HE A LT H
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THE FREEDOM
after forgiveness God’s forgiveness is rooted in His Eternal Character. As with the other graces of the Christian life, the origin of forgiveness lies first and foremost in the Character of God Himself. Text & Image: Rina Smit
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INSPIR ATIONA L More and more the family is being seen as it really is, the primary influence in the lives of human beings that not only build up and shapes, but also sets in motion the disorders that limit and frustrate people in their adult life. The child, who was physically or emotionally abused, for example, usually becomes an adult who will also tend to abuse his or her own children, or else will marry someone who does. All too many people find themselves behaving like their parents in ways that they vowed to never repeat. Family patterns can sometimes unlock mysteries that have yielded to no other attempts at understanding. Children don’t know what causes their misery. In fact, children don’t realise their dysfunctional home is abnormal. Even physically abused kids most of the times don’t realise while young, that normal parents don’t beat their kids; they think that there is no other way to live. Children tend to mould their personalities to adapt to their environment. If the environment is supportive, nurturing, and flexible, they are freed to express their own individuality. If the environment is rigid, demanding, and conditional, however, they are forced to shape their behaviour to fit the needs of others. They then substitute their true self for a false self that is more acceptable to their parents, whose love and approval they need desperately. In essence they can compromise who they really are, and become what their parents or surrounding circumstances need them to be. The family is more than a group of individuals who happen to share the same address and the same last name. Many of the riddles of “why you are the way you are” can be unlocked by looking at the family as a system of relationships and interpersonal dynamics. It is an organism, in which the attitudes, values, and actions of each member interact with those of all the other members. Many people desperately want to change but can’t stop behaving in ways that hurt themselves and those around them. What’s keeping them so stuck? Can they ever hope to get unstuck? There is a miracle working thing called “forgiveness.” Once you realise how deeply you may have been hurt by those in your family, forgiving them may seem like the last thing you want to do. But in fact, forgiveness is crucial to your physical, spiritual and emotional health. It is the key to freedom from the pain of the past. True forgiveness is one of the hardest things in the universe. No human action is more difficult than genuine forgiveness. Nothing more difficult will ever be asked of any human than to forgive someone who hurt them. However, the release of anger and the healing of damaged emotions that comes from forgiveness is not something one can take lightly. Forgiveness is something that we do by a free act of our will. It is always a gift, a grace. Forgiveness is, in essence, a gift of unearned extravagance and generosity. Nothing in the world bears the imprint of the Son of God as clearly as forgiveness. Jesus Christ the incarnate Son of God is the greatest miracle of all possible miracles; he is the wondrous, gracious coming of God Himself to us to rescue us from guilt and death, and bestow upon us the incomparable gift of new life, present and eternal. Forgiveness is an initiative that liberates individuals without the loss of relationships. It asserts openness in the face of the momentum of past decisions; instead of isolating victims and oppressors, it opens the way to new beginnings. In the end,
the kind of liberation forgiveness offers ties people together rather than separate them. Forgiveness changes the entire situation for individuals. Forgiveness opens space for a personal God who takes free, restoring initiatives. God as the ground and goal of all human endeavours is not some rigid reality that one simply bumps up against. God is not a kind of impersonal lawmaker or an objective judge who stands at a distance from human affairs. Stressing forgiveness makes God, as ultimate context, a personal and caring reality in which human life has place and meaning. If the dynamics of forgiveness on a human level prompts us to look to God, the whole history of God in Christ presses toward centre stage. In Christ forgiveness is made clear. The deep personal dimensions of freedom in relationships surface. God is seen as the lover who one can build all your hope around. Forgiveness is not initially a feeling; it is chosen actions, by which, even before you can feel forgiving, you carry out forgiveness by not using past offenses against the offender. God’s forgiveness is rooted in His Eternal Character. As with the other graces of the Christian life, the origin of forgiveness lies first and foremost in the Character of God Himself. Then the Lord came down and stood there with him and proclaiming his name, the Lord. And passed in front of Moses, proclaiming. “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished...” Exodus 34:5-7 “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” Colossians 3:12-13 The hope of our ever being able to forgive others is grounded in the incomparably wondrous nature of God’s own forgiveness. Our hope lies in the facts that forgiveness is immeasurably superior to ours. This should not be cause for despair but for rejoicing. Forgiveness breaks the cycle. It does not settle all questions of blame and justice and fairness; to the contrary, often it evades those questions. But it does allow relationships to start over. In that way, said Solzhenitsyn, we differ from all animals. It is not our capacity to think that makes us different, but our capacity to repent, and to forgive. Only humans can perform that most unnatural act, and by doing so only they can develop relationships that transcend the relentless law of nature.
