worry is the state of engaging in chains of thoughts and images of a negative and an uncontrollable nature in which mental attempts are made to avoid anticipated potential threats. In a sense, worry is a game of the mind. One moment a person is worrying about one thing and before you know it something else seems to become more of a potential threat and new negative thoughts and images replace the former ones. However, worry in not a game. Games are designed to be recreational and fun mainly based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve. The definition of worry deals with torment not fun.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? We certainly have to think about things and even make plans concerning our future. However, the main thought that Jesus is conveying here is God does not want believers burdened with the cares of this life, period.

In Matthew 6:26-30, Jesus wants us to see how much more value people are to God over the animals that God takes care of. He wants us to understand that worry does not add to ones life. We are to consider the beauty of flowers, they just grow, they do not put any effort in and of themselves to do so. How about the most magnificent king of Israel with all his colorful robes and splendor? Even Solomon magnificence does not compare to Gods creation, yet people, especially His children are more valuable to Him than these splendors. If God is willing to take such care of flowers which grow one moment and are cut down and use for fuel the next, will He not provide so much more for people. "O you of little faith" carries two thoughts. One is that just a little faith will deactivate worry and is enough to believe God for provision; and or worry becomes a product of those with little or weak faith. Either way, worry takes life away!

Matthew 6:31-32 To worry about the things in which Gods Word says are our in Christ is no different than acting like a lost person who has no hope. Basically worry is sin. God already knows what we are in need of and when we do not believe that what He has promised He is able to perform then we are rejecting His Word and actually believing the devil's lies more than Gods truth.

Finally Jesus tells us a way to get rid of worry. Matthew 6:33 It goes back to the beginning of this passage, ‘Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” A believers duty is to seek, pursue and desire God and His realm not the things of this earthly realm and He promises to take care of us so that we do not lack but that our needs are always met. It is an act of our will and an exercise of faith to give ALL of our concerns to the LORD, but we must be convinced (have faith) that God will do what He says.

So therefore give ALL your concerns to the LORD and take one day at a time if and when it comes.
(Matthew 6:34)

Phobia's, the Worlds Answers to Everything

2010-10-19T11:00:00.000-04:00

Did you know that Behavioral Science, the study of human and animal behavior, says that there are 530 types of phobia's among human societies? Phobia's are defined as, an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme and irrational fear of simple things or social situations. How many believers do you suppose fall prey to phobia's today? Although worry not a particular phobia it is based on a similar response. Worry is thoughts and images of a negative nature in which mental attempts are made to avoid anticipated potential threats, which can breed fear (Phobia) The main difference between the two are phobia's are usually long term and have a constant affect, whereas worry is generally short term and changes based upon a given situation or circumstance.

Worry is one of the greatest hindrances to faith that unfortunately way to many believers give place to in their daily lives. There is an old saying, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen". In a similar way, if what man says, ie the media, people on the job, etc. cause believers to worry, then turn off the media excuse yourself from others and open your Bible to grow your faith!!!

In Matthew 6:19-34 Jesus deals with priorities in our lives and what we place value on. Verses 19 and 20 is not talking about monetary wealth only but anything that a person treasures or attaches great wealth or value to that will eventually perish. Jesus tells us how to fix this problem. Do not exhaust your strength or spend your days in this life on things that will perish but prepare ourselves for eternity. We are heirs of Christ and we are to possess the things of God that are not corruptible.

Verse 21-24 reveals the truth behind what we value. The worldly minded persons (believer) life reveals that his affections (that what he treasures) are of the things of the world whereas a God minded persons (believer)life reveals that his affections (that what he treasures) are on the things of God. Jesus then uses the eye to illustrate what He is talking about in the above verses. The eye regulates the motion of the body. If your eye is healthy, that is fixed on heavenly treasures then your entire life will be steady and unwavering. However, if your eye is unhealthy, that is fixed on worldly treasures, your life is confused and uncertain. Jesus uses another illustration of the necessity of storing up treasures in heaven. This is based on a natural human law. It is humanly impossible for a person to put their utmost affections, their highest regard on two things at the same time. It is humanly impossible to serve the true God of heaven and earth and be engaged with worldly treasures. Be honest with yourself right now. Do you truly and honestly place your utmost affections, your highest regard on Jesus Christ?

In Luke 14:26 "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple." Jesus really hits the nail on the head as He challenges us to put our utmost affections, our highest regard on Him and not another human being, but is it so? It take true Bible faith to do this. Why? Think of how many times we have allowed worry to fill our minds over another person especially a loved one. We some how do not make the connection with what we truly treasure and what Jesus is saying.

When we reduce worry to its lowest denominator (if that is possible) or no matter how we look at it, worry is still produced from a lack of faith in Christ and the integrity of Gods Word. Believers already have faith or they would not have experienced rebirth. The problem that many believers face is not being fully convinced that what God has promised He is able to perform. However, the good news is, we can come to a place in our lives where we become convinced that God is willing and able. This comes by do something in our lives that God has promised will build our faith. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17) Schedule daily time reading, studying and especially meditating on Gods Word and our faith will grow and worry will leave.

Do You Have Peace?

