Truth

In John 18:36,37,38 there was an exchange between Jesus and Pontius Pilate which reverberates through the ages. Jesus said to Pontius Pilate in relation to his questions: My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

And Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?

The One Who was the Truth was standing before Pilate and he was not able to perceive Him Who was the Truth because Pilate was not spiritually capable of doing that as a fleshly man.

What is Truth? Let’s answer that question.

In John 14:6 in a time prior to Pilate’s question, Jesus had given the answer, but because Pilate was not around to hear it, he did not know the answer. Right here Jesus said that He is the way, the truth, and the life.

In the very first chapter of John we read in the Amplified Bible in verse 14 that the Word was made flesh. Jesus, the Word, took on a flesh and blood body and lived among us. He was full of grace and truth. Then a few verses later, in verse 17, we read that grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

In John 8:31,32 we read that if we continue in God’s word, then we are the disciples of the Lord and we shall know the truth and the truth shall make us free.

Jesus is the Truth of God Who came to this earth and demonstrated the fullness of God, the character of God. He showed mankind what God was truly like. He was the embodiment of God in the flesh, where men could see Him with their physical eyes and hear Him with their physical ears.

Then when Jesus died and rose again and ascended into Heaven, the Father sent the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus and the Holy Spirit was the Spirit of Truth. In John 16:13, Jesus said that when the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit comes (and He is here now) He will guide you into all Truth. If you and I as children of God will depend upon the Holy Spirit, we will hear His voice, and we will walk in His Truth. We belong to the Spirit of Truth. He is in us. He will guide us in our everyday life, as we make decisions, as we go about the business of daily living. The Spirit of Truth will guide us.

This Word is the Truth of God that we are to read, meditate upon, speak and do. When we read God’s Word, we are reading the Truth. Nothing else is the Truth. The doctor’s report is factual. The bank statement is factual. The divorce papers are factual. The jail sentence is factual for a child. But there is something greater than the facts of this earth. It is the Truth of the Word of God, that Jesus the Word brought to us here on this earth.

As God’s children, we do know the Truth. When satan comes at us with lies, things which are contrary to God’s Word and tells us that we are not going to make it, we must turn and face him “square-on” and say: That’s not my thought because that is not God’s thought. And then we must go to God’s Word and find the Truth for that situation in which we find ourselves. The Truth of God’s Word is higher than anything else that man can say to us. The Word of His Truth is higher than any other word. We must accept that. We must believe it. Whatever He says in His Word is greater than anything we have heard, any report we have been given, any situation which stares us in the face and says we will fail. We must remember that God’s Word is the banner of Truth over every situation and circumstance of life. We must believe Him. We are to trust Him. He is the Truth.

God's Wonderful Word

Let’s talk about God’s Word today. But, first, let’s make a confession regarding His Word.

I receive the Word of God.
I receive Jesus, the Living Word.
I receive the Word of God as the seed of life for me forever.
It is the incorruptible, indestructible, unchanging, eternal Word.
My heart is good soil, good ground for this Word of God seed.
I am being changed from glory to glory as I behold in the Word of God as in a mirror the glory of the Lord.
Victory and success is mine because of the power of God’s Word being planted in my heart. That Word comes to full maturity in me and is harvested.
Thank You, Lord, for Your Word.
I believe the Word of God.
This Word is forever.
This Word is true, regardless of my circumstances.
This Word is alive.
This Word is working in me and for me now.
This Word is the power of God in operation in my life.

Now, let’s look at God’s Word on his Word.
John 1:1 tells us that the Word is God. 1 John 4:7 tells us that God is Love. Put these two scriptures together and we see that God is the Word and God is Love. We are to read God’s Word through His eyes of Love. We are to hear God’s Word through His ears of Love. His Word is His Love gift to us to receive and use.

In Hebrews 11:3 we see that God’s Word framed the worlds. Things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
In Hebrews 13:8 we see that Jesus Christ, Who is called the Word, is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
In Psalm 18:30 we see that God’s Word has been tried and tested, proven.
In Psalm 119:89 we see that God’s Word is settled forever.
In Matthew 24:35 we see that God’s words shall not pass away.

God’s Word framed the worlds. His Word is forever, unchangeable, proven, settled forever, and shall not pass away. Trust in His Word and watch your world change to conform to His ways of living.

The Lord reminds us in Psalm 105:8 and Psalm 89:34 that He remembers His covenant, His Word for ever. He will not break nor alter the Word which has gone out of His lips. God keeps His Word to us. He is not a man that He should lie.

In Hebrews 4:12 we read that God’s Word is alive, full of life, full of power.

In Joshua 1:8 we are reminded that the Word is not to depart out of our mouth. We are to think on it day and night. We are to do His Word. And then we shall be successful and prosperous.

And look at Jeremiah 1:12. God promises us that He will hasten His Word to perform it for us. He is just waiting for our confession of His Word so that He can do for us what He wants to do. He loves to take care of His children. And we love to speak His Word. We love His Word because His Word is Him.

God’s Word is wonderful. His Word is the container of all that He is. When we speak forth His Word, we are speaking forth God and His ability on our behalf. Stay in the Word. It is your very lifeblood. God’s Word will carry you through all of life and cause you to be victorious every time.

Peace

The peace of God is a perfect peace, with wholeness being its total focus. When we are walking in God’s peace, sickness and disease cannot stay; poverty has to flee; satan cannot stay. God’s peace is a total peace, with nothing missing from our lives or nothing broken and “unfixable” in our lives.

Jesus told us that He was giving us His peace, a peace that the world cannot give. What did He mean by that statement? The world’s peace depends upon the circumstances around us and the situations in which we find ourselves. God’s peace depends on nothing but Him and trusting Him. He is the author of peace, a peace that passes all of our human understanding. How can a woman sleep in the middle of the bombing of England? Yet, there was a woman who did that. How can someone stand up in the face of a doctor’s report and say no to the verdict of death? Yet there are those who are doing it without batting an eyelash. What distinguishes them from the rest? They are resting in the peace of God and knowing that He is the One to trust, not what they see or hear around them.

Let’s look at some of God’s Word concerning peace. What does He have to say about His peace?

We start with Jesus’ instruction to us here in John 14:27.
He tells us that He is leaving His very own peace with us, giving it to us, bequeathing it to us as His gift. He is not giving as the world gives. This is a different kind of peace. This peace is His peace, which is unshakeable and unaffected by the world’s trials and tribulations. With this in mind, we are not to let our hearts be troubled or let them be afraid. We are not to permit ourselves to be fretful, anxious, full of care, agitated, disturbed, cowardly or unsettled. Rather, we are to be peaceful and tranquil, without care or anxiety or concern. All is well. The God of peace is taking care of us.

Here is what Jesus said in John 16:33 in the Amplified Bible.
…in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

Do you notice the word “confidence” here? Jesus said that in Him (Isn’t He the Word?) we have perfect peace, confidence. In the Word----when we dwell in the Word of God----we have complete confidence. He told us to be confident in Him. In the midst of all this mess here on the earth, be confident in the Lord; take courage in the Lord; be certain of His power to keep you. He has already overcome the world for us. He has already deprived it of its power to affect us, to harm us, to conquer us. This is a command from Jesus. BE OF GOOD CHEER. In other words, BE CONFIDENT, BE CERTAIN, BE UNDAUNTED OR UNMOVED.


