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Sermon Series: “Life is a Thinking Man’s Game!”
Part 2: “Speaking Evil and Guile Comes From Situational Complaining Against God.”
The thief cometh 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. (John 10:10)
[“The art of a professional thief is he keeps on stealing from you, and you never realize you have been stolen from, until it’s all gone!”]
Introduction:
Happy Sunday to you in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Have you ever stopped and thought about Satan, and his works? I mean, have you asked yourself—what’s wrong with this fool?
As Jesus Christ said, Satan only seeks to steal, and to kill, and to destroy—to exact pain, heartache, suffering, and the total demise of human beings and the whole world. What’s his beef with us? Jesus even told Peter, and the other disciples as well, that Satan excessively desired to “have them, and sift them as wheat.” (Luke 22:31-32) But, Jesus prayed, especially for Peter, that his faith would not fail, and when converted he would also strengthen the brethren.
This is exactly what Satan wants of you too—to have you—to own you—but he cannot because you are born-again and belong to God.” (John 1:13) However, Satan does rule over the unsaved people of the world, which are those who refuse to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Their eyes have been blinded and hearts darkened from the truth, and they hate the Light of Christ less their evil works are reproved. (II Cor. 4:4, Eph. 2: 1-3 & John 3:20)
As we discussed last week, for born-again Christians, neither Satan, nor any work of sin—with the exception of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost—has any in-roads into our sanctified hearts (soul, mind of the soul and spirit) as our hearts are sealed until the day of redemption. (II Cor.1:22)
However, Satan can gain access to our thought-life through the human brain, the control tower of the human body. From the human brain we make our choices in life—whether to obey the Voice of God and live under the blessings of God, or the voice of Satan and live under the curse. From our brains, we choose the words we speak; life and blessing or cursing and death. If we desire to have longevity and see good days we must choose to speak words that are godly and edify one another. (I Pet. 3:10) For life is truly a “Thinking Man’s Game.”
Today, I want to focus on Satan and his tricks to get born-again Christians to obey his voice, and speak evil and guile. We are to know the tricks and whiles of God’s enemy the devil. (II Cor. 2:11) Satan uses a tactic I call, “Situational Complaining,” to tempt born-again Christians to enter into evil communications. (Situational Complaining occurs whenever a person gets into a perplexing or difficult situation they have to cope with and choose to murmur and complain about it.)
Remember, Jesus Christ pointed out at John 8:44, that Satan is the “father of lies.” (John 8:44) Since he is a father, it means he has offspring, and only seeks to make more children who have his nature. Satan desires to impregnate your thought-life with lies that have their root in a complaint against God.
Situational Complaining Results in Evil Speaking Against God
Saints of God, let’s get to the bottom-line upfront. Satan desires to plant his “complaint against God,” in your head, in hopes you will rebel against God and His Word. As I said before, Satan is the “father of lies.” A lie is nothing more than a complaint against the truth.
Let me illustrate the egregiousness of a lie in the natural. Archimedes the famous Greek Mathematician, and considered the father of Mathematics, would certainly hold to and prove that the addition problem of 1 + 1 = 2. Throughout history, everyone in the world recognizes this as truth; the correct answer. Sitting here today, all of you would agree that 1 + 1 = 2. Am I right about it?
But, what if I was a Math instructor (at any grade level) and adamantly taught my students, down through the years that Archimedes was totally wrong; that 1 + 1 = 5 and not 2. In fact, let’s take things a bit further and assume that I taught my students that all of the math principals espoused by Archimedes were invalid—that they lacked sound reasoning and mental rigor, and if followed, would destroy all human understanding of the core contents of other subjects such as the sciences, social studies, music and even art, which have their root in mathematics.
If I did this, the first violence I would be committing is voicing a complaint against Archimedes—expressing total displeasure and dissatisfaction with his competence in mathematics, and defying all of the basic laws of proven mathematics. The second violence, I would be committing is lying against the truth; as 1 + 1 does not equal 5, and never can it. But, also consider the violence I would be committing against the learning of innocent students—because one plus one equals two—is common to all human logic. My false teaching (lies) could be injurious to the students’ welfare and entire life if they believed the lie!
Now consider Satan, for this is exactly what the father of lies is all about. He lies against God and His Word—he lies against the Truth. (John 17:17 & John 8:44) If you allow Satan to have airtime in your head, he will do nothing but lie against the truth. You will find yourself in various situations in life, in which you have a complaint, or even multiple complaints against God. Satan has no new tricks, and since the creation of Mankind, he has used his twisted wisdom, cunning, and craftiness to bring about situations for human beings to voice complaints against God, with corresponding actions of sin following.
Satan’s tactic worked in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, which I will describe in a moment, and still works in the lives of people, including Christians today. Satan wants you to “perceive” in situations in life that you have a need, want, or desire for something that is not being met by God, and vocally he wants you to express your displeasure or dissatisfaction about it. Whether your dissatisfaction about the thing is directly aimed at God or not, does not matter.
For you see, God is the creator of all things, and for born-again Christians, God has already made you an heir of God and joint heir with Jesus Christ, and supplied all of your needs. (Rom. 8:17 & Php. 4:19) God has given you everything that pertains unto life and godliness. (II Pet.1:3) He has given you all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 1:3) All things are yours. (I Cor. 3:22) These are all blessings that the Bible tells us we possess in Christ Jesus. They are not written in the Bible so we can just say thank you Lord, smile, and move on and complain so more! Rather, they are written so that we might profit from the promises of God, and God may be glorified through us in the earth! (II Tim. 3:16-17 & II Cor.1:20)
So when Christians verbalize the “perceived” thing(s) that they lack, are missing, and/or are broken in their life, they are “complaining” against God—speaking evil, because they are saying things that are contrary to God’s Word! They are lying against the Truth. Oh yes, as born-again Christians, albeit often unknowingly, we complain into the ears of God. For example, we say things like:
–I have no money, food, job, house, or car
–I’m sick in my body and can’t get well, I’m going to die
–Nothing good ever happens for me
–I can’t find a husband or wife
–Everybody is against me
–I can’t do this and I can’t do that
–I hate this and dislike that
–I will never forgive him or her
–I just want to be left alone (you are telling Jesus to leave you, is that what you really want?
When people voice complaints, negative feelings and emotions are discharged due to frustration over a situation/problem, which most often leads to more evil speaking. You know—such as fussing, cussing, cursing, defaming, lying, deceiving, and so forth. These are all the thoughts and words of the devil and in these situations the Christian is saying in effect, that God doesn’t love me, God is a liar, God is stingy, and God cannot be trusted.
