You Are The Second Witness

This is good...

'...on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.' [Deuteronomy 19:15]

The Hebrew word for matter here is our old friend dabar...defined as speech, word, speaking, thing, something. Both a word and a thing...because words are things!
Who are the two witnesses?
One is the forever settled, eternal Word of God. The second is your word...you either agree or you don't.
God spoke and it was created. Not just in Genesis...ALL OF THE WORD! Think about the prophets...God had already spoken and His works already finished. But there had to be a confirming witness to bring it into the earth.
For any dabar—Hebrew for word/thing—to be established there must be a confirming witness...that's us!
Consider this:

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death,the blessing and the curse. SO CHOOSE LIFE in order that you may live, you and your descendants..." [Deuteronomy 30:19]

And this...

'Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us EVERYTHING pertaining to life and godliness,through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent PROMISES, so that by them you may become PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.' [2 Peter 1:2-4]

He gave us His Word so that we could partake of His nature! We are born again, of imperishable seed, which is the living and enduring Word of God. [1 Peter 1:23]
How are you born again? By believing in your heart and CONFESSING WITH YOUR MOUTH! [Romans 10:10] You were the second witness!
AND YOU ONLY HAD TO DO IT ONCE!!!
In fact, this is exactly what Jesus was doing when He prayed the Lord's prayer..."Your will be done IN EARTH as it is in heaven..."
Mary, too, when she told Gabriel "Be it done to me according to your word."
What about this scripture?

'For as many as are the PROMISES of God, in Him they are YES; therefore also through Him is our AMEN to the glory of God through us.' [2 Corinthians 1:20]

The Hebrew word Amen means surely, so be it, may it be fulfilled. It is the confirming word...the confirming witness!
His witness...His Word, His promises, confirmed by our Amen, to become YES in the earth and give Him glory.
Get Started
Here are a few great and wonderful Words to confirm, out loud, in your life...

• All things belong to me, I belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God.
• I can do all things IN Christ Who strengthens me
• All things are possible for me because I believe
• By His scourging I AM HEALED
• Every obstacle has been removed from my path
• Every promise of God is YES and AMEN—SO BE IT, IT IS FULFILLED—in Him
• The blessing of Abraham has come upon me in Christ Jesus...I am redeemed from the curse of the Law
• My children are mighty in the earth...they are taught of the Lord and their well-being...SHALOM...is great!
• I am surrounded by FAVOR as a shield
• Jesus has become TO ME wisdom...the anointing which I have teaches me all things
• Psalm 91, Psalm 23

Et cetera...you get the idea. Find wonderful promises in the Word and speak them out!
Set your purpose to be the second witness to His magnificent promises in your life today.
Hallelujah!

He Commanded

'Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all stars of light! Praise Him, highest heavens, and the waters that are above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the LORD, FOR HE COMMANDED AND THEY WERE CREATED. He has also ESTABLISHED THEM FOREVER AND EVER; He has made a DECREE which will not pass away.' [Psalm 148:1-6]

He commanded all things into being by His Word.

John 1:1-3 puts it this way:

'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.' [John 1:1-3]

And of course, there's Colossians 1:16...

'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.'

Okay, so we know that Jesus is the WORD and that all things were made by or through and for Him.

We also know, from Psalm 148, that when God gives a command or decree, things are created and established forever. One very big example of this is the first couple of chapters of Genesis. He spoke and it was, period.

We also know, from Psalm 119:89 and Isaiah 40:8 that His Word is settled—stands—forever.

What Does That Have To Do With Me?
I'm glad you asked.

Remember 2 Corinthians 1:20?

'For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are YES; therefore also through Him if our AMEN [so it is, so be it] to the glory of God THROUGH us.'

Hallelujah!

What about 1 Corinthians 3:21-23?

'For all things belong to you...all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.'

Or Galatians 3:29?

'And if you belong to Christ, then you Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.'

What exactly was that promise? The he would be heir of the world! [Romans 4:13] And we know from Romans 8:17 that we are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ!

This Will Cramp Your Brain...
Get this. God has already rested from His works, according to Hebrews 4:3. And what He has commanded or decreed has already been created!

His Word stands forever!

The 'all things' that belong to us have been created by command, before the foundation of the world, just like "Let there be light!"

We may not be able to see them with our natural eyes, but like Hagar's well, Isaac's ram and Elisha's army, they are there, none the less.

