Sunday, September 8, 2024
Casting Our Cares
Meera Short
1 Peter 5:6-7 NKJV
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7 AMPC
Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you,
7 Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.
I am wanting to discuss today something that I truly believe we all must battle with: the anxious thoughts that we are bombarded with in our daily lives and how we can unburden ourselves from them. The everyday grind of life seems to bring pressure, and it seems to be intensifying. We have pressure in our relationships, with our jobs, with school, with our finances, with health, just living in our current world brings daily pressure. Three key areas that I want to examine are:
1- How are we to be as we face our cares?
2- How do we cast our cares?
3- What makes it all work?
1- How are we to be as we face our cares?
Be Humble:
I want to bring attention to the entire verses of 1 Peter 5:6-7. The beginning of this verse, in fact if we look at verse 5, begins by telling us that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. We are called to humble ourselves under His care. When we submit to His Lordship we can receive His grace. Humility simply means that I am to think more about what He wants and less of what I desire. As we go through this, it doesn’t mean that we are removed from whatever situations we face, it just means that He comes alongside us, if we are not antagonistic towards His ways, and He carries us through whatever we are facing.
Verse 8 (NKJV): Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Be Sober:
To be sober is not to be drunk. A drunk person is disoriented. They see things, hear things, and believe things that are not there. They are loose, their thinking is impaired, their judgment is misguided. They laugh when they shouldn’t, cry when they have no reason to cry; there simply seems to be a false sense of reality for people who are drunk. A drunk person becomes irrational in their thinking. Decisions can be made that cause much pain when someone is drunk. So, to be sober implies that one must have clarity of mind and be mentally sharp.
Be Vigilant:
This means to keep a careful watch for possible danger or difficulties. To be on guard, alert and active. A person who concentrates on noticing danger, a person who avoids danger.
The adversary, the devil, is set against us because we are righteous. His goal is to destroy us and displace us. Just like he did to Adam and Eve. But God in His mercy, showed His fatherly love, He came and covered them. Even though they had to leave their pristine environment, Father came and covered them, He provided for them, and still showed up to meet with them.
2- How do we cast our cares?
The word “care” used in this scripture means to worry or be pulled apart. It speaks of being anxious or having anxiety. Anxiety comes from the Greek word merimna – merizo which means to divide or draw in different directions or to be apprehensive.
We cast them:
Let us first examine the word casting. It means to throw upon with force, forcefully throw off a load. The Greek word picture of this literally means it’s like taking a heavy bundle and throwing it on the back of a camel. This word is used only two times in the New Testament.
Luke 19:35
Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.
The people took their garments and threw them on the donkey’s back for Jesus to sit on.
So, we have here the picture of taking a back-breaking load, one that has us bent over, and throwing it on Jesus’s back.
Psalm 55:22 NKJV
Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
To have a sense of care/concern is normal. We are to be concerned about the well-being of others, (1 Cor 12:25). 1 Corinthians 7:33-34, when you’re married you’re concerned about the needs of your spouse. This is legitimate care and concern.
The cares in this passage of scripture speaks of the anxiety that I am referring to, the stuff that torments us and pulls us apart internally. This can come from fear of loss, fear of betrayal, fear of lack, fear of rejection, fear of not knowing, fear of the unknown. These are things that cause us to lose trust in God and inflict harm to ourselves and others.
Jesus warns us that the worries of this life and the cares of this world will render God’s Word inoperative and unfruitful in our lives.
Matthew 13:22 NKJV
Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
Worry means to choke or to strangle. The root of this word, the etymology of it, comes from an old German word “wurgen”. It means to kill by gripping or squeezing the neck tightly. Webster’s 1st definition of this word means to harass by tearing, biting, or snapping, especially at the throat. To subject to persistent or nagging attention or effort – to afflict with mental distress or agitation, to make anxious.
It is a foreboding or brooding fear. It is like having an unreasonable amount of anxiety about things which one has no control over.
FEAR – False Evidence Appearing Real!
Someone has written that an average person’s anxiety is focused on:
• 40% — things that will never happen
• 30% — things about the past that can’t be changed
• 12% – things about criticism from others, mostly untrue
• 10% — about health, which gets worse with stress
• 8% — about real problems that will be faced
Charles Spurgeon “Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows but only empties today of its strength.”
I can tell when I have truly begun to cast my cares because of my sense of peace. My heart begins to recall every incident that God has brought me through. Hope becomes renewed, and joy surfaces.
3- What makes it all work?
Love makes it all work:
1 John 4:7-21 (MSG)
7-10 My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.
11-12 My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!
13-16 This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we’ve seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.
17-18 God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.
19 We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first.
20-21 If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.
Perfect Love casts out all fear. Love is perfected in us when we love others.
When we walk in love we are not fearful of others. Love will cause us to treat others with the highest integrity, decency and respect. Love will cause us to consider others better than ourselves, we will treat others with the best intentions. When we do this, we have no reason to fear others and what they may do to us.
Proverbs 28:1 NKJV
The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion.
Jesus cares for us. He is thoughtful. He comes alongside and quickly and readily accepts what we load unto His shoulders.
Hebrews 7:25 AMPC
Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them.
Psalm 68:19 NKJV
Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation! Selah
Isaiah 64:4 MSG
Since before time began no one has ever imagined, no ear heard, no eye seen, a God like you who works for those who wait for him. You meet those who happily do what is right, who keep a good memory of the way you work.
My Responsibility:
1- Am I walking in love?
2- Am I reminding the Lord of His promises?
3- Am I thinking of the size of my problems or the size of my God?
Guidance – How Do You Make Decisions? (part 1)
9.1.2024
Intro
It is more important than ever today to know the voice of God.
There are challenges now and in our future that we have never navigated in this way. The world is changing.
Romans 8:14-16 (NKJV)
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God
Proverbs 20:27 (NKJV)
The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of his heart.
Proverbs 20:27 (TPT)
The spirit God breathed into man is like a living lamp, a shining light searching into the innermost chamber of our being.,
When I was a young believer, I heard people say that God spoke to them.
What did He sound like?
How can I know I am hearing from God?
If I could hear God speak and listen to what He was saying, I could be successful in life.
I wondered how to tell the difference between my thoughts, thoughts that came from God, and thoughts that came from outside of me.
I wanted to know how to hear the voice of God in the details of life.
Once I learned, my life was transformed.
How do we know which way to go?
How do we know how to respond?
How do we know what God is saying to us right now?
Thank God, we are not alone! We have the Holy Spirit to aid us!
How Do You Make Decisions?
How do you find the will of God in a matter?
How do you know the voice of God?
Do you know the difference between the voice of the Holy Spirit, the voice of conscience, or the voice of your own reasoning?
Do you look for an open door?
Do you look to others for direction?
Or do you do what Gideon did in Judges to make decisions about God’s will?
Years ago, people would call it “putting out a fleece.” That is, ask God to do something you can see to know what He wants you to do.
Judges 6:36-40 (NLT)
Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, 37 prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.” 38 And that is just what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a whole bowlful of water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, “Please don’t be angry with me, but let me make one more request. Let me use the fleece for one more test. This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew.” 40 So that night God did as Gideon asked. The fleece was dry in the morning, but the ground was covered with dew.
I missed God by doing something just like this after Susan and I graduated from our 2nd Bible school. I basically said, “Lord, if you want me to do this, then make that happen.” That was acting just like Gideon laying the fleece on the ground looking for an outward sign to hear from God!
People try to receive guidance in many different ways:
Parents
… my mother.
Superstitions
Outward circumstances
Logic and reasoning alone…
…Sometimes God will ask you to do something that seems illogical.
Acts 9. ‘Go into the city, and you will be told what to do…’
Buy a house 32 miles away.
Counsel from others.
Horoscopes.
Occult (fortune-telling, palm reading, etc.)
Deuteronomy 18:9-14 (NLT)
When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there. 10 For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, 11 or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the Lord your God will drive them out ahead of you. 13 But you must be blameless before the Lord your God. 14 The nations you are about to displace consult sorcerers and fortune-tellers, but the Lord your God forbids you to do such things.
Notice the scriptures about guidance:
Jeremiah 10:23 (NKJV)
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
Proverbs 20:24 (NKJV)
A man’s steps are of the Lord; How then can a man understand his own way.
Psalm 37:23 (NKJV)
The steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord, and He delights in his way.
Psalm 32:8-9 (NKJV)
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye. 9 Do not be like the horse or mule, which have no understanding, which must be
harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you.
Proverbs 16:3 (AMPC)
Roll your works upon the Lord – commit and trust them wholly to Him – He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and so shall your plans be established and succeed.
Proverbs 16:9 (NKJV)
A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
Proverbs 16:9 (AMPC)
A man’s mind plans his road, but the Lord directs his steps.
Psalm 18:28 (NKJV)
For You will light my lamp; The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
There are two kinds of guidance that God gives:
General guidance
Specific guidance
General guidance is the guidance of the Word of God in our daily lives.
General guidance is obeying the general Word of God every day.
General guidance is walking in love towards others, walking in forgiveness.
Specific guidance is when the Holy Spirit quickens a thought to your spirit, and God gives you specific direction.
Example : When I was 21, married 6 months – go to Rhema…
Associate pastor of the church I attended said I should stay there and be trained.
Colossians 3:16-17 (NKJV)
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
James 1:22-25 (NLT)
But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
John 16:13-15 (NKJV)
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
John 14:26 (NKJV)
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
If you’re not walking in the general guidance of the Word, in the areas that you KNOW about, then you’ll not be in position to receive more specific guidance from the Lord.
Proverbs 4:20-22 (NLT)
My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. 21 Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, 22 for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. 23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
Putting God’s Word first daily is allowing Jesus to rule your life, and it is the first step in hearing the voice of God.
You cannot neglect the Word of God and hear the voice of God!
E.W. Kenyon:
Our attitude towards the Word determines the place that God holds in our daily life!
Action Points:
- Can you tell the difference between God’s voice, your mind, and information that you receive from a source outside of you?