This results in the Christian reasoning that since their material need(s) have not been met, in a timely manner and/or in the desired way, they must take matters into their own hands—either by letting a promise of God slip and become slothful, or to take actions that trespass God’s Word. It’s the old lying adage: “God helps those who help themselves.” Wrong, God helps those who ask for His Help! (Ps. 91:15 & Rom.10:13)
Also, after sin is committed, many Christians tend to defend their behavior through excuses for why it was necessary to do what they did—and then attempt to draw God into their wrong behavior by saying things like, “the Lord knows my heart,” “God knows I meant well,” or that “someone else is at fault and made them do the wrong thing.” This only results in more evil speaking and guile, you see.
A close examination of the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden illustrates how Satan attempts to put his complaint about God in all of us. Thereby, coaxing us to speak evil and guile before the Lord.
Adam and Eve Consumed the Complaint of Satan, Forfeiting the Good life God Ordained for Them to Live.
When God created Adam, He gave him authority and dominion over the whole earth. The blessing of God was wax-weighty upon Adam (Mankind), and with Eve whom God made from the man. (Gen. 1:28, 2:7, 21-22) Adam was anointed with fruitfulness, the ability to multiply, replenish, and given the power to subdue anything that would rise up against him in the earth.
So anointed was Adam in wisdom, that he gave names to every animal God created, he named the female “woman, and his wife Eve,” and God prophetically spoke through Adam, pronouncing the unique bond of the institution of marriage. (Gen. 2:19-25) God gave into Adam’s stewardship, the Garden of Eden, to keep and dress it. The Garden of pleasure and delight—paradise was the enjoyment of Adam and Eve. God with the first couple had intimate fellowship daily, as they reflected the goodness and grandeur of the glory of God in His presence—they were innocent and holy before God and all of heaven. Indeed, Adam and Eve had it going on!
However, it was a simple and direct Commandment that God gave to Adam that would take center stage. Where the arch enemy of God, Satan, once known as Lucifer, would conjure up a situation and wreck-havoc on the relationship between God, Man and Woman, and the world. Let’s take a few moments and talk about Lucifer.
Lucifer, who in the before times, was God’s created anointed cherub, was a magnificent being! The prophet Ezekiel described him as the “seal of perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Every precious stone was his covering. He was the anointed cherub who covered. He was perfect in all of his ways from the day he was created. (Ezek. 28:12-17). Lucifer was fully arrayed by God to reflect His glory. He walked in the Garden of Eden, in the earth as created at Genesis 1:1, and he had direct access to God. But, Lucifer disgraced himself and fell from heaven as lightening when he attempted with one-third of the angels, to invade, dethrone, and become the Supreme ruler of the cosmos and all created therein. (Luke 10:18 & Rev.12: 4, 9)
You see, the cause of Lucifer’s fall was a “complaint” in his heart against God—a complaint that he trafficked and merchandised among the holy angels of God, and the inhabitants of the earth that was before. According to the Dake Bible, the nations of the earth consisted of kings and the other inhabitants, who were referred to as, “Pre-Adamites” (mortal beings). God established Lucifer as the ruler of the earth. However, Lucifer became dissatisfied with his “eternal vocation”—created to worship God, and minister to the Pre-Adamites—he aspired to be greater than God and to replace Him.
According to Ezekiel 28, Lucifer became filled with violence within, and he sinned. His heart was lifted up because of his beauty (Verses16-17) Lucifer’s appearance, and everything that he possessed was a gift from God, and yet he allowed the gift of beauty, to inspire rebellion in him. In Lucifer’s heart he proclaimed and weakened the nations on earth with these evil communications, recorded in Isaiah 14:12-14…For you have said in your heart:
“I will ascend into heaven,” “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God,” “I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north;” “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.” Do you see the immediate problem with the bellicose words from the heart of Lucifer? They are all lies! His ambitions were far above his pay grade!
Lucifer’s name meant “day star” or son of the morning—an angel with specific duties to carry out, was what God created Lucifer to be. Lucifer was a “created being” of the angelic class—therefore, it was not possible that he could be “The Supreme God!” But Lucifer was determined to disobey, rebel, and become the enemy of God. Thus, God renamed him Satan, meaning “the adversary” or “the one who opposes God, His Word, and people.” Satan if you will is the “father of violence against the truth.”
Lucifer, turned Satan was judged and casted from heaven into the earth, and the Pre-Adamites who he had turned away from God were swallowed up in the first great flood of the earth (Lucifer’s flood) and perished. (Gen. 1:2, Jer. 4:23-28, & II Pet. 3:5-6)
As God released the earth and recreated it in Genesis 1:3-31, Lucifer, now Satan, was also released—for an angelic being cannot be destroyed by water, as the mortal Pre-Adamites were, but only contained. Now Lucifer, roaming the earth was void of power and authority, and only left with an eternal complaint of bitterness in his heart against God. Now, we can clearly see Satan’s beef with God and Mankind.
Adam had been given authority and dominion over earth, he dwelt in a new Garden of Eden, he and Eve were made in the image of God, after His likeness, and God had given to Adam Commandments concerning the consumption of fruit from the trees in the Garden of Eden. In other words, Adam possessed everything and more that Satan once possessed as Lucifer on earth—and you know he was furious at God for placing him under the feet of Adam and Eve! Satan, the fallen angel, had nothing but humiliation—he had lost the earth, his throne, his subjects, and access to God.
As Satan, his heart’s ambition and mission is to oppose God, to tempt and turn Mankind against God through sin against God’s Word, and once again rule the earth. But, sin could not enter into the earth, without a Commandment of God being violated by Adam (Mankind). (Rom. 4:15 & 3:20) So now the stage is set with the Commandment God had given to Adam concerning the trees of the Garden of Eden.
Let’s take a look at what God commanded of Adam concerning consumption of the trees in the Garden of Eden, as recorded at Genesis 2:15-17.
And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Look at the love of God at work. God gave to Adam and Eve every tree in the Garden of Eden to liberally consume fruit from, with the exception of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The Bible does not tell us how many fruit trees there were in the Garden at the time He gave the Commandment to Adam. However, we know God is the abundant supplier of all we need. (Php. 4:19) So, we can safely assume there was more than an ample supply of food available to eat. Further, the blessing of God on the earth, and on Adam and Eve, would have caused perpetual replenishment, and new growth of trees for harvests in paradise. (Gen.1:28 and Prov.10:22)
God’s warning to Adam not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, was an act of love, to keep them, from the experience of death—separation from God resulting in spiritual, moral, and ultimately physical death. Clearly, if you love someone, as certainly God loves Mankind, you never want to see them hurt, diminished, or lose connection with you. The Commandment not to eat of the forbidden tree was a warning from a loving God and Father watching over His children to protect them from danger. Aren’t you glad your parents taught you never to place your hand on a hot stove, to drink poison, and to look both ways before crossing the street?
