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| Belief's Opposing Force - Part 5 |
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Belief's Opposing Force - Part 5
I concluded Part 4 of this series by touching base on the power of prayer and fasting. Prayer and fasting are two of the major keys to driving out unbelief. The reason that prayer and fasting are so effective is because they cause us to step outside of our five senses. In others words, when we pray, and we fast, we are denying our flesh the opportunity to control us. We begin to draw more on the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit, the knees of our physical circumstances begin to buckle and bow to the greater truth, spiritual reality, life abundant.
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Jesus' teaching in Nazareth paints a perfect picture of this truth.:
And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. 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.
We can no longer look at Jesus, or any man for that matter, based entirely on what we can see or experience in the physical realm. There is a greater reality. A reality that lies within, yet without.
So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!
Here is what I consider to be a classic example:
When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him. Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, “Can you see anything now?”
Woe unto thee,Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Apparently Bethsaida was one of the most unreceptive cities that Jesus had ministered in. Unbelief running ramped. Woe to those that do not believe.
Now back to the blind man. This man by the way, was the only man that had to be prayed for twice. Their unbelief was that strong. Let's look:
The man looked around. “Yes,” he said, “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.” Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly.
while he had in fact gotten the man out of the town,
he had not gotten all of the town out of the man.
And then Jesus gives us a clue as to why some people seem to lose their healing:
Jesus sent him away, saying, “Don’t go back into the village on your way home.”.
Be careful of the company you keep my friends. It may in fact be time to find another village. Of course this does not necessarily mean literally the place where you live, but it does mean the place where you dwell. Where you pitch your tent can and will determine whether the wolves discover you. Familiarity breeds contentment. Contentment can lead to complacency. And complacency will leave you sick and suffering right where the Lord found you. Who's village are you visiting today?
Wow, once again I have gotten so long-winded that I never got around to my discussion on fasting and the many benefits thereof. I suppose that will have to be Part 6. But I can say that some of us, OK, well, two of us, are going to begin a 10-day fast on December 9th. Faith without works is dead. If you care to join in or need additional information, feel free to message me or stay tuned for the the follow-up.
Believe my friends. Believe and ye shall receive!
In love,
Michael
See Part 6
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| To add a comment to "Belief's Opposing Force - Part 5" |
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| December 03, 2008 |
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| WOW!!!!WOW indeed.Thanks Michael... |
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| December 03, 2008 |
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Yes. Herein is the fear of the Lord: we can limit God in our family, in our assembly, in our neighborhood, in our world (the one we individually live in from our unique perspective). The sovereign God has said: Genesis 1:26
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." The sovereign God has given this earth to men and will therefore do nothing on it except through men. So it is with evil too...it always come through men. The unbelief of a neighborhood can require that a man come out of it to be healed. In spite of what people do we must always remain focused upon the God mentioned in Psalms 2. If we get to the place where we no longer hear the laughter then we have become a part of the problem. We have to remember that in spite of Israel's unbelief and hardness of heart that God accomplished His good will and purpose. He cannot be thwarted, but we can prevent ourselves from being the people through whom He accomplishes His will...we will perish in the wilderness...others will be raised up to enter the good land. Blessings!
Craig |
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| December 03, 2008 |
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First what Jimmy said, this is my favorite of the series right now!...Man was this awesome!...Your examples were pointed and precise, I don't see how ANYONE can not see what you wrote and this is something that is not talked about a lot...How others how unbelief can affect our lives, Yes who we hang with makes a difference, Yes, what we read makes a difference, Yes, what we watch makes a difference. Not having the TV on but just worship music has made a tremendous difference in my life. The books I read the tape series I listen to, and I'm always listening to something makes a tremendous difference...
When your sick if you hear someone say bless your heart but God must be teaching you something, you must be strong...we need to know that is not of the Lord, God never ever used sickness to teach us something but yet Christ used healing to teach us a lot....
I have mentioned this story before and it is appropriate here...my sister has two children die in one day in separate instances, one was a baby that she delivered early at 5 months, the other was her oldest child that was shot and killed less than 10 hours later, at her oldest funeral a woman came up and said to her, "You must be strong...God must know how strong you are to deal with this cause most people couldn't, He won't give you anything you can't bear" don't forget that" My sister is not saved I KNEW if those words penetrated her heart she might never get saved, who wants to serve a God that takes two children from you, cause "your strong" Give me a break, where the heck did this philosophy come from?
