Like Our Father

The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul tells us, "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children." (Ephesians 5:1) This literally means that believers are to act like God Himself in the same manner that Jesus, the Son of God did as we will see shortly. Now for many, this may seem difficult to believe or it might even seem absurd, but there lies the problem, that is, disagreeing with God's Word. Jesus tells a parable that reveals why many people have such a difficult time believing God's Word. We have entitled this parable, "The Parable of the Soils." In it, He reveals some important information by asking two questions, "...Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?" (Mark 4:13) So, why is this parable so important for believers to understand?

Jesus starts the parable by saying, “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow." (Mark 4:3) To get a better understanding of this parable, we must first "listen" with our spiritual ears. Simply listening with our natural ears may not open our spirits to what the Holy Spirit is trying to teach us. In Jesus' explanation of this Parable, He tells us, "The sower sows the word" that is, the Word of God. (Mark 4:14) Simply put, to sow is to scatter (seed) over the ground for growing. In this Parable the ground in which God's Word is to be sown, is the human heart, that is, man's spirit. There is an important reason why sowing God's Word is so vitally important, "that you (all believers) may be filled with the knowledge (complete, concise, full knowledge) of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding." (Colossians 1:9) 

The Holy Spirit through the Apostle James tells us,  "...receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your soul." (James 1:21) So we can see, the more a believer sows God's Word, that is, speak or confess it with the mouth, the more they become imitators of God, as we saw in the above verses. The Apostles Paul also says, "...being transformed into the same image (of the Lord) from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18) Unfortunately, for many believers, they are quick to gloss over this highly important point in this particular Parable. Let's look at why this is so.

In Genesis chapter one we see the account of creation. Nine times we see, "God said...and it was so." (Genesis 1:3, 7, 9, 11, 14, 20-21, 24, 26-31) In the earth ministry of Jesus as the Son of man, Jesus tells us, "...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." (John 5:19) "...I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things." (John 8:28) "...I always do those things that please Him (the Father)." (John 8:29) "I speak what I have seen with My Father..." (John 8:38) "For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak." (John 12:49-50) Without doubt, Jesus was imitating God, His Father in His words and actions. Do you see the pattern here? "God said...and it was so." Jesus only spoke the words of the Father and I might add, it too, was so.

It is no different for the believer. Believers are to be imitators of our Heavenly Father just like Jesus was during His ministry on earth. This is one of the most important areas for the believers life, sow (speak) God's Word continuously. Moses went to Pharaoh a number of times and spoke God's Word to Him in saying, "The Lord God of the Hebrews has sent me to you saying, Let My people go..." (Exodus 7:16, 8:1, 20, 9:1, 13, ) If we fully read this account, we will see that Moses continually spoke God's Word. God's Word eventually prevailed over the circumstances and the children of Israel were released from their bondage. (Exodus 12:31) This also includes speaking God's Word concerning the ten plagues. (Exodus chapters 7 - 11) But it did not stop there. Not only were they released from bondage, they also left Egypt with their possessions, all of the Egyptians wealth, (Exodus 12:31-36) and the entire nation of Israel had perfect health. (Psalm 105:37)

God tells 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) Notice, the first thing that God tells Joshua concerning His Word is, "This Book of the Law (God's Word) shall not depart from your mouth..." God commanded Joshua first and foremost to continuously speak His Word. Why is that? Paul tells us, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17) We are to speak, that is, confess God's Word because it causes faith grow. Paul does not say that faith comes by having heard the Word, but hearing and hearing and hearing, etc. the Word of God.

God also gives us a wonderful promise concerning His Word. "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) What a wonderful promise! We also see, "The Word of God is living and powerful..." (Hebrews 4:12) God's Word is as powerful today as it was when He first spoke it. "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." (Isaiah 40:8) So, we have a choice. We can confess (sow with our mouth) God's Word continuously, have our faith built up, see the salvation of the Lord, and live in victory triumphing over the circumstances, or we can confess the problems of life, muddle our way through life and literally let the problems squeeze the life out of us.

Let us look at God's Word spoken through Solomon and Jesus and learn, "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) "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63) In other words, the words of the flesh have no intrinsic value because they do not produce life. In fact, as we saw in Proverbs, negative confession literally snares us, traps us, and produces death.

I want to encourage and challenge you today to speak by declaring the  following verses over yourself daily until your faith rises up, "I declare that I will not let any corrupt word proceed out of my mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And I will not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom I am sealed for the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4:29-30) Corrupt words do not only mean obscene or filthy conversation, but any words that do not produce good fruit. Yes, corrupt words from our mouth will grieve the Holy Spirit. So, let us begin to speak edifying words by also doing as Paul tells us, "in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Exercising an attitude of thanksgiving in all things will aid us in promoting healthy, edifying, good fruit bearing words, that is, confessing God's Word, because it always bears good fruit. Let us be imitators of God as His dear children. Amen...

God and His Word are One

Throughout history, especially today, many believers question and or struggle with why bad things seem to happen. Is it God's will for His children, that is, believers, to suffer under the wait of sickness, disease, a constant lack of finances and or even the premature loss of a loved one? To answer this question, we first need to see what the Bible says about the will, nature, character, purpose and plan of God. Naturally, this is an extensive topic, so we will only look briefly at some of these five attributes of God. First, we must see that God's will, nature, character, purpose and plan all hang on His most potent characteristic, God is Love. (1 John 4:8)

Love is defined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, and is revealed to us in all that Jesus said and did as shown in the four gospels. It is in the four gospels, through the life of Jesus, where we find the specifics concerning God's will, nature, character, purpose and plan. This does not exclude the rest of the scriptures, but for now, we will only focus on the ministry of Jesus on earth as the Son of man. Hebrews reveals, "He (Jesus) is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God's] nature." (Hebrews 1:3 AMP)

Jesus tells His disciples, "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also..." (John 14:7) "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." (John 14:9) "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. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will." (John 5:19-21; also see, John 4:34, 5:30, 5:36-37, 6:38, 9:4, 10:37-38) So, when we look at the life of Jesus, we see the Father's will, nature, character, purpose and plan perfectly revealed. 

