Jesus was crucified between two thieves. All three of them were beaten. Jesus had been beaten much worse than they had. The two thieves were getting what the law said that they deserved. They were in the middle of some bad circumstances. They were in great agony and the only thing that they could foresee in the immediate future for themselves was ridicule and a very painful death. As they looked at this Man whom everybody had been declaring was the Saviour of the world, they saw that this Word of God made flesh was going through something worse than they were. The two thieves saw the same thing but made two different assessments.
One thief looked at Jesus and said, "IF you ARE the One that everybody says You are, then save Yourself and us." He looked at the Word and chose to believe the circumstances that he was in. He made the decision that all was lost there was nothing that could be done about it. He got what he believed, and agonizing and tormenting death and afterlife.
However, the other thief looked at Jesus and believed that He WAS who He said He was. He believed what the Word of God said about Him. Even though he was facing death, even though he had no reason to believe that the situation would ever change, he chose to believe that there was STILL hope in God. He declared his belief that Jesus was innocent of all charges brought against Him. When he verbalized his beliefs, Jesus verbalized the man's future and told him that heaven was going to be the home of both of them that very day.
We all face situations that we really do not like to be in. We all have the opportunity to make judgements concerning God and His Word Throughout every single day. We can look at circumstances and declare that those circumstances are true and nothing can be done about them. Or, we can look at those circumstances and declare the Word of God to be true. When we believe that Jesus is Who He says He is and will do what He says He will do, we will find that dire circumstances don't matter to Him. Whatever we are going through, He is well able to deliver us from it all.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
See With Your Heart What You Don't See With Your Eyes
This is the process that normal and natural men to do supernatural things for God. First and foremost there was our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Heb 12:2 says that for the JOY that was set before Him, He endured the cross and despised the shame. The first encounter and continuing on through each and every encounter that Jesus had with satan, His actions and words were summed up in Mt 4:4 which is a quote from Dt 8:3. I'm not going to live by bread alone. I am going to live by every by EVERY word that comes out of the mouth of God. The essence that Jesus built His life around was wrapped around what He could SEE in God's Word, not what He could see with His physical eyes.
Because He SAW things differently He acted differently and got different results than anyone else did. He said in John 11 that Lazarus was asleep and He was going to wake him up. He actually TAUGHT His disciples that He would be crucified but then rise again, ONLY because that was what the Word of God said about Him. They believed the crucified but not the rise again. Does that sound familiar? Jesus was the only one that believed it. No one else could SEE it. None of His disciples, but John, stood with Him as He went through the trial, the beatings and the crucifixion. However, Jesus had a JOY set before Him (Heb 12:2) and that kept Him focused on the job that God had for Him and not just what He could see with His eyes.
In John 8:56, Jesus showed just how far a man of faith could reach just by thinking and meditating on EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD. He told the crowd, believers and non-believers, that Abraham SAW His day and was glad. The Greek word for glad in that verse actually means to rejoice exceedingly. God told Abraham in Gen 26:4, that his seed would multiply as much as the stars in heaven and that in Abraham's seed all nations of the earth would be blessed. The only things Abraham knew about the earth being cursed was when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. As well as a curse, God spoke a redemptive Word to Eve. It was a redemptive Word to Eve but it was a destructive curse to the satan, the serpent. God told satan that the seed of the woman would bruise his head. As Abraham walked through his life, he saw all types of sin, sickness and poverty with his PHYSICAL eyes. But, with his SPIRITUAL eyes, or his heart, he saw one of his grandkids destroying the works of the devil. He not only SAW it on the inside, but, according to Jesus' own Words, Abraham was "glad." Abraham did not get "glad" about what he was looking at with his natural eyes, he got "glad" about what he saw with his "spiritual" eyes.
He learned the habit of "meditating on the Word." David, the great king and warrior, wrote in the first Psalm that the blessed man was the one who got excited about the Word of God and meditated on the Word day and night. Notice that David did not say that the blessed man meditated on his circumstances or his surroundings. Our problem is that we tend to let what we hear and see on the news dominate our meditations. Anyway, Abraham started the habit of meditating on "every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." He taught that life-secret to his son Isaac who handed it down to his sons. Only one picked it up though. The day that Abraham's servant brought Isaac's future wife Rebekah, Gen 24:63, she saw Isaac walking through the field and "meditating."
