Many make the mistake of substituting belief in healing for the actual taking of God’s medicine – His Word. They say, “I believe in healing” without actually taking the medicine. What good would it do for you to believe in food if you didn’t eat it? You would starve. What good would it do for you to believe in water if you didn’t actually drink any? You would die of thirst.
God’s Word is His medicine. There are several parallels between God’s medicine and natural medicine.
First: God’s Word is a healing agent, just as natural medicine is a healing agent or catalyst. In other words, the medicine itself contains the capacity to produce healing. Inherent within God’s Word is the capacity, the energy, the ability, and the nature to effect healing in your body.
Second: We might say that medicine is no respector of persons. It will work for anyone who takes it. It is not a matter of if God is willing or not willing to heal any individual, but whether or not the individual will receive healing by taking the medicine that produces it.
Third, and most important: Medicine must be taken according to directions to be effective. Some medicine labels read, “Take internally”; others say, “Take externally.” To rub it on your body externally when the directions say to take it internally will not work. To take it after meals when the directions say take it before meals will reduce its effectiveness. To take it once in a while when the directions say three times a day will mean limited results, if any. No matter how good the medicine is, it must be taken according to the directions or it won’t work. So it is with God’s medicine. It must be taken according to directions for it to work.
We might say that attending to them, inclining your ear to them, and keeping them before your eyes causesthe Word to get into the midst of your heart. Notice this: It is only as God’s Words get in the midst of your heart and stay there that they produce healing in your body. Head knowledge won’t do. They are going to have to penetrate to your spirit through meditation – attending, hearing, looking, muttering, musing, pondering – to produce healing in your body. But once they do penetrate, they will surely bring health to all your flesh. … let them penetrate deep within your heart.
You can see again that God’s way of healing is spiritual. Power is ministered first to your spirit, then distributed to your body. God’s medicine must be taken internally. Listen, instead of wondering whether you have enough faith to be healed, just take the medicine. This handout contains Healing Scriptures. Feed on them several times a day, repeating them over and over again to yourself. The medicine itself will work if you will get it inside of you.
Fourth: Remember that it takes time for medicine to work. Most people give natural medicine a lot of time, patience, and money to work. They take the prescription back for refills and more refills. They are diligent about it. They don’t just take one dose and expect a miracle. Keep taking God’s medicine. Give it time to work.
Take your medicine. Say these Scriptures to yourself. Think on what you’re saying in your heart. Use them in praise to the Father. His Word is medicine to all your flesh.
Showing posts with label Word. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Word. Show all posts
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
SOUL Salvation
David begins his praise of God’s Law with a profound statement in Psalm 19:7: “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul.” One of the functions of God’s Law is to convert the mind, will, and emotions so that they are in harmony with God’s ways and thoughts. This is necessary because of God’s assessment recorded in Isaiah 55:8:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
In Psalm 19:7, the Hebrew word translated converting is shuwb. It means to “return … come back to; to turn around (figuratively); to turn to Jehovah … to cease from … to restore (Lexical Aids to the Old Testament, The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible). This same goal for the soul is given to us in James 1:21, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
So, how does the Law of God convert the soul? Note the sequence in Psalm 19:
1. “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul.” The Law reveals the holy nature of God, which is in direct contrast to the sinful nature.
2. “The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.” Testimonies are the stories of God’s dealings with individuals and His nation. They reveal His ways, which often involve the birth, death, and fulfillment of a vision.
3. “The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart.” Statutes are Biblical principles applied to specific situations. The heart affirms their wisdom.
4. “The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.” As we read God’s Word, the Holy Spirit reveals to us truths that we would not otherwise understand and brings us to conclusions that we would not reach using our own reasoning.
5. “The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever.” When we are aware that God is watching and evaluating every one of our words, thoughts, and actions, we begin to understand wisdom, which is an essential tool for every converted soul.
6. “The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.” The formal decrees of God are just and right because they are expressions of His holy nature.