Another thing that we must keep in mind is, “For I am the Lord, I do not change." (Malachi 3:6) This means exactly what it says, God is unchanging! He is not a different God in the Old Testament than He is in the New Testament. We see this also in Hebrews, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) Remember, Jesus is God and man, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1) "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) "For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one." (1 John 5:7) "He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God." (Revelation 19:13)  

So, if God is unchangeable, which He is, and Jesus is the same past, present and future, which He is, and if Jesus was God the Word incarnate, which He was, then we have to agree that God's will, nature, character, purpose and plan have also not changed. Look at the following scriptures to substantiate these facts. "My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips." (Psalm 89:34) "Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven." (Psalm 119:98) "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8) "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) "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." (Mark 13:31)     

Now that we see that God and His Word are one and that neither He nor His Word ever change, but are the same yesterday, today and forever, then we can also conclude that His will, nature, character, purpose and plan has not changed, but simply have been revealed with greater revelation. Another fact that we can look at, is that God is not only love, that He and His Word are the same and never change, but also that He is and does good. "For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You." (Psalm 86:5) "For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations." (Psalm 100:5) "Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness." (Psalm 107:8-9) "You are good, and do good; Teach me Your statutes." (Psalm 119:68) "The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works." (Psalm 145:9)  

Now, let us look at one more wonderful attribute of our God. God is life! "The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life." (Job 33:4) "You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16:11) "For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light." (Psalm m36:9) "For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:33) "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63) "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) 

The above does not show us every scripture that reveals who God truly is, but simply enough to remove the doubt and unbelief concerning His never changing will, nature, character, purpose and plan. So, scripture reveals the following truths concerning God. Jesus came to earth as God the Word in flesh; God is love; God is unchanging; He and His Word are one, and therefore His Word is also unchanging; God is good and only does good; God is life, not death. With these things in mind, it should be completely known, that God takes no pleasure in, nor is it His will, nature, character, purpose and plan for His children, that is, believers, to suffer under the wait of sickness, disease, a constant lack of finances and or even the premature loss of a loved one or any such thing. If sickness, disease, a constant lack of finances, the premature loss of a loved one or any such thing is God's will for His children, then we have to conclude that love, good and life as revealed in the scripture must be redefined to mean, hate, evil and death.    

Honestly, the love, goodness and life that comes forth from God's true will, nature, character, purpose and plan, have absolutely nothing to do with sickness, disease, a constant lack of finances, the premature loss of a loved one or any such thing. Please take note to what Jesus said concerning life and death, "The thief (Satan) does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) It is not God who puts sickness, disease, a constant lack of finances, the premature loss of a loved one or any such thing on believers, but our ancient enemy, Satan. God, permits these things to happen to His children, simply because His children have bought into the lie that these dreadful things are God's will for them because He has some mysterious, divine, benevolent purpose and or hidden blessing in such things. 

The Old testament teaches that sickness is a part of the curse of the Law of Moses. (Deuteronomy 28:15-68. The curse was the result of disobedience and wickedness. It was never for the righteous! Believers are totally forgiven and made righteous through faith in Jesus Christ. (Acts 2:38; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24) Believers are also free from the curse of the law through Jesus Christ. (Galatians 3:13) We also note, that sickness is not listed among the blessings of God anywhere in Scripture. Intellectual reasoning, justified by experiences of failing to heal or be healed is used to teach sickness, disease, injuries and the like, are blessings. Jesus' teaching and commands to His disciples do not reveal sickness of any sort as a divine purpose or blessing from God. (Matthew 10:1-8; Luke 9:1-2; 10:1-9)

The gospels reveals Jesus healing all who came to Him without a second's hesitation, a prayer or any consideration of a possible divine purpose for sickness, disease, injury or any such thing.  (Matthew 4:23-24; 12:15; Luke 6:19) Again, Jesus and His disciples in the New Testament treat sickness, disease and injury as an enemy and never as a friend. They never act as if sickness, disease or injury might have a good or godly purpose. Instead of God causing sickness, disease or injury, the New Testament reveals several times that demons are the real hidden cause. (Mark 9:25; Luke 13:10-16) Note, that casting out demons produced over one-quarter of the healings in the ministry of Jesus. Sadly, many believers today, have concluded that there is a divine purpose or blessing in sickness, disease and or injuries. Due to this belief, they have mistaken the work of demons as the work or will of God for them.

Also, scripture does not teach anywhere that God wants to use sickness, disease, injury or any such suffering to transform a person's character, produce repentance or that it is a mysterious, divine, benevolent purpose and or hidden blessing. Scripture does reveal that God is able to produce good things from the bad things that may happen in a person's life. However, this is a long way from saying that God wants His children to be sick, diseased, injured or suffer at all, to help them. God, as any good Father, wants the best for His children even when they are in situations that are not His will for them. 

Finally, let us consider these scriptures, "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly." (Psalm 84:11) "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." (Psalm 103:1-5) "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) "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 are struggling with doubt, fear or unbelief, the following scripture is also for you, "Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him..." (Psalm 37:3-7) In other words, look to our heavenly Father, in Jesus' Name, not the circumstances that are contrary to His Word. Exercise your faith and do not lose heart, because, “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) The grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with you all...