The apostle, Paul, was able to harness the power of God's Word by meditating on it instead of what he was going through at the time. He wrote in Phil 4:8 that we should be thinking about things that are true, honest, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and things that could be praised. Even if you are going through "hell" at this point in time, "hell" does not have to dominate your thinking. You are the one that is the master of your thinking. Change it to what the Word of God says about you.
Everyone could see Jesus was fixing to be whipped up on by the Jewish religious leaders. (It's always the RELIGIOUS that cause the most problems with Christians these days.) It was and absolute no-brainer, right? Even though Jesus knew that to be true, He chose to meditate on and rejoice in EVERY Word that came out of His Father's mouth. He CHOSE the believe that He would rise again and that the curse over mankind was about to be lifted. HE CHOSE to SEE and BELIEVE that millions of souls would be freed from the grips of sin and degradation through what He was going through because it was God's will for Him for THAT MOMENT ONLY to be crucified. He knew, like every one else did, that crucifixion would only last for a moment and that death would follow. Yes, crucifixion would last for only a moment, but His resurrection would last throughout eternity. THAT is what He meditated on and rejoiced in.
Joyful living my friend.
Because He SAW things differently He acted differently and got different results than anyone else did. He said in John 11 that Lazarus was asleep and He was going to wake him up. He actually TAUGHT His disciples that He would be crucified but then rise again, ONLY because that was what the Word of God said about Him. They believed the crucified but not the rise again. Does that sound familiar? Jesus was the only one that believed it. No one else could SEE it. None of His disciples, but John, stood with Him as He went through the trial, the beatings and the crucifixion. However, Jesus had a JOY set before Him (Heb 12:2) and that kept Him focused on the job that God had for Him and not just what He could see with His eyes.
In John 8:56, Jesus showed just how far a man of faith could reach just by thinking and meditating on EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD. He told the crowd, believers and non-believers, that Abraham SAW His day and was glad. The Greek word for glad in that verse actually means to rejoice exceedingly. God told Abraham in Gen 26:4, that his seed would multiply as much as the stars in heaven and that in Abraham's seed all nations of the earth would be blessed. The only things Abraham knew about the earth being cursed was when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. As well as a curse, God spoke a redemptive Word to Eve. It was a redemptive Word to Eve but it was a destructive curse to the satan, the serpent. God told satan that the seed of the woman would bruise his head. As Abraham walked through his life, he saw all types of sin, sickness and poverty with his PHYSICAL eyes. But, with his SPIRITUAL eyes, or his heart, he saw one of his grandkids destroying the works of the devil. He not only SAW it on the inside, but, according to Jesus' own Words, Abraham was "glad." Abraham did not get "glad" about what he was looking at with his natural eyes, he got "glad" about what he saw with his "spiritual" eyes.
He learned the habit of "meditating on the Word." David, the great king and warrior, wrote in the first Psalm that the blessed man was the one who got excited about the Word of God and meditated on the Word day and night. Notice that David did not say that the blessed man meditated on his circumstances or his surroundings. Our problem is that we tend to let what we hear and see on the news dominate our meditations. Anyway, Abraham started the habit of meditating on "every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." He taught that life-secret to his son Isaac who handed it down to his sons. Only one picked it up though. The day that Abraham's servant brought Isaac's future wife Rebekah, Gen 24:63, she saw Isaac walking through the field and "meditating."
The apostle, Paul, was able to harness the power of God's Word by meditating on it instead of what he was going through at the time. He wrote in Phil 4:8 that we should be thinking about things that are true, honest, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and things that could be praised. Even if you are going through "hell" at this point in time, "hell" does not have to dominate your thinking. You are the one that is the master of your thinking. Change it to what the Word of God says about you.