IF YOU WANT TO BE A HEALTHY PERSON, FORGIVENESS IS CRUCIAL, AND IS THE KEY TO FREEDOM FROM THE PAIN OF THE PAST.
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Seven Foundation Stones for Blessing Text: Nevil Norden Images: Rina Smit
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INSPIR ATIONA L A house that is built on a solid foundation will remain standing in the storms of life. Your house, which represents your life, will withstand the storms of life only if you do what is right instead of just talking about it. Every stone forms a force, a power/base that together strengthens your foundation. These are the forces: 1. Faith 2. Zeal 3. Trust 4. Humility 5. Help 6. Wisdom 7. Diligence Faith as a foundation stone The prophet Habakkuk says in Habakkuk. 2:4: ”The righteous man shall live by his faith and in faithfulness.” Living by faith and walking by faith is like oxygen, without it you cannot please God at all. Hebrews 11:6 says that faith pleases God (it gives Him joy), and when you come to God you’ve got to believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. If I cannot please God the essence of my Christianity is defeated. I cannot afford to be a faithless Christian in the faith. Romans 14:23 says “… whatever is not from faith is sin.” Faith is a foundation stone for blessing. To say you are a Christian and a believer you cannot afford to live in unbelief, because to you that would mean living in sin. Faith is God’s instrument of deliverance and blessing. Therefore it is not strange that the enemy would attack your faith and attack the preaching of the faith message. If believing pleases God, then unbelief would please the enemy. Luke 22:31, 32: “… and the Lord said: Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to me, strengthen your brethren.” Jesus does not pray that the enemy will flee, but that Peter’s faith will remain strong, because your faith will defeat the enemy. Faith grows against resistance. The “Word of God” is needed for a faith foundation. In His humanity in Matthew 4, Jesus Himself used the “Word of God” as a weapon to defeat Satan. Faith becomes a creative force when it finds expression through spoken words. Paul in writing to the church in Corinth says in 2 Corinthians 4:13 “… and since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, I believe and therefore I spoke, we also believe and therefore speak.” If you believe according to “The Word of God” you must keep on giving voice to the “Word” that you believe. This “Word” is the food your spirit man needs to build a solid foundation for blessing.
Zeal is not just an emotion, but it is a driving force that will propel you towards a goal in life. Zeal will help you move forward regardless of the resistance you experience. Zeal enables you to see the fulfilment of the mission in every area of your life and when you encounter a stumbling block you make it a building block. • • • • •
Zeal does not accept failure Zeal will motivate exceptional bravery Zeal will knock down any enemy of discouragement and hopelessness Zeal makes you steadfast Zeal brings results
The prophet Elijah was a zealous prophet with a hope and a desire to bring his nation back to true worship of the true God. The nation and its king had fallen into the worship of Baal. Elijah’s zeal for God’s honour moves him to challenge the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Surely if Baal was a true god, he would have answered with fire. The prophets of Baal spent six hours crying out to their god with no response. Yet, when Elijah prayed, the fire of God fell on the sacrifice and the people fell to their knees crying out “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God!” Zeal is a fire that burns within you and urges you forward and when it burns, nothing, but nothing can quench it. If you cannot be stopped and if your zeal cannot be quenched, you will succeed in life. I am reminded of the story of Isaac Watts, the man who discovered electricity. He was asked how many times he failed in his research until he acquired the desired result. He simply replied that he had never failed, not even once. He said: “I only discovered in how many ways it wouldn’t or couldn’t work.” To be continued in our next edition…
A WORD FROM NEVIL NORDEN Since the establishment of Living Word in 1986,it has been my and Rina’s desire that Living word will be and stay a true renewal congregation. This means that we will be one of the congregations in which Christianity will be as in the book of Acts (Acts 3:19; Acts 2:42-46) - dynamic, liberating and one that will lovingly conquer the society of Jesus! The bride of Christ must start to reign everywhere with Jesus, the Bridegroom, from heavenly places. Visit www.lewendewoord.co.za Tel: +27 12 845 8300
Our next foundation stone is Zeal Zeal is one of the dynamic forces for accomplishment in life. Throughout the Bible God is portrayed as a very zealous God. When Jesus cleansed the temple of unrighteous trade, the disciples remembered that Jesus said in John 2:17 “… zeal for your house has eaten me up.” Zeal is a driving force that propels you towards accomplishment in life. People with zeal are people with a mission.