2010-10-12T13:03:00.000-04:00

One of the benefits of redemption according to Isaiah 53:5 is not only having peace with God, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1)
but also a deeper peace, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)

The one side of peace is that through Christ the Father's wrath has been turned and by placing faith in Christ man has right standing with the Father which is a wonderful thing indeed. But believers are to experience the peace that Jesus had during His earthly ministry as the Son of man. That peace is a tranquil, quieting and uninterrupted happiness of mind. The divine peace that Jesus Himself continuously experienced in God. This kind of peace gives no place to the tumultuous world around us. It is the kind of peace that we see in Matthew 8 where Jesus slept in the boat even when the waves were crashing on it and in it, but it is also the kind of peace that believers should constantly abide in.

Jesus continues to explain how different His peace is. "Not as the world gives", which is a false sense of hope and security when at any time natural disasters, economic chaos, wars, and all matter of trauma wait in the wings to manifest. The only time in the history of man that the world experienced peace was before the fall of man.

Next Jesus makes a very important statement which is key to living in the peace that the LORD has provided. "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid;" Not only is He saying do not be agitated; distressed or fearful but also do not be afraid, cowardly and unbelieving. Being troubled and afraid will ruin ones life; these things neutralize faith and can breed physical and or mental sickness. It's not a matter of hoping to obtain the peace of Christ, it is a matter of receiving His peace by faith because His death purchased FULL redemption for ALL in which a part is "The peace the peace of God which surpasses ALL understanding". Halleluiah

Whose Report Do You Believe?

2010-10-06T17:10:00.000-04:00

Isaiah 53:1 starts by asking a very important question, "Who has believed our report?" Why is this question important? Isaiah is about to tell us Gods plan of redemption through the coming Messiah. The question becomes significant to us today if we are to see and experience Gods entire redemptive plan manifest on the earth. However, the only way that believers will see and experience Gods entire plan of redemption is to see it through the eyes of faith.

Isaiah 53:4-5 shows us God plan of redemption. Although many today have limited redemption to rebirth, it is only a minute piece of the total plan of redemption. The Hebrew words for borne, griefs, carried, wounded, transgressions, bruised, iniquities, chastisement, stripes and healed opens a wonderful picture of what Messiah would come to earth to do. The following is a compilation of the definitions of these words placed in sentence form...

Surely He has taken away, carried away, cast away all of our anxieties, calamities, diseases and sicknesses (pains of the body). He has taken the burden of our pains of the mind, yet we esteemed Him stricken by Gods divine judgment and afflicted as though He had sinned. His skin was breached by violence because of our rebellion, sin and trespasses. He was beaten to pieces because of our perversity, evil and sin. Discipline and correction was brought upon Him so that Gods peace and favor would be upon us, and by His bruises, hurts and wounds we are cured, repaired and thoroughly made whole.

But interestingly enough Isaiah questions appears two more time in scripture. Once in John 12:38 and again in Romans 10:16. This time it is focused around not believing in Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself faced unbelief mostly in the religious community, Paul was dealing with unbelief among the Jews concerning Christ and today unbelief has infiltrated the ranks of church leaders who pass it along to the church. Sure most evangelicals believe that rebirth is only through Jesus Christ, but what about healing of the body and mind or deliverance from being demonized. Why are these things pasted off as not Gods will for today when they are clearly as much of a part of redemption as rebirth?

John 12:39-40 reveal the reason why the religious community did not believe Jesus the Christ...
"Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again, He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them."
Romans 10:17 reveals why the Jews would not believe in Jesus as Christ...
"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
I John 5:14-15 reveals why so many evangelicals today do not believe in the full plan of redemption...
"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."

Simply put, people unchurched and to many people who are churched just do not believe Gods report! Why? It takes faith

A Love Letter to You

2010-09-27T15:48:00.000-04:00

The Bible is referred to as many things, Gods Word, The Truth, etc. But I like to refer to it as a love letter to all of humanity from the God of love. There are many reasons why believer's must place God's Word in their hearts daily and He shows us in Deuteronomy 6:1-3, 14, 16. In verse 1 we see four key words, Commandments, which denotes a body of laws given by divine revelation; Statutes, things that God has defined, marked or traced out to teach how one walks right before God; Judgments, that is sitting as judge or rights belonging to someone; and Observe, to perceive; become acquainted with; to gain understanding of; to examine. With these words in mind, let's look at the importance that God places on His word and why it is imperative for believers to spend ample time daily in it.

That they may fear the LORD, to be afraid, to reverence, to stand in awe. The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; (Proverbs 8:13) The lack of having the fear of the LORD opens the door to practice evil.
That the days of our lives will prolonged. My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; For length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. (Proverbs 3:1-2) God wants His people to live long and have peace. He gave us His word to do just that. ...His word is medicine to all of our flesh. (Proverbs 4:22)
That it be well with you and that you may multiply greatly. This indicates that God would secure prosperity and security for His people for generations. I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2) If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:11)
You shall not go after other gods. No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. (Matthew 6:24) (Although in context this is about the power of wealth, the same principle applies)
You shall not tempt the LORD your God. Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: He shall give His angels charge over you, and, In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. Jesus said to him, It is written again, You shall not tempt the Lord your God. (Matthew 4:5-7)

These are just a few important reason why believers NEED daily time in Gods Word. Out of the five points listed above how many do you fall short of? I Peter 5:9 tells us to resist the devil, steadfast in the faith...How can believers resist the devil without having Gods Word in their hearts? So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17) Let's take some serious time daily reading and studying Gods love letter to humanity, His Word.

