Fully Convinced?

One of the greatest examples of faith is exhibited in the life of Abraham. According to the Bible, "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....So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran." (Genesis 12:1, 4) Notice that Abram was seventy-five years old when the Lord called him. He did not have a Bible filled with God's Word that he could look to, to build his faith. (Romans 10:17) He only had the Word that God spoke to him. This in itself should challenge our faith to go beyond the faith that Abram exhibited because we have a greater revelation from God in His Word. Abram lived out the Word of the Lord for another twenty-four years before God spoke to him to bring forth His Word, "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless." (Genesis 17:1) Then finally a year later, God's promise to Abram, now Abraham, had manifested, "Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him." (Genesis 21:5) Abraham had to stretch his faith to the limits for twenty-five years believing that God's Word would come to past.  

The faith that Abraham exhibited was so impressive that he is spoken of throughout the New Testament. Romans tells us, "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." (Romans 4:19-21)  Noticed that Abraham was strengthened in faith. As a human being, Abraham did not have the faith he needed. God's supernatural power had to come upon him to give him the faith needed to strengthen him. God filled him with His faith (Romans 12:3) to help him wait for the son he was promised. After Abraham had received strengthening from God, he was persuaded, fully convinced and had the conviction to wait for the manifestation of what God had promised by His Word. 

God wants to do the same with us. He wants to use His power to blow apart our doubt and unbelief and to fil1 us with His faith to receive the miracles He has prepared for us. Like Abraham, when we are persuaded, or totally convinced, nothing can make us waver or doubt. Regardless of what people say, or what the circumstances may dictate, we know that nothing can change what God has spoken. (Psalm 89:34; Isaiah 40:8; Mark 13:31) Some people doubt that God's promises will come to pass because they are not fully convinced. It is the God kind of faith that brings the conviction needed to see His promises manifest. Remember, Jesus said, "...Have faith in God." (Mark 11:22) A more literal translation of this verse is, "Have God's faith" or "Have the God kind of faith." 

Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 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 7:7-11) We receive faith to believe as God believes by simply and humbly asking Him something like this, "Heavenly Father, I open my heart so You can fil1 it with Your own faith. Destroy in me a1l doubt, fear, unbelief, human reasoning, and arguments so that I may receive the miracles You promised me, as well as ministering your promises to others through the faith You have imparted into my life. I thank you and ask this in Jesus Name."  
 

James tells us that when we ask God for something, to, "ask in faith, with no doubting." Jesus tells us, "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) The key is "ask without doubt and believe that you receive."  God wants to give us explosive faith today to continue the ministry of Jesus on earth until He returns, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18-19) But we must be fully convinced that He is willing and able to work through us supernaturally to once again turn this world upside down for His glory.

Let's Exercise

The Word of God tells us, "...God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." (Romans 12:3) Although not in the same measure, every believer has been given a measure of faith. God will take those who have believed for greater things to a higher level of faith. When we take the measure of faith that God has provided to the limit, He will take us to a higher level of releasing the supernatural. However, let us keep in mind that it is possible for us to lose our measure of faith, instead of obtaining a new leve1. This happens when believers choose to remain comfortable at a place where their faith is not challenged. Yet, if we are being good stewards of the measure of faith we have been given, then God will give us more. (Matthew 24:14-30)

What do we do with our measure of faith? We operate in and apply it to the sphere of influence we have been given by God, so that we can produce fruit for His glory. The Amplified Version of the Bible says,  "For if because of one man's trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)." (Romans 5:17) Notice that we reign as kings in life through Jesus Christ. Therefore, as a king has authority to rule, God has also given us a measure of rule that is equivalent to our particular spiritual authority and spiritual gifts.

In the spirit realm, everything operates according to measures of rule. Each person's faith is to be used effectively in relation to his own measure of rule. God has entrusted us with faith and spiritual
endowments. Jesus tells us, "For assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20) Therefore, if our measure of faith is sufficient to move mountains or destroy strongholds, then it stands to reason that our measure of rule will be proportionate to it. This is also why we must take our faith to its limit.  To take our faith to the limit we must understand that faith not only believes the impossible, but it feeds on the impossible.

When God gave each one of us a measure of faith, an appetite for the impossible should have been ignited in our spirits. However, if our faith is not exercised, then the desire and hunger for the impossible will eventually fizzle out or worse yet, it will be stolen by the enemy. Satan certainly does not want believers to operate in the kind of faith that moves mountains and he will do his best to discourage and deceive believers so their faith erodes. But, a believer who is full of God's supernatural faith is passionate about what does not seem possible within the natural realm, and his faith is fed when he confronts impossible situations, circumstances and or difficult trials. His faith grows because the revelation given by the Apostle James resonates in his heart, "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)

In a sense, impossible situations, circumstances and or difficult trials to ones faith is like resistance exercises to ones muscles. Resistance exercise is a form of exercise that forces your skeletal muscles to contract which leads to increases in muscular mass, strength, endurance and tone. So, it is  important for believers to grow their faith, which grows their ability in and through Christ to make the impossible, possible. The Apostle Paul was certainly a man whose faith grew through the numerous impossible situations, circumstances and or difficult trials that he faced. (2 Corinthians 11:22-28) so, when he said, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13), he was actually saying, "I am powerfully equipped to do whatever God calls me to do through Christ who empowers me." We, like Paul can say the same, but is our faith growing? Do we realize the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us and are we willing to step out and stand on God's Word regardless of what the situations, circumstances and or trials may be? May, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you..