The Bible says that the Lord REVEALED the well to Hagar. It was there already, He did not create it at the moment of need! He was Jehovah Jireh, the One Who Sees Ahead and Provides!

Elisha prayed that his servant's eyes might be opened, that he might SEE the army encircling them.

And we are told, specifically, to LOOK at the eternal things which are NOT SEEN. [2 Corinthians 4:18]

Decreed
So, the Word that says whatever we ask of the Father in the Name of Jesus, He will give it to us has been decreed and stands forever, just like the decrees in Genesis 1.

Or, the Word that says He will give us our hearts desire is already established forever in the spiritual realm of the unseen.

How about the Word that says 'by His scourging we are healed?' Or the command that angels have been given charge to guard us in all our ways?

What about the promise of great wealth in our houses, or Wisdom filling our treasuries—our bank accounts— with wealth? Or the promise that the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous?

Okay, Okay...But What About The Here And Now?
I can hear you thinking out there...why? Because I've thought the very same thing.

Great. Everything belongs to me, I'm healed, I'm rich, angels protect me. But if it's all in the spirit realm, what good does it do me here where I live?

Read You Are The Second Witness. As demonstrated through the Prophets of old, God's Word must be spoken in the earth for it to come to pass. He gave authority in the earth to man [male and female] and man reigns by his tongue, for good or evil. Remember, life and death is in the power [or hand] of the tongue! [Proverbs 18:21]

In other words, you take it by faith, just as you took the New Birth.

But what does it say? "The WORD is near you, in your MOUTH and in your HEART"—that is, the WORD of faith which we are preaching, that if you CONFESS with your MOUTH Jesus as Lord, and BELIEVE in your HEART that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the HEART a person BELIEVES, resulting in righteousness, and with the MOUTH he CONFESSES, resulting in salvation. [Romans 10:8-10]

Sounds a lot like Mark 11:22-24, right?

'And JESUS answered saying to them, "Have faith in God. TRULY I say to you, whoever SAYS to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his HEART, but BELIEVES that WHAT HE SAYS IS GOING TO HAPPEN, it will be granted him. 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."'

This is JESUS speaking here! He is telling us how things work, because HE IS WORD! He was there, according to John 1, Proverbs 8 and Colossians 1, an integral part of the creation process! And now, according to Hebrews 1, He is UPHOLDING ALL THINGS BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER!

[sorry for screaming, I just can't help it...]

See It, Believe It, Say It
So, much to the chagrin of the majority of preachers out there, the Bible method of taking what God has already provided seems to be the spoken word of faith.

First, you see it in the Word and believe that it exists and that it is for you, now. Then you agree with God...decree a thing it will be established. [Job 22:28]

He said it first and it was created. You say it into the earth and it is revealed in the natural realm.

Hallelujah!

Watching Over His Word

'Forever, O LORD, Your Word is settled in heaven.' [Psalm 119:89]

'Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it."' [Jeremiah 1:12]

"So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." [Isaiah 55:11]

Put these verses together and you get WOW!!

First, the Hebrew word translated word in all three of these verse is dabar...which means both word and thing! God's word is the thing He intends it to be when it comes out of His mouth! [Hint: read Genesis 1...]

We also know from Hebrews 4 that God's works were finished from the foundation of the earth, and that He has, in fact, rested from His works.

Put all of this together and you can see what Isaiah saw in 40:8...'The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.'

His Word stands forever...and by the way, the word word in this verse is dabar, too! Word, thing...all the same to God!

Past or Present...I'm Confused
What's really interesting is that, even though His Word is settled forever and His works are finished from the foundation of the world, in both Isaiah 55:11 and Jeremiah 1:12, He uses an active present tense to describe His watchfulness over His Word or thing. What does this mean?

The key is in the two passages in the Gospels where Jesus gave us the power to bind [forbid] and loose [allow]. He said what you bind/loose [present tense] on earth shall have been bound/loosed [past perfect] in heaven. [Matthew 16,18]

These are quantum verses! They demonstrate the time lag between what's already finished in heaven and what is coming to pass in real time in the earth.

Earth is time-bound because of the reality of her physical nature. She orbits the sun, producing repetitive seasons; she rotates on an axis, producing repetitive days. In this physical plane, or reality, time exists.