You Better Hold On

2010-09-20T11:28:00.002-04:00

Let's consider the second part of this verse of scripture from I Thessalonians 5:21, "Test all things; hold fast what is good." To hold fast is to guard from loss, hold down, possess, adhere to firmly and retain faithfully. In this verse it implies, adhere to firmly and retain faithfully, Gods Word. Do not accept anything that sounds good but is not inspired by the Holy Spirit, but hold fast to what is good. Applying these definitions to the words "Hold Fast" it should be apparent that a possiblity exists that the Word of God or the things of God can be taken or stolen from a believer. This is also seen in other verses of scripture.

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."
(Hebrews 10:23) Let us guard, adhere to firmly and acknowledge the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Never doubting, being unsteady, wavering in the promises or declarations made to believers in Gods Word through Christ, because God is faithful, He does not nor cannot lie. Again, believers are to hold fast, guard from loss, adhere to firmly and retain faithfully Gods Word. In Revelations 2:25 Jesus speaking to the church at Thyatira says, "But hold fast what you have till I come."

Jesus is pointing out another level of what holding fast indicates. For believers to hold fast to Gods Word implies a struggle that someone or something is trying to wrestle it away from them. In this church Jesus reveals as Jezebel was a self-proclaimed prophetess to king Ahab her husband and the influence that she had over him which influenced Gods people in a negative way, that there were false prophetesses in this church that were influencing many with false carnal doctrine. However, Jesus encourages the ones that had not accepted this false doctrine to guard from loss, adhere to firmly and retain faithfully His Word no matter what it takes until He returns which will mark the end of their conflict with evil. This then brings us back to why it is so important for believers to fully understand the Parable of the Soils. It reveals how much we must gurad ourselves from the wiles of the devil.

And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. (Mark 4:15) Again, it is very apparent that the Word of God can be taken, robbed, stolen from believers if they do not have a foundation of Gods Word to build upon and hold fast to. Believers are in a conflict, a struggle… "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."
(Jude 3)

Jude is exhorting believers to strenuously defend, as in a contest, the truth that they had received. Many believers know the LORD as their personal Savior, but they do not always know the privileges and promises that they have in Him and how to receive them. Could it be that many believers do not have a solid foundation of Gods Word in their hearts? Could this be due to Satan coming immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts? Let's face it, faith grows through the very things that the devil comes to steal from the hearts of believers.
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)

Listen or You May not Pass the Test

2010-09-14T15:51:00.000-04:00

It seems like the closer we come to the return of Christ the farther more believers move away from faith. The Apostle Paul exhorts believers to "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith..." Paul was not exhorting believers in a nebulous general faith that stops at the day of rebirth, but a true faith in the gospel as well as faith in Jesus Christ, and in the promises of God through him. Paul also tells us that the gospel is the power of God to us who are being saved. Everyday in a believers life the power of the gospel should be experienced in a tangible way, being saved, delivered, healed, preserved, being made whole. But is this true for most believers? Are most believers "in the faith" as Paul is exhorting? Let's be honest, most believers in the USA are not functioning in the faith that Paul is talking about.

Test all things; hold fast what is good. (I Thessalonians 5:21) There are two important principles in this short verse of scripture that believers need to consider at all times. We will consider "Test all things" first. The Apostle Paul exhorts the church not to believe everything that is spoken through prophecy, teaching or preaching but to examine what is spoken. We examine these things through the weapons of our warfare that are mighty in God, His Word. The apostle John tells us, Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
(I John 4:1) The word spirit here is used to express the man who was teaching as to whether his teaching was influenced by the Holy Spirit or his human spirit.

Unfortunately today there is more teaching and preaching coming from pulpits filled with the human spirit than with the Holy Spirit. How can we know this? Let's look at Mark 16:20...
And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. When the Word is preached by inspiration of the Holy Spirit then it is confirmed through signs.

About four years ago I became frustrated and discouraged because church had become dull and I wanted to know why. The LORD spoke to me and said, "Preach my word, not your word, tell people of my plan not what you think my plan is or what you want my plan to be and you will see my works". Naturally I took a look at what I was teaching and preaching to get a better understanding of what the LORD was saying. I noticed that I was teaching and preaching from the Bible, but adding things that I had learned or thought to be true. I came to realize that I was actually inoculating myself and other believers with concepts that did not build faith, which brought me to repentance. From then my eyes have been opened to see a spirit of error that is growing in the USA that works at twisting Gods Word and is deceiving many believers especially leaders. It stands against the teaching and preaching of faith, because faith, faith in the name of Jesus is what releases all the promises of God. Satan knows this an is hard at work using his arsenial of deception to keep believers from having great faith.

And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise.
(Hebrews 11:39) Do we see what is here? The Old Testament believers believed God but did not receive the promise of Christ. In Christ believers have been given everything that the Old Testament believers were only promised. Today, the promises of God are avaiable to every believer because they are a reality, they are fact! The world needs to see believers who truly put actions to their faith. Faith without corresponding actions is dead! Just because a teaching sounds good or preaching gets you excited does not mean it's the Word of God. So beloved, it is time to listen and "Test all things."

Can you HEAR Me Now?