Everyone could see Jesus was fixing to be whipped up on by the Jewish religious leaders. (It's always the RELIGIOUS that cause the most problems with Christians these days.) It was and absolute no-brainer, right? Even though Jesus knew that to be true, He chose to meditate on and rejoice in EVERY Word that came out of His Father's mouth. He CHOSE the believe that He would rise again and that the curse over mankind was about to be lifted. HE CHOSE to SEE and BELIEVE that millions of souls would be freed from the grips of sin and degradation through what He was going through because it was God's will for Him for THAT MOMENT ONLY to be crucified. He knew, like every one else did, that crucifixion would only last for a moment and that death would follow. Yes, crucifixion would last for only a moment, but His resurrection would last throughout eternity. THAT is what He meditated on and rejoiced in.
Joyful living my friend.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
My Other Passion
Dear Readers,
I, also, have a passion for writing Christian plays and stories. All that I have done so far can be found on my blog "Fiction with A Purpose." You can get to it by clicking on the title on the right. I am currently re-editing and re-editing and re-editing my first novel, "Tom's Treasure" in hopes of getting it ready to publish as God will provide. Here are some of the comments I have received so far.
This was so great! I cried tears of joy too many times to count. This was one of the best little stories I've read and I can't wait to see the next one unfold.
I, also, have a passion for writing Christian plays and stories. All that I have done so far can be found on my blog "Fiction with A Purpose." You can get to it by clicking on the title on the right. I am currently re-editing and re-editing and re-editing my first novel, "Tom's Treasure" in hopes of getting it ready to publish as God will provide. Here are some of the comments I have received so far.
This was so great! I cried tears of joy too many times to count. This was one of the best little stories I've read and I can't wait to see the next one unfold.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Matthew 5:6--Be Happy as You Hunger
Matthew 5:6--Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Have you ever noticed that when you think about a thick, juicy cheeseburger, fries and a coke that all of a sudden you just gotta have one? What happens when you get a Snickers from the snack machine? Not the first one of you starts walking to the snack machine and closes you eyes before you get there. Not one of you BLINDLY put money in there and then fumbles with the selection buttons and takes a gamble on what might come out. No, sir. You started craving for chocolate in your mind. That craving increased and increased until feet started stumbling uncontrollably towards the machine. Then as your hands began to sweat and tremble, you fumbled with the change until you put more in the machine just in case the price went up before you made your choice. Well......something like that happened.
Oh, dare we speak of your dating days. When all week long you acted like a sick little puppy, longing for even just a glimpse of your loved one. When the night came, your hands fidgeted with your hair, your clothes and/or your make-up to be sure that you were just so. All because you meditated and your meditation created a hunger and thirst. Man, what an intro to a teaching session!
If it is true that our thoughts guide our emotions (good and/or bad), and that our emotions create actions (good and/or bad), then why do we waste time thinking about things that are bad for us? Thoughts might force their way into our minds, but it is us that either entertains or dismisses them. Too much of the time, our thoughts are more about "What if this bad thing will happen? What will I say back to him/her? How hard am I going to slap him/her?" than it is the Word of God.
God's Word deals with the blessings of a Faithful God being poured out in abundance upon the children that He loves unreservedly. If that is true, then where do all the bad thoughts come from. They come from FEAR. Fear stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. If satan, the serpent, can get you to meditate on something that does not line up with the Word of God, he knows that you will start hungering for it. Meditation brings hunger and desire. Our thought processes bring desires for success or failure. Listen to what the greatest soul winner other than Jesus Christ once wrote. Phil 4:8--Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.
Paul knew that meditation brought hunger and hungering for the things of God brought blessings and happiness to him even when things went wrong. Read through Hebrews 11 and you will find many of our faith heroes. Reading their stories in the Word of God you will find out the challenges that they went through. They would have never won their battles had they meditated and desired to be defeated. Meditation on the Word of God instead of what it looks like brings forth the desire and hunger for Godly things inside of you. As you continue to meditate and your hunger grows, you will find yourself moving towards the blessings and the glory of God instead of moping around in your problems.
Be blessed in your hunger.
Have you ever noticed that when you think about a thick, juicy cheeseburger, fries and a coke that all of a sudden you just gotta have one? What happens when you get a Snickers from the snack machine? Not the first one of you starts walking to the snack machine and closes you eyes before you get there. Not one of you BLINDLY put money in there and then fumbles with the selection buttons and takes a gamble on what might come out. No, sir. You started craving for chocolate in your mind. That craving increased and increased until feet started stumbling uncontrollably towards the machine. Then as your hands began to sweat and tremble, you fumbled with the change until you put more in the machine just in case the price went up before you made your choice. Well......something like that happened.
