Use God's Word

The Word of God does the work of God.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”

I use the Word as vitamins or medicine in working in my body to strengthen me. I also use the Word to sooth my soul. I read over it and meditate on it and let the ideas work their way into my mind. After thinking on them new understandings come to me, many times from the Holy Spirit. I say many times because we always need to judge our thoughts and test them against God's word.

I believe God's Word is full of power and is effective in guiding and helping me. God's Words are life. John 6:63

God's Word can become a consuming fire.
Jeremiah 5:14 “Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, "Because you have spoken this word, Behold, I am making My words in your mouth fire And this people wood, and it will consume them.”

The Word of God are effective. Don't use God's Word without God's love. Faith works through love. Galatians 5:6 Speak for grace to help the people. Ephesians 4:29

The power of God's Word will shatter rocks and burn away what is between us and God.
Jeremiah 23:29 "Is not My word like fire?" declares the LORD, "and like a hammer which shatters a rock?”

I see rocks as like a part of a mountain (a type of obstacle to God's provision), and the Word of God shatters the rocks or  obstacles before us. Isaiah 41:15

Speaking God's words brings life.
Ezekiel 37:7 “So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone.”

Here is a great prophecy of Israel's army regaining life. We also can speak God's words by the Holy Spirit to bring life to ourselves and others. John 6:63; Job 22:28; Matthew 9:21

There is power in God's word for salvation.
Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Sometimes speaking Scriptures by the Holy Spirit will bring Salvation. My mom was brought to salvation by a nurse quoting Ephesians 2:8,9 to her. I was saved by John 3:16.

The Word is used as a sword to attack in battles of the spirit.
Ephesians 6:17 “And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

I tell the enemy the authority given to me by using Scriptures. Ephesians 3:10 I speak to the problems I face with Scriptures. I speak to myself with encouragement from the Scriptures.

The Word shows what is of the spirit and what is of the soul.
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

With honesty we can see by our attitude if we are right with God from the Scriptures.

God Answers Prayer

1 John 3:22 "
"And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight."

Keep the commands of God which are tied up in loving God and loving your neighabor.
Do the things pleasing in His sight. And what is that? It is effective faith. Hebrews 11:6

2 Cor 5:7 We are to walk by faith and not by sight. Do this and you will please God. To ignore this and you stay a child in the faith. A child in the faith does not overcome obstacles. 1 John 2:12,13

Solid food is for the mature but milk of the word is for babies. What is the difference in the Word? It is not the specific Scripture but our actions with the Scripture that determines if it is milk or meat. We are babies if we don't take the Word and use it with faith. Grown men and women will take the Word and use it. We overcome by faith and faith takes the Word and overcomes with it. 1 John 5:4

Sometimes I read the Word just to be soothed in my soul. But other times I read the Word for direction. It is at these times I'm eating meat. We need to obey the Word if we are to walk in victory.

1 John 5:14,15
“This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”

Ask according to His will. Are the promises of God His will? Yes. 2 Corinthians 1:20 “
20 For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.”

God's will is the promises of the Bible.

5 Parts to 2 Corinthians 1:20
 1 For as many as are the promises of God,
 2 in Him they are yes;
 3 therefore also through Him is our Amen
 4 to the glory of God
 5 through us.

There are 5 parts to this verse, 5 parts to thus promise.
 1 All the promises of God are given to us according to the Scriptures.

 2 In Him they are yes. Are we in Jesus? 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creation. If we are saved we are in Jesus. So yes we are in Him. Yes we are in Jesus. John 6:21 When Jesus got in the boat, immediately the boat was at the other side. When we have Jesus we have the answer.

 3 Therefore also through Him is our Amen. Can we say the amen to the promise? Can we say the promise is going to happen? For amen means so be it. Are we sure the promise will happen? For that is what amen means. Can we say as Christians this amen? Then the answer will come.

 4 To the glory of God
We can's seek glory for ourselves and believe at the same time. John 5:44 If we seek glory for ourselves it nullifies the faith and we lose out place of belief. God will not share His glory with another. Isaiah 42:8 “"I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.”

 5 Through us. It is through Him through us. We work with God and God works with us.

Be Word Centered

Stay in the Word.
Believe the Word.
The Word brings forth life,
live that life or starve.

When you eat from the Word, rest.
Look to the spirit of the Word, not the law.
Be revived in the Word, not worldly pursuits.

Your goal from the Word is to hear,
not to check off chapters.

Act in trust of God's word.

- Actions or reaction
- Make change or be changed.
- Plan for renewal or wear down.
- Tend your garden or reap weeds.
- Sow for your future or starve.
- Failure is one more step to success,
if you let it teach you.
- Self-contentedness is not being humble.