Until the soul is converted, we will not understand the ways of God and will often be frustrated by things that happen.
God’s Law can convert our souls, but only as we read it. When was the last time you read the five books of Moses?
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
In Psalm 19:7, the Hebrew word translated converting is shuwb. It means to “return … come back to; to turn around (figuratively); to turn to Jehovah … to cease from … to restore (Lexical Aids to the Old Testament, The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible). This same goal for the soul is given to us in James 1:21, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
So, how does the Law of God convert the soul? Note the sequence in Psalm 19:
1. “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul.” The Law reveals the holy nature of God, which is in direct contrast to the sinful nature.
2. “The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.” Testimonies are the stories of God’s dealings with individuals and His nation. They reveal His ways, which often involve the birth, death, and fulfillment of a vision.
3. “The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart.” Statutes are Biblical principles applied to specific situations. The heart affirms their wisdom.
4. “The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.” As we read God’s Word, the Holy Spirit reveals to us truths that we would not otherwise understand and brings us to conclusions that we would not reach using our own reasoning.
5. “The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever.” When we are aware that God is watching and evaluating every one of our words, thoughts, and actions, we begin to understand wisdom, which is an essential tool for every converted soul.
6. “The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.” The formal decrees of God are just and right because they are expressions of His holy nature.
Until the soul is converted, we will not understand the ways of God and will often be frustrated by things that happen.
God’s Law can convert our souls, but only as we read it. When was the last time you read the five books of Moses?
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
The Blessing vs. The Curse
One of the myths floating around the body of Christ is the myth concerning curses. There are those who believe that curses are so powerful that they can destroy the life of the believer; however one must remember that the devil uses fear to manipulate and control the life of anyone who will give place to it. How does a curse affect a believer? Should we be afraid of curses? What about generational curses?
When we are born again we are translated out of the kingdom of darkness and translated into the kingdom of light. When we are in the kingdom of light, the devil has no more authority over us other than the authority that we give him.
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. (Col. 1:13)
We have been bought with a price and redeemed and no longer belong to the power of darkness; we belong to the kingdom of God. We are children of the living God. We are children of the light. There is not enough darkness to put out the smallest light.
Some might argue, "Well, the devil this and the devil that." However, the devil cannot touch us when we are walking in the light. The only time that he can touch us is when we open the door to him by not walking according to the Word of God.
The fact of the matter is that when God blessed you nothing can be done to reverse it.
In Christ we have these blessings and the curse cannot touch us. We have been blessed with all of heaven's blessings. This is not something that needs to happen, this is something that has already taken place. We need to walk as believers in the finished work of the cross.
When we as believers believe that the curse is powerful, we underestimate the power of the cross, the power of the Blood and the power of the resurrection, thus making weak the finished work of the cross of Jesus Christ.
And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Jesus defeated the devil at Calvary and broke the power of the curse. (Col. 2:15)
The reasons why many believers are affected by curses I believe is:
1. Fear
2. The lack of knowledge of the Word of God
3. Not understanding the Father's love in relationship to the new covenant.
Fear is a terrible thing, gripping at the minds and hearts of anyone who will open the door. It is so in Africa and other parts of the world where people practice witchcraft and fear is a common factor that gives the witch doctor the power over them.
In Africa and Australia for example, if the witch doctor arrives in a village and sings and chants and throws bones, then everyone knows in that village that someone is going to die. The next morning...sure enough someone will have died. This is common. What killed those people? Simply this—Fear.
The reason that I say this is because if you are a child of God Almighty, then you have to realize that the devil has very limited power over you. The only power that he has over you is the power you give him.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. (Hosea 4:6 KJV)
The reason they are destroyed is because of their lack of knowledge of the Word of God.
We must find out what God's Word says and then appropriate the promises in our lives. Remember this, the devil knows the scripture because he quoted it to Eve as well as Jesus.
He loves to twist the scripture and to get you as the believer to think that God is not for you and that He is against you. As a new believer, we must realize that we are new creations in Christ Jesus—old things have past away, all things are new.
