The Prevailing Word: What are you looking at?

 20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed Acts 19:20 KJV

....For I will hasten My word to perform it.” Jeremiah 1:12b MEV


 We've studied in the recent past, the prevailing Word. How God's Word prevails over any and all circumstances and is eternal. Today it seemed good in my heart to share another post on this important topic.

 In previous studies, we saw how our words have power. How our Faith is the victory that overcomes. Today, I'd like to highlight an area where the Word prevails for us. This is the area of our attention, our concentration, our focus. 

What are you looking at?

 When we were younger, I'm certain we can all recall at one time or another teasing our friends and family by asking them what are you looking at. Sometimes it was spoken in a derogatory manner. Sometimes it was in simple jest. So today I feel strongly to ask you this same question again. Not as a joke or as to belittle you.

 What are we looking at? Are we looking at the circumstances that seem unchanging? Are we looking at those symptoms that don't seem to dissipate? Are we looking at the paths our loved ones are going down that's leading them away from Christ and His ways?

 God wants to know what has your concentration? What has your attention? What are you focusing on? If what we are looking at is negative or contrary to what God says, the Word can and will prevail for you regardless of your situation. 

 Some may be saying you don't know my situation. You don't know how long it's been this way. I may not know your situation but I do know Paul's words of encouragement to us. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 4 to look at the unseen not the seen. 

 Paul also shared this reminder;

7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV

here is this same verse in another translation;

7 The path we walk is charted by faith, not by what we see with our eyes. 2 Corinthians 5:7 Voice

 What we focus on, what has our attention, what we concentrate on determines how we think. It determines how we speak. It determines even how we act. That's why it's imperative to focus on His Finished Work. It's vital to give our attention to His Word. We must concentrate on His promises, His power, His Love, His Grace and Goodness, not on contradictory circumstances and the fears that accompany them.

 The Finished Work is complete. We don't add to it. Yet tradition seems to think our actions and our deeds are what seals the deal, so to speak. So when one says they are the Righteousness of God in Christ they find it difficult to accept.

 Why? Because they want to see something in people's life or words that proves this. They are walking by sight. This seeking signals or signs that one is Righteous also determines how they judge if someone is saved or not.

 Jesus tells us that He will never lose anyone who comes to Him. He says no one can snatch away any of His. We who believed are eternally His and forever in His hands. He says we've passed from death to life and never again to come under condemnation. Jesus is clearly showing us we are eternally secure.

 Yet traditional religion has adopted a reactionary theology. They see one who proclaimed Christ carried off in a terrible sin. They conclude how could that one still be saved? They are walking by sight. What they can see. 

Changing the seen, shaping the unseen. 

 We want to walk by Faith and not sight. We want the Word to prevail in all areas of our life. We do that by believing what God has said and receiving what Jesus accomplished in the Finished Work. 

  We can change the seen by shaping what is unseen. By believing and trusting in what Christ said and did for us we can walk in victory. Agreeing with what God said and accomplished through Christ changes things.

 When the believer says they are the Righteousness of God in Christ, they are shaping the unseen. They are agreeing with the Finished Work and God's Word. This eventually changes the seen, as the believer begins to manifest righteous words and thoughts and deeds. 

 When a believer becomes deceived or gives in to temptation, and seemingly falls away, instead of looking at the seen, we can shape the unseen. We don't deny their eternally secure salvation. We shape the unseen by speaking the truth over them in prayer and if we have the opportunity, speak the truth in love to them when we see them, we can cause the unseen realm to affect the change in the seen realm. When we agree with God we will see the outward manifestation of what He already accomplished in their heart.

 When stubborn symptoms don't seem to be removed we don't cease believing in God's healing power. We don't throw Faith aside. We also don't throw wisdom aside. We accept all means God has provided to receive wholeness. Be it through a combination of Faith, nutrition, medicine, and even rest, we receive all God has.  We must agree with God, and not let the seen change our minds about God. 

 In summation, let's ask again what are you looking at? Are you looking at that wayward child? Are you looking at that angry spouse? Are you looking at the symptoms? Are you looking at the sins in others? Let the Word prevail in these situations. Agree with God. Change the seen by shaping the unseen.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay 

The New and Living Way

19 Therefore, brothers, we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way that He has opened for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh,                           Hebrews 10:19-20 MEV



  Have you ever been working on a project or an assignment and not getting much success? Were you slightly frustrated with the lack of progression? Later on, when you found out there was a better way and you employed its use and found success, surely frustration gave way to relief and celebration as the project was completed.

