Believe and Speak

Isaiah 51:16 “I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, Your are My people.”

Exodus 33:22 “and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.”

Isaiah 49:2 “He has made My mouth like a sharp sword, In the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me; And He has also made Me a select arrow.”

Some may say this is speaking of Jesus, it is not applicable to us. John 20:21 “... as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”  It is God's purpose for us to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.  Jesus  is the first born from the dead. Col 1:18 We also can live as Jesus leads us from His example  because, we are new creatures in Christ. 2 Cor 5:17

We can walk in the same anointing as Jesus had. It was after Jesus was baptised in water that the Holy Spirit came on Him. Matt 3:16 It was after the temptations in the wilderness that Jesus ministered in the Holy Spirit and power. Luke 4:14

Our baptism in the Holy Spirit allows the power of God in our ministry as we believe. Each trial brings us to perfection as we set our mind on the Spirit and not the flesh. James 1:2-4

Freely Give

Romans 8:21
“that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”

When Christians walk in freedom they walk in God's glory. Walking in God's glory is walking in God's power. Living in God's glory and power will give us victory over the problems that we face. The earth itself can be changed by faith. John 14:12; various Scriptures of Jesus having power over this world.

Always remember that having power without the willingness to live through the suffering (Romans 8:17) of the gospel negate faith and express selfishness. We can't live in the power of God and live in selfishness at the same time. (Also unforgiveness Mark 11:25; Pride Habakkuk 2:4 John 5:44)

The freedom that comes from Jesus will give us the power to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. When we learn to freely receive from Christ we can freely give. Matthew 10:8

Romans 5:1-5 teaches that God's grace comes by our accepting it by faith. Faith accepts God's grace and also looks to Christ instead of the flesh when trials come. We rejoice in Christ in the trial Romans 5:3 not because of the trial but because of the confidence that we have in Christ. There is victory in life. We don't fear an evil report, because  of our trust in God. Psalm 112:7 Trials just bring us into more glory and victory.

Our hope will not disappoint because the love of God brings us victory. Romans 5:5; Rom 8:39; Love brings the ultimate victory. Jesus overcame the world by His love expressed on the cross. The baton has been passed to us and we overcome the world by living in the spirit and not the flesh. Romans 8:5-13. We live in the Spirit Rom 8:13 and bring this life, John 6:63 taught in the Scriptures and experienced by having a relationship with Christ. And the relationship with Christ is expressed by loving others with faith in practical ways.

Understanding Scripture is not just mental assent. Our minds need to be renewed with the Scriptures so that when we go through trials of life we respond from our hope in Christ and the promises from the Scriptures instead of our minds and natural selfish defense or desires. Trials are a test of faith. How we respond shows if we are passing the test (2 Cor 13:5) or not. If I am not passing the test, I continue to renew my mind in Jesus. Romans 12:1,2.

If I am passing the test, I should continue to renew my mind as I meditate on Scripture. Psalm 1:2,3; Joshua 1:8; John 15:7

Freedom comes from knowing the truth. John 8:31,32. But again knowledge of Scripture is not mental assent but is spiritual knowledge which is expressed by works. If we don't use spiritual knowledge we really don't know what we think we know. James 1:22 We come to know by hearing and doing not just by hearing. Faith without works is dead. James 2:17 The way to learn spiritual knowledge is to hear and believe and apply what we believe with love towards others. Sunday morning church often times does not provide this outlet for learning. After the morning teaching the word they heard is plucked out of their heart Matthew 13:19; Mark 4:15; Luke 8:5  (notice I did not say out of their mind) and becomes just a vague memory or for the diligent a point of arrogance. 1 Cor 8:1.

Let us not be sluggish or arrogant, but instead let us respond to Christ and His teachings in love for others. Freely you have received, freely give.

Hebrews 6:11, 12 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end,so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

How I pray to Get Answers

I like this tree because it's looking for the light.

