|
Friday, October 25 2013
Introduction Last week we looked at how to write our ticket with God and emphasised the four steps that we need to follow in order to avail ourselves of the opportunity of writing our tickets with God, these four steps will also be emphasised today as we progress through the study. What is a ticket: piece of paper or card that gives the holder a certain right, especially to enter a place, travel by public transport, or participate in an event. A ticket may be valid or invalid. Synonyms: pass, warrant, authorization, licence, permit (online dictionary) 25 "And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28 For she said, If I May Touch But His Clothes, I Shall Be Whole. 29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? 31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. 33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. 34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. "
Four Steps To Receiving Your Answer From God 1. Say it. Matt 18:19, It is written. ..” (Matt. 4:4). Never Speak Defeat. A closed mouth is a closed destiny. 2. Do It : Arise and work the works that needs to be worked. In last week’s lesson, after David responded to Goliaths words, he ran towards him, 3. Receive It: Saying and Doing Comes Before Feeling and Healing, receive it even though you can't feel or see it.
4. Tell It: Testify to the workings of God, not to brag but to give glory.
Jesus has given everyone of us, a signed check, saying, “Fill it in.” He gave us a signed blank check on the resources of heaven. Any believer anywhere can write a ticket of victory over the flesh, the world, and the devil, for finances, children, spouses, jobs, promotions etc.
One minister wrote me after I had appeared on “The 700 Club” television program. He was always taught to believe that if God wants to do it, He does it. He has the authority—He has the power—just leave it up to God. There was sickness in this himself, sickness and disease in his family. He’d had no victory in his life for years. “I’m beginning to see,” he said, “that it is up to us to do something about some of these situations which exist— that he has authorized us to do it.” (K. Hagin)
The bar of expectations, even within the church, has been lowered in regards to healing, finances and other areas of live. Unless you’re willing to stand and fight the fight of faith, you will be overcome by this world. If you don’t stir yourself up, you will settle to the bottom. The world isn’t going to encourage you toward God’s best, and most Christians wont either. The Word teaches us that He has given us all things to enjoy [1Tm:6:17]
Examples of People who dared to write their tickets Jacob – Genesis 28.20 Hannah – 1 Samuel 1 Hezekiah – 2 Kings 20 Jabez – “Now Jabez was more onourable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, ‘Because I bore him in pain.’ And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, ‘Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain.’ So God granted him what he requested” (1 Chronicles 4:9-10).
You must be earnest, zealous, sincere, and determined. (James 5:16). You must be humble “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter5:6-7). God knows all your alternatives.
Jabez requested a personal blessing, asked God to enlarge his borders (material prosperity), protection and guidance, God’s preservation and deliverance. (Ps 91, 119:31, Mat 7:7-8) God is the source of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17).
Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us….....
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
To write valid tickets we must gain firsthand understanding of the power of his love, we are changed from the inside. God’s love heals, restores, soothes, refreshes, and repairs those cracks we all have inside, and we become whole individuals.
Conclusion “Let us lay aside every weight that holds us back, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us…. forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,…. PRESSING toward the mark for the PRIZE of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus…Let as many as be MATURE, be thus minded. [Hebrews 12:1, Philippians 3:13-15 When you live by the word, the word will work for you. Don’t be content with a life that lacks power, elegance, beauty, and richness of life; to be content with less than God has ordained for you is short changing your destiny and the destiny of people God has purposed you to raise. Contributor: Esther Alajiki
Friday, October 25 2013
INTRODUCTION: Last week, we continued in our journey into effective faith walk with God by carefully looking at the key areas where we must confess before we possess our desires. Areas such as Salvation, Receiving the Holy Spirit and Healing were looked at in detail. In addition, the teacher also highlighted and discussed in detail, the steps that make our confessions effective. I trust that we have been practising these steps and enjoying the full benefits of positive and godly confession as we are enjoined in Hebrews 5:14. As we continue this week in this journey of faith, we will be looking at the account of an encounter of Pastor Kenneth Hagin with the Lord Jesus Christ, at his request for an exposition on the story of the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5. Pastor Hagin reported that the Lord Jesus Christ emphasised that "if anyone, anywhere, will take these four-steps or put these principles (to receiving answers from God) into operation, that person will always receive whatever he wants from God, the Father". It is therefore imperative that we pay rapt attention to this study, as I believe that we all desire (always) to receive our petitions from God, the Father. Four Steps to Receiving Your Answer from God These four steps can be used to receive anything God promises ranging from salvation, to healing, to baptism of the Holy Ghost, or to receive victory, finances, or any other answer to any petition, from God. However, depending on some area of faith (e.g. finance), you may need to develop your faith in accordance to the level of your need. Thus, it may take some time for you to receive answer in this case. It is definitely certain that even in this area (or any area at all); these steps will produce results if these bible principles are put into practice. Therefore, whether these principles are put into operation immediately or practised over time, you can have whatever you say from God's word. These steps are simple as is customary of Jesus' way of illustrating and communicating truths in the scriptures. Step 1: Say It! [Mark 5:28] The first step that the woman with the issue of blood took in order to receive from Jesus was; "For she said, if I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole." She said what she desired and this was in line with God's will. There's a “God ward” side and a “Man ward” side to winning every battle, every victory, and receiving anything from God. You have a part to play and there's always something that you must do. If there's failure, it has to be on our part. This woman knew about healing power of Jesus and she decided to do something about it. Jesus said to Kenneth Hagin during this encounter that "Step number one is to say it!" Positive or negative confession is up to the individual. Proverbs 6:2. Never speak defeat. Never talk failure. Instead, talk about your lovely Heavenly Father and what He can do, and your faith will grow in leaps and bounds. Step 2: Do It! [Mark 5:28] Saying it alone and not acting on it would not have done this woman any good. Jesus Christ told Kenneth Hagin in the vision that "Your actions defeat you or they put you over. According to your action, you receive or you are kept from receiving what you want from God." This woman acted upon what she said - She touched Jesus' clothes! Step 3: Receive It! [Mark 5:29] "And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague". After the woman touched Jesus' clothes in faith, she felt that she was healed in her body; Jesus in turn asked "....Who touched my clothes?" because he knew that virtue had gone out of Him. First, the woman said it. The she showed faith in action by going forward and reaching out for Jesus' clothes in order to receive her healing. Finally, she received her healing and felt it in her body that she's been healed of the plague. Saying and doing comes before feeling and healing. Most people want the feeling and receiving first before the saying and doing. It doesn't work that way in God's kingdom. It was only after the woman with the issue of blood said and did, that Jesus said that the power had gone out of Him. There is a power at work in this earth which is far greater than the power of an atomic bomb. It is the power of God, the anointing which destroys every yoke. If all sick people knew of this power, they could be healed of every disease. Step 4: Tell It! [Mark 5:33] "But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth." Jesus said to tell it so that others might receive it. You have to say some things in faith before you ever receive them from God. Many times, people say the wrong things because they believe the wrong things. Wrong thinking produces wrong believing and wrong believing produces wrong speaking. When people start believing the right thing and saying the right thing, they'll have the right thing in life. The Lord also told Kenneth Hagin that people can receive the Holy Spirit by following these four principles. Any believer anywhere can write their own ticket of victory over the flesh, the world and the devil through following these four principles also. If believers don't do something about their situation themselves (write their own ticket), it would be a waste of their time praying for Jesus Christ to give them the victory. Old Testament Example of the Four Steps of Faith A very good and applicable example of the four principles of faith can be found in the very famous story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:30-54. The first thing David did was "And David Said...." (vs.32). He said that he would fight and prevail against the uncircumcised Philistine, Goliath. David knew he could have what he said. He also knew he could write his own ticket with God. The reason God hasn't done any more for you is because you haven't said any more. All you have today is the result of what you said yesterday! Next, David went out with his shepherd's sling and crook, or staff. Notice also that Goliath talked. David let him talk. You can't stop the devil from talking, but when he gets through, you must have something to say. You must nullify his negative talk with your own talk of faith! Jesus didn't stop the devil from talking when He was being tempted in the wilderness. But when the devil got through, He sure had something to say. "....It is written...." (Matt.4:4). Summary/ Conclusion: It's strange when it comes to natural things; people know exactly what to do. For example, if you're going to sell your car, you know exactly how much you are going to sell it for and where. You also know how to go about getting a job if you need one. But when it comes to spiritual things, people hardly know what to do. You need to know that you can write your own ticket with God. Whether you know it or not, that is what you have been doing. This is the reason why people are where they are now. God will do everything you trust and believe Him to do for you (Mark 11:24). You must begin to write your own ticket with God, starting right now! Contributor: Leye Olayiwola Friday, October 25 2013
Introduction: Last week, we saw the potency of our words as Christians, either to kill or give life (“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it shall eat its fruit.” – Proverbs 18:21) and that just believing God’s words isn’t enough to activate our faith, we must go on to confessing what we believe for it to work (Mark 11:23). I found the below statement by Price insightful: The Word for “confession” is “homologeo”, meaning “to agree with” or “say the same thing that God says. When you say what God says, you can change the circumstances of your life with His Word. You are no denying the circumstances; rather you are confessing what God says about the situation and since God cannot lie, His Word shall come to pass. In short, a Christian is breaking the influence of Satan over his/her life and forcing him to acknowledge the Believer’s authority and victory over him. A true confession of faith always agrees with the Word of God – learn to talk God talk. We also saw the place of confession for salvation and receiving the Holy Spirit. Today, by the help of the Holy Spirit, we will address the root cause of negative confessions among Christians.
Example of key areas where believers must confess before they possess
Steps that make a believer’s confession effective As we have already stated, confession is the expression of what one believes since human beings are constantly affirming something. Sometimes the affirmations are disastrous. In other words, the effects of such words have the power to defeat the person. For example, if someone continually says s/he can't do something because s/he doesn't have the strength, the person will begin to feel her/his strength actually diminishing. Therefore s/he is left weak and full of indecision and doubt. The person’s efficiency is gone!
Step 1: Thank God for the answer PHILIPPIANS 4:6, 7 “6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by PRAYER and SUPPLICATION WITH THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known unto God.7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” The thanksgiving comes after the asking. Once you have asked God for something, believe and confess that you have it by faith. Therefore, thank the Father for the answer. You do not need to worry or fret any longer because you have the answer.
Step 2: Take actions that correspond with your faith/confession Faith acts! When a believer is in faith, there will always be some actions s/he can take to demonstrate her/his faith. That may be simply confessing with your mouth, "Thank You, Father. I believe I have received my petition now when I pray" (Mark 11:24). But faith always has corresponding actions. JAMES 2:14-22 (Note the word “brethren” in this passage) It is crucial to understand that “Confession Plus Wrong Actions Equals Faith Failures”. Believers’ actions must correspond with their believing if they are going to receive from God. James 1:22 says, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." From MATTHEW 7:24-27, one observes that it is the doers of the Word of God that withstand life's storms. The same storm and wind came upon both of these houses - the one built on rock and the one built on sand. The reason the house built on sand was destroyed is that it wasn't built on the foundation of God's Word. One was destroyed and one wasn't because the wise builder was a doer of the Word and the foolish one wasn't. It isn't the storms of life that defeat us. If the storms of life defeated us, we would all be defeated because the storms of life come to all of us. Some people face the same storms that others face and yet they are not defeated, while others who face the storms are destroyed. Those who are not defeated, act on God's Word. The defeated ones may be thoroughly saved, yet they do not have corresponding actions to go along with their faith. And they have not taken time to build their faith on the solid foundation of God's Word. Corresponding actions could also mean to stop talking doubt and failure because doing so will eventually bring defeat.