Now let’s review the conversation Satan had with Eve, while Adam stood by, as recorded at Genesis 3:1-5.
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
And the woman said unto the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Wow, can you see how violent, divisive, and destructive the thoughts and words of Satan were? Satan’s line of questioning about God’s Commandment was solely intended to “build a complaint” in Adam and Eve against God. He used what I call “The Four D’s of Evil Communication” to turn them away from God: (1) Doubt God’s Word, (2) Deny God’s Word, (3) Disobey God’s Word, which exalts “self” above God, and (4) Defend sinful actions against God’s Word. These four elements form the basis of all complaining Satan tries to inspire us to do, to speak evil and guile against God, and ultimately commit acts of sin. Moreover, every sin that we ever commit against God and His Word contain these four elements.
Notice in Verse 1, Satan’s question of Eve is intended to raise doubt as to whether she heard God correctly about eating from all of the trees in the Garden of Eden—“Yea, hath God said you shall not eat from every tree of the garden.” What a violent/wicked question to ask of Eve. Satan was implying that God did not want the couple to eat fruit of any of the trees in the Garden—that while God had placed them in the Garden to live and work—He was being stingy and didn’t care if they had anything to eat. The question, was intended to cause immediate alarm and fear in Adam and Eve that their basic needs for food would not be met by God.
Satan, however, was really using the first question to cause Eve to focus on the only tree forbidden by God to eat from. When Eve told the Serpent they could eat of every tree, except from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the midst of the Garden, and not to touch it because they would die, (Verses 2-3) Satan quickly moved to vehemently deny that they would die if they ate from the tree—in Verse 4, “you shall not surely die.” The Amplified Bible states, “You certainly will not die.”
Satan working through the Serpent moved quickly from tempting the couple to doubt God’s Word, to denying God’s Word was true. Satan was implying that God had outright lied to them and could not be trusted. He shared with them his twisted wisdom about what happens when the tree is consumed, as if he had some personal knowledge and experience with the tree—that they would not die, but would have a wonderful enlightenment that God Himself knows they would benefit from. (Verse 4)
As their eyes would be opened, and they would be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Now, Satan had insinuated that God was holding out on them—that the fruit from the forbidden tree held the key to them becoming as wise as God Himself—“knowing good and evil.” In doing so, Satan had built the perfect “house of complaint” in their heads against God. That is: God who created them, really does not love them, but hates them, desires to enslave them, doesn’t want them to be like Him, nor have the very best things in life. This was nothing but the trick of the enemy and pure evil thinking. As we saw in Scripture, Adam and Eve were already like God—created in His own image and likeness and given dominion and authority over all the earth. (Gen. 1:26-27)
But, most egregious of all, Satan was accusing God of being both “good and evil,” and was suggesting that the couple could be good and evil, like God if they partook of the forbidden tree. However, we know, there is no evil nor darkness in God at all. (Ps. 92:5 & I John 1:5) God knows of the evil in the hearts of Satan, fallen angels, and in men who rebel against him. But, He has no intimate knowledge of evil within Himself, neither can a Holy God do evil.
Satan was only tempting Adam and Eve to make the decision to complain in their hearts against God, disobey God’s Word and eat of the forbidden fruit, so they would have intimate knowledge of evil and sin. In disobeying God’s word, they would have the same complaint against God, as Satan had in them.
We know how the rest of the story goes, Eve was beguiled by the Serpent and Adam transgressed the Commandment of God by eating the fruit of the tree. (Verse 6) (I Tim. 2:14) In so doing, they exalted themselves above the knowledge of God, sinned, died spiritually and morally, and later experienced physical death. In their hearts, they said they would make themselves as God, just as Lucifer turned Satan did, when he attempted to become as the Most High God in the before times. The sin of Adam and Eve plunged themselves and all humanity and world, into sin, death, and hell. Every person, from the womb of their mother, is born into sin and shaped in iniquity. (Ps. 51:5)
Lastly, after Adam and Eve sinned, God confronted them in the cool of the day and inquired about their location and actions, both Adam and Eve attempted to defend themselves. Adam first blamed God for giving him Eve, and that she was the one who gave him the fruit to eat. Then when God asked Eve about her actions, she blamed the Serpent who beguiled her to eat of it. (Gen. 3:8-13) The couple expressed no remorse for their sin, nor did they ask God to forgive them. This is the harvest of fruit of the complaint of Satan—a conscious without remorse for sin. Instead, Adam and Eve desired only to remain in the Garden of Eden—with business and life as usual.
The sad truth of this story is Adam and Eve never recognized they were having a conversation with an inferior species—a Serpent and Satan who had together conspired to rise up against Adam and stolen everything God had given to them. Though the Serpent was more subtle than the other beasts of the field, Adam, was the one who gave the Serpent its name, and had complete control over beast.
Yet, the couple found themselves listening to the Serpent accuse God of all manner of evil. They failed to put up any resistance against the questions and accusations of the Serpent. Instead, they accepted Satan’s complaint and sinned against God. So, God put them out of the Garden of Eden, and placed Cherubims, and a flaming sword around the tree of life to protect it. For if they had eaten from it, they would have become knowing good and evil forever. (Gen. 3:22-24) Thank God Jesus Christ came according to Messianic Prophecy and saved the world from sin through the shedding of His blood and died on the cross at Calvary, and resurrection from the dead on the third-day. (Gen. 3:15, Rom. 5:8 & II Cor. 5:18-19)
Closing Thoughts
Satan today uses the same tricks he pulled on Adam and Eve—The Four D’s of Evil Communication to stir up complaints about God. He uses tribulation, crises, common troubles and problems in life to make born-again Christians think they have things missing, broken, or lacking in their lives to complain about. Thereby, giving voice to murmuring and complaining. To murmur and complain about “perceived” material things at a given station in life, is speaking evil and guile against God. This only leads to rebellion against God, and spurs the lust for forbidden things, and ultimate transgression of the Word of God. We need to always remember Hebrews 13:5, it reads as follows:
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
As the children of God, we are to always be content with the things we have for God will never leave us without support. We are to be content in knowing that through God in Christ Jesus all things in the earth belong to us and with the appropriate faith confession every promise of God will come to pass in our lives. We have no need to express dissatisfaction with our station in life, nor envy and become jealous of what someone else possesses, nor idolize another human being or things in this world.
