Be Positive

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Keep A Word of Faith In Your Mouth
By
Dr. PJ Edmund, Sr.,
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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King
James Version of the Bible.
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the New International Version
Bible.
BE POSITIVE
Keep A Word Of Faith In Your Mouth
Copyright © 2017 by PJ Edmund, Sr.,
Published by
SWEEDIEGERALD PUBLISHING HOUSE
PO Box 394
Bowie, Maryland 20719
All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.
Contents and/or cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form
without the express written consent of the Publisher.
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CONTENTS
Introduction
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Faith That Can Handle Eventualites
Faith That Is Made For The Negative
Faith That Makes Demands
Faith That Will Not Fail
Faith That Has Stipulations
Faith That Is Never Crushed
Faith No Matter What We Are In
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INTRODUCTION
While the subject of faith has been handled extensively by many it
still remains of central importance and relevance in our
relationship to God. The discussion of it, understanding of it and
reliance upon it, through the centuries of human existence has
not changed the vitality and mystery of it. My reflection in this
area is simply to underscore how relevant faith in God is today as
it has always been. Yet we can never exhaust this particular area
of the believer’s existence which remains under constant attack
by the defector of the faith, who by means of spiritual warfare
would fight the very thing that brings reality and meaning to our
destiny. The enemy is not consumed by our things, our
possessions nor our accomplishments, but consumed by the thing
that brings all of these things into reality for the believer, our
faith. The platform and definitive guide concerning faith for the
purpose of this writing is centered on the great Hebrews 11
rendering.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of
things not seen” – Hebrews 11:1
Faith then means we assume the confidence of things being real
while knowing they are real based upon the confidence that we
have in God and His ability to stand behind the evidence of that
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reality. Being able to see what we have confidence in becomes
irrelevant when the power of God is visible and operative. Our
faith by connection to God materializes in the actions we take, the
choices we make and the decisions we undertake.
Faith is the principle and foundation for all success. It is central to
the survival of all of us that believe. In many ways the places of
worship that are filled to capacity every weekend deliver
instruction in the understanding, the articulation and the
application of faith. I call these gatherings universities of faith
because they inspire learning about the central theme of our
existence and relationship with God. This is where we learn the
elements, the rudiments and the establishment of faith!
Be Positive Keep A Word of Faith in Your Mouth speaks to this
concept of the university of faith. It describes the many
empowering experiences that we must complete to continue to
build faith. The path of faith is not always a linear one, meaning
beginning at one point and smoothly continuing to a final end. It is
the culmination of many journeys, eventualities and
recommitments. Each portion of the journey is unique. Each step,
success or set back draws on our individual resilience to continue
to climb toward our purpose.
“For we walk by faith and not by sight” – 2 Corinthians 5:7
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Walking by faith does not always predict the types of
circumstances that we will be challenged by. So in general terms
we must walk in faith disregarding what we walk through. This
challenges but also strengthens our ability to walk. What we see
naturally will challenge the pursuit of our goals, dreams and
ambitions. The journey often forces us to close our eyes,
becoming blind to what we see naturally and depend entirely on
what we believe spiritually.
Faith understands the process and the journey. Accomplishment
or completion does not always mean there have not been
adversities. It means that in spite of the adversities we have
prevailed. Every time we rebound, recover, resume or try again
we draw on another incredible level of faith. The power of God
reactivates the energy to return to the mindset and belief system
that is necessary to achieve the reality of our faith.
What does it take to start over and begin faith dependence again?
How do we reassemble ourselves, put our best foot forward and
attempt to build again. We must all learn the skill of rapidly
releasing the failure or frustration of our past experiences and
take the painful but necessary steps to begin trusting God again!
Every believer has the power within to resurge, to rebound and to
re-engage the strength to reclaim focus and clarity. Recouping the
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power to forget what is behind us while reminding ourselves of
the future that is still ahead of us is the work of progressive faith.
It is one thing to recover from losing something. It is another thing
to call up the strength to go through the process of starting again.
We must learn how to harness the power of indifference and
rebound with even more determination and courage to reach
again for what we believe God has spoken in our lives.
With every step of faith, keep a word of faith in your mouth!
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Chapter 1
Faith that Can Handle Eventually
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them that are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28)
Relationship Rules
Faith ultimately means relationship with God. It is through the
blessing of faith that God reveals His divine character to us. It is
through purpose that God develops His character in us. To truly
exist in a faith relationship with Him, God establishes a set of rules
that guide us in our interaction with Him. When we do not
understand God’s relationship with us, then we become uncertain
about the promises, benefits, and legitimacy of that relationship.
We operate confidently and differently with God when it is clear
to us how God works. Because we are creatures of logic, cycles
and patterns when things go off script we attempt to regain that
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order to ensure life fits into a pattern that we are comfortable
with. Faith does not always respect the order of life or the order
of how things have always been. When faith faces uncertainty and
unpredictability it responds powerfully with innovation and
creativity. Faith in relationship to God is what we need as we are
never fully in control of where the will of God will take us. Even
when purpose is present, it does not always mean purpose is
clear. So we that are faithful seek the clarity of purpose not just
the power of purpose. Purpose discerns that there is a real and
valid plan for our lives, while faith trusts that the plan we are
committed to will accomplish what God has designed. Whatever
is revealed in our day it is still a part of that plan to bring us into
the fullness of what God intended by His will.
