FOCUSED FAITH GETS RESULTS

 

ARE YOU USING YOUR GOD-GIVEN SPIRITUAL BINOCULARS?

 Focused faith gets results!  Focus on God’s promises adjusts your spiritual binoculars to see the promises that are for you so that you can experience success, joy and fulfillment in your daily life!

 You might be thinking, I did not even realize I have spiritual binoculars to use.  Well, you do!  We are not talking about just any faith, which is vital for success, but faith that focuses on God’s promises.

Faith originated with Jesus.  Hebrews 12:2 refers to Jesus as the Author and Finisher of our faith. “It says that for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross despising the shame, and is sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God!”

His faith was focused on “the end result”—the vision.

Proverbs 29:18 is such a profound Scripture because it describes the results of not having a vision concerning God’s plans and direction in our lives in clear focus.  It says: “Where there is no vision (no redemptive revelation of God) the people perish, but he who keeps the law [the lord] of God, (which includes that of man) is blessed, happy, fortunate and enviable.” Amplified

The actual meaning of vision is to mentally perceive, to contemplate with pleasure and to constantly anticipate something great is going to happen.  Basically, a vision is faith in your mind’s eye like an architect would draw up a blueprint.  He sees the finished product before it is even started!

Hebrews 11:1 refers to faith as something you start with, with a picture or definite focus in mind. “NOW FAITH, is the assurance (the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].” Amplified

The Bible says your faith, your vision, your dream is like a title deed…a title deed is proof that you own something.

FOR THE REST TOTAL TEACHING GO TO THE STORE: 

Focused Faith Gets Results

 

SOMETHING OF SIGNIFICANCE:

                       BLESSINGS FOLLOW RIGHT BELIEVING!

 

Scripture:  Mark 9:23-24

This is the story of a man who was feeling pain and frustration for the terrible situation his son was in.  He obviously had heard about all the wonderful things Jesus was doing for the people around him, but the situation was so big in his eyes he was not convinced Jesus had the power or would even have compassion to help him out! However, to these questions Jesus replied:

 “If You can believe?  All things are possible for the one who believes and trusts [in Me]!” Jesus quickly let the man know it was not about his power or willingness to do something for him, but the man’s faith. Immediately after hearing Jesus’ words, the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief or help my weak faith!”

Just like the situations many of us go through and things we see going on around us, this man’s faith was shaken by what he saw, and he became conscious of his own inability to believe beyond what he saw.  He then asked Jesus to remove his doubt!

Jesus obviously honored that man’s prayer because when his believing got straightened out, immediately his son was set free. Jesus was happy to work with this man’s limited faith so that He could give him the miracle he needed!

Hebrews 11:6 says: “And without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him!”

That is a powerful promise for us today that the Lord absolutely rewards faith and Jesus took time to help straighten the man’s thinking out so he could receive what Jesus wanted for him all the time!

Jesus loved performing miracles and answering prayers and today is still looking for those that believe He will do what the Scriptures say He will do!

 Ephesians 1:19-21 “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who BELIEVE him.  This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.  Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else-not only in this world but also in the world to come!”

 Mark 6:4-5 will help us to see how right believing attracts God’s blessings and wrong believing forfeits God’s blessings.

“Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home. He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.” Look at that!  We are talking about the Son of God, the living Word, walking among them, but people in his everyday sphere of influence forfeited miracles and blessings because of familiarity or judging things in natural ways.  They were saying, “Oh, this is just the carpenter’s son and we know all of his family; He is just like us!”

Often, we, as believers, can have similar experiences with family, friends, business associates, etc., because they do not understand that as born-again Christians, God, through the finished work of Jesus, now lives inside of us and has delegated to us the power and authority to use His Name so that his will is manifest on earth as it is in Heaven!

The Apostle Paul said it like this in 1 Corinthians 2:14: “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”

 The exciting news for us today is as faith-filled believers in God’s promises, we have assurance God watches over His Word to perform it.  One important aspect of faith is that while we are waiting for the answers to show up, we must purpose in our heart, ahead of time, not to let situations or circumstances steal our joy or our faith!

