For most of my motherhood years it's been a challenge to spend time reading my Bible. I don't know why, but I just couldn't seem to make it happen that often. I tried and tried, but quiet alone time with God didn't happen much. I was praying throughout the day, going to church, maybe reading books or articles online that were Christian and edifying. I sang praise songs on my own and was hungry for the Word, and lived according to it as best I could, but not studying it a lot myself.
I've been wanting to change this for quite awhile, but always found excuses. I still continued to progress in my understanding of it God's Word and Him, but it got to the point that hearing it preached just wasn't enough. I had to feed myself.
Early this month I was listening to two ministers and they were talking about putting God's Word first, which I've heard MANY times. However, they were both saying that most people try to fit God into their lives, in their daily schedules, which means it doesn't happen or isn't quality. They said you have to put it first and arrange your life around it. That really clicked for me. They also related their own experiences of putting Him and His Word first place, and how all the other things they needed to do somehow got done. And when they tried skipping their daily dose of the Word, somehow the work got bigger and didn't get done!
I made the decision that I would do whatever I had to do to get this going in my life. One of the main issues was, if I got up early, and turned a light on in the living room, a child would wake up and no more quiet time. I also really like to drink some coffee to wake up, and messing around in the kitchen is also disturbing to children's sleep and hard to do when you're barely awake. So, God fixed it for me :)
We had rearranged the living room so that I now had a chair and a side table with lamp in the corner so that with the door shut to children's rooms, they wouldn't notice the light. I didn't think about how we did it until I was trying to figure out a way to get up early. Oh! That would work. Also, my parents gave me and Matt a Keurig coffee maker, so that all I have to do is put a k-cupp thingie in there and push a button and in about a minute the coffee is ready! Awesome, didn't even think about that. The Lord knew my heart and was setting it up for me.
So I started getting up at 5:30 and spending an hour praying and reading the Word. The cool thing is that this was no longer a difficult thing to do. This seemed so vital to me that it wasn't a hardship to get up. I have gotten to the point where I craved it. Now, of course there's the issue with going to bed early. This doesn't happen a lot, and so after 2-3 days I get up a little later, like 6 and have a shorter time. Today, since I unintentionally stayed up till 12:30 am (watching Ben-Hur, lost track of time!!!) I got up at 6:30. It's ok though, because it really is a habit, and it really is something I have to have.
Awhile back I was listening to a preacher talk about being in a meeting, and there was a lady behind him that was just saying constantly, "Oh this delicous! Oh the Word is delicious!" and he and his wife got tickled about it. But I get it now. I have found that the more time I spend in His Word, the more wonderful it becomes. It literally feels like life being poured into me. Hearing the Word being preached at church or through someone I'm listening to, actually feels like eating a most delicious juicy ripe fruit, or a juicy steak, or a hot buttered corn on the cob from the garden. This is so funny, but it really is the truth.
"How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Psalm 119:103
'But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know."' John 4:32
"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst ..." John 6:35
This is so true, I have found out for myself. I'm not bragging on myself or anything, but I know what His Word says, and I am expecting to be rewarded and for His favor, and He has given it. I'm not saying that the days don't have challenges, they do, but He has enabled me to do things on limited sleep because I've sacrificed what my natural body was wanting to gain strength for my spiritual man.
"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. " Hebrews 11:16
God wants to bless us and reward us, here on earth, not just in heaven. We need it here! I am walking by faith that if I am diligent in putting Him first, He will take care of my needs and desires.
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Matthew 6:33
Here's a real life example. Last week, somehow we lost track of some of our bank transactions, and it looked like we were going to have a transaction go through with not enough money in the account. So, we would have gone in the red and the bank would charge us overdraft fees. Normally, we would borrow some cash from a family member or something, and pay them back on the next paycheck, to make sure there was enough in the back to keep it from overdrafting.
But I didn't want to do that and neither did my husband. So, what are the choices? While it may have been our fault for losing track of the spending, it certainly wasn't intentional, and we had used some extra money to bless others that week. Well, I believe what the Bible says about sowing and reaping, and that by sowing tithes and offerings into the kingdom of God, we will reap a harvest back in the same form, which was money. So, we just gave the care to God, and stood on His promises. These are the ones we stood on:
"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19
"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7
"Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My
house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not
open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you [such] blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it." Malachi 3:10
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7
There's more, but that's the gist of it. So, we forced ourselves to relax, put our faith in Him and not worry. Whatever happened, we knew He was taking care of us.
This morning Matt showed me our account. Though we had two transactions pending and waiting to go through, and if they did we would have gone into the negative, somehow they didn't, and his weekly paycheck went through first before those other transactions. So, we didn't go in the red, we had more than enough to cover the checks and we got to see how walking in His Word and putting our trust and faith in Him and what He says, does indeed work.