But heaven is a different plane of existence! We see the two planes intersect often in the Bible, the curtain pulled back for a moment...Hagar's well, Jacob's ladder of angels, Elisha's heavenly army, the mountain of transfiguration and so forth. We see the heavenly realm exposed on a grand scale in the book of Revelation.

And in that place, on that plane of existence, God's works are finished and He has entered His rest! In that place, His Word is settled forever...in that place, we are already seated with Him in Christ Jesus! [Ephesians 2:6]

That's Great, But I Live on Earth...
Not exactly. As Christians, we exist on two planes. We live in a physical, time-bound, earth-based body; earthen vessel, temple of God, etc.

But in heaven, we exist in Jesus, seated at the right hand of God The Father!

The Father is watching His Word to perform it in the earth, because it's already finished in heaven. It is settled forever, and that's a fact...but it is coming to pass in the earth, and He has promised that it would not return to Him without accomplishing what He desires and without SUCCEEDING in the matter for which He sent it!

God said that His Word is His desire and that it WILL succeed in the matter for which He sent it. Hallelujah!

A Tale of Two Cities
So here we are, on earth, and in heaven, at the same time. His Word for us—every promise—is already accomplished in heaven. And, we have the promise of 2 Corinthians 1:20 in the earth: 'For as many as are the promises of God, in Him [Jesus] they are yes...'

In heaven, you are already healed, rich, perfect, according to His precious and magnificent promises. In the earth, He is watching over His Word—His thing, His promise—to perform it. But how?

The how is how He accomplished everything else in the earth...He had people speak His word and it came to pass in the earth.

One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 68:11,12.

'The Lord gives the command; the women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host: "Kings of armies flee, they flee, And she who remains at home will divide the spoil!"'

Get the picture. The men have gone out to fight...the Lord gives the command, or word, of victory to the women, and the women proclaim it! And they become a great host--a great, strong, abundant army behind the army! Talk about the woman behind the man! They proclaim—announce or preach—the word, and it comes to pass through the physical actions of the men fighting!

So much for the great debate about women preachers! Ha!

We see this again and again...we call it fulfilled prophecy, but in layman's terms, it's really simple. God says a word [thing], man speaks it into the earth and it comes to pass.

Good News
The good news is that this doesn't just work on the grand scale of prophetic history. It works every day, individually and corporately, in the lives of men and women who will obey and speak—announce or proclaim—His Word into the earth!

For example, He said in Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24 that by His stripes—His scourging or wounds—we were healed. First, this is already settled in heaven, already finished. Second, He is watching over that Word to perform it in the earth.

What's our part? To see it as done—finished—and speak it out! To proclaim or announce it into the physical earth to bring to pass what is clearly His finished will! Jesus prayed "Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." [Matthew 6:10] And don't forget 'For as many as are the promises of God, IN HIM THEY ARE YES; therefor also through Him is our AMEN—so be it—to the GLORY OF GOD through us.' [2 Corinthians 1:20, comments mine]

The Greek word for done in this passage is ginomai, which means to come to pass or to be made or finished! He intends for His Word—ALL OF IT—to be finished in the earth as it is already finished in heaven!

Start seeing His work as finished and speaking it over your life today. Walk in the victory of His finished work, on earth as it is in heaven. Hallelujah!

Deceived!

It hit me today, after a morning fighting various negative emotions, that I was full of God.

Yes, full of God, one Spirit with the Lord.

What then, is the problem? If the promises of God are 'yes' in Him, and I am in Him and He in me, and I've been told to reign in life with my words...what exactly is the problem?

And it became clear...'For as he thinks within himself, so he is...' [Proverbs 23:7]

The factor that rips the scale is how I think about things. I'm full of God and He told me that nothing would be impossible for me...everything already belongs to me and I'm supposed to be blessed—the head and not the tail!

But if I believe that a situation or circumstance is, in fact, impossible, it will never be otherwise for me. Others may believe and succeed, but unless and until I believe a thing to be possible for me, it never will be.

So all my time spent meditation on the worst...dreading the future, worrying endlessly...just keeps my faith from manifesting God's best blessings in my life.

If I agree with Him, His Word, in both my thoughts and words, they must come to pass. But if I continue to fight against them in my thought life—become one of the ten rather than one of the two, I will stay stuck in this wilderness even thought it's not His will.

“God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.” [Psalm 68:6]

For many years I pondered this verse, believing that it did not apply to me…I was not rebellious but had accepted God’s plan of redemption in Jesus. Yet I knew I was dwelling in a parched land!

