ABCs of Faith

ABCs of Faith:
Types of Faith

If we think about it, no matter what arena we function in there are always ABCs. We have to be taught the ABCs first, in order to later walk in the LMNOPs. There are many people today creating confusion in the Body of Christ because they are caught up in the LMNOPs, but still lack understanding of the ABCs. Jumping over the ABCs and getting right into the LMNOPs can get people into difficulties.

Then the question becomes, what do we need to understand when it comes to the subject of faith?

There are ______________ types of faith mentioned in the Word of God.


We need to understand this because if we read our Scriptures and begin to treat the word “faith” the same way every time we see it, we’re going to get into difficulty. In no particular order, the three types of faith are:

1. The gift of faith
2. The faith (the Christian faith)
3. Personal faith


1. The Gift of Faith


The first type of faith, the gift of faith, is mentioned one time in the New Testament:

"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills" 1 Corinthians 12:7-11

This type of faith is given by Whom? ________________________

The gift of faith is simply God-given ability to believe for things that are not promised in God’s Word. That’s why we often hear that it’s going to take the gift of faith when it comes to the raising of the dead. That’s not something that is promised to us within the Word of God. There are manifestations of the Spirit of God that He gives as He wills. The gift of faith is one of them.



2. The Faith (the Christian Faith)

The second type of faith is the most prominent one, and it’s called the faith. When we see the phrase “the faith,” it is referring to the whole of Christian truth— the Christian faith. This context is similar to when we talk about "other faiths" such as the Hindu faith or the Muslim faith etc.. This refers to the whole Christian faith. The belief in the Trinity of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.


"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Timothy 4:1).


This Scripture prophesies that, in the last days, there is going to be a falling away from the faith. This is not talking about departing from the faith to believe God for healing or to believe God for financial needs. This is talking about a departure from the Christian faith— people who used to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior who no longer acknowledge His presence within their lives. Let’s look at some additional Scriptures that refer to the Christian faith.


"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope, to Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord" 1 Timothy 1:1-2


"Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith" Acts 6:7



3. Personal Faith

The third type of faith is personal faith.
"And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction‟ (Mark 5:34).


What made her well? ___________________

Jesus said, “Daughter your faith . . .” He didn’t say my faith. He didn’t say our faith. He said your faith, referring to personal faith.


Let’s look at another Scripture:


"As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you,” (Matthew 9:27-29).


It was done to them according to what? ________________

Jesus said according to your faith. It’s clear He’s talking about personal faith. Let’s look at one more Scripture— the story of blind Bartimaeus. In the story, blind Bartimaeus was sitting, begging on the side of the highway when Jesus walked by. Bartimaeus cried out to Him and asked for his sight to be restored. Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road (Mark 10:52).


What made Bartimaeus well? _______________________

Too many of us have too small of a view as to what the faith issue is all about. We’ve narrowed it down to the hand of God that reaches into the unseen and pulls things into the seen. We’ve narrowed it down to obtaining things from God. It is possible to use our faith to obtain promises, and that’s how most people think about faith—if we have a need, then we use our faith. If we don’t have any needs, then we don’t need to use our faith because faith is to be used to obtain things from God—finances, wisdom, healing, etc.

Who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions (Hebrews 11:33).

1) What is obtained through faith? __________________________

"Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one" (Ephesians 6:16).



2) What does the shield of faith enable us to do? ____________________

"Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him" (Hebrews 10:38).



3) What do the just do? ___________________


There’s a difference between living by faith and protecting ourselves with faith. There’s a difference between living by faith and obtaining promises with faith. Let’s look at another Scripture:
"For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).



4) What are we to walk by?___________________



The Scriptures tell us we obtain promises with our faith; we walk and live by our faith; and we protect ourselves with our faith. When most people think about faith, they only think about obtaining promises. Living and walking by faith is more of a 24/7 issue. We might come into contact with a need for finances or healing once in a while, but the need to live and walk by faith is a 24/7 issue. Our view of faith is too narrow. If all we do with faith is just obtain promises, then we’ve got a problem when we read verses like Hebrews, chapter eleven.

"And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated" (Hebrews 11:32-37).

If faith is only used to obtain promises and reach into the unseen to pull things into the seen—if that’s all it is— then it’s easy to see how we can believe we receive the things in the first part of the Scripture. However, the second part of the Scripture is also talking about faith. Verse 36 says for some people, through their faith, things were brought into their lives like cruel mockings, floggings, chains, and imprisonment. Did they believe for those things? No. Others, through their faith, were sawed in half. This verse says their faith got them that. We know that we don’t believe God to be sawed in half. So, if faith is only believing that we receive to obtain promises, then there’s a problem here. The person who was sawed in half is a faith person. That means our definition of faith might need some adjustment.


Let’s look at Ephesians, chapter six.

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:13-17).



5) What do we have to do to get the shield of faith?____________________



This Scripture says, “TAKE UP the shield of faith…” Each one of us has been given the responsibility to reach down and TAKE the shield of faith. There will never come a time in our lives when all of a sudden we walk out of church, look in our hands, and the shield of faith will be there. In order for the shield of faith to be in our hands, we’re going to have to decisively choose to reach down and TAKE it. It’s a personal choice. In order to reach down and take the shield of faith, we’ve got to be able to recognize it when we see it. In order to recognize it, we have to know what it is and be able to define it properly. Faith is recognizable. Recognizing faith is done because we know what it is.


Let’s look at Luke, chapter five.

"One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven,” (Luke 5:17-20).


6) When did Jesus tell the man his sins were forgiven? _________________________________________


Before we can begin anything, we have to define faith. Strong’s Concordance defines faith as a persuasion. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words says faith is a firm persuasion. Faith is a persuasion—a firm persuasion. This is illustrated in the following Scripture speaking about Abraham:


"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. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform" (Romans 4:19-21).


7) Abraham was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and what? ____________________



How Faith Comes
Now we need to discuss how faith comes.

For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:13-14).