Purpose
God uses purpose, His divine thought process, to help us learn
how to relate to the relevancy of His planning. What amazes us
about purpose is the level of thought that God invests into the
planning and preparation of lives. Nothing is mistimed or
misplaced with purpose. His omniscience about the entire process
of our lives and calling gives our faith confidence to rely on the
initiation and execution of the plan. It is what our faith clings to
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whenever doubt creeps in to the thinking of the plan. It is the
level of thought that God puts into the purpose of our lives that
allows us to love Him confidently and serve Him passionately. So
well thought out is His purpose for us that His word in our lives is
already determined to bring to a conclusion what He has agreed
in the plan itself.
“For I know that thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord,
thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” –
Jeremiah 29:11
God releases His thoughts, purpose and plan for us well in
advance of the manifestation of those plans. God knows what He
has willed and purposed for us, the adversary knows what God
has willed and purposed for us, now our faith must come into the
confidence in His will and purpose for us. Our faith must come
into agreement with what God has already planned. When we
understand the level of his excellence and the level of his counsel
we enter into appreciation for His plan even when we still struggle
to get what His plan is accomplishing. If we are confident in Him
and His plan for us, even though the plan is not revealed, our faith
can relax in the truth that He knows!
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“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall
not return unto me void” – Isaiah 55:11
We can rely on the absolute faithfulness of God. However when
we speak of our faithfulness to God, we speak as if it is a badge
that we proudly wear indicating we have always been true to that
commitment. The truth is without the consistency of God, our
faith would have very little to connect to. It is not so much us
holding on to God, it is absolutely God holding on to us through
every stage of our faith development. We can be confident in His
word when dealing with God, receiving whatever He speaks,
whenever He speaks it. Our faith stands in the strength and
capability of God. If we know that His word has the capability to
perform and achieve its objectives, then we can reassured in
knowing that what God says will not create void but will create
fulfillment. There is no void in faith. There is no faith in void!
Intentionality
Everything that God does is intentional and everything that God
allows is intentional and everything to bring about the conclusion
or resolution of His purpose is intentional. Faith completely
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understands this. God’s purpose always possesses objectivity. It is
goal specific. When the objective of purpose is unclear we follow
the plan in our hearts. We that walk by faith are accustomed to
dealing with non specific purpose but specific goals. There is often
a disconnection between what God causes us to strive for and
how it relates to the purpose that we are called to. Faith will
always adhere to the path of trust. God solicits the best counsel in
the universe to finalize His purpose and plan. He counsels with
Himself and only Himself to bring to pass everything that He
preordains. Even when our faith is challenged, it is not being
challenged in isolation of the plan. God intends all eventualities to
play a role in the completion of His intended purpose.
“In whom also we have obtained an inheritance being
predestined according to the purpose of Him who worketh all
things after the counsel of His own will “(Ephesians 1:11)
What God purposes for our lives has been preplanned and
prepared. Interestingly, God plans the process outside the
framework of our knowledge and understanding. Typically our
faith often has to walk through life without the specific details
that support the plan. God prefers the option of placing the ability
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to handle the details that He has not disclosed to us within our
spirit. Faith is big picture thinking! Sincere and true faith is never
weakened by what we see. The opposite is true. True faith is
strengthened by visible challenges and struggles. Accomplishing
the goals of faith is made beneficial by what our faith conquers to
accomplish. Since our relationship with God is spiritual, by His
spirit we receive the assurance of the outcome while still facing it.
We should not take the strategic attacks on our faith personally.
This attack happens to bring focus and clarity to the purpose and
plan of God and increases our faith, not diminish it.
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Chapter 2
Faith That’s Made for the Negative
“For which cause we faint not, but though the outward man perish, yet the
inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16)
Nurturing Faith
Faith requires nurturing. The survivability of our faith has been
proved immeasurably. What handle in life has certainly tested the
resolve and character of who we are. It takes character to be
successful. It takes character to be faithful. Life with all of its
complications and nuances stretch the structure and quality of
our faith. The quality of our faith is nurtured through extensive
testing. The quality of our faith cannot be diminished or lost by
virtue of our testing. It is enhanced and deepened by the positive
and negative situations that God prescribes for us to pass
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through. Understand it is always a passing through. We are not
residents of our situations but momentary tenants spending a
little time to receive character adjustments. What we go through
is one perspective of the journey, how we survived what we went
through is a different perspective of the faith journey. When we
reflect over the past there is one thing that is common to all of us
and that is we are survivors. The totality of our human experience
must be judged rather than the individual challenges that our
faith has endured. When you consider the individual challenges it
presents a different appreciation for what it is that we have
overcome. When we consider the entire journey including all of
its eventualities we realize that our faith has championed success
consistently through every stage of our growth.