Isn't He awesome? How He cares and loves us. To me, it's the seemingly little things that He does for us that speak the loudest to me, because most people think He doesn't care or can't be bothered with such tiny details. They don't want to trouble Him about their problems thinking He is ' too busy' or only interested in the major things happening on the earth. But I've found out different.
"For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our
weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without
sin.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:15-16
I am so thankful and so grateful for Him. I am so blessed and so loved, and so are you!
Showing posts with label Words and Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Words and Faith. Show all posts
January 31, 2013
January 25, 2013
The Name of Jesus
I was sorting through my playlist on this blog yesterday, which by the way, if it's an annoyance let me know. I was going to delete if off of here, but I mainly use it for my own convenience, sort of like in ipod or something. I was amazed that a lot of the songs were still there since the website has had many changes since I blogged on this site.
There is one band in particular that I really liked- Skillet. Matt and I went to one of their concerts before we got married, and then it was a worship flavored sound, and it was awesome. Years went by and I happened on a song of theirs and wow, they had switched to some hardcore techno and rock sounds. My personal preference are these types of genres of music, and it really resonates in me.
So, we went to a concert of theirs in 2008, and it was really good. A new album came out in 2011, and I was so pumped, thinking it would be even better. What a disappointment. There were maybe two songs on their that were good, but, everything else seemed to be about nothing in particular.
So I finally looked it up yesterday to see if anyone else noticed the same things and if there was any insight on it. I found an article about various artists like TobyMac and another one called Lecrae. These two artists acknowledged that they were musicians that loved their career, but their faith is in the forefront of their lives, and while they may sing about something not overtly Christian once in awhile, they are not ashamed to proclaim Jesus' name in their music. I know this personally because I have some TobyMac cds and one of the songs is called 'Funky Jesus Music', which, every time I hear I get to laughing at the visual image I get of Jesus dancing hip hop.
The interesting thing is that these bands are wildly successful, not just in the Christian music arena, but also have been played on some secular radio stations. Lecrae, I believe, was asked to sing at some prominent event that was secular, and I think it was TobyMac that was played in a commercial or something.I would have to go back and reread the article to know for sure.
Skillet, however, has said that they prefer not to use the name of Jesus in their songs because they want to make their music appeal to a broader audience and don't want to alientate people; by singing about things in a more vague way, people are free to draw their own conclusions and find meaning that's relevant to them.
Um, exsqeeze me? Did I read that right? I would have liked to see the expression on my face when I did read it. Something to notice too is that this band is still not welcome on several secular radio stations even though they aren't blatantly Christian(i.e. saying Jesus) The favor of the Lord is on those other guys, and though they're speaking the name of Jesus boldly, they aren't being penalized for it because all in all, they are good musicians. And why are they so good? They have God given talent and are using it for His glory and purpose.
The people in Skillet have amazing talent, of course, the lead guitar player left the band a year or so ago. I'm wondering now if he didn't like the path the group was on.Who knows? While what Skillet says could be true in a sense, I have found that people aren't ready to receive Jesus until they are ready. Usually the Spirit of God has been drawing and drawing them for awhile, and when the time is right and the harvest is ripe, God sends someone their way that reaps the harvest and lead them to Jesus.
My best friend listened to Christian music before she got saved, and she said it didn't mean jack to her. She read my books that were Christian, my Bible, went to church with me sometimes, listened to my songs and she still went her own way. (those were seeds that were sown in her heart and eventually she found Jesus) So, if that's the case, why NOT speak the truth? How is not using Jesus' name going to set them apart as anyone different from the secular music world? They actually said they didn't want to be labeled as a Christian band. Wow. They were SOLD OUT for Jesus the first time I saw them. It's one thing if the Lord is leading them in this path, but it doesn't seem that way to me. God isn't going to instruct us not to use His name.
Some may wonder why this is a big deal, so I'll go to the Word of God to find out.
John 20:30-31 " Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."
Acts 2:38 "And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Acts 3:16 "And his name--by faith in his name--has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all."
Acts 16:18 "And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour."
Mark 16:17-18 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."
John 14:13-14 "Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it."
And lastly, " Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11
Obviously, Jesus' name is awesome and important. The above verse says that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow- in heaven, in earth, and hell (under the earth)- and every tongue confess that HE is Lord. His name is power. Through His name, we have power to lay hands on the sick and they shall be healed, cast out evil spirits, baptize others in His name, receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and then, when we pray according to His Word and ask in Jesus name, He says He will do it. Repeatedly.
The name of Jesus might make unbelievers uncomfortable, as it should, because they are not saved.There is sin in their lives that hasn't been washed out by the blood of Jesus. And it sure makes the demons hanging around uncomfortable. We know that by several instances when they would speak in fear at what Jesus would do, and He would make them be quiet and come out of people. When I pray, especially if being attacked by ungodly thoughts, or symptoms of sickness, or if interceding on another's behalf, I use the name of Jesus first, for example, "In the name of Jesus, I command these evil thoughts/symptoms etc. to get off of me, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death..." or whatever comes up in my spirit to say, and then as led will pray in the Spirit or tongues.