Then read it backwards so it looks like this:
Without a preacher how shall they hear? Without hearing how shall they believe? Without believing how shall they call? Without calling how shall they be saved?


1) What we believe will be the result of what?______________________



The Woman with the Issue of Blood
"And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction,” (Mark 5:34).


2) What made the woman well?________________________



How did the woman get this faith? ______________________



Let’s look at an earlier verse in this same chapter.

"Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment" (Mark 5:25-27).



3) When did she come behind Him to touch His garment? ____________________________________________



The Crippled Man at Lystra
"And they were preaching the gospel there. And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked" (Acts 14: 7-10).


4) This crippled man who had never walked did what?_______________________



5) Paul observed what about the man? __________________________________


Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God; however, there’s another ingredient that needs to be in place in order for faith to come.

Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 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.” 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!” 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,” (John 20:24-27).



6) Jesus told Thomas to not be what?___________________________

Thomas heard eight days ago from his friends that Jesus was alive. However, he rejected the truth. Faith comes because we hear, and we accept what we hear as truth. Unbelief comes because we hear and reject it as truth. We can’t be in unbelief about something we’ve never heard about. That’s called ignorance.

Let’s look at Mark, chapter five.

"Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”. . . And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction,” (Mark 5:25-30; 34).



7) What did the woman do when she heard about Jesus?
___________________________________________



This woman got faith because she heard. How do we know she accepted what she heard as truth and didn’t reject what she heard as truth? She went in the crowd. If we don’t accept what we hear as truth, we don’t act on it, and we don’t put it to use. Faith comes by hearing and by acceptance of truth.


Let’s look at Luke, chapter eight.


"Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away" (Luke 8:11-13).



8) Those on the rock are those who hear and receive the Word how? _______________



9) Those on the rock do what for a while?__________________________________


We know those on the rock accept the Word as truth because they receive it with joy and for a while believe. Faith comes by the hearing and acceptance of truth. Many times people look at the wrong “gauge” to determine whether they have faith in their lives.


The only true “gauge” that we can go by is to ask ourselves two questions:


1. Have I heard?

2. Have I accepted what I heard as truth?


If I have heard and accepted it as truth, then I have faith in that area.


To sum it all up; Faith is the absolute sure belief in something with absolutely no proof of it's existance. In order to live a balanced Christian life then we must operate in the three types of faith at all times. Get into the Word and see what else it says about faith and then gird yourself up with it.

Top Ten Reasons For Not Being a Christian

Top 10 Reasons For Not Being a Christian


Over the course of my Christian years, I've pretty much heard all the objections to Christianity the world has to offer. Here are what I would consider the "Top 10 Objections" to becoming a Christian.
 


1. "Seeing is believing. I've never seen God, so how do I know He exists?"


Nobody has ever seen the wind, but there is no doubt of its power. Nobody has seen history, but there is no doubt of its legacy. Nobody has seen a person's mind, but that doesn't make us mindless. TV and radio waves are invisible, but with the proper receiver, we can see their results.


Having never seen God is not much of a reason for rejecting Him, if you get right down to it. Let's see if we can do better.




2. "I may have broken the Ten Commandments, but I do good things for people. If God is fair, the scales will balance."


One look at "Hollywood morality" should dispel this one. They commit adultery in their youth, and then become involved in giving to AIDS research, etc., as they grow older. In their minds, they think that they are balancing the scales. They have done bad, and now they are doing good.


It doesn't work that way, even before an imperfect judge in a secular courtroom – if the judge is honest. An effort to bribe the judge with good works is still a bribe.


If you compare yourself with other human beings, you might be better than some, but worse than others. But God has to judge us on the basis of His righteous character, which we have violated. This is why He gave us the "Big Ten." They show us how good we would have to be to earn God's acceptance by our own good deeds. This is why God cannot judge on the "curve." God says, "Whoever keeps the whole law, yet offends in one point is guilty of all of it." (James 2:10)


Since none of us could ever be good enough to measure up to His perfect character, God elected to come to Earth in the person of Jesus Christ and die in our place under His offended righteous character. In so doing, God purchased a pardon for every person. We only have to admit we have broken His laws, turn to God and accept His free pardon.



3. "Christianity is oppressive to women."


This objection comes up in confusing the context of the Christian model for marriage. Ephesians 5:22 says, "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as unto the Lord." But the skeptic's objection collapses when the passage is taken in its full context.


Ephesians 5:25 commands husbands, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it."


It is hardly "oppression" to submit to someone who loves you with a sacrificial love. Instead, it is a textbook definition of love – a key ingredient to a successful marriage.



4. "The Bible was written by men."


As an objection, this is by far the silliest. When you write a letter, are you writing it, or is the pen? As I type this, am I writing it, or is my computer? Clearly, the pen, or the computer, is the instrument, not the writer. The same principle applies to the writers of Scripture. They were instruments, but God's Spirit is the author.


The Bible declares of itself that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God." (2 Timothy 3:16) and the proof is in the pudding. The writers of Scripture ranged from shepherds to kings to fishermen, but the 66 books that make up the Bible read as a single, harmonious narrative emanating from a Single Author. The Holy Spirit.


God threw down the gauntlet concerning how to know whether His Word is true or not. God said to Moses, "You may say to yourselves, 'How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?' If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken." (Deut. 18:21-22 NIV)


Every prophecy made in the Bible about specific events, places and times have come true to the letter. Some are not yet fulfilled because it is not yet the time. But the record in history is 100 percent accuracy. This is why we have only the books in the Bible that have been authenticated by fulfilled prophecy. More than 300 prophecies were fulfilled in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah.



5. "Churches are full of hypocrites."


The word "hypocrite" comes from the Greek word for "actor" or "pretender." Hypocrisy is "the practice of professing beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold."


The Body of Christ consists of true believers – "churches" are buildings where people congregate. Sitting in a church no more makes one a Christian than sitting in a garage makes one a car. Jesus will sort out the true believers from the pretenders in His time. The question is not what church you go to, but rather, whom do you trust for your salvation? A church? Or Jesus Christ?