Oh, dare we speak of your dating days. When all week long you acted like a sick little puppy, longing for even just a glimpse of your loved one. When the night came, your hands fidgeted with your hair, your clothes and/or your make-up to be sure that you were just so. All because you meditated and your meditation created a hunger and thirst. Man, what an intro to a teaching session!
If it is true that our thoughts guide our emotions (good and/or bad), and that our emotions create actions (good and/or bad), then why do we waste time thinking about things that are bad for us? Thoughts might force their way into our minds, but it is us that either entertains or dismisses them. Too much of the time, our thoughts are more about "What if this bad thing will happen? What will I say back to him/her? How hard am I going to slap him/her?" than it is the Word of God.
God's Word deals with the blessings of a Faithful God being poured out in abundance upon the children that He loves unreservedly. If that is true, then where do all the bad thoughts come from. They come from FEAR. Fear stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. If satan, the serpent, can get you to meditate on something that does not line up with the Word of God, he knows that you will start hungering for it. Meditation brings hunger and desire. Our thought processes bring desires for success or failure. Listen to what the greatest soul winner other than Jesus Christ once wrote. Phil 4:8--Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.
Paul knew that meditation brought hunger and hungering for the things of God brought blessings and happiness to him even when things went wrong. Read through Hebrews 11 and you will find many of our faith heroes. Reading their stories in the Word of God you will find out the challenges that they went through. They would have never won their battles had they meditated and desired to be defeated. Meditation on the Word of God instead of what it looks like brings forth the desire and hunger for Godly things inside of you. As you continue to meditate and your hunger grows, you will find yourself moving towards the blessings and the glory of God instead of moping around in your problems.
Be blessed in your hunger.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Another Thought Nugget
I had another golden nugget bombard my spirit the other day and I thought that I would share it with you.
What God says about me overrides what anybody else says about me.
God will act according to what He has said about me.
His actions override ANY actions taken against me by my enemies.
Take Abraham, for instance. What God said and acted about Abraham was far above anything Abraham thought and did.
Eph 3:20--Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
What God says about me overrides what anybody else says about me.
God will act according to what He has said about me.
His actions override ANY actions taken against me by my enemies.
Take Abraham, for instance. What God said and acted about Abraham was far above anything Abraham thought and did.
Eph 3:20--Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Friday, September 16, 2011
And the Spirit of God Moved
Genesis 1:2-And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Before God created anything, He first had to have a willing vessel. Here we see that the most beautiful creation started off being without form and void. Here we see that the most long-lasting, beautiful creation started off being without form and void. Here we see that the most diverse items of all creation started off being without form and void.
It is interesting to note that the earth had no pre-conceived ideas about how to be formed. It did not trust that how it was before God started moving on it was how it was going to stay. As the perfect vessel, the earth yeilded to the Word of God, accepted it as the final authority over it's being and allowed His Spirit to fully reign over it.
Dear reader, when we come to Jesus, most of us come with a broken life, broken heart, broken dreams and broken ambitions. We receive His forgiveness and walk away from the altar a new creature in Christ Jesus. However, I dare to say that 95% of all born again Christians refuse to allow God free reign to create in us His Holy Presence. We demand that He use the broken parts of us that are not healed. We refuse to be re-created by holding on the old habits and the stinking ideas that got us into the mess we were in.
Revival comes when a vessel comes to Jesus and says, "Jesus, mold me the way I should be molded." Then watch out for change. "Jesus, use me in the way You want me to be used." Then watch out for change. "Jesus, I realize that you have a plan for me that is way beyond anything that I can comprehend. I give you free reign to re-arrange my life any way You want to." Then watch out for change.
The change that comes is "REVIVAL." The change that comes is lives being changed by the power of an unhindered Spirit healing other broken lives.
Before God created anything, He first had to have a willing vessel. Here we see that the most beautiful creation started off being without form and void. Here we see that the most long-lasting, beautiful creation started off being without form and void. Here we see that the most diverse items of all creation started off being without form and void.
