Prov 7:1-2 (NIV) says, My son (daughter), keep My Words and store up My commands within you. Keep My commands (Words) and you will live; guard My Teachings as the apple of your eye.
To keep the Word is to believe the Word over anything else. You believe it so much, that you do it rather than doing something else.
I have made the Word of God the final authority in my life. I love that term "final authority" because there is power in just saying it. I first heard a well known Bible teacher use that term almost 30 years ago, and I liked it the fist time I heard it and I've liked it every time I've heard it since then.
So what do I mean the Word is final authority? Let me use this illustration to show you: My body may be telling me that I am sick and what it is telling me is true (I don't deny what my body is telling me) however it's not the final truth. There is a Truth that stands greater than what my body is telling me. It's the Truth that my spirit is telling me that is greater, for greater is He that lives within me, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). God's Truth lives in my spirit and it speaks to me.
God's Truth (His Word) is greater than physical, natural, what you can see and feel truth. My body says, "I'm sick", but my God says, "by His stripes you were healed (1 Pet 2:24)." God's Truth is greater truth and if you will believe the greater Truth, then it will rule over the lower truth. God's Truth will overcome the lower truth. The problem with man (woman) is that he is to quick to believe the lower truth and ignore God's Higher Truth. The man believes he is sick, and therefore remains that way (usually grows worse), but the Believer will look beyond what his body is telling him as truth, and will look at what God is saying instead, "Jesus My Son bore your sicknesses and carried your diseases "(Matt 8:16-17), and the Believer chooses to believe what God says over (in spite of) what his body is telling him as truth. In the eyes of a carnal man (carnal Christian) this looks completely foolish. But in the eyes of the man who is led by the Spirit of God, it looks normal and right.
As a Christian, I am in the world, but not of it or I don't live according to the world's standard. I live my life here in this world according to the standards of the Kingdom of God (this standard is the Word of God). Those who live in the world( Christians included) laugh, make fun of, scorn, and judge those who live according to the principles of the Kingdom of God (Word of God). Those who live in the world (Christians included) pass judgment on those that don't as being foolish, deranged or worse yet, as deceiving. This is what the true Believer is up against when he chooses to believe God over what his natural senses are telling him. Some of the severest attacks (persecution) against the Believer come from within the Church (the body of Christ) that are filled with carnal Christians who have exalted what they think is true over what God says is True and then they choose to belittle the one who chooses to believe God over what what he sees and feels.
But God is well pleased with the man(woman) who holds His Truth above the physical natural truth of the world. When I choose to act like God (now I know that makes a few of you squirm, but God would have me act no other way) and call things that be not as though they were (Abraham did that, he's our father in the Faith- Rom 4:17), that's when I'm putting a smile on God's face, while at the same time the world (carnal Christians included) are laughing at me. I have tuned out the laughing and the scorn and I'm tuned into God and His Word. I walk healed in light of God's Word no matter what my body is telling me. If my body tells me I'm sick, I tell it that it has no right to be sick because Jesus bore those stripes on His back, His body broken, so that mine could be healed and whole. Jesus paid to big of price for me to ignore this Truth and believe a lesser truth that my body is telling me. I choose to exalt the Word of God over every situation I face (Final Authority). If my body tells me I’m sick, and my God tells me I am healed (Isa 53:5), which one do you think I’m going to believe? For as a man thinks and believes in his heart, so is he (Prov 23:7 KJV). I am going to agree with God and because if I do, His Word will prevail in my life and my sick body will have to line up with God’s Truth.
I’ve just shared with you the life of Faith of the true Believer. Does this sound like you? Or, are you the one who judges and scorns and counts as foolish the man who lives this way? If you are, then even though you might be in the church and saved and Heaven is your home, you’ve chosen to live your life according to the world’s standard and Prov 14:12 says it best, “there is a way that seems right to a man, but the end of that way is death" (separated from God and His promises). What pathway would you rather be on, God’s or the world’s? I choose God’s way, and if I look foolish to you, you should see how you look to me (& God).
It’s time to believe God. Yes, you’ll look and sound different to those in the world around you, but you’ll look just right in God’s sight. Who would you rather please? The beauty of pleasing God and doing it His way is that you get to walk in God’s Blessings now and forevermore and you'll put a smile on God's face because it is impossible to please God without faith (Heb 11:6). Come and join me on this journey. You’ll love it and so will God!!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
God's Way Of Receiving, "You Gotta Take It"
In the first chapter of Joshua, God is speaking to Joshua and transferring the responsibility of leading His people into the Promise Land from Moses to him. God gives Joshua a pep talk before he begins. (I highly recommend that you allow God to give you a pep talk before you embark on God's assignment, it's the difference between winning and losing. Until you hear God for yourself, (you know He is talking to you don't you?) just read the first Chapter of Joshua and receive Joshua's pep talk as yours. I do this all the time, especially verses 6-9 with special emphasis on verse 8).