6. "Christians think they are better than non-Christians."


This is another objection borne out of ignorance of both the teaching of Scripture and the nature of salvation. Nowhere do the Scriptures say that a Christian is a better person than a non-Christian. A believer in Jesus is a forgiven sinner. The unbeliever is not forgiven. But a true Christian knows that he is forgiven by the unmerited grace of God.


Peter betrayed Jesus by denying Him three times. Judas betrayed Him only once. But Peter is infinitely better off. Peter believed he was forgiven. Judas did not.


Two murderers were crucified alongside Jesus. One repented and expressed his faith by saying, "Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus immediately replied, "Truly I say to you, Today you will be with me in Paradise."


By way of analogy, consider two skydivers. One has a working parachute; the other does not. That doesn't make the skydiver with a working parachute a better skydiver. But he is certainly wiser than the other guy.



7. "There is too much suffering in the world for there to be a loving God."


The Bible tells us that God cursed the Earth because of Adam's transgression. Weeds are a curse. So is disease. Sin and suffering cannot be separated. The Scriptures inform us that we live in a fallen creation. Those who understand the message of Holy Scripture eagerly await a new Heaven and a new Earth "wherein dwells righteousness."


In that coming Kingdom there will be no more pain, suffering, disease or death. If it didn't exist here, then its abolition then would be meaningless. The sacrifice of Christ would be unnecessary. A loving God? John 15:13 says, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."



8. "Christianity isn't fair. What about all those people who have never heard the Gospel? Will they all go to Hell because they haven't heard about Jesus Christ?"


No one will be lost because he hasn't heard of Jesus. God says, "The wrath of God is being revealed from Heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (Romans 1:18-20) He also promises, "You will seek Me and find me when you search for Me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)


You see, God brings everyone to "God-consciousness" through the witness of creation. When a person anywhere, in any culture comes to God-consciousness – and then desires to know this God, He will move Heaven and Earth to get the true message to him. If he dies without hearing about Jesus Christ, it's because he did not want to know the true God.



9. "I've tried to read the Bible. I can't understand it."


The Scriptures tells us that the "natural man" cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God. Most Americans would find it difficult to understand the Chinese language. However, a child who is born into a Chinese family can understand every word.


Every person is born physically alive, but spiritually dead. God is a "Spirit" and we must have the same kind of life to perceive Him. This is why Jesus said to a very religious man, "Unless a man is born from above, he cannot perceive the things of God."


When even an uneducated person believes in Jesus and is born spiritually, he can immediately begin to understand the Bible.



10. "Christians are sinners, according to their own teaching. So what is the difference between a Christian who sins and a non-believer?"


Other than the obvious fact that one believes in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit and the other does not; This objection misses the whole point. A Christian receives a new nature and the Spirit of God comes to dwell in him it at the point of the "new spiritual birth." He still has an old nature that wants to sin. When the Christian fails to say no to temptation and depend upon God's Spirit, he sins.

The difference, however, is that a Christian cannot be happy anymore living in sin. He becomes miserable and wants to return to fellowship with God. As soon as he confesses his sin to God, he is forgiven and brought back into fellowship. But though the Christian can get out of fellowship, he cannot lose his relationship with God. That has been secured forever by the death of Jesus Christ in his place. God will not disown a child that He purchased with His own blood.



The 10 reasons for not being a Christian, therefore, are really 10 reasons why, if you haven't already, you should be on your knees – right now – receive the gift of pardon that Jesus purchased by dying in your place.
You won't become perfect in this life, but you will have new desires and power that will make you progressively better. And at the end, you will go to be with God forever.

Wisdom

Claiming The Scriptures:

Wisdom

James 1:5

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

Isa 2:3

"Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths."

Ps 32:8

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."

Ps 16:7

"I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me."

Ps 51:6

"Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place."

Eccl 2:26

"To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind."

Prov 2:5-7

"then you will understand the fear (reverence) of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless."

I Jn 5:20

"We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true-- even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life."

2 Cor 4:6

"For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."

Do these passages imply God's will to be a big ole mystery to us forever and ever?

I think Not!

If you don't know, ASK.
Ask until you know and can stand on the promises with bold faith!


Sister Saint (along with Brother Broke) says ...

"But we don't always know God's will."

Shows how righteous and pious we are, right?
* rolls eyes *

That is a lie propagated by the devil and passed down through the generations from people who believe to suffer miserably is from the Lord.

We may not know God's will, but we certainly CAN.

Mark 11:22-24

"Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."

Receive is not a passive word. Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon says the word translated receive in Mark 11:24 means "to take, to lay hold of, to take in order to carry away, to take what is one's own, to take to one's self, to claim or procure for one's self, of that which when taken is not let go, to seize, to apprehend, to get possession of, to obtain a thing, to appropriate to one's self, to obtain, to collect, to gather, not to refuse or reject." 

A wise man will ask God what His will is for their life and when they get the answer ~and the answer will come!~ then they will line up with it and enjoy all of the blessings that God so wants to give us.

Be smart!

Ask God.

He's the only One who has the answer.

Prayer Suggestions, Tips and Points!

Prayer Suggestions, Tips and Points!