The name of Jesus is vital. I can't imagine that much power will be in songs by a band who doesn't want to speak it. I will continue to play and listen to their old ones because they are good, but I will be praying for their spirit eyes and ears to be opened on the matter. It could be that God is leading them into the mainstream music industry,it doesn't appear that way in my view. If your goal is to obey the Lord out of love for Him and fulfill His purposes, fame and glory and money won't be a concern. However, you will be blessed and can have just as big a following of people and fans in the Christian world while still speaking the truth, the Word, and His name. Take a look at this example:
There is one band in particular that I really liked- Skillet. Matt and I went to one of their concerts before we got married, and then it was a worship flavored sound, and it was awesome. Years went by and I happened on a song of theirs and wow, they had switched to some hardcore techno and rock sounds. My personal preference are these types of genres of music, and it really resonates in me.
So, we went to a concert of theirs in 2008, and it was really good. A new album came out in 2011, and I was so pumped, thinking it would be even better. What a disappointment. There were maybe two songs on their that were good, but, everything else seemed to be about nothing in particular.
So I finally looked it up yesterday to see if anyone else noticed the same things and if there was any insight on it. I found an article about various artists like TobyMac and another one called Lecrae. These two artists acknowledged that they were musicians that loved their career, but their faith is in the forefront of their lives, and while they may sing about something not overtly Christian once in awhile, they are not ashamed to proclaim Jesus' name in their music. I know this personally because I have some TobyMac cds and one of the songs is called 'Funky Jesus Music', which, every time I hear I get to laughing at the visual image I get of Jesus dancing hip hop.
The interesting thing is that these bands are wildly successful, not just in the Christian music arena, but also have been played on some secular radio stations. Lecrae, I believe, was asked to sing at some prominent event that was secular, and I think it was TobyMac that was played in a commercial or something.I would have to go back and reread the article to know for sure.
Skillet, however, has said that they prefer not to use the name of Jesus in their songs because they want to make their music appeal to a broader audience and don't want to alientate people; by singing about things in a more vague way, people are free to draw their own conclusions and find meaning that's relevant to them.
Um, exsqeeze me? Did I read that right? I would have liked to see the expression on my face when I did read it. Something to notice too is that this band is still not welcome on several secular radio stations even though they aren't blatantly Christian(i.e. saying Jesus) The favor of the Lord is on those other guys, and though they're speaking the name of Jesus boldly, they aren't being penalized for it because all in all, they are good musicians. And why are they so good? They have God given talent and are using it for His glory and purpose.
The people in Skillet have amazing talent, of course, the lead guitar player left the band a year or so ago. I'm wondering now if he didn't like the path the group was on.Who knows? While what Skillet says could be true in a sense, I have found that people aren't ready to receive Jesus until they are ready. Usually the Spirit of God has been drawing and drawing them for awhile, and when the time is right and the harvest is ripe, God sends someone their way that reaps the harvest and lead them to Jesus.
My best friend listened to Christian music before she got saved, and she said it didn't mean jack to her. She read my books that were Christian, my Bible, went to church with me sometimes, listened to my songs and she still went her own way. (those were seeds that were sown in her heart and eventually she found Jesus) So, if that's the case, why NOT speak the truth? How is not using Jesus' name going to set them apart as anyone different from the secular music world? They actually said they didn't want to be labeled as a Christian band. Wow. They were SOLD OUT for Jesus the first time I saw them. It's one thing if the Lord is leading them in this path, but it doesn't seem that way to me. God isn't going to instruct us not to use His name.
Some may wonder why this is a big deal, so I'll go to the Word of God to find out.
John 20:30-31 " Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."
Acts 2:38 "And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Acts 3:16 "And his name--by faith in his name--has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all."
Acts 16:18 "And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour."
Mark 16:17-18 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."
John 14:13-14 "Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it."
And lastly, " Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11
Obviously, Jesus' name is awesome and important. The above verse says that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow- in heaven, in earth, and hell (under the earth)- and every tongue confess that HE is Lord. His name is power. Through His name, we have power to lay hands on the sick and they shall be healed, cast out evil spirits, baptize others in His name, receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and then, when we pray according to His Word and ask in Jesus name, He says He will do it. Repeatedly.
The name of Jesus might make unbelievers uncomfortable, as it should, because they are not saved.There is sin in their lives that hasn't been washed out by the blood of Jesus. And it sure makes the demons hanging around uncomfortable. We know that by several instances when they would speak in fear at what Jesus would do, and He would make them be quiet and come out of people. When I pray, especially if being attacked by ungodly thoughts, or symptoms of sickness, or if interceding on another's behalf, I use the name of Jesus first, for example, "In the name of Jesus, I command these evil thoughts/symptoms etc. to get off of me, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death..." or whatever comes up in my spirit to say, and then as led will pray in the Spirit or tongues.