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of wisdom
THE SEVEN PILLARS
Text: Olivier K Daniel Images: Rina Smit
(PROVERBS 9:1) Issue 6 / 2010
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I N SPI R AT IONAL We are living in a far complex society than the one our grandparents knew. Little more than a century ago, men were still riding horses and communicating through telegraphs that very few in today’s world can even describe. There’s evidence of technological progress everywhere. Growing up as an inquisitive boy, I often wondered at the ingenuity and the intelligence behind machines such as VCR or tape recorder. I’m still far from being called a grandfather, yet we are already talking of the “Internet revolution” and the convenience of the IPod. Knowledge has increased as science has made strides in leaps and bounds toward the goal of improving our condition of living, as one may argue. With a closer look though, it seems to be the opposite because today’s world is not a better place to live in than it used to be in the days gone by. The increase of criminal incidents, political corruption, moral decay in the society, all point to one thing: the world has increased in knowledge but has gone bankrupt in wisdom. From the day Adam ate the fruit to anything that can go wrong in life today, I can bet that they all have something to do with poor decision making. We create our circumstances by our decisions and choices. And wisdom is the only one thing that can help one get it right! Wisdom is the ability to do the right thing at the right time. Wisdom helps you to choose with insight. It is that eye of the soul that makes you able to see the extra in the ordinary. With wisdom you can pursue possibilities in moments of “crisis” and discern potential beyond today’s performance. I’ll give you seven main areas where wisdom is most required to have a successful 2010 and ultimately a fulfilled life. Following this will guarantee you a life of excellence and distinction. 1. THE USE AND RESPECT OF TIME The understanding of the importance of time makes the difference between those who make it and those who fail and are ever complaining in life. The Bible teaches in Psalm 90:12 that we need to count our days so that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. No one is on earth forever. It is apportioned to everyone an amount of time to live out his purpose and do what he was destined for. Time is running out and your days are limited. Figure out early what life is all about and strive for excellence. Understand seasons and phases of life. Maximize every moment. Let every minute count for something meaningful. There are things you can achieve when you are twenty that you will never be able to do when you are sixty. You can lose money and recover it in the future, but time is one perishable commodity that we need to use wisely. My advice to you is to identify time wasters in your life and cut them off. Beware of people who do not respect time. Use your time for something worthwhile that will improve your life and someone else’s. Time is important to God even if He lives in eternity. The Bible says in Galatians 4:4 that in the fullness of time God sent His son. There’s a specific time for every task and purpose on earth. Wisdom requires that we redeem time because the says are evil ( Ephesians 5: 15-16), that means we ought to live in a state of emergency with a sense of urgency. 2. THE ABILITY TO DISCERN OPPORTUNITY God’s answers to prayers are not always obvious; at times they have to be discerned. You have to be able to see a big God in small things. Some of the greatest gifts of God to us are the opportunities He sends our way. Yet many succumb under the seemingly negative events of life and complain.