Let’s look at Isaiah 26:3 in the Amplified Bible.
You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.

There’s that word “confident” again. Peace and confidence go hand-in-hand, don’t they. When one is at peace regarding anything, he or she is confident that all is well.

In 1 Peter 3:11 we are told to pursue peace. In 1 Corinthians 7:15 we are told that God has called us to peace. In Ephesians 2:14 we are told that Christ Jesus Himself is our peace. He is called the Prince of Peace in the Old Testament.

And I want to close with a confession based on 2 Corinthians 13:11 from the Amplified Bible.
I am strengthened, perfected, completed, made what I ought to be. I am encouraged and consoled and comforted. I live in peace, and then the God of love. Who is the Source of affection, goodwill, love, and benevolence gives me love toward all men because He is love toward all men. He is the Author and Promoter of peace. The Source, Author, and Promoter of peace is with me always. He dwells in me and keeps me in a peaceful state in my spirit, soul (mind, will, emotions) and body all the days of my life. And I will live long and live strong while I am on this earth.

Holy Spirit

Today’s Pearl will be short by instruction of the Lord because He wants us to truly understand these verses that Jesus spoke.

John 14:26,27 Amplified Bible

But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name (in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf, He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.

Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled].

The Holy Spirit – the Father sent the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus, so every time I say “in the name of Jesus,” I am giving the Holy Spirit the opening, the open door to act on my behalf, for me, in whatever is going on. He is given full access to use His power, His ability for me. His ability then is operating instead of my fleshly ability, which produces zero in the spirit realm.

Then in verse 27 Jesus says: OK, therefore, you have My peace which I give to you. My peace is there for you when you yield to the Holy Spirit to do for you all things in His ability (yielding, submitting to the One Who knows what to do).

Holy Spirit, I yield to You today. I give over to You full access to my life. Live through me and in me. I will never use the name of Jesus lightly again. Every time I say “in the name of Jesus” I am giving You total control of the situation. I am giving You full freedom for Your ability to operate in this situation for good. No longer do I step in and interfere with my fleshly abilities, which I do have. But I realize that they are no match for this situation or circumstance, to bring about change. You have the answers. You have the ability to make a difference, to change all for the good. And now I take Your perfect peace, Jesus, as my own because I know I have nothing to worry or to be concerned about. I live in Your peace, which is Your wholeness and brings about in my life a life that has nothing missing or broken in it. Thank You, Lord.

Meditate on these two verses until they become so real to you that nothing upsets or bothers you. You simply walk in the fullness of the ability of the Holy Spirit. the love of God and the peace of Jesus.

Scriptures on the Mouth, Part 2

There are so many scriptures on the mouth that we had to continue our study of them today.

Psalm 63:5,6
…my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips: when I remember You upon my bed, and meditate on You in the night watches.

Psalm 71:8,15 Amplified Bible
My mouth shall be filled with Your praise and with Your honor all the day.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteous acts and of Your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is more than I know.

Psalm 89:1
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 109:30
I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; yes, I will praise him among the multitude.

Psalm 145:21
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

Proverbs 8:6,7,8
Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.
For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward (contrary to the truth) or perverse (crooked) in them.

Isaiah 55:10,11 Amplified Bible
God speaking:
For as the rain and snow come down from the heavens, and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Isaiah 51:16
And I have put my words in your mouth, and I have covered You in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, You are My people.

Isaiah 59:21
As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon you, and my words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, nor out of the mouth of your seed, nor out of the mouth of your seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.

Jeremiah 1:9
Then said the Lord unto me, You have well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

Jeremiah 5:14
Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Because you speak this word, behold, I will make my words in your mouth fire….

Ephesians 4:29
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

There is quite a list here of scriptures that we have read over the past several days, both for the tongue and mouth. All of us need to meditate and study these verses so that they become a part of us. Death and life are in the power of our tongue and the words of our mouth create. We are speaking spirits who turn the whole course of our lives with that which is only several inches below our nose. We can speak blessing or curses over ourselves and others. The choice is ours to make.

Scriptures on the Mouth, Part 1

Yesterday we spoke scriptures on the tongue. Today we will focus on scriptures on the mouth.

Proverbs 12:14
A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth….

Proverbs 13:2,3
A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth….
He that keeps his mouth keeps his life….

Proverbs 15:23
A man has joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

Proverbs 16:23
The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds learning to his lips.

Proverbs 18:20
A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.

Proverbs 10:31,32
The mouth of the just brings forth wisdom….
The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable….

Matthew 12:34; Luke 6:45
…out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Matthew 15:11
Not that which goes into the mouth defiles a man; but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.

Luke 21:15
For I shall give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

Romans 10:10
For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, by acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

Psalm 34:1
I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalm 40:3
And He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto my God: ….

Psalm 49:3
My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

Psalm 51:15
O Lord, open my lips: and my mouth shall show forth You praise.

Scriptures on the Tongue

In our last Pearls, we discussed the tongue and our mouths. Today we are focusing on scriptures concerning the tongue. As we look at them, speak them over yourself and let the Spirit of God take charge of what you speak.

Psalm 35:28
And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness and of Your praise all the day long.

Psalm 51:14
…O God, thou God of my salvation: …my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

Psalm 71:23,24 Amplified Bible
My lips shall shout for joy when I sing praises to You, and my inner being, which You have redeemed.
My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long….

Psalm 126:2
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.

Psalm 45:1
…My tongue is like the pen of a ready writer.

Psalm 119:171,172
My lips shall utter praise, when You have taught me Your statutes.
My tongue shall speak of Your word: for all Your commandments are righteous.

Proverbs 10:20,21 KJV and Amplified Bible
The tongue of the just is as choice silver:… The lips of righteous feed many and guide many….

Proverbs 12:18,19 KJV and Amplified Bible
…the tongue of the wise is health. …the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Truthful lips shall be established forever….

Proverbs 15:1,2,4,7
A soft answer turns away wrath….
The tongue of the wise uses knowledge wisely.
A gentle tongue [with its healing power] is a tree of life….Amplified Bible
The lips of the wise disperse knowledge:….

Proverbs 16:1
The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.

Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Proverbs 21:23 Amplified Bible
He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from troubles.

Proverbs 31:26
She opens her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

Isaiah 50:4
The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.

Tongues of Love, The Mouth of God

The book of Proverbs has much to say about the tongue and the mouth of a man. Mankind is created to speak. His tongue forms words, with the help of his teeth and his mouth. No other creature talks as we do. Animals of various kinds make sounds that mean something to one another and even parrots talk what they are taught, but only man speaks intelligently and fluently.

