We have talked a lot about the Word of God; its transforming power; how God esteems His Word above His Name. [Psalm 138:2] We have pointed out that God & His Word are one: [John1:1] God, Jesus, Holy Spirit ~ One. The Holy Spirit in us makes us one with the Word, one with God. The *New Creation* [2 Corinthians 5:17] has made us supernatural beings capable of living supernatural lives because God's Word does not return void. It does accomplish the purpose for which it has been sent.
Sadly many, many Christians get saved yet neve learn how to release the supernatural power of God in their lives through the indwelling word.
It is essential we learn to live according to the Word of God in a way that will release God's supernatural power into our lives. Just imagine the impact our witness & testimony would have if we lived & acted just like Jesus! Well, Guess what? We are meant to!
The Law of Creation as reveal in Genesis states *everything reproduces according to its own kind.*
When you were born naturally you were *conceived in sin* [Psalm 51:5] ~ as every single human being has been since Adam & Eve. The only exception is Jesus. Adam & Eve reproduced after their fallen state. They reproduced according to their own kind.
Well, so does Jesus! John 5:24 says that the one who believes in Jesus *has passed from death to life* & Jesus states that He came that we might have abundant life. [John 10:10]
We are so used to living the natural life we scarcely believe in the supernatural life yet we were created for the supernatural life. We are designed, not only to bear the image & likeness of Christ, but to carry His power & authority. The spiritual realm understands this. They are terrified of *The Word*. They know the power & authority implicit in the word.
The supernatural life challenges us to live by faith, rather than by sight; to trust in the Lord with all our hearts & lean not on our own understanding. [Proverbs 3:5]
After Jesus' baptism the Holy Spirit drove Him into the desert where He fasted for 40 days. At the end of His fast the devil came & tempted Him in 3 ways:
- He was tempted through the flesh: "If you are the son of man tell these stones to become loaves of bread..." [Matt.4:3]
- Through the emotions & the will by manipulation of the scriptures: "If you are the son of man jump off..."[Matt. 4:6]
- Through the Spirit: ...kneel down & worship me...[Matt. 4:9]
The devil, not being very original, uses these exact same tactics today, targeting these same 3 areas. He will wait until we are at a low ebb, preferably when we are at our weakest, & attacks our flesh, our soul & our spirit.
Each time Jesus was attacked He countered with the Word of God. If Jesus Himself neede to counter satan with God's Word, what makes us think we can get by without it?
It is in this passage of scripture we learn a very important Truth:
The very first place the Holy Spirit sent Jesus was into the wilderness to deal with satan & Jesus states clearly: People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. [Matt 4:4]
Did you catch that? Man lives by the Word of God! Later in 1 John 5:12 John says He who has the son [ie the Word] has life; he who does not have the son of God does not have life.
Everyone here has seen at least one miracle; everyone has seen someone raised from the dead!
Ephesians 2:1 says ~ And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses & sins...
These are Gospel Truths. This is the Good News of Jesus Christ. Can you see that this is our inheritance as children of God?
You have a choice. You can be ruled by your flesh. When it hurts you can believe the devil's lies~ or you can live by the Word of God & believe what the Word says.
Remember how the Israelites lost the promised land? Moses sent spies into the land. You can read all about it it in Numbers 13. They explored the land & reported back to the people. They agreed that the land was indeed flowing with milk & honey just as God had said but they differed on one essential: the word of God. The majority of the spies refused to believe that they could indeed conquer the land as God had promised & scripture says they spread *an evil report* about the land amongst the people. [Numbers 13:32]
when you differ with what the Word of God says you are, essentially, arguing with God~ even calling Him a liar because you do not believe what He has said already in His Word. To contradict the word of God is *bad* or *evil*. Nothing good comes of it.
Some people are led completely by their souls~ by how they feel & what they think but we are to be led by the spirit of God. [Romans8:14]
"Where was God when...: ~ but God's Word says * I will never leave you or forsake you* [Hebrews 13:5] ; lo I am with you always... [Matt. 28:20]
It does not matter whether you can *feel* God or not. It doesn't matter what you think. God says He is with you so He is, whether you think so or not, whether you can feel His presence of not.
Now this level of trust is only acquired by knowing the author of the Word. It is one thing to read the scriptures & another thing to become *doers of the word* [James 1:22] but if we try & do any of it in our own strength we will fail abysmally.
Everything we have in Christ we have by the grace of God. We receive a *measure of faith* to believe unto salvation by God's Grace & it is by God's Grace we grow in our faith. We are not merely passive recipients. James 4:8 says *Draw near to God, & He will draw near to you.*
We can ask the Holy Spirit to teach us. We can ask the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom & understanding. We can ask for revelation ~ & all this will be imparted by Grace. We must believe that we have received but having received we must act on the revelation imparted to us. We must believe the Word, Speak the Word, Act on the Word. It won't always be the easiest thing to do. Our flesh will scream. Our minds will shout about *facts* & our emotions will protest but the more we act on what we know is true [God's word is Truth [John 17:17] the easier it will become & the more our faith will grow.
In Matthew 11 Jesus told people to *Take my yoke upon you, & learn from me...*. This is an allusion to the Jewish method of discipleship wherein a disciple took on his master's training & discipline but there is a practical application also. The traditional yoke had both a large hole & a smaller hole for the oxen. In this way an older, stronger & more mature beast could be teamed with a younger, weaker, immature animal to learn by being guided by the more knowledgeable beast while the stonger beast bore the brunt of the burden. This is a wonderful picture of how we are meant to walk with Jesus for He said to learn from Him.
According to Steve Hannett: *If you've been praying hard & it's been fruitless, the root is that your prayer hasn't the right mixture of faith & God's Word. If you have faith but no word, you won't have power. If you have God's word but no faith you won't have power. When you have both, you will have a release of God's miracle power.*
You must believe what scripture says: that God's Word never returns void; it always accomplishes the purposes for which it was sent. So don't get discouraged if you have prayed & do not *see* results. God's word always works.
Remember the story Jesus told about the widow & the unjust judge told in Luke 18:6~8? She badgered him until she got justice. So we are encouraged to persist in prayer until we receive what the word has promised.
We cannot preach the full Gospel until we fully grasp all of creation must obey the Word of God. Only then will we understand that when we lay hands on the sick & pray for healing that no matter what the sickness it must obey for by Jesus stripes we were healed because our God is a healing God.
Now I want to add a particular caution here because sometimes we find in charismatic circles people who point fingers at those who have been prayed for yet are still waiting to see their healing manifest. Such things should not be so among the people of God because Romans 14:1 says ~Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on his opinions & 1 Thessolonians 5:14 is even clearer Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. Sometimes it is easier if it is not us.
This is the Word of God. In Jesus all the promises are yes & Amen [2 Corinthians 1:20] but all of scripture can be used for teaching, reproof, instruction, discipline ~ so we too can be like Jacob & taking hold of the Lord cry: I will not let you go unless you bless me. [Gen 32:26]
God likes bravery. His Spirit in you is not timid & weak. He is bold. He is stronger than anything in this world & He desires that you trust completely in the Lord & lean not on your own understanding.
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