Leave No Room, Part 2

Let’s finish our teaching today on believing and leaving no open door for doubt and unbelief to take over our lives.

God has no fear in Him.  He has no doubt or unbelief because He knows that what He says will work.  He is all faith.  We, too, are designed to have faith.  The problem is that we have a mixture sometimes of fear and faith, and we get exactly that—-a mixture.  The solution to that mixture is the purity of the Word of God.  Every day we make choices based on what we believe.  If we make the wrong choices, we need to fix our believer system.  In Deuteronomy 30:19,20 we are told that God has set before us life and death, blessing and cursing.  We are to choose life, that both we and our children may live.  We are to choose God’s life, God’s way of living, God’s way of doing things.  That choosing goes contrary to everything in the world’s way of doing things.  It is an uphill battle sometimes to choose God’s way.

Every one of us is designed with a built-in believer.  We will believe something.  There is no such thing as a human being who does not believe.  Even atheists believe something.  They believe there is no God.  That is a form of believing.  What we believe is what we choose to accept as true for us in our personal lives.  Let’s look at some natural examples:  We choose to believe that the chair will hold us when we sit down.  We choose to believe that our car will start and take us to our destination.  We believe that when we pick up the telephone it will work.  We believe that when we turn on our computer or our television or our ipod, it will work.  We believe that the water will come out of the shower when we turn it on.

What if one of these natural things do not work one day?  Do we then say that it is no good and turn away from it?  NO, we get it fixed.  Well, the same thing is true where God and His Word is concerned.  If it does not seem to be working for you, get it fixed.  What is keeping it from working in your life?  Find out and fix it.  Is there fear in your life?  Are you doubting God’s ability to perform His Word in your life?  What is the problem?  Ask the Holy Spirit to show you and then obey what He says, not questioning how long it will take or “throwing in the towel” and saying it does not work for you.  It will work for whosoever will put it to work.

Today, make a quality decision that you will choose to believe God and His Word will work for you personally in your life.  Give the devil no place in your life or opportunity to come in!

Leave No Room, Part 1

I have been considering a verse in Ephesians 4 for some days now.  Verse 27 tells us to leave no room or foothold for the devil and to give no opportunity to him.  Even though this verse is talking about being angry and not letting the sun go down on your wrath, let’s look at what it means in our overall life “to give no place to the devil.”

Let’s look at the idea of giving the devil no room in our lives.  What gives him room in our lives and what gives him the opportunity to mess with us?  What gives him the right to even touch us because 1 John 5:18 tells us that the wicked one touches us not?  What opens the door for him?  What triggers his operations in our lives?

We as human beings are designed with a “believer” called our spirits.  God placed in us the ability to believe and the right to choose what we believe.  He gave us a soul to help us make choices.  That soul is made up of our mind, our will, and our emotions.  Each part of our soul can contribute to our choices many times.  Ideally, our spirits direct our choices and our souls agree with those choices.  But here is what happens many times.  We may get emotionally involved with fears and concerns and worries.  We may think and ponder the wrong things, such as:  What are we going to do?  It looks like it is not working.  Oh, my, I’m afraid I’ll not make it.  That is wrong thinking.  Then our wills get involved and we make decisions out of fear.

What is the solution to overcome emotional distress, wrong thinking and fear-driven choices?  The Word of God!  It’s that simple.  Really, it’s that simple.  But that is too simple.  Isn’t there more?  No!  God created us with the Word.  He is the Word.  All of creation responds to Him Who is the Word.  What He speaks, it becomes.  We are like Him.  We are His children.  We have His attributes.  When we speak, it should become.  So why doesn’t it become when we speak?

We will conclude our teaching tomorrow.

Two Keys To Victory

In the past several weeks during my Bible study and prayer time, I have seen two keys to victory in this Christian walk.  Actually, they would apply to anyone.  The greatest key is thankfulness, having a heart of gratitude and the other one is calling.

Let me explain “calling.”  When we encounter a problem in our lives, we are not to focus on the problem and talk about it.  Rather, we are to call to ourselves what we want.  Are you sick?  Don’t discuss your ailments.  Call yourself healthy and well.  Do you lack money?  Don’t talk about how broke you are.  Call yourself prosperous.  Is your marriage failing?  Don’t talk about how bad things are to your best friend and berate your mate.  Rather, call your marriage one that is a healthy one.  Are your children out of the will of God?  Don’t discuss their failings and shortcomings with everyone.  Call them saved, full of the Spirit of God and serving Him with fire and passion.  Even in the natural, we call things which are not there.  If you want to feed the dog, you call him and he comes running to be fed.  Even so, if healing is not there, call it to you.  It will come.  It will materialize.  The one thing we must not do, though, is to get frustrated, quit and say it does not work, when it does not materialize instantly.