The name of Jesus is vital. I can't imagine that much power will be in songs by a band who doesn't want to speak it. I will continue to play and listen to their old ones because they are good, but I will be praying for their spirit eyes and ears to be opened on the matter. It could be that God is leading them into the mainstream music industry,it doesn't appear that way in my view. If your goal is to obey the Lord out of love for Him and fulfill His purposes, fame and glory and money won't be a concern. However, you will be blessed and can have just as big a following of people and fans in the Christian world while still speaking the truth, the Word, and His name. Take a look at this example:
May 14, 2009
Reviving the Fire
Some of you may remember about this time last year my faith was on FIRE! I had gotten hold of some awesome teaching that just really made the reality of how faith works explode in me and my husband. We saw miracles happen a lot. We were on a mountaintop.
Then, in the fall of last year, things sort of dwindled. I don't know if it was because maybe we weren't continually feeding the fire like we should have, or if outside circumstances became too distracting or what. There were still amazing things happening and God was using us, but I would say that after Christmas, things seemed to really go downhill in that department.
I think we just allowed the thief to steal the Word through the cares of the world. I found out we were pregnant, some bad things were going on with our neighbors, we moved again, sicknesses etc. The sad part was I didn't really care at the time because I was so overwhelmed and didn't feel good. But I know what I'm supposed to do- do not let go and do not give up because it will come to pass when you stand. I've not wanted to seek God, though I know that's exactly what I need. I didn't even want to listen to some of my favorite ministers and teachings for encouragement. Pathetic.
What happened? Did the pressure just get turned up a lot and that's why we've crumbled a bit? Did we just try to coast on past experiences? Yeah, I think so, all of it. Well, I happened on to a minister named Jerry Savelle. The past two weeks he has been on the Believer's Voice of Victory broadcast teaching about his book called, get this,
"Called to Battle, Destined to Win."
Aha! Duh, I forgot that living in this world as a Christian is a battle, duh!! But, I also know that the battle is already won, it's just a matter of time before the unseen becomes manifested. Everything he has been saying is exactly what I needed to hear. For instance, he says that sometimes when we are standing in faith for something, say healing in the body, many times we will get to a point where it doesn't look like it's going to get better. The pressure will be even worse than before. What does this mean? It means that you are about to get the answer and because of that there is great tribulation on satan's part- the thing you are believing for is about to come to pass and he's mad because if you get this victory you will get stronger and be victorious next time. He loses ground and credibility in your life.
Oh, so that's why last week was from the pit of hell...I get it. The last couple of weeks I've been feeling like we're on the brink of something, like if we really press into God we'll see some amazing things, but if we don't we won't get the best of what He has for us. It's up to us to do what we ought.
Also, many times we're standing between the 'Amen' of our prayer about something and the victorious outcome and we're having a hard time. The pressure is on- the enemy will come and tell us we can't take anymore, God doesn't really care, this isn't going to work etc. What to do? Rekindle that fire.
For me, I can go back and listen to the teachings that first opened my eyes about this whole faith thing. I can sing praises to the Lord for what He has done, for God inhabits the praises of His people. For us, we finally needed to ask for outside support from our church family. Their is so much strength in the body, both in prayer and just support for each other. We got a special word from God to keep standing on the Word and He would hasten to perform it. So there, that settles it.
"Standing on the promises of Christ my king...standing, standing, standing on the promises of God my Savior..." Yes, I do know some hymns, or parts of them :)
I highly encourage anyone to go over to the left hand sidebar and click on 'Kenneth Copeland Ministries' and watch this weeks and the week before broadcasts. They're only about 20 minutes long each and you can download them to MP3 players or realplayer and watch them at your convenience all for free! You will be encouraged and empowered. Everyone needs that!
Then, in the fall of last year, things sort of dwindled. I don't know if it was because maybe we weren't continually feeding the fire like we should have, or if outside circumstances became too distracting or what. There were still amazing things happening and God was using us, but I would say that after Christmas, things seemed to really go downhill in that department.
I think we just allowed the thief to steal the Word through the cares of the world. I found out we were pregnant, some bad things were going on with our neighbors, we moved again, sicknesses etc. The sad part was I didn't really care at the time because I was so overwhelmed and didn't feel good. But I know what I'm supposed to do- do not let go and do not give up because it will come to pass when you stand. I've not wanted to seek God, though I know that's exactly what I need. I didn't even want to listen to some of my favorite ministers and teachings for encouragement. Pathetic.
What happened? Did the pressure just get turned up a lot and that's why we've crumbled a bit? Did we just try to coast on past experiences? Yeah, I think so, all of it. Well, I happened on to a minister named Jerry Savelle. The past two weeks he has been on the Believer's Voice of Victory broadcast teaching about his book called, get this,
"Called to Battle, Destined to Win."