2010-09-06T15:12:00.000-04:00

My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don't lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. (Proverbs 4:20-22 NLT) Have you ever made a promise that you either could not or did not keep? Many people have. Before I was saved I would make promises and sometimes failed at carrying them out. However, not long after I became a believer I completely stopped making any promises. Many believers
look at Gods Word and see things like, "For they (Gods Word) bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body" and marvel at the promise(s) of God. However, let's begin to see Gods Word as facts! This is what faith is built upon.

Luke 5 is one of numerous passages of scripture that paints a clear picture of hearing the Word of God and and responding to the facts. In Luke 5:12-15 we see a leper who asks Jesus if He is willing to heal Him. Jesus said, "I am WILLING, be cleansed". We see Gods willingness to heal this man but verse 15 holds a key that we need to see, "However, the REPORT went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to HEAR, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities." Isaiah 53:1, John 12:38 and Romans 10:16 all ask the same question, "Who has believed our report"? We see in Luke that a multitude heard His report, believed and were healed. But a little further into Luke 5: 16-26 we see a different perspective towards God Word.

On a certain day Jesus was teaching and as He taught the power to heal was present. But why do we suppose that these men mentioned here brought a paralyzed man on a bed to Jesus? It should be obvious, they must have HEARD and because they heard and responded, Jesus sees their faith in action. Understand, there was power to heal all who would hear, even for the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, but the scribes and Pharisees "began to reason."

"For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it." (Hebrews 4:2) This is contracting the promise that God gave Israel that Canaan, the Promised Land, would be a place of rest for them in the same way Christ is the ultimate promise of rest to those who believe in Him. Moses preached Gods promises to Israel and they did not mix it with faith (receive the Word as facts) and their unbelief caused a generation to die in the wilderness. When the Word is preached today the same danger exists. If believers do not hear the Word and let it penetrate deep into their hearts and act upon it, unbelief becomes the product and believers will be unfruitful. (See John 15:1-11).

There are many reasons why people, including believers, will not hear Gods Word and act in faith, but the effect is the same, unbelief. Think about this, "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19)

Have You Done ALL to Stand?

2010-08-30T12:54:00.001-04:00

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:10-13) How many times have you either read this passage of scripture or have heard it preached? Like most believers I am sure that it has been numerous times. But how many times have believer's failed to act upon these words daily?

The Apostle Paul told Timothy, "Fight the good fight of faith"…(I Timothy 6:12) Believers were and still are in a noble conflict against Satan. The conflict is centered on who shall have the authority and is directed at believers because they know that ALL authority has been give to Jesus in heaven and on earth and consequently His authority has been given to the church. Satan will try to either steal the Word from a believer’s heart or twist the Word to get believer’s to compromise or have doubts about the Word. Believers can no longer afford to sleep in the sense of not being watchful. Peter says it this way, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world." (I Peter 5:8-9)

"Resist him (Satan) steadfast in the faith," the weakest believer can overpower Satan if they have steadfast faith in Jesus Christ. This is a fact because Gods Word says that it is so! Every believer will meet opposition from the devil and his demonic gang of fallen angels, but we do not have to stand idly by when the wiles of the devil come knocking at the door. Believer's must be watchful over what they say when trouble comes. They must stop making faithless statements like, "Oh well, that's life" or "it must be Gods mysterious plan for me to be sick, have this disease or be poor". Statements like these are not statements of faith but a defeated attitude or a negative confession that are contrary to Gods Word.

So why do so many believers still struggle and accept the things that the Father has destroyed through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ? Why won't believer's, believe beyond the day they were saved? Remember Mark 4:15..."Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts," and also remember Genesis 3:1-7 "Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD had made." Believer's struggle and accept these things that are not from God for three reasons. They have either been indoctrinated with doubt from church leaders who have little to no faith in Christ and believe that some how Gods Word in many instances is not for today, their faith is in their minds and not real faith that comes from the heart or they must not believe that the devil and his demonic gang of fallen angels are real.

However, the good news is that God and His Word have not changed one bit. It was, is and will always be activated through faith. "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says." (Mark 11:23) The question is, do you BELIEVE it?

Hearing and Believing, Part III

2010-08-23T14:01:00.000-04:00

One of the best example that we have been given in Gods Word to help us understand the cunningness of the devil and his continuious assualts against believers to steal Gods word from their hearts is found where it all began, Genesis. Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. and the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:15-17)

This is a very clear and concise word that God gave to man. It was not figurative, it was not a parable, it was quite literal, very easy to hear and understand. Now if Adam were in a sinful enviroment like man is today, then maybe this command from God could be miss understood. However, he was in an enviroment where sin was completely absent. Adam did not know good and evil, he only knew God. Eventually God saw that is was not good for man to be alone so He made a helper for him whom Adam called woman.

We do not know the communication that Adam and Eve share with one another nor do we know the communicvation that God had with them, what we do know is that Eve had an encounter with the serpant, the devil. Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" (Genesis 3:1) We see that it was the devil who intitiated the conversation with Eve. His cunning approach to Eve was to get her to reason as to what God had said.