There is nothing like a heart of gratitude which focuses on the good things that you have.

If all we do is gripe and complain about what we don’t have, it opens the door for satan to come and steal even more from us.  Complaining is deadly.  It lost the Israelites their place of joy and brought death in the camp.  Complaining is serious business.  It will bring destruction to our lives.

My dear reader, there is power in our thoughts and in our words.  Let’s focus on the good and watch the bad disintegrate into dust that can be blown away in a moment of time.

Romans 4:17

(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth (quicken means, brings life to) the dead, and CALLETH THOSE THINGS WHICH BE NOT AS THOUGH THEY WERE.

1 Corinthians 15:57

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 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.

According to the two scriptures in Corinthians, do you see what thanksgiving does?  Thanksgiving gives us the victory and causes us to triumph in Christ and makes manifest or visible the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of God (the way He operates His Kingdom) for us and others.  Do you want victory in the situation in which you find yourself?  Then start being thankful for what you have.  It will open the door for God to move on your behalf and shut the door to satan’s tricks and destruction.

The Father’s Will

Jesus’ greatest desire and pleasure while He was here on this earth was to do His Father’s will.  He always delights to do His Father’s will.  In fact, when we look at John 6:38, Jesus said that He came down from heaven, not to do His own will, but the will of the Father that sent Him.  He goes on to say in verses 39 and 40 that the will of the Father is that people believe on Jesus and receive the Life of God into their lives.

In verse 40 in the Amplified Bible we read:  For this is My Father’s will and His purpose, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in and cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day.  In verse 47 Jesus said that He that believes on Me has everlasting life.

Your greatest desire and pleasure should be to do the Father’s will while you are here on this earth.  If you are having trouble determining what the will of the Father is for your life, below are some scriptures for you to confess over yourself daily.  You do know your Father’s will.  You are His child.  What you must do is allow Him to pull that information up from within you to your mind, so that you can see clearly the path that you are to take in life.  My rule of thumb has always been this:  I do not do anything until I have heard from the Lord and have a peace inside me that doesn’t waver.  Until that time comes, I do nothing except continue to do what I am presently doing.  Some people may find that a little slow and want to move faster, but I have found that in God’s realm, time is no factor to Him.  It is only a factor to us here on this earth.

1 John 2:29

Christ is absolutely righteous, conforming to the Father’s will in purpose, thought and action.  Everyone who does righteousness, is therefore in like manner conformed to His divine will, is born of Him.

Christ, the Anointed One with His anointing, is in me as a born-again child of God.

He conforms to the Father’s will in purpose, thought and action.

Therefore, I conform to the Father’s will in purpose, thought and action.

Ephesians 5:17

I am not vague, thoughtless or foolish, but I understand and firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is.

God has a perfect plan for each one of us on this earth.  We were born to fulfill that plan.  That is His will for us.  I cannot tell you what the specific will of God is for your personal life.  You will have to seek the Lord until you know.  Each of us must spend time with Him to hear His voice and to proceed in the direction in which we believe He is leading us.  What if we make a mistake?  What if we don’t hear clearly?  That is the wonderful thing about our Lord.  He will guide us back into the right path.  But if we never go forward, how will we ever accomplish anything in our lives.  Forward motion produces action.  If that action is incorrect, God will correct our course.  He is an excellent course corrector, as well as the author of our course.  He is the Architect of the plan.  He is also the Builder.  He is the Master Architect and Builder.  We can trust Him to steer us in the right direction.

God’s Word Produces Results

Today we will be confessing several verses which concern God’s Word producing results EVERY TIME, PROSPERING, SUCCEEDING.

Isaiah 55:10,11, Amplified Bible

For as the rain and snow come down from the heavens, and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth:  it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Personalized Confession:

God’s Word has gone forth out of His mouth.  That is what my Bible is:  It is God’s Word that has gone forth out of His mouth.  Just as the rain and snow go forth from the heavens and fall on the earth and water the earth and sprout the seeds that have been sown in the ground, so is God’s Word that has gone forth out of His mouth.  It produces results; it brings success to my life.  As I speak the Word of God, it is alive with His voice.  Every Word of God has a purpose.  As I speak that Word, His purpose is accomplished in my life in this earth.  Because His Word is effective and useful and accomplishes what He pleases and purposes, it shall prosper in my life and make me successful.  God’s Word brings healing to my body.  His Word brings salvation into my life.  His Word brings prosperity to my spirit, my soul and my body.  His Word sets me free and delivers me.  God’s Word is designed to feed me and to sustain me all the days of my life.  I will meditate on His Word day and night that I may walk in His ways and think His thoughts.  Then I shall see His Word bring forth and sprout that which it was sent forth to do.

