Living in God s Power, Part I Hour 1: Diligently Seek Him. Outline of Living in God s Power, Part I - Hour I

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1 Hour 1: Diligently Seek Him Outline of Living in God s Power, Part I - Hour I I. Introduction: A. Welcome, greetings, and opening prayer B. Heart of the teaching series 1. God gives understanding, direction, and wisdom to those that seek Him. (Luke 11:9,10; James 1:5a; John 10:10) 2. God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6; Philippians 2:16) C. The format of the class will promote family worship and provide an avenue for study. II. The wisdom of man versus the power of God A. We want you to rest in the power of God, not in the wisdom of men. (I Corinthians 2:4,5; Acts 2:26; John 10:10) B. God s people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge of God and His Word. (Hosea 4:1,6; Proverbs 29:18; Matthew 6:33; Mark 11:22; Isaiah 5:13,20,21,23,24; Jeremiah 2:7-13; Psalms 127:3) C. God wants His kids, His beloved, to know and understand Him. (Matthew 22:34-40; Jeremiah 9:23,24; 10:23; Proverbs 20:24) D. Consider your ways! (Haggai 1:3-7) III. Conclusion: A. Our lives are made up of NOWS! B. The story of the touchstone. Introduction Welcome to Living in God s Power. The heart behind this teaching series and all others that will follow is to communicate, clearly and with simplicity, God s Word and God s heart to whomsoever desires to have faith in God and live in His power and grace. We know that God gives understanding, direction, and wisdom to those that seek Him. Luke 11:9,10: And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. That is what we are going to be doing in these hours. We will be seeking God, His wisdom, His understanding, and His guidance and direction. We will let the Father open up His heart to us for our learning and understanding. James 1:5a: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God... 1

2 Hour 1: Diligently Seek Him When you are seeking, you cannot be afraid to ask. God wants us to ask, and He wants us to know. We will be searching the scriptures so that we can tap into the more than abundant life promised by Jesus Christ in John 10:10. John 10:10: 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. If this verse is true (and I believe it is true), then if we seek God, He will reveal the how of receiving and the how of living what He has promised. God has made tremendous power available to us. Hebrews 11:6: But without faith [pistis, believing] it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. By the time we finish this series Living in God s Power, you will have faith in God and you will be greatly rewarded. This verse will come true to you. We believe this format will be conducive to build and promote family worship and provide an avenue for study. We want to help you learn so that you can teach your children at home and be confident in what you are teaching them. Some parents do teach their children, but some parents do not. Not because they do not want to, but because they lack the knowledge, wisdom, and confidence to do so. I believe that these teaching series will become useful and vital tools, that will give our parents the knowledge, wisdom, and confidence to succeed in properly and wonderfully sharing God s Word with their children and others. The family has been in the crisis mode far too long. This needs to turn around, and government programs have not been the answer, that is for sure! So where do we go for the answers? We go to God s Word. Philippians 2:16 calls God s Word the Word of life. If we really want to learn to live life, we must go to the Word of life. In this teaching series titled Living in God s Power, we will be focusing on foundational, basic truths from God s Word that will unlock the doors of understanding of God s Word for a lifetime of learning and growing. We have broken this series into five parts. Each part is around six hours of teaching. Each set will build upon those before it, and by the time you finish all five, you will have a great start in God s adventure called Living in God s Power. Part I is taught by John Shroyer from Tipp City, OH. Part II is taught by Wayne Clapp from Troy, OH. Part III is taught by Kevin Guigou from Midland, MI. Part IV is taught by Jeff Rath of Canton, MI., Charles Dietlin of Greensboro, NC., and Charles Nevins of Charleston, SC.. Part V is taught by myself and Wayne Clapp. 2