Survival
It is the survival attitude of faith that is predominantly expressed
in 2 Corinthians 4:16 as Paul relates our earthly struggles to the
indifferent domain in which we live. There is a faith that discerns
where we are in the process of our faith journey. Our faith is
instrumental if not critical to our achieving the actualization of
purpose. Faith presents for the believer an inner and outer
struggle. Our faith must deal with two ideologies sharing one
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experience. The inner ideology deals with the relationship of faith
and how we use that faith to draw on God. The outer ideology is
environmentally linked and deals with how we relate to the world
in which our faith must survive in. Ideology generally speaks to
the way in which we think or develop relationships in the worlds
in which we live. Our faith life is of the word, while everything else
around us is of the world. Our faith develops an ideal concept
derived from the strength of God’s word to live and survive in the
world environment. While we live in the earth, we think, decide
and discern utilizing faith principles from the word of God. The
kingdom of this world cannot provide the gifting necessary to
excel in God’s Kingdom. Faith draws from the Kingdom of Heaven
utilizing the principles, precepts and strategies that promote faith.
One ideology deals with the conceptual thinking of the outer or
sensory and sensual individual, while the other ideology deals
with the thinking and behavior of the inward or sentient
individual. That which is in us will always conquer that which is
around us.
Sensory and Sentient
Our outer man is sensorial and decides the outcome of every
choice from a sensorial perspective. The limitation of the sensorial
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system is that it cannot discern beyond the scope and ability of its
faculties. If our sight cannot visualize an object, the conclusion we
draw is that the object is not there. The sensorial system only
benefits us when things are in range of that system. When things
exist outside of the range of that system it is undetectable even
though it exists.
Our inward man is sentient and decides the outcome of every
choice from the conscious and spiritual perspective. We deal with
our environment through the consciousness and spirit of God by
believing in the leading and direction of faith. Faith is the only
solution to the dilemmas in the earth realm.
Humanity and Divinity
These ideologies are best depicted in the life of Christ because He
existed as both human and divine. Christ simultaneously lived in
both environments. He drew His humanity from his human
mother Mary but drew His divinity from His divine father which
was God. The life of Christ teaches us that despite the human
tendency to outward evil, there is a greater potential for good
accomplished through faith. To accomplish this in our lives God
looks beyond the outward behavior to consider our inner divine
potential. Jesus being aware of the proclivity to perform evil and
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sin in humanity, still chose to redeem us by cleansing us from sin
and by bringing us into the righteousness of God.
“For He hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we
might be made the righteousness of God in Him” – 2 Corinthians
5:21
While Jesus existed in both the natural and the supernatural, His
spirit man remained dominant over the ideology of His flesh. So
then our faith does not rely on the strength of humanistic power
but is prominent and all powerful when connected to our divinity.
It is God in us that pushes us to greatness. It is our faith in God
that causes us release our divinity no matter what the
environmental condition presents.
The Attitude
It is the attitude towards the afflictions that we face which
enables our optimism about life to be positive. It is not that life
does not bring its own levels of challenges. Life always presents a
myriad of revolving situations that we all must deal with. It is the
attitudinal response to the affliction that makes the difference in
what we believe. We overrule our environmental afflictions and
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redirect them to give us an advantage over the negative
environment. We cannot be discouraged and our spirits cannot
sink under the weight of the afflictions. The attitude towards the
afflictions is based upon what our sentient spirit receives from
God. So when the afflictions happen in our environmental
situation, this is not what will ultimately continue to happen to us.
Our sensorial mind perceives that this condition will continue
without limit, but our sentient or faith spirit, which is connected
to God, declares the opposite. We shall prevail.
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The Promise
Chapter 3
Faith That Makes Demands on God
“Is anything too hard for God” (Genesis 18:14)
Faith is what God introduces to Abraham to begin the most
amazing journey of his life. It was not entirely inconceivable that
God would perform something great in the life of Abraham and
Sarah as He had indicated in Genesis chapter 12. Through the
intrigue and promise by faith God lures Abraham into a walk laden
with uncertainty. By faith, God calls Abraham out of the Ur of the
Chaldees, out of the heart of Mesopotamia with the guaranteed
promise of greatness. Destiny begins with an environmental
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change. The environment that we are accustomed to is an
environment of normality. When our environment transforms it is
significant to our destiny forming. To begin the path of destiny
God required a change of relationship with Abraham, a different
level of faith. Abraham is called from an idolatrous nation into
covenantal relationship and through covenantal relationship into
the full promise by faith. There must be movement when faith
begins to work, from one level of faith to another. Our faith must
be prepared to be evicted, to move out into the promise.
“And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and
make thy name great” – Genesis 12:2
God calls Abraham, a worshipper of idols into the new experience
of faith in God alone. No choices or preferences as to who to be
loyal to but developing loyalty to the one and only true God.
Abraham is a nomad searching for purpose and promise with no
one to guide him. His trust had always been in the power of his
own ingenuity being led by his own instincts and culture. The least
likely of candidates to inherit the assignment of world-wide
notoriety and greatness, yet he is selected by God. God knows
that faith is the game changer no matter who you are and what
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your perception of your future is. With God and faith it can be
done!