How Is Your Doppler

Radar is a device for determining the presence and location of an object by measuring the time for the echo of a radio wave to return from said object and the direction from which it returns. It can also be described as a means or sense of awareness or perception. From a spiritual perspective, we can say that faith is God's radar in the believer that gives them the ability to determine the natural from the spiritual or the visible from the invisible. "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible." (Hebrews 11:3)

Jesus tells us,  "...“Have faith in God." (Mark 11:22)  A more literal translation of this verse is, "Have God's faith" or "Have the God kind of faith." In Greek, the verb is in the passive voice, which means that the action comes from the outside. Jesus does not ask us to have faith in God, He is saying that God gives us a measure of faith (Romans 12:3) that in essence, is a part of Him. In other words, our human nature is incapable of generating the kind of faith that pleases God. We must take hold of God's faith. In a sense, Jesus was telling His disciples to receive God's faith to operate in the supernatural to bless others. 

Another aspect of faith is, it sees as real and complete that which has yet to be revealed to the natural senses, "the evidence of things not seen." Think about it, there are times when God commands that we do something, that might not seem to make sense, because the carnal mind cannot understand spiritual matters. (1 Corinthians 2:14) However, if we understand that faith is "the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1), we will begin to see things as God sees them. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10) God has already determined the end from the beginning as well as everything in between. So, how do we appropriate what He has declared in the now? This is where our faith comes in. It touches things in the spiritual realm that are already complete but cannot yet be seen in the natural realm or visible world. When our faith reaches into the spiritual realm, it gives us a conviction of its reality and persuades us to wait for the fulfillment of things not seen. In other words, faith converts things that cannot be seen, into a tangible reality in the physical world which manifests in the now, not in the future. 

If we continue reading the definition of faith as revealed in Hebrews 11:1, we will notice that there is still something pending, something that has yet to manifest, something that waits for the future, "things hoped for." But let us remember that in terms of eternity, where God resides, He has already completed everything. For example, He has already accomplished every miracle, sign, wonder, healing, provision or any other need that man could ever think or ask Him for. (Ephesians 1:3, 3:20) He has also completed and given every promise found in His Word. So, what is our part in all of this? We appropriate these eternal things into the now by activating our faith to believe for the impossible. Jesus tells us, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” (Mark 9:23) Also, keep in mind that with God, all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)

We may sometimes find ourselves in a place where these truths do not seem to be real. Maybe that is where you find yourself right now. You have asked in the Name of Jesus but what you have asked God for has not yet manifested in the physical realm. Well, in Mark's gospel a man came out of a crowd and asked Jesus to deliver his demon possessed son. He stated that he had some faith, but admitted to Jesus that it may not be enough, "Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24) Maybe our faith has not risen enough to bring the eternal into the physical in a certain area, but the Lord certainly understands exactly where we are in our faith. As with the man in the above circumstance, let us also cry out to the Lord and ask Him to help us out of the realm of unbelief. With the mans honesty declaring his lack of faith, "Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him." (Mark 9:25-26)

Remember, God loves us and gave His only begotten Son to restore us to what Adam was and had before he disobeyed God. Not only that, in Christ, the believer has been given eternal life. Although Adam was not mortal nor immortal, but a perfect human being, He did not have eternal life. He ate of the fruit from the tree that brought death, not from the tree of life. So, do not become discouraged, but continue to confess and stand on God's Word. Do not focus on the problem, but believe God for the solution, be thankful in all things (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and release your faith now.

Walking By Faith

The Bible reveals many principle concerning the faith that moves mountains. (Mark 11:23) In the King James Version of the Bible the word faith appears 243 times; 241 times in the New Testament. This is why believers should be well versed in all the aspects of faith as revealed in the Bible. One of the important thing that we must understand, although God is not bound by time and space, but is eternal, He also dwells in the "now."  (Exodus 3:14.) He does not need time nor does He depend on either the day or the night to do His works. The Bible clearly reveals that God is in the past and future at the same time, but can also invade the present. (Revelation 1:8) Therefore, in the spiritual realm, the past and the future come together in the present constituting the now. 

One reason why most do not see supernatural manifestations of miracles, signs, and wonders in the church is that these things take place in the now. Unfortunately, many believers speak in terms of the future. They say that God will some day bring revival; some day He will heal; some day He will perform miracles. They use a language for the future, not the now. But faith is now! (Hebrews 11:1.) We need to believe that God is bringing revival now; He is healing now; He is performing miracles now; the harvest of souls is  ready for gathering now! "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2) Most believers know where they came from and some know where they are going, but few know where they are now. They are unaware of what God is doing and saying at this very moment. 

The Apostle Paul tells us, "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:1-3) When we live according to sight only, we essentially have no comprehension of the reality of faith. Walking by sight causes believers to focus on the problems and difficulties that arise in this life. We forget that these things are temporary. This is one reason why the Apostle 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) 

By faith, we must believe that God is intervening now. Now is the time to activate our faith. Job tells us, "You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways." (Job 22:28) Right now, 1et's declare and establish the time to receive healing for any sickness, disease, financial struggles or any other need that we may have. We must determine the time, refuse to let doubt or unbelief have place and God will do it. It is His promise. "So Jesus answered 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) 

I'm not suggesting that we are to order God around like a servant. I'm saying that these things are already done in the spiritual realm. Jesus has opened the door to all believers to receive all the promises God. (2 Corinthians 1:20; Hebrews 8:6) The promises of God, are just waiting for us to decide when we will receive them. But we must remember, releasing the promises of God requires faith in the same way that Abraham believed God; "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness...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." (Romans 4:3, 20-21) 

Let us also keep in mind what the Apostle James tells us, "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." (James 1:6-8) So, let us believe God above the circumstances, problems and or trials that we may face, look to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, release our faith and receive the promise that God has for us.  