Today it all came into focus.

'And do not be conformed to this world, but be TRANSFORMED by the RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, so that you may PROVE what the will of God is, that which is GOOD and ACCEPTABLE and PEFECT.' [Romans 12:2]

Now I've written a lot about this verse, but it seems to fit hand-in-glove with Proverbs 23:7

We are all in the exact same situation as the 12 spies in Numbers 13! We either believe God, with Caleb and Joshua, or we believe the natural, physical circumstance…with the other 10 unbelievers! And like both groups, we either enter into the promises of God or die in the wilderness!

And make no mistake about it…this is a reasoning issue. We can either see the unseen, as we are instructed to in 2 Corinthians 4, which is the unfailing, unchangeable Word of God, or we look at the seen…the natural circumstance.

We’re are told, quite plainly, not to be deceived…

'Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren, EVERY GOOD THING GIVEN and EVERY PERFECT GIFT IS FROM ABOVE, coming down from the Father of lights, with Whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.' [James 1:16,17]

What could possibly be the deception we’re being warned about? Obviously, from the context, it’s the heresy that God could or would cause us evil of any kind…sickness, lack, accident, death.

Consider John 10:10…

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” [John 10:10] 

Now, that’s pretty plain, pretty definitive. Or Psalm 91…that’s another pretty clear description of God’s plan for us…

‘No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent. For HE WILL give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and cobra, the young lion and the serpent you will trample down. 

“Because he has loved Me, therefore I WILL deliver him; I WILL set him securely on high, because he has known My name. He will call upon Me, and I WILL answer him; I WILL be with him in trouble; I WILL rescue him and honor him.

 "With a long life I WILL satisfy him and let him see My salvation." [Psalm 91:10-16]

Notice the “I WILL…” time and time again. THIS IS HIS WILL! Make no mistake about it. And it’s very definitive, very resolute. Kind of like I AM, but in promise form.

Who Could Know?
Let’s face it…all of the really outstanding miracles in the Bible are not events that anyone could have logically foreseen. The Israelites obviously couldn’t foresee any of God’s provisional miracles for them…all they did was whine and complain. Doubters and realists, save a few.

But He had promised deliverance…deliverance and the Promised Land. The best of everything!

All they had to do was believe Him! Could they have known He would split the Red Sea, or drown the world’s most powerful army to keep them safe? Could they have figured out that He was going to feed them manna from heaven, or water from a rock? Or feed Elijah by ravens? Or pay taxes from a fish?

And a Messiah from a young Jewish virgin, born under Roman domination…really?

Let’s face it…these are not solutions one would normally expect, in the natural.

That’s why we need to stop trying to figure out how He’s going to do what He said He’d do and just believe that He will do it, because He said He would! Just because we can't figure out how doesn't mean He can't perform His Word!

He said “Light, be!” and light was. Same with everything else He said. Every word, every prophecy, every promise. His work, finished before the foundation of the world. [Hebrews 4:3]

So look at the unseen. Be a Joshua, or a Caleb. Don't side with the losers, and don’t be deceived. And don't worry about the how...just focus on His promise...NO WORD SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE!! [Luke 1:37]

Hallelujah!

Jesus: Quantum Master

Did Jesus live easy or hard?

Think about that for a moment. We know the crucifixion was hard—a diabolical, horrible death. But we also know that submitting Himself to that death was His choice, as there were several attempts on His life before that appointed time when He just turned and walked away, unharmed. They did not kill Him...He exercised the power of life and death, which is in the tongue [Proverbs 18:21]

'And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into Your hands I COMMIT MY SPIRIT." Having said this, He breathed His last.' [Luke 23:46]

"For this reason the Father loves Me, because I LAY DOWN MY LIFE so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." [John 10:17]

Even the very first attempt on His life came to nought. Herod sought to kill Him as a baby but couldn't. As an adult, murderous mobs tried to throw Him off cliffs and stone Him...the Bible reports that He either turned and walked away or 'hid Himself.' During one attempt, the Bible says He 'eluded their grasp.' [John 10:39]

Was this hard or easy? From the natural viewpoint, getting away from an angry mob intent on killing you is impossible. But from the Word we see that Jesus just walked away, with a sort of 'Yeah, I don't think so' kind of attitude.

