As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we're called to live in a lifestyle of living and walking by faith in God and the promises found in His word (the bible). It says in Hebrews (11:1) that it is impossible to please God without faith. Living by faith pleases God. It took faith for us to receive our salvation, the forgiveness of our sins and it takes faith for us to continually walk with God in this world.
Habakkuk (2:4), Romans (1:17) and Galatians (3:11), all say that the "righteous will live by faith." If we have made Jesus our Lord and saviour, then we are righteous, which means we have right-standing with God. We may not feel very righteous or look very righteous, but according to 2 Corinthians (6:7), we've already been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. We're not trying to get righteous, but have already been been made righteous because of Jesus. The bible says He became sin, so that we could be made righteous. Glory to God! When He looks upon us, on our born-again recreated spirit, not the flesh, but our spirit, He sees us as righteous as righteousness can be.
Living by faith produces victory in our lives. It doesn't matter what your going through or what your facing in your life, place your faith in God and His promises. Believe His word. Pray and seek His face and He will give you the answer you need. We all face problems and crises, but as believers we can walk in faith, through whatever life throws at us, without being affected in anyway whatsoever. We can walk in peace, joy, love, deliverance and victory, knowing that what God says about us in His word true.
Hebrews 11, is the great hall of faith chapter. Throughout this chapter we see men and women of God, living by faith and seeing amazing supernatural results. Even today men and women within the body of Christ are choosing to rise up and live by faith in Christ and are seeing miracles break out, healings take place, lives transformed and in some cases cities and nations radically changed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Will we be the next generation, that rise up in the power of the God, choosing to love the lost and live by faith in this world? Will we believe God and act upon His word? Will we be the people that God's called us to be? A people of faith, a people of love.
1 John (5:4) "For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith."
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Sunday 27 February 2011
Wednesday 23 February 2011
Faith series : What is faith?
The word "faith," translated from Greek is called "pistis" and means to believe, rely upon and to trust in. The bibles definition of faith is found in Hebrews (11:1), in most translations it defines faith as being the assurance of things hoped for, but not yet seen. In other translations it says faith is the substance. Faith is tangible, faith is a real living force, that carries within it the ability to change circumstances and make what seems impossible become possible.
Faith is believing in another reality, that is every bit as real as the reality that we perceive around us with our five natural senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste). This other reality is the spiritual realm, that we tap into through faith, faith in truths found in the word of God, that speak of this spiritual reality. We don't see angels, heaven or hell. We don't see our sins forgiven and we've never seen Jesus crucified on the cross, yet we believe in these truths and place our faith not in what we can see, but in very living word of God. The bible says we walk by faith, not by sight. Smith wigglesworth, an amazing man of God, who saw amazing miracles and the power of God manifested in powerful ways, once said "I'm not moved by what I see or what I feel, but I'm moved by what I believe and I believe the word of God."
Faith believes in the promises of God. We may not feel very forgiven or loved by the Lord, but that doesn't mean that what we feel is the truth. Faith doesn't look at our feelings, but instead trusts in what God says about us. Feelings are fickle and can change in an instant, they're not dependable or trustworthy, but are temporal and subject to change. God's word never changes and will always stand the test of time. We can depend upon and trust in the things, that God says about us in the bible. He says in 1 John (1:9) that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and Just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Throughout the bible we read time after time how much He loves us. Have faith in what you believe. Believe God's word and place your faith in the finished work of the cross.
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Faith is believing in another reality, that is every bit as real as the reality that we perceive around us with our five natural senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste). This other reality is the spiritual realm, that we tap into through faith, faith in truths found in the word of God, that speak of this spiritual reality. We don't see angels, heaven or hell. We don't see our sins forgiven and we've never seen Jesus crucified on the cross, yet we believe in these truths and place our faith not in what we can see, but in very living word of God. The bible says we walk by faith, not by sight. Smith wigglesworth, an amazing man of God, who saw amazing miracles and the power of God manifested in powerful ways, once said "I'm not moved by what I see or what I feel, but I'm moved by what I believe and I believe the word of God."