Thus, with diligence, we must watch over our words, and as the Apostle Peter says, “refrain” from speaking evil and guile. (I Pet. 3:10) The temptation of speaking evil and guile will always come from Satan, but through yielding to the Holy Ghost, we have the power to think first and control our mouths from speaking evil words and guile so that we may enjoy longevity and good days on earth. Greater is Christ in us than the wicked one in the World. (I John 4:4) God is our life and length of our days. In speaking good things and living for God assures us we will live a long satisfied life on earth.
Next week, we will examine an amazing tool God has given to us to tear down and demolish Satan’s house of complaints, so we can become holy communicators and champions in the game of life. Amen to the preaching of the Word of God.
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Sermon Series: “Life Is A Thinking Man’s Game!”
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (Josh. 1:8)
[With diligence you must think on the Word of God, and do what the Word says, in order to win at the game of life. For life is a thinking man’s game.]
Part 1: “God Has Placed the Good Life in Us, But Our Speech Governs How We Will Live.”
Introduction
Good morning and Happy Sunday to All. Welcome to this new Series entitled, “Life Is a Thinking Man’s Game!” The most important and urgent decision every person on earth needs to make, is who they will worship and serve to secure their eternal destiny.
God Almighty, creator of “All” urges that we make the decision to worship and serve Him. (Josh. 24:15-16, II Cor. 6:2, Matt. 6:24) The decision to serve God needs to be made today, as tomorrow is not promised to any person. Only through belief and trust in Jesus Christ can we come to God the Father and be saved. (John 14:6) The decision a person makes to believe in Jesus Christ and live for Him guarantees eternal life (an intimate relationship with God and Jesus Christ), escape from eternal damnation and the reward of heaven, and at the last day God will raise them up from the dead with a glorified body like unto the resurrected body of Jesus Christ. (Mark 16:15, John 3:16-18, 6:40, & Rom. 8:11) Moreover, Jesus has provided to us the criteria for following after Him—we must make the decision to give up all of ourselves to be His disciple. See Matthew 16:14, it reads as follows:
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Yes, we all must make our election sure, whether to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and live eternally with Him, or reject Jesus and live in hell for all eternity.
As human beings, God created us as free-moral agents, having the right and responsibility to think and choose for ourselves the course of life we will take. Through Moses, God said these words to the children of Israel, as recorded at Deuteronomy 30:19-20:
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
What a wise “Thinker” you are, if you have listened and hearkened unto the Voice of Jesus Christ calling you into His sheep-fold, and accepted Him as Lord. If you have repented of your sins, received Jesus Christ into your heart, and received water baptism, you are born-again—a son of the Living God. And, as a son of God, God has given you the precious gift of the Holy Ghost.
(John 1:10-12 & Acts 2:38)
As a citizen of the Kingdom of God, you have received exceedingly great and precious promises, including everything that pertains unto “life and godliness” in your born-again heart. (I Pet.1:3) This is the abundant life Jesus Christ promised to all those who would believe in Him. Life to the full until it overflows; where there is nothing missing, lacking, nor broken in your life on earth, and in the new world which is to come. (John 10:10)
Therefore, in our present state, if we lack anything in the arena of the human experience, we have it in store in the Kingdom of God abiding within us to supply. (Luke 17: 21, Rom. 14:17 & Php. 4:19) The promise of abundant life in your regenerated heart, God not only wants you to see physically materialize, but for the people of this world to stand and take note of the blessing and favor of God on you and your family. (Matt. 5:16)
As born-again Christians, the high mark of reward of abundant life is to live a long satisfied life—to a good-old age, blessed in all things like Abraham. (Gen. 24:1) God’s highest ambition towards us is that we prosper and be in health, as we prosper in our thinking in the Word of God. (III John 2) Make no mistake about it, and let no person talk you out of it, God takes great pleasure in your prosperity. (Ps. 35:27) God does not want any of His children, sick, broke, busted or disgusted. For Jesus died on the cross and rose again so that we might be made rich—abundantly supplied in all things. (II Cor. 8:9)
Nevertheless, what’s going on between the two ears of the born-again Christian—how and what we think about—has everything to do with the quality of life we will live on earth. (Prov. 23:7) Put another way, whatever you love to think about, is what you will love to talk about, and what you love to talk about, is what you love and will have in life.
Longevity and Good Days Are Promised To Born-Again Christians Who Order Their Conversation Aright.
Now to launch this-Series, let’s use this powerful Scripture, written by the Apostle Peter, at I Peter 3:10. Come on and read it with me:
“For he that will love life, and see good days, let him [refrain] his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:”
The Apostle Peter makes it abundantly clear that speaking evil and guile affects the quality of life born-again Christians experience on earth. Wow, I wonder how many times and ways born-again Christians have spoken evil words over their lives, and the lives of others, that have set the course of life in the wrong direction. (James 3:5-6) So, I encourage you today with all diligence to watch over your words, by thinking and choosing them wisely before speaking. The saying goes, “loose lips sink ships.” And I will add, “Not just your own ship, but the ships of others—even innocent ships passing in the night—can be sunken through wicked communications.”
The only one who can hinder and stop the promise of longevity and good days from coming to pass in your life, is you! You must choose either life and blessing from God, or death and cursing set forth in this world’s system by Satan. Jesus shed His blood on the cross and delivered us all from the curse of Law of Moses, and it’s up to each individual to choose to live free of speaking and doing evil—so that the blessing of Abraham may manifest in our lives. (Gal. 3:6-9, 13-14)
We Should Live Free of Speaking Evil and Guile
Now, please remember the vitals from our last Sermon Series, “Its 2023: America, Help Is One Prayer Away.” (Sermons dated Jan.1- Feb. 26, 2023) We are to live and walk in “Now God Faith,” in unfeigned confidence that as Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of the throne of God, so are we in this world.” (I John 4:17) We are to know, with all assurance, that we are “Christ in the earth.” That God has made us heirs, and joint-heirs with Christ, having complete authority and power on earth equal to that of Jesus at the right hand throne of God. (Rom. 8:17) Glory be to God! This is called having “equality” with God, and you are to let this “mindset” be you, as it was also in Jesus Christ. For God has chosen to make you equal (complete) within Himself!” (Php. 2:5, I John 4:15, Gal. 3:28-31, Col. 2:9-10 & John 15:1-5)
Now let’s define speaking evil and guile. Speaking evil is saying anything that is “contrary to God’s Word.” Speaking words that oppose God’s Word is called the “carnal mind,” or “mind of the flesh.” (Rom. 8:6-10) Speaking evil is from the imagination of the heart of Satan, and brings forth bad things that lead to death and destruction. Evil is also described as “ill,” “wrong doing,” or “mischief. Let us also not leave out that evil speaking includes expressions of dislike, hatred, gossip, murmuring, and complaining.