Aha! Duh, I forgot that living in this world as a Christian is a battle, duh!! But, I also know that the battle is already won, it's just a matter of time before the unseen becomes manifested. Everything he has been saying is exactly what I needed to hear. For instance, he says that sometimes when we are standing in faith for something, say healing in the body, many times we will get to a point where it doesn't look like it's going to get better. The pressure will be even worse than before. What does this mean? It means that you are about to get the answer and because of that there is great tribulation on satan's part- the thing you are believing for is about to come to pass and he's mad because if you get this victory you will get stronger and be victorious next time. He loses ground and credibility in your life.
Oh, so that's why last week was from the pit of hell...I get it. The last couple of weeks I've been feeling like we're on the brink of something, like if we really press into God we'll see some amazing things, but if we don't we won't get the best of what He has for us. It's up to us to do what we ought.
Also, many times we're standing between the 'Amen' of our prayer about something and the victorious outcome and we're having a hard time. The pressure is on- the enemy will come and tell us we can't take anymore, God doesn't really care, this isn't going to work etc. What to do? Rekindle that fire.
For me, I can go back and listen to the teachings that first opened my eyes about this whole faith thing. I can sing praises to the Lord for what He has done, for God inhabits the praises of His people. For us, we finally needed to ask for outside support from our church family. Their is so much strength in the body, both in prayer and just support for each other. We got a special word from God to keep standing on the Word and He would hasten to perform it. So there, that settles it.
"Standing on the promises of Christ my king...standing, standing, standing on the promises of God my Savior..." Yes, I do know some hymns, or parts of them :)
I highly encourage anyone to go over to the left hand sidebar and click on 'Kenneth Copeland Ministries' and watch this weeks and the week before broadcasts. They're only about 20 minutes long each and you can download them to MP3 players or realplayer and watch them at your convenience all for free! You will be encouraged and empowered. Everyone needs that!
September 30, 2008
"Words"
I am going to share this book with you, "The Tongue- A Creative Force". It is so so good- so many believers know nothing about this. So, I share it with you all in hopes of helping you and myself as I re-read and type it. It is a bit long, but well worth it. Lots to chew on.
Chapter 1 Words
God's Word that is conceived in your heart, then formed by the tongue, and spoken out of your own mouth, becomes a spiritual force releasing the ability of God within you.
That's why Paul said, " I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Phil. 4:13) His heart (spirit) had received God's Word. It was not Paul's ability that made him say that, but the ability of God formed in him by the Word, and out of the abundance of his heart his mouth spoke.
Those that say they can and those that say they can't are both right. Words are the most powerful thing in the universe. We read in John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and he Word was with God, and the Word was God." We must learn to use our words more effectively. The words you speak will either put you over or hold you in bondage. Today, many Christian people have been taken captive by their own words. By the prayer of their own mouth they have been set in a position where they cannot receive from God. We have all done it at one time or another. We have used our tongue to form the very words that defeat us.We have even prayed contrary to the Word of God. We have prayed defeat and received it. We have prayed the problem and it became greater. Even prayer produces after its kind. In Mark 11:24 the Word says, "...What things soever ye DESIRE when ye pray, BELIEVE that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Jesus has set forth a great truth about spiritual law. God's WORD is spiritual law it functions just as sure as any natural law.
We have learned how to work with natural law. In dealing with the natural law that governs electricity, we have learned that if we work with that law by obeying and enforcing it. that electrical force will work for us. But if we continually violate that law that governs or controls electricity, we will get in a "heap of trouble." As long as we enforce the law that controls electrical forces, it will produce energy to give us light, heat our home, cook our meals, and wash our clothes; yet it will produce no harm to us. It is very useful and safe, when we understand and apply the law by which it is controlled. However, this same force can burn, kill and destroy, if the law that governs electricity is not enforce.
So are the words that come forth out of your mouth. They will work for you to put you over in life, IF you control those words and bring them into obedience to spiritual law, which is THE WORD OF GOD. Words governed by spiritual law become spiritual forces working for you. Idle words work against you.
The SPIRIT WORLD IS CONTROLLED BY THE WORD OF GOD.
THE NATURAL WORLD IS THE BE CONTROLLED BY MAN SPEAKING GOD'S WORDS.
THE SPOKEN WORD OF GOD IS CREATIVE POWER.
Therefore, even the words of our prayers should be chosen carefully and spoken accurately. We have often prayed, " Lord I have prayed and it's not working. The devil has defeated me." But the Word said, "What things soever you desire when you prayer, believe you receive..." Defeat is not what you desire, so don't pray it or say it. You can see how the wrong choice of words can cause even your prayers to work against you. You have prayed, "Lord, I've got this problem and it's getting worse."
Now let's compare this prayer with the Word of God. First, you have prayed the problem and not the answer. The Word said pray the things you desire. You desire the answer. Second, you have released faith in the ability of the enemy. To make it worse, you established the words of the devil that prayer doesn't work and things are getting worse. You are walking by sight and not by faith. You have denied the Word of God. You have done it because of the lack of knowledge. In Hosea 4:6 God said, "My people are destroyed (cut off) for lack of knowledge..." Lack of knowledge has caused men to be destroyed and lives to suffer needless loss.