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Complaining breeds a victim mentality in you but the wise knows that in every situation of life there’s a positive side. It takes wisdom to see that God has delivered you when you have been rejected. The ability to discern opportunities is a key to being wise. For instance, when you are retrenched from your company, you may see that as an open door for you to start your own business. He who can see tomorrow can survive today. If you can see opportunities you will turn any situation of life to your advantage. Opportunities often come disguised as problems. And success is born in solving problems. A wise person is always looking for opportunities and possibilities to pursue. Be wise and creative to maximize the opportunities you discern and see around you. 3. THE GOOD USE AND MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES Wisdom calls for good stewardship of resources. Everyone has resources at their disposal. You need to properly use and manage them to be successful in life. Most great stories of success and excellence consist of men who were able to do much with so little. The good use of resources today will guarantee greater success in the future. Talents, business connections, good relationships, knowledge, ideas, finances and other logistics all constitute resources at your disposal. A person who does not take care of his relationships and connections is limiting himself because God always uses people to bless other people. Use your talents and gifting and when possible sharpen your skills. Implement your ideas because they are your advantage in life. Properly manage your finances as failure to do so is not wisdom and this will put your destiny in jeopardy. Focus on the area of your strength and don’t scatter your energy and resources by trying to do everything. Master one thing and do it with excellence. Don’t waste your resources
INSPIR ATIONA L by remaining average. No one in life is impressed or pays for average. Develop the mentality of investing and not spending. When it comes to money and time, use it with the thought of investing so that you can have a greater return in the future. Avoid spending on liabilities and depreciating commodities. The essence of wealth and riches is bestowing value on what you have. Manage, develop and use properly all your resources.
would consider a mentor. The Bible says in Proverb 13:10 that those who are well advised are wise.
4. MINIMIZING RISKS AND UNNECESSARY BATTLES I clearly remember some few years ago the first time I went to Johannesburg South Africa. As we entered the city, my driver assured me that he knew his way around and it was “not a problem” to take me the hotel where I was going to lodge.
Setting goals is based on lining up priorities and priorities are about value. What comes first and second. In that way, you’d know how to channel your efforts and dispatch your resources. When you set goals, you will be able to evaluate and measure your success in time. What is important to you will be clearly established. You will not be overwhelmed and feel guilty because you are not able to do everything and please everybody.
Thankful I was when I laid my head down to rest that night in the hotel getting ready for a busy day the following day. In the morning he came on time to take me to a meeting I was supposed to attend. On our way we got lost, needless to say that it was only after five long hours that we were able to find the right direction. One simple thing could have helped us avoid all the risk we took in areas that are reputed for being anything but safe: a map book! The Bible says the wise man sees danger and hides himself (Proverbs 22:3). Faith is to take risks but not unnecessary ones. It is wisdom when you minimize unnecessary risks. That goes for something as simple as wearing your seat belt when driving. Take an insurance policy. Begin to plan your life by setting goals. Take medications when you are ill. Eat well and exercise. Establish a will to assure your children are taken care of if you are to leave this world unexpectedly. Do everything humanly possible to provide for, protect and preserve life. Do not take unnecessary risks. Do not sign a paper that you didn’t read carefully. Stay warm when it’s cold! These practical examples are just to tell you that you can easily start battles that the Lord did not intend for you to fight. Do not disclose your secrets to everyone! Pay attention to “red flags” showing you dangers ahead. Wisdom is minimizing all risks that are not connected to your destiny. God has promised in the Bible to bless and protect us but that does not exclude wisdom in walking with Him. Someone said unfortunately common sense is no longer common in our days. It is not wisdom to quit your job impulsively and without planning because presumptuously you hope things will turn out alright. My point is we need and have to take risks but avoid those that are not necessary and are likely to be costly. 5. THE USE OF MENTORSHIP AND SELF DEVELOPMENT There’s power in mentorship. As spiritual educator, I have noticed that I can go through a situation for five years and learn one thing, then teach about it in fifty minutes. The importance of mentorship is that you don’t have to go through the pains and struggles your mentor went through, just learn from them and get wisdom. You will save yourself from lots of trouble if you submit to be mentored in your particular field. Having talents and gifting is not enough, allow someone to coach you and transmit valuable experience to you. It doesn’t matter how good you think you are, wisdom demands that you develop yourself. Get some training and go back to school if possible. The mistake that many young couples make is that they say “if we love each other we’ll always be able to solve our problems”. Therefore, premarital counselling and mentorship is often neglected. Don’t wait until you find yourself in problems and difficulties then you start looking for wisdom, counselling and guidance. Get wise before any problem comes. People seldom read the notice of such appliances as a TV or a toaster until the day it’s not working. Be wise, go learn and listen to someone you
6. SETTING GOALS AND PRIORITIES When goals are not are not clearly defined anything will seem important when it comes up. Where there are no goals, every situation will look like an emergency.