Guile, also is from the imagery of Satan’s heart, and conveys the meaning of “cunning,” “deceptive,” or “deceiving” in communications and practices. Evil speaking and guile played out in the theater of life results in the works of the flesh—that fulfill the determined will and intent of Satan to steal, kill, and destroy. (Gal. 5:19-21 & John 10:10)
What the Apostle Peter proffers to born-again Christians in I Peter 3:10, is the wisdom and knowledge of God. Since we are Christ in the earth and His Ambassadors, we should walk as Jesus Christ walked before all people of the earth. (Php.1:21) For consider that Jesus Christ did not sin and neither was guile found in his mouth. (I Pet. 2:21-22) Therefore, speaking evil and guile should not roll out of our mouths’ either. Don’t you agree? We have the power to refrain—hold back and control our tongues from wreck-less wagging and raging war.
If we are Christ in the earth, just as Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of the throne of God, then surely this should serve as ample motivation for us to bar all evil communications from the fountains of our mouths and tongues. Wow, in these truths, we just stumbled on to a mighty tool for refraining from speaking evil and guile—every time you think to speak evil, remember that you are Christ in the earth, just as Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand throne of God Almighty!
Let me also say, that while speaking evil and guile will not cause a born-again Christian to lose their salvation and go to hell, such communications can and will result in a diminished quality of life, bring forth many evil days, and premature death. Thus, as the Saints of God, our conversations must be ordered right to line-up with God’s way of thinking and speaking. (Ps. 50:23) God said be ye holy for I am holy—meaning have the same mind as God—therefore we should think, talk, and act like God. (I Pet.1:16)
There are Two Voices That Speak into the World: God’s Voice and Satan’s Voice—Never Entertain the Second Voice!
There are only two voices that speak from the spiritual realm into human existence. We must choose to follow after the Voice of truth and that serves as a lamp unto our feet to obtain Life—the Voice of God Almighty, and not Satan’s voice, the father of lies. We must always deny Satan’s voice any place in our lives. (Eph. 4:27) Given that in our last Series, we talked about “The Sin” (practice of sin turned into iniquity) that sets us back from running our race to be like Jesus Christ, it’s safe to say that in points in time, we all have had our bouts where we have listened to the enemy, and said evil things and sinned. (Heb.12:2) Also, Peter would not have written that we should “refrain” from speaking evil and guile, if it had not been a problem for Christians before.
Daily, God seeks to transmit His thoughts to us through the Word of God and the Holy Ghost. (Luke 4:4, John 16:13 & Rom. 8:14) Mankind was made to live by every Word of God and those who accept Jesus as Lord, hear and know the Voice of the Great Shepherd. (John 10:27-28) Also, let’s highlight Jeremiah 29:11-13, which reinforces God’s intentions toward us to speak health and prosperity to us.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
God’s thoughts always communicate life and peace to give to you an expected end, including your generations. As I said earlier, God’s expected end for your life is a long satisfied life, blessed in all good things. In Verse 11, the Hebrew word for “Peace” is, “Shalom” and conveys the meaning “harmony,” “wholeness,” “prosperity,” “welfare” and “tranquility.” There is no darkness nor evil in God and He cannot lie, so there is no mistaking His Voice for those who steadfastly abide in Him. Yes, this is all great, but we have to hang-out with God and be receptive and embrace His thoughts in order to live in Shalom. Everything God says to you is for your betterment to bring you into divine health and prosperity in your generations. If you will seek the Lord and talk with Him, and go the way of the Lord, you will abide in Peace.
For born-again Christians, the target of God’s thoughts is your born-again heart. Remember that your heart has been made perfect (spirit, soul, and mind of the soul) and sealed by God until the day of redemption—the catching away of the Church. (Eph. 4:20 & Heb. 10:14, 16) Only God’s Word can be planted in the Kingdom of God within your spirit, and when properly nurtured in faith, will grow and multiply and produce great harvests in your life. (Mark 4:14-20)
On the other hand, Satan that great deceiver, seeks to speak evil thoughts into your life. He knows, along with every demon and devil of hell that God has made you a “Christ” in the earth—that as Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of the throne of God, so are you. He along with every demonic spirit fear and tremble at the Christ in you—the Anointed power and authority of the name of Jesus Christ.
But Satan comes, “as a roaring lion” seeking to devour, to tests to see if you know who you are, and what you possess in Christ. (I Pet. 5:8) This is why when the enemy comes to attack us with temptations—suggestive evil—we are to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, and resist Satan with the Word of God, and he will flee. (James 4:7) Satan is pure evil and a fool, and he will only stop launching attacks against you, for a season, and then return.
The prime target of Satan’s attacks is the human brain. Satan wants to infiltrate and then dominate your thought life with evil thoughts, lies, deceptions, and accusations. (In our next Sermon, we will focus on what I call the “Complaint of Satan, which he strives to have every born-again Christian consume.) If permitted by you, he will put the whole house of hell in your brain, and then, if you will, wrap you up like a mummy, from head to toe, in spools of evil wicked linen and walk you around in life like a puppet on a string. Such that in name only you are a Christian, but in life you talk and behave like the devil.
Satan lodges his attacks on the human brain because he has no access to your eternal existence—your regenerated heart (spirit, soul, and mind of the soul)—which as I mentioned earlier has been sealed by God until the Lord’s return. However your human brain is the “control tower” of your life and is where the game of life in the human experience is played.
Your brain directly interfaces with the things of the natural and temporal world—a world’s system which is controlled by the god of this world, Satan (II Cor. 4:4)—and communicates with your five physical senses. Also, your brain interacts inwardly with your soul to send and receive communications, to and from, the inner-man (spirit) where God abides and speaks to you through the Holy Ghost.
While neither sinful thoughts, nor acts of sin, can ever penetrate the heart of born-again Christian, evil thoughts and speaking dwelled upon and practiced can and will form a coating or layer of rust or plaque on and around the regenerated heart of a Christian.
The practice of evil speaking and guile, which leads to the practice of sin, will adversely affect the Christian’s receptivity to the Word of God, their relationship and closeness to God, and willingness to obey His Commandments. Thereby, hindering and even blocking the blessing flow of the good life, and miracle working power of God in their lives.
Satan knows that death and life are in the power of the tongue. He knows if you think evil thoughts, you will speak evil, and then see the evil you have spoken manifest in your life and lives of others. In this way, he seeks to neutralize Christians, by naturalizing them, with speaking words and taking actions that oppose God’s Word. You see, he wants the Christians’ communications and behavior, before the people of this world, to look no different than the common sinner. So that the sinner man can conclude that Christianity is not worth following, and that any proclaimed god, or even no god at all, will satisfy the human intellect, and appetite for moral and mental accent.