What does God have to say about our tongue? In James we read that the tongue is a fire, a little member and can boast of great things. It sets on fire the cycle of man’s nature. God has given us a tongue and mouth to praise Him, to magnify Him, to glorify Him, to worship Him. And on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit burst forth through the envelope of this earth, what was the evidence of His Presence here once again------tongues of fire. God’s fire is different than the fire that James discusses here in his book. The fire of God burns up the dross of flesh and the devil. When our tongue is used by God, it becomes a tool of the expression of Love Himself. That is the very reason that the devil fights people being baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.

Tongues is the highest form of communication with God, Love Himself. It is the means by which God touches the earth with Himself and moves on behalf of those for whom we are praying. What a blessed means of His working in this earth. To think that He would use you and me with our tongues to accomplish the reality of His dream for His man.

My tongue is used to bring life or death, blessing or cursing. It is used to make people feel better or worse. The tongue can be an instrument of bringing good to those around us or bring trouble and devastation to those around us. My tongue produces my world; it is the instrument of my future; it determines my destiny. With my tongue I can be negative or I can be positive.

Our tongues are to be used to confess God’s Word and change the course of our lives to go God’s way. In His pathway is only good. When I speak in line with God and His Word, I am speaking in line with my destiny lining up with and moving into God’s pathway for me. What an honor to be given such a privilege as we human beings have. God has entrusted the whole future of this planet earth, this whole world, into the hands of man. And the way this planet is operated is totally dependent on words spoken. Words are conceived in our hearts first and then spoken out into the atmosphere. They do produce life or death. You can see that demonstrated in plants in our homes or in our yards. In a house where there is always strife, plants die. In a house where love is demonstrated easily, plants thrive. Everything living on this earth responds to our words, our speech, produced by our tongues and mouth.

The greatest use of our tongue is to confess God’s Word about everything and in everything, to praise Him for Who He is, and to magnify Him in other tongues, a language we didn’t learn. There is to be nothing coming out of our mouths and across our lips but the praises of the Word of Love Himself. Love’s Word is given for our very existence here on this earth, for our successful accomplishments for God and His Kingdom. Without His Word we have no basis for His way of doing things. We only learn how to do things where others are concerned on the basis of what they have given us verbally or what they have written down for us. It is all about words. And, of course, God’s Word is the highest form of communication and the very foundation for our whole life. Life in the Word is a life of absolute beauty and harmony with God.

What a delight to be given such a wonderful way to express ourselves. Our tongues are to be yielded to God as His instruments of life and of love. God has so much to say about our speaking. In our next Pearls we will be talking about the scriptures we can speak concerning our tongues and our mouths. These scriptures will order our lives aright and set us in the pathway of righteousness. Listen to yourself today. What are you saying? Do you edify God or do you exalt yourself and those around you? Let’s do some listening as well as speaking. We will learn much as we listen.

Love's Gift

God is Love. And He gave a gift to this world. Jesus was and is God’s Love Gift to each one of us, whether we are born again or not.

Here is what I want to get to today. A friend and I were talking today and the Holy Spirit spoke to us about each one of us being Love’s gift to one another. We in the Body of Christ, we who are the Bride of Christ are given to one another as gifts. Each one of you is a gift to the rest of us.

Let’s talk about how we treat gifts. When my husband gives me a gift, I am so excited. I am thankful for the gift. I thank him and express my love toward him for bringing me a gift. I appreciate the gift. I look at it. I consider it a part of my life from that moment onward. The same should be true for us in the Body of Christ. We should consider one another as precious, special gifts.

Every person in the Body of Christ has qualities that will help others. You are not someone who has nothing to give to others. You are a gift to other people. Stop seeing yourself as worthless, of no value. The Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit see you as precious, valuable, of great worth. You and I are to see each other that way, as well as see ourselves that way.

In John 3:16, a very well memorized scripture, we read this in the Amplified Bible. I love the way this particular version of the Bible presents John 3:16. Listen to this.
For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

Isn’t that beautiful. God so greatly loved and dearly prized you that He gave you Jesus as His gift so that you could be free to come to Him and be dearly loved. You are His prize. You are His unique gift to the world, just as His Son Jesus is His gift to the world.

God created you with giftings that no one else can do like you can do. If you don’t think you have anything for anyone, ask the Holy Spirit to show you what your giftings are. He will be happy to do so.

You are a gift. You are love’s gift to your family, to your friends, to your church, to your community, to your nation. You are a gift that Love Himself created. He put within you all that you need to do what you were created to do. God, Who is Love, Love Himself created you uniquely you, just the way you are, to impact this world in which you live.

I want you to ponder this: You are God’s gift, Love’s gift to others. You have a part to play in other people’s lives. You are important. You are valuable. You are precious. Why? Because God, Love Himself, created you. You are one of a kind. There is no one else quite like you. You are not like anyone else.

Let the Spirit of God develop within you those things that make you special. Don’t try to be like other people around you. Be yourself. Let God develop your special qualities. You have a job to do for Him in this world. Let Him help you to do what He, the Master Designer, designed you to do. When you allow Him to develop you, you will have fun in life doing what He created you to do.

If you are not enjoying life, turn to your Creator and ask Him what the problem is. More than likely you are not doing what you were designed to do. In this earth, earthly objects have certain jobs to do. A dishwasher cannot cook a meal. Neither can a stove wash dishes. Are you getting my point? You cannot do what God has designed somebody else to do. And somebody else, whether it is your mate or your friend cannot do what God designed you to do. Remember who you are: You are God’s gift, Love’s gift, to the world. You are special for others.

Renewing, Part 2

We began a study on renewing yesterday and will finish it today.

We are to renew our minds to God’s way of doing things by studying and meditating on His Word. In His Word, we will gain knowledge and wisdom of the way His Kingdom operates, so that we can imitate Him as dear children imitate their Father. We are not to be conformed to this world, but we are to be transformed by the renewal of our minds to the Word of God. When we know the Word of God, we know the will of God, because His Word is His will.

Colossians 3:10 tells us that we have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created us. The New Living Translation tells us that in the place of the old man we have clothed ourselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as we learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature in us.

In other words, we have put on the new man (clothed ourselves) which is ever in the process of being renewed and remolded in knowledge after the image of Him Who created us. We are new creatures in Christ Jesus spiritually. And daily we renew our minds to the reality of being new creations in Christ Jesus. The reality of our new man must be established in our minds daily, as we spend time in God’s Word and in His Presence. He is our teacher and trainer with His Word. What a wonderful and awesome God we have. He left us an entire book called the Bible to let us know how He thinks and operates His realm. What a God we have! He wants us to think the way He thinks so that we can receive what He has for us as His children. He is full of desire to bless us every day in every way. We cannot receive His blessing unless we know what He is like and unless we know that we can trust Him. His Word develops that trust in us. We call it faith in God. Faith is simply trusting somebody to do what they say they will do for you.

In 2 Corinthians 4:16 we see that our inward man is renewed day by day. Our body grows older, but look at Psalm 103:5: God satisfies our mouth with good things so that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s, soaring, strong, overcoming, powerful. The eagle renews its youth cyclically in a period of time. We are to do the same. Before sin was introduced into the world, our bodies were created to totally renew themselves every 7 years or so. Now, we as God’s children can have our youth renewed as the eagle’s as we fill our mouths with the good things of God, His good Word, which is life and health and healing to all our flesh. His Word is our sustenance. It is our sustaining force to keep us young, youthful until we go home to be with Jesus at 120---with eyes not dim and our natural forces not abated.