A few years ago I came upon the scene of an accident. A car had gone out of control and cut off a power pole. The high line wire was hanging about three feet above the ground. Many people had stopped and gotten out of their cars. They were standing no more than three feet away from that live wire, thinking that it was insulated, or that the power was cut off. But this was not true; the wire was "live" with over 17,000 volts of electricity. I watched from my car, a safe distance away, as the ambulance attendants carried a woman on a stretch up the highway embankment. As they crawled under the powerline one of them got too close, and the electrical current arced to his body like a lightning bolt. He died instantly and the other attendant was critically injured.
He violated the natural law that governs electricity. No doubt he did it in ignorance, yet it was fatal.
Lack of knowledge did not stop the electrical force. It continued to work; it was the same force that cooked his meals, heated his house and washed his clothes. It was created to work for him to make life more enjoyable. The very reason for its existence was to supply his needs, but when he violated the law that controlled the force, it destroyed him.
SPIRITUAL LAW IS FOR YOUR GOOD.It is to produce the things you need and desire. But, speaking and praying contrary to the Word of God(spiritual law) will be just as disastrous as violating the law of electricity. We have prayed in all manner of prayer that the Bible doesn't teach. We have prayed to Jesus, and that is an unscriptural way to pray. Words are important. Begin now to become WORD CONSCIOUS. Words are like little seeds that produce according to the Word of God. God's Word will produce after His kind. "A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things" Matt. 12:35
Jesus said, "And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:23,24)
PRAYER IS YOUR LEGAL RIGHT TO USE FAITH FILLED WORDS TO BRING GOD ON THE SCENE IN YOUR BEHALF, OR FOR ANOTHER THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL.
It is the Word abiding in you that causes faith to be present in your words. "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples" (John 15:7,8) Notice it glorifies the Father when you get your prayer answered and your needs met. Verse 11 says, " These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, that your joy might be full." Your joy can be full if the Word of Mark 11:24 abides in you, "...When you pray believe..."
FAITH WILL MAKE PRAYER WORK.
PRAYER WON'T WORK WITHOUT FAITH. FAITH WILL WORK WITHOUT PRAYER. Prayer is one of the means of releasing faith, so if we will line ourselves up with the Word of God and release our faith when we pray, we will see the power of God come alive in our lives.
God's Word is just as powerful today as it was the day He spoke it. Not one bit of power has left God's Word. God's creative power is still in His Word, just as it was when He stood there, in the beginning of time, and said, "Light--be," and light was.
This is the thing I want you to see. YOU CAN SPEAK GOD'S WORDS AFTER HIM AND THEY WILL WORK FOR YOU. But, they must be formed in your spirit. They must become a part of you. They must abide in you continually.
THE BEGINNING WORDS
***************************
In Genesis 1, it says "...God created the heavens and earth..." What did He use to create the heavens and the earth?
Hebrews 11:3 says, "Through faith we understand the the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. " The world was not made out of things you can see. You can't see spoken words nor can you see faith with the physical eye. The words that God spoke out of His mouth framed this universe, set it in motion, and it stands today in obedience to the words that God spoke. He said, "...Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters" (Gen. 1:6) It came into being and divided the waters from the land, and it's still divided from the land today.
The universe is still obeying His command - the Words that God spoke. Because God said it and let it stay said. He didn't back up and say maybe it will, or I hope so. No, He said it by the Word of His mouth and all hell stood up and took notice.
I really believe that millions of years took place between Genesis, chapter one, verse one, when God create the earth, and verse two, where He said the earth was void and without form. Because why would God create an earth without form and void? You see, what went wrong from the beginning was that Satan had come in to destroy the work of God on the earth. THEN GOD SAID, "Let there be light." It was the creative power that flowed out of God's mouth that turned the universe into light and caused every creation to come into being.
In Genesis 1:26 we read, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Then God delegated the power to man to dominate this earth. He created Adam, then put that authority in Adam, and He said, "now you dominate the earth."
So, Adam was the ruler of the earth.
Then, there came that Snake in the garden. The Snake said to Eve, "You'll not surely die if you at of that fruit. God knows you'll like Him if you eat of that fruit. You'll be wise like God."
Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, and I guess she talked Adam into it, because the Word says, "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression" (1 Tim. 2:14).
Well, Adam ate if the fruit and turned that power and authority over to the enemy; then Satan became the god of this world. " In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (2 Cor. 4:4).
But Jesus Christ came and got that power back for us. Jesus, God's Word, came and took flesh upon Himself.
Have you wondered how God did that? Some theologians say it can't be done; a virgin can't bear a child it's impossible.
We have the Word of God which tells us in Luke 1:37, " For with God nothing shall be impossible." The Concordant literal New Testament says, " It will not be impossible with God to fulfill His every declaration."