How about feeding huge crowds in the middle of nowhere with no apparent source of food or preparation facilities? He did it at least twice that we know of...just decided to feed them, and then did. Even when they ran out of wine at the wedding of Cana, His mother knew to go to Him...I wonder how she knew to do that? He just turned water into wine, no problem.

What about money or other material needs? Did He struggle financially? The Word says that there were many who contributed to His support out of their private means. [Luke 8:3] In fact, the only officer named among His disciples was treasurer!

When Peter asked Him for money to pay the taxes, He told Peter to go get it from a fish! When He needed transportation to enter Jerusalem, He told His disciples where a colt was and told them to get it. When He needed a place for His last Passover, He told them where and how to get it.

How about His ministry? Was that easy or hard? Did He fast and pray and wail for days at the tomb of Lazarus? No...He just called him out, and out he came! Every healing, every time He raised someone from the dead, He just did it, without a lot of banging around and fanfare.

Even when He was tempted by Satan, Jesus just told him to pound sand...and then angels came and ministered to Him!

I'm sure it was hard for Him to have to deal with all of the unbelief He encountered, not to mention His not-to-swift companions on a daily basis. He did get angry a few times—at the disciples, at the temple, at the Pharisees, at the fig tree.

But for the most part, He just did what He wanted to. When Satan tried to kill Him with a storm on the water, He just told it to hush. Even when it was time for Him to sacrifice Himself, He allowed it to happen in such a way as to fulfill Scripture.

What can we learn from these things?
First, we see that for Jesus, life was not hard but easy. He knew Who He was and He knew how the system worked. He stayed in contact with His Father and exercised authority over the physical, natural world as well as over Satan. He knew all things already belonged to Him, and He spent His time trying to teach His disciples how things really worked.

Second, Jesus understood eternity. He understood that God's works were finished from the foundation of the world [Hebrews 4:3]. He understood Ecclesiastes 1:9,10, which says 'That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one might say, "See this, it is new?" ALREADY IT HAS EXISTED FOR AGES which were before us."'

'Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, BEFORE ABRAHAM was born, I AM."' [John 8:58]

"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth SHALL HAVE BEEN bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth SHALL HAVE BEEN loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:19]

"Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth SHALL HAVE BEEN bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth SHALL HAVE BEEN loosed in heaven." [Matthew 18:18]

As He is, so also are we IN THIS WORLD! [I John 4:17]

Hallelujah!

Vessels of Power

The Holy Spirit, through Paul, prayed that we be '...strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might...' [Colossians 1:11] and that He would grant us '...according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through the Spirit in the inner man...' [Ephesians 3:16]

Remember—we are one Spirit with the Lord [1 Corinthians 6:17] and the Word multiplied [Acts 12:24]—the Spirit of HIm Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells within us [Romans 8:11]

Keeping those facts in mind, let's look at Hebrews 1:3 '...He [Jesus] upholds all things by the word of His power.'

His power is so great that it UPHOLDS ALL THINGS—all things—by just the WORD of His POWER! And He is in us, making us whole, making us complete...'For in HIm all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in HIm you have been made complete...' [Colossians 2:9,10]

Yikes
Now I realize that this truth is too big, too wonderful to completely wrap our brains about...the same power that upholds all things is in us...we have this treasure in these earthen vessels! [1 Corinthians 4:7]

Okay, I can hear you out there...put down the pitchforks and torches! This is the Bible I'm quoting, and it's about time that we found out what's really in it.

Jesus said in John 14 that He, the Father and the Holy Spirit—all 3 persons of the Trinity—would come and make their abode with and in us. This is echoed throughout the New Testament, but somehow we've missed the enormity of this spiritual fact. Yes, those of us who are old enough have seen the flannelgraph of the throne in our hearts that either self or Jesus sits upon....we've heard that when we accept Christ He comes to live in our hearts, whatever that means. Is He living in my blood pump?

At best we've seen Him as some kind of spiritual hitchhiker—along for the ride, there to help us if we're really good and earn it somehow. A kind of living compass, to make us feel guilty when we says a bad word. We completely miss the truth that we died on the cross with Jesus, were buried with HIm in baptism, raised up and seated together with Him in heavenly places [Colossians 2:12, Ephesians 2:5,6]. As Paul said, we were crucified with Him, and now He lives in and through us.

We are indeed new creations—real sons and daughters of God, sisters and brothers of Jesus, the Firstborn of Many Brethren.