The Breakthrough

When believers think that the natural realm consists of our whole reality as if there is nothing else besides it, they become vulnerable, because the natural realm is subject to the curse that came with the fall of man. Nature has been devastated by the curse that fell upon it after the fall (Genesis 3:17-18), and it cries out for God's children to manifest the glory of God. (Romans 8:19-22). Most tend to see their lives, circumstances, and problems relating only to the natural realm, but our breakthroughs will come when we begin to operate by faith. We cannot get comfortable in the natural realm, especially since it is always changing. Our faith needs absolute, unchanging truths, such as the reality of Jesus, His Kingdom, Power and Glory as revealed through His Word. There is no other place than the Word of God that reveals these three things in detail as well as God's will, nature, character, purpose and plan and at the same time build ones faith to do the impossible (Mark 9:23). 

Everyday, we must decide which realm will have power over our lives, the natural realm of time and space or the spiritual realm of eternity. If we walk in the spiritual rea1m by faith, we will, in the natural, receive all the benefits Jesus has provided through His death, resurrection and glorification, such as, regeneration, health, deliverance, prosperity, strength, peace, joy and all other material, emotional, and spiritual provision we might need on this earth. (Romans 8:32; 2 Peter 1:1-4) Living according to the natural realm limits us from doing and being all that God has anointed us to do and be. Since the natural realm is all around us, we need a breakthrough to cross over the barriers of time, space, and matter into the spiritual realm which is the real realm. I say this because the spiritual realm is eternal, it always was and will ever be, whereas the natural realm is temporal. It was created by and from the spiritual realm. (Hebrews 11:3) We must be free of the bondage that keeps us subject to our senses so that we do not rely on what we smell, touch, taste, hear, or see in order to believe. 

When we understand faith, the impossible becomes possib1e because faith has dominion and control over the laws of time, space and matter. Faith changes our perception of what is truly real. For example, suppose you were to  incur a large debt. The old heating system in your house breaks down, is in disrepair and needs to be completely replaced. Let's say the total cost to replace it is fifteen thousand dollars. You do not have that amount of money on hand, so you are offered a five your loan at five percent interest. This means that you will pay several thousand dollars in interest, above the amount of the original loan. But what if you were to determine the amount of time to pay off the loan was in two years not five? By faith, we can allow God to supernaturally bring into the natural realm the resources needed to keep us from being enslaved by a debt for a longer period of time. It takes the kind of faith that pleases God which releases His provision. However, if one does not have faith for God to pay the monthly electric bill, they will find it difficult to believe God for something greater. Do not be discouraged, faith takes time to grow. Learn to operate in the faith that you now have. 

In this example, not only did God pay off the loan three years earlier, but in doing so, also saved you from the interest payments. By exercising faith and believing God over the things of the natural realm, we actually break the laws of time. What we are doing is being fully convinced that God is able to provide. Instead of submitting to the debt, we submit to God's Word, His promise of provision. (Philippians 4:19) Now in saying this, it does not give believers carte blanche to frivolously spend and create debt simply because God provides. The above is only an example of stretching our faith and believing God according to His Word, to supernaturally provide a need, above and beyond what the natural realm my dictate. However, let's keep in mind that God is able to provide the full amount as to not take a loan at all, "...be it according to your faith." (Matthew 9:29)

The thing is, most people live only according to time. When the bank says it is going to take five years to pay off the loan for the replacement of the heating system, they believe it and make plans that correspond with that time frame. However, if you will plan according to the spiritual realm and not according to the natura1 realm, you will be able to break the laws of time. Again, faith does not rely on the five senses or reason. It simply believes God, period! The great trap is that we have made the natural realm our reality rather than the spiritual realm, so when most read the above statement of believing God to supernaturally pay off the debt, they often are quick to reject such a truth as this.  The Bible calls this doubt or unbelief. 

The only way to overcome doubt or unbelief is through God's Word. God's Word has the power within it to build faith, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17) We must see and believe that what God says carries the same power and results now, as it did when He first spoke it. We must not just read His Word, but we must speak it, meditate on it and act on it, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1:8) If Joshua kept God's Word, God would keep him. If he would observe to do according to God's Word, then God would cause all his way to be prosperous and he was promised good success. This does not apply to Joshua only, but to all those who are obedient to God. (Hebrews 8:6) They shall not lack in any good things, "The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing." (Psalm 34:10) PTL. 

With that said, let's look again at the Amplified Bible concerning faith, "Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]." (Hebrews 11:1) Takes some time and meditate on this verse to get it into your heart so that it can transform your mind and rid you of any doubt, fear or unbelief so you can receive the breakthrough that God has promised you in His Word. Again, keep in mind, faith takes time to grow. Do not become discouraged if the promise does not manifest immediately. Operating above your level of faith is presumption, not faith. So, stand fast, "fight the good fight of faith", (1 Timothy 6:12)  and "receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." (James 1:21) 

Through Faith

The Apostle Paul tells us, "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:17) The only way to know God, His will, nature, character, purpose and plan is by faith, period! There is no other way. (Hebrews 11:6) The phrase “The just shall live by faith." is also mentioned in the book of Habakkuk, Galatians and Hebrews, meaning, the just person, or the righteous person, shall live by his confidence, total trust in God. Due to this phrase mentioned four time, it should cause church leaders to come to the place where faith is talked about, preached and taught on a regular bases. However, the topic or subject of faith is rarely taught in the majority of Christendom. Why?  