3 Hour 1: Diligently Seek Him The Wisdom of Men Versus the Power of God We want you to rest in the power of God, not in the wisdom of men: The theme verses for this teaching series are found in I Corinthians. I Corinthians 2:4,5: And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That [showing the purpose] your faith [pistis, believing] should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. We will be reading and expounding God s Word, so you can read, document, and track it through. Stand means to rest, or to plant yourself, like setting a tent for dwelling. We want you to rest in the power of God not in the wisdom of men. Acts 2:26: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Man s wisdom may be right, and it may be wrong. God s wisdom is always right and true. That is what we, the teachers of this series, will be doing. We will be giving you God s Word so that your faith is in Him and in His power and not in man. I believe it will be and exciting adventure for all of us. John 10:10: 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. There is an honest question that can and probably should come up in your minds. If John 10:10 is truly available, then why are many Christian people not enjoying this abundant life? Christian s lives are as messed up as anyone s. If this is what God wants to make available to the Christian believer, why are some not enjoying it? Good honest questions need good honest answers! [To more easily find the scriptures, it would be helpful for you to memorize the books of the Bible, or have a list of them handy.] God s people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge of God and His Word: Hosea 4:1: Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. The children of Israel in the Old Testament are like Christians of the New Testament. They were the beloved of God and were supposed to be people that believed God or have faith in God. God calls them, my people in verse six. The word controversy means 3

4 Hour 1: Diligently Seek Him contention or strife. They were striving with God that is not good! Without truth, mercy, and knowledge of God there will always be a striving with God (and others too). Hosea 4:6: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. God s people were destroyed for one reason lack of knowledge. Proverbs 29:18: Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. A literal translation of this is: Where there is no knowledge of God, the people wander aimlessly. Without a knowledge of God, people wander aimlessly without direction. They are always seeking, trying to find the truth. What does the average Christian really know about God? There are so many good Christian people who know little about God. They may believe in God, but believing God is a different thing. An atheist does not believe that God exists, therefore he does not believe in God. An agnostic believes in the possibility that God exists, but believes it is impossible to know him. Therefore he believes in a God, but does not believe God. To believe God is to believe His Word. You have Christian people who believe in God and go to church each Sunday, but they never learn to believe Him, they just believe in Him. Sadly enough that is where some Christians are. Sometimes it is not their fault. They have not been taught. What happens is that people get committed to a denomination or church, but really our commitment needs to be to God. We need to be committed to believe Him and to fellowship with Him and to confide in Him. You need to believe that He is, and that He will reward you. Matthew 6:33 says, Seek ye first the kingdom of God... Mark 11:22: And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. Have faith in God can be literally translated: have the believing of God. That is where we want to go in this teaching series. We want to have His believing. Isaiah 5:13: Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. Because people have no knowledge of God they are going into captivity, which is bondage. This means to go into captivity, and not go voluntarily. It is a stripping of a land of its inhabitants. This is what was happening to God s people. They had no 4

5 Hour 1: Diligently Seek Him knowledge. They had no belief in Him. They had no power. Because they had no power, they went into captivity and bondage. Isaiah 5:20: Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! When men lose sight of God s knowledge and follow after their own or someone else s knowledge, they end up doing what it says in the next verses. Isaiah 5:21: Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! They are trying to stand in the wisdom of men, and it brings woe. Woe means watch out. It is a warning from God, that something unpleasant is coming your way. Isaiah 5:23,24: Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. These are great verses that explain why men are not living in the power of God and not enjoying the abundant life. They may be good Christian people, but they get caught up in the wisdom of men. Jeremiah 2:7: And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination. Psalm 127:3 says Children are an heritage of the LORD... Children were an heritage because they were supposed to carry His knowledge and His truth to their generation. If they are not taught, it does not get carried, and they become an abomination. It is the people s fault. Jeremiah 2:8: The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit. The priests, who were supposed to be teaching the people about the Lord, did not even ask where He is. Baal is another name for the devil. Each name emphasizes different characteristics of him. They were giving the devil s word. 5