Move the Mind
Anytime God is involved in a thing the thing is predicted to work.
When God makes a promise to Abraham, as He promises to us,
the impossible becomes redundant. It does not move the mind
too much to grasp the fact that God had unimaginable plans
involving Abraham and Sarah. What moves the mind though, is
the timing and season in which the promise was promised. When
God promised Abraham the land of Canaan he was 75 years old.
When God promised Abraham the birth of Isaac he was 99 years
old. When God confirmed what was promised concerning Isaac,
Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah 99 years old. Considering
these conditions the mind must move because the age and health
complicates the delivery expectation of the promise. Yet God has
promised! Our faith is going to be challenged by the things that
God says contradictory to the situation in which it is promised.
God does have a tendency to defy the circumstances by revealing
the possibility by faith. Faith must be stirred. God then must move
our minds to believe what has been promised because where our
minds usually do not live in expectation. The mind of faith must
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participate at a time when physically and spiritually God has
moved the parameters in which we believe. It will take unusual
faith to receive unusual miracles.
We might consider Isaac’s conception possible perhaps when
Abraham was 75 years old. Physically and biologically the
conception would be in the scope of expectation. When God
suspends or even delays the season and time in which conception
is to take place, the mind of faith must move to consider the
possibility of something happening that has just been moved
outside the minds regular parameters.
“He considered not the deadness of his own body now old..” –
Romans 4:17)
The thinking here is that Abraham “considered not” what he
should have considered. To totally rely on his faith he had to
ignore the obvious which was he was too old to father a child
physically and biologically. When faith is to be employed
everything else needs to be fired! In fact it is when conditions are
not favorable that a higher expression of faith is required. Even
when dead things are present, or things that do not have life are
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called upon, faith is still alive! Our faith lives beyond the shelf life
of everything. Faith does not expire even when it has been
determined to be out dated or too late.
The situation of Abraham and Sarah was definitely complicated by
age and time. There now exists a set of circumstances and
conditions that causes us to begin to wonder how God is going to
bring this to pass. Our faith must anticipate God allowing
conditions and situations that require certain creativity and
innovation. When the circumstances do not make sense and our
normal levels of expectancy exceeded, faith is the only vehicle of
change.
Impossible Times and Unbelievable Faith
Imagine Abraham and Sarah thinking through this impossible
promise. So much so that upon hearing this promise concerning
the birth of Isaac it brings them both to utter and complete
laughter. It is a ludicrous suggestion that they could conceive a
child in their old age, when good physicality, much less
motivation, is necessary for the conception process. Faith is
essential for these impossible times in our lives when the miracle
defies the moment, and the ludicrous defies the times. It is
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typically humanly and biologically routine for individuals to
conceive between 20-40 years of age. Abraham and Sarah have to
consider conception in a completely foreign season. This natural
conception must first begin with spiritual conception by faith.
Before conception can literally take place in the body the mind
must handle the possibility and then release the body into the
acceptance of that belief. This conception was considered
humanly impossible for the season for that possibility had long
past. Abraham is so overwhelmed by the prospects of fathering a
child that he falls on his face and laughs at the idea. He laughs
additionally at the idea that Sarah would even contemplate
conceiving a child. To them both this was impossible, because
these were impossible times. We need next level faith for
impossible times to believe impossible promises. God will select
the time and season in which to promise us the impossible. Just
like the prospect and promise of a son, the thought must be
entirely out of scope of understanding to qualify for the miracle
moment. Faith is indeed seeing what is done and what is possible
through Him. Our faith should not be considerate of rules or
regulations, systems or infrastructure. Faith knows no limits!
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“I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me” –
Philippians 4:13
The faith to believe the impossible is made possible with vision
empowered by God. Paul here teaches that all things are possible
as long as the connection to the thing believed for is through faith
in God. Our requests and desires pass through Him for approval,
then to completion. It is the confirmation of what we desire by
faith that God approves when it comes to Him. Remember
Abraham laughs at the idea of a child and Sarah laughs within
herself about the possibility of a child. God wants us to laugh at
what He is smiling about. Abraham and Sarah were laughing at
themselves because they knew of their inability to perform. God
smiles knowing His omnipotence is able to outperform the
impossibilities in spite of their inabilities. What faith always
reminds us is that what God is going to do is not going to be
through what we think He will use. Just like Joseph was excused in
the conception of Jesus, Abraham and Sarah’s inability was
excused to establish an inheritance of faith through Isaac. This is
when we know it is God thing when the thing that God is doing He
squarely places on His shoulders alone. The thing that God is
pushing us towards is beyond our capability of understanding. In
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order for God to create unbelievable faith in us, He must birth
that level of faith through unbelievable situations. For Abraham to
be the progenitor of a great nation God must raise Abraham and
Sarah to walk by great and unbelievable conviction. When we
begin to believe in the unbelievable then we are beginning to
walk with incredible faith.
