Remember the '80s catchphrase 'Be the ball?' This was the advice given to those having trouble connecting with the ball in golf, baseball or tennis...and it quickly became a parody for all self-help techniques.
The idea behind it was that we can choose who we are and what we can do...that the state of being always precedes circumstance.
In other words, it's easier to be healthy than to try to be healthy. The theory is that the actual paradigm shift [another 80's cliché] takes but a second and is the actual cause of of the effect desired.
I believe this is the very essence of faith. Remember, God is the Great I Am, and we are created like Him, in righteousness and holiness of the truth. [Ephesians 4:24]
I Am
God declared that He was the Great I Am...everything, always, eternally in the present. For example, He told Israel that "...I, the Lord, AM your healer." [Exodus 15:26] He is always everything we need Him to be! The state of His Being precedes any action or effect of that state. In fact, He defines Himself by His Being...many of His Hebrew Names begin with 'I AM.' I AM the One Who sees ahead and provides, I AM the Lord your Righteousness, etc.
So it is with us.
When God spoke the world into being in Genesis 1, the elements had no choice but to obey Him. He said "Light, be!" and light was.
Similarly, man's desire to build the Tower of Babel to reach Heaven had to be fulfilled because physical, natural elements had no choice but to obey them. Why? Because the race of man, both male and female, had been created in the likeness of God. In Genesis 11:6 we read that 'The Lord said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them."'
They were talking to the physical and it had to obey!
We continue to see this throughout the Old Testament, particularly in the Psalms and Proverbs. Physical things obey the mouth of God and of man...why?
Because God said they would. And He cannot lie, because as soon as He speaks a thing it is called into existence. If God said "dog" where there was no dog, it would not be a lie because by the time He got the word out, there would be a dog there!
Then came Jesus...the Word fulfilled! And He told us that if we talk to mountains, trees, storms, bodies—any physical thing—they would obey us as well!
What is Bible Peace?
Interestingly, when Jesus spoke to the storm, He spoke peace to it.
The concept of Shalom, or peace, is a major theme throughout the Bible. The Hebrew lexicon describes it's meaning as completeness, soundness, welfare, peace completeness (in number) safety, soundness (in body) welfare, health, prosperity peace, quiet, tranquility, contentment peace, friendship of human relationships with God especially in covenant relationship peace (from war) peace (as adjective).
Imagine that. Completeness, wholeness in every area of life. In Isaiah, Jesus is called the Prince of Peace [Shalom], and He Himself is our peace [Ephesians 2:14].
Colossians 2:9,10 says 'For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete [or full]...' We have been made complete or shalom in Him!
Jesus spoke 'Peace' to the storm and it had to obey. Peace—complete wholeness. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and we are one Spirit with Him!
Authority
Angels have no will of their own, and the ones who tried to exercise their own will were cast out. The Word says we have authority over them as well! [Luke 10:19]
When God speaks, things obey, and Jesus told us that they would obey us as well, if we did not doubt in our hearts but believe that what we say happens. [Mark 11:22-24]
Things [and fallen angels too, it seems] have to obey us. They have no choice if we give the command in faith—seeing it as accomplished in our heart [imagination] and speaking it forth into the world. If we hesitate, or begin to doubt, they stop in their tracks, turn, and wait to see if it's safe to disobey. But if we know who we are in Christ [believe me, every demon and every thing already knows...] they must obey.
Remember Jesus at the fig tree? He cursed it, turned around and walked away. The next day His disciples had to point it out to Him. In His mind, it was finished the moment He said it, and that was that. Once the word is given in faith, it is settled.
The entire Word is fulfilled in Him—He is the Word, and we are the Word multiplied. And God's Word is settled forever [Psalm 119:89]—His works were finished from the foundation of the world! [Hebrews 4:3] He has already rested from His works! [Hebrews 4:4]
Yes, it's true. He has already called the end from the beginning, "declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done. Saying 'My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.'" [Isaiah 46:10]
And His purpose, His good pleasure which He has already decreed over us is that we are one Spirit with the Lord—all things belong to us, and we belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. [I Corinthians 3:22,23]
So it's all there, in the spiritual realm, belonging to us already! All things belong to us, richly to enjoy, and they are all working together for our good. Why? Because God said so!
Our Will...The Deciding Factor
We must exercise our will and agree with God rather than our physical circumstances, human rationality or evil deceptions—God will not cross the line of our will. We must believe in our hearts and speak with our mouths—knowing that when we command natural entities they must obey...they have no choice!
In Deuteronomy 30, we are told to choose between life and prosperity or death and adversity. It is always our choice!
[An aside here...see God's viewpoint on prosperity and adversity? Hmm...I wonder how we got so screwed up on that?]