Unfortunately, there are always some people who will take a truth to an extreme so that it becomes a stronghold and then a legalistic dogma until, finally, it becomes a complete impediment to what God wants to do. Faith is one of those truths that can be misunderstood if not properly taught as revealed in the Bible. Some people think they live by faith, when, in reality they are far from doing so. In many cases, their faith has been reduced to the natural realm. However, faith is actually of the spiritual or supernatural realm. Many miss it and operate in presumption and or optimism which can sometimes resemble faith, but are not faith at all.  

The word faith in Hebrews 11:1 is translated from the Greek meaning "conviction" or "firm persuasion." The Amplified Bible records it this way, "Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]." As you can see through this verse, faith has nothing to do with presumption or optimism. The factor that assures us that God will act is that He cannot lie or fail to keep His Word. (Number 23:19) If His Word says something, you can rest assured that it will be as He has said and it will manifest in the exact way that he said it. (Isaiah 55:11)

Faith is the divine ability of God given to man to go beyond the natural realm and into the spiritual, supernatural realm. You may have heard the expression "blind faith." However, this is far from the truth. Faith enables us to see into the spiritual realm. God created the natural realm and while He manifests Himself and His works in visible form in the natural or physical realm, He is not bound by the natural realm. He is far beyond time, space and matter. For the born again believer, God has enabled him to operate in both the natural and the spiritual or supernatural realm and although this becomes a reality to the born again believer, many reject such teaching due to a lack of true faith. Trying to believe God with human intellect or reason alone won't work and it will never increase our level of faith. The devil's tactic has not changed. He works hard to keep the church within the limits of human reason, as he did to Eve in the Garden of Eden. In a sense, each time we seek to understand God through reason or the intellect, we once again eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  

Even though human intellect and reason are the enemy of faith, they do have their place. Intellect and reason are God given and when properly understood and used, give us the ability to operate in the natural realm. However, if we try applying them to understanding the spiritual realm, or to bring spiritual realities into the natural realm, it will not work because the invisible spiritual realm is superior to, and has dominion over, the visible natural realm. The Apostle Paul tells us, "But the natural [unbelieving] man does not accept the things [the teachings and revelations] of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness [absurd and illogical] to him; and he is incapable of understanding them, because they are spiritually discerned and appreciated, [and he is unqualified to judge spiritual matters]." (1 Corinthians 2:14 AMP) In other words, to spiritually discern the things of God, is to act in faith. 

According to the writer of Hebrews, "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible." (Hebrews 11:3) Notice, that faith in God and His Word comes before understanding. It is faith that gives us the understanding of how our universe ultimately came to be not the opposite, nor, just because the Bible reveals this and if we confess that we are a Christian, we must acknowledge this fact whether or not we truly believe. The Apostle Paul gives us some great insight concerning how to operate in our Christianity, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love." (Galatians 5:6) This is the heart of Christianity. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all... 

I Can Do All Things In Him

^"Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness...So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:26-27) "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." (Psalm 8:4-5) When meditating on the creation of man, it is mind boggling to think that he was created in the very image and likeness of God Himself. To be created in the image and likeness of God is not in the material or physical sense but spiritual. John tells us, "God is Spirit..." (John 4:24) Man was created to be connected to heaven as no other creature on earth is. He is to be related to God like no other. This was also confirmed by the Psalmist. To be made a little lower than the angels in the Hebrew is to say, that man was made a little lower than God. Think on this. Above all creation, man is the only thing in all creation that has been made a little lower than God Himself. For some, this may be difficult to comprehend, but the fact is, God made man as close to deity (Himself) as possible. 

The problem many seem to have, that is, trying to comprehend this truth derives from looking at themselves and the world around them in the natural and not through faith in the Word of God, therefore, seeing themselves as God sees them. We must remember that we are still in a fallen world that is antagonistic toward Christ and the church, but this does not alter the truth of the creation of man. If we do not grasp God's creation of man, and what man was before the fall, we will not fully understand our purpose, position, function and authority as the redeemed in Christ. We also see that man (before the fall) was the crown of all creation and he possessed abilities beyond our comprehension. It wasn't until man disobeyed God, bowed his knee to the lies of Satan (Genesis 3:1-7) that he lost his dominion and authority, as well as his ability to fellowship with God. Said another way, in man's disobedience and high treason, he lost who and what he was.

Believers must move on from only seeing the natural, physical realm and see ourselves as God does through Christ. The Apostle Paul tells us, "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." (Ephesians 4:22-24) It is the old fallen nature that Satan wants believers to hold on to, not the truth that if one is born again they are new creations, (2 Corinthians 5:17), "the new man created according to God in true righteousness and holiness." That is, the new man is made to resemble God. This also reveals that when man was made, he was made righteous and holy, "in the image and likeness of God." The object of the work of redemption is to restore to man the lost image of God, or to bring him back to the condition in which he was before he fell.