Step 3: Don’t be anxious! As believers, we must learn to approach God on His terms - According to His Word. MATTHEW 6:25-34 Give up worrying habits as it hinders faith. God doesn't want us to worry. He wants us to be free from worry. He doesn't want us bound by any kind of a habit. To worry is to disobey the Word. Worry is a much worse habit than the tobacco habit. Tobacco will just half kill a person smoking it but worry can completely kill a person. Worrying is foolish; worrying never accomplishes anything productive. We are supposed to cast all our care upon Him; for He cares for us (1 PETER 5:7)
Conclusion Confession does not mean denying present circumstances but rather it looks beyond the “reality” being wrapped up in the promises of God based on His word. Also one’s actions must be in perfect fellowship with the confession of one’s faith in His Word. We must not allow the cares of life to choke the strength of God in our lives. Let us begin to make confessions in line with God's Word.
What I Confess I Possess I confess Jesus as my Lord. Rom. 10:9-10. I possess salvation. I confess, "By His stripes I am healed" Is. 53:5; I possess healing. I confess "the son has made me free" Jn. 8:36; I possess absolute freedom. I confess "The love of God is shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Ghost" Rom. 5:5; I possess the ability to love everyone. I confess, "The righteous are bold as a lion" Pr.28:1; I possess lion-hearted boldness in spiritual warfare.” I confess, "He will never leave me nor forsake me" Heb. 13:5-6; I possess the presence of God each step I take. I confess, "I am the redeemed of the Lord" Ps. 107:2; I possess redemption benefits every day. I confess, "the anointing of the Holy One abideth in me" 1 Jn. 2: 27; I possess yoke destroying results by this anointing” (Is. 10:27). I confess, "I am a branch of the Living Vine" Jn. 15:5; I possess Vine-life wherever I go. I confess, "I am the righteousness of God in Christ" 2 Cor. 5: 21; I possess the ability to stand freely in God's holy presence, and in Satan's presence as a victor! I confess, "I am a temple of the living God" 2 Cor. 6:16; I possess God dwelling in me, and walking in me! I confess, "My God shall supply all my need" Phil. 4: 19; I possess the supply of every need.
Contributor: Akin Akande Friday, October 25 2013
Introduction The three studies on The God-Kind of faith established the fact that God gave every believer the measure of faith before we can be born again. We also discovered that Faith is fed by feeding on God's Word and your faith will grow by exercising it (acting on the word of God). Simply reading and meditating upon the Word will not build faith. Reading and meditating on the Word will feed your faith and build a capacity for faith, but faith must also be a part of our daily speech. In other words, the Word that you feed on has to be exercised daily. It has to become a part of your daily speech. That word has to become a part of your daily conduct and actions.
We shall be looking into the law of Confession in the next three lessons. It will teach you how the Word of God must be on your lips. The Word of God in your heart and on your lips gives you power over disease, demons, and evil circumstances and causes you to walk in victory in Christ in every area of your life.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue” P.C. Nelson once said, "More people lose their healing over a counterattack than any other thing." I almost lost my own healing that way. After I was healed, people would ask me if my heart was better. I would answer that it wasn't because I didn't always feel good, and my heartbeat was still irregular and beating sporadically. As soon as I would say I didn't feel good, I would begin feeling even worse. One day as I lay on the bed, I began to analyze my situation and to ask myself where I was failing in faith. I realized what I was doing. I was confessing my sickness instead of my health!So I immediately started saying I was well when people asked me how I felt. And that is exactly what came to pass - I was healed! Our lips can make us millionaires or keep us paupers. Our lips can make us victors or keep us captives. The woman with the issue of blood in Mark chapter 5 spoke her faith and her faith made her a victor. Jesus told the woman with the issue of blood that it was her faith spoken out of her lips that had made her whole (Mark 5:34). Your lips can keep you sick. You can fill your words with faith or you can fill your words with love that will melt the coldest heart. You can fill your words with love that will help the discouraged and brokenhearted. You can fill your words with faith that will stir heaven. Or you can fill your words with hatred and poison. You can make your words breathe out the very atmosphere of heaven. But your faith will never register above the words of your lips.
“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall SAY unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall BELIEVE that those things which he SAITH shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he SAITH.”
Just believing the word of God is not enough to activate our faith. We must go on to confessing what we believe for it to work. From the scripture above, the words SAY and SAITH came up three times while the word BELIEVE came up once. We must be ready to do more confessions of what we believe in our heart. Confession in our mouth actually strengthens faith in our hearts to bring about what we believe. Confession in our mouth will eventually kill doubts in our hearts. Many Christians are failing primarily in the saying part and not in the believing part. What I confess, I possess. And that is all I will ever possess.
That if thou shalt CONFESS WITH THY MOUTH the Lord Jesus, and shalt BELIEVE IN THINE HEART that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For WITH THE HEART MAN BELIEVETH unto righteousness; and WITH THE MOUTH CONFESSION IS MADE UNTO salvation. If you want to wait and possess your petition first, and then confess it, you're wrong. You've got the cart before the horse. You'll never get what you desire from God that way. You have to believe the promises in God's Word are true for you, confess them for yourself; then you possess them. That is as true with salvation as it is with all the promises of God. Christianity is called "The Great Confession." The law of that great confession is that I confess I have obtained the promises of God's Word before I consciously possess them in the natural realm. Let us look at a classic example from the life of Kenneth Hagin; That is exactly the way I received healing for my paralyzed body and incurable blood disease. That is exactly the way I received healing for a deformed heart. I saw the truth in God's Word and I confessed that I received my healing before it ever manifested in my body. I confessed I had my healing before I consciously possessed it in the natural realm. When I confessed that my heart was well, I was still in bed and my heart didn't seem any better - it didn't feel healed. Also, the minute I confessed the promises in God's Word regarding healing, the devil challenged me. But, thank God, I had discovered the law of faith, which says, "... I BELIEVED, and therefore have I SPOKEN..." (2 Cor. 4:13). The devil told me that I wasn't healed because I didn't look healed or feel healed. I told him that I was healed because the Bible says I'm healed and because I believe the Bible. I told him that by faith I had my healing; if I was lying, then Jesus Christ also lied in His Word because He said that by His stripes I AM healed!Within ten minutes, I was out of that bed and standing on my feet!The devil had tried to call me a liar, but we know that the Word of God is true. He is the liar and the Father of it.