- Do you look for circumstances to guide you the way Gideon did?
- Do you practice obeying God’s Word throughout your day?
Be aware of the deceptions of the day!
8.28.2024
The world is full of deception and delusion right now, and God wants us to navigate through it by learning to hear the voice of truth from the Holy Spirit within.
The time just prior to Jesus’ return is typified as a time of unusual deception and that’s the reason we so need to learn how to be guided and alerted by the Holy Spirit!
Learn to listen within you when you hear anything from any source – news media, Facebook, Reels, Instagram, websites, podcasts, magazines, newspapers, YouTube, Twitter.
If your spiritual nature is trained and full of the Word of God, you will be able to sense deception when you see or hear it!
We are surrounded by deception today!
Listen to the these passages:
Isaiah 5:20- NKJV
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Matthew 24:4 – NKJV
And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you .
1 Timothy 4:1-2 – Passion Translation
The Holy Spirit has explicitly revealed: At the end of this age, many will depart from the true faith one after another, devoting themselves to spirits of deception and following demon-inspired revelations and theories. Hypocritical liars will deceive many, and their consciences won’t bother them at all!
2 Timothy 3:13- NKJV
But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
John 8:44 – NKJV
You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
Revelation 21:8 – NKJV
But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers [occult practitioners, witchcraft], idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
Matthew 24:24 (NKJV)
For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
Listen to Daniel Webster’s 1828 definition of deceive:
1) To mislead the mind; to cause to err; to cause to believe what is false, or disbelieve what is true; to impose on; to delude. 2) To beguile; to cheat. 3) To cut off from expectation; to frustrate or disappoint; as, his hopes were deceived. 4) To take from; to rob.
Deception is first seen with Satan tempting Eve by distorting truth in Genesis 3:
Genesis 3:2-5 (NKJV)
And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Today, deception and truth twisting have permeated the world.
And this is a precursor for what is coming.
*Ok, are you ready for me to be tough with you for a moment?
Prior to 2020, we were a society that could voice our opinions, disagree with others without recourse, and generally believe media outlets and government officials. And we trusted much of what we saw and heard on social media.
Now over 4 years later, censorship of information has become a mainstay with the news media , social media, and now selective information is given out by our government that must be checked and verified before it is believed!
In October of 2020, thousands of accounts were banned from Youtube, Twitter, and Facebook.
Factcheckers began to censor inappropriate content on social media sites that did not agree with a certain vein of thinking.
In an eerie way, the mainstream legacy media began to say exactly the same words and use the same phrases to explain what was happening during the Covid-19 lockdowns and the riots that blanketed major cities in America. It was as though someone or some entity was giving out a script behind the scenes that was being read! (6 or so families own world media). – See The Killing of Uncle Sam by Rodney Howard Browne.
Unless you were alerted or were looking at other information sources, you may not have noticed.
I noticed, and let me share with you how and why I noticed.
When you decide to seriously get into the Word of God and to pray, you alert the Holy Spirit in your life and He will manifest Himself to you when you need it!
Let me use the Covid-19 as an example of deception and false reality that is beginning to permeate so many areas of life.
And, let me again mention the WORD God gave me about Corona on March 13, 2020:
Nefarious:
extremely wicked or villainous; iniquitous:
a nefarious plot.
OTHER WORDS FOR nefarious:
heinous, horrible, odious, outrageous, shameful, vicious, vile, abominable, atrocious, base, corrupt, criminal, degenerate, depraved, detestable, dreadful, evil, execrable, flagitious, flagrant, foul, glaring gross, infamous, infernal, iniquitous, miscreant, monstrous, opprobrious, perverse, putrid, rank, rotten, treacherous, villainous, wicked.
When I heard that one Word from the Lord to me – I knew He was seeking to make a point and get my attention about what was happening with Covid.
There was an undercurrent with it that was more than about a physical virus.
As the weeks, months, and now years progressed, information has become twisted with partial truths and many times outright false information and lies!
The Holy Spirit showed me that what was happening was not truth. It was twisted and had a motive to it. The motive is to ensnare people into believing something that is not true by making it believable through repetition!
We’re living in a time right now that a false reality is being created by those who control the public narrative.
We are a generation that is undergoing what some call 5th generation warfare, that is pointed towards swaying the public belief a certain way – either for or against a certain thing. The end result of this is the control of a group without a shot being fired.
Quote
Robert Malone – 5th Gen Warfare Terms And Tactics
The most effective 5th Gen warfare strategies employed by those lacking integrity are not purely based on pushing false narratives, mis or dis information. The most effective strategies mix truth with fiction, and act to increase confusion and disorder in the thoughts and minds of those being targeted, so that they are not sure what or whom to believe.
Listen carefully – if all you listen to is the main media outlets and their opinions, then you are most probably a deceived person.
CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, Fox, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, Tic-Toc,
Twitter has come alive with balanced, free speech since Elon Musk bought it last October!!
I have added to my sources of information the following sites because you can no longer trust that what you are hearing is truthful!
Rumble.com, MeWe.com, Telegram.com, Gab.com, CitizenFreePress.com, Whatfinger, Populist Press, Join1440.com,
Are you awake and aware of the deceptions all around us?
If what I am saying to you today is new, then you just may be deceived and not know it.
3. Refuse to be a delusional person!
Another characteristic of the days just prior to Jesus’ return is delusion.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 – NKJV
The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Delusion:
1. An erroneous belief that is held in the face of evidence to the contrary.
Example – masks.
Micron – 1/25,000 of an inch.
Holes in a mask. 60 to 80 microns.
Corona – 5 microns.
2. A false belief that is resistant to confrontation with actual facts.
Mass formation psychosis.
Why is censorship necessary today if what is being said over and over is factual?
The truth needs no help. It will always reveal itself!
3. A delusion is a belief held with strong conviction despite superior evidence to the contrary.
The results of misinformation – lies that are spoken over and over again are delusions!
People begin to believe what they hear over and over…
The AntiChrist is typified in Scripture as a deceptive person that will create delusional living.
The spirit of antiChrist is preparing the entire world for a future of global deception.
The antiChrist will one day rise to power in the Middle East, and will aid Israel with some kind of treaty.
This person will be a deceiver par-non! Listen to the scriptures:
Daniel 8:25 – NLT
He will be a master of deception and will become arrogant; he will destroy many without warning. He will even take on the Prince of princes in battle, but he will be broken, though not by human power.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 – NKJV
The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
1 John 2:21-23 – NLT
So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
1 John 4:1-6 – (Modern English Version)
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and is already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world, and therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are of God, and whoever knows God listens to us. Whoever is not of God does not listen to us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
1 Timothy 4:1-2 (Passion Translation)
The Holy Spirit has explicitly revealed: At the end of this age, many will depart from the true faith one after another, devoting themselves to spirits of deception and following demon-inspired revelations and theories. 2 Hypocritical liars will deceive many, and their consciences won’t bother them at all!
When was the last time you knew that you heard something that you know is false?
If it is not really recent, like today or yesterday, you are probably a person vulnerable to being deceived.
This is not just with spiritual things. This is stuff you hear in the world all around us. The spirit of antiChrist is setting the stage for the world to be controlled. Misinformation abounds!
2 Timothy 4:1-4 (Passion Translation)
Timothy, in the presence of our great God and our Lord Jesus Christ, the One who is destined to judge both the living and the dead by the revelation of his kingdom—I solemnly instruct you to 2 proclaim the Word of God and stand upon it no matter what! Rise to the occasion and preach when it is convenient and when it is not. Preach in the full expression of the Holy Spirit —with wisdom and patience as you instruct and teach the people.
3 For the time is coming when they will no longer listen and respond to the healing words of truth because they will become selfish and proud. They will seek out teachers with soothing words that line up with their desires, saying just what they want to hear. 4 They will close their ears to the truth and believe nothing but fables and myths.
The real truth of God’s Word is sometimes tough to hear! It will challenge you!
If you are not challenged by your pastor’s preaching then you’d better wake up and check it out!
So, are you going to stand strong as a believer when it is not convenient?
Are you going to stand strong when it goes cross grain to what is popular? If not, then you are open to being deceived and deluded!
And, you may be one of those who will fall away from God when the going gets tough and persecution is at the door.
This may come quickly. Are you willing to be persecuted for what you believe?
Here is a list of behaviors that the spirit of antiChrist motivates:
Lying, abortion, same sex marriage, pornography, living together without marriage, relative values or values that change from person to person and in different situations, socialism, communism, control, atheism, lawlessness, fear, godlessness, amorality, homosexuality, lesbianism, transgenderism, binary and fluid sexuality, pedophilia, polyamory, polygamy, divisiveness, inequality, rioting, violence, racism, borderless nations, compliance without questioning facts, and a one world government.
The spirit of antiChrist is already prepping the world for deception and delusion. Will you resist or will you be one the gives in to it?
Face the Future With Faith! (part 5)
Faith and Words Go Together
8.21.2024
Review
(Part 1) 7.17.2024
As world conditions deteriorate, now is the time to build your faith in God’s Word.
1 John 5:4 (NKJV)
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Jesus gave you faith when you were born again!
Faith is developed two ways: learning the Word, and then exercising it against the circumstances of life.
(Part 2) 7.24.2024
There is no faith in God that is not directly attached to His Word!
(Part 3) 7/31/2014
What kind of faith do you have?
The “Thomas” kind of faith
Thomas’ faith only believes when it sees and feels.
Abraham’s kind of faith
Abraham’s faith is believing right now that you receive what God has promised you and that He is answering your prayers, even if you can’t see or feel it.
(Part 4) 8.14.2024
Faith is always past or present tense.
Hope looks to the future to receive. Faith is NOW!
Believing you receive what you have asked for from the Lord before you see or feel it is the key to receiving from Him!
8.21.2024
Faith and Words Go Together
Faith must have actions that move it!
Do my actions show that my faith is active?
James 2:14-26 (NKJV)
What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
One major way to act your faith is to say what you believe!