This means infinitely more than becoming born again, being forgiven by God and then muddling through life until we die and go to heaven. God's purpose of the restoration of man through Christ was, again, to return man to his original state in which he was created. Unfortunately, most believers are either uninformed, misinformed, or do not apply faith to such truth, thereby settling for far less than what God has accomplished for man in Christ. Somehow, most see God the Father as less of a father than they see themselves. Jesus said it this way, "If you (man) 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) The Apostle Paul tells us, "He (God the Father) who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32) This is not limited to physical or material things only, but also spiritual things, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3)    

The Apostle Peter also reveals some wonderful truth concerning who the believer is and has, "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (2 Peter 1:2-4) The restoration of man was never meant to be limited to forgiveness on earth and eternal life in the life to come. It is much more far reaching than that. Some of the wonderful attributes, promises, realities, that the restoration the Father accomplished through the Son includes "life and to have it more abundantly" (John 10:10) 

The word for life in the Greek is "life as God has it, eternal life." Eternal life is not a final destination, but is to be experienced now, while we are on earth and to have it abundantly. We are also to have "faith in God." (Mark 11:22) The literal Greek translation for this is "to have the God kind of faith." This in itself is hard to believe for most, but we must remember, "without faith it is impossible to please God." (Hebrews 6:11) This does not refer to natural faith that come from what our five senses can comprehend, but the God kind of faith that come from the heart, the recreated spirit. We also can love (agape) as God loves. (Romans 5:5) This also may be difficult to live out, but again, we must look past the natural and respond to the truth. Think about it. If God is love (1 John 4:16) and He is, if Jesus Christ is God (John 1:1, 14) and He is and if believers are the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27) and we are, then we have the very attributes of God.  

Although these are just a few of the God kind of attributes (His image and likeness) that believers have through Christ, it takes faith to accept these truths and receive them. Jesus tells us, "Have faith in God. (the God kind 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. 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) Notice that Jesus tells us that believers have the power to move mountains if they do not "doubt in their heart." In a similar way, Jesus reveals to us why Peter began to sink when he got out of the boat and walked on the water, "...O you of little faith, why did you doubt." (Matthew 14:25-32) Doubt is a product of Satan, who convinced Eve to doubt God's Truth, which became the prescription that caused Adam to rebel against God and lose his God given position. Satan's schemes have not changed. Always remember, doubt causes one to reason just like Eve and it will eventually neutralizes faith. However, faith comes from God (Romans 12:3) and causes believers to trust God even when the circumstances seem impossible to overcome. So, let us not waver with unbelief, but take our position of authority over Satan and his lies and believe that God is able to perform what He said (what His Word says) He will do.         

Revelation Knowledge

In our journey to know "Truth", that is, to intimately and personally to know Jesus, it will never be accomplished through intellectual knowledge, the natural realm. Although God has revealed Himself throughout creation, our ability to truly know Him can only come by-way-of the spiritual realm. Jesus tells us, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) Jesus is expressing and defining the parameters by which one must experience, that is, being born from above, or he is not fit for, nor a partake of God's Kingdom, either in this world or in that which is to come. The kingdom which Jesus was about to set up was so pure and holy that if one was not born again, he could not partake of its blessings. Again, to be born again is something that takes place in the spiritual realm, but its manifestation is in the natural or physical realm, that is, in the life of a human being. This cannot be understood through intellectual means, but through a spiritual awaking, an encounter with God.

Although there is a place for intellectual knowledge and I consider myself to be and intelligent person who enjoys learning, I know that there is knowledge to be gained that far surpasses the natural realm. Thankfully, we do not have to be slaves to intellectual knowledge. God has made available something that enables us to move beyond the natural realm and tap into His supernatural realm through revelation knowledge. It is called faith. (Romans 12:3) If God had intended for humanity to remain only in the natural realm, He never would have provided a way through His Son Jesus for man to be restored to a relationship with Him and give him access to everything He is and has. By exercising our faith in God, through which we enter into the spiritual realm, we receive revelation of and from Him through the Holy Spirit. "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)  

By applying our faith to the revelation knowledge of the truth the Holy Spirit guides us in and responding to it, we not only come to know God, but He also activates His supernatural power on our behalf, or on behalf of others through us. It is in the supernatural realm of God where miracles occur.  We can move beyond the natural realm into the supernatural realm by exercising our faith in God, and responding to the revelation knowledge that we receive. James challenges us to come to a place where we exercise the revelation of God's Word revealed through the Holy Spirit, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was." (James 1:22-24) He goes on to tells us, " What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?...Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." (James 2:14, 17-18)

Intellectual knowledge or common sense cannot produce miracles, which are manifestations of God's supernatural power in the natural realm. The Apostle Paul tells us, "But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God." (1 Corinthians 2:9-12) The human mind is not able to know everything that is in man, let alone everything about God. Only God knows all things and as mentioned previously, the only one who can reveal Him to humanity is the Spirit of God. (John 16:13-16)

It is mind boggling that so many Christians turn to philosophy, psychology, and psychiatry, that is, the natural realm, to try to resolve their problems. Although these academic disciplines genuinely try to help people, their failure rate far exceeds their success because they do not utilize the power of God to change and transform humanity. Even most "Christian" counselors try to apply biblical terms while pursuing man-made methods,  but their efforts are ultimately ineffective also. The Apostle Paul tells us, "For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power." (1 Corinthians 4:20) These three areas, philosophy, psychology, and psychiatry are the result of following the intellectual knowledge of man, while rejecting revelation knowledge from God.

