Settle The Question

You need to settle the issue for yourself that you can be a success even when the world's system is failing. There is a theology that God brings evil and sickness upon you to teach you faith. Would you send cancer to your child to teach him or her a lesson? Are you more righteous than God? However, there is still a place of weeping. You may be there today, or it may be tomorrow. We need to know how to address the issue of being in a valley of suffering. Psalm 84:6-7 in the Amplified Version states: "Passing through the Valley of Weeping (Baca), they make it a place of springs; the early rain also fills [the pools] with blessings. They go from strength to strength [increasing in victorious power]; each of them appears before God in Zion."

Notice the following:
1. There is a place of sorry and sadness that we may pass through.
2. That we can travel through the valley and make it a place of springs. Rain meant that the people would have a harvest. In the valley, you can have a harvest.
3. That in the valley, you can increase in victorious power. This is not a "getting by." This is winning!
4. Finally, there is a blessing in the valley. Based on the harvest and the increase in victory, I don't think this is a place of misery that you convince yourself is a blessing. This is not the place for a "pity party." This is a place of rejoicing.

You need to have a mindset that even if you are in a place of weeping, you will pass through it. While you are there, you can still experience a harvest of blessings. You can have increasing victorious power. You can be blessed even the world's economy is in trouble. God intends to take you through and put you over. If you have the right mindset, correct actions will follow. Remember that thoughts, words, and actions must be consistent.

The Power of Spoken Faith

Yeshua (Jesus) is approached by a Roman Centurion. The centurion was a Roman soldier and he had a servant that was paralyzed and suffering. He sought healing. Yeshua offers to come to his home and heal the servant. The centurion replied that he understood authority. As a leader of soldiers, he knew his words of command would be obeyed because he had authority over his men. The centurion knew that Yeshua had authority over the sickness; he knew that Yeshua could speak the word and healing would occur because of His authority. Yeshua marvels at his faith and actually calls it, "Great faith." Yeshua tells the centurion to go and it is done just as he believed it would. The servant was healed from that very hour.

Some points of observation:
1. The Roman centurion was not part of the covenant with Israel. He had no right to ask Yeshua for anything. However, that issue was separate from the issue of authority. This healing was about authority and faith not covenant.
2. The centurion understood the power of the spoken word. He knew that words contained authority when spoken from the lips of someone who possessed authority.
3. The centurion understood that Yeshua had authority over sickness and disease. Since He did, when Yeshua spoke, the sickness or disease had to obey the spoken word of healing.

How does this apply to us today? Yeshua has been raised from the dead and seated at the Father's right hand, far above all rule and authority, and every name that is named. Yeshua is the authority over anything that has a name. Once I was preaching a revival and woman who had been given less than 30 days to live contacted the pastor hosting the meetings. She was too weak to come to the services. She had a very serious disease that was to take her life in less than a month. She wanted prayer. I came to her hospital room and spoke faith to her. I told her that her disease had a name and since it had a name, it had to bow to the authority of the name of Yeshua. I prayed in the name of Yeshua and commanded the disease to depart. I lost touch with her two years later, but she had long outlived her 30 day death sentence. There is power in the spoken word of faith.

So what do you speak? Do you speak words of doubt and failure? Begin to trust in the power of the name of Yeshua. If your problem has a name, then the power of the spoken word will prevail.

Dealing With Delay

Are there things in your life that you want to change? Is there something you have been praying for, but you have not seen the answer. Do you feel discouraged because of the delay between the time of your request and the answer you sought? Many face this problem. It can cause one to become depressed and lose faith in the God who hears and answers prayers. Sometimes I ask God, "Why have you not done that for me?" I don't want a theological answer from someone who tells me that God doesn't do miracles anymore. Neither do I want someone to tell me that it is my fault. I want God in action. Yet, I am confronted with delay.

Delay can be crushing. However, when we focus on the Word of God, the problem begins to disappear. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Faith is evidence. The Greek word for "substance" refers to the residue of an experiment that has been performed. Our faith is evidence that we will receive that for which we have sought from God. Now of course, the request must be consistent with God's will. His will is His Word. He exalts His Word above all else. He watches over His Word to insure that it comes to past. While I am in delay stage, I do the following:
1. I verify that my request is according to the will of God. I find a Bible passage and read it to God.
2. I speak my faith that I believe and act on the passage I have just read to God.
3. I believe that I receive what I have spoken.
4. I thank God for His answer.

That is the key to dealing with delay; we are to have faith in God's Word. To the Hebrew, words are tangible. As I speak faith, faith exists. As I continue to speak the result of faith, I shall possess that which I seek. Remember, this is not some "name it, claim it," because it is based on specific provisions in the Word of God. It is declaring that I have what God says I have. It is speaking that I am what God says I am. If God says it, then it is now. And, there is plenty of evidence to support it.

Your Belief System

Years ago, I taught martial arts classes. People would come to learn how to defend themselves. I would explain the importance of their belief system in self defense. For example, if I believed that could defeat anyone who was no larger than 6 foot 4 inches and weighed no more than 275 pounds, as soon as an adversary appeared at 6 foot 5 inches weighing 300 pounds, I would be defeated. My belief system would serve as a limit on my abilities. It is the same in the spiritual. Yeshua (Jesus) said in Matthew 12:34: For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. (RSV) Your belief system is in your heart. In other words, what you really believe from the heart is going to set the ceiling of God's work in your life. We need to examine our confessions.