So choose to have faith in God and what He has already said about you. You've been made whole and have been given all things richly to enjoy! He has decreed these things and He works were completed before the foundation of the world!
Agree with Him—choose life and prosperity. Decree a thing and it will be established for you [Job 22:28].
They are yours already.
We are created in His image! The Bible teaches us that faith is in two places...in the heart and in the mouth. '...for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.' [Romans 10:10]
First, heart belief results in a spiritual state...the state of righteousness, or right-standing with God. Then confession is made, creating the result or effect of righteousness, salvation. The Greek word for salvation is soteria, meaning complete wholeness. The first cause is belief, resulting in the immediate spiritual state of righteousness; confession follows, creating the actual result of righteousness in our lives--salvation.
The Bible says that we are many things that may not seem so obvious in the natural. For example, the Word tells us that by His stripes we were [past tense] healed. Yet our bodies often disagree. What is the disconnect? We need to agree first with the Word—we must decide to be healed, to choose the state of being healed already, before the healing is manifested in our physical bodies.
The Word calls us saints—holy ones—but we don't always seem so holy in daily life. Once again, we are putting the cart before the horse...trying to be holy instead of choosing to be what the Word says we are already and letting our true spiritual state manifest itself as a result of our belief.
All Things
Jesus explains in Mark 11:24: "Therefore, I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.
He puts the believing, or state of being, first...then the manifestation appears. This is, I believe, where a lot of faith disappointments happen. Believe that you receive first—be the healed, or the rich, or the joyful, or the delivered...first, because the Word says you are. That belief, or faith, or state of being, then causes the physical result.
We look for the result first...instead of being healed, we are trying to receive our healing. Instead of being delivered because He says we are, we are trying to get our deliverance. And so on, for every promise of God is yes in Him! [2 Corinthians 1:20]
Think about the last time you really screwed up. How long did you beat yourself up? How many times did you tell God how sorry your were, please, please forgive me? When in fact, your every sin is already forgiven, past, present and future. That's why there is '...now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.' [Romans 8:1] So next time, and there probably will be a next time, believe you have already received your forgiveness and His remembering your sin no more, and be forgiven. Just be. The freedom will follow!
Be the Word!
John 1:1-3 states 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.'
He is not only the fulfillment of the Old Covenant—the manifestation of God's Word in the earth—He is the Word!
Look at these:
'For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.' [Colossians 1:16]
'In these last days [He] has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the work of His power...' [Hebrews 1:2,3]
He is the Word, made flesh! And you know what? So are you...
Put down those pitchforks! Put out those torches! Keep reading!
Acts 12:24 says that the Word of the Lord multiplied! He was the Word, and we are the Word multiplied!
I've got news for you...you died with Him at Calvary and were reborn! And the Spirit within you is all Jesus, all the Father, all the Holy Spirit! Read John 14—we have this treasure in earthen vessels! Strengthened with ALL POWER, according to His GLORIOUS MIGHT in the inner man! [Colossians 1:11] We've been given the kingdom [Luke 12:32]...all things richly to enjoy [1 Timothy 6:17]!
You are not some weak little barely-saved Christian...you have the risen Christ living in your physical body!
'However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
'If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
'But if the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He Who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you.' [Romans 8:9-11]
Resurrection power resides in you—the Word multiplied! And Jesus isn't just some spiritual hitchhiker...He meant for you to use that power to administer the kingdom! [Ephesians 1;10] He said that we would do greater works than He did! [John 14:12]
Renew Your Mind
But we can never live and walk in the power of God like we were meant to until we renew our minds to these truths. Stop looking at the natural world and know that Spirit always trumps the natural! The whole natural, physical world was created by and for Jesus and is subjected to Him. Jesus knew this, and used His power to change the natural. He healed the sick, raised the dead...He walked away from a murderous mob twice!
When He needed a room for Passover, a colt to ride, wine for a wedding, money for taxes, a storm to cease...He spoke to it and knew that natural elements had to obey. They have no will! He understood how things worked, and told us how to operate in like manner. He told us to speak to mountains and trees, and rebuked the disciples because they woke Him up instead of stopping the storm themselves!
Be the Word in the earth. Renew your mind...be what the Word says you are! You are the Body of Christ in the earth—reborn, healed, rich and protected by angels. You have been made the righteousness of God, created in holiness of the truth. [Ephesians 4:24] 'By HIS DOING you are in Christ Jesus, Who BECAME TO US wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption...' [1 Corinthians 1:30]
Be the Word. Decide right now that you are already everything that the Word says you are, because that is spiritual truth! Learn to see the unseen...2 Corinthians 4:18 says '...while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.' Quantum Physics is already proving this...get on board! Renew you mind to BE what the Word says you already are...and the physical manifestation will follow.
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