Faith believes in the promises of God. We may not feel very forgiven or loved by the Lord, but that doesn't mean that what we feel is the truth. Faith doesn't look at our feelings, but instead trusts in what God says about us. Feelings are fickle and can change in an instant, they're not dependable or trustworthy, but are temporal and subject to change. God's word never changes and will always stand the test of time. We can depend upon and trust in the things, that God says about us in the bible. He says in 1 John (1:9) that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and Just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Throughout the bible we read time after time how much He loves us. Have faith in what you believe. Believe God's word and place your faith in the finished work of the cross.
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Sunday 20 February 2011
God's will is healing : part two
God, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, has provided and made available to every person in this world, the healing power of God. The very word "salvation" in the Greek is called "sozo" and is used in the new testament several times, it means more than just being forgiven and saved from hell, it also means deliverance, protection, wholeness and healing. It carries with it God's desire and will for healing to be part of His provision for us, not just in a spiritual sense, but in a physical one also.
Matthew 8:16
16 And when even was come, they brought unto him many possessed with demons: and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all that were sick:
17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying: Himself took our infirmities, and bare our diseases.
In these verses, Jesus confirms that the prophecy in Isaiah is related to physical healing and not just spiritual. Before He quoted this verse, it says at the end of verse 16, that He was healing all that were sick.
When Jesus was crucified on the cross he took upon Himself all of the sin, sickness and diseases that was on the world, so that we could receive all that God purchased for us through Christ, which includes healing.
Salvation (sozo : deliverance, protection, wholeness and healing) has been freely given to us through what Jesus has done and not by what we can do. We can't earn what God has freely given, but by placing our faith in what Jesus has accomplished and not faith in our works, we can receive healing for our bodies.
Healing is to be received. It's part of God's plan and will for our lives. If your sick today, believe that God wants you well and receive what belongs to you through depending and putting your faith in the finished work of calvery. He loves You so much.
It's His will for you to be healed.
Matthew 8:16
16 And when even was come, they brought unto him many possessed with demons: and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all that were sick:
17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying: Himself took our infirmities, and bare our diseases.
In these verses, Jesus confirms that the prophecy in Isaiah is related to physical healing and not just spiritual. Before He quoted this verse, it says at the end of verse 16, that He was healing all that were sick.
When Jesus was crucified on the cross he took upon Himself all of the sin, sickness and diseases that was on the world, so that we could receive all that God purchased for us through Christ, which includes healing.
Salvation (sozo : deliverance, protection, wholeness and healing) has been freely given to us through what Jesus has done and not by what we can do. We can't earn what God has freely given, but by placing our faith in what Jesus has accomplished and not faith in our works, we can receive healing for our bodies.
Healing is to be received. It's part of God's plan and will for our lives. If your sick today, believe that God wants you well and receive what belongs to you through depending and putting your faith in the finished work of calvery. He loves You so much.
It's His will for you to be healed.
Wednesday 16 February 2011
God's will is healing : part one
As Christians, we can know with certainty what God's will is on this earth. How can we know this? We can know this, through looking to Jesus. Jesus is God's perfect will expressed and manifested in this world.
In the book of John (5:19) Jesus tells us that, He only does what He sees the Father doing. Later, in verse 30 He says, He only does the will of the Lord who sent Him. Also in chapter (14:9-11) He goes on to explain how He and God are one and the same.
Whatever Jesus said and did while He spent His time on earth ministering to all the people around Him, was also what God was saying and doing, for Jesus and God is one.
Jesus, when He walked the earth two thousand years, ministered the healing power of God wherever He went. Throughout the Gospels we see the sick and dying being brought to Jesus. Jesus never turned anybody away, but instead the scripture records that on many occasions, He healed all the sick that came to Him. Later Jesus delegated His power and authority to the disciples and then to the church, then He sent them out to preach the Gospel and to heal the sick.
It is God's will to heal the sick. The bible says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. If Jesus was in the business of healing two thousand years ago, then He's in the same business today and always will be, because healing is a part of who He is and also who the church is.
God's will is for you to be healed today. It's His will and desire.
Acts (10:38) "How God anointed Jesus with power and with the Holy Spirit and how He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him."
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In the book of John (5:19) Jesus tells us that, He only does what He sees the Father doing. Later, in verse 30 He says, He only does the will of the Lord who sent Him. Also in chapter (14:9-11) He goes on to explain how He and God are one and the same.