If man continues to reject the concept of divine revelation,we will never fully understand the truth and we will continue to live in confusion and deception, the very place that Satan wants people, especially believers to live. He knows that if believers receive divine revelation, apply faith, that is, act upon the revelation received, the supernatural power of God will heal and deliver myriads of people which in turn will turn them to Christ.  Doesn't that sound like a strategy that the enemy of humanity would devise? Actually, it has been since the fall of man. It began in the Garden of Eden and has not changed. The very thing that Adam had that could have banished Satan from the earth forever, the ability to function in the spiritual realm, is the very thing that he forfeited to Satan in exchange for intellectual knowledge. Not a very good exchange for man at all. It has kept man from a relationship with God, "And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh..." (Genesis 6:3)  

Being led by intellectual knowledge and living outside the supernatural realm is not limited to only those who deny God. The fact is, many believers and Christian leaders who have received Christ as Lord and Savior, still lack revelation beyond a basic knowledge of the gospel. As a result, they have no idea what God is saying or trying to do in their personal lives. Let us consider the following as we seek to receive revelation from God. God gives revelation according to His own timing. He will not reveal something to an individual believer or to a 1ocal church if the person or congregation is not ready for it.  We see this revealed in the Parable of the Talents, “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability..." (Matthew 25:14-15) This is also revealed toward the end of Jesus' earthly ministry. He told His disciples, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now." (John 16:12) The main reasons why God may not give us revelation is, we are not yet spiritually mature enough to receive it and or God knows we would not obey it, which is actually evidence of not being spiritually mature. Only God knows the right time to unveil a specific revelation to us. Our part is to make sure we are willing to obey it by acting upon it.

Habakkuk tells us, "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." (Habakkuk 2:14) I believe that we are living in the days where this prophetic word is coming to pass, that is, the days in which the manifestation of God's glory will be evident all over the earth. God will fulfill His purposes by giving us extraordinary revelation of His Kingdom, Power and Glory, but are we ready to receive it? Jesus said, "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). So, let us exercise our faith in the one and only unfailing, faithful One, Jesus Christ, who is the Word who became flesh (John 1:14) Let us believe, receive and walk in the revelation knowledge that He desires to give to us. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit...

Taking New Steps

If you have raised a child, have siblings or have been around children, chances are that you have witnessed a child taking its first steps. How exciting it truly is. Usually, a child's first steps are taken by someone coaxing the child over and over until they are walking on their own. The writer of Hebrews deals with Christians that are "Babes", "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe." (Hebrews 5:12-13) He tells them to, "...move on to maturity..." (Hebrews 6:1) The Apostle Paul tells the church at Corinth the same howbeit in different words, "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." (1 Corinthians 13:11)

There comes a time in a believers life where they need to step out and walk by faith in the things of God. Simply put, Paul is comparing infancy with that of manhood in the sense of when we advance in years, we lay aside many of the views, feelings, and plans which we had in childhood, for the true values of life which we now esteem important due to maturing into adulthood. It's not forgetting the foundational things as one grows into maturity, but understanding that there is much, much more. In the same way, new believers see the world from a different perspective than older believers, or do they? 

One of the things that I remember in my own life when I first received Christ, which I see in some new believers today, although not as often, is their zeal to tell others of their new life in Christ. Although new believers do not have a grasp on foundational Christian doctrines or how to live by faith, they tend not to have inhibitions when it comes to telling others about their new life in Christ. But after some time passes the zeal to witness Christ seems to die out. You would think that the opposite would happen as they grow their faith through the Word of God. But Christian researcher have found that nearly seventy percent of people attending a church daily have not witnessed Christ in over a year or more, although most say that they pray for the lost. Another statistic reveals that nearly fifty percent of Christians who regularly attend a church have never invited a non-believer to church.

What has happened to the last command that the Lord has given to all believers, "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." (Matthew 28:19-20) "And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:15-18) "Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luke 24:46-47) "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8)       

Whether you believe in the doctrine of election or not (the belief that God has elected only certain people for salvation and others not) it is still our (every believer) responsibility to preach the gospel to every creature. Born again believers cannot blame the state of the country on politicians, lobbyist, and other non-believers. They are only doing the deeds of their father the devil in the same way that you and I did before we were saved. Remember, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)  The following are quotes from several saints since the Protestant Reformation, "the gospel is good news, only if it reaches a person before they die", "Lost people matter to God our Father, so they should matter to us His children", "Believers often talk of the Lord's second coming, when most of the world has not heard of His first" "God save us from living in comfort while sinners are sinking into hell", "Christ died for all men not just the ones you know and like", "It is better to have people hate you with the knowledge that you tried to save them, than to love you and perish in hell never telling them the good news", "Where passion for God is weak, zeal for the lost will be weak." These are but food for thought. Hopefully, they will provoke us into action. 

Unfortunately, many church leaders today have adjusted the "Great Commission" because they themselves do not witness Christ beyond a classroom or a pulpit. They rarely train the saints in evangelism mostly because they themselves are not passionate about winning the lost for Christ. They have determined that Jesus' words to, "Go make disciples" is out dated for the church today, so to justify this, they have determined that the church service should be short and adjusted to make it "comfortable" for those who may visit, in hopes that the visitor is unsaved. We call it "seeker sensitive church". Isn't interesting that the Bible tells us, "...There is none who seeks after God." (Romans 3:11) Why is this? Jesus tells us, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him..." (John 6:44) Based on scripture we must consider that we should not expect anyone showing up at a church service who is lost, by luck, chance or coincidence. However, if someone does show up who is lost, even if they were invited by a believer, they are not seeking on their own, it is the Father who is drawing them. If the Father is drawing them, then it should stand to reason that the length of the service should have no bearing whatsoever upon this person as to whether they "had a good time" or not. Why? Because we are talking about a spiritual encounter with God that He has set up to save them and transform their life, not a good time that pleases only the flesh. 