God Watches Over His Word

God Himself has promised you and me that His Word is true and will produce what He says it will produce.  He purposes to watch over His Word which is spoken out of our mouths.  It is God’s purpose and desire that His Word spoken in faith over your life will bring results.  He has obligated Himself to tell you and me that He Himself stands as the full guarantee behind His Word.

Jeremiah 1:12, KJV and Amplified Bible

Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it, for I will hasten my word to perform it.

1 Thessalonians 2:13, Amplified Bible

And we also [especially] thank God continually for this, that when you received the message of God [which you heard] from us, you welcomed it not as the word of [mere] men, but as it truly is, the Word of God, which is effectually at work in you who believe [exercising its superhuman power in those who adhere to and trust in and rely on it].

Colossians 3:16, Amplified Bible

Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and dwell in you in [all its] richness….

Titus 1:9, Amplified Bible

He must hold fast to the sure and trustworthy Word of God….

1 Corinthians 1:9

God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Personalized Confession:

Thank You, Lord, for watching over Your Word to perform it for me.  I know that You hasten, You are in a hurry to perform Your Word.  Your effectual Word is at work in me because I believe.  It is exercising its superhuman power on my behalf.  Your Word is alive in me.  I believe Your Word.  I trust Your Word.  I rely on Your Word.  Your Word is working in me all the time.  Your power is working in me through Your Word.  Your Word is dwelling in me.  Your Word is making its home in me.  It is dwelling in my heart and mind in all its richness.  I am holding fast to Your sure and trustworthy Word, Lord, because I know that you are faithful and reliable and trustworthy.  I can depend on You.

The Tongue, Part 2

Now, let’s look at some scriptures about the positive aspect of our tongues.  The tongue of the wise brings health and healing (Proverbs 12:18).  Look at that!  Our tongues can bring health and healing for ourselves and others.  Healing is a wonderful gift from God.  We see here that it can be brought about by the words of our mouth.  The tongue of the wise utters knowledge in the right way (Proverbs 15:2).  Every one of us wants to speak forth the knowledge that we have in the right way.  I love Proverbs 15:4 (KJV and Amplified Bible):  “A wholesome or gentle tongue (with its healing powers) is a tree of life.”

Here’s a scripture we all know, but do we really KNOW it?  Death and life are in the power of the tongue and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof (Proverbs 18:21).  Do you see this?  Death (the cessation of life) and life (the fullness of God Himself) are in the power of that little member in your body called your tongue.  This is so big!  Whether you live or die is as close as your tongue, what you are speaking.  Death and life to anything is in the power of your tongue—-relationships, marriages, finances, ministries, and, yes, our physical bodies.

I have seen people turn around their whole life by purposing to speak only life over their situation.  The sick are healed.  Financial troubles are turned to financial prosperity.   Marriages are revived.  Children come home.  Relationships are restored.  All because of that little member called the tongue.  The power of the tongue is amazing to me, such a small part, yet such a powerful part of our bodies.

Finally, in Proverbs 21:23 we are told that we who guard our mouths as well as our tongues keep ourselves from trouble and actually keep our lives.  What a statement!  How many times have each one of us wished we had not said something?  Words spoken are so laden with power.  Our words carry tremendous power not only for ourselves but also for others.  We MUST GUARD or KEEP our tongues and mouths full of only the Word of God.  That way we keep out of trouble.  What an instruction for all of us to “take to heart.”

The Tongue, Part 1

The human tongue can either be used to bless or to curse, to be on fire for the Lord or to be set on fire by hell.  In the book of Proverbs and Psalms we see scriptures regarding both our mouth and our tongue.

First, let’s look at what we don’t want our tongue to do.  James has much to say about the tongue.  Look at chapter 3, verses 5 and 6.  The tongue is considered a little member of the body and it can boast of great things.  Even so, a little spark is a small thing, but it can set ablaze much wood or a great forest.  We have all seen the damage that forest fires do to acres and acres of timberland.

The tongue can set so much on fire when we use it to speak the wrong thing.  With the tongue, we can set into motion much iniquity, contaminating and defiling ourselves and the lives of others.  The entire cycle of our life can be ruined by a fiery tongue.  James says that a tongue which speaks evil is set on fire or ignited by hell.