Moreover, Satan has polluted this world’s system in every arena of human existence (e.g. education, medicine, science, law, politics, business, sports, and entertainment.) with thoughts contrary to the Word of God. Such, that everyone living in this world is subject to temptation; to thinking that is dominated by a carnally-minded world view. Many Christians have fashioned their thinking to follow after the world’s view too, rather than having a God-centered perspective on life, and they do error greatly. For example, many Christians now give a passing grade to things God has called iniquitous—fornication, abortion, adultery, homosexuality, same sex marriage, lying, stealing, idolatry, riotous living, and drunkenness to name a few. (I Cor. 6:9-12) Accept we diligently renew our thought-life with the Word of God, we will miss out on the good, acceptable, perfect will of God for our lives on earth. (Rom.12:1-2)
Closing Thoughts
As born-again Christians we must refrain from speaking evil and guile. We have God abiding on the inside of us, and although the enemy Satan will continually tempt us to think on, speak, and act out evil—we have been given the power to resist all evil and cast it away. We must refuse to accept evil communication, and the sin that follows, as an acceptable mode of living as Christ in the earth.
Just because we live under the grace of God, we should not abuse its privilege with speaking evil and guile. (Rom. 6:1-2) We can and should get to the place in our lives where we are sinless in our speech and actions, not by our own power and might, but by the Spirit of the Lord. (Zech. 4:6) Jesus Christ abiding in us is greater than the wicked one in this world, so we must come to a place where we put the enemy under our feet and keep him there! (I John 4:4)
We are not to be ignorant of the devices of Satan. (II Cor. 2:11) Rather, we should know the enemies tactics, be watchful and take necessary steps to overcome Him in every situation presented to us. We are to put on the whole armor of God to stand against the assaults of the enemy. (Eph. 6:10-18) Toward this end, in our next two Sessions, we will take a deeper dive into Satan and understand his motivation and goals in tempting us to communicate evil thoughts, and how we should respond so that we may enjoy the precious promises of God of longevity and good days on earth. Amen to the preaching of the Word of the Living God.
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Sermon Series: “Its 2023: America, Help is Just One Prayer Away!”
Sermon Part 7: “A Primer in Now God Faith”
Introduction
Good morning Saints of the Most High God.
Let’s just be truthful, while God in Christ Jesus has given every born-again Christian the power of the Holy Ghost to work miracles, (Acts 1:8) most Christians lack the “confidence” to do them. As we have learned confidence is the key ingredient needed to work miracles, and our New Covenant with God instructs us not to throw away our confidence for it brings with it a great reward from God. (Heb.10:35)
Well praise God, today, we are going to help Christians get their “mojo” (confidence) back for sure. How you might ask? By using what I call, “Now God Faith.”
When you live in Now God Faith as I taught at the beginning of this Series, for example, with Holy Ghost boldness you will literally and figuratively speaking take hold of the crisis of a person, place the crisis between your hands crack, crumble, and crush it! Then blow what remains of it out of your hands, and offer to the person your Peace—the Peace of Jesus Christ. I’m telling you Saints of God, when you operate in Now God Faith, great will be your Peace and liberally you will release it on anyone who will believe in Jesus Christ! (Matt.10:13) Amen to the glory of God the Father!
Now, before I begin our Primer on “Now God Faith,” which is a very deep teaching, let’s make sure we understand the fundamentals of faith, or what is known as the ABCD’s of Faith. Do you know the ABCDs of faith—the basic elements of the operation of faith? They are as follows:
A. Believe in God and His Word (Matt. 24:35 & Heb. 10:8-9)
B. Speak His Promises from the Word (II Cor. 4:13 & Heb.10:22)
C. Act on His Word accordingly (James 2:14-26)
D. Forgive all those who wrong you. (Matt. 5: 43-48, 6:14, & Mark 11: 25-26)
When you live by these four faith steps (Believe the Word, Speak the Word, Act on the Word, and remain Forgiving) you are walking in the Spirit, in the likeness of God, you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh, and victory over the world is yours in life and death. (I John 5:4)
Unfortunately, I am concerned that the vast majority of Christians have not gotten beyond faith Step A. I say this because, as an example, 95-percent of the body of Christ neglect and/or refuse to participate in the Great Commission. You see, as Christians, we can say we believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ should be shared with Non-Christians, and say we want to see the lost saved, but if our actions don’t match our words, then our spoken faith is dead standing alone! (James 2:14)
Dead faith leaves the work of the Lord undone, and the world abiding in sin, with tribulations ever increasing in intensity and severity as the day of the Lord draws near.
Yes, unfortunately, it’s the “Dead Faith” of Christians that greatly contributes, among other things, to so many of our nation’s youth and children being led down the path of wickedness and destruction. So many youths are lost in this world without knowing our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ—and great is the fallout in America because of it. Let us continually pray that the Lord will send forth laborers (starting with you and me) into His harvest to save the Seed! (Matt. 9:38)
Further, we cannot pick and choose from the Bible which parts we want to believe and obey. If we do, then God ceases to be our Lord. (John 14:15) Any Commandment of God that we are not in obedience with, including those related to the Great Commission, we must repent (change the way we think to agree with God) and go and do what God says—this is living faith! For the just are required to live by faith. (Rom.1:17) Now, let’s turn to today’s teaching on “Now God Faith.”
Welcome to the Primer on “Now God Faith.”
In Chapter 11:1-3, the writer of the Book of Hebrews gives us the anatomy of faith—or what we call the guts of faith. The Scripture reads:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
Notice in Verse 3, the writer says, “Through faith the worlds (cosmos) were framed (created) by the Word of God.” We know that Jesus Christ is the Word of God manifested in flesh. (John 1:1-3 &14). Jesus, the Word of God, is the creator of everything visible and invisible in the cosmos. (Col.1:16) Everything that was created, was made by Jesus for Jesus, and without Jesus nothing would exist. Everything in heaven and earth—the cosmos included—must therefore, bow to the name of Jesus Christ and confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father, as Jesus is the originator and maker of “All!” (Php.2:10)
Let’s also understand that the cosmos and everything contained in them, visible and invisible, were borne out of the desires (the things God hoped for and had an expectation would come to pass) of God’s heart, and when He spoke them, they appeared.
