Appropriate The Promises

Appropriate The Promises

August, 2004

Ephesians 2: 8 " For by grace are ye saved through faith..."

Notice you receive from God by grace through faith. Faith is the conduit through which EVERY blessing flows. Just as water flows into your home through pipes, and electricity flows into your home through wires, the blessings and promises flow into your life through faith. In our last lesson we learned God is an all the time GOOD God, and satan is out to steal, kill, and destroy. James 1:13 states " Let no man say when he is tempted (tested & tried), I am tempted (tested & tried) of God: for God cannot be tempted (tested & tried) with evil, neither tempteth (tests & tries) he any man:" God does not use evil ! Now I did not say that in the midst of your calamity God won't show up and teach you things. What I'm saying is God didn't SEND the calamity to "get your attention." The devil sent the calamity (test & trial) to destroy you and God was hoping you would pay attention to Him and His Word while every thing was hunky dorie! ( you know what hunky dorie is don't you? ) He loves you so much that anytime and place you turn toward Him He is there. Therefore when people hit rock bottom and cry out to God and He answers and helps them some get the idea God "arranged" whatever plunged them to the bottom to get their attention. This theory however is contrary to scripture. James 1:16,17 " Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every GOOD gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is neither variableness, neither shadow of turning." The key or secret of receiving the good blessings of God into your life and overcoming evil with good is to learn to keep the "switch of Faith" turned on. Just as you have a switch that controls whether the electricity flows and a faucet to control whether the water flows. In the Spirit realm you have a switch called faith to control whether the blessings and promises of God's Word flow or not. Just as you at some time in your life were taught to turn the electric switch and water faucet on and off you must learn how faith works, how to turn on the switch of faith. First lesson: Romans 10;8-10 " But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: That is the word of FAITH, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." This scripture shows us that REAL faith, Bible faith, faith that works is "in the mouth and in the heart." When our confession and heart believing are the same then the supernatural power of God is released to cause it to come to pass. Look at Mark 11: 22,23 ..." Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith." So we see here both Jesus in Mark and Paul in Romans explaining the principle or law of faith. This spiritual law of faith is just as reliable as the law of gravity or the law of transmitting electricity. You turn the switch of faith on and it will work just like turning the light switch on. Faith works when the word is in your mouth and in your heart. Read Romans 4 : 16-21. You will notice Abraham (the father of faith) is said to be like unto God "and calleth things that be not as though they were." VS. 23,24 says "it was not written for his sake alone... But for us also." Beloved when you repent and confess Jesus as your Lord, You become a "new Creation" A God inside creature with the same faith as Abraham, Jesus, Paul, and all believers. Note in Romans 12: 3 it is stated unto every man ( that is among you ) God hath dealt the measure of faith. You need to feed your faith on the WORD of God ( Bible ) and exercise your faith in the arena of life " fight the good fight of faith" the Bible says. And starve your doubts till you become strong in the Lord and the power of His might... To Be Continued...

Yours In Him, Jim