* Pray that God would exalt His name in the world.
"Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." (Matthew 6:9)


* Pray that God would extend His kingdom in the world.
"Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10)


* Pray that the gospel would speed ahead and be honored.
"Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you." (2 Thessalonians 3:1)


* Pray for the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:13; Ephesians 3:19)


* Pray that God would vindicate his people in their cause.
"And will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night?" (Luke 18:7)


* Pray that God would save unbelievers.
"Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved." (Romans 10:1)


* Pray that God would direct the use of the sword.
"Take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication." (Ephesians 6:17-18)


* Pray for boldness in proclamation.
"Praying at all times in the Spirit . . . and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel." (Ephesians 6:18-19)

"And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness." (Acts 4:29)


* Pray for signs and wonders.
"And now, Lord, . . . grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness . . . while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." (Acts 4:29-30)

"Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit." (James 5:17-18)


* Pray for the healing of wounded comrades.
"Let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up." (James 5:14-15)


* Pray for the healing of unbelievers.
"It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him healed him."
(Acts 28:8)


* Pray for the casting out of demons.
"And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer." (Mark 9:29)


* Pray for miraculous deliverances.
"So Peter was kept in prison; but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church . . . When he realized [he had been freed], he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying." (Acts 12:5, 12)

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake." (Acts 16:25-26)


* Pray for the raising of the dead.
"But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, "Tabitha, rise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up." (Acts 9:40)


* Pray that God would supply His troops with necessities.
"Give us this day our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11)


* Pray for strategic wisdom.
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." (James 1:5)


* Pray that God would establish leadership in the outposts.
"And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed." (Acts 14:23)


* Pray that God would send out reinforcements.
"Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." (Matthew 9:38)

"While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off." (Acts 13:2-3)


* Pray for the success of other missionaries.
"I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints." (Romans 15:30-31)


* Pray for unity and harmony in the ranks.
"I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me." (John 17:20-21)


* Pray for the encouragement of togetherness.
"We pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith." (1 Thessalonians 3:10)


* Pray for a mind of discernment.
"And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ." (Philippians 1:9-10)


* Pray for a knowledge of His will.
"And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding." (Colossians 1:9)


* Pray to know God better.
"[We have not ceased to pray for you to be] increasing in the knowledge of God." (Colossians 1:10; Ephesians 1:17)


* Pray for power to comprehend the love of Christ.
"I bow my knees before the Father . . . [that you] may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge."
(Ephesians 3:14, 18-19)


* Pray for a deeper sense of assured hope.
"I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers . . . that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints." (Ephesians 1:16, 18)


* Pray for strength and endurance.
"[We have not ceased to pray for you to be] strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy." (Colossians 1:11; Ephesians 3:16)


* Pray for a deeper sense of His power within them.
"I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers . . . that you may know . . . what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe." (Ephesians 1:16, 18-19)



* Pray that your faith not be destroyed.
"I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren." (Luke 22:32)

"But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." (Luke 21:36)


* Pray for greater faith.
"Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24; Ephesians 3:17)


* Pray that you might not fall into temptation.
"Lead us not into temptation." (Matthew 6:13)


* Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.
"The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:41)


* Pray that God would complete your good resolves.
"To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power." (2 Thessalonians 1:11)


* Pray that you would do good works.
"[We have not ceased to pray for you that you] walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work."
(Colossians 1:10)


* Pray for the forgiveness of your sins.
"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." (Matthew 6:12)


* Pray for protection from the Enemy.
"Deliver us from evil." (Matthew 6:13)

Good Health

Claiming the Scriptures:
Good Health

Psalms 90:10 "The days of our years are 70 years; and if by reason of strength they be 80 years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away."

Proverbs 9:10, 11 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased."

1 Kings 3:14 "And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments ... I will lengthen thy days. "

James 5:15 "And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him."

Psalms 48:14 "For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death."
A special request asked of the Lord:

Psalms 39:4 "Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am."

Psalms 90:12 "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."

Philippians 1:23-25 "For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith."

And lastly:
2 Timothy 4:6,7 "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."

1 Corinthians 11:29 states that our not discerning the Body can be the cause of sickness, disease and even an early death. We are to judge ourselves so that we see the Body of Christ as one. We are to discern what Jesus did in His body for us personally as well. Jesus paid the price for our healing 2000 years ago and is not going to heal us in the future. He has already done it. No matter how we receive our healing, it is all based on what He did 2000 years ago.

Beginning in Isaiah 52:13,
Isaiah foresaw in the Spirit what Jesus went through as he was whipped and beaten and hung on the cross.
As you read the account of it in Isaiah 53, you will see that He took upon Himself all sickness, disease, and everything under the curse. We have been loosed- there are no bindings of sickness. Amen!

A scripture that is often taken out of context and misunderstood is Romans 8:28: "All things work together for good to them that love God." If you believe this means sickness of any kind is somehow for your good, you won't resist it. But the Bible is very plain in what it says about sickness.

The curse spelled out in Deuteronomy 28 includes "every sickness, and every plague" (verse 61).
Curses do not come from God. He is good to everyone (Psalm 145:9). Acts 10:38 says, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." Over and over in the Gospel it says He healed them ALL.

When you read Romans 8:28 in context, its meaning becomes clear:
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:26-28). Pray in the Spirit!

This is not saying everything that comes along is working for your good. This is about those who love God. Those who love God obey His Word: "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous" (1 John 5:3).  When we obey God we enjoy the blessing of God.

The will of God is always good, but not everyone is in the will of God. This scripture is talking about the things of the Spirit working for our good. The Spirit makes intercession on our behalf when we pray in the spirit. When we obey God all things work together for good.

A traditional prayer that will help you die young lol is "Lord, if it be Thy will, heal my body (or whatever)." Praying this shows you have not been reading your Bible and you don't have a clue about God or His will. It's always His will to heal.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). But if you don't hear and believe what the Word says, your faith won't be strong.

Galatians 3:11 says, "The just shall live by faith." That means believers are to live by believing what the Bible says. You are healed by believing and acting on what the Word says about your healing. It takes believing and acting to fulfill the word receive!

Refuse to be ignorant of what the Word says. Read Deuteronomy 28 and you will see that everything bad is under the curse and everything good is part of the blessing. Settle the issue that God is a good God. He has good things for you when you honor, revere and trust Him (Psalm 31:19). Settle the fact that Jesus bore every sickness and every disease so you don't have to bear them.

Praise and thank God for all the good He has done. Psalm 145 says, "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness" (verses 3-4, 7).

Isaiah 53:4-5 says it this way:
Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains, yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God…But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole (The Amplified Bible).

The last phrase of that verse means a great deal to me. I love the fact that it says "we are healed and made whole!" It doesn't say that one day we will be healed and made whole. It doesn't say that possibly, if it's the will of the Lord, we might be healed and made whole. It says we already are!