But our tongue as Christians should not be one which sets on fire a world of iniquity and is ignited by hell, spewing out bitter poison and anger and animosity and cursing and slander.  Our tongue should be a gentle tongue, tempered by the Holy Spirit to speak forth blessing.

No man can tame the tongue, but God can.  He is the master at tongue taming.  The Holy Spirit teaches us how to give a soft answer to turn away wrath.  He teaches us how to be gentle in our words and comforting with the words of our mouth.

God demonstrated the power of the tongue set on fire by heaven on the day of Pentecost when they were assembled in the upper room, waiting on the Holy Spirit to come to them.  When He came, He demonstrated Himself as visible tongues of fire, flames of the white-hot fire of the Lord God of heaven, the pure power of Almighty God.

Yes, our tongue is to be used by the Spirit of God to speak and bring into existence great and marvelous works of the Holy Spirit, which the Lord Jesus Christ released by His resurrection, and which the Father ordained before the foundation of the world.

Understanding Brings Confidence, Part 4

We all have missed it by attempting to get results without the first step of understanding.  Even in the natural world, mechanical doing of something without understanding can produce mistakes.  But when you have understanding of how to do your job, there are not the mistakes that occur with doing it because somebody simply told you to do it, without any explanation of it.

When you hear a teacher or preacher preach the Word of God, he/she has the understanding.  What he/she is doing is putting it out there for you to take personally and dig and get the understanding for yourself, not just to parrot what he/she has said.  It is a personal walk of confidence or faith, not based on what he/she has understanding of.  It is based on your understanding of what you have been taught.

When you get the understanding, you have the confidence in God and His Word for your difficult situation.  You know He will bring you through, in spite of the impossibility of it or how long it takes to resolve it.  You know He has already taken care of it in the spiritual realm.  It is simply a matter of it being accomplished in the physical realm for you personally.

Legally, in the spirit realm, it is already a finished work, a done deal.  Jesus has purchased everything we will ever need to live victoriously here in this earth.  Personally, in the reality of the earth’s realm, that finished work must become an understandable “done deal” in  our situation, regardless of what is happening or not happening.  Understanding causes us to stand confidently in the reality of what God’s Word says.  We are immovable and unshakeable.

This understanding brings the confidence you need to withstand what the enemy brings against you.  You stand and you don’t get ruffled by time passing or the sense of nothing happening.  You stand confidently in that finished work for you personally, knowing it is not your job to produce the results.  That responsibility belongs to the Holy Spirit.  Keep in constant communication with the Holy Spirit, stay close to Him, and do what He tells you to do.  He will victoriously bring you through the difficulties of life.

Understanding Brings Confidence, Part 3

We continue our study on understanding Godly Wisdom, which brings us confidence in God’s desire for our success.  This understanding also assures us He has given us His power to overcome challenges in our lives in this present world.

Every time we as God’s children say that we are getting Wisdom, we are actually saying that we are getting the Wisdom of God, Who is Christ the Anointed One.  His anointing is expressed in the person of the Holy Spirit.  We know that anointing is God’s ability on us to remove the burdens and destroy the yokes of bondage satan is trying to impose on us in the form of sickness and disease, poverty, fear, anxiety, rejection — and the list could go on and on.

With the getting of the Wisdom of God, we are getting understanding of the Word.  Understanding brings confidence or faith to overcome bondages and burdens.  People are trying to achieve confidence in the Lord or develop faith in Him to get results when they don’t yet have the understanding of the Word that they are confessing for results.  Here is where we have missed it:  We have been looking for results from a mechanical speaking of the Word without understanding and, thus, without confidence.  Without understanding, the first time something comes our way to test the confession of that Word, we fold and ask:  “Why?  I don’t understand.  Nothing is happening.  I am speaking the Word.”  There is our clue—-I DON’T UNDERSTAND.

What we must do when a situation comes up where we don’t have confidence that we will come through to the other side, we ask the Holy Spirit to bring understanding to us of the Word who is Jesus Christ (John 1:1-5), Who is the Wisdom of God.

Then, when the understanding comes, or we may call it rhema, (which produces Bible hope), we are ready for the next step, the confidence level or faith.  Then, when we speak the word out of our mouth, we release the Holy Spirit, or the anointing, to bring the results or manifestation in our lives.  Since we then know that it is not OUR much doing that will produce the results, we are then confident and REST IN HIM regardless of what is happening.  We know that He is taking care of it.  We have confidence in Him, not in what we are doing on our own.  We are no longer fretting and fuming and agitated and worried about what WE ARE GOING TO DO.