So What?
What does this mean to us? Who cares, really?

God cares—He's equipped a powerful race of God-inside men and women to administer His kingdom on the earth—to enforce Satan's defeat and fill the earth with His glory—the glory that dwells in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. But instead of walking in power and authority on the earth, we've been crippled by heresies and error. Be poor, stay sick, live in false humility, be politically correct, etc. Don't expect too much, spiritual gifts and weapons are optional, everything's passed away, blah blah woof woof.

NO!! NO!! Now is the time for the fulfillment of Isaiah 60:1..."Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you." Jesus said "You are the light of the world...let your light shine before men in such a way that they ay see your good works, and glorify your Father Who is in heaven." [Matthew 5:14,16] John 1 makes it clear that He is the light...He is the light shining in us! The Word multiplied!

It is time to realize who we really are in the earth—the Body of Christ—which is spiritual reality and not just a nickname for believers. We are vessels of power—the same power that just the word of it upholds all things—vessels of the glory of God, full of love, created in righteousness and holiness of truth [Ephesians 4:24]. Meditate on these truths until you see yourself like Jesus...and realize that that was the point all along.

Hallelujah!

Merry Christmas...God Loves You!

I was in the unfortunate circumstance of having to brave the supermarket on the day before Christmas. I normally avoid this at all costs, but not this year.

I got my cart and wheeled into the fray. It was chaos...jaw-clenching, wild-eyed, fierce women with anxious children trailing behind. Everyone was rushing, rushing, rushing with that get-out-of-my-way-or-else look in their eyes.

Feeling a little testy myself, I plugged in The Three Tenors Christmas album. As the beautiful music filled my ears, I began to relax and really look at the people around me. And I started to feel the stirrings of Christmas! Impatience was replaced by what I can only describe as love! Surely this was not from me...I felt like Scrooge after he awakened from his dream. I was about a minute away from leaping in the air...and I am definitely NOT one to leap.

And when José Carreras, Plácido Domingo and  Luciano Pavarotti, in heavily accented English, began to sing Amazing Grace, I immediately understood evangelism. I wanted to jump up on the self-serv checkout and cry "God loves you! God loves you! Christmas is good news!"

I'm not talking about the angry, red-faced men screaming-about-hell type of evangelism, but the kind of evangelism where people just can't help telling others about Jesus.

Really, it was a transformational moment. I found myself wandering around the store with what I'm sure was a goofy, it's-a wonderful-life grin on my face. 

I had a great time at the supermarket on the day before Christmas. Of course, the Three Tenors helped. But mostly I think it was the Holy Spirit, whispering "I love you."

God so loved the world, so LOVED THE WORLD, that He GAVE His only Son. And He loves me! And He loves you, too!

Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!

Pragma

'Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.' [Hebrews 11:1 KJV]

Over the last couple of years, I've written several pieces on faith as the substance of things hoped for, focusing on the Greek word for substance, or hupostasis, as being that which has actual existence, a substance, real being. [See Substance, Pull Back the Curtain, Enter His Rest Today, What Faith Is, Tap the Power, If It Looks Impossible, Walk by Faith, You Can't Get What you Don't See, I Have It Now, Oh, I Get It! to mention a few]

Keeping that in mind, what's really interesting about this verse is the Greek word for things, or pragma. Obviously we get our word pragmatic from this word, meaning to deal with things sensibly and realistically.

But the Greek word pragma means that which HAS BEEN DONE, a deed or ACCOMPLISHED FACT; that which is being done or being accomplished; that WHICH EXISTS; a thing.

Sounds like Ecclesiastes to me.

'That which HAS BEEN is that which WILL BE, and that which HAS BEEN DONE is that which WILL BE DONE. So there is nothing new under the sun.

Is there anything of which one might say, "See this, it is new?" ALREADY IT HAS EXISTED FOR AGES WHICH WERE BEFORE US.' [Ecclesiastes 1:9,10]

'That which is has been already and that which will be HAS ALREADY BEEN...' [Ecclesiastes 3:15]

'Whatever exists has already been named...' [Ecclesiastes 6:10]

[See That Which Has Been Will Be]

Hebrews 4:3 tells us that His works were finished from the foundation of the world.

A thing is real. An accomplished fact or something that already exists is real. It's different than a want or dream or wish, which is usually how we interpret Hebrews 11:1, largely because of the word hope in the verse. But hope doesn't mean the thing or object of our hope doesn't exist! If our hope is based on the forever settled Word of God, it is real.