 Always keep in mind, as well, “Delay is not Denial!”

 God desires us to continue to proclaim his Father’s Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven for the people HE CREATED!  Jesus came from Heaven to earth so you can imagine his excitement about getting people to understand His Father’s heart so they could experience “Heaven on Earth!”

 He has now commissioned us to do the same:

 Mark 16:15:  And then He told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone….”

With all the bad news and confusion going on around the world that we mostly learn about through media, focusing on the Gospel continues to be the way we release faith for God’s will, not man’s will to be done!

Luke 18:8 Jesus asked, “…. but when the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on the earth?

In Matthew 24:12. Jesus stated that right before his return, “because lawlessness, {wickedness and iniquity) would multiply and abound, the love of many will grow cold.”

Have you noticed how easy it is to get caught up in negative conversations which inflame emotions and before you realize it, you are agreeing with others about how bad things or people are when Jesus said: “IF YOU can believe all things are possible!” 

 The Apostle Paul said: “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel for IT IS THE POWER OF GOD to salvation to everyone who BELIEVES…” God is in His Word!  When we speak His Word in faith, His power goes to work to change situations!  Paul was saying not to be ashamed to speak about the Gospel because he knew it had power to bring people to salvation and change circumstances in their lives!

Jesus was not ashamed when some did not believe!  He just kept on doing what His Father had sent Him to do and those that believed received the blessings! 

When stuff happens, however, we can get bogged down with issues and our faith to believe all God promised those who would believe can get blocked. When this happens, we must quickly cast it off being fully persuaded of God’s goodness and love for us and his desire to reward our efforts in seeking Him. Realizing we are God’s investment will help us focus on the benefits he has placed within us. Our part is to daily take time to make the great exchange: 

His Peace for our worries:

John 14:27 “Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” 

His Health for our infirmities:

1 Peter 2:24 “He Himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness, “by his wounds you have been healed.”

His Joy for our sadness:

John 15:11 “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy.  Yes, your joy will overflow.”

His Power for our weakness:

Isaiah 40:29 “He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak.”

His Faith for our fears:

Luke 12:32 “Fear not little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.”

Visually making these exchanges on a regular basis can bring our lives into God’s Will on earth as it is in Heaven!

Have you ever heard the expression, “You can take it to the bank?”

It means what was said is absolutely guaranteed!

Hebrews 6:17-18: “So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise, the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.”

From this Scripture, we, as heirs of the promise, can absolutely be convinced that if we do not draw back and allow wrong thinking or wrong beliefs to fill our lives but keep the faith for the victories He paid for us to have through right believing, we can take God’s promises to the Bank of Heaven and expect the promised results!

Diana

www.dianasykes.com

SOUL FOOD

 

SOMETHING OF SIGNIFICANCE:

                                       SOUL FOOD

SCRIPTURE:  3 John 1:2

“Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and enjoy good health, even as your soul prospers.” NIV

It is exciting to think about the fact that God loves soul—Soul Prosperity!

This powerful scripture was penned by the Apostle John whose testimony was:  I am the disciple that Jesus loves!

Could it be that when John wrote this to Gaius and the Church, he felt the Spirit of the Lord breathing His highest wishes for His children as He emphasized “ABOVE ALL THINGS?”

I do not think you could get much more descriptive than ABOVE ALL!  The amazing thing is, John did not just stop with enjoy good health, but in the same breath, he added: “and that they may prosper” or as the original Greek says: to be continually prospered in every way!

…. But he added: “EVEN AS your soul prospers!” “Even as” speaks of degrees!

The beautiful thing about this Scripture is that God puts no limits on how healthy or how prosperous or successful we can be.  He just lets us know that these are his highest wishes and prayers for His children!

So, how do we get our Soul to prosper?

Jesus’ mother said:  My soul MAGNIFIES the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

We know a magnifying glass enhances the subject or item it is focusing on. 