Don't Argue With God

If you have sickness in your body today, you might be tempted to argue with me about that. You might say, "Hey, I'm hurting right now. I've been to the doctor and he says I'm sick. I even have x- rays to prove it. How can you say I am healed?"

I'm not the one saying it. God is the One Who said it in His Word— I'm just quoting Him. He's given us the good news that the price for sickness (which entered the world through sin) has been paid! So if you've given your heart to Jesus, you don't have to pay the price of sickness anymore. Your healing has already been provided. You can simply receive it by faith and go!

As simple as that may sound, we receive healing from God in just the same way. We take Him at His Word. We believe we are healed, not because we feel healed or look healed at this moment but because God said we are. By faith, we start talking like we're healed. We start acting like we're healed. Before long, our bodies line up with God's Word and it becomes apparent to everyone that we truly are healed!

The Only Way to Live

Some people are reluctant to receive their healing by faith. They think it's too hard to do. So they just go to the doctor or wait around hoping someone will lay hands on them and zap them with the power of God in spite of their unbelief. Now please understand that I'm in favor of laying hands on the sick and I love it when the gifts of healing operate. And I think doctors are wonderful and a great blessing to mankind. But too often people just rely on medical doctors to help them.

The truth is even if someone lays hands on you, or the doctor gives you medicine and you get healed this time, one of these days you'll still have to grow up spiritually and learn to operate by faith if you want to live a victorious Christian life.

Why? Because the Bible says very clearly in three separate verses, "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38).

We are born again by faith. We fulfill the will of God in our lives by faith. If we're sick, we receive healing by faith. If we are broke, we get financial increase by faith. If our kids are in trouble, we get them back into the fold of God by faith. We receive anything and everything that we need from God…by faith!

Faith is simply believing what God says in His Word. It is trusting what He says more than we trust our natural senses or what other people say. Faith is believing God enough to talk and act as if His Word is true even when circumstances around us would seem to indicate that it's not.

How do we get that kind of faith? Romans 10:17 tells us "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." So if you want to get stronger faith, spend more time in the Word of God.

Just like I need to eat physical food every day (several times a day!) to keep going, I need to eat spiritual food every day too. I can't wait until somebody comes and spoon-feeds me the Word and neither can you. If I'm going to live every day by faith, I need to be strong in the Word every day. If I don't, my faith will dwindle and I can't afford that. I can't afford to be a lazy Christian because the devil is out there waiting to get a shot at me. He's looking for an opportunity to steal away the blessings Jesus bought for me and I don't want to give it to him.

When the Devil Puts the Squeeze on You

Actually, if it weren't for the devil, living by faith would be a cake-walk. There would be hardly any effort to it at all. God's Word about everything He's done for us through Christ Jesus is so wonderful that it's easy to agree with. The first time we hear it, we're usually so happy about it that we want to shout all the way home from church. But after a few days have passed and the devil starts pressuring us with symptoms, circumstances and discouraging lies, we find that some effort is required to continue to believe God. That's why it's so vital for us to keep our hearts full of God's Word. By keeping it before our eyes and going in our ears, it will be in our hearts in abundance and come out of our mouths in faith. Because when pressure comes, what comes out of us will be what is in us in greatest abundance. As Jesus said, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45, NIV).

If God's Word about healing is abundantly stored in your heart, then when symptoms of sickness come, you'll begin resisting those symptoms and speaking faith. Almost without thinking about it, you'll say, "Oh, no you don't devil. You're not putting that sickness on me. I'm the healed of the Lord. Jesus paid the price for me to be well and I intend to be well so you just take your  symptoms and get out of here!"

However if you've spent more time thinking about natural things than you have the Word, it will be a different story. You'll probably just lie down and take it when the devil uses sickness to put the squeeze on you. You'll say, "Oh, dear. I feel terrible. I believe I'm getting sick. I'd better go to bed."

Like it or not, that kind of pressure comes to every Christian because— for the time being— the devil is still operating in the earth. He is a thief and a liar who comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). He wants to rob us of the abundant life that Jesus has provided for us and he does it by challenging our faith.

How should we respond to that challenge?

By holding fast to the Word of God and absolutely, positively, refusing to give up until we see His promises manifested in our lives.

Know Within Yourself

There are no two ways about it, sometimes that can be pretty tough. Not because the devil is so strong and powerful— He's not. The Bible says he's already been disarmed. He has been brought to nothing! Even so, he is still a very good liar. He can really paint a bleak picture. He can whisper negative thoughts in your ear and make your situation look so bad that you may find yourself wanting to quit.

When that happens, we must follow the instructions given to the early church when they were facing great persecution for their faith. Unbelievers were literally plundering their houses and stealing their possessions in an attempt to get them to renounce Jesus. Yet the writer of Hebrews says to them:

"Ye…took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul" (Hebrews 10:34-39).

According to these verses, in order to receive what God has promised us —whether that be healing or any other scriptural blessing — we must know within ourselves what we have been given in Jesus. That means we must know it not just with our head but with our heart. We must have His Word rooted so deeply and firmly within us that when we hear lies to the contrary, we don't buy them. We must be so fully persuaded of what God says that we act as if it's true even when natural circumstances look like it's not. We can't quit when the going gets tough. If we quit, it's over. If we lay down our faith and give up, the devil can keep us in permanent defeat. On the other hand, we will win if we don't quit.

It's absolutely guaranteed.

I like the way verse 36 reads in The Amplified Bible — it makes that very clear. It says "For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised."

Notice it doesn't say you might possibly receive what God promised. It says that if you don't cast away your confidence you will receive and enjoy it to the full!

Faith Always Looks Forward

I'll warn you right now, one way the devil will try to steal your confidence is by tempting you to look at the past. He'll draw your attention off God's Word by reminding you of yesterday's failures, pains and disappointments.