We've interpreted not seen as not being real. But we can't see God yet we know that He is real. We can't see Jesus yet know that He is real.

We can't see heavenly places but we're seated there in Christ just as real as we're sitting here in the earth.

Spiritual things are real. The well of Hagar or Isaac's ram or Elisha's army were real. They just weren't revealed to the natural eye. [See Pull Back the Curtain, The Quantum Table]

I was so busy looking at faith being the substance or title deed [AMP] that I didn't really pay attention to the what—the object of faith.

Pragma isn't the kind of thing we usually think of when we read this verse. We usually think of this kind of thing as something not real yet—it is, after all, not seen. So we just unconsciously translate that as some kind of hope or dream...a desire, maybe. A sort of oh-I-really-hope-I-can-get-this...

Pragma is an ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED thing, that which is already done, that which already exists, an accomplished fact. This verse is telling us that faith is the substance/title-deed/assurance of things that already exist!

Faith is the SUBSTANCE—that which has actual existence, a substance, real being—of THINGS—that which HAS BEEN DONE, a deed or ACCOMPLISHED FACT—hoped for, the EVIDENCE or proof of THINGS NOT SEEN.

'For as many as are the promises of God, IN HIM they are YES; therefore also through Him is our AMEN [so be it] to the glory of God through us.' [2 Corinthians 1:20]

Hallelujah!

God is For Us!

God is for us.

Try to remember that.

The next time your hear a fear-based word in your ear [or screamed from a pulpit] that tells you why He may not help you this time, why it may not be His will to heal/deliver/bless, why sometimes the answer is NO, try to remember what the Word says.

‘Therefore there is now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.’

‘What then shall we say to these things? If GOD IS FOR US, who is against us?

‘He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him FREELY GIVE US ALL THINGS?

‘Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

‘Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED."

‘But in all these things we OVERWHELMINGLY CONQUER through Him who LOVED us.’ [Romans 8:1,2, 31-37]

Please note: God did not cause the tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword…He made us conquerors over these things! He just knows that the enemy will bring them against us to try to destroy us and then get us to blame Him. This is a warning, people! But we are the victors.

God loves us! Did you know that Jesus said the Father loves us, even as He loved Jesus? And gave us His glory! [John 17:22,23]

Victory 
I’ve got news for you…that’s why He sent Jesus. The plan of salvation and deliverance is His idea!

‘But by HIS DOING you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD."’ [1 Corinthians 1:30,21]

‘But thanks be to God, who ALWAYS leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.’ [2 Corinthians 2:24]

‘For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.’ [2 Corinthians 1:20]

‘Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond ALL that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.’ [Ephesians 3: 20,21]

‘For WHATEVER is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?’ [1 John 5:4,5]

Need More Proof? 
For those who have been brainwashed to believe that God is bringing calamity upon us to teach us, think about these things:

• He gave us His Name [Mark 16:17; Luke 10:17; John 14:13,14'; John 15:16; John 16:23-26; John 17:11; Acts 3:16; Acts 4:30]
• He gave us the right to become children of God, joint heirs with Jesus [John 1:12; Romans 8:17]
• He gave us triumph, ALWAYS [2 Corinthians 2:14]
• He gave us His armor [Ephesians 6:10-17]
• He strengthened us with all miracle-working power [Gr: dunamis]in our inner man [Colossians 1:11; Ephesians 3:16]
• He gave us His mind, His wisdom [1 Corinthians 2:12,16; 1 Corinthians 1:30]
• He made Jesus become to us righteousness, sanctification, redemption…there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus [1 Corinthians 1:30; Romans 8:1]
• He set us free from the law of sin and death…we are redeemed from the curse of the Law [Romans 8:2; Galatians 3:13]
• He gave us healing [Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24,25; Psalm 107:20; 3 John 2]
• He blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ [Ephesians 1:3]
• He seated us in heavenly places, in Christ…ALREADY! [Ephesians 2:6]
• He gave us wealth, all things richly to enjoy [2 Corinthians 8:9; 3 John 2; Psalm 57:2; 1 Corinthians 3:21,22; Ephesians 5:20; 1 Timothy 6:17; Proverbs 10:22; Proverbs 8:21]
• He has decreed that all things are possible, nothing is impossible, for us [Matthew 19:26; Mark 9:23; Mark 10:27; Luke 18:27; Matthew 17:20; Luke 1:37; Philippians 4:13]
• He gave us angels to protect and serve us [Psalm 91; Hebrews 1:14; Psalm 103:20; Psalm 24:7]
• He gave us His glory [John 17:20; Hebrews 2:10]
• He gave us His Word…we are the Word multiplied! [John 1; Acts 12:24; Acts 6:7; Acts 13:49; Acts 19:20]
• He gave us His Spirit…in fact, He dwells in each believer, Father, Son and Holy Spirit—we are one Spirit with the Lord [John 14:16-26; 1 Corinthians 6:17; 1 John 4:15]
• He made us more than conquerors [Romans 8:37; 1 Corinthians 15;57; 2 Corinthians 2:4; 1 John 5:4,5]
• He gave us His favor [Psalm 5:12; Psalm 30:5; Proverbs 8:35]
• He answers our prayers [John 14-17; 1 John 5:14,15; 2 Corinthians 1:20]
• He blessed with the blessings of Abraham [Galatians 3]
• He has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness through His promises [2 Peter 1:3,4]