Eve's response, And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" (Genesis 3:2-3) The first thing that we notice is that she adds to God Word "nor shall you touch it." This was possibly the very opportunity that the devil was looking for to cause Eve to doubt God as well as His Word. Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:4-5)

Two things have now unfolded. Eve's interpretation of Gods Word and the devil's twisting of Gods Word to generate doubt. If the devil cannot steal the Word of God from the hearts of believers, he will try to twist it. If he can get believers to doubt Gods Word then the privledges and promises that God has given to them in Christ will never manifest because they can only be received through faith. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
(Mark 11:24)

Ephesians 6:10-12 reveals the battle that believers are in. The Apostle Paul tells Timothy to "fight the good fight of faith" (I Timothy 6:12) Believers are in a noble conflict against Satan. The conflict is centered on who shall have the authority and is directed at believers because we know that ALL authority has been give to Jesus in heaven and on earth. Satan will try to either steal the word from a believer’s heart or twist the word to get believer’s to compromise or have doubts about God and His Word. Believers can no longer afford to sleep in the sense of not being watchful…Peter says it this way, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. (I Peter 5:8-9)

The devil may roar, but his power has been stripped from him by Christ through the cross (Colossians 2:15) Jesus would not have made as many statements as He did concerning how faith through His name saves, heals, delivers, secures and prospers, etc. if it were not so, then and now. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1), He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. (Revelation 19:13) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8). If Jesus is the Word of God and He has not changed which means the Word has not changed, then why does it seem that most believers struggle with recieving the privledges and promises that God has given them in Christ? If you do not have an answer to this question, then you might want to read "Hearing and Believing", parts I, II and III again.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)

Hearing and Believing, Part II

2010-08-16T09:11:00.000-04:00

There is a very important lesson to be learned through the Parable of the Soils. When Jesus said, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?" He was admonishing the reader of this parables great importance. Although Jesus explains the parable, Mark 4:15 should cause believers to become keenly aware that a battle rages in the spirit to try and stop faith from growing in believers. This is a very important key, because everything that believers receive from God comes the same way, through faith.

Notice the first thing that happens when the Word is sown, "Satan comes IMMEDIATELY to take away the WORD that was sown." It does not matter if you are sitting in a pew, watching a preacher on television, reading the Bible or listening to the word on radio, Jesus tells us that Satan will come and do one of the things that he does best, STEAL."The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy..."
(John 10:10)

Take note to where the word was sown, IN THEIR HEARTS. This is a very personal invasion and believers should NOT permit Satan access to their hearts. I say it this way because that is exactly what believers do.
I John 3:8 says, "He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." Jesus has destroyed the works of the devil! Satan has no authority over the believer unless the believer CHOOSES to give him place. So yes, it become the choice of the believer to permit Satan access to their heart.

The heart is the seat of spiritual life, moral nature, and affections, so an attack such as this should be seem as horrible a rape. Also take notice that the scripture says, “In their HEARTS” (plural). Satan’s interest is not in a couple of people, but as many as he can steal the word from. His assault is to the very core of ones faith. Take the word from ones heart, faith will never grow and if faith doesn't grow believers will never come to know the privileges and receive the promises of God through Christ.

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

Hearing and Believing, Part I

2010-08-11T11:33:00.000-04:00

In Mark's account of the Parable of the Soils, Jesus makes a statement that is very important for believers to grasp..."He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" (Mark 4:9). This is not to mean to only listen, but to grasp in understanding. Why is this so important? Because Jesus makes another statement concerning this parable that should cause one to hear, understand, grasp..."Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?" (Mark 4:13) It is very important that believers really give ear to God's Word. The Apostle Paul said, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17) Faith in Christ is the result of hearing the word and then faith continues to grow by hearing the word.

Let's look at Mark 4:13 And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? from other perspectives. (My intent in the following is in no way trying to add or subtract from God's but to give us something to think about, to hear) so think about Mark 4:13 from this perspective...
Do you not have a full understanding as to what salvation is? How then will you understand kingdom principles like faith, grace, healing, deliverance, prosperity, baptism of the Holy Spirit, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, etc.

Do we really have ears to hear God (His Word) or do we tend to only have ears to hear what man says about God? Let's face it, the four gospels show us Gods will lived out in Jesus Christ, but many in the church teach that there are things which do not apply today as it did in the ministry of Jesus and the early church. For example healing. I like to reference healing because this seems to be one of the the biggest controversy's among evangelical believers. The controversy is whether God heals today or not or when people pray for the sick and they do not receive healing then God has a mysterious plan for them. If either of these are so, then why did Jesus spend so much time telling us about the incredible power that is release through faith? Why does the Book of Acts and the Epistles devote so much time talking about faith in the name of Jesus and how much incredible power that is released in His name?

Even Peter did not take the credit for healing the lame man in Acts 3 but it says, "And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all." The key is FAITH, not hope, not wishing, not demanding God to make good on His word, not saying it didn't work for me so it must not be for today, but FAITH. Jesus said, "If you have FAITH and do not DOUBT", "These signs follow those who BELIEVE", "He who BELIEVES in ME, the works that I do he will do also" (to name a very few).

Now if these words are true (they most certainly are) and Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" and Ephesians 5:30 say, "For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones" it appears we have a problem that is contrary to the Word of God. Could it be that many ministers in pulpits today say the word faith but do not teach it, preach it or demonstrate it? Could it be that much of the Bible that is being taught today is mingled with phychology to help us feel good about ourselves? Could it be that many in the church today do not have ears to hear God's Word and therefore do not believe? You decide...

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

Living in the Flesh?

2010-08-03T10:33:00.002-04:00

One of the greatest passages of scripture that believers should embrace daily and be encouraged in is...