God’s Faith (unfeigned trust, confidence, belief, fidelity) is anchored in His Word—His Word, is Truth. He is the Almighty God who cannot lie. (John 17:17 & Num. 23:19) We also know that Jesus Christ—the Word—is the Truth. (John 1:14 &14:6) So then, everything created by God, through His Son Jesus Christ, was made in Truth. The Truth cannot be changed, altered, or destroyed—though Satan and this world’s system may try! This is why Jesus said heaven and earth will pass away but His Words shall not pass away. (Matt. 24:35) The Truth will always trump facts, deceptions and distortions, and no lie will ever stand against the Truth, but will always fall to the ground. God’s Faith is so anchored in Truth, that He esteems His Word above even His own name! (Ps.138:2)
So let’s understand this: the unseen and seen things in all of the cosmos (physical universe), were not made of themselves, but were created in Truth and released through the spoken Word of God. Thus, everything that exist whether, spiritual or natural, they are all subject to, and must obey God’s Word. No matter what “thing” on earth the enemy may try to steal, and to kill and to destroy, “Now God Faith” spoken to that “thing” will restore it to its original purpose, state, and function as created. Glory be to God!
Also, notice in Hebrews 11:1, the author starts with “Now faith.” The author did not include the word, “Now” for editorial purposes. Sadly, in Christian Circles, many Christians have been taught the anatomy of faith—without beginning with “Now,” and understanding its importance to the anatomy of faith. So Christians commonly recite Hebrews 11:1 as: Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.
But I’m here to tell you that, “Now Faith” is an essential part of “GOD FAITH.” You may ask why the Word “Now” is important. It’s because “Now” identifies for us when GOD FAITH must be present and in operation. Many people take the word “Now” to mean at the immediate present time—and certainly the word can be used this way. But “Now,” can also mean, as it does in this Verse, “before the immediate present,” or “before the next thought or next thing to come.”
God’s Faith (trust, confidence, belief, fidelity) is always “Now Faith.” Meaning His Faith is always at work—“before” He speaks the things He hopes for (desires and expects) to come to pass, and “before” He does any of His mighty works. Remember Heb.11:3 says, “Through faith the worlds were framed by the Word of God.” You see, God’s Faith was present before He spoke the Words that brought the cosmos and everything contained in them into material existence.
The gospels (The books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are chock-full of examples of belief/faith being demanded by Jesus Christ “before” He performed miracles for people. See for example, Matthew 9:28-31, for the story of the blind men who came to Jesus seeking to be healed. It reads,
And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.
But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.
In like manner, in Mark 9:23-24, Jesus told the father of a man who had a son with a dumb spirit, if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Immediately the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. Jesus then rebuked and casted the spirit out of him.
Further, last week, we examined the story of Jesus and the fig tree, which Jesus cursed, and the next day had dried up by the roots. (Mark 11:13-14. 20-24) Upon inquiry by the disciples of how He had done this wonder, Jesus replied “Have Faith in God,” or “have the God kind-of-faith.” And, then Jesus proceeded to explain that if any person would say to a certain mountain, be removed and cast into the sea without doubting in their heart, that the mountain would obey them, they would have whatever thing they demanded. Again, “Now God Faith,” must be present before a God-wonder work can be done.
Finally, we know that salvation comes only through believing/faith in Jesus Christ and His finished works on the cross. (John 3:16-18, Acts 4:12, Rom. 10:18-10, & I John 4:15) Truly, God wants us to make “Now God Faith” our life-style.
Follow me on this: God walks in His faith, thus, as His sons, we must also walk in God faith—get the picture? God wants us to walk together with Him in God Faith—in His Word, which is Truth. When we walk together with God, in Now God Faith, we are walking in agreement with God! God is always in our midst and ready to do whatever we ask of Him. (Amos 3:3 & Matt.18:20)
Amazingly, over 100-times alone in the book of John the word “believe” is used, and 365-times the phrase “do not be afraid,” which encourages us to always be believing in God, appears throughout the Bible. In other words, for each day of every year, God is telling us not to fear, but be “believing” in God and His Word. If we are believing in God all the time, then when sudden fear happens—the crisis—“Now God Faith” is already in place to speak the Truth against the thing bringing terror, and restore the Peace of Christ to the situation! Somebody ought to praise God for His greatness and goodness towards us!
“Now God Faith” is The Gift of God to Every Born-Again Christian
Oh, what precious and hidden treasure we have of God in our earthly vessels. (II Cor. 4:7) Every born-again Christian must come into the full knowledge and assurance that God has graciously gifted us with the faith of Jesus Christ. Your heart does not contain your faith—NO, No, no you have the faith of Jesus Christ in you! It is most expedient for you to acknowledge this now by saying: “I have the faith of Jesus Christ in my born-again heart.” Thus, “I have Now God Faith!”
When you heard and believed the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and received Him as Savior and Lord, God made His holy habitation in you, and you in Him. (I John 4:15) Not only are God’s desires (hopes, expectations) in your heart (universe) as we talked about last week, but He has also given you the faith of Jesus Christ to bring them into physical manifestation on earth. (Eph. 2:8-9, John 20:29, Php. 2:13, & James 1:17-18). Let’s highlight Eph. 2:8-9.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Our salvation and faith are gifts of God we received when we believed in the name of Jesus Christ. Please note that this gift of faith is from God, and therefore, not of our own making or doing. After hearing the gospel preached, we believed in Jesus, and then God gifted us with Jesus’ faith.
Remember after the resurrection of Jesus, when he appeared to his disciples and said to Thomas, that he had believed because he saw the Lord in the flesh, and examined Him. But Jesus also said, “blessed are those that have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29) (“Makarios” is the Greek word for “blessed” used here, and denotes one who is “supremely” fortunate and well off.) When we believe in Jesus Christ, God graciously gives us His Faith.
The blessing of God works off of the same principal as the “Law of Sowing and Reaping—whatever you sow to the Spirit you will reap of the Spirit everlasting life. (Gal. 6:8-9) In other words, whatever you sow in obedience to the Holy Ghost, in this case “belief in Jesus Christ,” the Holy Ghost returns to you in super abundance—the “faith of Jesus Christ,” who always operates in Now God Faith! (Mark 11:22)
Please understand that God Faith is progressive in nature—the more Word you hear, the more faith comes. (Rom. 10:17) As born-again Christians, the more Word you hear, the more you believe, and the more faith of Jesus Christ abiding in your heart is revealed to you by the Holy Ghost.
Let me show you how powerful the “Now God Faith” is in your heart. Like God’s faith is anchored in the Truth, so like-wise is God’s Faith in you—and un-moveable! For example, as you examine your born-again heart, notice there is nothing anyone can say or do to make you believe that—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—is not the Almighty God; that Jesus Christ is not the Messiah; that the Holy Bible is untrue; that you are not a born-again child of God; and that Jesus Christ is not coming again to rapture His Church. My God, look in your heart and tell me if there is any room for belief in any false god?