In fact, Isaiah 40:31 tells us in the Amplified Bible that as we wait for the Lord, as we expect Him to do good, look for Him and hope in Him, we shall change and renew our strength and power. We shall lift our wings and mount up close to God as eagles mount up to the sun. We shall run and not be weary. We shall walk and not faint or become tired.

We are to expect God to do us good all the days of our lives. We must expect these things to happen to us: abundance, increase, success, victory, prayers answered quickly, fullness, prosperity, wealth, health. And the list could go on. But here is our key: We must expect God to perform what He says in His Word. We must expect Him to do what He said He will do. We must expect Him to move on our behalf and heal us, set us free, give us the ability to get wealth so that we can finance this great end time move of the Spirit of God as He sweeps in the harvest in the millions. WE MUST EXPECT GOD TO MOVE ON OUR BEHALF! That is what He desires to do for each one of His children. We must receive.

Here is a scripture that is so vital for us in terms of renewal. Psalm 51:10 says this: Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within me. We want to have the right motive and attitude inside us. As we embrace God and His ways, we will have a pure heart and the right spirit will be renewed in us.

And we close with Titus 3:4-7 KJV and Amplified Bible:
When the kindness and love of God our Savior toward men appeared, He saved us not because of our own works of righteousness----what we have done----, but because of His own mercy He saved us by the washing, cleansing, cleaning bath of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, (Once we are clean, we must stay clean by renewal.) which God poured out on us abundantly, richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. He did this so that we might be justified, made right, conformed to Him by His grace. He also did this that we might become heirs of eternal life according to our hope.

That is quite a mouthful, but meditate on it. It is all because of His grace and our receiving what He has done because of His grace. Let your mind become renewed with His Word.

Renewing

Every day there is renewing going on in our lives in so many different ways. In this Pearl we want to talk about the renewing process in God’s Kingdom. First, let’s take a look at the definition of renew.

To renew: To renovate; to restore to a former state, or to a good state, after decay or depravation; to rebuild; to repair; to re-establish; to confirm; to make again; to repeat; to revive; to begin again; to make new; to make fresh or vigorous; to transform; to change from natural enmity to the love of God and his law; to implant holy affections in the heart; to regenerate.

As you can see from this wealth of definitions, renew is making new once again something which has been fresh and good before. We as mankind have been born anew, born again, from a state of lack and separation from God to a new state of freshness, love, restoration, regeneration, to the state which our ancestor Adam, the first man, had. We are once again children of God, created in His image and likeness. Those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord are back with Father. We are new creatures in Christ Jesus.

But there is something that is not new. That is our minds. Our minds have to be retrained in the thoughts, ways, purposes and desires of God Almighty. Our minds must be renewed to His way of doing things. The Lord has provided us with this Word called the Bible which is the instrument for renewing our minds. This renewal of the mind is a daily process, a forever process as long as we are here on this earth with people who want to bend our minds the fleshly way, satisfying self and fleshly desires.

We are to renew our minds daily, all the time, 24-7 to God’s Word, His Kingdom, His way of doing things, His MO.

In Proverbs 23:12 in the Amplified Bible we read: Apply your mind to instruction and correction and your ears to words of knowledge. In the New Living Translation we read the same verse: Commit yourself to instruction; attune your ears to hear words of knowledge. And finally, in The Message Bible we read: Give yourselves to disciplined instruction; open your ears to tested knowledge. And in Ephesians 4:23 we read that we are to be renewed in the spirit of our minds. We are to have a spiritual renewal of our thoughts and attitudes.

We see from these two previous scriptures that we are to do something with our minds. We are to renew them. And with what? The Word of God. If we want to operate God’s way, we must think God’s way. And if we want to think God’s way, we must keep His Word ever present in our minds.

Paul instructs us in Romans 12:2 Amplified Bible that we are not to be conformed to the world, to the world’s way of doing things. But, rather, we are to be transformed by the renewal of our minds so that we may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect in His sight for us.

We are not to allow the way the world does things to dictate our thinking and the way we live. God’s ways are usually the opposite of the way the world does things. The world says to hoard your money---keep it for yourself. God says: Give and it shall be given unto you. When you are in need, sow. The world says that we are not to let anybody get by with anything with us. God’s Word says that we are to take no account of the evil done to us. We are to pay no attention to a suffered wrong. We are to love our enemies and do good to those who despitefully use us.

We are to be transformed by God’s Word in our minds. His Word tells us what is His good will. And God’s good will is acceptable and perfect in God’s eyes for us.

The New Living Testament says that we are not to copy the behavior and customs of the world, but let God transform us into new persons by changing the way we think. Then we will know what God wants us to do, and we will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is.

Tomorrow we will finish our study of renewing.

Wisdom To Live

In Proverbs 2:6,7 we read that the Lord gives wisdom; out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He lays up sound wisdom for the righteous. In other words, God stores up His wisdom for those who have accepted Him as their Lord; He gives us His wisdom.

The Kialeen definition of wisdom is this: The ability to take knowledge and properly apply it to everything I say and do, that I may walk out the plan of God for my life. When I am born again, that knowledge is the knowledge of God. That wisdom is the wisdom of God. So, it is the knowledge of God operating in me through His ability or anointing to bring understanding of His Kingdom and its principles. Wisdom is knowledge in operation.

In 1 Corinthians 1:24-30 Amplified Bible we read:
But to those who are called, whether Jew or Greek (Gentile), Christ [is] the Power of God and the Wisdom of God.
[This is] because the foolish thing [that has its source in] God is wiser than men, and the weak thing [that springs] from God is stronger than men.
For [simply] consider your own call, brethren; not many [of you were considered to be] wise according to human estimates and standards, not many influential and powerful, not many of high and noble birth.
[No] for God selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame.
And God also selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are,
So that no moral man should [have pretense for glorying and] boast in the presence of God.
But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus Whom God made our Wisdom from God, [revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as] our Righteousness [thus] making us upright and putting us in right standing with God], and our Consecration [making us pure and holy], and our Redemption [providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin].

I love this passage of scripture. We are told that Christ is our Power. He is our Wisdom. It is from Him, Wisdom, that we live our life successfully. He has provided the doorway into the fullness of God Almighty, Father God. Jesus is called the door in the book of John. It is He Who has redeemed us, paid the price to ransom us from the territory of the enemy, satan. It is Jesus Christ Who has made us pure and holy. It is nothing of our own doing.

Jesus is our Wisdom. When we look at Proverbs, we see the many things that Jesus, Wisdom does for us, as we embrace Wisdom.
We dwell in safety, without fear or dread of evil (Prov. 1:33).
It is health to our body, length of days and long life and peace (Prov. 3:8,16,18; 9:11).
The wise shall inherit glory (Proverbs 3:35).
Riches and honor are with wisdom (Prov. 3:16).
Wisdom leads us into right paths (Prov. 4:11).
Wisdom gives us the favor of the Lord (Prov. 8:35).
With Wisdom is sweet sleep and no fear (Prov. 3:34).
Wisdom keeps us, defends us, guards us, protects us (Prov. 4:6).
He who walks in wisdom shall be delivered (Prov. 28:26).