Mark 11:23 (NKJV)
For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
It is 3 times as important to say what you believe than it is to believe it!
Faith comes out of your heart to the Lord with words!
Hebrews 11:3 (NKJV)
By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
Faith uses words to bring what you believe into physical manifestation.
2 Corinthians 4:13 (NKJV)
And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak.
Romans 10:6-8 (NKJV)
But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
Words reveal what is in your heart!
Matthew 12:34-37 (NLT)
You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.
Look back to what you’ve been saying, and you’ll know what you are believing.
What we believe we talk about.
You can’t say one thing and believe something else…
What are you saying deep inside with your self-talk?
I’m not worth having much. Poverty, just-making-it mentality.
Health. Grandpa had it, dad had it, I will get it.
You can school yourself into believing. So and so has said that so much they really believe it.
Instead of saying what you have, say what you believe, and life will change!
Saying nothing means there is no faith.
Authority Over The Demonic Realm!
8.18.2024
Introduction
The spiritual battle right now is intense. The demonic isn’t hiding anymore. It’s out in the open.
Revelation 12:12 (NKJV)
12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
We are living in an uncanny time of disruption, unrest, challenge, and change!
To navigate this unprecedented time, we have been given by Jesus a spiritual authority that keeps us free and full of God’s life!
Adam transferred his God given authority over the earth to Satan.
Luke 4:5-6 (NKJV)
Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
Jesus took that authority back as the Second Adam and gave it to the church!
Matthew 28:18-19 (NKJV)
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
This is YOU!
This is how God sees those who are in Christ! Listen carefully to your position:
Ephesians 1:15 – 2:7 (NKJV)
Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Ephesians 2:1-6 (NKJV)
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 1:12-20 (NKJV)
Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. 19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
Colossians 2:6-7 (NKJV)
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:7 (AMP)
Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:9-10 (NKJV)
For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
Colossians 2:15 (NKJV)
Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
Disarmed
“This is an extremely graphic verse! It is a picture painted for us by the Holy Spirit—a glorious, vivid illustration of what happened the day Jesus defeated death, hell, and the grave! The word “spoiled” is the Greek word apekduomai, which means to strip off or to put off as one would put off his garments. This word could depict the disarming of an enemy—literally stripping his weaponry and artillery from him and leaving him without any weapons with which to respond. One scholar has noted that it refers to stripping one to the point of complete nakedness. By using this word, the Holy Spirit tells us that when Jesus arose from the dead, He thoroughly plundered the enemy!”
— Sparkling Gems From the Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God’s Word by Rick Renner
https://a.co/iKf7eXe
Spectacle
“The word “shew” is taken from the word deigmatidzo, and it literally means to display or to expose something. It was used in classical Greek writing to denote the display of captives, weaponry, and trophies that were seized during war on foreign soil. Once the war was finished and the battle was won, the reigning emperor would return home and victoriously display and expose the treasures, trophies, weaponry, and captives that he had seized during his military conquest. This was a grand moment of celebration for the victor—but it was a humiliating experience for the defunct foe.”
— Sparkling Gems From the Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God’s Word by Rick Renner
https://a.co/hsUVBda
Luke 10:19-20 (NKJV)
Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
Philippians 2:8-11 (NKJV)
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Ephesians 6:10-18 (NKJV)
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
The main struggle today is a Spiritual Battle against the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan.
Beware of this and stay alert!
As Satan seeks to bring distractions worldwide, and then into your community, your home, your life – realize that He MUST obey the Word of God spoken out of your mouth.
God has given you authority over Satan, every fallen angel, which are called in scripture principalities and powers, and demon spirits of every kind and purpose.
These are pre-Jesus’ return days filled with confusion, distortions, lies, twisted truth, deceptions and delusions.
There is a scheme to get you off your game and into pursuing the wrong emphasis in your life, marriage, family, church life, and dreams.
Our goal MUST be to seek first the kingdom of God and His Righteousness – not seeking first our pleasure, comfort, dreams, goals, but seeking Jesus’ reign in us and in the world at large.
Jesus has sent every one of us on a mission he calls the GREAT COMMISSION! And that is to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every person – and to use words when necessary.
The way we live should be abnormal and counter to current trends!
Satan’s Schemes
Here is how I found out about subtle demonic intrusions into my life and how to counter them.
Years ago when I got heavily involved in mission work in other countries, primarily Africa and India, I noticed that thoughts would come and begin as subtle suggestions that turned into full blown attacks against my mind, my emotions and my willpower!
It began to happen over and over again as I took trip after trip. These were short two week trips (mostly) where we would teach pastors and then hold evangelistic meetings at night.
During these attacks, I would begin to feel agitated, fearful, and unsettled. Thoughts that I would never get back home, that no one cares about me, that nothing I was doing was really worthwhile would flood my mind. My emotions would begin to feel unsettled, worried and anxious, and would make me feel isolated, alone, abandoned, and helpless.
When these attacks came, I would immediately begin to repeat out loud if I could (in public I would speak them to myself quietly) the scriptures that promised that I was loved, blessed, redeemed, set free,full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, that Jesus had already fought my battles for me and that I was already a winner and could not be discouraged or defeated. I commanded these thoughts to go in the name of Jesus, and would praise and thank God that His word is true!
Almost instantly, these attacks would lift, and the peace of God and the joy of the Lord would fill me!
Satan is doing the same thing today with millions and millions of people.
He wants you to let go of your faith in God and His Word, he wants to convince you that you will not get out of your current problems and that they will only get worse!
He will tell you that you will get sick and die, that life is not worth living, and nobody cares about you!
He will tell you that you will fail in life , and that tragedy is coming your way! All of it is a fraud and a lie!
We MUST be rooted in truth these days.
You have authority as a believer over Satan and all his emissaries!
Through the years, Satan and his cohorts have tried to convince me that I would never make it, that I would get sick & and die early, that I would fail financially and in ministry. Each time these attacks came, I would go to the Word, and say what God says about me out loud.
And every time, these thoughts and feelings would leave.
Exercise Your authority every single day!
The prerequisite is that you must be submitted to God!
James 4:7 (NKJV)
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Ephesians 4:27 (NKJV)
nor give place to the devil.
“Place”
Rick Renner – Sparkling Gems
When Paul told us to give the devil no place, that word “place” is the Greek word topos. It describes a specific, marked-off location. But rather than a physical location that we use a map to identify, this “place” may refer to a rough spot in our relationships, our finances, our thoughts, or our personal habits or to lingering areas of disobedience. Whatever it is, it’s an identifiable location that the devil seeks to find and use as an open door into our lives.”
— Sparkling Gems from the Greek Vol. 2: 365 New Gems To Equip And Empower You For Victory Every Day Of The Year by Rick Renner
Ephesians 4:27 (ERV)
Don’t give the devil a way to defeat you.
“Devil”
Rick Renner – Sparkling Gems
“The word “devil” in Ephesians 4: 27 leaves no question about the devil’s intention to attack us as believers. It is the Greek word diabolos, which is a compound of dia and ballo. The word dia means through, as in all the way through an object. This second part of the word “devil” is from the word ballo, which means to throw, to hurl, to inject, or even to beat. When these two words are compounded to form the word diabolos, the new word categorically means that the devil is one who strikes repetitiously—trying to find a way to break through into our worlds and mess up our lives.”
— Sparkling Gems from the Greek Vol. 2: 365 New Gems To Equip And Empower You For Victory Every Day Of The Year by Rick Renner
Action Points:
1. Are you aware of the spiritual authority you have over Satan, fallen angels, and demon spirits?
2. DO you actively resist negative thoughts and feelings, sickness and disease, and all forms of doubt and fear?
3. Are you submitted to God and His Word in how you live, what you do with your mind and body, and how you relate to others?
Here’s a list of 40 things that the demonic realm wants to use to control you. Resist them!
Remember, Satan and the demonic look to exacerbate or stretch weakness into control over you. Don’t allow it!
There is a fine line between flesh desires that come from sin and demonic intrusion.
1. Doubt – yourself, your friends, God.
2. Rejection thinking. Nobody cares about me. They don’t like me…self-pity goes right along with this.
3. Condemnation – thinking about what you did wrong in the past/ or what you should have done in the past. It Becomes an obsession.
4. Obsession with failure, defeat, or the negatives of the past.
5. Fear – chronic, not rooted in reality. False Evidence Appearing Real
6. Rebellion to established authority.
7. Lying – telling only part, but not the whole truth.
8. Thoughts of strife, discord, or offense. James 3:16.
9. Erratic thoughts out of nowhere creating self-doubt or doubts about others.
10. Compulsive desires to binge eat, to lust, to overwork, to overdo whatever. The Holy Spirit gives self-control.
11. Overcompensating in some way.
12. Constant worry thoughts.
13. Lust. Thoughts about illicit sex/ homosexuality/ compulsion to view pornography.
14. Gossip. Having to repeat salacious tales about others…can become an obsessive habit.
15. Sudden distrust in people that have given you no reason to distrust them.
16. Accusing thoughts about yourself.
17. Accusing thoughts about others.
18. Compulsive, uncontrolled anger.
19. Disunity. Seeking to pit one person against another. Seeking to create doubt about a person or group. Galatians 5:20 – variance, disputes, quarreling. Romans 1:29 – debate, quarreling.
20. Thoughts of compromise with the flesh and known sinful things.
21. Overwhelming panicky emotions. (Panic attacks)
22. Self-doubt.
23. Thoughts that nobody loves me, nobody cares about me.
24. Excessive pride in looks, work, church activity. Excessively wanting to be seen, known, heard…
25. Rigidity – (spiritual) a compulsion to be overly strict when grace should be given.
26. Feelings of loneliness and detachment.
27. Thoughts that you do not fit in anywhere.
28. Judgmental, angry thoughts about others.
29. Thoughts that question God’s love, faithfulness, and Word.
30. Selfish thoughts – Why didn’t they include me/ Why was I left out.
31. Thoughts like – You/they don’t care about me.
32. Hopelessness. Nothing will get better/improve.
33. Lack of ability to focus.
34. Lack of desire to read the Word/pray/ attend church.
35. Thoughts of isolation.
36. Thoughts and feelings of panic.
37. Over-religiousness – spiritual involvement to the neglect of personal needs, family, friends, work, etc.
38. Duplicity – Acting one way in public, another way in private.
39. Suicidal thoughts.
40. Compulsion to drink, smoke marijuana, and use drugs.
(SCROLL DOWN TO PG 7, 8/14/2024 FOR TONIGHT’S NOTES)
Face the Future with Faith!