Galatians 2:20-3:5 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain — if indeed it was in vain? 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? —

Paul was not only pressing home the point of what he was in Christ, but also driving home the point of what all believers also have in Christ. Paul contends that dying to Christ, freed him from the Law, because it is by faith, spiritual things, not works, natural things that he has procured his position in Christ. He continues, I do not frustrate, despise, displace, abrogate God working within me, helping me want to OBEY HIM, and then helping me do WHAT HE WANTS. He then rebukes the Galatians (the church) for frustrating, despising, displacing, abrogating Gods grace for their so called rules of life, especially when their faith in Christ was evidenced by the Holy Spirit working miracles. In the same way believers today must use caution when they abide in rules of Christian life (man made laws in the church) rather than the grace that God has poured out in Christ. In doing so they may find themselves frustrating, despising, displacing, abrogating, Gods grace.

But the good news is how the Apostle Paul nails it when he said, "Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by FAITH in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." That's it! If you are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, then Christ lives in you also. What great news this should be to all believers. Living by grace through faith is freedom, not living by laws that foolish men want believers to live under, this is bondage. As it was in the church at Galatia so it should be today. Our faith in Christ should not be evidenced by laws that we live by, but our faith in Christ should be evidenced by the Holy Spirit working miracles.

God Bless You...

2010-07-27T13:12:00.003-04:00

God gave the Law which showed humanity the difference between right and wrong, but grace gives believers the ability to live a life of obedience to God through faith in Jesus Christ…Philippians 2:13 For God is at work within you, helping you want to OBEY HIM, and then helping you do WHAT HE WANTS. (TLB)

We see Gods grace at work in the early church. Power was being released, souls being saved, the oneness of heart and mind, their affection toward one another, etc. The grace was so evident that Barnabas was sent from Jerusalem to Antioch and upon his arrival …Acts 11:23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.

The early church (as well as the church today needs) needed Gods help. The book of Acts shows us many things for the church today to gleen from. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and God was working in them giving them the desire and ability to do His will in great ways. They were witnessing Christ, that is preaching the resurrection of Christ who confirmed the word with signs, wonders and miracles. They were of one heart and one soul, their views and opinions were the same and they had great affection toward one another, Gods grace is amazing. They were also people of great faith and they reflected in their lives the power and unity of covenant.

Keep in mind that the early church was filled with people like you and I. They also had different personalities, opinions and views, but the influence of Christ in their lives was so strong that their individuality was no longer the issue. The issue became, what was right in Gods sight. Gods grace is still the same today as it was in the early church, but do we really see it in operation like they did in the early church.

Let's Do It Right

2010-07-22T15:33:00.008-04:00

According to recent 3 year study by a well known group that looks at trends in the church in the USA, people from 16 – 29 years of age describe Christians as, judgmental, hypocritical, old fashion, too political, out of touch with reality, insensitive to others and boring So what makes you and I (believers) attractive to others, and I am not talking about what society determines attractive. What has made Christianity so attractive and respected in the past but seems out of touch today? Could it be our approach to be appealing to man rather than pleasing to God that has young people so turned off? If Jesus has restored humanity (He did) to what God had intended for Adam and if God is inexhaustible in power, love, wisdom and resources (to name a few and He is) then why is the report of young people according to this poll so negative? Maybe all we need to do is observe and implement the principle and practices that gave the early church such great success for nearly 300 years. They were not problem free, but their impact on society was far above than ours is or ever was in the USA.

I believe that there is a natural attraction which occurs to those who are un-churched, to the church when there is genuine fellowship among ALL believers. I believer this occurs when believers truly understand the cohesiveness that they have with one another in Christ and live it out daily, for example (not all inclusive)...

We are united together in His death – Together in the likeness of His resurrection (Romans 6:5)
Suffer together with Christ – Glorified together with Christ (Romans 8:17)
Perfectly joined together in the same mind and judgment in Christ (I Corinthians 1:10)
Laborers together in Christ (I Corinthians 3:9)
Made alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:5, Colossians 2:13)
Joined together in Christ (Ephesians 4:16, Colossians 2:19)
Knit together in love, in Christ (Colossians 2:2)
Comfort each other together in Christ (I Thessalonians 5:11)
Heirs together of the grace of God in Christ (I Peter 3:7)

Honestly, who would not be attracted to a people who not only know these things but act upon them and live them out together? There were no arguments over church names, formulas, rituals, traditions, creeds, baptism, style of music, order of worship, which church to join or doctrine and if there were it was worked out, it was dealt with because the fear of the LORD and not the fear of man was in place. The early believers were unified, magnified and multiplied which was an attractive, powerful testimony of Christ to the unsaved which brought many to salvation. When the church today acts like the church that we see in the Bible, it is very attractive to those outside the church.
Acts 2:47 "Praising God and having favor with all the people..." The lifestyle of the early church gained the admiration of all the common people who observed them. They acted like Christ, there was a comradery among them as well as compassion and love towards the unbelievers around them. They did not fail to preach the good news of redemption and salvation through Jesus Christ nor did they lack the faith to demonstrate Gods power. The early church did nothing more than doing exactly what Jesus commissioned them to do, can we say the same?
Having favor with all the people may be hard for us to comprehend today, but the days are coming when the church will be restored. It will no longer be about rituals, traditions, laws, rules, regulations and flesh pleasing entertainment, but about exalting Jesus Christ and glorifying the Father. The church will be filled once again with the fear of the LORD, be lead by the Holy Spirit and believers will once again truly live by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. PTL

Let Us Worship Jesus Our King

2010-07-17T18:55:00.004-04:00

The word worship means, to honor, revere, adore, pay homage, render devotion and respect. In John 4 Jesus encounters a woman from a city of Samaria called Sychar. The conversation leads to a discussion about worship. We see that the women states that Jews and Samaritans worship God just in different places. But Jesus says that the Father was seeking those who would worship Him not in a specific place but in spirit and truth. It’s not a matter of playing music and singing songs with Godly lyrics, it’s whether believers do it Gods way or not. To worship in spirit, is to allow the Holy Spirit to move upon the believer’s redeemed spirit causing , honor, reverence, adoration, devotion and respect to ascend to God. To worship in truth is to worship according to the Word of God which is Gods way.