“That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus… with the mouth confession is made to salvation” With your lips you confess salvation. The confession of the lips for your salvation comes before God acts upon your spirit and recreates it. When you were born again, you had the witness of the Spirit of God in your heart that you had become a child of God; but you didn't have the witness first and then confess it. You confessed your salvation first and then your confession created the reality of it in your heart. Then God acted upon your spirit and recreated it.
A woman came to Kenneth Hagin and said that she wanted him to lay his hands on her and pray for her to receive the Holy Ghost. But then she added that maybe she ought to get saved first because if she had ever been born again, she didn't know it!She also needed healing. She had come for the Holy Ghost but she needed all three - salvation, the Holy Ghost, and healing. I instructed her to pray a prayer after me from her heart: "Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus Christ. You said in Your Word, `... him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out' [John 6:371. You said, `... whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved' [Rom. 10:13]. I am calling upon Your Name. I want You to save me now. You said, `. . . if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved' [Rom. 10:9]. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe that He died for my sins according to the Scriptures. I believe that He is raised from the dead for my justification. With my mouth, I confess Him as my Savior, and I confess now that I am saved." When she finished praying this prayer, she said that something had happened on the inside of her. I told her that by confessing Jesus Christ as her Savior, she had confessed eternal life and eternal life had been given to her. Her spirit had been recreated. You see, she confessed that she had it first; then she received her salvation. Then within a few minutes she also received the Holy Ghost and her healing. She received all three gifts within ten minutes' time.
Conclusion: The confession of the lips for salvation comes before God acts upon our spirits and recreates them. The same law prevails when it comes to receiving the Holy Ghost or anything God promises in His Word. I believe it and confess it first, and then I receive it. Contributor: Alex Alajiki Friday, October 25 2013
The God Kind of faith Part 2
Introduction It is very important for us to understand that our destination is highly dependent on how we exercise our faith. Over the past lessons we have dealt with the topic of faith in different aspects and looked at it from various angles. Let’s take a look further by identifying two kinds of faith. Human Faith – this is a sense-knowledge faith; the kind of faith that operates according to our five sense. A faith that relies on sense knowledge and operates based on the five senses. These are seeing, tasting, hearing, smelling and feeling. 19 Then on that same first day of the week, when it was evening, though the disciples were behind closed doors for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace to you! 20 So saying, He showed them His hands and His side. And when the disciples saw the Lord, they were filled with joy (delight, exultation, ecstasy, rapture). 21 Then Jesus said to them again, Peace to you! [Just] as the Father has sent Me forth, so I am sending you. 22 And having said this, He breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit! 23 [Now having received the Holy Spirit, and being [b]led and directed by Him] if you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained. 24 But Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples kept telling him, We have seen the Lord! But he said to them, unless I see in His hands the marks made by the nails and put my finger into the nail prints, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe [it]. 26 Eight days later His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, though they were behind closed doors, and stood among them and said, Peace to you! 27 Then He said to Thomas, Reach out your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand and place [it] in My side. Do not be faithless and incredulous, but [stop your unbelief and] believe! 28 Thomas answered Him, My Lord and my God! 29 Jesus said to him, Because you have seen Me, Thomas, do you now believe (trust, have faith)? Blessed and happy and [c]to be envied are those who have never seen Me and yet have believed and adhered to and trusted and relied on Me. The outcome of any faith base on the above features will and can only produce the ability of man. The end product will always be a product of man’s natural abilities. Supernatural faith: This is the spiritual or God kind of faith which does not rely on the natural senses to decipher what God is saying. The end products are supernatural miracles. It is absolute and resolute in its process. Matthew 8:5-13 King James Version (KJV) 5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. From the above bible passage we confidently can say that the faith exercised by the centurion soldier was not based on his five senses rather on the super natural ability of God almighty.
Conclusion: Are you one of those who say I wish my faith could be just like that other fellow or I wish my faith could be just like my pastors, or that brother? The question is why do you need another person's kind of faith when you already have God's kind of faith? Which is more superior? It is important we know who we are otherwise we will disregard the power of the faith that God has given us. God has made His faith available onto us Ephesians 2:8-9 Amplified Bible (AMP) 8 For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved ([a]delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God; 9 Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law’s demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.] God gave us His faith so that we can be saved not by our power, not by our works but by His faith alone. God has given us the same precious faith as stated in 2 Peter 1:1-8 Amplified Bible (AMP) Simon Peter, a servant and apostle (special messenger) of Jesus Christ, to those who have received (obtained an equal privilege of) like precious faith with ourselves in and through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: Also in Galatians 2:20 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Finally, we are created by God in Christ Jesus. God created the universe with words filled with His faith and you have that same faith. Just confess what you believe today and see God kind of faith in action! Contributor: Clem Roberts Thursday, August 29 2013
Introduction: In this lesson we will study the God-Kind of faith. This is the same faith that believes and speaks (2Cor. 4: 13). Jesus demonstrated this kind of faith as we will see in our text.
“And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he [Jesus] was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And his disciples heard it....” “And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. And Jesus answering saith unto them, HAVE FAITH IN GOD. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall SAY unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he SAITH shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he SAITH. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” MARK 11:12-14, 20-24
As we read in these passages, the Lord said: “have faith in God”. Greek Scholars tell us this verse actually says, “Have the God-kind of faith”. What the Lord said as regards the cursing of the fig tree came to pass- it withered away. In verses 23 and 24, Jesus defines and describes for us the God-kind of faith He spoke about in verse 22. The God-kind of faith is the kind of faith whereby a man believes in his heart and says with his mouth what he believes in his heart, and it comes to pass. Jesus demonstrated that He had that kind of faith, for He believed that what He said would come to pass. He said to the tree, ". . . No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever" (Mark 11:14). That is the same kind of faith that spoke this world into existence.