Chart your course because every building requires planning. Organize your day, your week and ultimately your life. You are not building anything until you are organized. If you aim at nothing you will surely hit it. Goals are powerful motivators because as humans, our best efforts and performance come when we are looking forward to something. It is called the power of anticipation. Amid your big dreams set realistic goals to get to your desired end. Wisdom is planning and setting goals. Proverbs 24:3. 7. THE UNDERSTANDING AND APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES Life works with principles. Our creator established everything in the universe to respond to principles. Where principles are known and applied, success becomes predictable. And predictability brings stability. The existence of principles in life makes it possible that all of us start out in life with equal chance to make it, if only we can know and apply them with consistency. A wise person is the one who understands that the outcome of life is determined by the application of principles and not some “good or bad luck” on the account of certain people. Every field and area of life has principles. From marriage through scientific principles to business and spiritual life, we need to apply these notions to see desired results. Principles are laws that are universal and absolute. Regardless of who applies them they will produce the same outcome. This should give hope to everyone that a successful life is not the fate of a selected few, but the privilege of those who simply apply principles. The principle of giving and receiving; the principle of forgiveness and compromise in marriage; the principle of faith; the principle of hard work and prayer; the principle of diligence, determination and discipline are few examples of what we can apply to build strong relationships and a successful life. A wise person is the one that applies principles as he depends on God who set them. There’s an account of a wedding in the Bible that Jesus attended. When they ran out of wine, He simply told them to fill jars with water and serve it. As they did exactly what he had asked them, the miracle happened. The water was turned into wine. This is a beautiful example a miracle happening by a simple and unquestionable application of principle: obedience. CONCLUSION Wisdom is the principle thing the Bible says ( Proverbs 4:7), therefore get understanding. The essence of wisdom is insight, understanding and discernment. The Bible teaches that wisdom is one thing that one needs to pray and ask for (James 1:5). Wisdom is can at times be so simple that we don’t see it as spiritual. May Jesus , the who is the embodiment of the wisdom of God be your light and guide today.
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The life of Faith Dr Jerry Savelle Text: Dr. Jerry Savelle Images: Rina Smit
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INSPIR ATIONA L How many times last year did you say, “I’m trusting in God”? How about, “I’m believing God for my healing.” Are there times that we used these phrases just because it seems like the right thing to say? Do we really know what it means to trust God or believe Him? If you’re not seeing results to your faith, then maybe you need to refresh yourself on the principles of faith. Or maybe you are one of the many people today who have never really heard the truths about living the life of faith. As we enter this new year, living by faith is the only way you will walk into and experience the life God has for you. So in this article, I will get just as real and to the heart of faith as I possibly can. I have been teaching people how to live by faith for over40 years now. Whether you are established in the life of faith or this is your first time hearing it, I want you to get stirred up about faith. Peter once said in 2 Peter 1:12 (Amplified),“So I intend always to remind you about these things, although indeed you know them and are firm in the truth that [you] now [hold].” Even Peter said that it’s important to go over these things again and again. It needs to become your lifestyle not something you try every once in a while when you’re in trouble. In Mark 11:22 it says, “And Jesus answering, saith unto them, Have faith in God. ”The understood subject of the sentence is you. You have faith in God. That means that everyone is expected by God to live by faith. The Bible says that the just shall live by faith. Who are the just? Those that have received what Jesus did at Calvary. You were justified by His death and His resurrection. What does it truly mean to have faith in God? There are three implications here in Mark 11 about faith that I want you to understand. Examine yourself and see if you really believe in these principles. 1. You must believe in the existence of God. You must settle the fact that God exists. Hebrews 11:6 says, . . . for he that cometh to God must believe that he is . . .” If you don’t believe that He exists, then faith will never work for you. Faith is being convinced that He’s real, that He’s alive and that we have the ability to fellowship with Him on a daily basis. 