We see in Luke 24:53 "And were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen." The early church was able to see God in all things because He is LORD of heaven and earth. God was showing Himself through signs and wonders, He had moved on the hearts of the people where they had a common cause, they participated in mutual assistance, they ate meals together, they were excited and they showed it with an attitude of gratitude. Although this move of God had not been called Christianity yet, it would become a new culture that superseded all other cultures. They were the family, the children of the living God. The church was not an institution made up of buildings in various locations, it was people from various location that formed a living body. That living body was one filled with praise and worship.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16)
"Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name." (Hebrews 13:15)
"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
(I Peter 2:9)

As the early church, we to are called to proclaim Gods glory by ascribing praise and worship to Him continually. So let's lift up our voices, shout it loud and sing praises to whom all blessings flow!!!

Not to Loud, We are in Church

2010-07-03T06:53:00.007-04:00

I always find it interesting that so many believers can burst forth with excitement and emotion over a new product on the market, sporting or social events but in a church service be stoic and show little to know emotion. ACTS 2:5-13 reveals that the early church was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke to the people the "wonderful works of God." There was so much excitement that those from other parts of the world thought that they were jacked up on wine. Unfortunately the same holds true today, but instead of the world shouting the loudest, more times than not it's believers criticizing other believers.

Think about it, when did a new product, a sporting or social event ever have the ability to turn a person from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God? Yet when a believer expresses their extreme gratitude for "wonderful works of God" in their life, they are labeled a fanatic, to emotional or drawing attention to themselves. Somehow, someone has determined that shouting, clapping or lifting hands in a church service is disrespectful to the LORD and a church building has become a holy sacred shrine. The Apostle Paul tells us in I Corinthians 6:19 that a believers body is the temple of the Holy Spirit not a brick and mortar building.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem just days before He would be put to death, Luke 19:37-40 reveals that as Jesus drew near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise GOD with a LOUD VOICE for all the mighty works that they had seen. But the religious leaders, not to different from today, did not like what the multitude was doing or saying and wanted Jesus to rebuke His disciples, but Jesus answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."

Rejoicing and praising the LORD with a loud voice is powerful. It has brought down impenetrable walls of a city (Joshua 6), it has been used to defeat an army of enemies (II Chronicles 20) and it has been used to turn a seemingly bad situation around to save souls (Acts 16). In Peter 2:9 the word praises means virtue, excellence, manliness. Why won't believers act more like David the King when he brought the Ark of God to the City of David. David was not acting out of order or being disrespectful to the LORD as he danced with all of his might before the Ark of God, (although that is what his wife thought). On the contrary David was acting virtuous, excellent and manly. (I Samuel 4:9, I Corinthians 16:13)

So let us no longer be silent, but proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, because we were once not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. PTL...

Let's Get Happy

2010-06-26T11:53:00.007-04:00

Do you know anyone who would like to live from day to day eating their food with gladness and simplicity of heart? Well Acts 2:46 tells us that the early church lived this way. When we look at the depth of this we see that gladness means; Rejoicing that displaces worry and gloom and fills the mind with joy. Simplicity of heart means; Having a satisfied, sincere, thankful and pure heart desiring the things of God and not the things of the world.

Unfortunately many believers today look at the early church and somehow think that their world was problem and trial free, that life was just simple and carefree. This kind of thinking is far from the truth. The early church faced more opposition than believers in the USA have ever faced, yet they had gladness and simplicity of heart. The main reason for this kind of lifestyle is because they took their Christianity very seriously. When they confessed the Lordship of Jesus Christ, they understood that all of their rights, opinions and views were freely forfeited to Christ their King! The Apostle Paul reveals this very thing to the church at Corinth, "For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
(I Corinthians 6:20) We must keep in mind that the first converts were Jews. This means that they would face disfellowship by the religious leaders and family members who feared the religious leaders (See John 9)

On the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) Peter preached Christ and exhorted the people to "Be saved from this perverse generation". Today the world is still very much perverse but God's Word still stands as a guiding light to truth. Jesus said, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you FREE." (John 8:31-32). Paul tells us, "So then FAITH comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17) Gladness and simplicity of heart comes to anyone whose foundation is the Word of God and BELIEVES! This is not a general or unspecifed faith in Christ, but a directed faith the Jesus perfectly reveals the Father's will in actions, attitudes, words and commands and God's will has not changed. What they experienced in the early church should be experienced today! All it takes is faith.