7.17.2024 (part 1)
7.24.2024 (part 2)
7.31.2024 (Part 3)
8.14.2024 (Part 4)
Foundations
As world conditions deteriorate, now is the time to build your faith in God’s Word.
1 John 5:4 (NKJV)
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
World:
1 John 5:19 (NKJV)
We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
John 14:30 (NKJV)
I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.
2 Corinthians 4:4 (NKJV)
Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
1 John 5:4 (BBE)
Anything which comes from God is able to overcome the world: and the power by which we have overcome the world is our faith.
1 John 5:4 (CEV)
Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory.
1 John 5:4 (GW)
Because everyone who has been born from God has won the victory over the world. Our faith is what wins the victory over the world.
1 John 5:4 (NLT)
For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.
Jesus gave you faith when you were born again! Don’t think you don’t have it because you do!
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Romans 12:3 (NKJV)
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Romans 12:3 (WNT)
For through the authority graciously given to me I warn every individual among you not to value himself unduly, but to cultivate sobriety of judgment in accordance with the amount of faith which God has allotted to each one.
We all have the same measure of faith given to us when we come to Jesus.
It is up to us to do something with what God gives us!
Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Rick Renner( Sparkling Gems)
“A verse that really helped me back in those days—and that still helps me today—is Hebrews 11:6. It says, “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him [God]….” The word “without” is the Greek word choris, a word that means to be outside of something—like outside the city limits or outside the house, as opposed to inside the city or inside the house. It should actually be translated, “But outside of faith….” This word describes faith as a location—a place where you can live “in” or live “out” of. The Greek literally means, “But outside of the place of faith, it is impossible to please Him….” Furthermore, the word “please” is the Greek word euarestesai, a compound of the words eu and arestos. The word eu means well, as in something that is well—and the word arestos means enjoyable or pleasing. Together they describe the pleasure one feels from seeing something that is especially excellent or delightful. So when you take all these different meanings into account, Hebrews 11: 6 can be translated: “Outside of the realm of faith, it is impossible to bring delight and pleasure to God.…” The flip side to this statement is that when you are living “in” a place of faith—that is, if you are where God has called you and doing what God has asked you to do—you bring pleasure to the Lord.”
— Sparkling Gems from the Greek Vol. 2: 365 New Gems To Equip And Empower You For Victory Every Day Of The Year by Rick Renner
https://a.co/2jvYDMg
Faith is developed two ways: learning the Word, and then exercising it against the circumstances of life.
Romans 10:17 (NKJV)
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Faith in God means faith in His Word!
If I say I have faith in God in a particular situation, I must ask myself what scriptures am I believing in as I trust God.
Faith comes through the knowledge of God’s Word.
The more Word you know, the greater your capacity for faith.
Faith must also have resistance to grow, just like a muscle. So when negative things happen, learn to go to God’s Word and act like it is true!
James 1:22 (NKJV)
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
James 1:23-25 (NKJV)
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
Start 7.24.2024
There is no faith in God that is not directly attached to His Word!
In some places there is an emphasis on the presence of God. We want the presence. But you cannot put faith in a feeling. Faith MUST be in God and in His Word.
Matthew 24:35 (NKJV)
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
Isaiah 55:8-11 (NKJV)
For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
The only stable thing in the world is what God has said!
As conditions deteriorate in our nation and worldwide, we have a stabilizing factor in our lives with the Word of God!
I remember that when I came to Christ in 1976, the world was in chaos way back then. Inflation was high, gas prices were escalating as we had long lines at the gas stations. Businesses were laying people off. In the middle of all of this I was getting acquainted with God and His Word!
Isaiah 33:6 (NKJV)
Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; the fear of the LORD is His treasure.
God and His Word, when added to any equation of need, equals a miracle of provision from Him!
Miracles happen when people trust God in faith.
Just think of Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Daniel, David: Miracles happened! God provided. Needs were met. Healing came. Provision came. Protection came. All because of faith in what God said!
Hebrews 11:32-40 (NLT)
How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. 33 By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. 35 Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. 36 Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. 37 Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. 38 They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. 39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. 40 For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.
Faith is what is going to navigate you through the things that are coming!
Get your faith ready!
Can you face a situation that looks and feels bad and believe that God will heal, or provide, or solve the problem when it doesn’t look or feel like it ?
We are the touch and feel generation.
We are the sensory generation. We want to see. We want to feel. We want to experience.
Notice what Jesus said to Thomas:
John 20:24-29 (NKJV)
Seeing and Believing
24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Read and meditate the Word!
Start 7/31/2024
Believing right now that you receive answers to your prayers.
Faith is the key to overcoming the pressure and needs that life brings your way!
What kind of faith do you have?
John 20:27-29
27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Thomas’ faith only believes when it sees it.
Do you believe only when you see?
Can you believe when it seems like it is not working, or do you have to have the proof first?
If so, you will be at a disadvantage when tough things are here.
Abraham’s kind of faith
Romans 4:17-21 (NKJV)
17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
Abraham’s faith that can believe when it looks like it is not happening. Can you?
Can you hold steady on God’s Word alone when you have a need?
Can you wait expectantly and joyfully when it looks like God is doing nothing?
2 Corinthians 4:18 (NKJV)
While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Thomas’ faith only believes when it sees it. Do you believe only when you see?
Can you believe and be excited about what God has promised to do for you when it seems like it isn’t working?
Start right now with small things and exercise faith!
Faith is believing right now that you receive what God has promised you and that He is answering your prayers.
Faith is the key to overcoming the pressure and needs that life brings your way!
God does not respond to need. He responds to faith!
Smith Wigglesworth Quote
There is something about believing God that will cause God to pass over a million people just to get to you.
Start 8.14.2024
When praying for certain things personally, it’s important to remember that faith is always past or present tense. To cooperate with the Lord, keep your tenses right!
You can’t receive in the present by talking or thinking in the future.
Faith is never future tense!
It is past or present tense.
If you’re just hoping that one day in the future things will be different, you’ll not receive from the Lord. It’s not hoping one day in the future that things will be different, but it’s believing that God has already answered, or is answering your prayer that brings results!
Hebrews 11:1(NKJV)
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 (AMPC)
NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation,the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
Hebrews 11:1 (NCV)
Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.
You can’t receive by faith in the present by talking or thinking in the future.
Dr. J. Oswald Sanders quote:
Faith enables the believing soul to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen.
Faith is a confident expectation…
Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Substance – Greek – Hupostasis – Hupo = under, stasis = a standing
A standing under, that which stands, or is set, under, a foundation. Used in the technical sense of a title deed, standing under the claim to the property to support its validity.
Evidence
Something that furnishes or tends to furnish proof; that which supports the existence of something.
Examples:
Footprints on the shoreline
A wake following a ship
A white streak in the sky
Toys scattered in the yard of a home – kid lives there!
Faith looks at what is real but can’t be seen with the physical eye.
You want to know that you are saved from sin and going to heaven. Faith says you are saved if you do what God says, even if you don’t feel like you are!
Faith says you are forgiven even when you don’t feel it.
You need healing for your body, and faith says it is yours while the pain is still there.
You have a financial need, and faith says the need is met when it looks like the money is not there.
Everything exists in 2 realms – first the spiritual, then the physical!
2 Kings 6:15-17 (NKJV)
And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
You believe that what God promised is yours right now!
It must be past or present tense…
Example – Loan for current property
Had to believe I receive for 2 months….
Notice what God said to Joshua…
Joshua 6:1-2 (NKJV)
Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. 2 And the Lord said to Joshua: See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.
God spoke to them in the past tense about Jericho. The walls were still up. Yet God had promised that the city was already theirs!
To Abram
Genesis 17:5 (NKJV)
No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.
Romans 4:17 (NKJV)
(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed — God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.
Jesus spoke in the past tense when praying for Lazarus to be raised!
John 11:41 (NKJV)
Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.”
God does not respond to need. He responds to faith!
Smith Wigglesworth quote:
There is something about believing God that will cause God to pass over a million people just to get to you.
The woman in Mark 5 had a female issue for 12 years and simply touched Jesus in FAITH. And she was healed. A lot of people were touching Him at the time, but it was the touch of faith that made the difference.
Kenneth Hagin quote:
If Satan can keep you in the arena of thought, he will whip you, and whip you badly. But if you can keep him in the arena of faith, you will defeat him in every challenge.
Your enemy can outthink you, but if you keep him in the faith arena, he has nothing that can defeat you if you will stand.
1 Timothy 6:12 (NKJV)
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV)
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NLT)
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
I learned this first in my late teens when I came to Jesus. I had been in church for almost 18 years! Did not know this!
Believing you receive what you have asked for from the Lord before you see or feel it is the key to receiving from Him!
Mark 11:24 (NKJV)
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
I will come back to this.
You may be facing a huge crisis right now.
Faith, believing that you receive, is the ingredient that will get you through it.
Many speak of faith as an abstract – it’s somewhat nebulous and innocuous. As if faith is just something you have to help you grunt through life, but it doesn’t change anything.
But faith is a force that comes from your spiritual life that will bring you through the toughest things that life brings your way!
Notice the role that faith had in Jesus’ ministry:
Mark 9:14-23 (NLT)
When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them. 15 When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him. 16 “What is all this arguing about?” Jesus asked. 17 One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. 18 And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”19 Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20 So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. 21 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy. 22 The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” 23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”
Mark 9:23 (NKJV)
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
Matthew 8:5-13 (NLT)
A Roman Officer Demonstrates Faith
When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, 6 “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” 7 Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! 11 And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. 12 But many Israelites — those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.