2. You must have faith in the character of God. Character refers to particular traits or qualities that distinguish Him. When we talk about having faith in God, we’re talking about confidence in the qualities and the traits that distinguish God.1 John 4:8 says, “For God is love.” The Bible says that the greatest characteristic of God is He is love. It’s believing that He loves you. Are you convinced today that God really you? Now this sounds so simple but many people struggle with their faith simply because they’re not fully convinced that God loves them. Maybe it’s because a lot of people don’t love themselves. They think, well you don’t know what I’ve done. Romans 5 says that while we were sinners, God showed His love for us by sending Jesus. If God loved you even before you gave your life to Him then why wouldn’t He keep on loving you? If you’re not convinced that God loves you, then you’re always going to struggle in your faith. To have faith in God is to possess an unwavering confidence in the fact that He loves you. This is probably one of the most important revelations that a child of God can ever receive. I have experienced today that God loves me. God has come through for me. God has bailed me out. God has delivered me. God has healed me. God has restored me. You’ll never be able to believe for the impossible if you’re not first of all convinced that God loves you and that you are the object of His affection. The Message translation says in Ephesians 1:4, “Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love. . .” I’m the focus of His love. This means that we can count on him to always be with us, to help us through every challenge that we might face in our lives on a daily basis. You’ll never believe that God can fix what
you’re going through if you’re not thoroughly convinced that He loves you. Another character trait of God is found in Titus 1:2. It says that God cannot lie. Believing that God keeps His word is having faith in His character. This is the foundation for developing real Bible faith. A foundation for real Bible faith is a deep conviction of the reality that God cannot lie. He’s a covenant keeper. Psalm 89:34 says, “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.” This is describing the character of God. He’s dependable, reliable, faithful, honest, and He’ll never break His word. Mark 11:22, Amplified says, “Have faith in God [constantly].”Constantly implies continually. Continually implies making it a lifestyle. In the beginning of this passage Jesus had spoken to a fig tree and commanded it to wither from the roots. Jesus is not in the habit of just going around and cursing trees. He wasn’t mad at the tree. He wanted to teach them about faith. The primary lesson is faith changes things. A fig tree was changed through faith. Jesus went so far as to say that if you have this kind of faith, you can even move a mountain. He cursed a literal fig tree that was not a figment of his imagination. It was a real fig tree. The disciples didn’t see any change in it the moment He spoke the words to it, but the next morning when they walked by that same fig tree, they said, “Master, look. That fig tree that you cursed yesterday has withered from the roots.” He said, “Have faith in God.” He took this opportunity to teach them a principle of how to change things that need to be changed in your life. If it’s a mountain, then faith can change it, remove it or turn it around. If you’re on this planet, then you’re going to be confronted with situations in your life that need changing. Your only solution for it is faith in God. There are things that you are confronted with on a daily basis that you cannot change in your own might, ability, power, resources, or intellect. If it’s going to get changed, it’s going to take faith in God. The key principle here is faith changes things. Having faith in God is to have faith or confidence in a higher being, a supreme being who is far greater in power than you and me both. He possesses power and ability that is beyond all natural human power and ability. When the disciples saw the change in that fig tree, Jesus told them that they could expect results like this if they had faith in God. When you have faith in God you’re saying, “I have confidence in the one who is capable of changing anything in my life that needs changing.” If faith can cause a fig tree to wither from the roots, then it can cause debt to be withered from the roots. It can cause cancer to be withered from the roots. It can cause division in a home to be withered from the roots. It really doesn’t matter how impossible the situation may look that you’re faced with right now because Jesus said in Luke 1:37, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” That’s why I have faith in God. It’s better to put your trust in God than in Man. Man has limitations, but with God nothing is impossible. Paul said we’re always confident for we walk by faith and not by sight. I have confidence that whatever my need is today my God is able. No one else is capable of doing for you what He can do. The difference is desperation. Are you desperate for change? Are you tired of living the way you are living? Your attitude should be, “What have I got to lose?” As long as I live, I intend to proclaim the message of faith. It works. I’m going to give my witness to it for the rest of my life. No matter how many times we’ve heard it, we need to keep hearing it. When we say we’re trusting God, people need to know what we’re talking about. That brings us to the last definition of faith. 3. Believing in His Word and His doctrine. I believe in his existence, character and in His word. If God loves me then Issue 6 / 2010