"Before you get so carried away with this faith stuff," he'll say, "just remember that the pastor laid hands on you two days ago and you didn't feel a bit better afterward. And don't forget Sister Saint. She said she was believing God for healing last year and she died. What's more, you've been talking this healing business for two weeks now and you still have most of the same symptoms you had when you started. You felt bad yesterday. You feel bad today and you're going to feel the same way tomorrow."

When the devil starts telling you things like that, remember this: Faith always looks forward. It doesn't dwell on the past. It faces the future full of expectancy with faith in God. Looking back is not the way to get ahead in the kingdom of God. "But " you may say, "I've made some bad mistakes. I've done some terrible things. I think I'll just have to accept this sickness and pay the price for what I've done."

No, you don't!

Jesus paid the price, remember? If you've made a mistake or done something wrong, repent and let it go because God has forgiven you. First John 1:9 says He is faithful and just to forgive your sin and cleanse you of all unrighteousness. As far as heaven is concerned the past record of your sins has been wiped out. It's gone. It's under the blood of Jesus. So don't let the devil talk you into looking back! Don't listen to him when he comes to you with his dark cloud, telling you lies. Don't let him take your past and project it into your future. Cast him out! Get rid of him!

A Glorious Future

One way to defeat the devil is by getting out your Bible and telling him just what God says about your future. He says you're the healed— so enjoying a healthy body is in your future. He says you're more than a conqueror — so victory in every area of life is in your future. You have a good and glorious life ahead of you right here on this earth. And what's even better is the life that's waiting for you after that!

Remember this earthly life we're living is not a permanent thing. This is just a temporary situation. If we live to be 100 years old, that's just a moment in eternity. We are on our way to heaven! I think we ought to live healthy, blessed and prosperous lives while we're here because that's the will of God. But even so, we need to remember we're just passing through.

We always need to be aware that during this lifetime we're on temporary assignment for God. We're here to work for Him and build His kingdom on the earth. Right now we're laying up rewards for heaven. We won't be able to earn the same kinds of rewards once we get there because there won't be any pressure to resist up there. There won't be a devil trying to knock our heads off, make us sick and steal our resources.

Right now we have a fleeting opportunity to give glory to God by standing strong on His Word right in the face of all the pressure and lies the devil can bring. We have the opportunity to say, "Go ahead devil, give it your best shot. When you're finished, I'll still be standing here believing God's Word. I'll still be praising Him and saying, `By His stripes I am healed!' Because I'm not one of those who draw back. I'm one of those who believe and by faith I receive the promise!"

If we'll start thinking like that we'll be able to stand more successfully against the pressures the devil brings against us. When he tries to block our blessings by reminding us of the debts and defeats in our past, we'll just keep looking forward in faith. We'll confidently put the devil under our feet where he belongs, knowing that in Jesus "our bill has been paid." And we'll step boldly into a future full of the promises and provisions of God!

John 15:5-8 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, his is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit (i think spiritually and physically), showing yourselves to be my disciples."

Ultimately; the day is going to come when our lives on this earth are going to come to an end by some means. It has for anyone who ever lived and then died and it will continue to be this way until we get to that final generation that does not see the grave but will be "caught up" and carried away by the very Lord Himself. Until then the Word tells us that we should be all that God wants us to be... healthy. Physically, spiritually and mentally.

Get in the Word. Claim your health!

~ Paper Passions ~

I often find myself creating home made cards,
therefore I am generally almost always broke.

The Upside:
paper has fewer calories but cost about the same as quality chocolates.

The Downside:
If I don’t stop buying paper, soon I will have to eat them!

Noah's Ark

Everything
I Needed To Know
I Learned
From
Noah's Ark

One - Don't miss the boat.

Two - Remember that we are all in the same boat.

Three - Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.

Four - Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.

Five - Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.

Six - Build your future on high ground.

Seven - For safety's sake, travel in pairs.

Eight - Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.

Nine - When you're stressed, float a while.

Ten - Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

Eleven - No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

Pregnancy & Children

Claiming the Scriptures:
Pregnancy & Children

"Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate."
Psalm 127:3-5

"They said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.'"
Acts 16:31

"For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.'"
Acts 2:39

"All your sons will be taught of the LORD; and the well-being of your sons will be great."
Isaiah 54:13

"Grandchildren are the crown of old men, and the glory of sons is their fathers."
Proverbs 17:6

"The lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children."
Psalm 103:17

"We will not conceal them from their children, but tell to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wondrous works that He has done. For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers that they should teach them to their children, that the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children."
Psalm 78:4-6

"He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD!"
Psalm 113:9

"In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, and his children will have refuge."
Proverbs 14:26

"A righteous man who walks in his integrity -- How blessed are his sons after him."
Proverbs 20:7

"Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table."
Psalm 128:3

Remember, God calls things that are NOT as though they WERE (or, ARE). God's promises are "to you, your children and your children's children." When God makes this promise to us, it's a sure and unconditional promise that God makes. When God makes this promise to us, it's a promise that is certain. He will fulfill it. He won't fail. He won't say all of a sudden, "Now I can't keep this promise."

He won't say, as we do, "I promised it, but first you must do something before I fulfill it." God's promise is sure. God's promise is unconditional. He will fulfill His word. He cannot lie!

3 John 1:2 "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be healthy, even as your soul prospers."


* * * * * * * *


"FRUITFULNESS OF THE WOMB" AND HEALTHY CHILD BEARING ARE BLESSINGS; PROMISED TO COVENANT KEEPERS!

Please read the following Scriptures:

Genesis 1:28

Genesis 21:6-7

Genesis 49:25

Exodus 23:26

Deut.7:13-15

Deut. 28:4-11

Deut. 30:9

Psalm 84:3

Psalm 107:41

Psalm 112:1-2

Psalm 113:9

Psalm 115:14

Psalm 127:3-5

Psalm 128:3

Isaiah 49:19-21

Isaiah 54:1-5

Jeremiah 30:19-20

Ezekiel 36:9-12

Romans 4:17-24

Prosperity

Claiming the Scriptures:
Prosperity


Jesus Became Poor To Make You Rich
2 CORINTHIANS 8:9

9 You know how full of love and kindness our Lord Jesus was: though he was so very rich, yet to help you he became so very poor, so that by being poor he could make you rich.