In James 1:5 we are told that if we lack wisdom, we are to ask God for it. He knows the broad picture and not just the small picture at which we are looking. And we are told in Colossians 1:9 that we pray that we might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

There is the Wisdom of God that we all have as His children. We MUST depend on His Wisdom rather than the wisdom of the world with its standards that are contrary to everything God stands for. We are told in Proverbs to cry out for Wisdom, to seek Wisdom with our whole being. Why is that? Wisdom produces a consistently successful life that God wants all of His children to experience. Go after Wisdom.

I Marvel At God's Goodness

Today has been one of those days when I have marveled at all that God has created. Have you ever had one of those days when everything you see reminds you of the greatness of God, His magnificence, His beauty and glory? Well, today has been one of those days for me. There is nothing in particular that has caused me to have one of those days other than meditating on how awesome God is.

I woke up this morning with the beautiful song of one of the birds around our yard. He was singing as if his life was absolutely perfect. Then I got up and the sun was shining brightly and the sky was blue and the white puffy clouds accentuated the blue sky. It was one of those mornings when all creation shouts and praises its creator.

I had a number of errands to run, including one to pick up some azaleas to plant and to pick up my new glasses. As I cruised along the highway, the leaves of the trees are coming out. The flowering trees are beautiful. The spring flowers are popping out all over. Even the evergreen trees looked especially green today.

And I thanked God all the way home for the technology that allows me to see so clearly through what we call eyeglasses. I have once again started confessing and believing God for perfect 20-20 vision without glasses. I have gotten lazy in my confession over my eyes and saw the results when I had my last eye checkup. I have not had to have a new prescription in years and years. It was rather disappointing, but I know what I have to do. My confession now is that I have perfect 20-20 vision without glasses and that my eyes are blessed. The Blessing of the Lord is working in my eyes, creating perfect vision again.

As I was reminded concerning my physical vision, I also reminded myself to stay on target with spiritual vision. And I asked the Lord to keep me focused spiritually, not allowing my spiritual vision to grow out of focus or grow dim. Neither my physical nor my spiritual eyesight grows dim, but it grows sharper and sharper, clearer and clearer.

God is so good to us. He provides everything we need and also that we desire. After all, it is He Who puts those desires in us. Yes, I do have desires for things that He has placed in my heart, things that will bring me delight and pleasure. I love beautiful paintings, beautiful dishware, beautiful homes, beautiful lawns, beautiful landscaping, beautiful books. I love those things, and I used to put myself down for that until the Lord reminded me that He created me to love those things. He wants me to enjoy them. The secret is not to let things control my life or dictate what I do. Enjoy what you have and let God provide you with His treasures, His gifts He has especially designed for you. He loves to give His children gifts. They are His special treat. Let Him abundantly provide for you.

A very dear friend of mine, an older lady, graduated today to Heaven, and I am thinking about her mansion and wondering what all she has in it. What a joy to be with Her Lord and Savior whom she loved so dearly. The time is drawing near for all of us to meet Him in the sky and forever be with Him. I know in my heart that the time is so close. All of us are sensing the tuning of our ears toward the eastern sky, listening for the sound of the trumpet when the Lord calls His own home to be with Him. What a day of rejoicing that will be! But you know, there can be just as much rejoicing right here in this earth, as we enjoy His Presence and worship Him Who loves us so dearly.

What a mighty God we serve!

John 1:16 Amplified Bible
For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.

The Word of God Produces A Word Life

We must look at Proverbs 4:20-23 today. These scriptures are the very foundation of our faith.

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
For they are life unto those that find them, and health (medicine) to all their flesh.
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Amplified Bible
My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings.
Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart.
For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh.
Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

If you’re talking the Word of God, you’ll see yourself doing it. It’ll get on the inside of you. It will be conceived in your heart and then it will manifest itself in you. We are told here in these verses how to do that. Pay attention to God’s Word; listen to it; keep it before your eyes; keep it in your heart. How often? Constantly, 24-7. I hear you telling me that is too hard to do. Of course, your flesh tells you that is too hard to do. You are tired. You are busy. You have too many other things to do, all which are mandatory, not just important but mandatory. Job, laundry, shopping for groceries, children’s school work, church responsibilities, meals to fix, cars to get serviced, lawns to mow, bills to pay, checks to write. Our list is endless, isn’t it? I don’t know how you are doing it, but I have had to change the way I do things. The Word is more important to me than anything else, for it is my very life.

Let’s focus on the heart today or our spirit man. This passage of scripture tells us to guard our hearts for out of them proceed the issues, the springs, the forces of life. What you and I put in our hearts is what will come out. If we put the Word of God in there, that is what will come out. If we put a mixture of the Word of God and the word of the world, a mixture will come out and we will get mixed results. Sometimes we will be on target and sometimes we won’t.

How do we keep the word in the midst of our hearts? We speak it, declare it, proclaim it, confess it all the time. That is how we guard our hearts. We speak the Word. We see the Word. We hear the Word. ONLY THE WORD! Do not let anything else in there. It really becomes a part of you. It’s inside you.

The Word of God is life; there is life in every Word of God. His Word is health, healing, medicine to all our flesh. His Word is His life force. It is His eternal force. His Word has His DNA in it. His Word works every time; it works every time we work it. As we keep that Word ever before us, we keep life ever before us.

We are to keep, guard our hearts with the Word in them. The Word is the force I want coming out of my heart, for the Word is pure life. IT IS GOD’S PURE LIFE FORCE! You and I don’t want any other force coming out of our hearts----none but the LIFE OF GOD. Why? What comes out produces our day, our lives, our plans, our destinies, our daily walk, our finances, etc. THE WORD PRODUCES WORD LIVES. The words of the world produce world lives. And do you notice that the only difference between WORD and WORLD is the letter “L.” To me “L” stands for lies. It is the lying fantasies of the world, produced by the father of liars, the devil.

The world depends on what they see and feel to determine their daily lives. We as God’s children depend on the Word of God to determine our daily lives. We cannot depend on the way we feel. We cannot determine the Truth of God’s Word by allowing circumstances to either verify or negate the Truth of God’s Word. God’s Word stands as Truth forever, whether you feel like it or not, whether you see results personally or not. HIS WORD IS TRUTH AND PRODUCES TRUTH.

Abraham Believed God, Part 4

Today we will finish our study on Abraham believing God.

Yesterday we were talking about confessing with our mouth and believing in our heart. It takes both according to Romans 10:9,10. We found that confession is made unto salvation. We also saw that when you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that Jesus was raised from the dead you will be saved. In both definitions of saved and salvation, we notice the word “soundness.” And we saw the definition of soundness from the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary.