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I N SPI R AT IONAL why wouldn’t He keep His word to me? God keeps His word. If God loves me, my faith in His love will get me through any situation. Mark 11:12-14 says: “And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And his disciples heard it. ”Verse 20-22 says, “And in the morning,” (the next day) “as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. ”Jesus is taking the opportunity to give the disciples a valuable lesson on how faith works. He’s proving that faith can change things. If you have faith in God and refuse to doubt, then you will see God’s power work in your life just like it worked in His life. In Matthew 21:21 it says, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.” I like the assurance that gives me. When I talk about living by faith, I never have the thought, but what if it doesn’t work. No, it shall be done. It’s a guarantee. Stop basing your faith on what didn’t happen to somebody else. Stop basing your faith on the fact that somebody else tried it and it didn’t work. Pattern your faith after God’s faith. In order to do this you’re going to have to study His faith carefully. If God’s faith is the model, then I’m going to have to do some research and give some quality time to the Word to watch how God’s faith operates. Once I understand how His faith operates, then imitate it. Do it just like you saw Him do it. In Genesis 1:1-3 it says, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 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. And God said, let there be light: and there was light. ”God uses words like carriers. That means you’re going to have to train yourself where your mouth is concerned. Jesus didn’t talk doubt and unbelief. He operated this way every day. That’s why He said to watch out for idle, careless words. We are to have the God-kind of faith. How does the God-kind of faith operate? It begins with the words of your mouth. In Hebrews 11:3, speaking of God’s faith it says, “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. ”This statement is saying that we not only accept the fact that God made the world, but we also accept the fact that He made the world through faith. God released His faith through words. You have to get to the place in your life where you put a guard over your vocabulary. You must be selective about what you allow to come out of your mouth. If you get to the place where you truly believe that everything that comes out of your mouth will come to pass, then you’ll stop saying half of what you’re saying. Only then you will start seeing your faith work like never before. I’m calling things that are not as though they were. That’s the God kind of faith. In Proverbs it says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. I’m the one with the tongue, and I’m the one forming the words coming out of my mouth. I am in control of my destiny through the words I speak. Now a lot of people struggle with that. Romans 10 says, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and believe that God is raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” I escape hell by choosing the right words. Since my eternal destiny is determined by the words that come out of my mouth, then my earthly destiny is determined by words. I control through the words of my mouth how my life turns out. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The reason you can’t help saying what you say is because it’s what is in your heart in abundance. If you talk sickness all the time it’s because that is what is in your heart in abundance. Your mouth will tell on you. You have to reprogram your heart by filling it with the Word. This is most important in a crisis. When all of
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hell is coming against you and you’re speaking the Word of God, that’s when you know if it’s really in you. So the command of Jesus is: Have faith in God. God’s faith is the model, and if we study how God uses his faith and imitate it, it shall be done. Make faith a lifestyle. If you can believe these basic things, then getting out of debt is no longer a problem. When you realize how much He loves you, healing is no longer an issue. If you can believe these simple, basic truths, then you’re going to find out that it is the foundation for everything else that you will need in your life. I know God loves me therefore I know He can turn this around. The life of faith will produce the greatest adventures you’ve ever experienced in your life. God is the God for whom nothing is impossible. Everything He has promised He will do if you will dare to believe it. Contact Jerry Savelle Ministries International is located in Crowely, Texas just a few miles south of Fort Worth. For more information, please visit: www.jerrysavelle.org
INSPIR ATIONA L
Issue 6 / 2010
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