Freedom

Psalm 142:7
"Bring my soul out of prison, So that I may give thanks to Your name; The righteous will surround me, For You will deal bountifully with me."

The word "prison" is used symbolically, as a metaphor for trouble and distress (comp. Psalm 88:8; Psalm 107:10-14). Pulpit Commentary

Ps 88:8 sometimes we are shut up and can't go out.
What frees us up so we can express our gratitude to God?

2 Corinthians 3:17
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

If we let it, if we yield to it's teachings, if we soften our heart and accept what it says, the teachings of the Bible with the Holy Spirit will give us freedom.

Psalm 124:7,8
“Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper; The snare is broken and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.”

Turn to the Lord, turn to His word, you will find freedom.

We were meant to live serving God. Eph 2:10 It is as we live for Christ there is freedom. To reject the leading of God because of fear of the unknown brings us into bondage. We miss out on what God has for us because of our lack of belief.

Trust in God, He will work with you.

Some turn from following God, because they think the pleasures of sin are better than living for Christ.  Yes there is pleasure in sin for a season. Heb 11:25; Phil 3:18,19 But the end of a life in sin is destruction. Not only in this age but in the one to come.

To see other people walking with Christ brings joy to your life. 3 John 4 “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”

Further reading:
2 Corinthians 13:4
1 Thessalonians 3:8

How to Stand on the Word

 God's word brings Stability to our life.
Matt 7:24-27

God's word is the final authority.
1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:4,5
Receive God's promise as already taking place.

Refuse doubt and unbelief.
Cast down doubt, praise God for your deliverance.
Mat 16:19; Mat 18:18

Refuse to believe what you see and feel.
2 Cor 5:7

Whose report will you believe?
Whose report will you believe? I will believe the report of the Lord. Isaiah 53:1

Meditate on God's Word.
Rom 10:17; Isaiah 40:31

Do not Fear
Luke 8:50; John 14:1; Ps 56:3,11; Rom 8:15

Praise God for the Answer.
Phil 4:6,7

Do not Waiver!
James 1:5,6; 1 Tim 6:12; Eph 6:12;
Reject doubt and chose to believe. 2 Cor 10:3-5
Use the sword to attack the enemy. Rebuke the devil with the word of God. Then praise God.

Speak what you Believe not what You See.
Mark 11:23,24; Matt 12:36; Prov 18:20,21;
Choose life by speaking the word.

Hebrews 10:23
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,
for He who promised is faithful;"

To stand on the Word of God is to confess the truth of the word in the midst of problems.
Quote the Scripture and state its truth. Read it again and thank God for its fulfilment in your life.
Rest in God that the promise of the Scripture is yours. Don't worry but instead trust in God.

God's Word will not return void.
Isaiah 55:11

When you stand on the word, when you bet your life on the promises of God, when you base your life on the direction of the Scriptures, you will not be disapointed. God will bring the answer. Romans 10:11

Don't tell Jesus about your problem, tell your problem about Jesus.

Quote Scripture, state the Scriptures that promise victory in your situation.

Know that as you go in service to Jesus you are walking in the Kingdom and God will answer your prayers. If you doubt if God will answer your prayers. Find the will of God and believe that.


2 Samuel 23:11,12
“Now after him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered into a troop where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it and struck the Philistines; and the Lord brought about a great victory.”

Take a stand and fight. How do we fight in the spirit? It is to take the Word of God and state it and believe it and live it and not the lie of the enemy. The lie of the enemy will tell us it can't be done. But with God all things are possible.

Fight on your knees for the promise God has given you. Don't accept the lie the enemy is saying. Fight for belief that what God has promised He will do. And when you get that belief, act on it. Act in faith.

Some would counter that God doesn't always answer.  But who are we going to believe? Those who doubt, or the Word of God? Romans 10:11”For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.'” Don't accept defeat, but instead stand and fight.

Some of this lesson came from:
http://www.wordlibrary.co.uk/article.php?id=28



Standing on the Promises - A great hymn of worship and trust in God.

1. Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
   Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
   Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
   Standing on the promises of God.
   • Refrain:
     Standing, standing,
     Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
     Standing, standing,
     I’m standing on the promises of God.
2. Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
   When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
   By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
   Standing on the promises of God.
3. Standing on the promises I now can see
   Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
   Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
   Standing on the promises of God.
4. Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
   Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
   Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
   Standing on the promises of God.
5. Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
   List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call,
   Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
   Standing on the promises of God.