6 Hour 1: Diligently Seek Him 6 Jeremiah 2:9-11: Wherefore I will yet plead [God is contending and reasoning with them.] with you, saith the LORD, and with your children s children will I plead. For pass over the isles of Chittim, [the far western cultures of the world] and see; and send unto Kedar [the far eastern cultures of the world], and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing. Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. When one starts worshipping something other than the Living God, it becomes profitless. Jeremiah 2:12,13: Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate [laid to waste], saith the LORD. For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. God s people committed two evils. They forsook God the fountain of all life, and they hewed out cisterns, broken cisterns that could hold no water. That is what people do when they turn away from the knowledge of God and seek the knowledge of men men s philosophies, ideologies, and thoughts. They hew themselves out a nice little formula: their own religion. Sometimes they make themselves god. It started way back with Adam and Eve, and it continues today. That is where the problems come from. Cisterns are limited, but God is unlimited. When we forsake Him and seek after our own, then we limit ourselves. The sad thing is that they are broken cisterns. People pour all their life into this philosophy, but when they need it the most it is an empty hole. God wants His kids, His beloved, to know and understand Him: All God has ever wanted from us is our love, our respect, and honor. Matthew 22:34-40: But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Let me ask you a question. Can you love somebody if you do not know them? NO! The same is true with God. How can we ever love God if we do not know Him, and how are

7 Hour 1: Diligently Seek Him we going to know Him if we do not know His Word? As we begin to read it, His heart is revealed to us. God communicates His heart to us, and we need to communicate our hearts to Him through prayer and how we live. God reveals Himself by way of His Word. He reveals His love and heart for His people. Then that love develops and grows to the point where we can love God with all our heart. God wants His kids, His beloved, to know and understand Him. Jeremiah 9:23,24: Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment [justice], and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. God wants us to glory in Him. Without a knowledge of God and His direction, man will never figure out this thing called life. Remember Proverbs 29? He will wander aimlessly. Jeremiah 10:23: O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. God created life. He is its maker, and He and only He knows how it is to function to yield its maximum benefits. Proverbs 20:24: Man s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way? God wrote the manual. Read the directions! Are you getting the idea? God created all life, and He had the instruction book written. It is called the Bible. You only get one life, why not live it to its fullness. Consider your ways: Haggai was a prophet who only prophesied for about three months. He lived during the time when the people of Israel were trying to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. It had been destroyed because Israel refused to listen to the prophet Jeremiah seventy years earlier. Then Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came from the north and destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the temple and took Israel captivity. Then after seventy years God freed Israel and they returned to rebuild the city and the temple. During the rebuilding of the temple, Israel was threatened by outsiders. They were intimidated and quit working on the temple. God called upon Haggai to give Israel His word concerning the situation. Haggai 1:3-5: Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled [paneled] houses, and this house lie waste? 7

8 8 Living in God s Power, Part I Hour 1: Diligently Seek Him Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Consider your ways! means think about what you are doing with your lives. If people would honestly take a look at their lives and what they are doing, then maybe some positive changes would happen in their lives. Most people just flow through life, like a river in its banks. Haggai 1:6: Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. What Haggai is describing sounds like the broken cisterns. They never had what they needed. If you go God s way you will always have enough, and when you earn something you will profit. Without God in your life you can never really profit. It just will not last. Haggai 1:7: Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Look at how verse six is sandwiched in between those exhortations to Consider your ways! to take a look at what you are doing with your life. If you read the rest of Haggai, the people responded positively to the Word of God given by Haggai, and they went back to work, and finished building the Temple. Conclusion Our lives are made up of NOWS: You know, time is the only thing any of us have. Money comes and money goes, but time just goes, and it cannot be brought back to live again. Time is what makes up our lives. Our lives are made up of NOWS! Our life is just another now. What you and I do with the nows in life will reveal the end product of our life. We are born and we die. Those are the boundaries of our earthly life. The challenges you face and the decisions you make will impact how you spend your nows in between the boundaries. God so loved that He gave His son s life (John 3:16). But look at the result of this act of love: the redemption and salvation of all mankind. Instead of having just His only begotten Son, He has acquired sons of God upon sons of God. Every time a man or a woman accepts Jesus as Lord and believes in his or her heart that God has raised him from the dead Bang! He gets another son, another life. As we learn to give our time and our life to God we will soon find out that instead of losing life we gain more life. Taking the time to study the Word of God taught in these Family Teaching Series will be a sacrifice of your time. You will be giving part of your life to God, time that you will never get back again. In return, you will receive far more than you have sacrificed. Consider your ways! and expect God to bless your life as you learn to love and give to Him.