Most certainly we want to see visitors stay beyond one or two visits. Let's keep in mind, "But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased" (1 Corinthians 12:18) not us. For most unbelievers, they probably have no concept of what a church service consists of. But shouldn't we be creating an atmosphere, especially through praise and worship, no matter how long it takes to bring God's presence? Isn't it God's presence that will have people say "God is here?" Then how do we expect such a thing to happen if we put a time restraint upon God? Frankly, it won't happen. Churches who have this worldly mind set towards the lost actually do them a disservice by keeping God on a leash, so to speak, and not letting Him have His way in a church service because He is only given a certain amount of time to show up. You  may want to read the last chapters of Matthew, Mark, Luke and the entire Book of Acts. This is God's Word and work through the church that brought unprecedented success for nearly three hundred years. 

The difference is, they obeyed the command of the Lord to "Go make Disciples" which transforms lives, without reducing it to "come to us, we promise we won't take much of your time, but we will help you feel good about yourself so that you will come back." In other words, congregations who do this, although not in word, see God's Word as having no effect today. They also miss the main purpose of the church, "...that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light", (1 Peter 2:9) the praise and worship of the Most High God. The early church understood this, "praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." (Acts 2:47) Please stop and meditate on this verse of scripture. This has nothing to do with mans worldly ways to grow a congregation but fully upon God. It is the responsibility of every believer to be witnesses for Christ and let God do His work through us His way. This takes faith not formulas.  

The point is, let us step out of the fort (church building) and be the salt and light that you truly are. The Bible tells us, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment." (Hebrews 9:27). No one knows the day or time that they leave this life for the next, so let us all make evangelism a life priority, making it difficult for any one to go to hell by telling them the Good News of Jesus Christ. Let's witness Christ and bring the new believers into a church service where there is no time limit so they can have and encounter with God. Let's praise Him until the Holy Spirit moves us to worship and worship until His glory (presence) falls. This is what will transform lives, not comfortable services with time restraints that only cater to the flesh. Sure, the seeker sensitive way of church may grow large congregations, but what's the point if the glory of God is not present, "Then she named the child Ichabod, the glory has departed from Israel." (1 Samuel 4:21) All people want to experience God, including the lost. It is the scheme of Satan to have us think that somehow we have a better plan than God. So let's get out of churchianity and get back to Christianity so the Lord can "transform us (those just saved also) into His image from glory to glory." (2 Corinthians 3:18) Amen?

A Heart For God

 In the last part of the "Parable of the Soils" we see the results of those when the Word of God is sown, "But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirty-fold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” (Mark 4:20) The good ground represents ground (a heart) that is useful, suitable for the seed to take root. A heart that submits itself to the full influence of truth, not the influences of the world or self. A heart spread open allowing God's Word to take deep root so it can produce a harvest, fruit.

Jesus uses another parable to show us the results of not only what it means to receive the Word when sown, but also the fruit of believers sowing (speaking, confessing) the Word. "And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4:26-29)

First, as we see in this parable, it is not necessary that one completely understands everything about God's method, but you must understand how to apply it. To put this principle of God to work in our life, we must be obedient to God's Word and do what it says to do. We will never produce a crop (build our faith and receive the promises of God) if we do not sow (confess) His Word. The more we confess God's Word, the more our faith will grow. (Romans 10:17) The more our faith grows the greater understanding (revelation knowledge) we will have of the Word and subsequently, the less chance Satan has to steal it. Next, we must understand that in this parable, God does not sow the seed, man does it. God furnishes the seed, (His Word) but believers must sow it. 

So, what one confesses is of vital importance. If God said it, it is an established truth. But that truth will not necessarily be manifest in our life unless we sow it in our heart. Notice what the Apostle Paul tells us, "...The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart..." (Romans 10:8) The Word is sown from our mouth first and is then received in our heart. This is why God told Joshua, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1:8) Again, God's Word is to be spoken first and foremost. 

Another important key in sowing God's Word is, we must agree with it, we must believe it, we must add our faith to it. Then it becomes a seed that is sown in your heart, because faith works in the heart, not in your head. Our mind is not born again. The Apostle Paul tells us, "the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be." (Romans 8:7) The "law of God" is referring to is the law of faith. "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith." (Romans 3:27) Our minds will not operate in the law of faith, because it was not designed to do so. We think with it and we must also keep in mind that our speech is a product of our thoughts and meditations. This is why Paul tells us, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2) and "be renewed in the spirit of your mind." (Ephesians 4:23) 
 
As God's Word renews our mind through hearing it, our faith will grow (Romans 10:17) to the place where we will see more and more of God's promises manifesting. However, we must "confess with our mouth and believe in our heart" God's Word constantly, because the scripture does not say faith comes by having heard the Word of God, but faith comes by hearing, and hearing, and hearing, etc., the Word of God. We sow seed (the Word) by speaking the desired promise, (John 16:23) we then add our faith to the word sown and God makes good on His Word. "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)

Notice, it is not the saying alone that causes the manifestation in your life. The saying is not an end in itself. However, saying is involved in causing the manifestation. Think abut it. How could we have what we say if we do not say it first? God will honor His promises. But it is up to the believer to first set the goal (the desired promise),  plant the seed (God's Word), which then causes faith to grow. There are two other things to keep in mind. First, you must be in agreement with God's Word. You must believe that what God said is what He means and what He will do. "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) "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)

The second thing to keep in mind is not to have a double confession, that is, confessing God's Word, His promise that we desire and then if the promise does not manifest as fast as we want it to, make a second confession, that being one of doubt. Doubt. This is a scheme of the devil which will neutralize faith. The interesting thing is, as faith comes by hearing, and hearing the Word of God, so doubt comes by hearing the words of the devil, that is, believing what the devil says more than what God said. If we are confessing doubt, we are confessing the words of the devil. This may be why the promises of God are not manifesting in our life. The way to prevent this from happening is to work at standing on God's Word regardless of what the circumstances may dictate. Of course for most, this is easier said then done, because most have been trained to trust in what their five senses can comprehend, not what the Word of God says.   