Now lets focus on Joshua 1:3. "Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given you, as I said to Moses". (I want you to notice one very important fact. Though God has given it to Joshua, it doesn't become his until he puts his foot on it. Joshua had to do something to receive from God, and so do you!)
The Word of God (the Bible) is the land of Promise (2 Cor 1:19-20) for the Believer. It is my (and yours) Promise Land. And what God has told Joshua, He is telling me (and you). Every place that I come upon and see in the Word, God declares to me, "that (what you see in My Word) have I given you. My Son Jesus has spoken my Word just as He has heard it from Me and He has said it unto you(John 8:26-29). What He (Jesus) says to you belongs to you. But what He says to you, you must take it for yourself and possess it before it becomes yours."
God spoke the following to me: "Until you take what I have given unto you, it will not be yours even though that is what I will for you to have. When you see in My Word what My Son did for you, you must take it for yourself before you can possess it. When you see in the Word My Son receiving those stripes upon His back from the whip in the hand of My enemy (satan) and yours, and then you see what My Son declares to you, "that by My stripes you were healed (1 Pet 2:24), that My body was broken , so that yours may be whole". Though you see with your own eyes and hear with your own ears what I have given to you, it won't belong to you until you take it and possess it for yourself."
Jesus said, "Whatever thing you ask when you pray, believe that you receive it and you shall have it."(Mark 11:24) Now understand the truth that is revealed here by Jesus. You will not possess what God has already shown to you that belongs to you, until you believe it's yours personally and receive it by faith, by believing God. We are at a place in church history now that many within the present day church don't even believe that Jesus said what He said in Mark 11:24. They think some man came up with that saying to start the Faith Movement. Well I got news for you, God started the Faith Movement in Genesis 1:1 and He showed us how in verse 3. Martin Luther didn't start it, nor did John Alexander Dowie, Maria Woodworth-Etter, John G Lake, Smith Wigglesworh, EW Kenyon, Aimee Semple McPherson, Kathryn Kuhlman, Oral Roberts, Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland and anybody else that you can think of that bothers you and you've classified as some kind of faith nut. Well you can put me in this group, and I'm privileged to stand with them, because they have done nothing more than to imitate their Father and their Lord. It is what it is folks, it's called "Faith". Jesus authored it and if you've got a problem with faith people, then go talk to the author. (sorry I sound so gruff, but I've been wanting to get this off my chest for a long time. The Faith Guys & Gals aren't the bad guys and if you believe they are, then you have been taken captive by satan to do his will, and you will never enter into the Land of Promise, which is God's will for you)..........
Okay, lets get back on track. Now that word "receive" in Mark 11:24 is the Greek word "lambano" and the better definition of this word is, "to take, to get hold of", rather than receiving something offered to you. To take something is a more violent act. To take is an active force. To receive is passive with no force extended. In Matthew 11:12 Jesus says, "the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." Eph 6:12 says, "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against our enemy the devil and his forces". The devil is doing all he can to keep you from possessing what God has given to you. To live by faith, you must accept the fact that you will be engaged in violent acts as you take possession of what God has given to you. When you see in the Word, that healing belongs to you, and that you yourself desire to have that healing, then you are going to have to do what Jesus said in Mark 11:24, you are going to have to "take it, grab hold of it and don't let go of it." Be willing to fight the good fight of faith so as to be able to possess what God has given you.
This, "if it be thy will", when you know exactly what God's will is (because He has declared to you in His Word, "by His stripes you were healed"), this is passive receiving and you'll be waiting the rest of your life for God's will to be done.
But, when God shows you what belongs to you, you ask Him for it according to His Word, then stretch out your hand of faith and "TAKE IT". And if you have to fight for it to possess it, then get violent and fight until you have it, because it's rightfully yours and it belongs to you. It takes boldness to take something that belongs to you, when someone else is keeping you from it. The enemy that stands in your way (the devil) has already been defeated by Jesus (1 Jn 3:8), however, he is still standing in your way (of your healing) and you are going to have to kick him out of the way and take what belongs to you by the authority that Jesus has given to you to do that and what He has given to you is"His Name." Do you have the courage to fight this battle? You'll only find that at the feet of Jesus, where you and I must spend our time to get His (Jesus') strength for ourselves for the battle. Then and only then will we go out and take what belongs to us.
Possess what God is showing you today. Yes, you are in for a fight, but it's a good fight, because you win! How do I know this? Because the Spirit of the Living God has said to me in 2 Cor 2:14, "thanks be to God Who always causes me to triumph in Christ." That's where you'll find me. "In Christ", how about you? Now go and take a hold of Jesus' garment and and receive from Him what you need and then He will say to you what He said to that woman who was holding on to His garment until she got what she came for, He'll say, "your faith has made you well, go in peace and be healed of your infliction." (Mark 5:34) Now those are words you can live with!!