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Tim. 2:15 KJV)
The reason why this verse is so important is because the scripture says to rightly divide the Word. That happen can only as we study God's Word. Rightly divide—what does that mean? You will be amazed how many of God's children don't know the difference between the Old and the New Testaments (covenants).
What happens is that they take a little of the old and mix it with the new and come up with their own covenant. One minute they are under the law, the next they are under grace and they become double-minded and have no clue—they remind me of a Canadian goose lost in a thunderstorm trying to find its way.
They end up going from bondage back to freedom and then back to bondage. They don't understand the heart of the Father God and His great Love for His children. Jesus came to pay the price for our complete redemption.
God loves us so much and wants to bless us more than we want to be blessed. He has made every provision for our blessing. This was made manifest at the cross of Calvary.
As children of the living God, we have absolutely nothing to fear from the curse because Jesus has come to bring us into the blessing.
The Curse is not Greater than the Blessing!
The choice is ours—what will it be? Blessing or cursing, it's up to you.
Things that you need to do to walk in God's blessings daily:
1. Realize that God is for you and not against you.
2. Walk in His Word and obey Him completely.
3. The choice is yours; blessing or cursing...it's up to you.
4. The curse will be far from you, because Christ hath redeemed you from the curse of the law. He has paid it in full.
5. The blessings are to a thousand generations of them who fear God.
6. The curse is to the third and forth generation of them who hate God.
When we are born again we are translated out of the kingdom of darkness and translated into the kingdom of light. When we are in the kingdom of light, the devil has no more authority over us other than the authority that we give him.
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. (Col. 1:13)
We have been bought with a price and redeemed and no longer belong to the power of darkness; we belong to the kingdom of God. We are children of the living God. We are children of the light. There is not enough darkness to put out the smallest light.
Some might argue, "Well, the devil this and the devil that." However, the devil cannot touch us when we are walking in the light. The only time that he can touch us is when we open the door to him by not walking according to the Word of God.
The fact of the matter is that when God blessed you nothing can be done to reverse it.
In Christ we have these blessings and the curse cannot touch us. We have been blessed with all of heaven's blessings. This is not something that needs to happen, this is something that has already taken place. We need to walk as believers in the finished work of the cross.
When we as believers believe that the curse is powerful, we underestimate the power of the cross, the power of the Blood and the power of the resurrection, thus making weak the finished work of the cross of Jesus Christ.
And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Jesus defeated the devil at Calvary and broke the power of the curse. (Col. 2:15)
The reasons why many believers are affected by curses I believe is:
1. Fear
2. The lack of knowledge of the Word of God
3. Not understanding the Father's love in relationship to the new covenant.
Fear is a terrible thing, gripping at the minds and hearts of anyone who will open the door. It is so in Africa and other parts of the world where people practice witchcraft and fear is a common factor that gives the witch doctor the power over them.
In Africa and Australia for example, if the witch doctor arrives in a village and sings and chants and throws bones, then everyone knows in that village that someone is going to die. The next morning...sure enough someone will have died. This is common. What killed those people? Simply this—Fear.
The reason that I say this is because if you are a child of God Almighty, then you have to realize that the devil has very limited power over you. The only power that he has over you is the power you give him.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. (Hosea 4:6 KJV)
The reason they are destroyed is because of their lack of knowledge of the Word of God.
We must find out what God's Word says and then appropriate the promises in our lives. Remember this, the devil knows the scripture because he quoted it to Eve as well as Jesus.
He loves to twist the scripture and to get you as the believer to think that God is not for you and that He is against you. As a new believer, we must realize that we are new creations in Christ Jesus—old things have past away, all things are new.
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Tim. 2:15 KJV)
The reason why this verse is so important is because the scripture says to rightly divide the Word. That happen can only as we study God's Word. Rightly divide—what does that mean? You will be amazed how many of God's children don't know the difference between the Old and the New Testaments (covenants).