HEBREWS 11:3 - “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” How did God make the world? God believed that what He said would come to pass. He said, ". . . Let there be light . . ." (Gen. 1:3), and light became. God spoke into existence the vegetable kingdom (Gen. 1:11, 12). He spoke into existence the animal kingdom (Gen. 1:20-25). God spoke into existence the heavens as well as the earth; He spoke into existence the moon, the sun, the stars, and the universe (Gen. 1:1, 8, 9, 14-18). God just said it, and it was so, because He believed it would be so. That's the God-kind of faith. God believed what He said would come to pass and it did. Jesus demonstrated He had that kind of faith, and then He said to the disciples that they had that same kind of faith too.
· DON'T PRAY FOR FAITH - EXERCISE THE FAITH YOU ALREADY HAVE. Someone said, "I want that kind of faith. I'm praying that God will give me that kind of faith." Well, you're wasting your time praying if you're praying for faith, because faith doesn't come by praying. In fact, if you are a believer, you already have that kind of faith. Every believer has a measure of the God-kind of faith (Rom. 12:3). The believer must now exercise the measure of faith he already possesses.
ROMANS 12:3 – “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to EVERY MAN THE MEASURE OF FAITH.”
That is not referring to every person in the world. Every person in the world doesn't have the God-kind of faith. We know this because in writing to the Church in Thessalonica, Paul says, ". . . all men have not faith" (2 Thess. 3:2). So every man in the world does not have this faith. But every believer does! Romans 12:3 says, "... to every man THAT IS AMONG YOU. . . ." That is not talking about every man in the world, but about believers. Paul did not write this letter to sinners in the world. He addressed this letter, the Book of Romans, "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be SAINTS..." (Rom. 1:7). Paul said, "... I say ... to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith" (Rom. 12:3). Every believer - every child of God, every Christian does have a measure of the God-kind of faith. Let me prove this to you further.
· FAITH IS A GIFT OF GOD. EPHESIANS 2:8 - “For by grace are ye saved through FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is THE GIFT OF GOD” The faith by which you are saved is not of yourself. Paul is not talking about grace because everyone knows that grace is not of yourself. Paul is saying that the faith by which you are saved is not of yourselves. In other words, it is not a natural human faith. It is a faith given to the sinners by God. Well, how did God give the sinner faith to be saved? Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Then notice these expressions, "So then faith cometh" and "according as God hath dealt" (Rom. 10:17; 12:3). And notice again Ephesians 2:8: ". . . ye [are] saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." Paul says that this faith to be saved is given; it's dealt; it cometh. It cometh by hearing the Gospel preached.
ROMANS 10:8 – “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the WORD OF FAITH, which we PREACH.”
This Bible, this message of God, is called the word of faith. Why is it called the word of faith? Because the Bible contains words that are spirit and life (John 6:63) which cause faith to come into even the heart of the unsaved. The Word of God causes the same kind of faith to be dealt to our hearts that God used to speak the universe into existence. Faith is given or imparted to us through the Word. Hearing the Word brings faith. Read Romans 10:8 again, "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart...." Notice that this verse agrees exactly with what Jesus said in Mark 11:23: "... whosoever shall say ... and shall not doubt in his heart...." Do you see the idea of believing with the heart and saying with your mouth what you believe in your heart? Jesus believed it and He said it. God believed it and He said it. The earth came into existence. God gives faith to the sinner to be saved ROMANS 10:9, 10
“That if thou shalt CONFESS WITH THY MOUTH the Lord Jesus, and shalt BELIEVE IN THINE HEART that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For WITH THE HEART MAN BELIEVETH unto righteousness; and WITH THE MOUTH CONFESSION IS MADE UNTO salvation.”
We can see that a measure of faith is dealt to the sinner through hearing the Word. Then the sinner uses that faith to be saved. The sinner uses that faith to bring the reality of salvation into his own life. When did God save you? You may say, "Oh, on such and such a day." Well, you're mistaken because God saved you when Jesus died for you and rose from the dead nearly two thousand years ago. It only became a reality to you - in your life - when you believed it and confessed it. Every man and woman in this world has a legal right to salvation because Jesus died for the whole world, not just for you and me. Titus 2: 11. Every person has a right to hear the Gospel because salvation was bought and paid for, for everyone in the world, not just for you and me. When the truth of the Word is preached to the sinner, it causes faith to come. When he believes and confesses the truth - that Jesus is his Lord - he creates the reality of it in his own life by his faith.
ROMANS 10:13, 14, 17 – “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” Verse 17- “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
The same thing is true of anything that you receive from God. The God-kind of faith comes by hearing God's Word. You know, God doesn't have any other kind of faith except the God-kind. That is the only kind He has! This God-kind of faith comes by hearing, and the hearing by the Word of God. In other words, God gives the God-kind of faith, or causes it to come into the hearts of those who hear the Word of God. No wonder Jesus said, "Take heed what you hear" (Mark 4:24). You cannot let the Word go in one ear and out the other because it won't do you any good that way. Faith won't come. But when you accept the Word of God reverently and sincerely, and act upon it, faith comes into your heart.
CONCLUSION: It is important for us to remember always that the God-Kind of faith can be accessed through hearing of the word of God. We dwell majorly on this key word ‘hearing’ in perspective of what the Lord taught the disciples as regards belief and undoubted declaration. May you receive grace not to be dull of hearing in Jesus mighty name.
Important Note: This teaching is the explicit teaching of Kenneth E. Hagin culled from his book “Faith Bible Study Guide”.
