Speak Life

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63 NKJV)

In the faith series, my pastor Cal Roberts was discussing the topic of the law of confession, basically dealing with the words that we are confessing on a daily basis. The main scripture that we focused on was Mark 11:22-24 which told us that “if we ask for anything in Jesus’ name and believe that we received it, it will be given to us”. This faith series has been truly a blessing. I’ve learned to watch what I say, because even if it isn’t the word of God, it still has life. And according to the principle of ask and believe, if I speak a negative word in my life and believe that word in my heart, it is bound to happen. That’s the principle.

Upon reading John 6:63, when Jesus was speaking to His disciples, I understood the example that He was giving, “It is the Spirit who gives life”. We are spiritual beings who live in a body (flesh). We ought to walk by the spirit of God that is in us to truly experience life, “in abundance, to the full, till it overflows” (John 10:10 AMP). What I’ve come to understand from John 6: 63, is that when we don’t walk in the spirit, it profits us nothing. The word of God is spirit and it brings forth life. Walking in the spirit is walking in the word of God; speaking the word of God, and living life according to the word.

This is amazing to me because I know that God is Spirit, and the words that He speaks are Spirit. He framed the entire world with His words, created me in His image and likeness. Therefore I too am spirit, and the words that I speak are spirit, and my goal is to make sure that the words that come out of my mouth are life giving and not death taking.

“Lord teach me to be like you,
When you open your mouth,
Life comes through.
Teach me Lord,
To speak life too”

Obeying All The Rules

On April 22, 2007, my pastor, Cal Roberts, shared a message based off Mark 11:22-24 which states " And Jesus, replying, said to them, Have faith in God [constantly]. Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him. For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, you will [get it]." (AMP)

The message was titled "The Law of Confession". The word of God or the Holy Bible, is known to be the book of the law, the basic instructions before leaving earth. So I looked up the word law to get a better understanding of what it is and according to "The World Book Dictionary: Volume Two", the word law is described as "a rule or regulation made by a country or state for all people who live there, a system of rules formed to protect society or some other group." With this description, I've come to know that the law is not there to hinder me from what I want to do, but it is established for my own protection.

The word of God is full of laws- rules formed for my good! Rules formed for me to live life in abundance, to the full, till it overflows. (John 10:10 AMP)

That is why Jesus fulfilled the law. He came to show us the benefits of being obedient to the rules established by God.

In Mark 11:22-24, Jesus responded to his disciples with a set of rules- "Have faith in God, Speak to the Mountains, Do not doubt, and Believe what you ask for in prayer." These rules have been set for our good. And as a children of God, we have no other choice but to be obedient to the rules.

Dr. Nasir Siddiki, made a profound statement on his television broadcast, " Our blessing is on the other side of our obedience." Meaning, when we obey, we get blessed. And of course we all want to be blessed.

"I'm blessed and preparing for success, for the law of confession is what shapes me to be the best. I believe therefore I speak, having no doubts, I carry out every positive word spoken over me. My faith in God is what matters to me, His spirit in me- comforting me and guiding me to all truth. And now, I am living life obeying all of the rules."- Maeva Renaud

Understanding Who We Are

All my life that has been my journey, to understand who I am and what my purpose on this earth really is. Earlier this year, there was an assignment posted to find out what your name means. I did that, and I found out that my name means welcome. I also did a deeper research on it, because I know that your name describes who you are intended to be. To make a long story short, I found out that my name signifies one that receives another into the kingdom. Okay, that's cool but how do I do that was my question.

So far with reading the word, attending scribal anointing sessions, prayer, and hearing the word from my pastors, I've come to an understanding that there are categories in understanding who you are:

1. What God calls you by name
2. What you are called to do
3. The mandate over your life
4. What you are required to do with what you've been given
5. The authority you have in Christ
6. Your position

The reason I'm writing this post is because, all the pieces to the puzzle have been revealed to me and now I have an understanding of who I am and I'm soooooooooooooooooooooooo excited! All my life, that has been my journey. I always felt like I was a mistake ,I was worthless, and had no true purpose. But I thank God for all my failed attempts of suicide and now I know that I am somebody that God created to do great things.

Today I know that I am to welcome others into the kingdom of God with my personality, unique characteristics, and godly lifestyle. I know that I am called to write. Writing is my profession, it is my vocation, it is what I do to bring back order into the kingdom! I understand that the mandate over my life is to make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the name of Jesus, teaching them the truth of the gospel through my writing. I have been given much, and much is required of me. I am to produce good fruit. I have the authority and legal power to conquer every situation because it is my right to do so. Today I understand my position. I was created in the image of God and in His likeness. He blessed me before I was even in my mother's womb. He assigned me to spread His kingdom, to be a duplicator of what He's done, to increase in authority, dominion, and power. He created me to be fruitful and multiply, to prosper, reproduce, fill the earth, and take charge. Therefore I stand today in the position that God blessed me in. The position of a delegated ruler of the earth, the position of one who governs, the position of royalty, the position of an heir, the position of a child of the King.