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Chapter 4
Faith That Will Not Fail
“Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called, and whom He
called, them He also justified and whom He justified, them He also glorified”
(Romans 8:30)
Successful Faith
The faith that creates success in our lives is a faith that simply
understands that there is more reward in the application and not
the proclamation of faith. Faithful success understands that the
path and process to fulfillment are to be followed and not
recreated. Our faith is not finding undiscovered methodologies or
systems to connect to the will of God it is connecting to what God
has already prepared in the path of those who trust. Success is
finding the blueprint for our destinies and receiving everything
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that God predetermined for the fulfillment of His plan for our
lives.
No Condemnation, No Guilt
Paul begins Romans 8 with the resounding thought “There is
therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ
Jesus” (Romans 8:1). He is careful to point out that the reason
why the judgment and condemnation of God has remained over
our lives is because of an offense. Without the presence of the
offense, even though we as the offenders are standing in
judgment, it renders the judicial process void if the offense cannot
be proved. So in order for us to be judged for all of the mistakes
that we have made there must be an open accusation. In order to
deal with us, God must free us by removing the presence of the
offense or guilt through restoration and forgiveness. Once our
faith brings us into relationship with God the condemnation and
guilt is lifted by His grace and mercy.
The Work of Romans
The deliverance that the writings of Romans present is a
deliverance from the power of the law of sin and death through
the power of the law of spirit and life. Our faith must contend
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with the warfare between these two powers. For us to maintain
success in Christ and continue to achieve our purpose and destiny
our faith must fight to win over this conflict. Here is the thing, we
were supposed to die for the things that we have done but God
wanted us to live and experience the full measure of His plan and
purpose. Our faith wants what God has ordained and will not
settle for less than God allows. Why live below the promise when
He died for the promise to be ours. He did not die so that we
would die, He died that we might experience the full measure of
life and life more abundantly. When Paul writes “More over for
whom He did predestine” (Romans 8:30) he uses whom as
collectively inclusive of all with whom God will deal with, meaning
everybody. Paul deals with the tremendously hard issue of
moving a person from under the law and repositioning them
under grace. It is this transformation of person, mind and ideas
that faith supports. It is a masterpiece of powerful and masterful
negotiating which only faith can undertake. Our faith in God has
to be so aligned with the power of God that the power of the law
of sin cannot affect failure. There is no failure in Him and no
failure in the faith we have in Him. So beginning at the first verse
of Romans 8 and moving through the entire specific writing, Paul’s
intent is to say that the “work of Romans, works for the faith
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believer”. It works to bring success and not failure because of the
omnipotent power of God that fuels our faith.
New Place
To prevent the condemnation to be applied to our lives, God
creates a lofty position for the faith believer through the working
and power of His blood. He creates a position in Himself especially
for this purpose. This place comes without interview or
assessment, we are granted new privileges in a new relationship
with God. The position that He creates for us is beyond the
jurisdiction of the law of sin so that the law of grace may be
established. This new place is a shift from old to new thinking,
from law to the ministry of liberty.
“If the wicked will turn from his sins that he hath committed and
keep all my statutes, and so that which is lawful and right, he shall
live, he shall not die “ – Ezekiel 18:21
Here is the extent of the prophetic planning of God. He executes a
plan that inherently protects us from the consequences of all past
and future transgressions that could still be attached to our lives.
Condemnation then, is not simply a consequence but rather
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“krisis” a punishment and sentence adjudicated by judgment. This
sentence that we could not lift by ourselves is lifted by the blood
of Jesus and achieved by the efficacy or power, ability,
competency and influence of His blood. This new place in our lives
is funded by faith. Our natural experience clashes with this new
faith experience as the power in the law of sin continues to try
and lay claim on the future that His blood and grace has secured
for us.
The Process
Paul identifies the process that the “whom” has to go through in
order for the condemnation to be lifted. Paul establishes an
aggressive program of issues and challenges that God must bring
the “whom” through to qualify them for a continued life of faith.
It is a process or path created by God to bring us all the way from
under the law to live by faith alone. Since He has created the path
He has also created the ability in us to finish the process that He
has begun in us. We have the ability to live by faith because He is
the one supplying and sustaining what we believe in.
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“For whom He called..”
First God brings our faith through predestination. This is where
God establishes His omniscience which is His will. It is the “will of
God” that ordains and oversees all eventualities, circumstances
and events in our faith lives. Even though God’s will appears
incompatible with our will it is always His will that will prevail. It is
our faith that sustains us to do the “will of God”. When God calls
us to do His will, He calls the faith within us to handle everything
that His will demands. With the call comes the faith and with the
faith comes the endurance. The endurance to achieve the will of
God is supported by the call which initiates the launch of our lives
and helps us break through all barriers preventing the purpose of
the predestination.
“And we know that all things work together for the good’ –
Romans 8:28
It is this concept of partnership and working together that our
faith experiences en route to fulfillment of the call. It is never one
dimensional but multi-dimensional. Our faith is so alive that it
never reveals what it will take to bring us through uncertain
times. We never knew that hardship could work for the positive
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because the immediacy of the experience was clearly not positive.
The call has enough future that it can reveal and explain all the
parts that go into making it all work.
The call is when He identifies the place from which He has called
us and reveals the place that He is calling us to. Before He calls
the faith, there is an invitation. This is the season where He allows
us to hear His voice more clearly than at other times.