What happens is that they take a little of the old and mix it with the new and come up with their own covenant. One minute they are under the law, the next they are under grace and they become double-minded and have no clue—they remind me of a Canadian goose lost in a thunderstorm trying to find its way.
They end up going from bondage back to freedom and then back to bondage. They don't understand the heart of the Father God and His great Love for His children. Jesus came to pay the price for our complete redemption.
God loves us so much and wants to bless us more than we want to be blessed. He has made every provision for our blessing. This was made manifest at the cross of Calvary.
As children of the living God, we have absolutely nothing to fear from the curse because Jesus has come to bring us into the blessing.
The Curse is not Greater than the Blessing!
The choice is ours—what will it be? Blessing or cursing, it's up to you.
Things that you need to do to walk in God's blessings daily:
1. Realize that God is for you and not against you.
2. Walk in His Word and obey Him completely.
3. The choice is yours; blessing or cursing...it's up to you.
4. The curse will be far from you, because Christ hath redeemed you from the curse of the law. He has paid it in full.
5. The blessings are to a thousand generations of them who fear God.
6. The curse is to the third and forth generation of them who hate God.
Faith and Vision: Building Your House On The Refrigerator
A minister said he was looking at some beautiful houses in a magazine one day and noticed that in one of them, there was a study that He really liked. So He cut out the picture. He said He's building a house on his refrigerator with cutouts from the magazine.
Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." Other translations say, "Where there is no vision, the people go wild," or "go out of their minds." Also, when you read the word "law," the word "commandment," or the word "precept" in Scripture, it is referring to the Word of God. So without changing its meaning, turn this verse around and it can very easily be translated to read, "Where there is vision, the people prosper, and he that keeps the Word of God will walk in joy."
The one thing God has given us to help maintain an enthusiasm of faith is to be able to look toward the future and see the vision. And everyone must have a vision. The vision you need is found in the Word of God because the Word lays out our potential for us: What God's Word says we can do, we can do. What it says we can have, we can have. What it says we can be, we can be.
Our potential is built in the Word of God. And that's where you begin with your vision. If you don't yet have a vision, you start where God has told you who you are in Him.
I thank God that it doesn't matter who we are in ourselves. It only matters who we are in Him. That's the difference between being self-conscious and being God-conscious. God always gives you a choice. You can choose to be aware of God and what He wants you to do, or you can choose to be aware of yourself and do your own thing. Personally, I'd rather be doing God's thing.
But to do God's thing, you must realize that your vision is found in the Word of God. And the details of that vision come by setting aside time every day to be in His presence, in intimate fellowship with the Father. The vision is conceived in those times. The vision is nurtured in those times. And also, the vision is birthed in those times.
When you never take time for intimate fellowship with the Father, you'll never get the details. It's hard to get details on the run. You have to have a face-to-face relationship to do that. And guess what? He wants you to have vision. He wants to give you details. Not only that, but He also wants to enlarge the vision so that you are filled with it. God likes big vision.
In Mark 9:23, Jesus said, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." All things are possible to anyone who believes. You have to be willing to not listen to anyone who wants to speak doubt and unbelief to you. You have to take the word "doubt" out of your vocabulary. Instead, align your vocabulary with heaven's vocabulary, align your vocabulary to faith's vocabulary, align your vocabulary to the Word of God.
Your vision, the vision that God has given you, the vision that God is building in your heart, is possible. Why? Because you believe. Even when you can't see it, you believe it. Even when you can't touch it, you believe it. And the highest kind of faith is faith that believes on the authority of the Word of God alone, and does not demand evidence to know that it's true. That's the centurion kind of faith.
Remember the centurion who came to Jesus and said, "My servant lieth at home sick"? When Jesus answered him saying, "I will come and heal him," the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed" (Matt. 8:6-8).