Whatever Jesus said and did while He spent His time on earth ministering to all the people around Him, was also what God was saying and doing, for Jesus and God is one.
Jesus, when He walked the earth two thousand years, ministered the healing power of God wherever He went. Throughout the Gospels we see the sick and dying being brought to Jesus. Jesus never turned anybody away, but instead the scripture records that on many occasions, He healed all the sick that came to Him. Later Jesus delegated His power and authority to the disciples and then to the church, then He sent them out to preach the Gospel and to heal the sick.
It is God's will to heal the sick. The bible says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. If Jesus was in the business of healing two thousand years ago, then He's in the same business today and always will be, because healing is a part of who He is and also who the church is.
God's will is for you to be healed today. It's His will and desire.
Acts (10:38) "How God anointed Jesus with power and with the Holy Spirit and how He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him."
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Monday 14 February 2011
The power of God
Romans (1:16) "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek"
The Gospel, simply means good news. The Gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ to the lost and unsaved is through faith in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection (not faith in our own works), we can escape a very real place called hell and receive forgiveness of sins, a new life and a place guaranteed in heaven.
The gospel contains within it the very power of God. When we as Christian's, with the motive of love, share the message of salvation through the cross of Jesus, God's power is released into this world. Hope is brought where there is no hope.
Verse 17 of Romans chapter 1 goes onto say that in the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. Righteousness simply means "right with God" or "right-standing with God". It means we can stand before a Holy God knowing that all our sins, past, present and future have been forgiven. We can stand before Him being washed clean through the precious blood of Jesus, that was shed on the cross for us. Because of Jesus we can come to know God as our heavenly Father and very best friend.
I've learnt over the years to be bold in sharing and preaching the message of reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ. I've had numerous opportunities to lead people to the Lord through my time in prison and also through witnessing on the street and what an honour and privilege It's been. Glory to God! The gospel is the power of God and brings salvation.
Be bold in sharing the Gospel and also being a witness to the people around you. Through living a lifestyle of love never be ashamed of sharing Jesus with your work colleague's, school friends or whoever your with. The Gospel is not just words, but a very real message that when received in faith brings about radical change in peoples lives.
It is the power of God!
The Gospel, simply means good news. The Gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ to the lost and unsaved is through faith in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection (not faith in our own works), we can escape a very real place called hell and receive forgiveness of sins, a new life and a place guaranteed in heaven.
The gospel contains within it the very power of God. When we as Christian's, with the motive of love, share the message of salvation through the cross of Jesus, God's power is released into this world. Hope is brought where there is no hope.
Verse 17 of Romans chapter 1 goes onto say that in the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. Righteousness simply means "right with God" or "right-standing with God". It means we can stand before a Holy God knowing that all our sins, past, present and future have been forgiven. We can stand before Him being washed clean through the precious blood of Jesus, that was shed on the cross for us. Because of Jesus we can come to know God as our heavenly Father and very best friend.
I've learnt over the years to be bold in sharing and preaching the message of reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ. I've had numerous opportunities to lead people to the Lord through my time in prison and also through witnessing on the street and what an honour and privilege It's been. Glory to God! The gospel is the power of God and brings salvation.
Be bold in sharing the Gospel and also being a witness to the people around you. Through living a lifestyle of love never be ashamed of sharing Jesus with your work colleague's, school friends or whoever your with. The Gospel is not just words, but a very real message that when received in faith brings about radical change in peoples lives.
It is the power of God!
Wednesday 9 February 2011
Delivered from fear
2 Timothy (1:7)
"For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, a spirit of love and of self-discipline."
One of the first areas in my life that I received deliverance from after I became a Christian, was fear. Before I got saved I was a very shy and withdrawn individual. When I say shy, I mean to the point in which I found it very difficult to communicate with the people around me. I was fine with the friends that I grew up with, but with people I didn't know, my mind would just be a blank. I was bound by fear. Fear of failure, fear of what people thought and of people in general. It was an irrational fear that held me in bondage for a long time.
In 1997, while on remand awaiting a prison sentence, I gave my life to Jesus and my life was radically changed by the power and love of God. Fear left me and I immediately began to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Fear and anxiety left and was replaced by boldness and love.
Romans (8:15)
"for you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the spirit of sonship, and by Him we cry "Abba, Father.""