She said to the Angel that God had sent to speak to her: “Be it done unto me according to your Word!” Luke 1:38

In light of the circumstances, that was seriously magnifying the Lord!

 

David told his Soul what it should be doing in Psalm 103:

 

Bless the Lord oh MY Soul, and ALL that is within me, bless his holy name! 

 

Why did he talk to his Soul and all that was within him like that?

 

Could it have been because he wanted to keep reminding himself of God’s goodness and His benefits to him? He told his Soul that “it” should not forget a single one of the benefits or we would say “blessings” the Lord wanted him to experience!

-who forgives all your sins!

-who heals all your diseases

-who redeems your life from the pit

-crowns you with love and compassion

-satisfies your desires with good things

-so that your youth is renewed

David went from being a shepherd on the hillside to King of Israel by reminding himself of God’s goodness even though he also went through a lot of frustrating times in his life from being ignored by his family, to being betrayed by a beloved friend, and being misunderstood by his superior which caused years of havoc, etc.; so, he obviously knew the benefits of keeping God’s love and goodness in the forefront of his Soul!

Remember John said:  Health and Prosperity are connected to Soul prosperity which is based on the knowledge of how good God is and what his desires are for us! To realize the fullness of God’s blessings as David did, it is important to “own” the promises!

 How do we do this?

 If you own a property, you are aware of the acreage, the square footage of the house, the room sizes, the amenities in the house, etc.

In fact, if asked, you probably would be able to roll those figures and details off by heart!  Why? You own the property, and you know what belongs to you! 

It is the same with “owning” the promises for healing and God’s desire for success and prosperity in all areas of life!

For instance: Isaiah the prophet saw ahead to our day and spoke of all the areas Jesus would bring healing to his people:

 Isaiah 53

 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 

-Surely, he has born our griefs and carried our sorrows

-He was pierced for our transgressions

-He was crushed for our iniquities

-The punishment for our peace was on him

-By his stripes we are healed

 Notice the question, however: Who has believed our message? 

 Jesus bought us the whole health package and we receive it, which means “we take” ownership of it by faith.  That is soul prosperity for health!

As mentioned before, “even as” implies degrees.  Jesus spoke of degrees in receiving benefits from heaven.

Mark 4:28 “The earth produces by itself—first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn.”

The parable of the growing seed represents how faith grows and yields in different degrees until the full manifestation. It is the same with us, as the Soul continues to prosper with wisdom and knowledge of how much God loves us and wishes good things for us, we grow in faith to believe and receive until we or a love one experiences the “full corn” or wholeness in spirit, soul, and body!

 There is even more great news! 

 As believers in Christ, we have the powerful promise of being inheritors of the promises made to Abraham so that we, as well, have success in our life’s journey!

 Look at the promises:

 If you belong to Christ, then YOU ARE Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.  Galatians 3:29 Wow-let’s look at what God promised Abraham and what continues for us today!

God told him what he could expect:  Gen. 12:2-3

I will make you a great nation.

I will bless you and make your name great.

You will be a blessing.

I will bless those that bless you.

I will curse him who curses you. (This lets us know we do not have to fight our own battles!)

Gen. 12: 2-3

As Abram continued to obey and grow in faith, he became extraordinarily rich in livestock, silver, and gold!

Gen. 13:2

Abraham was blessed to be a blessing!

So, we can see that God loves SOUL—soul prosperity because as we honor God by feeding our faith and continue to “own” his promises, we bring joy to his heart!

Let us look at it again:

3 John 1:2-4:

“Dear Friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that ALL may go well with you, EVEN AS your soul is getting along well.” It gave me GREAT JOY when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it.  I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in truth!

 Final Thought:

 Can you hear the echo of God’s heart through the Apostle John when he said? “I have no greater JOY than to hear that my children are walking in truth!”

Let us make it our goal to have prosperous Souls by feeding on God’s Soul Food, His Word, so that His ABOVE ALL wishes, and prayers can come to pass in our lives and those we pray for. Also, let us make it our goal to OWN the promises in Jesus’ Name! AMEN