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Chapter 5
Faith That Has Stipulations
“And let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint
not”
(Galatians 6:9)
Simultaneous
Faith understands the compelling need for principles because the
undergirding principle in Galatians 6:9 is that seed time and
harvest are not simultaneous occurrences. They do not exist at
the same time or for the same purpose. The faith that we have in
expectation of our harvest is always preceded by the faith and
expectation during the effective work of seed time. The sowing or
seeding process and the corresponding harvest are both essential
phases of our faith and work because God has distinctive
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strategies developing in the sowing and harvesting periods. Our
faith must continue to be encouraged during the delay between
seeding and harvesting. The delay in the process does not always
mean that God’s plans are not going according to His plan.
Unknown to us there is another faith strategy at work. The times
of apparent non productivity are to ensure that the harvest
produces the full intention of the seed. So the delay or wait is a
significant strategy in the overall faith process. There are really
three seasons that our faith relies upon. There is the sowing
season, the time or perhaps waiting season and then the
subsequent harvest seasons. They all have a role to play in
producing the outcome.
“When Israel was a child, then I loved him and called my son out
of Egypt” – Hosea 11:1
The prophetic planning process is outlined in God’s dealing with
Israel. Our faith must understand this process to ensure that we
do not misdiagnose where we stand in the God’s presence and
plan. It is easy to become distracted even disappointed when we
do not discern the place we hold in the planning process. The plan
for Israel is outlined here in Hosea in three specific phases. There
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is the declaration of the plan meaning what God will do, there is
the waiting on Him while He perfects the plan and perfects our
faith in the plan, and then there is the fulfillment of the plan
which is what He promised would happen in the first place or
declaration.
The declaration of the plan is God calling Israel out of the Egypt.
This is by far the most important phase of God’s prophetic
planning. Where there is no call there is no beginning. The waiting
on the perfection of the plan is the journey through the
wilderness. This becomes the sustaining season where the test is
the holding on to the prophetic promise. This season of our faith
can often time be depleting. We have already responded to the
call and made the decision to react and move toward the
prophetic plan. Decisions have been made and commitments to
the process engaged. We have already moved from our location
and are in the process. The fulfillment then is the march into the
promise that He has declared and prepared. Our faith manifests in
these three elements. Our faith is called to greatness, our faith
must learn to wait on the development of the greatness, and our
faith will march into the greatness that we have faith in God to
produce.
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Time and Waiting
If time is a season and part of the process then the character and
skill of waiting should be mastered so we do not feel that our time
and faith are is not effective. No matter how much seed is sown in
faith, the season of waiting is as essential and more important
than we realize. While the seed is going through conception, the
waiting is what God uses to mature us and make us ready to
handle the manifestation of our faith. It is one thing to imagine
the breakthrough moment in our lives, it is experientially different
walking in the breakthrough. The waiting is for the seed but also
for us to learn how to truly develop the understanding to operate
in the season of harvest. Time on one level simply wears fades or
passes away and can often be assessed as unprofitable. Regular
time does have structure but moves passively and unseemingly.
This is why we can look up at certain points in our lives and be
taken by surprise by how much time has elapsed that we cannot
account for. There are times when things are brought to crisis
level or a point where the opportune time or season is
approaching and decisions about how to use our time have to be
made. Our waiting for the time of fulfillment is not effortless time.
Actually the faith we have during the wait strengthens our
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expectation. There is idly letting time pass by and then there is
engaging the time with work that is targeted towards a revealed
outcome. Our faith must remain vigilant within the prospect of
waiting.
“Wait on the Lord and be of good courage and He shall strengthen
thy heart” – Psalms 27:14
The waiting principle here is that waiting must be accompanied by
a positive and optimistic attitude. What makes waiting tedious
and agonizing is when it is not accompanied by joy. When it is
accompanied by joy we know that fulfillment is pending and
purpose is being developed while the waiting season is still in
existence. It makes the wait bearable when things are happening
all around you. The prophetic purpose is coming to pass. So
staying lifted and encouraged during the wait is how God
strengthens us as we move towards the hope of our calling.
Dealing
Now we must deal with the deferring of time. The deferring of
time itself is purposeful. The deferred wait is so that what has
been planted in us has sufficient time to materialize. Our faith is
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likened to the farmer that prepares in the winter in hope for the
season of harvest. A farmer will begin during the late winter
months to prepare the soil for spring planting. The farmer will
ready the earth to accept the seed that has been predetermined
for next year’s crop. When the conditions are right and ripe, the
farmer plants or sows the seed into the earth and begins the cycle
of sowing. The intention of sowing is always to reap. There is an
expectation connected to the sowing process. The tilling is the
process of breaking and stirring the soil in preparation for the
sowing phase. Through agitation and overturning the soil makes
for a better environment to receive the seed. Sometimes it is
through agitation and overturning that God really prepares our
faith to be prepared for the harvest. This sowing or implantation
phase happens just before the waiting season.
Now that the earth is tilled, it is prepped for implantation and the
process is headed for harvest. Our faith follows a similar pattern.