It is interesting to note that the earth had no pre-conceived ideas about how to be formed. It did not trust that how it was before God started moving on it was how it was going to stay. As the perfect vessel, the earth yeilded to the Word of God, accepted it as the final authority over it's being and allowed His Spirit to fully reign over it.
Dear reader, when we come to Jesus, most of us come with a broken life, broken heart, broken dreams and broken ambitions. We receive His forgiveness and walk away from the altar a new creature in Christ Jesus. However, I dare to say that 95% of all born again Christians refuse to allow God free reign to create in us His Holy Presence. We demand that He use the broken parts of us that are not healed. We refuse to be re-created by holding on the old habits and the stinking ideas that got us into the mess we were in.
Revival comes when a vessel comes to Jesus and says, "Jesus, mold me the way I should be molded." Then watch out for change. "Jesus, use me in the way You want me to be used." Then watch out for change. "Jesus, I realize that you have a plan for me that is way beyond anything that I can comprehend. I give you free reign to re-arrange my life any way You want to." Then watch out for change.
The change that comes is "REVIVAL." The change that comes is lives being changed by the power of an unhindered Spirit healing other broken lives.
Monday, September 5, 2011
What God Didn't Say
As I woke up this morning and began to enter into my time of prayer and meditation, a new aspect to a person's faith walk began to roll around in my heart. I pray that your faith in God and His Word would be greatly encouraged by these few notes.
As we all know, people are motivated a lot of times by what God said, but let's talk a little about what God didn't say.
To Abraham:
Your wife will almost be taken from you twice.
Although you brought Lot along to help him out, he will turn on you.
You will have to take your trained servants and rescue the one who turned on you.
You will only have one son and you will have to wait for him for 25 years.
God never said in the beginning that Abraham would have to sacrifice his son.
Yet, through all of these circumstances, Abraham held to God and His Word. Why? Because of the joy that was set before him. See Heb. 12:2.
To Jacob:
You will be deceived by your father-in-law many times.
You will be run out of town by your angry brothers-in-law.
You will have to wrestle with God before returning home.
You will marry four wives and have 12 children.
Your favorite wife will be the first to die.
Still God proved Himself faithful to Jacob and His children.
To the children of Israel as they came out of Egypt:
One of the first places you will come to will be a place of bitter water.
You will come to places in the wilderness where there will be no water except by supernatural provision.
You will come to places in the wilderness where there will be no food except by supernatural provision.
God never told them how big the enemy was or how fortified their cities were. He just said that He would give them the land.
However, those that chose to have a vision of the Word, (Heb 12:2) went in to the promised land.
To David, the anointed king of Israel:
God never said that he would have to fight a giant.
God never said that before he could be king, he would be a hunted criminal.
God never said that he would have to build his army with vagabonds.
But David proved himself faithful to God and God proved himself faithful to David.
To Jesus, His only begotten Son:
There is no prophecy that said people would try to stone Him.
There is no prophecy that said people would try to push Him off of a cliff.
Isaiah 53:35 did say But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.
However, there was never a prophecy that said exactly the harsh degree of pain and suffering He had to bear to pay the price for you and me.
Even Jesus went through a lot of things that weren't spelled out in God's Word. His focus was on the outcome, not the now. Heb 12:2-who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, David said this in Psalm 23:4-Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me, Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.
God didn't say to any of us exactly that we would be facing the things that we face right now. Jesus and the Heroes of Faith took joy in not what was happening now but at what they could see was coming to them because of the Word of God. Like David, they were willing to go through the valley of what looks to be certain death to obtain the goal that was set for them by the Word of God.
Folks, if you are like I am and you're going through some junk right now, just understand that this is probably one of those things that God didn't say. Let's focus on the things He DID say and lift our voices and hearts with songs of praise. Be greatly blessed in the Lord today and be mightily encouraged in His Word.
Love, Henry
As we all know, people are motivated a lot of times by what God said, but let's talk a little about what God didn't say.
To Abraham:
Your wife will almost be taken from you twice.
Although you brought Lot along to help him out, he will turn on you.
You will have to take your trained servants and rescue the one who turned on you.
You will only have one son and you will have to wait for him for 25 years.
God never said in the beginning that Abraham would have to sacrifice his son.
Yet, through all of these circumstances, Abraham held to God and His Word. Why? Because of the joy that was set before him. See Heb. 12:2.