Matthew 8:13 (NKJV)
Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.”
Matthew 9:18-26 (NLT)
Jesus Heals a Bleeding Woman and Restores a Girl to Life
As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. “My daughter has just died,” he said, “but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her.” 19 So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him. 20 Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, 21 for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 22 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment. 23 When Jesus arrived at the official’s home, he saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music. 24 “Get out!” he told them. “The girl isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” But the crowd laughed at him. 25 After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up! 26 The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside.
Matthew 9:22 (NKJV)
But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
Matthew 9:27-29 (NKJV)
When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” 28 And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”
Impossible situations turn around when faith is exercised.
Don’t settle for less than God’s best!
Faith always receives right now what God promises!
When praying for certain things personally, it’s important to remember that faith is never future tense.
Faith is always past or present tense.
Hope is future tense.
To cooperate with the Lord and receive from Him, keep your tenses right!
If you’re just hoping that one day in the future things will be different, you’ll not receive from the Lord.
It’s not hoping one day in the future that things will be different, but it’s believing that God has already answered, or is answering your prayer, that brings results!
Notice what Jesus said about praying in faith in Mark 11:22-24:
Mark 11:22-24 (NKJV)
So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them..
This next verse has simply revolutionized how I have lived my life.
Mark 11:24 (NKJV)
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
Question some have – I would be lying if I said I have something and I don’t have it.
You’re not saying you have it; you are saying you believe you receive it. There’s a big difference.
Mark 11:24 (AMPC)
For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].
Mark 11:24 (NCV)
So I tell you to believe that you have received the things you ask for in prayer, and God will give them to you.
Mark 11:24 (GW)
That’s why I tell you to have faith that you have already received whatever you pray for, and it will be yours.
Mark 11:24 (ESV)
I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.
Mark 11:24 (CJB)
Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, trust that you are receiving it, and it will be yours.
Mark 11:24 (BBE)
For this reason I say to you, Whatever you make a request for in prayer, have faith that it has been given to you, and you will have it.
Hebrews 11:1 (NCV)
Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.
Dr. J. Oswald Sanders Quote:
Faith enables the believing soul to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen.
Declare the end from the beginning!
Isaiah 46:9-10 (AMPC)
[Earnestly] remember the former things, [which I did] of old; for I am God, and there is no one else; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end and the result from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure and purpose,
Are you willing to declare the end from the beginning?
Call those things that do not exist as though they did!
Romans 4:17 (NKJV)
(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;
Romans 4:18-21 (NKJV)
who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
Speak and act as though you believe you have what you have asked God for.
If you are depressed, weighed down, feeling low, ask God to set you free from it, and then believe you receive and say you believe you receive while the feelings are still there.
If you are believing for healing, pray, then start acting and praising and thanking God as though you were healed already, even before the symptoms stop.
Don’t ignore the problem. Speak God’s Word in the face of the problem!
If you are believing for finances, then pray, believe you receive, and act like, talk like, and praise and thank God like you already had what you asked for!
If you are believing for a job, act like, talk like, and praise and thank God like you already had what you asked for.
Examples of faith receiving right now:
Joshua
Joshua 6:1-2 (NKJV)
Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. 2 And the Lord said to Joshua: See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.
God spoke to them in the past tense about Jericho. The walls were still up. Yet God had promised that the city was already theirs!
Abraham
Genesis 12:1-3 (NKJV)
Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 17:5 (NKJV)
No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.
God changed Abram’s name to Abraham! ‘Exalted father’ became “father of a multitude.” He and Sarah had zero children when God changed his name!
Romans 4:17 (NKJV)
(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed — God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.
Jesus spoke in the past tense when praying for Lazarus to be raised!
John 11:39-44 (NKJV)
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”
Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”
Faith is a fight!
1 Timothy 6:12 (NKJV)
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Fight – Greek – agœnízomai:
to struggle, literally (to compete for a prize), figuratively (to contend with an adversary)
The fight is to defy negative thoughts and feelings when it looks like it isn’t working.
Make it your habit every day, after you pray and ask, to say out loud what you believe!
Action Points:
- Am I willing to pray and to believe that I receive what I pray for right now?
- Am I willing to talk and act like I believe I receive the answer before any changes come?
- Am I willing to fight negative thoughts and feelings even when it looks like nothing has changed?
Whose Faith Do You Really Have?
In your lifetime, if you haven’t already, you will experience a major crisis of faith. Whether it be a death in the family, an unexpected crisis, etc. Suddenly the beliefs that made sense yesterday are no longer relevant today, and our faith feels flimsy and fake.
When facing a faith crisis you will be either heading for a breakthrough or a breakdown
Today we will talk about having a personal faith in God, and is it authentically yours or could it be someone else’s that you’re living vicariously through?
How many of you can relate? Either you are currently having a faith crisis or have had one in the past?
There may be a time in your life when your faith in God will need to not only carry you, but others as well during hardships. Is your faith and relationship with God strong enough and grounded in His Word to do so?
Ryan and Josh Shook said in their book Firsthand: “What we thought was our faith wasn’t ours at all. Not completely. Mostly it belonged to our parents. Some of it belonged to the youth pastor or our friends. Sure, some of it was real for us too. But a lot of it wasn’t. Our faith was something we had inherited, and it felt like it was not originally intended for us. That wasn’t our parents’ fault. Or the youth pastor’s. Or the church’s.”
Piggyback Faith
Hand-me-down faith is more like clothes you wear when you get your older brother or sister’s hand-me-down clothes. You wear it when you need to, but in reality it’s not really yours.
Your faith and relationship with God is the same. It’s something you wear when you’re at church or with church friends, but in actuality, it’s not authentically yours!
It’s called “Piggyback Faith.”
As a kid, it’s normal for a parent to give piggyback rides around the house and out in public. But as a person becomes older, it’s not so normal. It’s actually really weird.
Piggyback faith is confusing a close relationship with someone you look up to, such as a parent, grandparent, pastor, youth pastor, mentor, even a spouse who has a close relationship with God, with actually being close to God yourself.
Biblical Examples of “Piggyback Faith
Solomon did not follow his faith as his father David did. He had 700 wives, 300 servant girls, and started worshiping other gods to appease his wives.
I Kings 11:4-6 (NLT)
In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David, had been. 5 Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 In this way, Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; he refused to follow the Lord completely, as his father, David, had done.”
Some of us are riding on the coattails of our senior pastor, spiritual leaders, or people we look up to here at Victory.
We may copy everything they do, how they worship, how they see the Bible but never branch out and have our own relationship and experiences with God in a way that’s authentically ours.
Some of us think that if I worship God how others worship or do the same things they do, I’ll have the same relationship with God that they have. That’s completely false. It’s ok to gleam from others, but in reality God is wanting to speak to you and you alone.
Do you have a relationship with certain people that you have an inside joke with, that only you and that other person know? God wants to have inside jokes or personal experiences only with you that no one else gets
He desires for you to have your own experiences with Him, and it may look completely different than any other person you look up to.
Paul and Demas
2 Tim. 4:10 (NLT)
Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia.
LASB notes: Paul was virtually alone and probably lonely. No one had come to his trial to speak in his defense (4:16), and Demas had left the faith (4:10). Crescens and Titus had left, but not for the same reasons as Demas. Paul did not criticize or condemn them. Demas had been one of Paul’s coworkers (Colossians 4:14; Philemon 1:24), but he had deserted Paul because he “loves the things of this life.”
As you see, people that are with you in your life will leave and desert you at some point or another.
If, and when that happens, how will your relationship with God respond? Will you fall away or stand strong in your faith? Or can you look back on your life and see how you responded in the past and how it’s affected your walk with God now?
A handed-down faith that you’ve never owned or experienced for yourself doesn’t give meaning to your life. It will not get you through the crises that come from time to time in life.
You might sort of wear it like clothing when someone casually asks you about your faith, but it doesn’t say much about who you are as a person.
A question that everyone needs to ask themselves: “Could I be living someone else’s faith?”
You are more apt to care and nurture something that is completely yours. This includes your spiritual walk with God.
Piggyback faith doesn’t get inside your life or change anything about you.
Firsthand faith is centered deep in your own mind and heart. Sure, it requires some time, work, and effort but it’s yours, and it’s you!
Statistics:
60% of young people who were active in church as teenagers failed to translate that into an active spiritual commitment during their early adulthood.
89% of high schoolers claim to be affiliated with some religion in some way.
The number dropped to 75% once they got into their twenties.
So as you see, Piggyback Faith doesn’t get you very far.
Maybe you’re in your teens, 20’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, or 70’s and you still have piggyback faith, living off of someone else’s faith.
Today is the day to be a man, be a woman and venture into your own authentic relationship with God that is completely yours.
Let HIM speak to you Himself in a way that you know is Him.
How does God speak? His Word. If you’re not daily reading His word, you are not going to hear from Him.
Heb. 4:12 (NLT)
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
Psalm 119:105 (NLT)
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
2 Tim. 3:16-17 (NLT)
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
Jer. 15:16 (NLT)
When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.
Just because God speaks one way to someone and speaks differently to another does not make one person more spiritual than another.
Parents, are we hindering our children or grandchildren from experiencing God for themselves?
Are we cramming religion down their throats to the point they are repulsed?
How can you effectively let your children and grandchildren have their own experience with God?
Their experience is not going to look like yours! Why? Because God has a tailored purpose for them and for you. They may have to learn the hard way….but it’ll be real for them in the end.
Questions that everyone should ask themselves:
- Can I stand firm in my faith when the storms of life hit unexpectedly?
- If a financial crisis occurred unexpectedly, would my faith be affected?
- What can I do NOW to prepare my faith for when a crisis hits?
- How can I develop my own personal faith to make sure it’s authentically mine?
Before you can get where you want to go, you’ve got to first start where you are!
Psalm 119:29 (NLT)
Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions.
Keep me from a fake relationship with God with no substance and truth.
How do you know that your faith is authentic?
