Sunday, November 2, 2014

YOUR FAITH DOES IT


 God’s Sovereignty and Miracles

And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.  For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."  But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour.  Matthew 9:20-22

“I thank God for His sovereignty, that He is completely in control of the situation and that He knew about all these things long before they began to happen!” Theresa

What does God’s sovereignty have to do with anything including miracles or salvation? Nothing!  a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years said to herself, "If only I may touch His (Jesus’) garment, I shall be made well."  And Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour. So any believer who believes and trusts in Jesus Christ, Who is the same yesterday today and forever, can be healed by touching Jesus in faith and it has nothing to do with the sovereignty of God?

And the same is true with salvation?  The bible tells us:

But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):  that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."  Romans 8-13

The LORD, Who is over all and is Sovereign, is rich to all who call upon Him. If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Salvation-soteria is defined in the bible as being established in "protection, preservation, prosperity, promotions, provisions, soundness, healing, deliverance and the ministry of angels." But salvation is a personal thing. Each person must work out his or her own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:14).  But due to the complexities of man each person is not always established in “protection, preservation, prosperity, promotions, provisions, soundness, healing, deliverance”. Nevertheless God is able to ensure that spirit and soul and body preserved sound and complete. (1 Thessalonians 5:23) especially as the brethren pray one for another (COL 1:9, 1THES 5:25, 2THES 3:1, HEB 13:18, JMS 5:16) and help one another (ACTS 4:34, 1COR 16:17, PHIL 2:30).

The same principle of believing and confession is true about getting a miracle which is part of salvation. We believe it, confess it and receive it!  When we made Jesus the Lord of our life, we believed, confessed and received the greatest miracle in the universe, the miracle of a reborn spirit! Every other miracle we receive comes in exactly the same way.  We simply believe in our heart, not our head, what God's Word says concerning any area of need, and say with our mouths that we receive.  That's what the woman did who had the issue of blood. She believed in her heart that Jesus would heal her. Then she spoke her faith out loud. Then she acted on that faith--and she received her miracle.  It wasn't Jesus' decision.  It was hers. She took her faith and drew on the power of God.  God's power is always present everywhere and available to those who believe. Our faith will bring it into our life, body or circumstances. So we can at any time reach out to Jesus. Believe, confess and receive our miracle! Mind you if your heart is impure all the believing and confession will achieve nothing. God’s word is unchanging:

Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,  from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. ! Timothy 1:5-7



Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because "All flesh is as grass,  And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.  The grass withers,  And its flower falls away,  But the word of the LORD endures forever."  Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:22-25

Being lustful and greedy, ignoring justice, righteousness and truth, being a respecter of persons and showing partiality to the mighty, and being unloving, unkind, unforgiving immoral and unrighteous definitely not only nullify any confession but also hinder answered prayers! God’s word is unchanging:

Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. 1 Peter 3:7

Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.   Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.  This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.  For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:11-18

And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. James 5:15

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. 1 John 1:5-10

You cannot do and say things that are contrary to God’s word and expect Him to bless you! You must confess and repent of all your sins  and be cleansed from all unrigtheousness!

EXTRACT FROM Be Filled With All The Fullness Of God
 http://walthope.tripod.com/hear.htm
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