Romans 10:9,10 has a reference to Deuteronomy 30:11-20. Let’s do a summary of these verses in Chapter 30. The commandment we have been given is not hidden. 1 John tells us that commandment is to love. And the word is near us in our mouth and in our heart, that we may do it. God has set before us life and good and death and evil, and we are commanded to love the Lord our God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments, that we may live and multiply, and the Lord shall bless us in the land where we go to possess it. Heaven and earth witnesses what is set before us: life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, we are to choose life that both we and our children may live. We are to love the Lord our God and obey His voice, cleave unto Him, for He is our life and the length of our days.

When we talk about soundness, I have to look at 1 Thessalonians 5:23: …may our spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless, faultless (sound and complete)….
In the Strong’s Concordance we see the meaning of preserve as this: To guard from loss or injury prop. By keeping the eye upon. The 1828 Webster’s Dictionary tells us that preserve means to keep or save from injury or destruction; to defend from evil; to uphold, sustain; to save from decay, to keep in a sound state; to keep or defend from CORRUPTION.

According to 2 Peter 1:3,4, we have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness. God has given them to us. He, the Word, Love Himself, His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness. And then look what happens. By these precious promises of His Word (1 Peter 1:23: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which lives and abides forever.) He Himself, the Word Himself with His life and divine energy, we become partakers of His divine nature and escape the CORRUPTION that is in the world through lust (covetousness, greed, desire for fleshly pursuits, desire for that which is contrary to God’s desire for us).

The bottom line is this:

You proclaim the Word of God about you whether it’s that way or not in the natural realm.
God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness.
How did He give these to us?
Through His great and precious promises.
We are to BELIEVE in our HEART that these great and precious promises are ours, and then we are to CONFESS with our MOUTH that they are ours.
We call for them.
We call them to us.
They become reality in our lives personally.
And remember that the Word of God does produce results; what we have to do is stay with the Word until our minds are renewed and conformed to God’s way of doing things. It is a process.

Confess this with your mouth: I BELIEVE I RECEIVE!
I CALL, DECLARE, PROCLAIM, DECREE, CONFESS GOD’S WORD.

Abraham Believed God, Part 3

Today we continue our study on Abraham believing God.

On Friday, we said that the promise of inheriting the world is to us through the righteousness of faith. Inheriting the promise is the outcome of faith and depends entirely on faith. We exercise faith to receive what God has provided for us by grace, His love and ability extended to us whether we deserve it or not.

The promise is sure not only to Abraham, but also to his seed. Galatians 3:29 tells us that if we are Christ’s, then we are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. Once again, we ask: What is that promise? That we should be heirs of the world. An heir of the world is one who has dominion over the world, which is what God spoke into Adam when he created Him. It is The Blessing. We have that Blessing, that promise back because of Jesus Christ. He got it back for us.

Now let’s look at verse 17 of Romans 4. We are to be like our Father God and call those things which be not as though they were and they become.

Our speaking and calling gives the life of God to those things which appear to be dead or impossible and brings life, results into our lives. We have the end result of our speaking. As we call those things which be not, we must look only at the Word of God which brings us Bible hope (white-hot, outstretched neck expectancy) and strengthens our Bible faith, causing us to be stable, not staggering all over the place and wavering. We continue to look at God’s Word and nothing else, giving praise and glory to God for His Word working in our lives, until we become FULLY PERSUADED, FULLY ASSURED, FULLY CONFIDENT, FULLY SATISFIED that what God has promised, He will do in our lives. He not only is able, but He will do it for us.

An interesting side note here. In Hebrews 11:6 we read that without faith it is impossible to please God. The word “please” there means to gratify entirely, please (well) and comes from the word that means FULLY AGREEABLE.

I find it remarkable that without faith it is impossible to be FULLY AGREEABLE with God and that causes us to be FULLY PERSUADED that what God has promised, He will do.

In Romans 10:6-10 we read that righteousness which is of faith says: The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith. It’s the word impregnated with God’s divine energy, divine life, zoe. The Word is the seed. The Holy Spirit activates the Word, germinates, causes it to grow in your heart.

If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved (sozo: to make or keep sound, safe, to save, deliver, protect (lit. or fig.) to heal, preserve, save (self), do well).

With your heart you believe unto righteousness; with your mouth confession is made unto salvation (soteria: be or make whole, rescue or safety (phys. Or mor.), saving, salvation, save, deliver, health, SOUNDNESS, safety. 1828 Webster’s Dictionary: SOUNDNESS: entire, unbroken, not defective; whole, perfect, undecayed, not defective; healthy, not diseased, having all organs complete and in perfect action as sound body, sound health; founded in truth, firm, strong, valid, solid, that cannot be overthrown or refuted; right, correct, well-founded, free from error).

My heart is the believing organ. My mouth is the confessing organ. I need both my mouth and my heart. I must believe and confess. They go together.

Purity of Power

The Lord woke me up this morning with these words, “The Power of Purity.” We are interrupting our teaching on Abraham to send this pearl this morning.

God is pure, without contamination of any kind. He is 100 per cent love. He is 100 per cent life. He is 100 per cent light. He is totally pure, free from anything that would hinder. He is nothing but wholeness, life, health, wealth, prosperity in every area, freedom.

His power is pure. His love is His pure power. God is love. In Him is no hatred or fear. God is Light. In Him is no darkness. God is life. In Him is no death. God is righteous. In Him is no sin.

God, with His purity of life, love, light, health, prosperity, righteousness, is living in you and me if we are born again. Think of this: The purity of God is in you right now. And as He is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). How is He? Let me repeat: He is righteous, prosperous, healthy, successful, victorious, free, full of life, love and light. That is the way we are.

We are just like our Father. And I hear you asking me this question right now. Then how come I am sick? How come I am broke? How come I am in pain? Why am I defeated? Why do I feel like a failure? Well, there is an answer. These things I have just described in this paragraph are the way the world thinks and feels. Pain, sickness, poverty, lack, defeat, failure are all elements of the curse which Adam and Eve brought to this world when they disobeyed God.

If you are born again, if you have accepted what Jesus did for you, you are free from the curse. You are a child of God. You are walking in The Blessing of the Lord. His Blessing does not include sickness and disease and all that the earth holds now. His Blessing includes health, wealth, life and abundance.

When things of the earth come against us (and they will) we must be so sure of our God and so sure of His Word that He has given to us, that we take no thought of the contrary things in our lives. Our thought must become so centered, so focused on God and His Word that nothing else matters. When we are sick and in pain, we confess His Word that by the stripes of Jesus we are healed, that our Father sent His Word and healed us, that the Holy Spirit dwells within us with His life-giving power. In order to walk above all these things, we must focus on God’s Word when we are well, when we are financially secure, when everything is well with us in the sense of earthly things. Then, when trouble comes, we are ready. Our mind has been and continues to be renewed to the fact that we are the healed of the Lord, that we are the prosperous and that we are ones living in a life of abundance, a life of The Blessing.