 When God cut the New Covenant, all of Heaven celebrated. This Covenant is a better Covenant. It is founded on better promises. Do we really understand what that means?

 The Old Covenant promises were made by God to man predicated on man's ability. In essence, it was a promise made by both God and man. The Old was a pact between God and man. The problem wasn't God but mankind. We could never uphold our promise to do and do more and do it perfectly. Of course, understanding Grace we know that was the point of the Old, to show mankind their need for a Savior.

 The New Covenant is a Covenant and a promise between God and Jesus. Within the Godhead, this New Covenant was cut and ratified by the precious Blood of God the Son. This is the better promise. 

 This New Covenant then introduced a new and living way to live. Under the Old, we had a way to live that only brought condemnation. The yearly sacrifices could never cleanse sin but merely cover it. The consciousness of sin was ever-present. 

The New, a Better Covenant

 The New is a better Covenant. Under the Old, we had to earn our righteousness. We had to keep the Mosaic Law. Paul tells us the words written on stone are the ministry of condemnation and death. Under the New, we have the ministry of Righteousness. Grace made a way. Jesus took the sin problem and nailed it to the Cross. Now we have a New and Living way to live under this New Covenant.

Faith, the New and Living Way

  The Old Covenant was a covenant that was rooted in performance. It was a covenant that forced the people to walk by sight and not Faith. One's righteousness was seen by men. That is one knew you were righteous because they observe you going to the Temple. They saw you honor the Sabbath. They could see you abstain from forbidden food and keep the holy days. 

 Faith is the New and Living Way He established in the New. Our receiving the blessing and favor of God is no longer tied to our performance or behavior. It is received by Faith. Our Righteousness is a Righteousness of Faith and not of Law or works or our ability.

 Paul clearly shows us why Faith is the way of the New in Romans 4. He speaks such a powerful truth. It is by Faith so it may be by Grace.

16 Therefore the promise comes through faith, so that it might be by grace, that the promise would be certain to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all Romans 4:16 MEV

Faith is the New and Living Way. We walk by Faith and not by sight. When we don't feel Righteous or look Righteous and God forbid sometimes don't even act Righteous, Faith still reminds us of who we really are. We are the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus by Faith. By Faith, not works, not performance, not being perfect. 

 Faith is one of the most vital truths a Christian should know, understand, grow in, and walk-in. In fact, three times in the New Covenant God reminds us that the Righteous live by Faith. We don't live by Law and Faith. It's not our performance and then a little Faith. It's not a little doubt and a little Faith. We live by Faith.

11 Now it is evident that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, for “The just shall live by faith.” Galatians 3:11 MEV

 Faith is the means by which we receive all God has for us. Grace makes and Faith takes. The beautiful part of this is the fact that God also gives us His Faith in order to live this New and Living Way. 

...but the just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4b MEV

 We live by His Faith, not something we drum up or strive to achieve. His Faith not our own.

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, Ephesians 2:8 MEV

 This Faith is not of yourself but the gift of God. God has dealt to all the same measure of Faith. God is a Good God.

 Faith is alive. Faith speaks, it agrees with God. Faith knows, it knows God's will and ways because it comes from the Word and promises of God and the Finished Work of Christ. Faith grows, the more we feed on God's Word the stronger our Faith. 

 In summation, we have a better way in this New Covenant. Grace made a new way, cut a New Covenant. Faith is now the New and Living Way we live under the New. Our Righteousness is received by Faith not works. Our fellowship with God is based on His Love, His Grace, and our Faith agreeing with and freely receiving from Him. We can have confident Faith, that God honors our Faith, but it's not faith in our Faith but rather Faith in His Faith and Finished Work. 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Still Another Mistaken Idea: The Remnant Church

  13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.” Mark 7:12 NKJV

    In our last study, we debunked yet another mistaken idea perpetuated onto the Body of Christ, that Luke 6:38 is referencing finances. It seemed good this week to continue addressing these mistaken ideas. Mistaken ideas about God, what His Word says, and how He sees us, brings much error and wrong thinking in the minds of believers the whole world wide. 