The Word of God says when Jesus heard that statement, He marveled at this man's faith. This man was operating in the highest realm of faith - the faith that does not demand evidence. Jesus called it "so great faith" (v. 10). Sometimes I say to myself, "I believe. I'm a believer. I believe the Word of God. I believe it in the Name of Jesus." You have to say those words to yourself every now and then. You have to say them over and over again because sometimes the circumstances around you just don't look like they agree with the vision.
Remember, the vision in your heart is possible to those who believe. Your faith is inseparable from your vision. Whatever vision you have on the inside, whether it's a small, medium or large vision, your faith is going to work to produce that vision.
The spiritual force of the faith which is on the inside of you will take those pictures and those images from deep within your heart and begin to produce the vision and bring it to pass. Your vision is the blueprint of whatever your faith wants to build. And the builder works from that blueprint. "Faith is the substance [the ground, the title deed] of things hoped for, [the things I have a red-hot, burning, earnest expectation and a vision for]" (Heb. 11:1 AMP).
That scripture says my faith is the evidence of my vision, and your faith is the evidence of your vision. It's the evidence of things that you have a red-hot, burning, earnest expectation for. Your faith wants to build your vision. Your faith is just as determined as the kid on the football team who is sitting on the bench saying, "Coach, let me in. Let me play. Let me get in there."
Do you have a vision? Can you see it? What are you doing to supplement and supply the vision that you have on the inside of you? Because whatever it is, that's what you will eventually achieve. That's what you will become.
Just as you learn to walk by taking one step at a time, you also have to take steps in your faith. And there is nothing wrong with enlarging your vision. God wants you to think big.
You have to keep the vision alive and before you. We could take a clue from how the world uses this principle in their marketing and advertising. They use the print media (billboards, the sides of buses and signs in airports) and television. These are things the public sees. They use radio; this is what the public hears. We are surrounded with people who are trying to convince us to think the way they think and tell us to go buy what they are selling.
This is the idea: If you see it enough, you'll buy it. And then you'll like it. This same principle works in the Word of God. If you're putting the world in front of you, you are going to become like the world. If you put the Word in front of you, you'll become like the Word. We must be extremely selective in what we put in front of our eyes. The enemy tries to deceive us by building images and visions before us, even from the time we are children. He'll show us visions and pictures of our parents or our grandparents who are in lack or are poor and doing without.
Since that image is constantly before us, we think we should live that way. The devil puts images of failure, defeat, worry, and fear before us. But the Word of God gives us an image of success, victory, abundance and peace. What are you going to keep before you? What you behold, what you look at, what you meditate on and what you think about are what you are going to become.
Second Corinthians 3:12-13 says, "Since we have such [glorious] hope, such (joyful and confident) expectation, we speak very freely and openly and fearlessly. Nor (do we act) like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze upon the finish of the vanishing (splendor which had been upon it)" (AMP).
In other words, Moses would go up into the mountain to talk with the Lord. Then he would put a veil over his face, come down the mountain and then talk to the people. But he would keep the veil over his face, and the glory began to wane and diminish.
"In fact, their minds were grown hard and calloused, they had become dull and had lost the power of understanding, for until this present day, when the Old Testament is being read, that same veil still lies on their hearts, not being lifted to reveal that in Christ it is made void and done away. Yes, down to this very day whenever Moses is read a veil lies upon their minds and hearts. But whenever a person turns (in repentance) to the Lord the veil is stripped off and taken away.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, emancipation from bondage and freedom. And all of us, as with unveiled faces, continued to behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured" (vv. 14-18, AMP).
If there are some things that you know you should not be exposing yourself to, cut them out of your life - for the sake of the anointing, for the sake of the glory of God, for the sake of the vision. Get rid of them. The force of faith is working within you to conform you to whatever image you are seeing. It is working to bring your vision to pass. And as you behold the Word of God, and you behold the glory of the Word, you will, in increasing splendor, go from glory to glory. You will become what you behold.
Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." Other translations say, "Where there is no vision, the people go wild," or "go out of their minds." Also, when you read the word "law," the word "commandment," or the word "precept" in Scripture, it is referring to the Word of God. So without changing its meaning, turn this verse around and it can very easily be translated to read, "Where there is vision, the people prosper, and he that keeps the Word of God will walk in joy."
The one thing God has given us to help maintain an enthusiasm of faith is to be able to look toward the future and see the vision. And everyone must have a vision. The vision you need is found in the Word of God because the Word lays out our potential for us: What God's Word says we can do, we can do. What it says we can have, we can have. What it says we can be, we can be.
Our potential is built in the Word of God. And that's where you begin with your vision. If you don't yet have a vision, you start where God has told you who you are in Him.
I thank God that it doesn't matter who we are in ourselves. It only matters who we are in Him. That's the difference between being self-conscious and being God-conscious. God always gives you a choice. You can choose to be aware of God and what He wants you to do, or you can choose to be aware of yourself and do your own thing. Personally, I'd rather be doing God's thing.
But to do God's thing, you must realize that your vision is found in the Word of God. And the details of that vision come by setting aside time every day to be in His presence, in intimate fellowship with the Father. The vision is conceived in those times. The vision is nurtured in those times. And also, the vision is birthed in those times.
When you never take time for intimate fellowship with the Father, you'll never get the details. It's hard to get details on the run. You have to have a face-to-face relationship to do that. And guess what? He wants you to have vision. He wants to give you details. Not only that, but He also wants to enlarge the vision so that you are filled with it. God likes big vision.
In Mark 9:23, Jesus said, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." All things are possible to anyone who believes. You have to be willing to not listen to anyone who wants to speak doubt and unbelief to you. You have to take the word "doubt" out of your vocabulary. Instead, align your vocabulary with heaven's vocabulary, align your vocabulary to faith's vocabulary, align your vocabulary to the Word of God.
Your vision, the vision that God has given you, the vision that God is building in your heart, is possible. Why? Because you believe. Even when you can't see it, you believe it. Even when you can't touch it, you believe it. And the highest kind of faith is faith that believes on the authority of the Word of God alone, and does not demand evidence to know that it's true. That's the centurion kind of faith.
Remember the centurion who came to Jesus and said, "My servant lieth at home sick"? When Jesus answered him saying, "I will come and heal him," the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed" (Matt. 8:6-8).
The Word of God says when Jesus heard that statement, He marveled at this man's faith. This man was operating in the highest realm of faith - the faith that does not demand evidence. Jesus called it "so great faith" (v. 10). Sometimes I say to myself, "I believe. I'm a believer. I believe the Word of God. I believe it in the Name of Jesus." You have to say those words to yourself every now and then. You have to say them over and over again because sometimes the circumstances around you just don't look like they agree with the vision.
Remember, the vision in your heart is possible to those who believe. Your faith is inseparable from your vision. Whatever vision you have on the inside, whether it's a small, medium or large vision, your faith is going to work to produce that vision.
The spiritual force of the faith which is on the inside of you will take those pictures and those images from deep within your heart and begin to produce the vision and bring it to pass. Your vision is the blueprint of whatever your faith wants to build. And the builder works from that blueprint. "Faith is the substance [the ground, the title deed] of things hoped for, [the things I have a red-hot, burning, earnest expectation and a vision for]" (Heb. 11:1 AMP).
That scripture says my faith is the evidence of my vision, and your faith is the evidence of your vision. It's the evidence of things that you have a red-hot, burning, earnest expectation for. Your faith wants to build your vision. Your faith is just as determined as the kid on the football team who is sitting on the bench saying, "Coach, let me in. Let me play. Let me get in there."
Do you have a vision? Can you see it? What are you doing to supplement and supply the vision that you have on the inside of you? Because whatever it is, that's what you will eventually achieve. That's what you will become.
Just as you learn to walk by taking one step at a time, you also have to take steps in your faith. And there is nothing wrong with enlarging your vision. God wants you to think big.