Light up Your Neighborhood

2010-06-20T07:43:00.007-04:00

When looking at the early church you see that they emulated the ministry of Jesus in every way. One of the ways was going to the temple but also from house to house. There are many examples of Jesus meeting in the temple or synagogue, that is large gatherings but He also met in many homes in a small group setting. So we see that the early church embraced a model that Jesus had introduced. (Matthew 8:14-17, 13:54)

We also see many examples of small groups meeting in house’s in the early church. (Acts 20:20, I Corinthians 16:19, Colossians 4:15, Philemon 2) But what happened to the small group dynamic that cause the early church to be up close and personal? History records that between 323 and 327 AD Constantine began a massive program to build buildings to house the church which triggered a fad in large cities all over the Roman Empire. The church had begun moving from living rooms to large buildings only and believers and society began recognizing buildings as the church and not people.

The return to small groups did not have a large scale impact upon the church until 1738 through John and Charles Wesley and George Whitefield who were actually influenced by the Moravians in England who form small societies within the church for the purpose of sharing, bible study, prayer and preaching. However, after Wesley’s death the movement became a denomination and not to long afterwards the concept of small groups was once again lost to meeting in church buildings only.

But once again the "revelation" of small group meetings and there impact on society rose out of the ashes in the late 1950's and the small group model emerged. Today all around the world church leaders are throwing away the lies that small group do not work and are once again embracing the model that Jesus Himself and the early church showed us throughout the New Testament. Let's face it, Jesus said, "I will build My church..." so if we let Him build it we will have the same influence or greater than the early church had and once again the world will recognize believers not as people who go to church, but who are the church.

Do You Have Your Part?

2010-06-19T14:23:00.004-04:00

Ephesians 4:11-16 tells us that the LORD gave to the church five gifts to build the church up to do the work of ministry. So what is the work of ministry? Every saint using the grace and faith that God has given to build up the church, people, one another, etc. Verses 13 & 14 reveal the reasons why each believer is to constantly function by grace through faith building up the church. If believers are not being built up or if the are but will not do their share then we must assume that verse 13 & 14 will take on a different bent.

In other words if each believer does not take the initiative and responsibility to do the work of ministry individually and corporately, then it stifles the entire church from coming to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ and keeps the church from maturity. This then opens the door to being tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. This translates into believers accepting high minded theologians promoting the wisdom of men over the demonstration of spirit and power, which we see in many sectors of the church in the USA today.

The Old Testament provides a wonderful example of God's people doing the work of ministry, per se. Nehemiah is known for having a heart for Judah's political and geographical restoration. Jerusalem was in fact the spiritual and political center of Judah so the first order of business was to rebuild the city walls. In the same way that Nehemiah pulled together a remnant to rebuild, believers must purpose in their hearts and minds to exercise faith, walk in Gods grace and say and do what the builders of the wall all said and did, “Let us rise up and build.” "Then they set their hands to do this good work”. (Nehemiah 2:18)

So let's begin to yield more to the Holy Spirit and see "God's Kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven", for His glory. This will be accomplished through faith in Christ "from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in LOVE.

I Won't Grow Up

2010-06-04T07:20:00.005-04:00

The character of Peter Pan is most remembered by his constant attitude of wanting his own way. He verbalized this by saying "I won't grow up". The writer of Hebrews sternly challenges the church to "grow up" in Christ. He tells them that enough time has passed and they should be mature believers and yet they seem to be having difficultly moving beyond elementary Christianity. The Apostle Paul tells the church at Corinth that a time came in his life when he "Became a man and put away childish things".

When raising children, parents are to bring correction and direction to their children for the purpose conforming to a standard of right and wrong as well as to bring them into maturity, that is, to "Grow Up". But why does it seem to be the opposite in the lives of many believers in the church in the USA? Why do we read scripture that challenges us to maturity, yet act childish by rejecting correction and direction? Could it be that maturity is based on ones own standard and not the Word of God?

This appears to be one of the problems with some of the churches that the writers of the New Testament seemed to be dealing with as time progressed. Today we have God's Word to draw from to show us what we should do, how we should live and who we are to become. The book of Acts paints a wonderful picture of how the church should and can be in Christ when believers give up their ways and by grace through faith live in Christ.

The early church was a unified body of individuals; individuals sharing common interests, characteristics, policies, activities and joint ownership.To the early church, their Christian faith was a day to day reality not a once or twice a week routine. This was because the risen Christ was a living reality to them and it was evidenced in the resurrection power at work in their lives through the Holy Spirit.

“With one accord” speaks of the same mind or with one mind. The early church seemed to have an entirely different perspective of God's Kingdom than the church seems to have today. To them Christ is King, they were under grace not the Law, they lived through faith not feelings, were directed by the Word of God and continuously witnessed a demonstration of spirit and power. The very things that gave the early church unparalleled success are the very things that liberal theology and the wisdom of men have rejected as not for today. The same grace that was available almost 2000 years ago to save, heal and deliver, comes from the same God who DOES NOT CHANGE, and is available today for everyone who believes.

Today the USA has a president who has said that the USA is NOT a Christian country. Millions of dollars are spent each year to support missions abroad and yet the USA is deemed "NOT CHRISTIAN". (Selah) It is time for the church in the USA to put away childish things, grow up and be of one mind. The church is to turn the world upside down but is failing to do so in a country who believes (or maybe one time believed) that the USA is "One Nation under GOD"!!! Just think how powerful the church would be if we were more concerned about Jesus and His Kingdom than us and our kingdoms...