I grabbed my sister and I looked her in the eyes and boldly said, Cheryl, God DID NOT do this to you, this is not about you being strong, NO ONE, NO ONE should ever have to live through this day, Satan is the author if sickness and disease, and death, NOT GOD, Jesus came and died on a cross for days just like today, for you to know He is acquainted with grief, and He loves you like no one else...don't ever forget THAT. I looked at that lady and said, I'm sorry, I know your just trying to comfort my sister and who has the words for this situation, but GOD DID NOT DO THIS....GOD IS GOOD...
See the problem with Christians going around and attributing works to God that are clearly not His can be literally salvation for some people, it goes beyond healing, and redemption, sometimes it is a war for souls and we better be SURE as Christians we are representing our FATHER the way we should, if you can't do that then your best to say nothing until you really get who God is....GOD FORBID I ever with my words lead someone AWAY from Him, but isn't that what others do when they don't bring to remembrance that He is a healer, He is a redeemer, He is truly our salvation....OK, stepping off the soap box, you can see I feel very emotional about this....but this one...I know in my heart I am right about....Lets all begin to proclaim who Christ is and what he did...and lets all realize the love the Father has for each one of us... |
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| December 03, 2008 |
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That's true Lori. I would have--and still would--done what you did with respect to what the lady said. The fact is that your sister's children died but they are not dead. We too will fall asleep in the Lord but we will never die. Bad things happen to good people but God takes what is meant for evil and makes it work for good...that is the awesomeness of God. Like you said, and Jesus said: there is only One who is good and that is God. There are things that Jesus doesn't tell us right away because we cannot bear them. The fact remains that it is always a dead-end to start with a circumstance and then let that be the judge as to whether God is good or not. We will never go wrong, ultimately, when we start with the absolute presupposition that God is good and then ask for understanding. I'm sure, like me, that you have noticed that God never shows up for the trials that we hold for Him. He will not, and does not, justify himself before our standard of what is good and what is evil. The best place to start is always, "God, I do not understand...but I know that you are good and your mercy and faithfulness never fail." I am reminded of C. S. Lewis' experience with the death of his dearly beloved wife. He came to believe that, that was the mercy of God for him, because--in my understanding of the story--he came to see that he loved his wife more than he loved God. And you know what? C. S. Lewis and his beloved wife are now together in the presence of the Lord. We are never in a position to see what is truly good and what is truly evil and that is why we must humble our self and come to the One who is. A change of subject here Lori, Michale, and Rob. I completely understand the frustration and pain that knowledge, understanding, and wisdom bring to us at first. It is very frustrating to pour out your heart to people who will not hear it and will then turn and trample what you've given. To watch as people you love choose to walk down a path that will lead to their perishing in the wilderness: whether it's with respect to healing or living a victorious Christian life. It is very easy to then start looking at people as being your enemy and also to somehow begin to think that Christ is not really Lord of the entire circumstance. I have been guilty of this and got to the point where all I could see was what was wrong with everything that the church was doing. The songs were wrong, the people were wrong, the Pastor was wrong, the focus was wrong, on and on. And the fact was that the things I was seeing were true; but I had lost sight of the One who is building the body! The sower sows the word...God gives the increase. Doesn't God have the right to do with our life what he wants to do? How could Joshua and Caleb live forty years in the midst of a people doomed to perish in the wilderness without becoming depressed and not start whining "I could have been in the land 5 [10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 39] years ago if it wasn't for you!"? I believe that it was because they never lost their focus on who God is and His absolute wisdom and goodness! The worshiped Him in whatever circumstances they found themselves! [Meaning, not that they just sang songs to Him, but that they bowed down their understanding and reasoning before Him and acknowledge the beauty of His Holiness: His absolute goodness and righteousness.] Therefore I have come to the place where I am completely content and at peace in the circumstances I find myself. Though no one I currently know goes with me I know that the Lord of the assembly is the head over all things and if folks don't go in it isn't because He has failed it is because they reject His abundant mercy and grace that He extends to them through many different people. We become the genuine partakers of His suffering because that is exactly how He felt as He wept for Jerusalem. So all I'm saying is don't do like I did and begin to let knowledge and understanding make you judgemental and frustrated. :-) Been there done that...learn from my mistake...not from your own. :-) Sincerely yours in Him,
Craig |
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| December 04, 2008 |
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Lori,
I have heard that story of your sister before, as you well know. But each time I hear it I am reminded more and more of the goodness of God and I am so glad that you took a stand on that day. Like, Craig, I feel as though I would have, and still would, do the same exact thing. The following verse comes to mind each time I hear you speak of this:
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
"When your sick if you hear someone say bless your heart but God must be teaching you something, you must be strong...we need to know that is not of the Lord, God never ever used sickness to teach us something but yet Christ used healing to teach us a lot...."