It's not God's will or desire that we the Church live in or put up with fear any longer. Fear is bondage. It holds us back from releasing God's full potential that is in us. It puts a stop in doing what the lord has called us to do. Many times in the Bible we hear the comforting words of Jesus to "fear not" or "be not afraid". He also said in the last chapter of the book of John, that He is with us always. If God is with us, why do we need to be afraid. If the Very God of the universe is for us and not against us, then we have nothing or nobody to be afraid of.
I want you to know that you can receive freedom from fear. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus we have been set free. Jesus came to set the captives free. Refuse to fear any minute longer. Place your faith in Jesus and the finished work of the cross. Thank him and praise Him that through the cross you have been delivered from fear.
If I've been set free from fear, so can you.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
"For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, a spirit of love and of self-discipline."
One of the first areas in my life that I received deliverance from after I became a Christian, was fear. Before I got saved I was a very shy and withdrawn individual. When I say shy, I mean to the point in which I found it very difficult to communicate with the people around me. I was fine with the friends that I grew up with, but with people I didn't know, my mind would just be a blank. I was bound by fear. Fear of failure, fear of what people thought and of people in general. It was an irrational fear that held me in bondage for a long time.
In 1997, while on remand awaiting a prison sentence, I gave my life to Jesus and my life was radically changed by the power and love of God. Fear left me and I immediately began to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Fear and anxiety left and was replaced by boldness and love.
Romans (8:15)
"for you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the spirit of sonship, and by Him we cry "Abba, Father.""
It's not God's will or desire that we the Church live in or put up with fear any longer. Fear is bondage. It holds us back from releasing God's full potential that is in us. It puts a stop in doing what the lord has called us to do. Many times in the Bible we hear the comforting words of Jesus to "fear not" or "be not afraid". He also said in the last chapter of the book of John, that He is with us always. If God is with us, why do we need to be afraid. If the Very God of the universe is for us and not against us, then we have nothing or nobody to be afraid of.
I want you to know that you can receive freedom from fear. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus we have been set free. Jesus came to set the captives free. Refuse to fear any minute longer. Place your faith in Jesus and the finished work of the cross. Thank him and praise Him that through the cross you have been delivered from fear.
If I've been set free from fear, so can you.
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Monday 7 February 2011
Revolution of Love
The world, throughout the past, the present and also the future has and will continue to be, shaped and changed by revolutions. For the better and also for the worst.
The Church (body of Christ) as a whole need a revolution too. Not a natural one, but a spiritual revolution. A revolution of love, in which the church of God begin to rise up to be all that the Lord has created and called us to be. We're called to love one another and to love the world.
The bible says in the book of Romans (5:5), that Gods love is in us. "and hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." and also in Galatians (5:22) the Word of God says that love is one of the fruits of the spirit. God's love is in us to be released into the world. We have the capacity to walk, talk and to live in a lifestyle of love towards the people around us. We may not feel like loving people because of the hurts and injustice we've experienced in the past or which we may be experiencing now. sometimes people can be unkind, insensitive, cruel and all kinds of things to us, but God in His word has commanded us to love others, even our enemies. What God has commanded, He has also given us the Grace to do. As we choose to depend on God and allow His Love to flow out of us, the world will begin to be reached for Christ. Be encouraged, for the Lord has enabled us to love the world with His love.
The Church (body of Christ) as a whole need a revolution too. Not a natural one, but a spiritual revolution. A revolution of love, in which the church of God begin to rise up to be all that the Lord has created and called us to be. We're called to love one another and to love the world.
The bible says in the book of Romans (5:5), that Gods love is in us. "and hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." and also in Galatians (5:22) the Word of God says that love is one of the fruits of the spirit. God's love is in us to be released into the world. We have the capacity to walk, talk and to live in a lifestyle of love towards the people around us. We may not feel like loving people because of the hurts and injustice we've experienced in the past or which we may be experiencing now. sometimes people can be unkind, insensitive, cruel and all kinds of things to us, but God in His word has commanded us to love others, even our enemies. What God has commanded, He has also given us the Grace to do. As we choose to depend on God and allow His Love to flow out of us, the world will begin to be reached for Christ. Be encouraged, for the Lord has enabled us to love the world with His love.
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