I am about my Father's business. I know who I am, and I will live! (My declaration)

Sorry I didn't have any scripture reference, but it's in the word, start with your position in Genesis 1:26-28

Ain't too proud to beg

The famous words of the Temptations still echo in our ears as the Motown legends’ song depicts a man pleading earnestly and selflessly for his lover to stay by his side. The song passionately says, “I know you wanna leave me, but I refuse to let you go, If I have to beg and plead for your sympathy, I don't mind cuz' you mean that much to me…” The body of Christ should have that same zeal when it comes to a personal relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Many people think that having a proud or prideful spirit is a strong character trait. Yes, it is strong, so strong that it can destroy you physically, psychologically, and spiritually. Outside of that, it will destroy any and all relationships one has whether it is romantically or socially. A prideful spirit is a selfish spirit, a spirit that God does not appreciate. When we come before the Lord, either in our brokenness or daily prayers, our state of mind should be humble. For the word the Lord gave King Solomon in 2nd Chronicles 7:14 states, “If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land.” Oftentimes we wonder why our prayers aren’t answered, but we fail to evaluate how we present ourselves to God.

The psalmist David never presented himself to God in a prideful or arrogant manner. He always humbled himself, making himself weak and needy before the Lord. For David knew that his source for strength and energy came from the Lord and that the Lord appreciated a humbled heart. In Psalm 147:6, David describes how the Lord lifts up the humble and brokenhearted and casts out those who aren’t. So many times we present ourselves before the Lord in a prideful manner, we fail to seek Him and inquire about our relationships, our jobs, and our finances. How dare we think that we already know what to do with the blessings that God has given us? How dare we make decisions about our mates without inquiring of the Lord – the author and finisher of our faith? Too often we go to God with our own agendas, but what about His agenda? Have we forgotten that He has a will for our lives?

If we fail to present ourselves before the Lord in all humility, we will never really know or understand His will and purpose for our lives. Because it is in our brokenness and neediness that the Lord reveals to us the plans for our lives. When we come before God broken and contrite, doors are opened for God to move in our lives and forgive us of our sins.

So ask yourself, are you too proud to beg or will you humble yourself today?

When The Odds Are Against You

Most of the time when something goes wrong, either in relationships, business deals, or even on the job, people always look for the easy way out. When situations become tough and challenging, the thought of running away seems to dominate the psyche. Unfortunately, running away from difficult situations will not relinquish the stress and fear of it all when the problem rises once more.

If people are always running away from relationships, they’ll never be able to commit to one. If they are always abandoning bad business deals, they’ll never learn from their mistakes. If quitting the j-o-b is the only solution to a confrontation with the boss, stability and character development will be a decline within the today's society.

When challenging situation arise, it is always best to refer to the Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth manual- yes the Bible. The Bible is filled with answers to everyday situations. In the case of having to deal with them, the Bible says to “Lean not on your own understanding, but to trust the Lord with all your heart” (Proverbs 3:5). Trusting the Lord will quiet the soul (thoughts and emotions) and peace will infiltrate the scene. Trusting the Lord and acknowledging Him will bring about direction for any and every situation.

If people would look at their troublesome situations more as a test, it would be beneficial because according to the “manual”, tests “…produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us” (Romans 5:4-5).

So the next time a challenging situation suddenly arises, don’t panic. Grab the Bible or go online to www.biblegateway.com and get the word needed in order to persevere.

Equipping Through Fellowship

The Barney and Friends kids’ television show has a song that goes “the more we get together, together, together, the more we get together the happier we’ll be. Your friends are my friends and my friends are your friends so the more we get together the happier we’ll be.” I sang that song religiously when I was in grade school with no true sense of understanding to the law of friendship. Today, I can truly appreciate my third grade teachers’ effort to embrace togetherness in her classroom. It really taught me how to foster relationships with others. Now as an adult, I love having get-togethers, whether it’s a group of us going out to dinner or having a blockbuster night in my living room. Gathering together with a group of friends is a great way to learn from one another, meet each others needs, and develop long lasting soul ties that are healthy and purposeful.

As believers in the body of Christ, it is our responsibility to “consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another(Hebrews 10:24-25).” Thinking back to my childhood, I remember how excited I was to sing along with my classmates. No one had to prep me or tell me to get ready to sing. I knew exactly what time Mrs. Holmes would turn on the television set to channel 8 for another rendition of our favorite friendliest purple dinosaur. I was enthusiastically waiting and ready. Today, I must admit it’s a little more challenging to be carefree and zealous about assembling together with others for the sake of friendship. I mean, we are human, we have our hang-ups, we have our doubts, our worries, and sometimes we just don’t want to deal with anyone. Trust me I know! But I thank God for His word that always shines light to my darkness. In Hebrews 10:24-25 we are reminded to consider others even through our hang-ups.

This article is entitled, “Equipping Through Fellowship”. If you look up the word equip, it means to supply and the word fellowship is synonymous to friendship, so no I’m not going into any theology or particular doctrine on the matter, I’m just keeping it as simple as the law of love; love your neighbors as you love yourselves. Supply the need through friendship.

Scripture references: Hebrews 10, Philippians 2