So, if the promises of God are not manifesting in our life, do not give up; do not become discouraged, but confess and meditate on scriptures like these, "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) "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32) "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) "Let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 11:23) May the grace and peace of Jesus Christ our Lord keep you strong...

The Power Of Confession

To confess means "to disclose; to make known; or to admit something." Confessing God's Word is admitting that God's Word is true. By confessing God's Word, it opens the door to possess the things God has already promised us which is revealed in His Word. However, many fail to grasp this Bible truth thereby never possessing the promises of God other than eternal life (1 John 2:25). Still others twist this principle and run into the ditch because they have never fully understood it. The fact is, this is God's principle of faith in action, sowing, that is, confessing God's word, which is one of the ways to possess the promises of God. 

A key to understanding the power behind confessing God's Word as well as the words that we speak in general, is found in what is known as the "Parable of the Soils" spoken and explained by Jesus. Let's keep in mind, as Jesus said, "the seed sown is the Word of God." Next He says, "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) Before we go any further, we must look at what is revealed in Matthews gospel, because it sheds important light on what is taking place here. "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside." (Matthew 13:19) 

Mark says when the seed (God's Word) is sown, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. Notice that the Word was sown in the heart. The heart is described as the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions; the spirit. Also notice that in this portion of the parable it would appear that Satan could just come along when God's Word is sown and steal it from your heart any time he wants to. However, taking a closer look at this parable, Matthew tells us, "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart." This is the reason why Satan steals God's Word from someone's heart. They heard it but they did not understand it. If you understand the Word of God when it is sown, then Satan cannot come along and steal it from you.

Jesus tells us, "...the words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63) God's Word is spirit and can only be understood by the recreated spirit. The Apostle Paul tells us, "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14) The natural man here denotes those who are governed and influenced by natural instincts, the carnal mind, and the sin nature, as opposed to those who are influenced by the Spirit of God. This not only refers to unregenerate people, but all who are influenced by the natural instincts, the carnal mind, and the sin nature, this includes Christians.  

The apostle Paul had dealings with the church at Corinth along the same lines, "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?" (1 Corinthians 3:1-4) As mentioned above, not only do  unregenerate people not understand the Word of God when it is sown, but this is also why many Christians find it so difficult to understand it also. They are not being led by the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16) This then gives opportunity for Satan to come along and steal it from the heart.  

Look at what Jesus tells us about hearing and understanding the Word when it is sown, "Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42) Jesus assure us that when we hear and understand God's Word, no one, not even Satan can take it away from us!        

Another interesting fact concerning the Word of God when it is sown and whether or not one understands it, is seen in contrast between two of the many churches the Apostle Paul established in his journey's throughout Asia. The Apostle Paul spent a year and six months teaching in Corinth (Acts 18:11) and they were still carnal (1 Corinthians 3:1-4) and yet he only spent three Sabbaths (three weeks) at Thessalonica (Acts 17:2) and they became a witness of Christ in Macedonia and Achaia. (1 Thessalonians 1:6-8) The main reason why so many Christians do not understand God's Word when it is sown is due to one key element that may be missing. It must be received through faith. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "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) The writer of Hebrews also tells us, "By faith we understand..." (Hebrews 11:3) and "...without faith it is impossible to please God..." (Hebrews 11:6) God's Word mixed with faith and then spoken, will cause believers to act and speak just like our Heavenly Father. Why is this so? 

First, let us remember that Jesus said "...the words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." Paul tells us, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God..." (2 Timothy 3:16) The scriptures are the infusion or communication of ideas or thoughts from God to man; the revelation of God to man. The Apostle Paul's prayer for the church is, "Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened..." (Ephesians 1:15-18) Paul understood that the faith the believers at Ephesus walked in was due to the revelation that they had received of and from God. The reason why Paul prayed this prayer for the church was that the eyes of their understanding (revelation of God) would be continually enlightened; that they would have a clear view of God, His will, nature, character, purpose and plan. 

Revelation is directly connected to what one believes about God. Without a continuous revelation of God, ones faith will never grow. When I use the phrase "continuous revelation of God" I am not talking about adding to the Bible or subtracting even one word from the Bible. Think about it this way. Did you ever read the same scripture numerous time and then this one particular time you received a greater understanding (a revelation) of that passage? You did not add to the scripture but now you have a greater reality of its meaning. This is a revelation of the scripture that strengthens or increases your faith.

So, let us not longer "give place to the devil" (Ephesians 4:27) and permit him to steal God's Word from the heart because we may not understand it, but ask the Father to open the eyes of our understanding that we may receive a greater revelation, that is, a word from the Word that will increase our faith. Paul's desire for that church is, "that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." (1 Corinthians 2:5) This only comes when we truly open our heart to the Word of God and close it to the doctrines of men. When this happens, you can rest assure that we will act, "Just like Dad, our Heavenly Father."