God, at one time, did in fact use sickeness and disease as a means of getting through to us. But thank you Jesus, he does not deal with us in that manor any longer. The War is Over!
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect
God's will for us is good.
God's will for us is pleasing.
And, God's will for us is perfect!
Thank you again!
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| December 04, 2008 |
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Great words of wisdom there Craig!
You said a lot of things here.
"To watch as people you love choose to walk down a path that will lead to their perishing in the wilderness: whether it's with respect to healing or living a victorious Christian life. It is very easy to then start looking at people as being your enemy and also to somehow begin to think that Christ is not really Lord of the entire circumstance."
I do in fact agree with the jist of what you are saying. My heart bleeds for my children, my two sisters, and her children, and many others, as they have not yet come to a place where they need the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They have their own gods, and that troubles me. But I do not consider them, or anyone else, to be my enemy. While my enemy may in fact be operating through them, they themselves be friends, not foe. Christ is indeed Lord over all! I am just excited about some of the things the Lord has taught me and I want to share these with others in hopes that the Holy Spirit will speak it to them. I have merely tossed the seed.
In this series I have been talking about the hindrance of unbelief, or wrong belief, that can block the blessings of God. Yes, there has been quite a emphasis on healing. But I do not consider healing, or finances, or really anything I have discussed in this blog to be heaven or hell issues. This blog was written to those of "like precious faith".
There is a sin of unbelief that it most definitely a matter of salvation. (John 16:9). And I also think that causing other to have unbelief is a terrible wrong. It would be better for some to have a large millstone tied around their necks and then tossed into the sea.
I certainly hope I do not come across as judgmental. I also hope that people don't see me, as though I see them, as enemies. If that's the case, I would consider some timely advice as lovely as golden apples in a silver basket.
"So all I'm saying is don't do like I did and begin to let knowledge and understanding make you judgemental and frustrated. Been there done that...learn from my mistake...not from your own."
That's pretty golden right there Craig. I have all ideas that I can, and hopefully will, learn quite a bit from you. Thanks!
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Gotta run for now, see ya!
P.S. - Lori and I are going to begin a ten-day cleansing fast on Sunday the 7th. for all who care to partake.
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| December 12, 2008 |
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Hey Michael and all Y'all, Thank you for such a fantastic feast of The Truth's of God !
Rob sent me a message about your blog Michael, I'm just now, on fri. the 12th, catching up and can't contain myself any longer!
Gotta share a illustration from my "kid's Church" days.
The written Word of God is to provide to us a "operators manual" to keep our earthly vehicle (Spirit, Soul,and Body),out of the ditches that are on either side of the straight and narrow.
In your blogs about unbelief Michael, some of the frustrating examples we have run into with ourselves, and other brothers and sisters in The Lord, is the balance/unbalance of The Word in "our belief system" as Lori called it.
In The Word of God, we have verses to show us we are but a nasty Caterpillar,(one ditch), and other verses to show us we are beautiful Butterflies through Christ Jesus,(the other ditch). This is just one of many examples of types of ditches.
The trouble with many of us is by the time we get enough of The Rema Word of God to get us out of one ditch, we many times shoot over to the other ditch and miss the straight and narrow.
We can be rooted and grounded in "the Butterfly dutch" so much that we are without the ness. Love of God to get us onto the straight and narrow, thank you for that insightful reminder Craig.
We do grow and learn as God Almighty gives to us the knowledge and understanding, all on a very individual basis.
I sure did learn a whole heaping helping bunch of good stuff in these Blogs Michael. Especially in this one! I had never seen that before with the understanding of Craig's point about the dominion of man in localities. I've heard about the demonic dominion, and when God's kingdom comes into a area like with Finny's revivals, but this is good stuff Maynard !
One more point, when I've been sharing with others about the goodness of our God, the spirit of unbelief will raise up in some to where they will look at the one or two examples that point doubt to the Truth I'm sharing, instead of looking at what God said about it and the overwhelming quantity of examples showing the positive in the written Word of God. They may have to leave that place "and come out" before they can see the Truth of God's word for them, not because of them personally, but the belief (or unbelief) system that they are a part of will not let them "See". Again, thank you Craig for jump-starting that thought.
Gotta get to the next Blog Michael! |
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