The Coming of the Maji

T. S. Eliot reads "Journey of the Magi"


Ps 72:1-7
Give the king Your judgments, O God,
And Your righteousness to the king’s son.
2 May he judge Your people with righteousness
And Your afflicted with justice.
3 Let the mountains bring peace to the people,
And the hills, in righteousness.
4 May he vindicate the afflicted of the people,
Save the children of the needy
And crush the oppressor.
5 Let them fear You while the sun endures,
And as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
6 May he come down like rain upon the mown grass,
Like showers that water the earth.
7 In his days may the righteous flourish,
And abundance of peace till the moon is no more.
10Let the kings of Tarshish and of the islands bring presents;
The kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.
11 And let all kings bow down before him,
All nations serve him.
12 For he will deliver the needy when he cries for help,
The afflicted also, and him who has no helper.
13 He will have compassion on the poor and needy,
And the lives of the needy he will save.
14 He will rescue their life from oppression and violence,
And their blood will be precious in his sight;


Isaiah 60:1-6
“Arise, shine; for your light has come,
And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 “For behold, darkness will cover the earth
And deep darkness the peoples;
But the Lord will rise upon you
And His glory will appear upon you.
3 “Nations will come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.
4 “Lift up your eyes round about and see;
They all gather together, they come to you.
Your sons will come from afar,
And your daughters will be carried in the arms.
5 “Then you will see and be radiant,
And your heart will thrill and rejoice;
Because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you,
The wealth of the nations will come to you.
6 “A multitude of camels will cover you,
The young camels of Midian and Ephah;
All those from Sheba will come;
They will bring gold and frankincense,
And will bear good news of the praises of the Lord.

Matthew 2:1-12
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;
For out of you shall come forth a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” 9 After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

Respond with Faith

I was thinking about writing a short description of faith. This is what I wrote a couple of afternoons after I got home from work.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for the conviction of things not seen Heb 11:1
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Rom 10:17

The thing about these verses are that we assume we hear God with faith when we read the Bible. Which is not the case. We have 2 sets of ears. Our physical ears and our spiritual ears. It is with our spiritual ears that allows faith to be birthed. But spiritual ears can't hear if the ties to our life in the world are not cut. 1 John 2:15-17. When we do the will of God we are able to hear. Jesus referred to this many times by saying. "He who has ears to hear let him hear." Obviously we all have ears. But the physical ears aren't what receives the word of God allowing faith to grow in our heart.

The parable of the sower and the seed refers to the good soil as the person that receives the word with an honest and good heart bringing fruit to maturity. Matthew 13:1-23: Mark 4:1-29; Luke 8:4-18

This honest and good heart accepts the teachings of Jesus and seeks to live accordingly. Not making excuses and ignoring God's teachings.

How do we know if we have faith? Hebrews 11:1

Faith is always now.
Faith speaks and acts.
Faith is assured and confident.

Fear is counter to faith. Fear unchallenged courrupts faith.

Our faith falters if we don't have our eyes on Jesus in the midst of disappointment. Some say God is in control. And when disappointment comes they think it is God's will. God chooses not to control everything. Why? He lets man rule and gave man this authority in Genesis and also at the end of Jesus' ministry He again told us to go because all authority was given to Him. We are His ambassadors. 2 Cor 5:20  We are his ministers. Ps 110:1-4 Jesus is to rule, and we are given this authority in the name of Jesus. We rule under the authority of Jesus. As ambassadors we have authority. If we get out from under God's will we cease to represent Christ.

In a vacuum with no Christian operating in faith Satan takes default control. It is our job to cast out Satan and take back what he stole. Yet it is not with war or with government. Jesus said His kingdom was not of this world. Our war is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces Eph 6.

God provides the answer for us. Will we avail ourselves to take it? Or will we go to God and ask Him to do for us what He has asked us to do.

It would be like a builder that hooked up the house to the electric power. Then the owner decides to have a group over at his house. He calls the power company to come over and turn on the lights. The power company will not come over to do that. That is in our ability to do. It is the same with God. Many are asking God to do things that God has told us to do. We can act as God's representative by faith. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Phil 4:13 

God acted at Calvary. Now its our turn. Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to us.

It's our turn now. 

Prayer is thought of as; going to God and asking for things from Him. And yes it is true that we should go to God in prayer. God moves when we move. James says approach God and He will come to us. God has given grace to us. Faith is responding to the grace He has given.

God sent His son Jesus to bridge a way to God. That  has been done. It is now our turn to approach God.

God has given us grace. Titus 2:11,12 It is now our job to live sensibly, righteously and godly today.

As we lead a holy dedicated life, not to get God to act but to open our ears. Our ears can hear as we reject what the world offers. And we turn to God for His life in our hearts we can then hear. But if the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and worries of many things take precedence

 , we then can't hear with our spiritual ears.

Western church puts emphasis on understanding. But to learn and to know is to act. Eph 4:15; James 1:22. It is the going that brings the learning. God and learn what this means. Matthew 9:13

Love is nothing if it is not expressed, shown, demonstrated. Faith works through love. Galatians 5:6