1 Review your position in Christ. Eph 1:3,18; 2 Corinthians 5:17 Listen to God for His direction. John 10:27

2 Give your day to the Lord denying your fleshly desires. Romans 12:1,2; Matthew 11:28-30

3 Live in the joy of relationship with the Father. John 15:5; John 16:22

4 Base your prayers on God's promises. 2 Cor 1:20
Find the will of God in the matter. Answered prayer is promised for the will of God and our submission to Jesus with the cross of Christ. Rom 12:1,2; 1 John 3:22; John 15:7; 1 John 5:14,15

5  Confess what God has shown you is His will, even before you see it. Hebrews 10:23

6 Believe you receive the answer when you pray. Mark 11:23,24; 1 John 3:22; 1 John 5:14,15

7 See the answer coming to you. Your vision in the Spirit is reliant on your relationship with God and your commitment to Christ with self denial. Deut 2:24

See yourself through the Word as a success not a failure. Romans 13:14; Matthew 6:22; Deut. 28:13

8 Hold fast to your confession and stand on the word of God. Eph 6:13, Hebrews 10:23

9 Reject doubt 2 Cor 10:3-5
speculations
strongholds
Fight off the opposition in faith and the word. 1 Timothy 1:12; Romans 5:17

10 Live in love. Faith works through love. Gal 5:6; 1 John 4:12 Let all you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 6:14
If you don't have love, stop and renew your love for God and others. 1 Peter 1:22

11 Sow to your future. Give out from your need. Luke 6:38; Acts 20:35
Don't give your time and money mindlessly. Give them in faith that God is working with you.

12 Act on your prayers of faith. If there is never any action there is no faith. Faithless prayers are religious.  James 2:17

13 Rejoice in God through all these steps. Especially if you don't see the answer.  Neh. 8:10; Psalm 100; Psalm 150:6; Psalm 34:1f
Use worship as a way to see your answer coming.
Don't neglect to worship God for your relationship.

14 Return to God and listen for His direction.

The short version to this is: PRAY AND GO. Pray and get direction from God. Then go and obey. Then return for analysis, prayer and adjustment. Then go again. Repeat.

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

Steps of Faith

 A promise from God must be:
heard, received, seen, believed and acted upon.

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Romans 10:17

Faith then receives the promises and takes it for use in life. John 1:12

Faith in a promise believes in it as useful and active for today. Romans 8:25

Faith sees the promise and looks to the results of the promise. Hebrews 12:1,2

Faith acts on the promise. James 2:17

Fight the Fight of Faith

Fight the fight of faith!

1 Timothy 6:12 “ Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

To fight in faith is to believe the promises of the Bible and not your doubt. Reject doubt and believe the promises God has promised you. The way I do this is explained in 2 Cor 10:3-5

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,”

Speculations, lofty things against God's knowledge, thoughts against the Bible promises.

So instead of letting the above objections to the promises, God has promised you, rule your mind. Let the word of God richly dwell in you. Colossians 3:16. Think on the good news of the gospel Philippians 4:8. Say to your mind, no this doubt is wrong I believe what God has promised me.

Pray with supplication and thanksgiving, over your doubt Philippians 4:6, receive the peace flowing from this prayer, Philippians 4:7. Continue to guard your heart and mind. Philippians 4:8 and follow the example of those who have shown you the victory of faith in Christ Philippians 4:9

Tell others what Jesus is doing for you. 1 Tim 6:12; Rev 12:11

How Long?

Psalm 13 How long? How Long? How long? How long?
How long, O Lord?
Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide Your face from me?

How long shall I take counsel in my soul?
Having sorrow in my heart all the day.

How long will my enemies be exaulted over me?

4 how longs. This is a psalm of David and he expresses exasperation of a lack of an answer to prayer.

Forgot me forever - No answer and the sky seems like brass. His prayers are to nothing no answer no consolation.

Without an answer there does not seem to be a God up there. God hides his face.
When David asks God hides. Why?

Take counsel in my soul. To consider why this trial has come. All the day. The pain beings up the problem David is not able to forget.

How long will his enemy be exaulted over him? David does not have the answer. He is wondering why not. He is oppressed by the enemy.

B U T

This new word will do a wonderful work in our heart. The complaint should not end, with a complaint.
But
1. I have trustred.
But
2. My heart shall rejoice.
But
I will sing.
Why this turn of events?
David is a man after God's own heart. 1 Sam 13:14 Acts 13:22 And what does God's heart delight in? He delights in faith. Faith to obey. Faith to trust.
Hebrews 11:6

David trusts in God's lovingkindness.
David's heart shall rejoice in God's salvation.
He expresses his trust and heart rejoicing with singing.

And why does David respond to the seemingly forgetfulness of God. The removal of God's presence from him. The enemies exaulting over him.