9 Hour 1: Diligently Seek Him Maybe you have tried a lot of things in this life, and you have sacrificed your life and time on things that turned out to be of no profit. On the other hand, maybe there was still some learning or profit, even if it did not turn out to be what you had hoped for. The story of the touchstone: Romando Diaz tells the story of the touchstone. People we do not want you (like the man looking for the touchstone) to just go through the motions. We want you to tap into Living in God s Power. We are not going to go through the motions. We are going to take the time to read and look and see. There is no such thing as a touchstone that turns common metal into gold. However, in these teaching series we are offering you the touchstone of all truth, The Word of God. It will not turn metal into gold, but it can turn your life into something far more valuable than gold, silver, or rubies. Please enjoy these next hours of learning with us as we begin our travels towards truth in God s wonderful, matchless Word. 9

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11 Hour 2: God s Promises Are Yours Outline of Living in God s Power, Part I - Hour 2 I. The greatest secret in the world today is that the Bible is the revealed Word and will of God. (Hebrews 11:6) II. God s promises are yours. A. Find out what is available. (II Corinthians 1:20; III John 2; James 5:16; Psalms 107:19,20; II Corinthians 9:8; Romans 8:31-39; Ephesians 3:16-19) B. Receive the promise by believing. C. Find out what to do with it after you receive it. D. Recognize that God s ability equals God s willingness. (Jeremiah 29:10; Psalms 57:1,2; Romans 4:19-21) E. Focus on the promise of God you need. (II Kings 5:1-19; [Hebrews 10:36;] Daniel 11:32; Joshua 10:6-27; Romans 16:20; Philippians 4:19; I John 5:14; Psalms 37:3,5) III. There is a doctrinal and practical side of the law of believing. (Romans 3:23,27) A. The doctrinal side is set forth in Mark 11:23. (Mark 11:12-23; [Malachi 1:8]; Genesis 18:14; Psalms 28:7; Proverbs 4:23; Proverbs 23:7a) B. The practical side is set forth in Mark 11:24. (Mark 11:24; Romans 10:17) C. There are two kinds of unbelief. (Romans 10:13-15,17; Matthew 13:54-58; Matthew 17:14-20; Romans 3:3; Hebrews 3:12) The Greatest Secret in the World Today Is that the Bible Is the Revealed Word and Will of God. The greatest secret in the world today is that the Bible is the revealed Word and will of God. Because it is a secret, most people are still in captivity or bondage. Remember we read in Isaiah 5:13 that the people went into captivity because they had no knowledge, and we read in Hosea 4:6 that God s people were destroyed for lack of knowledge. There is no lack of Bibles, but there is a tremendous lack in its knowledge, wisdom, and application. The Bible reveals God s heart and His will for His children. It proclaims His promises and how to receive those promises, so that we will have health and prosperity. We can believe and live in the power of God, now in this life, and have eternal life for the future. If you will seek Him and believe Him, these things are possible. Hebrews 11:6: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 11

12 Hour 2: God s Promises Are Yours Reward means to give away from one s self or to pay-off or to render that which is due or to recompense. That is what God will do. You will get the pay-off if you seek Him. God is found in His Word. Therefore we go to the Word of God to find out His heart and His will for us. It is in His Word that we learn about His promises. God s Promises Are Yours Find out what is available: If we are going to receive the promises of God in our lives we must first find out what is available. When I go to a restaurant, the first thing I want to do is look at the menu to see what is available. Once I know what is available, then I can move on to the next steps in acquiring it. So it is with the promises of God. We must find out what is available. You cannot go by what people say is on the menu. They may have their restaurants mixed up and tell you that something is on the menu that is not. You must go to the menu of God s Word and see what God says is available. II Corinthians 1:20: For all the promises of God in him [Jesus Christ] are yea [Yes! Yes!], and in him [Jesus Christ] Amen [So be it.], unto the glory of God by us. Let us look at some of the promises God has made available to us. III John 2: Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. God wants us to be in health. He does not want us to be sick or sickly. Wish is the Greek word, euchomai. It is also translated pray, as in James 5:16 where it says, Pray one for another, that ye may be healed... Can you imagine that? God s prayer above all things is that we be in health. God prays that we are healthy and that we prosper, which is to have a good journey through life. That good journey would include love, joy, peace, a roof over our heads, a job, and food to eat. Prosperity means more than just money. It is far bigger than just that. Do you pray for your children to get sick? NO! What about God? Are we better than He is? Certainly not! If God wants you healthy, then why would He make you sick? He does not. God is the God of prosperity and health. He is the God of deliverance not bondage. If you want to be in captivity, get a good case of some disease, and you will know what captivity is. Psalm 107:19,20: Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. This promise of healing through His Word is available. 12