We choose to believe that God’s Word is working for us, even when we don’t see anything happening in the natural realm. We choose to call those things that be not as though they were until they become. That is the way our God is. In Genesis 1, He stepped out into darkness and said: Light, be. That is calling those things that be not as though they were. If He would have been like most people, He would have said: Wow, it sure is dark out here. No! He said what He wanted. He CALLED what He wanted and he got it. You are just like your Father. You CALL and you get it.

It may take you some time to call, because your mind is mixed with ways of the world and the Word of God. But keep on doing it until you have purity of power, the purity of God and His Word operating in you. Then you will see His power manifested in your life everywhere you go and in everything you do.

How do we become purified like our Father? Here it is: Psalm 12:6 The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. His Word represents Himself, purity. Take His Word, confess it, speak it, declare it, proclaim it over your life and those in your family and you take the purity of God into your life. His power will manifest.

Abraham Believed God, Part 2

Yesterday, we began a study of Romans 4:3 which states that Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

We discussed the word “believe” in depth.

Today, let’s talk about counted or credited. When something is credited to my account in natural life, I have it at that moment. It is in my account. It was the same with Abraham. When he believed God, he was considered righteous because of his believing, because of his faith. And this was before Jesus took his sin and made him the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. It was accounted to him. Righteousness was placed in his account. He was credited as righteous.

We have discussed righteousness many times in previous Pearls, but let’s review. Righteousness is right standing with God. It is considering that you are right with God where you are concerned, in agreement with Him and in line with Him. Right standing----standing in agreement with, aligned with, in line with. Righteousness is standing with God in agreement, aligned with His way of living, in line with, thinking the way He thinks, acting the way He acts, based on the way He thinks. In one place in the Amplified Bible, it states that righteousness is conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought and action. That covers it all.

Conformity to God’s will----God’s will is health and healing, prosperity, the good life, a long life, a life of abundance in every area.

So when Abraham believed God, it was placed to His account as conformity to God’s will in healing and health, prosperity, abundance in his thoughts and actions. But listen to me. We as God’s children who have been born again, who have accepted Jesus as our Savior are righteous. It is not just credited to our account. We are righteous. In 2 Corinthians 5:21 we read: For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. We have been made righteous because Jesus was made sin and took our place and paid the penalty for our sin. He released His nature for us, and His nature is righteousness----right with God. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. We are righteous.

Let’s take this a step further.

In Romans 3:13,16b we read this:
For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. ...inheriting the promise is the outcome of faith and depends entirely on faith.

The promise to Abraham that he should inherit the world was through the righteousness of faith, through the right standing with God that faith brings. Inheriting the promise was the outcome of faith. It depends entirely on faith. Our entire relationship with God is based on faith from the moment we accept Jesus as our Savior until we go home to heaven. It is all about trusting God with every aspect of our lives, and He will bring to pass days of heaven on earth for us, if we will do things His way and take Him at His Word and not back down when times appear to be getting tough. The tougher the times, the greater the faith we should be exercising. It is His faith and it is His work. We MUST learn to depend on Him.

We have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness, according to 2 Peter 1:3,4. God has given them to us. He, the Word, Love Himself, His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness. Think about it. The Word is God (John 1:1). The Word has the divine energy of God, His very life. That life creates faith in God. That faith is trusting Him, knowing His Word is true for you. Devour His Word. Keep it before you night and day. Get up with it. Sleep with it. Eat with it. Walk with it. Work with it. His Word gives you the life you want. Stay with it. Don’t quit. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Keep on. HIS WORD WORKS!

Abraham Believed God

I recently ministered on this topic, Abraham Believed God, and thought I would share it with you. For those of you who have already heard it, now you see it in print.

In Romans 4:3 we read:
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

In four other places in the Bible, this same statement is made in just a little different wording each time, but almost the same, word for word.
Romans 4:22
And therefore it was imputed (credited, accounted) to him (Abraham) for righteousness.
Genesis 15:6
And he (Abram) believed in the Lord; and he (God) counted it to him for righteousness.
Galatians 3:6
Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
James 2:23
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

What are all these scriptures saying?
Let’s look at the words “believe,” “counted,” and “righteousness.”

Believe: pisteuo----to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit, commit (to trust)

1828 Webster’s Dictionary
To be persuaded of the truth of something upon the declaration of another.
When we believe upon the authority of another, we always put confidence in his veracity (truth).
To have a firm persuasion.

We see from these two sources that the word believe is trust, faith, firm persuasion of the truth.
Abraham believed God. Abraham trusted God. Abraham had faith in God. Abraham was fully persuaded, had a firm persuasion of the truth. Where have we seen this phrase “fully persuaded”? We see it in Romans 4:21 “And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. In the Amplified Bible it is stated this way: Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised.

What caused Abraham to become fully persuaded that God would do what He had promised? God gave Him His Word through covenant. And, my dear reader, that is exactly what God has given us. He has given us His Word through covenant. Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood that everything He had might become ours. We have His health. We have His nature. We have His wealth. We have His abundance. We have His prosperity. It is ours. And I am sure you are asking me this question. Then why don’t I see it in my life? There is only one answer to that question. You are not fully persuaded.

Abraham was not fully persuaded for 24 years. How do you know when you are fully persuaded? You are fully persuaded when no one or nothing can talk you out of what you believe you have. No one can convince you otherwise. You are so confident, so sure of the Word that someone has given you that you do not back down from what they say they have given to you. God is not a man that He should lie nor the son of man that he should repent or change his mind. Once God says something, it is a done deal. God has given us His Word in this covenant document we call the Bible. It is ours. His Word has been given. What we must do is accept it, believe it, trust Him to do what He said He will do. Don’t back down, give up or retreat from God’s Word. It is Truth.

We will pursue more of this discussion tomorrow.

The Greater One, Part 3

So far in our study of the greater One, we have studied what He did for us so that we are the ones who defeat, overcome the agents of the antichrist.

In quick review, we have seen that Jesus Christ rendered satan powerless for us, stripped his demonic forces of their power, and the Father through Jesus Christ delivered us from the darkness of satan’s domain.

Now, let’s look at 1 John 3:8b in the Amplified Bible and the King James Version and see what Jesus did to the works of satan.
…The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve the works the devil [has done].
…For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

As I look at this verse, it is pretty plain. I don’t know how you could read it any other way. It says that the Son of God (whom we know to be Jesus Christ) has undone, loosened, dissolved, destroyed the works of the devil. In my book, when something is destroyed, it is gone, over with, out of here.

So what are the works of the devil? We find those works defined in John 10:10 in Jesus’ own words. The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I love this verse in the Amplified Bible. The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

Who is the thief? He is the devil, satan. And what are his works? His works are those that steal from your life, kill you and destroy you and what you love. So, it is very simple. Anything that comes against you in your life to steal from you, kill you or destroy you is from satan and is his works. And Jesus said that He has destroyed those works.

So what do we do when one of those works attempts to overcome us? We look at 1 John 3:8b and we say that those works have been destroyed by our Jesus. We keep saying it until it becomes more real to us than the works coming against us. That takes time and is a process. Too many people expect these “instant mashed potatoes” overnight successes. Did you hear me? IT IS A PROCESS. IT TAKES TIME for you and me to renew our minds to God’s way of doing things when we have been used to the world’s way of doing things. They are opposite to one another.