 Today, I want to address the mistaken idea of the remnant church. In Spirit-filled, Charismatic, Pentecostal, "prophetic", spiritual warfare centered, end time focused, churches, and ministries the phrase remnant church is spoken of often. I heard it often when I was in Bible College. 

 The idea expressed is that there are a select group of Christians, who in the last days as Jesus returns, are found to be the most faithful. The truest of believers. The most sincere, the most obedient, the most spiritual. Those who've "kept all the commandments" and honor God most by their living. 

 The preacher would shout it from the stage. God has always had a people within a nation. A family within a family. A Church within the Church! These were the most committed of believers. Those proclaiming this idea generally were certain they were part of this "remnant church." As for the rest of us, they weren't so sure. 

 This begs the question, so what must one do to be more accepted and favorable to God? What must one do to find God more approving? What must one do to find God treat them differently, or look upon them more fondly? What must one do to be a part of these more special believers?

 This teaching also begs the question, is accepting and believing in Christ no longer enough? After we believed, it's still not enough? We need to do more to be found in the more accepted group?

Heaven has no VIP Lounge

 In our human experience, that is, as long as mankind has been on Earth, there have always been sects and cliques and VIPs. It's in our thinking. Night clubs, fraternities, sororities, parties all have some type of measuring line they use of who gets in or doesn't. The Good News of Jesus has a different measuring line.

 The Good News Gospel of Jesus Christ measuring line is whosoever will may come. The "cool", the popular, the rich, the affluent, the poor, the downtrodden, the hopeless, the "loser", the "dork", the "nerd", the "geek", the unpopular, the tall, the fat, the thin, the pretty, the ugly, no matter what list you create, all are welcome with open arms to the Father's house! Whosoever may come. You are a whosoever.

 Heaven has no VIP Lounge. God doesn't have any popular kids and unpopular. He will always pick you for His team. Even better, He picks you first! He saw you and chose you. He gave His own Son for you. All who believe and receive the free gift of Grace, are VIPs to God.

 This idea that there is a more special class of believers has already been debunked by Jesus Himself. The mother of James and John petitioned Jesus for the privilege of sitting on His right and left when He came to His kingdom. This was a status position in the eyes of men. Jesus said the one who serves is the most honorable. 

 They asked who is the greatest in the kingdom? Jesus answered saying, become like this child. A child cannot fend for themselves. They are dependant on their parents for sustenance, shelter and provision and protection. Interesting, that Jesus showed them that becoming dependant on God apart from their own doing is what made them great. Jesus is showing us that Grace is great, not ourselves or our performance.

 There are a couple places where the word remnant is found in the New Testament. All the word remnant means is a part of the whole. It doesn't mean special ones. In Romans 9, Paul is speaking of the physical deliverance of Israel. 

 In Romans 11, Paul addresses the part of the whole of Israel who has accepted their Messiah. What is amazing, is in the context of this mention of a remnant, is the Bible definition of Grace. 

 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. Romans 11:6 NKJV

 God looks upon us with Love and goodness. His Goodness. He beams with pride when He sees us, His Church. He has made us accepted into the Beloved. We need to embrace this light. The light of how God truly sees us and rejoices over us. He has made us Righteous, accepted, and approved with the Father once for all time. 

 Our belief in Christ is enough. We need not seek to attain to some special level in Christ. We need not strive to be more pleasing, more favored, more accepted, more loved, more righteous, and more saved. 

 When we received Jesus, we were completely recreated in Him. We were made perfectly Righteous in Christ. We were forgiven once for all time for all of our sins, past present, and future. We were made eternally secure, never ever to lose or forfeit our salvation no matter what.

 Having received all of God's fullness within our spirit, made holy once for all time, certainly, we encourage growth and maturity in Christ. Of course, we desire to grow up in Christ. We desire to mature, learn to discern right and wrong, learn to avoid sins, and overcome temptation. This is all right and good, but these don't make us better or more "special" to God our Father. 

 God, our Good Father, knew us from the time we drew our first breath and knows when we will draw our last. He has seen beforehand all the times we would fail, foul-up, fall down, blow it, plain sin. Yet He still chose us. He still wants us. Jesus is the full expression of God's Grace and everlasting mercy. 

 In summation, we are not trying to attain to some special level in God. We need not try to become some sort of Christian VIP group. When we received Jesus, that was enough. We're eternally His. Rest in the Grace and goodness of God. 

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