To Jacob:
You will be deceived by your father-in-law many times.
You will be run out of town by your angry brothers-in-law.
You will have to wrestle with God before returning home.
You will marry four wives and have 12 children.
Your favorite wife will be the first to die.
Still God proved Himself faithful to Jacob and His children.
To the children of Israel as they came out of Egypt:
One of the first places you will come to will be a place of bitter water.
You will come to places in the wilderness where there will be no water except by supernatural provision.
You will come to places in the wilderness where there will be no food except by supernatural provision.
God never told them how big the enemy was or how fortified their cities were. He just said that He would give them the land.
However, those that chose to have a vision of the Word, (Heb 12:2) went in to the promised land.
To David, the anointed king of Israel:
God never said that he would have to fight a giant.
God never said that before he could be king, he would be a hunted criminal.
God never said that he would have to build his army with vagabonds.
But David proved himself faithful to God and God proved himself faithful to David.
To Jesus, His only begotten Son:
There is no prophecy that said people would try to stone Him.
There is no prophecy that said people would try to push Him off of a cliff.
Isaiah 53:35 did say But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.
However, there was never a prophecy that said exactly the harsh degree of pain and suffering He had to bear to pay the price for you and me.
Even Jesus went through a lot of things that weren't spelled out in God's Word. His focus was on the outcome, not the now. Heb 12:2-who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, David said this in Psalm 23:4-Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me, Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.
God didn't say to any of us exactly that we would be facing the things that we face right now. Jesus and the Heroes of Faith took joy in not what was happening now but at what they could see was coming to them because of the Word of God. Like David, they were willing to go through the valley of what looks to be certain death to obtain the goal that was set for them by the Word of God.
Folks, if you are like I am and you're going through some junk right now, just understand that this is probably one of those things that God didn't say. Let's focus on the things He DID say and lift our voices and hearts with songs of praise. Be greatly blessed in the Lord today and be mightily encouraged in His Word.
Love, Henry
Saturday, September 3, 2011
God's Word, The Final Authority in Any Situation
Genesis 1:1 starts off by saying, "In the beginning God created." It goes on to declare that by His spoken Word only, the entire solar system and everything on the earth came into being. According to verse 2, "And everything was without form and void." God started with nothing but His Word. That was all He needed. Whatever came out of the mouth of God was a creative word. All of His power and all of His heart was behind every word that came out of His mouth. In Isaiah 55:11 God says, "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
Notice three things.
First: Every word that came out of God's mouth will not return to Him void. A simple example of that is when we tell our children, "Go and get me my Bible, son, I want to read you a story out of it." Your full intention was for your child to bring you your Bible so you could read to him. If you are persistent in training your children, you fully expect him to walk over to where ever your Bible is, pick it up and bring it to you. That is a simple example of your word not returning void. When God spoke a word He intended for His Word to come to pass just like He said it. You didn't ask your child to bring you anything else and, being a good father or mother, you will watch over him to see that he does what you ask. In Jeremiah 1:12, God promises, "I will hasten my word to perform it." So many times, we feel that God has forgotten His Word or that it was just a bunch of sweet sounding phrases. Absolutely not, God has no intention of letting anything He said fall to the ground useless. He stands over His Word, fully intending for what He said to come to pass. He never fails. We are the ones who fail to put faith in His word and expect it to come to pass. God always expects His Word to come to pass, but when we doubt His Word, His hands are tied.
Second: Every word (a) shall accomplish. In the Hebrew, that word also means to fashion or produce. Sometimes we throw our faith in God's Word in the trash because it doesn't change things immediately. Give God some time to fashion or produce His Word. Those that go to doctors do not whimper when the doctor says that it might take the medicine a couple of months to take full effect. However, when God doesn't do something immediately, they run off, pout and say that God is not real. On the contrary, God's Word is the real deal, here. Abram and Sarai praised God and waited for 25 years before God produced the answer. Jeremiah 1:12. God never fails.