It begins with expectation and it is expectation that motives us to
endure the waiting season. The joy of the harvest is not
overshadowed by the joy of surviving the waiting season. Harvest
cometh in the morning!
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Chapter 6
Faith That is Never Crushed
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power
may be of God and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7)
Destiny
Faith has destiny and is driven by the confidence we have in God
in that destiny. This drive is formidable and creatively hidden by
God in us that propel us to excel in ways we are not always
conscious of. This destiny drive is indescribable energy that
pushes us to perform to a greater extent than how e feel. Our
faith is under the directive of the power of God. There are times
when we do not have the motivation to accomplish the vision of
God in our lives. We occasionally lack the level of drive to
accomplish the actions that lead to success. It is amazing that
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when we reach the point of frustration something internal
happens that propel us to follow our destiny. It is quite interesting
the timing of these interventions. It is as if God waits for the
weakest moments in our lives to release His goodness in us.
Whenever we get fatigued and frustrated by the process, destiny
responds by stimulating and reactivating our faith. Our faith has a
life of its own and it owns the life we have. The two lives, the life
we live and the life we hope for is always connected to the faith
we have in where God is taking us.
Out of Nowhere
This out of nowhere experience can be observed through Paul’s
struggle with understanding the source of the drive that
constantly brought him back from defeating situations. The faith
that sustains us through the normal pressures of life takes on
another form when restoring us back to the place we have drifted
from. It is a faith that does not judge or critique but simply
redeems the position we have misplaced.
“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in
necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake, for
when I am weak, then am I strong” – 2 Corinthians 12:10
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After experiencing human weakness almost too much for any
human to bear, Paul also experiences the strengthening power of
God that sustains his weakness. In fact he moves beyond being
sustained in his weakness to triumphing in the midst of his
infirmities. Faith has that ability to rise to the occasion in our
circumstances to ensure that we win over all circumstances.
Sometimes it feels as though our faith is passive, almost waiting
for the most appropriate time to manifest its importance.
Let The Weak Say
What would account for this sudden change in attitude and
energy in Paul that would create a living source of strength in his
greatest moment of weakness? God uses these seasons of
uncertainty and conflict to reveal a greater ability in us than we
realize is there. It is God’s way of showing us experientially that
we have superior faith no matter what we are experiencing. What
is faith unless tried? What is resilience unless tested? The faith
principle that Paul teaches here is that power and strength are
released through the spoken and declared word of God. It is
imperative that during times when we are weak that we say
something faithful in and to our situations. There is a word of faith
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that is spoken in our situations and there is a word of faith spoken
to our situations. The word of faith spoken in our situations
affirms what we believe prior to experiencing the situation.
Speaking in our situations reminds us that we have not forgotten
that we have been prepared for this moment by every word
received before the situation began. Our faith must proclaim that
God is getting ready to do something. This is when our faith must
stand on what God has already revealed to us. The situation
reinforces what God has already prepared us for.
The word of faith spoken to our situations is to remind our
environment that it is still subject to the plan and purpose of God.
These situations do not come about of their own volition. They
are God ordained to bring purpose and clarity to our lives. When
we are weak, out of that weakness we declare strength. Strength
is released in response to what we have declared. Our situations
respond to declared faith. They are responsive to faith
instructions. The situations, though challenging, should never
silence our voice. It is humanistic to be silent during the times of
crisis but this is the time for us to express our faith in what we are
persuaded God will do.
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Troubles
There is times when “we are troubled on every side” because of
the importance and gifting that we carry. Within each of us
resides incredible faith. The writer in 2 Corinthians 4:8 sees this
troubling as a bombardment of situations that the adversary
constantly hurls in our path. The troubling of the mind has the
directed assignment of disrupting our belief in God. This is what
second Corinthians is underscoring, that the psychological
challenges that we encounter, may result in despair that only faith
can cure. Our faith is the cure to all emotionality.
We all face troubles in various ways. We all have to deal with the
attack of uncertainty against the value of our faith. We all
experience levels of anxiety about our purpose and future. We all
have to reinforce our conviction daily to engage the reality of our
lives. We are all prone to suffer attacks of depression and
oppression while God is working out the end result. We all must
remind ourselves of the goodness of God while working out
situations that seem impossible. Yet the troubling or trouble is not
overshadowed by the truth that we are not dismayed or in
despair because of the troubles. Rather we are faithful,
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encouraged and positive in spite of the troubles. Our faith is
greater than what it is that we face.
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Chapter 7
Faith Not Matter What We Are In
“Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name,
but His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones” (Jeremiah
20:9)
Levels of Opposition
Our faith understands that even though God has prepared us, and
even ordained us to accomplish specific things, the preparation
does not come without opposition. In fact resistance is to be
expected whenever the path of faith is pursued. Whenever there
is an act of faith, there is a reaction to faith. Faith sets things in
motion and disturbs the peace of normality and regularity. So
whenever we release our faith, speak our faith it sets in motion
the things of God, followed by a shift in our circumstances. If we
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were to relinquish what we are led to do because of the
environmental and relational resistance, we would have little to
show for the greatness we profess that God has placed in us. The
assurance that God is behind a thing is evidenced by the
insurmountable resistance that we encounter when we are in
pursuit of the thing. Our faith is called on to plow upstream and
often it feels that everything is flowing downstream. It becomes
apparently increasingly more difficult to continue to deal with the
torrents and currents of life when it feels like everything is
working against our faith. Welcome to the faith experience and
life of Jeremiah.