Contributor: Martins Olubiyi Thursday, August 15 2013
Introduction “Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.” NLT Our greatest spiritual contest is for Faith, not against the devil; he is already defeated (Col. 2:15), not against sin; Jesus gave us victory by His blood ( Eph. 1:17), not against the world; He overcame the world for us (John 16:33). Faith is what we need to possess or enforce everything that Jesus did for us. Faith is the bridge between the natural and the supernatural life on earth. Heb.11:1-38. “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.” 1 John 5:4 This is the reason why there are enemies or hinderances to faith. We shall summarise the four hindrances that we have studied and conclude with the last two of the six hindrances to faith. 1) Lack of Understanding Regarding the New Creation: 2Corin.2:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” 2) Lack of Understanding of Our Place in Christ: 1 John 5:1 “I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life” 3) Lack of understanding of righteousness: 2Cor.5:21” For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 4) Lack of Understanding Regarding Our Right to Use the Name of Jesus: John 16:23,24 “And in that day you shall ask me nothing. Truly, truly, I say to you, Whatever you shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24Till now have you asked nothing in my name: ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
Now, for today’s stusy, we will go into the last two of the six hindrances. The first we shall consider is: 5) Lack of Understanding About Acting on the Word: Mark 2:11,12 “I say to you, Arise, and take up your bed, and go your way into your house.12And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; so that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion. We should stop trying to make God's Word work and start acting on the Word. The Bible says, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding" (Prov. 3:5). All that is necessary for you to do in any situation is to ask, "What has God said?" or "What does God's Word have to say about this?" If we know that the Word is true and if we act as though it is true, it becomes a reality in our lives.
The Testimony of Dr. Simpson who just acted like the Word is true, and he received his healing. He was dying of a heart condition and was given only about six months to live. He took his Bible and went on a private retreat to study about healing. This is his final decision based on his conviction from studying the word of God; "After searching the Word of God for two weeks, I am convinced the Bible teaches that divine healing is for us today. And I, this day, accept Jesus Christ as my Healer and declare that I am now healed from heart trouble and that I am well. And I promise God to use this new-found strength and life and energy entirely for His purpose and to further the gospel. I promise God I will share this truth of healing with others and will help them."
He was invited to speak in a luncheon and after the luncheon, he was invited to go mountain climbing by the men to whom he had spoken. The thought immediately came to him that he wouldn't be able to because of his heart condition. But then he remembered he had declared his healing, so he accepted the invitation and went. Up to this point, he had not really seen or felt his healing, but had just accepted it and had declared it by faith. All the way up the mountain, every time he got his mind off the Word of God, he would begin to feel the symptoms of his heart condition. But he overcame these feelings because as he claimed the Word again for his healing, all the symptoms would go away. He fought this battle all the way up the mountain. But when he got up the mountain, he walked about victorious without any symptoms! When we act on the word of God, the enemy will want to counter attack as if the word is not true and will not come to pass. We must maintain our ground by focusing on the word . Remember Peter’s encounter with Jesus on the sea (Matt. 14:22-31).
6) Lack of Understanding About Holding Fast to Our Confession of Faith: Heb.10:23 “Let us hold fast the profession(confession) of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)” Our faith keeps pace with our confession. The fiercest battle for faith is at the point of our confession. Rom. 10:10 “ For with the HEART man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth CONFESSION is made unto salvation.” MARK 11:23 “... That whosoever shall SAY unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his HEART, but shall believe that those things which he SAITH shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he SAITH.” Faith is measured by our confession. Our usefulness in the Lord is measured by our confession. Sooner or later, we become what we confess. There is a confession of our hearts and a confession of our lips and when these two harmonise, we become mighty in our prayer life. The reason so many are defeated is that they have a negative confession. They talk of their weaknesses and failures and invariably they go down to the level of their confession. There is a scriptural law from the lips of Jesus in Mark 11:23: ".. . he shall have whatsoever he saith." The scriptural law is this: Our confessions rule us. In other words, you are what you say. We see an example of a confession of faith which resulted in healing in Mark 5:28,34 28 For she SAID, If I may touch but his clothes, I SHALL BE WHOLE.... 34 And he [Jesus] said unto her, "Daughter, THY FAITH hath made thee WHOLE; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
Contributor: Alex Alajiki Thursday, August 08 2013
Introduction A few weeks ago, we considered the first two of the six big hindrances to faith; namely; “Lack of Understanding Regarding the New Creation” and “Lack of Understanding of Our Place in Christ”. We ascertained that faith could be hindered that was why Paul admonished Timothy to “fight the good fight of faith”. We also took a practical step in confessing the word of God over our lives. In this study we shall be considering the next two of the six big hindrances. They are: Lack of Understanding Regarding Our Righteousness and Lack of Understanding Regarding Our Right to Use the Name of Jesus Following from our last study and the two hindrances we will consider today in this study, it is easy to determine that “Understanding” is vital! So we should not be short of it! 1. Lack of understanding of righteousness A lack of understanding of righteousness holds more people in bondage than anything else. When we read a passage of scripture like James 5:16 which says, ". . . The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." We wonder and say; “Oh, my, if I were only righteous - if I could ever get to be righteous - God would hear my prayers.” This is simply a trick of the enemy – keeping us away from the truth, from the awareness that we are no longer sinners but we have been made righteous! In James 5:17 God said Elijah was subject to like passions as we are, and yet God gave Elijah as an example of a righteous man! Elijah had his high moments and his low moments; he was so inconsistent yet God called a person like that righteous? So there is absolutely hope for you and I! Psalm 32:1-2, says: "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity" We see here that God imputed righteousness to those in the Old Testament whose sins had been covered by the blood of bulls and goats. But when we read 2 Corinthians 5:21, the Bible says, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin and that by the new birth we become a righteous new creature. God did not make any unrighteous new creature. We are created by God in Christ Jesus. He made us righteous new creatures in Christ. We are sons and daughters of God and stand before God as though we had never sinned. And so, we can stand in His Presence without any sense of embarrassment, guilt, or condemnation. We don't have to be tongue-tied in the Presence of our Heavenly Father because of fear. We can come into His Presence because we belong there. When we were born again, our sins were remitted because our past life stopped existing. God said that He would not remember our transgressions (Isa. 43:25). Since God doesn't remember them, why should we? So what happens when after being born again we commit sins? 