Whatever God says, He will perform. If you will notice throughout the Bible, God never did do anything that He didn't say first. He said it, then He did it. The power to do it was in the WORD.
The Bible tells us that "...(He is) upholding all things by the Word of His power..." (Heb. 1:3)
It didn't say by the power of His Word; it said BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER. The Holy Spirit put that in the exactness-- the way He wanted. THE WORD OF HIS POWER.
If He had said the power of His Word, that would have meant that there is some power in God's Word, but not ALL POWER. In other words, that's where His power is, IN THE WORD, in what He says.
It's not impossible for God to perform His every declaration. He can declare and do exactly what He SAYS HE'S GOING TO DO! And we find that God created man with the ability to operate in the same kind of faith.
Control those words that come forth out of your mouth and bring them into obedience to the WORD OF GOD, which is God's spiritual law.
The end of Chapter one. This book is written by Charles Capps, www. charlescapps.com
The next post will be "Creative Power in You".
Chapter 1 Words
God's Word that is conceived in your heart, then formed by the tongue, and spoken out of your own mouth, becomes a spiritual force releasing the ability of God within you.
That's why Paul said, " I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Phil. 4:13) His heart (spirit) had received God's Word. It was not Paul's ability that made him say that, but the ability of God formed in him by the Word, and out of the abundance of his heart his mouth spoke.
Those that say they can and those that say they can't are both right. Words are the most powerful thing in the universe. We read in John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and he Word was with God, and the Word was God." We must learn to use our words more effectively. The words you speak will either put you over or hold you in bondage. Today, many Christian people have been taken captive by their own words. By the prayer of their own mouth they have been set in a position where they cannot receive from God. We have all done it at one time or another. We have used our tongue to form the very words that defeat us.We have even prayed contrary to the Word of God. We have prayed defeat and received it. We have prayed the problem and it became greater. Even prayer produces after its kind. In Mark 11:24 the Word says, "...What things soever ye DESIRE when ye pray, BELIEVE that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Jesus has set forth a great truth about spiritual law. God's WORD is spiritual law it functions just as sure as any natural law.
We have learned how to work with natural law. In dealing with the natural law that governs electricity, we have learned that if we work with that law by obeying and enforcing it. that electrical force will work for us. But if we continually violate that law that governs or controls electricity, we will get in a "heap of trouble." As long as we enforce the law that controls electrical forces, it will produce energy to give us light, heat our home, cook our meals, and wash our clothes; yet it will produce no harm to us. It is very useful and safe, when we understand and apply the law by which it is controlled. However, this same force can burn, kill and destroy, if the law that governs electricity is not enforce.
So are the words that come forth out of your mouth. They will work for you to put you over in life, IF you control those words and bring them into obedience to spiritual law, which is THE WORD OF GOD. Words governed by spiritual law become spiritual forces working for you. Idle words work against you.
The SPIRIT WORLD IS CONTROLLED BY THE WORD OF GOD.
THE NATURAL WORLD IS THE BE CONTROLLED BY MAN SPEAKING GOD'S WORDS.
THE SPOKEN WORD OF GOD IS CREATIVE POWER.
Therefore, even the words of our prayers should be chosen carefully and spoken accurately. We have often prayed, " Lord I have prayed and it's not working. The devil has defeated me." But the Word said, "What things soever you desire when you prayer, believe you receive..." Defeat is not what you desire, so don't pray it or say it. You can see how the wrong choice of words can cause even your prayers to work against you. You have prayed, "Lord, I've got this problem and it's getting worse."
Now let's compare this prayer with the Word of God. First, you have prayed the problem and not the answer. The Word said pray the things you desire. You desire the answer. Second, you have released faith in the ability of the enemy. To make it worse, you established the words of the devil that prayer doesn't work and things are getting worse. You are walking by sight and not by faith. You have denied the Word of God. You have done it because of the lack of knowledge. In Hosea 4:6 God said, "My people are destroyed (cut off) for lack of knowledge..." Lack of knowledge has caused men to be destroyed and lives to suffer needless loss.
A few years ago I came upon the scene of an accident. A car had gone out of control and cut off a power pole. The high line wire was hanging about three feet above the ground. Many people had stopped and gotten out of their cars. They were standing no more than three feet away from that live wire, thinking that it was insulated, or that the power was cut off. But this was not true; the wire was "live" with over 17,000 volts of electricity. I watched from my car, a safe distance away, as the ambulance attendants carried a woman on a stretch up the highway embankment. As they crawled under the powerline one of them got too close, and the electrical current arced to his body like a lightning bolt. He died instantly and the other attendant was critically injured.
He violated the natural law that governs electricity. No doubt he did it in ignorance, yet it was fatal.
Lack of knowledge did not stop the electrical force. It continued to work; it was the same force that cooked his meals, heated his house and washed his clothes. It was created to work for him to make life more enjoyable. The very reason for its existence was to supply his needs, but when he violated the law that controlled the force, it destroyed him.