You are not the one responsible for your heart knowing these things—it’s God alone who has placed God faith in you, for He has established His law in your heart, and written it on the mind of your soul! (Heb. 10:16-17) And, the Holy Ghost is the witness that testifies to your heart that these things are Truth, and glorifies Christ in you. (John 14:26-27,15:26, 16:13-15)
There is no trace of sin in your heart, and where there is no sin, there is only “Now God Faith” present in you! We believe these things, therefore we also speak them correct? You are willing to stand up and tell the world that Jesus Christ is Lord, because you know it to be true in your heart—Am I correct? Surely the answer is “affirmative!”
Further, this Now God Faith in us has transitioned us from the belief/faith in Jesus Christ as He ministered as the Son of Man on earth—from believing Jesus Christ is “able to,” or “will do,” miracles for people—to believing Jesus Christ “has already done the miracles we desire of Him.” (I Pet. 2:24, II Pet. 1:3, Eph. 1:3, Is. 53:4 & Matt. 28:18-20) As miracles are a finished work of Jesus Christ (healing, deliverance, casting out devils, raising the dead, and even greater works). As born-again Christians, we are authorized to speak the promises of God contained in the Holy Bible into existence, just as God spoke the worlds into existence through Now God Faith. (Heb.10:23)
“Now God Faith” Demands We See Jesus Christ As He Is—It’s Time to Get Your Mojo Back!
Now it’s time for every born-again Christian to get their mojo (confidence) back. “Now God Faith” demands that every born-again Christian “see Jesus Christ as He is,” and as we do this, our confidence in God working miracles through us will return speedily and mightily. Seeing Jesus Christ as He is, stirs the gift of God up in you—the unfeigned faith of Jesus Christ—and brings forth dynamic power, as we minister the gospel of Jesus Christ unashamedly to people in crises. (II Tim.1:5-8)
Hebrews 12:2 affirms that Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our faith. Let’s examine the Scripture closely.
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Based on the Scripture, let’s have a question and answer session. I will ask the following questions of you rhetorically speaking and you provide the answer:
Question 1: Who are we supposed to look to?
Answer: Jesus Christ the author and finisher of our faith.
Question 2: Where is Jesus Christ presently located?
Answer: Jesus Christ is seated at the right-hand of the throne of God.
Question 3: And, how (by what means) are we to see Jesus Christ, and seated at the right hand of the throne of God? Umm?
Answer: By “Now God Faith” in our hearts which provides assurance, as the Holy Ghost testifies to our hearts these Truths.
In looking unto Jesus Christ the author and finisher of our faith, we are not to see Jesus Christ as a baby lying in a manger, as He walked on earth ministering as the son of Man, hanging from an old-rugged cross, nor His body buried in a rich man’s borrowed tomb. Rather, we are by faith to see Jesus as He presently is, as the ascended glorified Christ seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
“Now God Faith” in you sees Jesus Christ as He is. Living in this Truth is critical to having confidence in God working through you to do the works of Christ (miracles, signs, and wonders). As we run this Christian race, we must continually “see Jesus as the exalted Christ”—THE KING, THE LORD, AND GREAT HIGH PRIEST. When we see Jesus Christ, as He is, seated at the right hand of the throne of God, then we also see ourselves in this world. At I John 4:17, the Apostle John wrote of our “Oneness” with the Lord this way:
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
Operating in “Now God Faith” demands, as born-again Christians that we always see and conduct ourselves here on earth, as Jesus Christ is in heaven seated at the right-hand throne of God. In other words, we are Christ in the earth, we are just like Jesus is seated at the right hand of the throne of God!
Right now, and every second of the day, the power and dominion of the King, Lord, and Great High Priest Jesus Christ belongs to born-again Christians to rule and reign on earth. (Rom. 5:17) We should live in the full assurance that we are never alone in this fallen world, as Jesus Christ is not only seated at the right hand of the throne of God, but also never leaves nor forsakes us. Jesus never leaves us without help. (Matt. 28:20 & Heb.13:5) We are to use “Now God Faith,” which calls things be not as though they already were—to cause facts and circumstances, deceits and deceptions, and lies of the enemy to the line-up with the Word of God, which is Truth. (Romans 4:17-18)
God wants you to have complete trust in knowing that you are “Christ in the earth.” Having full assurance when you speak, God speaks, and that whatever you say is “Truth” and will come to pass. (I John 2:20 & Mark 11:24) God also wants you to live a lifestyle of perfection, as you walk in love and forgiveness, especially towards your enemies. (Matt. 5:43-48) Oh yes, before your enemies even plot and plan your demise—you have forgiveness and kindness already waiting for them to receive when they carry out evil against you, because you live in Now God Faith!
Closing Thoughts
We are to run this Christian race with confidence that God has placed us where we are to bring glory to His name—to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and yield our vessels to Him to work miracles, signs, and wonders for people across America and the world in crises.
“Now God Faith” is the gift of God that resides in your born-again heart. Do not waste the gift of God in you! With all urgency obey the Word of God at Hebrews 12:2, which commands us to lay aside (strip-off and cast away) every weight, and “The Sin” that has easily set you back from having the confidence in God to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with Non-Christians, and yield yourself to God working miracles through you. Toss aside and forget about all weights, including the three major weights we talked about in the Series: “Excessive religious church-going,” which causes Christians to become lazy and fearful and remain strapped in Church pews and chairs within the four-walls of the Church—ever hearing the Word, but never going into the world to do it. Remove the weight of “considering time as a determinate of whether a person’s miracle was granted by God.” Only trust that when you prayed the first time, the miracle desired from your heart (universe) was received, and you shall have it! With confidence, never wavering wait on it with expectation and it shall come.
Lastly, forget about “The Sin” you have committed in the past, which causes you to carry the weight of “feeling unworthy” to do the work of the Ministry. Let your thought-life (brain) be free of guilt, shame, and accusation when you pray for people in crises. Only focus on the “Now God Faith” in your heart—that just as Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of the throne of God—so are you in this world. Like Jesus Christ, offer up the “One Prayer” people in crises need to be delivered and trust in God that they will experience victory in Christ the Lord.
You cannot fail or miss when you live in Now God Faith, for God has sanctified you in the Word and Truth. (John 17:17-23) So go forth and speak the truth in love to everyone who would hear, knowing for this purpose, you were born of God to share Jesus with the world. (Eph. 4:15)
You can’t help but be who you are: You are begotten from the Word of God, the Word of God is you and the life of Jesus Christ is you, and God wants you to believe! (Col. 3:3-4 & II Cor. 5:17) We say Amen to the preaching of the Word of the Living God!
Please send your tithes and offerings in support of Exousia Ministries, Inc. to the PayPal link below. May God exponentially multiply your cheerful and hilarious giving to our Ministry and ever take you deeper into the knowledge of Himself.
http://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=H928GMBX3YG8S
See you next week the Lord willing!