Every word (b) accomplishes what God pleases. It's not what somebody thinks about you, it's what God said. It's not what you hear in the news, it's what God said and it's what pleases Him. I double-dog dare you to search the scriptures and find where God is constantly telling His people, "I want you to fail. I want you to be sick. I want you to hurt the rest of your lives. I'm going on a vacation so don't bother me for 50 years." It's just not there. But what is there is the promise in Phil 4:19 that all of our needs will be met according to His riches in glory. That just doesn't sound like He wants us to be sick, mutilated or destroyed. Find His promises in His Word and meditate on His goodness. Then get up and shout for a while!!!!!!!
Third: Every word shall prosper in the thing whereto I SENT it. Glory to God!! Can we hear the emphasis of God's heart. He didn't just speak His Word, HE SENT HIS WORD!! If I sent my child to the store to get me some Cookies 'n Cream ice cream because that's what I wanted, I would not be in a very good mood if he failed to return or failed to bring me some Cookies 'n Cream ice cream. God SENT His Word of salvation. God SENT His Word of healing. God SENT His Word of prosperity. He didn't send His Word to fail. He didn't send His Word to stumble. He didn't intend His Word to stop until whatever it pleased Him was accomplished.
Dear, dear, dear reader. Get in the Word of God and dig up those 'pearls of great price' that are found in it. Stand in faith that what God fully intended to come to pass is a definite part of your future. Then kick your shoes off, get out of those starchy, religious habits and shout until the answer comes.
Notice three things.
First: Every word that came out of God's mouth will not return to Him void. A simple example of that is when we tell our children, "Go and get me my Bible, son, I want to read you a story out of it." Your full intention was for your child to bring you your Bible so you could read to him. If you are persistent in training your children, you fully expect him to walk over to where ever your Bible is, pick it up and bring it to you. That is a simple example of your word not returning void. When God spoke a word He intended for His Word to come to pass just like He said it. You didn't ask your child to bring you anything else and, being a good father or mother, you will watch over him to see that he does what you ask. In Jeremiah 1:12, God promises, "I will hasten my word to perform it." So many times, we feel that God has forgotten His Word or that it was just a bunch of sweet sounding phrases. Absolutely not, God has no intention of letting anything He said fall to the ground useless. He stands over His Word, fully intending for what He said to come to pass. He never fails. We are the ones who fail to put faith in His word and expect it to come to pass. God always expects His Word to come to pass, but when we doubt His Word, His hands are tied.
Second: Every word (a) shall accomplish. In the Hebrew, that word also means to fashion or produce. Sometimes we throw our faith in God's Word in the trash because it doesn't change things immediately. Give God some time to fashion or produce His Word. Those that go to doctors do not whimper when the doctor says that it might take the medicine a couple of months to take full effect. However, when God doesn't do something immediately, they run off, pout and say that God is not real. On the contrary, God's Word is the real deal, here. Abram and Sarai praised God and waited for 25 years before God produced the answer. Jeremiah 1:12. God never fails.
Every word (b) accomplishes what God pleases. It's not what somebody thinks about you, it's what God said. It's not what you hear in the news, it's what God said and it's what pleases Him. I double-dog dare you to search the scriptures and find where God is constantly telling His people, "I want you to fail. I want you to be sick. I want you to hurt the rest of your lives. I'm going on a vacation so don't bother me for 50 years." It's just not there. But what is there is the promise in Phil 4:19 that all of our needs will be met according to His riches in glory. That just doesn't sound like He wants us to be sick, mutilated or destroyed. Find His promises in His Word and meditate on His goodness. Then get up and shout for a while!!!!!!!
Third: Every word shall prosper in the thing whereto I SENT it. Glory to God!! Can we hear the emphasis of God's heart. He didn't just speak His Word, HE SENT HIS WORD!! If I sent my child to the store to get me some Cookies 'n Cream ice cream because that's what I wanted, I would not be in a very good mood if he failed to return or failed to bring me some Cookies 'n Cream ice cream. God SENT His Word of salvation. God SENT His Word of healing. God SENT His Word of prosperity. He didn't send His Word to fail. He didn't send His Word to stumble. He didn't intend His Word to stop until whatever it pleased Him was accomplished.
Dear, dear, dear reader. Get in the Word of God and dig up those 'pearls of great price' that are found in it. Stand in faith that what God fully intended to come to pass is a definite part of your future. Then kick your shoes off, get out of those starchy, religious habits and shout until the answer comes.
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