13 Hour 2: God s Promises Are Yours II Corinthians 9:8: And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: Grace is unmerited, divine favor. It is getting something you do not deserve. God just gives it to you. Abound implies more than enough. God will give you more than enough. It is directed toward you so that you will have all sufficiency (having all that you need) in all things. God is an ALL God. He is able to do that which He has promised. It also declares the purpose that you may abound to every good work. We are given all so that we are blessed and so we can do every good work. If you are going to seek Him, find what He has promised you. You cannot enjoy God s promises if you have no knowledge of them. Romans 8:31-37: What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Now there is a promise of God! We are more than conquerors or superconquerors! If we are more than conquerors, why are we not conquering? It could be due to lack of knowledge. Remember Hosea 4:6 and Isaiah 5:13. If you have the ability to do something and do not know it, will you do it? NO! Sadly enough, that is what happens to Christians. We live far below par from what God has made available to us. Romans 8:38,39: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nothing can separate us from the love of God, unless we allow it to happen. There is an abundance of promises in this Word of God. God has given us so much, and we need to find out what is available. Then we can tap in, believe, and live in the power of God manifesting these promises in our lives. Ephesians 3:16-19: That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 13

14 14 Living in God s Power, Part I Hour 2: God s Promises Are Yours That Christ may dwell [live] in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love [being unmoveable], May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. God wants us to comprehend, to fully understand for ourselves. Know is the Greek word, ginōskō, meaning to know experientially. God wants us to not just perceive or talk or read about it, but He wants us to experience the love of Christ and be filled with all fullness of God. That is what is available! God is the Rewarder of those that seek Him. In the seeking, we are to find out those things which are available for us. Receive the promise by believing: Once we know something is available, then we must know how to receive it. How do we receive the promises of God? That is the question we want answered, right! [If you know something is available but do not know how to receive it, then who cares what is available! If you have the menu, but you do not have an avenue for receiving what is on it What good is the menu?] The answer to this question is by faith or believing. The Greek word, pistis, is translated faith or believing. There are five different kinds of faith listed in Word of God and they are defined in the context in which they occur. Here, we are talking about believing. Find out what to do with it after you receive it: Once you know what is available and how to receive it, you need to know what to do with it after you have it. When God gives a gift, we are responsible to steward it. There is always a reason why God gives, and it always results in blessings to you and others. Remember, God gives all His wonderful promises, but there is always a purpose with these promises. For instance God promises His gift of holy spirit to everyone that believes. So what do you do with His gift once you have it? We will be finding that out later in this series. There are things to do. There is a responsibility that comes with it. Responsibility is not always recognized or wanted, but it is a wonderful thing when we take it on. Because when we do, it is always a blessing. If somebody gives you a brand new top of the line computer with all of the bells and whistles, they want you to use it and put it into operation. You need to read the manual, learn the programs, and utilize it. So it is concerning the promises of God. God s ability equals God s willingness: If you are going to by faith or by believing receive the promises of God, you must recognize that God s willingness equals His ability and that His ability equals His willingness. In Jeremiah 29:10 God says that He will perform His good Word. Psalm 57:1,2: Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