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." When, as believers we sin we feel guilty, and have a sense of unrighteousness. We naturally feel embarrassed and spiritually inferior to come into God's Presence. But God does two things for the believer who may have sinned. First, when the believer confesses his sins, the Lord forgives him. Second, the Bible says that God also cleanses us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 says the believer is cleansed from unrighteousness; therefore, he is made righteous again because the blood of Jesus actually cleanses us from all sin! It is only the guilty that can be justifiably accused and therefore condemned! When we continue to live in condemnation (believing that God is angry with us), it affects our relationship with God and ultimately we are unable to receive from Him. So as long as we steer clear of sin and when we do sin, promptly confess our sins, then He is faithful and just to forgive us and are thus above condemnation! But when we allow the enemy becloud our minds with condemnation, we allow him prevent us from having the understanding that we are the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). He wants to confine us to that vicious cycle. We need to come boldly to the throne of grace because that is where we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. But the Devil locks us in the state of guilt and timidity preventing us from accessing the throne. But with this understanding that we are the righteousness of God in Christ, we can now boldly approach the throne of grace! Read Heb. 4:16, 10:19 and Eph.3:12
2. Lack of Understanding Regarding Our Right to Use the Name of Jesus This lack of understanding can also hold us in bondage and will give us a sense of weakness. But following from the initial study this year about the name of Jesus, we know what that Name will do, so we can take our rightful position of authority over Satan and enjoy victory in every area of our lives! See John 16:23 and 24. “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” This is a major booster of our faith! So we should ask, believe, trust and walk away in thanksgiving knowing that God will answer us and our joy will be full! Remember when Jesus cursed the fig tree in Mark 11:12-25? He walked away knowing that God will bring it to pass. There is something “knowing” does to our faith. It is the bit that conquers our doubts! Jesus at Lazarus’ tomb said to our Father: “I know You hear me always” John 11:42 So with this at the back of our minds, let us read MARK 16:15-18 “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” These signs are for believers. Believers can cast out devils in Jesus' Name. Every believer has authority over demons and evil spirits in the Name of Jesus. Lay hands on the sick and they will recover! It is our right! The Bible says another way to receive healing is to call for the elders of the church (James 5:14, 15). But what if we can't get in contact with the elders? We need to learn to appropriate healing for ourselves, for it legally belongs to us in our redemption. But if we can't appropriate healing for ourselves, then by all means, send for help! Conclusion The less we know of what God says about us, the easier it is for the enemy to manipulate us. It is the same old trick he has applied right from the beginning – with Eve, down through the ages with the people of old until Jesus Christ where he tempted Jesus and failed woefully because Jesus was knowledgeable. Every twisted attempt was thwarted by the word of God. Matt.4:1-10. It is the truth we know that helps our faith and ultimately sets us free.
Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai Tuesday, July 16 2013
Introduction: Over the last weeks, we have been studying on how to turn our faith loose. We saw the important role thinking right, believing right, confessing right and ultimately acting right play in order to achieve this. The word “right” in the preceding sentence refers to the Word of God – the bible as God's Word is Faith Food. This week, we shall begin a series on major hindrances to our faith. By the grace of God, we will consider two of these hindrances today. Proverbs 27:12 says: “A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences”. As the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to these hindrances, may we receive grace to avoid them in Jesus’ name (Amen).
Can Faith be hindered? 1 Timothy 6:12: Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. To fight means to endeavor vigorously to win or to move forward with difficulty, especially by overcoming physical obstacles. Here, Paul was using the language of athletics contest and enjoining Timothy to give his best effort to this most worthwhile of struggles, the struggle to further the faith. Since there is a fight to faith then this suggests that there must be enemies or hindrances to faith. Quite generally, Lack of Faith Comes From Lack of Knowledge of God's Word as Romans10:17 says “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Hindrance Number One: Lack of Understanding Regarding the New Creation Who are we in Christ? 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. This means that we have received a new nature - God's nature (2 Peter 1:4). We are children of God, sons of God, and heirs of God - joint-heirs with Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:17). "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have ETERNAL life." (1 John 5:13).
Hindrance Number Two: Lack of Understanding of Our Place in Christ What is our position in Christ? 1 John 4:4 "... greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." Colossians 1:13, which says, "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." "Who" refers to God, the Father.
Conclusion It is a very good assignment to go through the New Testament and find places where “in Christ”, “in Him”, “in Whom” are written as suggested by Kenneth Hagin. Once found, we should confess, "This is who I am. This is what I have," Below are some lists compiled therefore let us rise up and confess who we are and what we have in Him
Acts 17:28a For in him we live, and move, and have our being;
Romans 8:1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death I Corinthians 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption 4:10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive 2 Corinthians 1:21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ:nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love Ephesians: 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them 3:11-12 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him Phillipians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Colossians 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. 2:6-7 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving 2:9-10 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God 2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began 2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus Philemon 1:6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. I John 4:4 ... greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us
Contributor: Akin Akande Tuesday, July 16 2013
Introduction: For the past three weeks we have been digging deep into the practical aspect of ‘‘How to turn our Faith Loose’’. A quick recap of all we have learnt can be succinctly put in this equation: Right Thinking + Believing + Confessing = Activated Faith.
Wrong/ Right Thinking, Believing, and Confessing Today we will be studying on “Wrong / Right Thinking, Wrong / Right Believing, and Wrong / Right Confession.” Then by the grace of God we will conclude based on what God expects from us as believers.