Be faithful with the Word of God. Speak God’s Word until it becomes more real to you than the circumstances that are around you. It takes time. It is a two-step process. First, you speak the Word to get it into your heart, until it becomes so real that you know that you have it. Then, secondly, when you speak that Word which is now from your heart, the situation listens to you and things change to conform to the Word. Keep on doing it. Keep on. God’s Word works in your life. Don’t give up before you have the victory. Too many people give up when things get tough and people tell them they are nuts and that it won’t work and that it is not working and things look like they are getting worse. Hang in there, partner. God’s Word is working behind the scenes. Keep on keeping on. Don’t give up. Do you hear me? It will be worth it all.

According to 1 John 4:4, you do belong to God (if you have accepted Jesus as your Savior) and you have ALREADY defeated, overcome the agents of antichrist. Why? Greater, mightier is He Who LIVES IN YOU than he who is in the world.

Do you believe God’s Word? Then look at 1 John 4:4 and believe it for yourself. It is Truth. It is true for you. You have ALREADY defeated the agents of antichrist because greater, mightier is He, Jesus Christ, Who lives in you than he who is in the world.

The Greater One, Part 2

Yesterday we began a study of 1 John 4:4. Let’s continue today.

Because we are in Jesus, we have overcome, defeated the demonic forces of the devil on this earth. Jesus defeated them at the cross and we are looking at scriptures to back up the defeat. The first one was Colossians 1:13,14 in which we see that the Father has delivered us from the control of the powers of darkness. Darkness represents the satanic realm. Light represents God’s realm.

In Hebrews 2:14,15 we see that Jesus has rendered satan powerless.
Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

I know we have studied this passage before but we need to review and get it in our spirits. Jesus Christ took on flesh and blood, became a man, laid aside His godly nature, to take our place on this earth and defeat satan for us. He did it for us. He became like us so that we could become like Him. In 2 Corinthians 5:21 we are told that He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I know that we have not understood the magnitude of that verse or we as God’s children would be taking the world for Jesus and it would be a God-directed world, instead of an evil-inspired world.

In verse 14 the word destroy doesn’t mean to annihilate. It means all of these: render inoperative or powerless, to be (render) entirely idle (useless), become (make) of no effect, bring (come) to nought, make void, paralyze, render completely incapacitated. Now if that isn’t enough to cause us to realize what Jesus has done for us, we are not very bright. Because of what Jesus did for us, satan has been rendered powerless where we are concerned. Think on that until it becomes so much a part of you that you know who has the power. God has given us the power over the devil. Let that sink in until it is so much reality for you that you will never again doubt your ability in God.

As you look at these two verses 14 and 15, it is all past tense. This is a done deal. You and I have been delivered from the bondage of satan and his fear of death in any form. We have been released. We have been redeemed. We have been delivered. We have been set free. We have been set at liberty. We are FREE. How many ways can I say it so that we can “get it.” WE ARE FREE FROM SATAN’S BONDAGE. We need to quit talking about what he is doing to us. He isn’t doing anything that we don’t allow. Ouch! I know that hurts, but let’s face the truth. He is a defeated foe. His access to us has been stopped. The only access he has is what we allow him to take. Shut the door on him. Give him no room in your life. I hate the devil. Yes, it is OK to hate him. We are not to hate other things and definitely not other people. I am exposing him and his days of victory over you are ending today.

Say this with me.
The devil is a defeated foe. He has no power over me. I give him no place in my life. His days of pressure over me are ended. I turn the pressure on him with the Word of God. I remind him that he has no power. Devil, I remind you of Hebrews 2:14 and 15, Colossians 1:13,14 and 2:15 and 1 John 3:8.

So, let’s finish our study of what Jesus Christ has done for us to defeat the agents of antichrist. We have looked again at Colossians 1:13,14 and Hebrews 2:14,15.
Let’s look at Colossians 2:15.
And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it (the cross).
That word spoiled means: stripped off, unclothed, deprived of one’s possessions by force, stripped of authority. The word show means: exhibition, total conquest.
In other words, God, through His Son Jesus Christ, stripped and disarmed the powers of the devil of all their weapons. He made a bold display and a public example of this stripping. And now He turns to us and says:
2 Corinthians 10:4 The weapons of our warfare are not carnal (fleshly) but MIGHTY THROUGH GOD to the pulling down (DESTRUCTION, OVERTHROW) of strongholds.

We’ll finish this study tomorrow.

The Greater One

I have been meditating on 1 John 4:4 for several days now. It grows stronger and stronger in me every day. It is a very familiar scripture to all of us. We so blithely quote it all the time----greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.

I looked at it in the Amplified Bible again and it “grabbed” me. Listen with your heart.

Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world.

In 3 John 4, John wrote this:
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. He was reflecting the essence of our Heavenly Father. It gives God great joy to hear that we as His children are walking, living in, the Truth of His Word. Truth is what you know in your heart to be a guiding pathway for you. There is no higher truth than what God says. And this Bible, His Word, is the ultimate Truth. What the Word says supersedes any other word, any word of man that is spoken that is opposite to the Word of God. If a doctor speaks a word over you from his earthly knowledge, there is a higher Truth that overrides what he says. If a banker or anyone speaks a word over you from his earthly knowledge, there is a higher Truth that overrides what he says.

Hear me now. Even though you may know that the Truth of the Word of God overrides what you have been told in the earthly realm, there may be some natural things that you have to do before you come to the point in your life that the Word of God is your ultimate source. On our way to becoming people of faith in God and His Word, we must deal with those things that confront us. If you are sick and go to the doctor and he tells you to take a particular medicine (and your faith is not developed to the point where you can do without it and live), take the medicine, believing God to strengthen you until you don’t have to take it any more. Do you get my point? Do you understand what I am saying?

Having said what I have said, now let’s look at 1 John 4:4 again.

We are God’s children. He is our Heavenly Father. Jesus is our elder brother. We are family. We are the family of God. We are the Body of Christ. We are of God. We do belong to Him. We are members of Father’s household. And as members of our Father’s household, we have many rights and many privileges. We see one of these rights in this verse. It is a big one.

We belong to God and have ALREADY defeated and overcome the agents of antichrist. That is a powerful statement. Do you realize what that statement means to you personally? First of all, the agents of antichrist are the demonic forces that would attempt to overcome you and control you. They are principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high heavenly places. This verse says that you have defeated and overcome all of them. How is that possible? You and I belong to God; we are in Christ Jesus when we accept Jesus as our Savior. Jesus has already overcome and defeated the demonic forces, including the devil, not for Himself, but for you and me while we are living here on this earth in the here and now present time.

Look at the verses that talk about what Jesus did, what the Father did through Him. Let’s start with Colossians 1:13,14 in the Amplified Bible, which I quote many times in our Pearls of Wisdom. And I am going to keep on quoting it until we get it.
[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in Whom we have our redemption through His blood [which means] the forgiveness of sins.

Tomorrow we will continue our study of 1 John 4:4