David confesses that God has dealt bountifully with him in the midst of God seemingly to forget him. David sings to God in the face of God seemingly being far from him. David rejoices in the midst of his enemies being exaulted over him.

Why because David believes God. He expresses his belief in the midst of turmoil and trial and seemingly defeat by rejoicing, singing and trusting. He confesses that God has delt bountifuly with him. Not a woe is me but God will come through. BUT He trusts and rejoices in God in the very midst of trial, forgetfulness and opression.

He expresses faith in the midst of adversity by trusting singing rejoicing and confessing God's provision.

This is how we stand in the midst of trial explained in Eph 6:11 2 Cor 10:3-5

Stand against the schemes of the devil.
How by trusting, rejoicing, singing and stating God's provision.

And what is God's provision? The promises in the Bible. 2 Peter 1; 2 Cor 1:20

For in Him we live and move and have our being. It's not we live when things are going our way. It's we live becasue we have Jesus. It doesn't make any difference what Satan throws at us. We live when we have Jesus.

Psalm 13

How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
² How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

³ Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
⁴ And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.

⁵ But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
⁶ I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Believe, then You Can See

Proverbs 4:21 Let not God's word depart from your sight.

Now this is interesting. If it was up to me I would write let not God's word depart from your thoughts. But it wasn't written that way. It says let God's word not depart from your sight. What's the difference? Well we are not just to think of what it says but to see the results of what it says. Or envision the results of what it says.

Matt 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Yet if you look with your eyes in many cases there is no indication that God is moving in power in your life. But if we unite Proverbs 4:21  With Matt 5:3 we have a man that is poor in spirit with the kingdom of God.

He needs the kingdom of God. But is not experiencing anything at present in the physical. But if he cries out to God and believes in God, (by the way he has no choice but to believe in God, because he is poor), it will be granted to him. Mark 11:24

There is an old saying that says seeing is believing. Well that is backwards. It is the believing that alows us to see. If we keep our eyes on the Word of God and the promises instead of our problem we will see the answer to our problem in the spirit and then in the physical.

Or we can be like Shadrack, Meschack and Abendego, who said if God does not come through we will still obey God. To be poor in spirit is to live for Jesus no matter what the cost. Not because we don't care but because we are looking to Jesus and not to ourselves. To truly be poor means there is no choice but to trust God.

Look to the word and Jesus is the word. Look to what He said and take Him at His word. Trust Him to keep His word. Believe Him that He is worthy to be trusted. If we live we are the Lords and if we die we are the Lords. Romans 14:8 If you are poor you have nothing to lose.

We can't live for Jesus if we are not poor. I'm not saying you can't live for Jesus if you have money. I am saying we live for Jesus when our ability is nothing and we rely on Jesus and His word. And we have nothing to lose. Walk with our eyes on the Word of God and not our ability. If we have something we can look to ourself. But if we have nothing we can only look to Jesus.

Is Jesus a man of His word? Most woud say yes but act as if He wasn't. You got to be real if you want to get anywhere.

Law of Faith

Romans 3:27

"Where then is boasting? It is excluded By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith."


Law is a rule, constant, procedure, durable, permanence, perpetual, it repeats, and is unchangeable. A law can be tested and found true each time.


I heard a sermon that mentioned the law of faith. A law is not something which happens sometimes and sometimes it doesn't. A law happens every time.
I am looking into this idea of laws of faith and will post probably 4 times a week.

Faith

We hear God mainly from the Bible as brought to our spirits by the Holy Spirit.

Hope then springs up within our hearts because of these promises.

Then with prayer and fasting we act, believing God will support our actions. I call this, stepping out in faith.

Fellowship with other believers encourages us to continue in good works. Encouragement by others also keeps us trusting God when trials come.

Prayer is where the battle is before we act. Prayer allows us to hear God and to lay the highway to walk by faith. The mountains and hills are broken down. Mountains and hills are a type for the opposition in the spirit. These are referred to in: Isaiah 42:14-16; Psalm 72:3; Mark 11:23

Rev 2 and Rev 3 talk of our overcoming by obedience.
Rev 12:11 overcome by the blood, testimony and love.
1 John 5 overcome the world by our faith.
Zach 4:6 not by might, power but by the Holy Spirit.