15 Hour 2: God s Promises Are Yours I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. David knew that God was willing and able to perform His Word for him. Abraham also knew that God s willingness and ability were equal in fulfilling His promises. Romans 4:19-21: And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. God is able to perform. This word perform is the Greek, poieō. It means to make, to form, to produce, to do repeatedly, again and again. God is willing and able to perform His Word over and over again, as many times as needed. Focus on the promise of God that you need: If you are going to believe for a promise of God to come to pass in your life, you have to be clear and concerned. Get clear on the promise of God that you want, get concerned about it, and take believing action. There is a record in II Kings 5 about Naaman, the leper. He went to see the prophet of God who told him to dip seven times in the Jordan river to be healed. Naaman had a problem with that because it was a muddy river. He finally smartened up after listening to his servants and dipped seven times in the Jordan. When he dipped the seventh time, he came up healed. That was the believing action. Once you know that promise of God, stay put on it. Get clear and concerned and take the action you need to take. Stay your mind and your heart and endure. Have the patience to receive the promise of God that you need in your life. 1 Many Christians do not receive the promises of God because they lose patience or endurance. They quit praying and quit believing. Once God gives the promise to you then move with it and stay on it. Do not stop until you have received God s full promise. It says in Daniel 11:32 that God s people would do exploits. God does not want you to be satisfied with just a part of it. He wants you to have the complete promise. Do not settle for less. Joshua is in the process of getting the land that God had promised. Joshua 10:6-13: And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us. So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour. 1 Hebrews 10:36 15

16 16 Living in God s Power, Part I Hour 2: God s Promises Are Yours And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee. Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night. And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah. And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. They were in the thick of the battle, and it was getting dark. Joshua knew that if it got dark, some of them would escape. He called on God to keep it daylight so they could exploit the battle, and win a complete victory. God had said he had delivered them unto their hand. Joshua wanted to get the whole promise of God. Joshua 10:14-19: And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel. And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal. But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah. And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid in a cave at Makkedah. And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them: And stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand. See what I mean, keep moving. They had already won the victory, but Joshua told them to stay the course, because it was not finished. Joshua 10:20-27: And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them entered into fenced cities. And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel. Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave.

17 Hour 2: God s Promises Are Yours And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them. And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight. And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening. And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave s mouth, which remain until this very day. That is being clear, concerned, and focused. They stayed at it and went for it until it was finished. Remember it said they had peace. Romans 16:20: And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. It is God in Christ in us. Satan is under our feet also. That is where our enemy is, because Christ has won the complete victory. Philippians 4:19: But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Did you notice God says need, not greed? Lock into the promise you desire to have manifested in your life and get specific in detail. You cannot be fuzzy and clear at the same time. Then do not budge. I John 5:14: And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: His will is His Word. Remember the greatest secret in the world today is that the Bible is the revealed Word and will of God. His promises are in His Word. That is not fuzzy. Go to the promise of God that you need, and set your petition before God. Then expect God to perform His will and promise. The word used for the time between making your petition and your receiving it, is called TRUST. Learn to trust. Get clear, concerned, focused, then just trust until it comes. 17

18 18 Living in God s Power, Part I Hour 2: God s Promises Are Yours Psalms 37:3,5: Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Commit [roll over your burden to Him] thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. There is a Doctrinal and Practical Side of the Law of Believing When considering the topic of receiving the promises of God, there is a set pattern throughout the Word of God we should recognize. God always sets the doctrine, and then the practical side to His Word is given. Doctrine is the teaching or instruction of how to believe rightly according to God s Word and will. Practice is the doctrine applied or the application of principles set forth in the doctrine which conforms to the doctrine. There is a law of faith or believing in God s Word. Romans 3:23,27: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. The doctrinal side is set forth in Mark 11:23: Mark 11:12,13: And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he [Jesus Christ] was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. What he was looking for was the little buds. They are sweet, like candy, and people ate them for a snack. Jesus was hungry and thought he would get a snack, like you would. Mark 11:14,15: And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; He did this because the people were selling second rate sacrifices. When you sacrificed to God you were supposed to give the best, not the lame and sick [Malachi 1:8]. Mark 11:16-20: And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

19 Hour 2: God s Promises Are Yours And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine. And when even was come, he went out of the city. And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. This tree died over night from the roots up. Trees do not usually die this way. This one died backwards, overnight. Mark 11:21: And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. What did Jesus do? He was clear and concerned and focused and spoke to the tree. What he said, came to pass. Mark 11:22: And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. Have faith in God literally means, Have the believing of God. We want to get that in our hearts and lives. Now in verse 23, we have the doctrine of the law of believing that we read about in Romans 3. Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Jesus laid it out for them. It is the believing of God that performs the miraculous. If you want to see signs, miracles, and wonders in your life, you must learn to believe God. When God tells you something (either by way of His Word or through the holy spirit) believe what He declares, and the miraculous will happen, both big and small. We do not seek after signs, we seek God through His Word. Signs, miracles, and wonders follow those that believe, and we should see them evidenced in our lives. If they are not evidenced, then there is no believing of God. Genesis 18:14: Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. Is there anything to big for God? NO! When you are in those times of trust, those are the words of the Word that you hold in your mind. The doctrine of faith or believing is set in Mark 11:23. Whosoever is whosoever believes God or whosoever has the believing of God. You speak exactly what you mean and mean exactly what you say concerning God s promise for your situation your particular mountain. Mountains come in various 19