You have to keep the vision alive and before you. We could take a clue from how the world uses this principle in their marketing and advertising. They use the print media (billboards, the sides of buses and signs in airports) and television. These are things the public sees. They use radio; this is what the public hears. We are surrounded with people who are trying to convince us to think the way they think and tell us to go buy what they are selling.
This is the idea: If you see it enough, you'll buy it. And then you'll like it. This same principle works in the Word of God. If you're putting the world in front of you, you are going to become like the world. If you put the Word in front of you, you'll become like the Word. We must be extremely selective in what we put in front of our eyes. The enemy tries to deceive us by building images and visions before us, even from the time we are children. He'll show us visions and pictures of our parents or our grandparents who are in lack or are poor and doing without.
Since that image is constantly before us, we think we should live that way. The devil puts images of failure, defeat, worry, and fear before us. But the Word of God gives us an image of success, victory, abundance and peace. What are you going to keep before you? What you behold, what you look at, what you meditate on and what you think about are what you are going to become.
Second Corinthians 3:12-13 says, "Since we have such [glorious] hope, such (joyful and confident) expectation, we speak very freely and openly and fearlessly. Nor (do we act) like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze upon the finish of the vanishing (splendor which had been upon it)" (AMP).
In other words, Moses would go up into the mountain to talk with the Lord. Then he would put a veil over his face, come down the mountain and then talk to the people. But he would keep the veil over his face, and the glory began to wane and diminish.
"In fact, their minds were grown hard and calloused, they had become dull and had lost the power of understanding, for until this present day, when the Old Testament is being read, that same veil still lies on their hearts, not being lifted to reveal that in Christ it is made void and done away. Yes, down to this very day whenever Moses is read a veil lies upon their minds and hearts. But whenever a person turns (in repentance) to the Lord the veil is stripped off and taken away.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, emancipation from bondage and freedom. And all of us, as with unveiled faces, continued to behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured" (vv. 14-18, AMP).
If there are some things that you know you should not be exposing yourself to, cut them out of your life - for the sake of the anointing, for the sake of the glory of God, for the sake of the vision. Get rid of them. The force of faith is working within you to conform you to whatever image you are seeing. It is working to bring your vision to pass. And as you behold the Word of God, and you behold the glory of the Word, you will, in increasing splendor, go from glory to glory. You will become what you behold.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Meditation: The Disciples Handling The Word Of God
The secret of effective meditation is quoting Scripture back to God with the spirit rather than the mind. This means that rather than trying to intellectually understand God’s truth, we discern it by His Spirit speaking to our spirit because “the things of the Spirit of God … are spiritually discerned” (I Corinthians 2:14).
If we evaluate Scripture with the mind we tend to become proud, because “knowledge puffeth up,” but if Scripture “evaluates” the heart, we become humble because it exposes our secret sins.
By coming to Scripture with our spirit, we cry out, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23–24).
Your spirit has direct access to God’s Spirit, because “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). The Spirit of God has direct access to the conscience and is able to activate it with the spiritual understanding of what is right and what is wrong as we meditate upon His truth. It is this intimate fellowship of Spirit-to-spirit communication that constitutes true meditation and results in daily success.
Scripture is “the wisdom of God” and is given to us “in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world.” God determined that this wisdom would be “unto our glory.” However, it is revealed to us only “by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things: yea, the deep things of God” (I Corinthians 2:7–10).
Our natural inclination is to simply quote Scripture back to God as a mental or intellectual exercise. This will rob us of the riches of God’s wisdom and the joy of His fellowship. Therefore, we must bring the mind under the control of God’s Spirit with a definite act of the will.
If we evaluate Scripture with the mind we tend to become proud, because “knowledge puffeth up,” but if Scripture “evaluates” the heart, we become humble because it exposes our secret sins.
By coming to Scripture with our spirit, we cry out, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23–24).
Your spirit has direct access to God’s Spirit, because “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). The Spirit of God has direct access to the conscience and is able to activate it with the spiritual understanding of what is right and what is wrong as we meditate upon His truth. It is this intimate fellowship of Spirit-to-spirit communication that constitutes true meditation and results in daily success.