Most Christians consider being poor the will of God. Scripture actually gives a quite opposite picture. Although there are many warnings in Scripture against the love of money and its misuse, the fact remains that financial prosperity is considered a blessing from God in the Bible.

Leave Foolishness Behind:

"Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed." (Proverbs 13:21)

Satan has had us in a poverty mentality so long that it's tough for us to grasp just how intensely God really does desire to prosper us--even though He's demonstrated that desire again and again.

Take Abraham, for example.
God made him an extremely wealthy man.
Genesis 13:2 says he was rich in cattle, in silver and in gold.

Then, of course, there was Solomon.
The Bible says he surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

God's servant Job possessed such great wealth that he was called the greatest of all the men of the East. That was before Satan put him through the wringer. Afterward, God blessed him with more than twice what
Satan had stolen.

The problem is, just the thought of the kind of wealth God gave to those men scares most believers today. They're afraid it would destroy them.

God has said that "the prosperity of fools shall destroy them" (Prov. 1:32).
But that doesn't mean you should avoid being prosperous. It means you should avoid being a fool!

I challenge you to go to Proverbs and find out for yourself what God says about the characteristics of a fool. Let the Holy Spirit search your heart. If you see ways in which you've been a fool, repent and make a firm decision not to be caught in that trap again. Let the Word of God inspire you to leave foolishness behind and stir within you the faith to reach out and receive what you, as a redeemed child of the living God, have a divine right to-- not the curse of poverty, but the blessing of prosperity!

Amen?

PSALM 35:27 NKJ
27 Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, "Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant."

Certainly there are dangers in being prosperous. With more money you can make more choices, and buy more trouble. However, money itself is not evil. The person using money determines whether it will be a force for good or a force for evil.

You do not have to convince God to prosper you. No arm-twisting will be necessary, as He has already made the provision. Through the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ, prosperity already belongs to you.

I can almost hear the objections: "If I am rich, where is it?
Why do I have all these debts and bills?"

The answer is simple actually. The devil has stolen it away from us because of our ignorance.

You can reclaim it by faith, but you will have to feed on the Word for your faith to continue strong and effective. So, to receive the blessings available to us through Christ, we have to draw near to God. Some maturity is required to receive God's provision and to keep the devil from stealing it. This insures that immature believers will not have more money than they can handle and thus have their lives ruined by it.

Nevertheless, according to the Bible you are rich. You may not have ready access to it, but in Christ wealth is yours - just as surely as a young heir is rich even though his money is held by trustees and he cannot have it until he matures.

Jesus Christ became poor to make us rich and as His daughter I am rich through Christ Jesus. You've heard how people always say "Money is the root of all evil", and then a mature Christian comes up behind them and says "Actually, it says 'For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil'. (1 Timothy 6:10) But check this out: In Ecclesiastes 10:19- "A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything."

Did you know the Bible declares that MONEY ANSWERS ALL THINGS? (Ecclesiastes 10:19) You must understand the power of money from a correct, biblical perspective...


~Money gets the gospel preached.

~Money pays your bills.

~Money supports missionaries.

~Money takes care of your family.

~Money blesses the poor and feeds the hungry.

~Money publishes faith resources and life-changing books so you can minister the anointed Word to the world.

~Money and material blessings are a testimony of God's goodness in your life.

~Money is seed for advancing the Kingdom of God in the earth realm.

~Money is not evil, the love of it is! Sowing money seed is the proof that you have mastered greed!

~God's ultimate purpose in prosperity and blessing you financially is to get the gospel out to the nations and establish His covenant in the earth.


In Luke 12, Jesus warned about worrying. He said (starting in verse 22) "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn (they don't store up food, thinking one day they might go without); yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" Verse 31: "But seek His kingdom, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Philippians 4:19- "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
(according to His riches, not ours!)

Proverbs 8:18- "With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity."

Ephesians 3:20- "By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope". A different translation of that same scripture says: "Now unto him that is able to do exeeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us*."

God is able (and WILLING) to provide for us exeedingly and ubundantly above all that we can ask or think! Pretty cool huh? But the "catch", if you will, is found in 3 John 2- "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth*." The God that made us and everything in this earth (even the earth itself) wants us to prosper (financially as well as spiritually) and be in health, but only as much as we're giving to Him and growing in Him. If we give a little, then we get a little, we give more, He gives us more!

The bible is FULL of promises just like those above .... promises to us! Promises that take care of the health, spending money, house, food, clothing, cars that break down and all points in between. He knows we can't have and raise children without those promises of being cared for, so that we may in turn care for our children. And even the children themselves are a promise, too!

Psalm 128:1-4- "Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table. Thus is the man who fears the Lord."

My point is that everything we want and need can be found in Him. We can try and struggle and worry and trip, but ultimately the easiest way is to give our cares to the Lord and let Him work it out. God cannot lie, so unlike us humans, we can trust His word, His promises.

Psalm 37:4- "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."


Priorities of Prosperity

Matthew 6:24 "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to  the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." 

God isn't against your having money.
He's against money having you.


He's against your making it your priority and putting your trust in it instead of in Him.

Why? Because He knows money makes a lousy god. Its power is limited. It will only buy so much. It will only go so far. If you need healing from an incurable disease, money won't help you at all. If your family is falling apart, money won't mend it. But if you'll seek God first, His prosperity will reach into every area of your life.

God is so generous that He desires you to have the best on this earth, just as you desire the best for yourchildren. His plan is for you to have all of your needs met according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Get in on that plan by keeping your priorities straight. Seek Him first and His righteousness. Make pleasing God your number one priority. Set your eyes on Him above all else and all these things will be added unto you.

Mark 10:17-27 NIV
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good — except God alone.
19 You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give falsetestimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"
20 "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and giveto the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
22 At this the man's face fell. He went away sad,  because he had great wealth.
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"
27 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."