Romans 10: 10 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteous-ness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
MARK 11:22-24 22 ... Have faith in God [or, Have the God-kind of faith]. 23 For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall SAY unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall BELIEVE that those things which he SAITH shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he SAITH. 24 Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
From the above texts, our discussion have been on right and wrong thinking, right and wrong believing and right and wrong confession. Therefore, we can say as a corollary to the above equation that; If our confession is wrong, it is because our believing is wrong. If our believing is wrong, it is because our thinking is wrong. If our thinking is wrong, it is because our minds have not yet been renewed with the word of God. Now we can see that the role of our thoughts, believe and ultimately our confession on ‘How to Turn Our Faith Loose’ cannot be over emphasised.
Wrong / Right Thinking In Part 2 of our study we were able to established that our thoughts, based on what we feed our minds with are governed by the thing we read, watch, listen to and what we feel ( Senses? you may think- see Nehemiah 8:8 & Heb 5:14). So if we feed our mind with negative words in what we read, watch and listening to, we will be susceptible to wrong thinking. On the other hand if we feed our mind with right and edifying words from the scripture reading, Christian Publications, Audio messages, e.t.c. invariably our thought life will be right in accordance with the will of God. Phil 4:8 admonishes us on what we should think about. The responsibility of guiding our heart with all diligence lies with us. (Prov. 4: 23). You are what you think. (Prov. 23: 7). These injunctions are possible if we yield to His words. God's thoughts are different from man's thoughts. God says, "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isa. 55:9). Sometimes you can say some things that the Bible says are true, and in your natural mind, it doesn't sound reasonable. But that is because your mind hasn't been renewed with the Word of God. Rom 12: 2.
Wrong / Right Beliefs: It is good we read our text again for emphasis on what we believe and what to do with our belief MARK 11:22-24 (emphasis are mine). 22 ... Have faith in God [or, Have the God-kind of faith]. 23 For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24 Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. The belief we are concerned about is on the Word of God. In other words, what God says about us, what He says about our situations- our past, present and our future. This is not about our feelings or what folks say about us. We should be careful not to drift into the realm of the flesh (senses; see, hear or feel) but rather we are to consciously ‘tame’ them meditatively via the words of God.
Wrong/ Positive Confession Wrong confession, of course, is a confession of defeat, of failure, and of the supremacy of Satan. Speaking about how the devil is affecting your progress, oppressing your family, holding your finances, academic, marital fruitfulness business, health and ministries in bondage is a confession of defeat. These kinds of confessions simply glorify the devil. These are wrong confessions. We have established it that Confession is proclaiming a truth that we've accepted wholeheartedly or it is declaring something we know to be true and stating something we believe. It is important to know that when we confess the words of God, we give voice to His written words. The Lord said ‘the words I speak unto you are Spirit, and they are life’. John 6: 63. So whenever we speak the words, it eventually turns to Spirit. Thus, angelic beings are discharged to execute those words. Psa 103: 20. In the same vein demonic beings are release on every negative word. Suffice to say that the worlds (heaven, earth and underneath the earth) are govern by words. However, the place of dominion is entrenched by our confession.
Useful antidotes:
1. Don't Confess Fear - Resist It! Someone define fear as False Experience Appearing Real. But the Bible says God has given you a spirit, not of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7). If you walk in love, you ought not to be tormented by fear. Why? 1 John 4: 18 says; ‘There is no fear in love. But perfect love cast out all fear, because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love’. Fear is from the enemy. We need to confess the words of God based on 2 Tim 1:7. ‘I have the spirit of power’. What you confess will dominate you! James 4: 7 says Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Fear is of the devil. The antidote is to resist the devil. Declare with your mouth that you have the spirit of power, love and of a sound mind. This entails a conscious effort on our part to grow spiritually.
2. Don't Confess Doubt - Resist It! This antidote and the aforementioned one is not a suggestion to deny the fact that you cannot fear or you cannot doubt if you already have it as a beguiling issue. The panacea is- do not give credence to it by your words. When you say it out, you empower it. Do not confess your doubts. Confess the words instead. Doubt is evil. When you build yourself in the most holy faith, Jude 20, Doubt will dissipate. Envision God bigger than the circumstance, situation or problem. Remember Num 13: 32. Again we are commanded to resist the devil. ‘Whom resist steadfast in the faith…….’’ 1 Pet 5: 9. Always remember God said ‘Fear thou not. Store up in your mind ‘Fear not’ words in the scripture and confess it loud and clear. For instance, Kenneth E. Hagin suggested you say- ‘’ I'm a child of God, and God has not given me a spirit of fear. I'm not afraid. I refuse to be afraid. I resist you, Satan, in Jesus' Name’’. He observed “This will make you rise above satanic influence every single time. Every time you confess your doubts and fears, your weakness, and your disease, you are openly confessing that the Word of God is not true and that God has failed to make His Word good in your life. Think on that for awhile! I want you to see the place that confession holds in your life’’.
3. Don't Confess Your Sickness - Confess your Healing! Locating an appropriate word from the scriptures, believe it, confess it, action it! This will inevitably bring an end to all struggles. Kenneth E. Hagin said ‘’what does God's Word say? Ask yourself that question on any subject. Take healing or sickness, for example; what does God have to say about the subject of healing? The Word declares that with Jesus' stripes, you were healed (Isa. 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24). The Bible also says, "Surely He has borne our sicknesses and carried our diseases" (Isa. 53:4). And Matthew 8:17 says, ". . . Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." But many times, instead of confessing that Jesus has borne their diseases and put them away, people confess they still have them. You see, the reason we miss it so much of the time is, we take the testimony of our physical senses instead of taking the testimony of the Word of God. But when they start confessing that Jesus has done something about their sickness and disease - that He has taken them away - then healing and health will become a reality in their lives’’.
Conclusion: How forcible are right words. “Thy words have upholden him that was falling and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.” Job 6: 25; 4:4. Informed believers are word –based; those who have saturated their minds with the infallible words of God. Therefore, in our sitting, walking and standing position of victory we have in Christ Jesus, it is adequate information we have about whom and who we are in Him, that will translate into revelation, which will engender our transformation, for by then we can say we have turned our faith loose. Acts 11: 26, 2 Corinth 3: 18.
Contributor: Martins Olubiyi |