By the fruit you bear:
Matt. 7:16-20 (NLT)
You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
Fruit of spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
How you love others:
John 13:34-35 (NLT)
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.
Being honest with yourself and examining where you stand in your relationship with God is crucial to having a real meaningful relationship with Him.
How to Make Your Faith Your Own
Personal faith always starts on the inside. Never on the outside.
A.W. Tozer The Pursuit of God:
“For it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself, and unless and until the hearers find God in personal experience they are not the better for having heard the truth. The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.”
John 7:38 (NLT)
Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
What is flowing from within you, and is it alive?
Examine your faith and figure out what’s yours and what’s not. It starts with simply a fresh new relationship with Jesus and finding out who He truly is to you.
God may want to destroy the nice and tidy religion that you’ve pieced together yourself or from your upbringing or your culture.
I dare you to start from scratch and truly find Him and experience Him for the first time!
How personal is God?
Isaiah 49:15-16 (NLT)
I will not forget you. I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.
God, Who created the galaxies and infinite universe, has written your name on the palm of His hands! He knows your darkest secrets, your greatest fears, and unspoken dreams and He’s crazy about you! He cares deeply about every personal detail of your life.
He didn’t just doodle your name on heaven’s scratch pad-He ENGRAVED your name on His skin.
God has a permanent tattoo of your name on His hands!
God didn’t create a secondhand way of relating to us, it has always been personal. I believe He deserves a firsthand relationship from us in return!
How do you find out about someone in history? You read their biography.
Jesus’ biography is found in 4 books in the Bible called: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Best book I’ve read on the evidence of Jesus being who He claimed to be:
More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell
Case For Christ by Lee Strobel
Decide for yourself who Jesus is to you. You can fake it with people, but you can’t fake it with Jesus.
On judgment day, your spouse, parent, grandparent, or friend won’t be standing with you. It will be just you and you alone.
I Thess. 2:4 (NLT)
For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.
Revamping the way you look at God
- Ask God to clear your mind of all preconceived notions you’ve had about Him, to look past shallow, judgmental Christians and superficial religion.
- Ask God to help you look past your bad experiences with church.
- Start with the life of Jesus. Dig into the gospels of what He said and did.
- Tell God you want to find the truth, and ask Him to help you find your way through your doubts and confusion through scripture.
- Ask Him for personal experiences with Him.
2 Cor. 1:24 (NLT)
It is by your own faith that you stand firm.
Once you experience something yourself, no one can tell you anything different.
Question God! He’s not intimidated. Ask Him the hard questions that you’re thinking.
Psalm 34:8 (NLT)
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
How can you share something you’ve never experienced yourself?
See for yourself how good God is. Stop living vicariously through others.
Ask for the blinders to be taken off of your own eyes to see the truth.
2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
A loving God will reveal Himself to those who search for answers.
Half of our problem is that we’re too lazy to search out answers ourselves.
God is more than an idea or a force. He is a God we can actually know personally for ourselves. He is a being that we can have a firsthand relationship with. There is no one to go through to reach Him such as a Pope or Priest….Jesus is our Priest, we go directly to Him!
Hebrews 4:14-16 14 (NLT)
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Starting today, you can begin to make your life with God a very real, very personal, and motivating experience.
That’s the kind of life you were created for, the only kind that lasts and the only kind Jesus came to give!
You Are Redeemed From The Curse!
8.4.2024
Intro
Now is the time to live in what Jesus has made available to you!
Now is the time to live in what Jesus has made available to you!
We can live according to what we see and feel around us, and we can choose to be swayed by every changing circumstance, or we can choose to base our life on the promises of God’s Word!
There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death!
Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (NLT)
Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. 16 For I command you this day to love the LORD your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy. 17 “But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, 18 then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.
19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! 20 You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying Him, and committing yourself firmly to Him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the LORD, you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
There is a law of sin and death working worldwide because of sin.
There is a law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus that can keep you from the normal way things happen in life!
Romans 8:2 (NKJV)
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
This law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus can keep you free and blessed right in the middle of terrible circumstances!
In the law of the spirit of life is freedom from the Curse of the Law!
In Galatians 3, Paul calls the law of sin and death the curse of the law!
Galatians 3:13-14 (NKJV)
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Galatians 3:28-29 (NKJV)
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
The law is referring to the first 5 books of the Bible we call the Pentateuch.
As you read through those books you find that there are primarily 3 curses that come upon the human race as a result of breaking God’s law and they are spiritual death, poverty, and sickness.
We are redeemed from Spiritual Death, Poverty, and Sickness!
Let’s look at the three individually.
1. We are redeemed from Spiritual Death!
Remember that God told the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, that they would die if they disobeyed Him.
Genesis 2:15-17 (NKJV)
Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Or, in dying you will die. That is, in dying spiritually, you will die physically.
Three kinds of death came upon all of humanity: Spiritual Death, Physical Death, and the Second Death.
Spiritual Death is separation from God.
Romans 5:12 (NKJV)
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.
Romans 3:23 (NKJV)
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 6:23 (NKJV)
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jeremiah 17:9 (NKJV)
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?
Psalms 51:5 (NKJV)
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.
Physical Death is the separation of the spirit and the soul from the body.
We die physically because of spiritual death.
Ezekiel 18:4 (NKJV)
Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die.
The spirit and soul comprise the inner man or person. At death the spirit and soul leave the body.
The Second Death.
Revelation 20:13-15 (NKJV)
The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
The Second Death is eternal separation from God, with no way of escape!
We are redeemed from Spiritual Death through the new birth! We are redeemed from the Second Death through the sacrifice of Jesus if we accept it!
John 10:10 (NKJV)
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
John 3:5-8 (NKJV)
Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.
1 Peter 1:23-24 (NKJV)
Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.
In the place of spiritual death, through Jesus we receive spiritual life. The curse of spiritual death is broken!
The very life and nature of God (Greek- Zoe) enters our spirit when we are born again!
The wall that separated us from the Father has been removed, and intimacy with Him becomes possible if we will pursue it!
James 4:8 (NKJV)
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
2. We are redeemed from the curse of poverty!
God created the world and everything in it for mankind! When the first man Adam sinned, a curse came upon the earth. Its once pristine, life-producing, plentiful environment became a harsh climate of pain, lack, need, and death. Jesus Christ came to redeem us from the curse that came when God’s law was breached by man’s sin.
Poverty is part of the curse of God’s broken law!
Jesus came to deliver you from poverty as well as sin and sickness.
Does it make any sense for God to create the earth and then fill it with all the necessities of life with a plan to withhold it from His own children? Of course it doesn’t.
Poverty is part of the curse of a fallen world! And Jesus came to redeem believers in Him from poverty.
2 Corinthians 8:9 (NKJV)
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
When I came to Jesus, I had a poverty mentality.
I didn’t think I was worthy of having much. I had a barely get along mentality. The Word of God revolutionized my beliefs about poverty, lack, and need.
I began to see that God wanted His own people to enjoy the blessings He placed on earth. He does not withhold from His own. My life was transformed. I have found God to be a Father who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
There was a time in my early years that I did not think I was worthy of having much.
I saw myself as poor, beat down, underprivileged, etc. Poverty is a mindset. And until I could see that it really was God’s will for me to be blessed, I kept myself in need by what I thought.
It was a just barely get by mindset. I had to meditate on God’s word about His being my supply, and about His will to abundantly provide before my mindset changed.
Rid yourself of the poverty mentality. Allow God to be the Father He wants to be to you. He wants you to be fully supplied. Trust Him today to free you from the curse of lack. He’s a good, good Father!
Psalm 50:10-12 (NKJV)
For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. (11) I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. (12) If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.
Haggai 2:8 (NKJV)
The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of hosts.
Psalm 24:1 (NKJV)
The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.
Psalm 89:11 (NKJV)
The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all its fullness, You have founded them.
Would it be the will of God to own the world yet not allow His children to have their needs met?
If you have a poverty mindset, realize that Jesus’ death and resurrection set you free from the curse of poverty!
Here are scriptures to meditate on:
Psalm 112 (NLT)
Praise the Lord! How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands. 2 Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed. 3 They themselves will be wealthy, and their good deeds will last forever. 4 Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. 5 Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly. 6 Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered. 7 They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. 8 They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly. 9 They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor. 10 The wicked will see this and be infuriated. They will grind their teeth in anger; they will slink away, their hopes thwarted.
Deuteronomy 8:18 (NKJV)
And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth,
that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
1 Chronicles 29:12 (NKJV)
Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all.
Psalm 84:11-12 (NKJV)
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12 O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!
Psalm 34:8-10 (NKJV)
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (9) Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. (10) The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.
Psalm 33:18-19 (NKJV)
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy,
19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
Psalm 37:18-19 (NKJV)
The Lord knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever. (19) They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
Psalm 111:5 (NKJV)
He has given food to those who fear Him; He will ever be mindful of His covenant.
Isaiah 1:19 (NKJV)
If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;
Proverbs 10:22 (NKJV)
The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.
Proverbs 22:4 (NKJV)
By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.
Proverbs 15:6 (NKJV)
In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but in the revenue of the wicked is trouble.
Matthew 6:33 (NLT)
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
Luke 12:31-32 (NLT)
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.
32 So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.
Romans 8:32 (AMPC)
He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all other things?
Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NLT)
Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.
19 By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.
2 Peter 1:3 (NKJV)
As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
3 John 2 (NKJV)
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
3. We are redeemed from the curse of Sickness!
Sickness is a part of the curse of the broken law!
Jesus broke the curse of spiritual death by providing us a spiritual rebirth through repentance of our sins.
Jesus broke the curse of poverty by taking the curse upon Himself on the cross. We, through His poverty, can be amply provided for!
And, in the place of sickness, we have His health!
1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV)
Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness — by whose stripes you were healed.
We have a legal right before God to walk free from sickness and disease.
Isaiah 53:4-5 (NKJV)
Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses) and carried our sorrows (pains); yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
Healing is part of our inheritance in Christ! It belongs to us!
