I published Bible Journey in hopes to encourage people to get to know the truth for themselves. Christianity is more than religion. It's a relationship with God The Father through Jesus Christ His Son. It's something personal. Personal knowledge of Jesus Christ will change your life! Yes, going to church will help. But taking God home will transform you! The scripture that resonated in my heart while writing my first book came from 2 Peter 3:18 NiRV: "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Get to know Him better." How do you get to know God or anyone better? By spending alone time with them.
I have no greater desire than to see lives transformed through the Bible. I really want people to know who they really are. Our true identity is found in Jesus Christ. You were not created to live a mediocre life. You were not created to be average. God has created us in His image. You're fearfully and wonderfully made. You're the head and not the tail, above and not beneath, a lender and not a borrower. You're a seed of Abraham and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. You're royalty! You're in this world but not of this world. As Jesus is so are YOU in this world. Greater is He that in you than he that is in this world. You're a supernatural being with the blood of Jesus running through your veins. The same power that raised Him from the dead is living on the inside of YOU!
But how can one truly believe this? By reading and believing the Word. You have to first know and learn about the truth in the Bible. Then choose to believe it. If you want to know God's plans for your life, you're going to have to read about it in His Word and receive it by believing that those promises belong to you. You can't just be a hearer of the Word. You must also be a doer if you want to see God's promises come to pass in your life. Bible Journey is all about your willingness to apply what you learn from God personally through Bible study, prayer, visions, prophecies and so on. God is all powerful. Yet, He gave us power to be like Jesus Christ! He's done everything but forced Himself on us. He's given us choices in life. He's a gentlemen. He's waiting for us to act. He's already moved. Jesus' finished work on the cross is finished forever. He's at rest on His glorious throne in heaven.
God has revealed these truths to me. Like I said earlier, He confirms His Word repeatedly. Recently, I began rereading the gospels according to the direction of the Holy Spirit. I've been hearing sermon after sermon from different anointed pastors that all mention the same thing. Most importantly, I keep seeing the same scriptures in my Bible. That's no coincidence. That's God's power at work in my life!
Take a look at today's sermon from my Pastor, Dr. Creflo Dollar of WCCI. The sermon is titled, The Balance of Grace and Faith Pt6.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ," Ephesians 1:3 NASB
Daily, I confess that I'm blessed with every spiritual blessing and that I'm seated with Christ in heavenly places. Christ lives in me because I'm a born-again believer. Right now, I'm on earth and not yet in heaven. But I believe that I can have a slice of heaven on earth because the Word says that Jesus came to give me life more abundantly (John 10:10). I don't have to wait until I get to heaven to receive all of God's blessings. Jesus didn't just die for my salvation. His body was broken for my life to be made whole in every area while I dwell here on this earth. Jesus is in heaven now seated on His throne. However, He sent the Holy Spirit to come live in me. So as Jesus is, so am I in this world!
"And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ." Philemon 1:6 NLT
Key words: PUT INTO ACTION
God's promises don't just automatically come into our lives. Otherwise, we wouldn't need faith. But we have to receive them by faith because that's our duty as believers. That means that we don't doubt or just sit around and do nothing. Grace says, I believe what God has done and I take it even though I don't deserve it. We take it by believing that promise by knowing what that promise means and where it's located at in the Bible. We confess that scripture and stand on it. We don't just expect God to respond to us when we're not even obeying His Word. God is good and He performs miracles. But He Sent Jesus to give abundant life so that we don't have to ever lack any good thing. All in all, you have to understand what God has for you in order to believe it.
I've prayed and have written Bible Journey for you to truly know His purpose for your life. You're His child and He wants to take care of you. He created you for His pleasure. He wants to get to know you and for you be a child that's full of faith—that works. Adam walked with God and knew God. Yet, He had a part to play: dominate the earth and not eat from the forbidden tree. Today, we are to walk with God and freely take what He has given. Take His Word for what it is! Believe it. Don't expect for God to bless you in every way if you don't even know what blessings He has for you. Do you know that He loves you so very much?! He has NO plans to harm you. He can't ever tempt you because His nature is to love. Satan is the temper. God doesn't want you in lack, sick, sad or defeated. The Bible says, He wants you to prosper above all things (3 John 1:2). But you wouldn't know that and truly stand on it if you didn't hear it from God for yourself.
Are you aware of what God has made available?
"Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring--not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all." Romans 4:16 NIV
"that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!)" Ephesians 2:5 NLT
"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God." Ephesians 2:8 NLT
Grace (God's part) makes. Faith (our part) takes!
Whatever that God has made available (in His Word) is available to whatever Christian that believes. Everything that God has made, we must respond positively in faith. If you want to see the manifestation of God's promises you must respond in faith.
Your response is either making you or breaking you!
Examples
46 Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road.
47 When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him.
But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.”
So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!”
50 Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.
“My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!”
52 And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.
Because this man had faith for healing in Jesus Christ, he became healed. He responded with cheer and not fear and doubt.
Jesus Walks on Water (Mark 6:45-52 NLT)
45 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home.
46 After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.
47 Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land.
48 He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them,
49 but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost.
50 They were all terrified when they saw him.
But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here!”
51 Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed,
52 for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in.
Jesus told His disciples not to fear even in the midst of chaos. The disciples feared for their lives and didn't put their faith to action. They didn't realize that they were with the same Jesus who had recently fed the 5,000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish! Moral of the two examples, we have no reason to fear or doubt God's plans for our lives. We've seen God show up before so we can expect to see Him continually bless us by recalling what He's done for us in the past.
But we have to gain knowledge of the good things in His Word and continually hear them so that we can have faith to stand until we receive them.
Renew your mind. As a man thinks, so is he (Proverbs 23:7). Choose to think what God thinks about you! Then you'll receive everything that you believe Him for according to His Word. Praise Jesus!
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