Consider the following statements:
1. I will always be in debt.
2. I think I'm coming down with something.
3. Bad things seem to always happen to me.
4. If something can go wrong, it will for me.
5. I just know we will get into an accident.
6. I am a failure.
7. Nothing goes right for me.
8. We will just have to put up with the situation.
9. My folks had poor health, so I probably will also.
10. We will not have enough money to pay our bills this month.
11. It seems we can't get ahead, and when we do, we get knocked down.

In Mark 11:23, Yeshua said: He shall have whatsoever he saith. (KJV) What are you saying? What is your confession? Take a few days and listen to what comes out of your mouth. Confession is powerful. It can bring good or bad. The choice is yours.

Make A Stand

Yesterday, we saw that the children of Israel chose to believe their opinions about their abilities instead of God's Words of promise to them. God said to take the land because He was giving it to them. They said, "Thanks, but no thanks." Their faith was overcome by fear. However, there were two that made a stand. Numbers 14 also says: And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, rent their clothes, and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, "The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey. Only, do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us; their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them." (RSV) Notice that to lose faith was considered an act of rebellion.

Joshua and Caleb took a stand for God's Word. They were out numbered. They were subject to threats, i.e. the crowd wanted to stone them. They were walking in faith not fear. What are you willing to make a stand for? Has God promised something to you in His Word and yet you are afraid of making a stand? Do not be afraid. You can trust God. He loves you. His Word is secure. It is settled in heaven. However, it is up to us to settle that Word on earth. We settle it by speaking it.

Today, don't be afraid to make a stand for God's Word. If He has said it, it is secure. Fear will flee when confronted with faith. Faith will put you over, but you are going to have to speak it. Joshua and Caleb spoke faith to the crowd. They heard them. This is not the time to be silent. It is a time to proclaim the truth of God's Word. It is time to make a stand!

Don't Limit God

As we begin our journey, let us be mindful that we can limit God in our lives. There is a theological position that maintains that everything that happens is God's will. It is just that we can't see how it is the best thing for us; however, in the sweet bye and bye, it will all make sense. Six million Jews died in the Holocaust of which one and one half million were children. Was that God's will? Of course not! Man can limit God and prevent His best for our lives. Consider the following.

The Hebrews had just been delivered from over 400 years of bondage at the ruthless hands of the Egyptians. God tells them to take the land He has provided for them. They send spies and bring back a report that agrees that the land is full of milk and honey, but the people who occupy the land are too strong for them to overcome. There is a generally a "but" whenever people begin to limit God. Numbers 14 reads: Then all the congregation raised a loud cry; and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron; the whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why does the LORD bring us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey; would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?" And they said to one another, "Let us choose a captain, and go back to Egypt." (RSV) The people have a choice to believe God or believe their opinions about themselves. God has said "Go!" and they have said "No!" Notice the bold portion. They spoke a death sentence over their lives. Hear what God Almighty said a few verses later: "How long shall this wicked congregation murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the people of Israel, which they murmur against me. Say to them, 'As I live,' says the LORD, 'what you have said in my hearing I will do to you: (RSV) They spoke it; God heard it; and He gave them the fruit of their words.

Let me summarize:
1. God is listening to what you say;
2. You can speak faith and get the blessing or you can speak unbelief and write your own ticket;
3. You can limit God by your speech, but you don't have to; and
4. Death and live is in the power of the tongue.

Starting Right

Today, some will awake with a headache from too much celebration last night. Others, have made resolutions that they believe will make them better in 2011. Generally, they involve commitments to lose weight, stop smoking or drinking, and to exercise more. Notice that many resolutions involve the physical body. What about spiritual resolutions? Are you resolved to improve your spiritual side this year? You are composed of two parts: the physical and the spiritual. They are interconnected. This means that they are not two separate parts; there is one you composed of an inner person and a physical body. So, what spiritual resolutions should you make. I have three for you to start with.

First, control your anger. Proverbs 16:32 says: "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city." (RSV) Learn to control your emotions. If you allow someone to "get under your skin," you are giving that person rule over your life. The one that angers you controls you. On the other hand, if you control your anger, you are controlling the situation. Who would you rather be in control: the one that angers you, or yourself? The answer is obvious.

Second, understand the power of your speech. Proverbs 18:21 says: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits." (RSV) Notice that you are going to eat the fruit of your speech. It will either be death or life. That is like choosing between a terminal disease or health. Your tomorrow is going to be based on your speech today. You get to decide which you will have. God says to His people: "I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live...." (RSV) God has placed before you death and life and it begins with the tongue. Choose wisely.

Third, remove the wrong fear from your life. We can fear many things: failure, other people, and loneliness. Fear can paralyze you and cause you to miss the blessing that could exist. Yesterday, I saw a number of birds searching for food by our home. There was still snow on the ground so I decided to throw some bread out for them to eat. Most of the birds were too afraid to come close enough to the front door to eat. I was trying to help them, but they were too afraid to come forward. Finally, one came close enough to take some bread. Then, others began to inch forward to eat. Sadly, most of the birds were too afraid to get close enough to the house where the bread was. This is our problem sometime; we are too afraid to take a chance. Don't allow fear to rule your life. Instead, trust in God's Word on the subject. I like the quote: "God is who He says He is. I am who God says I am. God can do what He says He can do. I can do what He says I can do. God has what He says He has. I have what God says I have." If that is your confession, you should never be afraid of anything except God because that is the beginning of wisdom.

It is a New Year. Make it a great one.