What Jeremiah initially had to deal with was the weight of
responsibility in his life due to being called into service at such a
young age. Without the full scope of his destiny available to him,
he judges his present as if it is a weight and not a privilege. Yet
Jeremiah had the assurance and the push in his faith to realize
that there was a plan and purpose for his rise to leadership
although tremendously disadvantaged by age. Purpose has a
somewhat revealed but more often a greater unrevealed plan.
The revealed plan is what God determines we can understand and
follow in the short term. The unrevealed plan is released when we
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advance through the initial stages of the assignment. God knows
too much too soon will stretch our faith but will also stretch our
ability to walk by faith.
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee and before thou
camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee and I ordained
thee a prophet unto the nations” – Jeremiah 1:5
Perhaps, like Jeremiah, we feel that it is too soon in our lives to
assume great levels of responsibility. God does not assign
responsibility without reliability. He has already assessed our
ability through Him to become what He has ordained. What our
faith does not see are the resources that He sets up periodically
throughout the journey to refresh His promises and inspire our
commitment. He strategically appoints people and resources in
our path to keep us moving towards the completion of the
assignment. Too much, too soon may manifest negatively within
us. Dealing with it positively, it must have been enviable for
Jeremiah to have his life so clearly and visually laid out before
him. Eliminating speculation and doubt about purpose and life can
ease the pressure of not knowing the future. Faith continues to
inform us of the plan of God and that our lives are truly mapped
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out according to His purpose and not our own. Sometimes not
knowing the will or plan of God has an adverse effect on our faith
life. Other times knowing what God has called us to be is equally
as daunting with the weight of increasing responsibility because
of what we already know.
The Spirit of Reluctance
It is no wonder that Jeremiah is initially plagued by the spirit of
reluctance as he is called into a purpose and position that he does
not understand. It’s funny how this happens but reluctance has
the ability to disable one’s willingness to accept the opportunity
even when you know it is the call of God on your life.
“Then said I, ah oh Lord, behold I cannot speak for I am a child” –
Jeremiah 1:6
Often it is not just the age or youth that God intends to use, but
the mouth in a person that is willing to walk in confident
obedience to Him. Reluctance manages to raise enough doubt in
our faith life to leave us unsure of taking the next steps. It is not
that we do not understand what God desires, but it is the
confidence to engage the path of His desire. We must all seek the
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strength of God to not only believe what God has revealed in us,
but the courage to take action on what has been revealed.
The Struggle With God
It is difficult enough that Jeremiah had to deal with the transition
of his youth, yet this was not his greatest faith challenge.
Accepting and receiving his commission remained his greatest
challenge. The commission was to preach and prophesy far
beyond his years of experience. Jeremiah has a conversation
within his own spirit about the weight of what he is commissioned
to do. How often do we rehearse and replay the thing that God is
calling us to and contemplate how it all will be pieced together
not realizing that God has already pieced the entire process
together. Our faith is equipped to decipher what is a directive
from God and what is discussion with God. God is not accustomed
to having conversation about what He has already commissioned.
When He speaks, heaven and earth come to attention. His word
creates where there is void, transforms where there is emptiness
and enlightens where there is confusion. The internal
conversations that we have with our faith about the call and
purpose of God usually are ongoing. Jeremiah is not sharing his
hesitancy publicly but privately he is venting about the struggle he
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is having with God. The struggle is not just with the commission of
God, but our ability to achieve the commission and assignment.
We know too much about ourselves. We remember too much
about other assignments that we did not complete. We know the
areas of weakness and deficiency that exists in our character and
integrity. Yet with all of this knowledge, God still commission
Jeremiah to handle the next era of the kingdom. With all that God
already knows about you He is still calling, He is still
commissioning you to take the next step in the kingdom. Do not
be afraid. Have faith in God!
“For God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound
the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to
confound the things which are mighty” – 1 Corinthians 1:27
God uses the youth of Jeremiah to advance the prophetic gifting
in Israel. While difficult to see in its infancy, the gifting of Jeremiah
is evident because of the commission. It is quite often the policy
of God to reverse the order of what is known to be successful,
replacing it with an order seemingly confusing. The supernatural
order does not often correlate with the things of natural order.
The secular seldom matches up neatly with the sacred. God is only
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interested in presenting those scenarios that pull on our faith to
believe for the supernatural order. Faith does not always look or
act logically. It is not recognized cognitively. Faith is perceived,
revealed, believed and received. The struggle that we often have
with God is that while He believes in what He has spoken in us, it
does not always translate into personal belief within us. The world
of faith contradicts the world of sight. Faith is the activity of the
unseen world confirmed by what appears in the seen world.
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