Biblical Financial Freedom:

Freedom from financial worries is assured by God's Word. Many people are robbed of peace and joy in the Lord because of their constant worry about finances. But as Christians, when you are faithful in your tithes and offerings, you can claim the promises in God's word.


Look up the following verses to discover God's promises regarding finances:

Duet. 29:9
Ps. 37: 3
Ps. 37:25
Ps. 84:11
Prov. 13:22
Eccl. 11:1
Isa. 45:3
Luke 6:38
Luke 12:28
Luke 12:31
Luke 12:32
John 16:24
Phil. 4:19
3 John 2

Joint Heirs To the Throne

Times of Trouble

Claiming The Scriptures:
Times of Trouble

Life can be hard.

Maybe you have been forsaken by your spouse. Or are struggling with the death of a loved one. Or facing the constant pain of disease. Or the loss of a job or business. Or, maybe just the daily grind of life.

What can you do?

You always have choices. You choose how you respond. With God's help, you don't have to let the problems of life defeat you.

A prophet named Habukkuk had the attitude we all need:

HABAKKUK 3:17-18 NIV
17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Even if everything seems to go wrong, you can rejoice in the Lord, for He is good and His mercy endures forever! There is no darkness so dark that Jesus cannot overcome. There is no situation that is hopeless. There is no problem too big for God to fix.

When you face trouble in life, will you whine and complain, or will you rejoice in God?

Maybe I should ask, "Would you prefer to get better or to get worse?"

As you rejoice in the Lord, you will find strength to go on and face life. God will give you strength to overcome. We all face struggles in life. Focusing on God -- who has the solution to every problem -- is a way out of the jaws of defeat into glorious victory. Whatever your struggle is, look to God. Rejoice in Him! Don't let the devil steal your joy. Rejoice in the Lord!

PHILIPPIANS 4:4 NIV
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Spiritual Garden

Garden Bible Verses


HOSEA 10:12 Personal Renewal - Garden Devotion
PSALM 46:4 A River For All People - Garden Things
ISAIAH 6:3 Seeing The LORD In Glory - Garden Worldview
PHILIPPIANS 3:12 Getting GOD - Garden Dreams
HOSEA 3:5 Restoration Of The Davidic - Garden Days
MARK 6:50 Receiving The Joy Of The LORD - Garden Depth
HOSEA 6:2 Living In His Presence - Garden Meaning
ISAIAH 56:7 A House Of Prayer For All People - Garden Experience
HEBREW 11:6 Going Deeper - Garden Thrills
REVELATION 22:1 Throne Room Glory - Garden Purity
ISAIAH 41:8 Being Called A Friend - Garden Acceptance
PSALM 16:11 Finding Pleasure - Garden Times
PHILIPPIANS 3:8 Abandoning All - Garden Possessions
ISAIAH 26:8 The Waiting - Garden Love
HEBREWS 6:5 Power Evangelism - Garden Talk
2TIMOTHY 4:18 A Full Deliverance - Garden Authority
PSALM 23:1 Having More - Garden Fullness
EPHESIANS 2:18 Knowing FATHER - Garden Relationship
ISAIAH 18:4 The Contemplative Approach - Garden Clarity
MARK 9:29 The Fastthrough - Garden Food
JAMES 4:8 The Closeness Of GOD's Heart - Garden Intimacy
PSALM 24:10 The KING Of GLORY's Return - Garden Sight
JEREMIAH 15:19 Letting GOD Use You - Garden Anointing
PROVERBS 15:8 The Sweetest Communion - Garden Fellowship
SONG OF SOLOMON 4:10 Going For The Best - Garden Passion
PHILIPPIANS 3:10 Going To The Cross - Garden Path
HEBREWS 4:15 The LOVER Of OUR SOUL's Burden - Garden Life
PSALM 1:3 Having GOD's Hand On Your Life - Garden Favour



Spiritual Garden 
Weekly plan



Week 1
HOSEA 10:12 Personal Renewal - Garden Devotion
PSALM 46:4 A River For All People - Garden Things
ISAIAH 6:3 Seeing The LORD In Glory - Garden Worldview
PHILIPPIANS 3:12 Getting GOD - Garden Dreams
HOSEA 3:5 Restoration Of The Davidic - Garden Days

Week 2
MARK 6:50 Receiving The Joy Of The LORD - Garden Depth
HOSEA 6:2 Living In His Presence - Garden Meaning
ISAIAH 56:7 A House Of Prayer For All People - Garden Experience
HEBREW 11:6 Going Deeper - Garden Thrills
REVELATION 22:1 Throne Room Glory - Garden Purity
ISAIAH 41:8 Being Called A Friend - Garden Acceptance

Week 3
PSALM 16:11 Finding Pleasure - Garden Times
PHILIPPIANS 3:8 Abandoning All - Garden Possessions
ISAIAH 26:8 The Waiting - Garden Love
HEBREWS 6:5 Power Evangelism - Garden Talk
2 TIMOTHY 4:18 A Full Deliverance - Garden Authority

Week 4
PSALM 23:1 Having More - Garden Fullness
EPHESIANS 2:18 Knowing FATHER - Garden Relationship
ISAIAH 18:4 The Contemplative Approach - Garden Clarity
MARK 9:29 The Fast-through - Garden Food
JAMES 4:8 The Closeness Of GOD's Heart - Garden Intimacy

Week 5
PSALM 24:10 The KING Of GLORY's Return - Garden Sight
JEREMIAH 15:19 Letting GOD Use You - Garden Anointing
PROVERBS 15:8 The Sweetest Communion - Garden Fellowship
SONG OF SOLOMON 4:10 Going For The Best - Garden Passion
PHILIPPIANS 3:10 Going To The Cross - Garden Path
HEBREWS 4:15 The LOVER Of OUR SOUL's Burden - Garden Life
PSALM 1:3 Having GOD's Hand On Your Life - Garden Favour

*  This is just to get you started! Continue on adding Garden Verses as the Holy Spirit reveals them to you!