Newsletter 1:10:00
BELIEVING GOD'S PROVISION
The media loves to talk recession, and doom and gloom. It seems every time I watch the news on TV, or pick up a newspaper, there is evil reports about the current economic situation. But at the same time, on early television, there has been teaching on prosperity and testimonies of supernatural provision and debt cancellation.
I remember some time back when there was an increase in the cases of meningitis, and the media was full of it. One morning, on Believers Voice of Victory, they shared the testimony of Ken & Gloria Copeland's Grandaughter, who ended up in intensive care with meningitis, and the doctors had given up hope. But they continued to stand on God's promises, and the child was totally and miraculously healed. That very evening, there was a fear promoting item on the Television news about meningitis. The difference had never been more obvious to me - between the world's viewpoint, and the believer's. We have to choose who we are going to believe.
That child was healed, not because the Copelands are Christians. Not because they are in the ministry, etc. That child was healed because they chose to stand on God's promise, and refused to accept any evidence to the contrary. No, I didn't say they ignored it. They addressed the situation in the natural, and sought the help of medical professionals. But they refused to accept the medical opinion and evidence as the final say.
It's those crisis situations - it's in your 'zero hour' - when you get to find out what you really believe in your heart.
Last week we talked about some of the factors that can stand between you, and the provision that God wants you to enjoy. And I quoted 3John 2: that we will prosper and be in health, as our soul prospers.
In Matthew 14 when Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, he was walking by faith. Jesus had spoken: "Come!" and Peter had the courage and boldness to move out on the strength of His word.
However, Matthew's account tells us that when Peter saw the wind roughing up the water, he began to sink. Does that mean that Jesus' word had lost it's power? Isaiah 55:11 "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth. It shall not return to Me void (empty) but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." That word that Jesus spoke contained within itself the power to bring it to pass. But when Peter began to consider the circumstances, he gave them equal authority as the word - he began to put as much faith in the circumstances as he had given Jesus' word. Peter was a fisherman. He had spent much of his life on the water - and he knew the sea. When Jesus caught him, He asked him: "Why did you doubt?" In the original manuscripts, the Greek word for doubt is 'distazo' which literally means: 'to stand in two ways.'
James 1:6 tells us that a double minded man is unstable in all his ways. "Let not that man think that he will receive anything from the Lord." Now, Peter did have faith in his heart. But his mind was still leaning to the circumstances - that which he had learned from training and experience. Much of what we know and believe today is based on experience. Let me try to explain how that can become a problem. (Holy Ghost, Help!)
I don't know about you, but I'm out for increase in my life. I would like to think there is more of God in my life now than there was last year. I would like to think my faith is increasing, and that I am learning more and more to tap into the supernatural - the spiritual realm of God's blessing. Now, those experiences that have become a part of my knowledge base - they relate not just to the circumstances at the time, but they also relate to the light that I was walking in at the time.
As I learn more about God's precious promises, learn to walk in His covenant of provision and protection, then those experiences are no longer truly relevant. Especially B.C. (before I was born again) they are totally irrelevant. Today I am a blood washed, blood bought, born again, spirit filled child of the Most High God. "Therefore, if any is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new." (2Corinthians 5:17)
If I don't renew my knowledge base, but continue to let my experiences be the foundation of what I believe, then I will continue to live, walk and think like the old man - who because he is of the world, lives under the dictates of the course of this world. (Ephesians 2:2)
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This from last week's newsletter: : "Romans 8 tells us the carnal, natural mind is at enmity with God - at cross purposes, opposed to. This is evident in the area of provision more than any other."
A prosperous soul is having the mind of Christ. Which we have - that is, it is made available to us. Through the new birth we have access to the realm of the spirit, God's realm, and He has given us a manufacturers handbook, to gain insight and understanding into that realm. A prosperous soul is the ability to see things from that spiritual perspective, God's viewpoint.Peter responded to his new man in desiring to walk on the water, to conquer and override the course of the natural world. But he was influenced by the old man when he allowed the wind to scare him. He was unable to
receive because the word was no longer first place in his life! Jesus accused the scribes and Pharisees of: "making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down." (Mark 7:13) In context He is referring to their teachings, but this is a bible truth that can be applied to any area of life. I understand that in the original Greek the words 'to no effect' literally mean 'powerless, or Lordless." Peter made the word of Jesus powerless and 'Lordless' through his tradition - the thinking and believing of the old man had been handed down to the new man, and cancelled out the word.
It takes courage and commitment to hold fast to God's promises of provision when the bills are staring you in the face. To be believing for prosperity when all the circumstances - your financial position, your income, the economic climate, the local economy - are stacked up against it. It takes guts to give and to sow seed and be thinking of harvest and increase when everything around you is screaming decrease and lack. I know a couple in ministry today, that went to Rhema Bible Training Centre in Perth - they were instrumental in getting us turned on to the word and also going to Rhema. After they had graduated, they believed that the Lord had instructed them to return to N.Z. They didn't have sufficient funds to get all the way home. So they took what they had and went as far as it would take them.
She was pregnant, and they had a babe about 6 months old. They bought tickets to Melbourne, and climbed on a bus - with no further plan or provision. All they had was the conviction that it was God's will for them to return to N.Z, so He would provide. And He did!
As with the area of healing, God's provision is first a spiritual truth, forever settled in heaven. As Jesus spoke the word to Peter, He has spoken the word to us: "Come!" Get out of the boat and walk - into a land I have prepared for you. A land of milk and honey, of provision and prosperity.
I know precious people that have caught the vision. And they have begun to get involved with God's promise of provision by tithing and giving. They have stepped out on the water. But many have become discouraged because it seemed like there was no harvest.
But as we get out of the boat and walk on the water, we had better know, the circumstances will speak to us too. And so will the old man - the traditional thinking he has handed down to us. We had better settle who we are going to believe before we get out of the boat.
We have to be determined to sail through the storms. To stay single minded on God's word. And if we do begin to sink, we need to do what Peter did, and gab a hold of God. Hang onto that promise because your quality of life depends on it. Let go, and you will sink or be carried away on the currents of life!
Peter wasn't really walking on the water, He was walking on the word!
ANOINTED MINISTRY
Luke Tamu will be ministering at Taipa School Hall Fri - Sun nights 19-22 Oct (Labour weekend) at 7pm, Sat 8am Breakfast meeting at D.B.Baptist ($5.00 head - book with me) and Sun10:30am Taipa.
MUSIC
Fish Christian music program will be on TV Sunday 8 & 15th Oct 9am channel one
- Steve & Jenny
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