And that’s just a few of the blessings bestowed on us in Christ…it is by no means an exhaustive list!

John 10:10 [Again!] 
Let me ask you this…if we are one Spirit with the Lord, why would He try to destroy us?

Judge everything against John 10:10…

‘"The thief comes only to STEAL and KILL and DESTROY; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly [or have abundance].”’

These words are in red, my friend. It was as if Jesus knew we’d be lied to and deceived, so He summed it up for us, His not-so-bright brothers and sisters, in one verse…

Good God, bad devil.

Try to remember.

The Lesson [re-post]

I spent yesterday with an extremely negative person. Apart from leaving with a whopping headache and stress that took hours to release, I came away with some interesting observations.

First, I realized how connected we are. I woke up this morning still reeling from the stress, feeling darkly anxious and hopeless.

I also realized, once again, that we are only limited by our vision and our words. When we say 'I can't' it is because we see that we can't, and it prophesies that very thing.

I watched it happen! Every time she said she couldn't do it, she'd screw up and break down in frustration. This happened time and time again..."I can't do this" or "This isn't me" or "I hate this" coming to pass in real time.

I understood that this was her inner vision--the cell she created for herself by her own self image. She believed impossible—she saw impossible, she spoke impossible—and impossible came to pass. Living in a tiny box, walled in on every side by great walls of impossibility.

This friend is a Christian, so I tossed a couple of scriptures at her, sort of how one would toss a life preserver to a drowning man. "James says the tongue is the rudder of the body...all things are possible for her...God can do more than you even think according to the power that works in you..." etc. etc.

But she couldn't even see herself grasping for the life preserver. She just kept walking 'round and 'round in that little cell, building greater and greater walls with her mouth. Every time I spoke peace and possibility, she became angrier and more upset. She just wasn't having it.

The Lesson
Yesterday, I was angry at her. Angry at the years of so-called Christian teachings that left her powerless and frantic.

Today, I am filled with sadness. A sort of compassion turned inward.

The Father has told us, again and again, that all things are possible for us. [See Possibilities, Quantum Possibilities, Anything?, All Things—just search the blog, there's lots.]

Why don't we know this? I mean really know it? See it, say it, believe it?

We believe in the life and resurrection of Jesus? We believe that the Bible is the written Word of God...we believe that Moses split the Red Sea and that Sarah was rejuvenated in advanced years to bear Isaac. Why can't we believe that these types of impossibilities can be ours, as well?

Jesus told us to speak to trees and mountains, to heal the sick and raise the dead. We see Him, our Brother and examples, doing these very things. Walking away from out of control mobs set on killing Him, providing wine for a feast and money for taxes—and then He turns around and tell us to do greater works than these!

Because everything but the Word says it can't be done. Religion says it's passed away, culture mocks those who believe it, our own damaged self-speak say it couldn't be true for us.

But we are believers! And we can choose our beliefs! Believe the lie or believe the truth...

When we see that, in Christ, all things are possible to us, and say it, it becomes a prophetic utterance. Job 22:28 says 'Decree a thing and it will be established for you.' In reality, there is nothing that has been accomplished by anyone on earth that we cannot accomplish as well.

Learn the lesson. Choose life.