Now lets focus on Joshua 1:3. "Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given you, as I said to Moses". (I want you to notice one very important fact. Though God has given it to Joshua, it doesn't become his until he puts his foot on it. Joshua had to do something to receive from God, and so do you!)
The Word of God (the Bible) is the land of Promise (2 Cor 1:19-20) for the Believer. It is my (and yours) Promise Land. And what God has told Joshua, He is telling me (and you). Every place that I come upon and see in the Word, God declares to me, "that (what you see in My Word) have I given you. My Son Jesus has spoken my Word just as He has heard it from Me and He has said it unto you(John 8:26-29). What He (Jesus) says to you belongs to you. But what He says to you, you must take it for yourself and possess it before it becomes yours."
God spoke the following to me: "Until you take what I have given unto you, it will not be yours even though that is what I will for you to have. When you see in My Word what My Son did for you, you must take it for yourself before you can possess it. When you see in the Word My Son receiving those stripes upon His back from the whip in the hand of My enemy (satan) and yours, and then you see what My Son declares to you, "that by My stripes you were healed (1 Pet 2:24), that My body was broken , so that yours may be whole". Though you see with your own eyes and hear with your own ears what I have given to you, it won't belong to you until you take it and possess it for yourself."
Jesus said, "Whatever thing you ask when you pray, believe that you receive it and you shall have it."(Mark 11:24) Now understand the truth that is revealed here by Jesus. You will not possess what God has already shown to you that belongs to you, until you believe it's yours personally and receive it by faith, by believing God. We are at a place in church history now that many within the present day church don't even believe that Jesus said what He said in Mark 11:24. They think some man came up with that saying to start the Faith Movement. Well I got news for you, God started the Faith Movement in Genesis 1:1 and He showed us how in verse 3. Martin Luther didn't start it, nor did John Alexander Dowie, Maria Woodworth-Etter, John G Lake, Smith Wigglesworh, EW Kenyon, Aimee Semple McPherson, Kathryn Kuhlman, Oral Roberts, Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland and anybody else that you can think of that bothers you and you've classified as some kind of faith nut. Well you can put me in this group, and I'm privileged to stand with them, because they have done nothing more than to imitate their Father and their Lord. It is what it is folks, it's called "Faith". Jesus authored it and if you've got a problem with faith people, then go talk to the author. (sorry I sound so gruff, but I've been wanting to get this off my chest for a long time. The Faith Guys & Gals aren't the bad guys and if you believe they are, then you have been taken captive by satan to do his will, and you will never enter into the Land of Promise, which is God's will for you)..........
Okay, lets get back on track. Now that word "receive" in Mark 11:24 is the Greek word "lambano" and the better definition of this word is, "to take, to get hold of", rather than receiving something offered to you. To take something is a more violent act. To take is an active force. To receive is passive with no force extended. In Matthew 11:12 Jesus says, "the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." Eph 6:12 says, "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against our enemy the devil and his forces". The devil is doing all he can to keep you from possessing what God has given to you. To live by faith, you must accept the fact that you will be engaged in violent acts as you take possession of what God has given to you. When you see in the Word, that healing belongs to you, and that you yourself desire to have that healing, then you are going to have to do what Jesus said in Mark 11:24, you are going to have to "take it, grab hold of it and don't let go of it." Be willing to fight the good fight of faith so as to be able to possess what God has given you.
This, "if it be thy will", when you know exactly what God's will is (because He has declared to you in His Word, "by His stripes you were healed"), this is passive receiving and you'll be waiting the rest of your life for God's will to be done.
But, when God shows you what belongs to you, you ask Him for it according to His Word, then stretch out your hand of faith and "TAKE IT". And if you have to fight for it to possess it, then get violent and fight until you have it, because it's rightfully yours and it belongs to you. It takes boldness to take something that belongs to you, when someone else is keeping you from it. The enemy that stands in your way (the devil) has already been defeated by Jesus (1 Jn 3:8), however, he is still standing in your way (of your healing) and you are going to have to kick him out of the way and take what belongs to you by the authority that Jesus has given to you to do that and what He has given to you is"His Name." Do you have the courage to fight this battle? You'll only find that at the feet of Jesus, where you and I must spend our time to get His (Jesus') strength for ourselves for the battle. Then and only then will we go out and take what belongs to us.
Possess what God is showing you today. Yes, you are in for a fight, but it's a good fight, because you win! How do I know this? Because the Spirit of the Living God has said to me in 2 Cor 2:14, "thanks be to God Who always causes me to triumph in Christ." That's where you'll find me. "In Christ", how about you? Now go and take a hold of Jesus' garment and and receive from Him what you need and then He will say to you what He said to that woman who was holding on to His garment until she got what she came for, He'll say, "your faith has made you well, go in peace and be healed of your infliction." (Mark 5:34) Now those are words you can live with!!
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