SPIRITUAL LAW IS FOR YOUR GOOD.It is to produce the things you need and desire. But, speaking and praying contrary to the Word of God(spiritual law) will be just as disastrous as violating the law of electricity. We have prayed in all manner of prayer that the Bible doesn't teach. We have prayed to Jesus, and that is an unscriptural way to pray. Words are important. Begin now to become WORD CONSCIOUS. Words are like little seeds that produce according to the Word of God. God's Word will produce after His kind. "A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things" Matt. 12:35
Jesus said, "And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:23,24)
PRAYER IS YOUR LEGAL RIGHT TO USE FAITH FILLED WORDS TO BRING GOD ON THE SCENE IN YOUR BEHALF, OR FOR ANOTHER THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL.
It is the Word abiding in you that causes faith to be present in your words. "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples" (John 15:7,8) Notice it glorifies the Father when you get your prayer answered and your needs met. Verse 11 says, " These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, that your joy might be full." Your joy can be full if the Word of Mark 11:24 abides in you, "...When you pray believe..."
FAITH WILL MAKE PRAYER WORK.
PRAYER WON'T WORK WITHOUT FAITH. FAITH WILL WORK WITHOUT PRAYER. Prayer is one of the means of releasing faith, so if we will line ourselves up with the Word of God and release our faith when we pray, we will see the power of God come alive in our lives.
God's Word is just as powerful today as it was the day He spoke it. Not one bit of power has left God's Word. God's creative power is still in His Word, just as it was when He stood there, in the beginning of time, and said, "Light--be," and light was.
This is the thing I want you to see. YOU CAN SPEAK GOD'S WORDS AFTER HIM AND THEY WILL WORK FOR YOU. But, they must be formed in your spirit. They must become a part of you. They must abide in you continually.
THE BEGINNING WORDS
***************************
In Genesis 1, it says "...God created the heavens and earth..." What did He use to create the heavens and the earth?
Hebrews 11:3 says, "Through faith we understand the the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. " The world was not made out of things you can see. You can't see spoken words nor can you see faith with the physical eye. The words that God spoke out of His mouth framed this universe, set it in motion, and it stands today in obedience to the words that God spoke. He said, "...Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters" (Gen. 1:6) It came into being and divided the waters from the land, and it's still divided from the land today.
The universe is still obeying His command - the Words that God spoke. Because God said it and let it stay said. He didn't back up and say maybe it will, or I hope so. No, He said it by the Word of His mouth and all hell stood up and took notice.
I really believe that millions of years took place between Genesis, chapter one, verse one, when God create the earth, and verse two, where He said the earth was void and without form. Because why would God create an earth without form and void? You see, what went wrong from the beginning was that Satan had come in to destroy the work of God on the earth. THEN GOD SAID, "Let there be light." It was the creative power that flowed out of God's mouth that turned the universe into light and caused every creation to come into being.
In Genesis 1:26 we read, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Then God delegated the power to man to dominate this earth. He created Adam, then put that authority in Adam, and He said, "now you dominate the earth."
So, Adam was the ruler of the earth.
Then, there came that Snake in the garden. The Snake said to Eve, "You'll not surely die if you at of that fruit. God knows you'll like Him if you eat of that fruit. You'll be wise like God."
Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, and I guess she talked Adam into it, because the Word says, "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression" (1 Tim. 2:14).
Well, Adam ate if the fruit and turned that power and authority over to the enemy; then Satan became the god of this world. " In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (2 Cor. 4:4).
But Jesus Christ came and got that power back for us. Jesus, God's Word, came and took flesh upon Himself.
Have you wondered how God did that? Some theologians say it can't be done; a virgin can't bear a child it's impossible.
We have the Word of God which tells us in Luke 1:37, " For with God nothing shall be impossible." The Concordant literal New Testament says, " It will not be impossible with God to fulfill His every declaration."
Whatever God says, He will perform. If you will notice throughout the Bible, God never did do anything that He didn't say first. He said it, then He did it. The power to do it was in the WORD.
The Bible tells us that "...(He is) upholding all things by the Word of His power..." (Heb. 1:3)
It didn't say by the power of His Word; it said BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER. The Holy Spirit put that in the exactness-- the way He wanted. THE WORD OF HIS POWER.
If He had said the power of His Word, that would have meant that there is some power in God's Word, but not ALL POWER. In other words, that's where His power is, IN THE WORD, in what He says.
It's not impossible for God to perform His every declaration. He can declare and do exactly what He SAYS HE'S GOING TO DO! And we find that God created man with the ability to operate in the same kind of faith.
Control those words that come forth out of your mouth and bring them into obedience to the WORD OF GOD, which is God's spiritual law.
The end of Chapter one. This book is written by Charles Capps, www. charlescapps.com
The next post will be "Creative Power in You".
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