Healing is available to us just as salvation is available to us!
The same sacrifice of Jesus that brings salvation and forgiveness brings healing to us!
Embrace what Jesus has given to you!
Matthew 9:1-7 (NLT)
Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. 2 Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.” 3 But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?” 4 Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? 6 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
7 And the man jumped up and went home!
Acts 10:38 (NKJV)
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
Matthew 8:16-17 (NKJV)
When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.”
James 5:14-15 (NKJV)
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
Satan does not give up territory easily, and you must be diligent in the Word and stand in faith for the blessings of God to be yours.
Don’t stand for low level fellowship with the Father when Jesus has opened the door wide for intimacy!
Don’t walk in poverty when Jesus has secured your blessing! Act and speak like you believe God’s Word is true!
Don’t permit sickness and disease to reign in your body. Command Satan to keep His hands off of you in the name of Jesus! With His stripes you are healed.
Deuteronomy 28:1-14 (NLT)
If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. 2 You will experience all these blessings if you obey the LORD your God: 3 Your towns and your fields
will be blessed. 4 Your children and your crops will be blessed. The offspring of your herds and flocks will be blessed. 5 Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be blessed. 6 Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed. 7 “The LORD will conquer your enemies when they attack you. They will attack you from one direction, but they will scatter from you in seven!
8 “The LORD will guarantee a blessing on everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. 9 “If you obey the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways, the LORD will establish you as his holy people as he swore he would do. 10 Then all the nations of the world will see that you are a people claimed by the LORD, and they will stand in awe of you. 11 “The LORD will give you prosperity in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, blessing you with many children, numerous livestock, and abundant crops. 12 The LORD will send rain at the proper time from his rich treasury in the heavens and will bless all the work you do. You will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them. 13 If you listen to these commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom. 14 You must not turn away from any of the commands I am giving you today, nor follow after other gods and worship them.
Action Points:
- Are you living as though you are redeemed from spiritual death through the new birth? Are you taking advantage of the fellowship and closeness that you can have with God as your Father?
- Are you fully expecting God to meet your physical and material needs as you seek first the kingdom of God?
- Are you honoring God with your body by keeping it pure from sin and from the effects of sickness? Are you embracing Jesus as your savior and your healer?
Face the Future with Faith!
7.17.2024 (part 1)
7.24.2024 (part 2)
7.31.2024(Part 3)
Foundations
As world conditions deteriorate, now is the time to build your faith in God’s Word.
1 John 5:4 (NKJV)
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
World:
1 John 5:19 (NKJV)
We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
John 14:30 (NKJV)
I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.
2 Corinthians 4:4 (NKJV)
Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
1 John 5:4 (BBE)
Anything which comes from God is able to overcome the world: and the power by which we have overcome the world is our faith.
1 John 5:4 (CEV)
Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory.
1 John 5:4 (GW)
Because everyone who has been born from God has won the victory over the world. Our faith is what wins the victory over the world.
1 John 5:4 (NLT)
For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.
Jesus gave you faith when you were born again! Don’t think you don’t have it because you do!
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Romans 12:3 (NKJV)
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Romans 12:3 (WNT)
For through the authority graciously given to me I warn every individual among you not to value himself unduly, but to cultivate sobriety of judgment in accordance with the amount of faith which God has allotted to each one.
We all have the same measure of faith given to us when we come to Jesus.
It is up to us to do something with what God gives us!
Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Rick Renner( Sparkling Gems)
“A verse that really helped me back in those days—and that still helps me today—is Hebrews 11:6. It says, “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him [God]….” The word “without” is the Greek word choris, a word that means to be outside of something—like outside the city limits or outside the house, as opposed to inside the city or inside the house. It should actually be translated, “But outside of faith….” This word describes faith as a location—a place where you can live “in” or live “out” of. The Greek literally means, “But outside of the place of faith, it is impossible to please Him….” Furthermore, the word “please” is the Greek word euarestesai, a compound of the words eu and arestos. The word eu means well, as in something that is well—and the word arestos means enjoyable or pleasing. Together they describe the pleasure one feels from seeing something that is especially excellent or delightful. So when you take all these different meanings into account, Hebrews 11: 6 can be translated: “Outside of the realm of faith, it is impossible to bring delight and pleasure to God.…” The flip side to this statement is that when you are living “in” a place of faith—that is, if you are where God has called you and doing what God has asked you to do—you bring pleasure to the Lord.”
— Sparkling Gems from the Greek Vol. 2: 365 New Gems To Equip And Empower You For Victory Every Day Of The Year by Rick Renner
https://a.co/2jvYDMg
Faith is developed two ways: learning the Word, and then exercising it against the circumstances of life.
Romans 10:17 (NKJV)
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Faith in God means faith in His Word!
If I say I have faith in God in a particular situation, I must ask myself what scriptures am I believing in as I trust God.
Faith comes through the knowledge of God’s Word.
The more Word you know, the greater your capacity for faith.
Faith must also have resistance to grow, just like a muscle. So when negative things happen, learn to go to God’s Word and act like it is true!
James 1:22 (NKJV)
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
James 1:23-25 (NKJV)
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
Start 7.24.2024
There is no faith in God that is not directly attached to His Word!
In some places there is an emphasis on the presence of God. We want the presence. But you cannot put faith in a feeling. Faith MUST be in God and in His Word.
Matthew 24:35 (NKJV)
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
Isaiah 55:8-11 (NKJV)
For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
The only stable thing in the world is what God has said!
As conditions deteriorate in our nation and worldwide, we have a stabilizing factor in our lives with the Word of God!
I remember that when I came to Christ in 1976, the world was in chaos way back then. Inflation was high, gas prices were escalating as we had long lines at the gas stations. Businesses were laying people off. In the middle of all of this I was getting acquainted with God and His Word!
Isaiah 33:6 (NKJV)
Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; the fear of the LORD is His treasure.
God and His Word, when added to any equation of need, equals a miracle of provision from Him!
Miracles happen when people trust God in faith.
Just think of Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Daniel, David: Miracles happened! God provided. Needs were met. Healing came. Provision came. Protection came. All because of faith in what God said!
Hebrews 11:32-40 (NLT)
How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. 33 By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. 35 Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. 36 Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. 37 Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. 38 They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. 39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. 40 For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.
Faith is what is going to navigate you through the things that are coming!
Get your faith ready!
Can you face a situation that looks and feels bad and believe that God will heal, or provide, or solve the problem when it doesn’t look or feel like it ?
We are the touch and feel generation.
We are the sensory generation. We want to see. We want to feel. We want to experience.
Notice what Jesus said to Thomas:
John 20:24-29 (NKJV)
Seeing and Believing
24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Read and meditate the Word!
Start 7/31/2024
Believing right now that you receive answers to your prayers.
Faith is the key to overcoming the pressure and needs that life brings your way!
What kind of faith do you have?
John 20:27-29
27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Thomas’ faith only believes when it sees it.
Do you believe only when you see?
Can you believe when it seems like it is not working, or do you have to have the proof first?
If so, you will be at a disadvantage when tough things are here.
Abraham’s kind of faith
Romans 4:17-21 (NKJV)
17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
Abraham’s faith that can believe when it looks like it is not happening. Can you?
Can you hold steady on God’s Word alone when you have a need?
Can you wait expectantly and joyfully when it looks like God is doing nothing?
2 Corinthians 4:18 (NKJV)
While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Thomas’ faith only believes when it sees it. Do you believe only when you see?
Can you believe and be excited about what God has promised to do for you when it seems like it isn’t working?
Start right now with small things and exercise faith!
Faith is believing right now that you receive what God has promised you and that He is answering your prayers.
Faith is the key to overcoming the pressure and needs that life brings your way!
God does not respond to need. He responds to faith!
Smith Wigglesworth Quote
There is something about believing God that will cause God to pass over a million people just to get to you.
When praying for certain things personally, it’s important to remember that faith is always past or present tense. To cooperate with the Lord, keep your tenses right!
You can’t receive in the present by talking or thinking in the future.
Faith is never future tense!
It is past or present tense.
If you just hoping that one day in the future things will be different, you’ll not receive from the Lord. It’s not hoping one day in the future that things will be different, but it’s believing that God has already answered, or is answering your prayer that brings results!
Hebrews 11:1(NKJV)
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 (AMP)
NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation,the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
Notice what God said to Joshua…
Joshua 6:1-2
Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. (2) And the Lord said to Joshua: See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.
God spoke to them in the past tense about Jericho. The walls were still up. Yet God had promised that the city was already theirs!
To Abram
Genesis 17:5
No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.
Romans 4:17
(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed — God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.
Jesus spoke in the past tense when praying for Lazarus to be raised!
John 11:41
Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.”
God does not respond to need. He responds to faith!
Smith Wigglesworth Quote
There is something about believing God that will cause God to pass over a million people just to get to you.
The woman in Mark 5 had a female issue for 12 years and simply touched Jesus in FAITH. And she was healed. A lot of people were touching Him at the time, but it was the touch of faith that made the difference.
Kenneth Hagin:
If Satan can keep you in the arena of thought, he will whip you, and whip you badly.But if you can keep him in the arena of faith, you will defeat
him in every challenge.
Your enemy can outthink you, but if you keep him in the faith arena, he has nothing that can defeat you if you will stand.
1 Timothy 6:12 (NKJV)
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV)
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NLT)
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
I learned this first in my late teens when I came to Jesus. I had been in church for almost 18 years! Did not know this!
Believing you receive what you have asked for from the Lord before you see or feel it is the key to receiving from Him!
Mark 11:24 (NKJV)
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
I will come back to this.
You may be facing a huge crisis right now.
Faith, believing that you receive, is the ingredient that will get you through it.
Many speak of faith as an abstract – it’s somewhat nebulous and innocuous. As if faith is just something you have to help you grunt through life, but it doesn’t change anything.
But faith is a force that comes from your spiritual life that will bring you through the toughest things that life brings your way!