20 Hour 2: God s Promises Are Yours sizes and forms. Think it all the way through and be specific. Believing God is a heart matter. Psalm 28:7: The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. Proverbs 4:23: Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 23:7a: For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he... Our believing comes from our heart. You think the Word of God and His promise. It descends into your heart. You believe it from your heart. Bang! You receive it. Doubt Worry Fear Issuingin unbelief Confidence Trust Faith Issuingin believinggod According to Mark 11:23, the opposite of believing is doubt. Doubt leads to worry and issues in unbelief. Issue means, to flow out or emerge. You do not want unbelief to flow out or emerge from your heart. You want believing there. The practical side is set forth in Mark 11:24: 20 Mark 11:24: Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall [absolutely] have them. Unbelief is produced by holding on to doubt, worry, and fear. The first time you doubt something or worry about something does not mean you have unbelief. It is when you hold fast to them and let them fester that it issues in unbelief. Faith or believing comes when we have confidence and trust in His promises. Romans 10:17 says faith [believing] cometh by hearing, and hearing from the Word of God. The more we hear of the Word of God, the more we understand, and believing comes. There are two kinds of unbelief: There are two Greek words for unbelief. We can all fall into these categories at times. Apistia is the unbelief of those who have not heard, or have not heard enough to believe. They need to hear more. Apeitheia is the unbelief of those who have heard enough to believe but refuse to believe. We get our English word apathetic from this word. Webster defines apathetic as spiritless; having no interest or concern. Some people hear the word of God, but they have no interest or concern.

21 Hour 2: God s Promises Are Yours Romans 10:13-15,17: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. It needs to be preached, because they cannot believe it if they have not heard it Matthew 13:54-58: And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. They looked at his family background and thought he could not be anyone special. Jesus Christ was speaking the Word, but they were not believing it, so they could not receive the great promises of God. You either believe or you do not. If people don t, it is because they either have not heard enough to believe, or they just flat out refuse to believe. Sometimes you have to hear more to believe. That is fine, too. Do not get shook if people do not believe right away. Jesus own disciples were having trouble in trying to bring deliverance to a boy. Matthew 17:14-20: And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21

22 Hour 2: God s Promises Are Yours There is not one promise of God that you cannot receive if you will believe. If you are having trouble believing perhaps it is because you have not heard enough of the Word. So, hear more. Jesus own disciples were having trouble trying to bring deliverance to a boy. They had doubt in their hearts. The world, for the most part, does not believe the promises of God. Even Christians who talk about it, do not always believe. No believing means no promises received. Romans 3:3: For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? The answer is NO! The faith of God works. If you do not believe, then God s faith cannot work for you, that is all. We just failed to believe. Staggering at the promises of God is unbelief, which defeats the promise of God. Whenever and wherever we cling to fear it will always issue in unbelief and defeat. Man s greatest enemy is fear. You are either building believing in your life, or it is being eroded. Oh, sure, you can use all the believer terminology and throw words around, but believing is a heart thing. It is either there, or it is not there. You cannot play a game called believing. What you manifest in your life will tell the story. Hebrews 3:12: Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. Why is it called evil? Because when you do not believe God, you are calling God a liar. That is evil, and that is sin. The doctrine of Mark 11:23 requires the whosoever to be those that, have faith in God. Be one of those in the category of whosoever. To do this we must have confidence in God. We must trust in God. Finally, we arrive at the place where we have faith in God or we believe God. On the opposite side there is doubt in God. Then there is worry that God will not perform His Word, and fear that you will not or cannot receive the promises of God. These issue in unbelief. 22