Faith in Action

Faith works for what is foolish in the natural.
Faith has a vision for the future.
Faith prays for the future.
Faith dreams about the future.
Faith rests in what God has promised.
Faith is assured
Faith is motivated by what can't be seen.
Faith loves.
Faith serves God by loving others.
Faith grows when either good or bad happen!
Faith prepares for the unlikely or impossible future.

Walk by Faith

I was thinking about 2 Cor 5:7
"For we walk by faith no by sight."

As I read this verse I wanted to paraphrase it to put into practice.

Hope springs for the promises in the Bible. Hebrews 11:1 and 2 Peter 1:4

For we live our daily life by hope
that springs from the Word God reveals to us.

We don't live by taste, feel, sight,
hearing or touching. We don't live by what we
have experienced in the past. We don't live by
what others have said, experienced or believe.
We don't live by the general consensus of
society.

We live by the direction of the Holy
Spirit.

Trial of Faith

This is my notes from an article by Seth Rees in Herald of His Coming February 2010

God builds strong character for service. 1 Peter 1:7

Paul went thru many trials continually 1 Cor 4:11,13 and relied on weakness for power 2 Cor 12:9. To be a soldier for Christ is to accept the rugged way. 2 Tim 2:3,4

1. Hardship reveals our true character.

2. Trials reveal God's resources.
WE can't do it ourself, we need God.

3. Trials push us towards trust.
There is no faith if there is no need.

4. Trials send us to prayer.
God is our source not ourselves.

5. Trials give ruse to patience
We complain and fail or have patience and succeed.

6. Trails allow courage to be expressed.
WE face the trial and give advice to others from our experience.

7. Trials put to death the world
We either choose God or the world during trials.

8. It is during trials that we look for Jesus to come.
It is not easy. When we are looking for Jesus we are being purified.

9. Crown given to those who go thru trials James 1:12

Isaiah 30:15 # 3 Rest - The Rest of Faith

Isaiah 30:15
“For thus the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said,
'In repentance and rest you will be saved,
In quietness and trust is your strength.'
But you were not willing.”

Rest – The rest of faith

When we turn to God and have faith in Him we don't have to worry. We don't have to work for the promise of God. We can rest because the work has already been done. Jesus paid it all on the cross. When we hear from God there is an assurance of the answer. We do not have to work anymore. We don't have to worry if we are good enough. We can rest in the promise of Jesus. Our work is done. The work of a disciple of Jesus is to trust in the finished work of the cross. The work of a Christian is to believe in Jesus. One of my favorite verses in the Bible and it has become a verse that is becoming a defining verse for me is John 6:21 When Jesus got in the boat the boat was immediately at the other side.

Ex 13:14 “My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.
As we follow Jesus we have the fellowship with God. We talk with Him and He talks to us. When we have His presence we have rest. Psalm 91 talks about abiding in the shelter of the most High we will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. When we are in His shadow He is right there with us.

Psalm 116:7 “Return to your rest O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
A person of God will return to God after the work of the day is tiring.

Psalm 55:6 “ O that I had wings like a dove; I would fly away and be at rest.
We can to God at any time. We do have wings so to speak because as we go to God in prayer we are in His presence in the spirit. To be with God and to know that He hears our prayers will give us rest.

Matthew 11:29 “Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.
Again it is coming to God that brings rest. He will give us rest. But it is not the way we might expect. He says He offers a yoke that we should take upon us. As we yoke up with Jesus we are free from the worlds ways. The Bible says we are either a slave of sin or a slave of righteousness. To choose to work for Jesus liberates us from following the ways of the world.

Jeremiah 6:16 “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths where the good way is and walk in it and you will find rest for you souls, but they said we will not walk in it.
Man is always looking for something new. But there really is nothing new under the sun. there is the way of sin and the way of righteousness. The old ways of trusting God and not man. The narrow way is not followed by many. But as we build our life on the instrustions of God we are assured of going according to life and not death.

Hebrews 4:3 For we who have believed enter that rest.
You can't believe and worry at the same time. So to believe is to rest in what God has promised. The Israelites did not believe God would provide

Psalm 23:1,2 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
God is our shepherd and will provide our needs. But if we don't accept His guide to rest He will make us rest. This is why time with God is important. To our health. It also is important for effectiveness in service. We are representatives of God and without input from Him we don't represent anything we are just religious.


It was after this travel that Elijah was quiet and recognized God from a gentle breeze.