Notice the role that faith had in Jesus’ ministry:
Mark 9:14-23 (NLT)
When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them. 15 When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him. 16 “What is all this arguing about?” Jesus asked. 17 One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. 18 And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”19 Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20 So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. 21 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy. 22 The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” 23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”
Mark 9:23 (NKJV)
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
Matthew 8:5-13 (NLT)
A Roman Officer Demonstrates Faith
When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, 6 “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” 7 Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! 11 And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. 12 But many Israelites — those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.
Matthew 8:13 (NKJV)
Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.”
Matthew 9:18-26 (NLT)
Jesus Heals a Bleeding Woman and Restores a Girl to Life
As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. “My daughter has just died,” he said, “but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her.” 19 So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him. 20 Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, 21 for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 22 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment. 23 When Jesus arrived at the official’s home, he saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music. 24 “Get out!” he told them. “The girl isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” But the crowd laughed at him. 25 After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up! 26 The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside.
Matthew 9:22 (NKJV)
But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
Matthew 9:27-29 (NKJV)
When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” 28 And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”
Impossible situations turn around when faith is exercised.
Don’t settle for less than God’s best!
Faith always receives right now what God promises!
When praying for certain things personally, it’s important to remember that faith is never future tense.
Faith is always past or present tense.
Hope is future tense.
To cooperate with the Lord and receive from Him, keep your tenses right!
If you’re just hoping that one day in the future things will be different, you’ll not receive from the Lord.
It’s not hoping one day in the future that things will be different, but it’s believing that God has already answered, or is answering your prayer, that brings results!
Notice what Jesus said about praying in faith in Mark 11:22-24:
Mark 11:22-24 (NKJV)
So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them..
This next verse has simply revolutionized how I have lived my life.
Mark 11:24 (NKJV)
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
Question some have – I would be lying if I said I have something and I don’t have it.
You’re not saying you have it; you are saying you believe you receive it. There’s a big difference.
Mark 11:24 (AMPC)
For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].
Mark 11:24 (NCV)
So I tell you to believe that you have received the things you ask for in prayer, and God will give them to you.
Mark 11:24 (GW)
That’s why I tell you to have faith that you have already received whatever you pray for, and it will be yours.
Mark 11:24 (ESV)
I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.
Mark 11:24 (CJB)
Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, trust that you are receiving it, and it will be yours.
Mark 11:24 (BBE)
For this reason I say to you, Whatever you make a request for in prayer, have faith that it has been given to you, and you will have it.
Hebrews 11:1 (NCV)
Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.
Dr. J. Oswald Sanders Quote:
Faith enables the believing soul to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen.
Declare the end from the beginning!
Isaiah 46:9-10 (AMPC)
[Earnestly] remember the former things, [which I did] of old; for I am God, and there is no one else; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end and the result from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure and purpose,
Are you willing to declare the end from the beginning?
Call those things that do not exist as though they did!
Romans 4:17 (NKJV)
(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;
Romans 4:18-21 (NKJV)
who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
Speak and act as though you believe you have what you have asked God for.
If you are depressed, weighed down, feeling low, ask God to set you free from it, and then believe you receive and say you believe you receive while the feelings are still there.
If you are believing for healing, pray, then start acting and praising and thanking God as though you were healed already, even before the symptoms stop.
Don’t ignore the problem. Speak God’s Word in the face of the problem!
If you are believing for finances, then pray, believe you receive, and act like, talk like, and praise and thank God like you already had what you asked for!
If you are believing for a job, act like, talk like, and praise and thank God like you already had what you asked for.
Examples of faith receiving right now:
Joshua
Joshua 6:1-2 (NKJV)
Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. 2 And the Lord said to Joshua: See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.
God spoke to them in the past tense about Jericho. The walls were still up. Yet God had promised that the city was already theirs!
Abraham
Genesis 12:1-3 (NKJV)
Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 17:5 (NKJV)
No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.
God changed Abram’s name to Abraham! ‘Exalted father’ became “father of a multitude.” He and Sarah had zero children when God changed his name!
Romans 4:17 (NKJV)
(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed — God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.
Jesus spoke in the past tense when praying for Lazarus to be raised!
John 11:39-44 (NKJV)
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”
Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”
Faith is a fight!
1 Timothy 6:12 (NKJV)
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Fight – Greek – agœnízomai:
to struggle, literally (to compete for a prize), figuratively (to contend with an adversary)
The fight is to defy negative thoughts and feelings when it looks like it isn’t working.
Make it your habit every day, after you pray and ask, to say out loud what you believe!
Action Points:
- Am I willing to pray and to believe that I receive what I pray for right now?
- Am I willing to talk and act like I believe I receive the answer before any changes come?
- Am I willing to fight negative thoughts and feelings even when it looks like nothing has changed?
Refuse to Worry!
7.28.2024
Notice what Jesus said about worry:
Matthew 6:25-34 (NLT)
That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? (26) Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? (27) Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? (28) “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? (31) “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ (32) These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. (33) Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. (34) “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
2 Corinthians 2:11 (NKJV)
lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Advantage
— Sparkling Gems From the Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God’s Word by Rick Renner
https://a.co/fdrDqWH
“Paul clearly understood that Satan was constantly seeking ways to take advantage of people. The word “advantage” in this verse is the Greek word pleonekteo. This word means to outwit; to trick; or to take advantage of someone through some sinister or sneaky means. It is a compound of the word pleon, which means more, and the word echo, which means to have. Together, these words form the word pleonekto, which denotes a desire to have more, more, and more. It is a form of the word pleonexia, the Greek word for greediness. In this case in Second Corinthians 2: 11, it pictures someone whose lust for something is so intense that he will take any actions required to obtain what he wants.”
Ignorant
— Sparkling Gems From the Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God’s Word by Rick Renner
https://a.co/09TPynZ
“The word “ignorant” in Second Corinthians 2: 11 is the Greek word agnoeo, and it refers to one’s ignorance or lack of certain facts. However, it also includes making mistakes or errors due to a lack of understanding. It is the picture of an uneducated person who, due to a lack of knowledge, is prone to arrive at mistaken conclusions. The word agnoeo depicts someone who is in the dark or without a clue. Because this person lacks understanding, his conclusions are faulty, erroneous, and misguided. This is where we get the word agnostic, the official name used to describe individuals who claim they don’t know what they believe. So when someone claims to be agnostic, he is literally claiming to be ignorant!”
Devices – schemings
“Schemings of the mind”
— Sparkling Gems From the Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God’s Word by Rick Renner
https://a.co/j0uA6Fk
“The word devices is the Greek word noemata, derived from the word nous. The word nous is the word for the mind or the intellect. However, when the word nous becomes the word noemata, it describes a mind that is scheming, calculating, conniving, devious, shrewd, sly, or clever. This is very significant because it alerts us to the reality that Satan isn’t just hoping to hinder us; he is incessantly scheming and conniving to injure or deliberately mess up a person’s plans, health, marriage, business, and family. The enemy doesn’t really care how he accomplishes his evil plan; he just wants to find ways to ruin whatever that person holds dear. Thus, the word noemata denotes Satan’s insidious, malevolent plot to attack and victimize human beings, clearly demonstrating that the devil loves to captivate and ultimately destroy human beings. If this devilish process is not aborted by the power of God, it is only a matter of time before Satan puts the last touches on his plan to take captive a person, family, church, ministry, business, organization, or even an entire nation!”
Ephesians 6:11 (NKJV)
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Wiles
g3180. μεθοδεία methodeia; from a compound of 3326 and 3593 (compare “method”); travelling over, i.e. travesty (trickery): — wile, lie in wait.
“With a road”
1 Peter 5:5-8 (NKJV)
Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Care
merimna; from 3307 (through the idea of distraction)
care, anxiety
(Olive Tree Enhanced Strong’s Dictionary)
to divide to separate into parts, cut into piecesto divide into parties, i.e. be split into factions
1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Sober –
nēphō – Free from intoxicants.
“Be free from mental intoxication.”
Philippians 4:6 (PHILLIPS)
Don’t worry over anything whatever; tell God every detail of your needs in earnest and thankful prayer, and the peace of God which transcends human understanding, will keep constant guard over your hearts and minds as they rest in Christ Jesus.
Quotes:
Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow (Swedish Proverb).
Worry is a futile thing; it’s somewhat like a rocking chair. Although it keeps you occupied, it doesn’t get you anywhere (Anonymous).
It has been well said that our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength (Charles H. Spurgeon).
Worry affects the circulation, the heart, the glands, the whole nervous system, and profoundly affects the health. You have never known a man who died from overwork, but many who died from doubt (Charles W. Mayo, M.D.).
Bacteria and other microorganisms find it easier to infect people who worry and fret (Leo Rangell).
Proverbs 14:30 (AMPC)
A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones.
Who Switched Off My Brain – Dr. Caroline Leaf
Research shows that around 87% of illnesses can be attributed to our thought life, and approximately 13% to diet, genetics and environment.
Studies conclusively link more chronic diseases (also known as lifestyle diseases) to an epidemic of toxic emotions in our culture. These toxic emotions can cause migraines, hypertension, strokes, cancer, skin problems, diabetes, infections and allergies, just to name a few.
p. 5
Studies also point to a direct correlation between anxiety/fear and heart palpitations, irritable bowel syndrome, tension headaches and heart problems.
Quite simply, there is no longer any doubt that what and how you think affect your emotional and physical state. The mind and body are integrally connected.
Freedom From worry comes when I decide that I will take God at His Word and choose to trust God and His promises which I sometimes cannot see or feel.
Notice what the word says about worry:
Proverbs 3:5-8 (MSG)
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. 6 Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. 7 Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! 8 Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life!
Psalm 37:5 (AMPC)
Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass.
Psalm 55:22 (AMPC)
Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).
Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NKJV)
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose confidence is in the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and it does not fear when heat comes; for its leaves remain green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, for it does not fail to yield fruit.
Proverbs 16: 3 (AMPC)
Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.
Matthew 11:28-30 (AMPC)
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. 30 For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good — not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.
1 Peter 5:7 (AMPC)
Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns,once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.