Scripture is “the wisdom of God” and is given to us “in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world.” God determined that this wisdom would be “unto our glory.” However, it is revealed to us only “by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things: yea, the deep things of God” (I Corinthians 2:7–10).
Our natural inclination is to simply quote Scripture back to God as a mental or intellectual exercise. This will rob us of the riches of God’s wisdom and the joy of His fellowship. Therefore, we must bring the mind under the control of God’s Spirit with a definite act of the will.
Friday, May 27, 2011
The Disciple And Knowledge Of The Word
The most pitiful people; in my opinion, are those who cannot or-- for reasons unknown to me-- will not stand up and speak out by giving a biblical and relevant defense of their faith when questioned by others. I believe it's important to know what you believe and why you believe it. Then be able to give an articulate and reasoned response to those around you. For example, how would respond to someone who asks, "How do you know Christianity is true?" How would answer the person who expresses that they need evidence for the existence of God?
C.S. Lewis was right when he argued, the question is not if you will defend the faith, but will you defend it well. Peter said is well when he stated, "be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" 1Pet. 3:15.
The word "answer" is the Greek word "apologia," and refers to a legal defense. It's a compound of the words apo and logos. Apo meaning, back, and logos meaning word. When compounded, it means to answer back and depicts a reply, a response, or an answer. The word was us to describe a court trial where the accused was given the opportunity to give a respond or an answer to the charges brought against him. (Sparkling Gems, by Rick Renner p. 926).
As a disciple (a learner) it's very important to be a student of the Word. Paul instructed Timothy to study to show himself approved and to rightly divide the Word of truth (2 Tim 2:15). Again referring to the Believers living in Berea Paul said they "were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily (Acts 17:11).
There are at least three reasons to be a student of the Word.
1. According to Matt. 4:4, Heb. 5:11-14 the Word is spiritual food the follower of Christ. Just like your natural body depends on food to sustain itself and survive, your spiritual body requires food for growth and survival.
2. Your enemy; the devil, attempts everything within his power to keep you from receiving revelation from the Word because he knows the Word of God is a weapon (a sword) you can use against him. See Eph. 6:10-18. Your knowledge of the Word is what equips you for battle and the application of that knowledge is what insures your success and victory against the forces of darkness.
3. If you interact with people; especially unbelievers, your knowledge and understanding of the Word will equip to give a reasoned response to their questions.
C.S. Lewis was right when he argued, the question is not if you will defend the faith, but will you defend it well. Peter said is well when he stated, "be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" 1Pet. 3:15.
The word "answer" is the Greek word "apologia," and refers to a legal defense. It's a compound of the words apo and logos. Apo meaning, back, and logos meaning word. When compounded, it means to answer back and depicts a reply, a response, or an answer. The word was us to describe a court trial where the accused was given the opportunity to give a respond or an answer to the charges brought against him. (Sparkling Gems, by Rick Renner p. 926).
As a disciple (a learner) it's very important to be a student of the Word. Paul instructed Timothy to study to show himself approved and to rightly divide the Word of truth (2 Tim 2:15). Again referring to the Believers living in Berea Paul said they "were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily (Acts 17:11).
There are at least three reasons to be a student of the Word.
1. According to Matt. 4:4, Heb. 5:11-14 the Word is spiritual food the follower of Christ. Just like your natural body depends on food to sustain itself and survive, your spiritual body requires food for growth and survival.
2. Your enemy; the devil, attempts everything within his power to keep you from receiving revelation from the Word because he knows the Word of God is a weapon (a sword) you can use against him. See Eph. 6:10-18. Your knowledge of the Word is what equips you for battle and the application of that knowledge is what insures your success and victory against the forces of darkness.
3. If you interact with people; especially unbelievers, your knowledge and understanding of the Word will equip to give a reasoned response to their questions.
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