dickbraswell

Word for Today:  March 31

You can change things.

We are the only limitation God has.   It’s up to us.  Many are sitting around waiting for God to do something and God is waiting for us to do something.  God does not have to do anything else.  He has already done everything for you.

The only limitation in the life of any believer is the believer himself.    Some are praying and believing and fasting and seeking and worrying and weeping and repenting and trying to get what God has already given them.  He has made everything we will ever need available.  He has already blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.  (Eph 1:3)

Not many people are really satisfied with the way things are.  The good news is you can change those things you don’t like.  Most people who are in undesirable situations are saying “I can’t help it.”  But the “I can’t help it” excuse is really a cop out.  And it flies in the Face of God and slanders every promise in the Word.

This kind of information processing results in the “I can’t help it” mind set.  And it is really a MIND SET it is not a WORD SET.  You can change things.  The Word says you can.     When we find ourselves in situations and circumstances that contradict the Word and do not glorify God and enhance His Kingdom, we can change them.

The main reason some cannot change things is because they do not know how to change them.   If they do not know how, then they are among those the Bible speaks about when it says:

My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge…   Hos 4:6

And the Apostle Paul admonishes us to:

Not be ignorant, brethren…   1Thes 4:13

Get Smart

Word for Today:  March 30

God is Practical

We must come to the place of absolute faith in the Word of God.  The key word is ABSOLUTE.   There is a realm of believing that few have entered.  It is a place of surety.  It is a place of total confidence.  It is a place of resolve.  It is a place of determination.  It is relentless.  It is absolute.  It is immutable.  It is fixed.  It is changeless.  This is the God-Kind of faith.  This level of faith is essential for the perfect working of the perfect Word.    Since the Word is ABSOLUTE TRUTH we must approach Absolute Truth with ABSOLUTE FAITH.  Anything less than absolute faith is partial faith.  Partial faith is not a “finished faith” or a “completed faith.”  Jesus is the Author and Finisher (Completer) of our faith.

There is a practical application of the Word of God.  God does not tell us to do things that we cannot do…  He does not instruct us to keep things we cannot keep.  He does not command us to accomplish anything we cannot accomplish…  God is not only Spiritual… He is practical…  He fixes it so that Spiritual Principles will work in a real and practical world.  To work the Word is not impractical.  To make practical application of the Word is not being “super-spiritual.”  God has given us the Word so that we might apply the Word to real, physical, and natural life situations.

There is also a much broader dimension of the Word than most people realize.  The Word of God is not just the Bible.  The Bible is the written document that is the written Word of God but the Word of God existed before there was a written document called the Holy Bible.  John writes that “in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God…”   God’s Word transcends the Bible.   God’s Word was existent before there was a Bible.  How can we know what God said if it is not written down for us to read and know?  We know what God said by knowing what God would say.  We know what God would say by knowing the Nature and Character of God.  God speaks in agreement with His Character.  If we know His Character, we will know what He will say or did say…  We know His Character by Revelation.

Thankfully, He chose to Reveal Himself to us.

Word for Today:  March 29

Moses forsook Egypt.

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.  Heb 11:27

Moses saw beyond the Natural and the Immediate and into the Spiritual and the Eternal.

He saw the Invisible and accomplished the Impossible.

He left what everybody thought was a “sure thing” because he saw beyond the facts and focused on the Promise of God.  Once He realized what God had in store, the world no longer held any attraction for him.  Money, power, rank, station, reputation, future…. all these were weighed against the “Invisible” things he saw by faith.

He knew the promises of God were much better than the wealth of the world.

He left the world, the world system and the things of flesh behind and he “endured” (kartereo: to be strong, steadfast, patient) because he saw the invisible.

Seeing the invisible is preceded by Forsaking and Enduring.  Faith has a flip-side.  It is not all just “believing with the heart” it is believing with a determination to do the Word.

Faith without works is dead… James 2:26

The “forsaking” precedes the “taking”

Word for Today: March 28

Hindrances to Faith

          Remember that Satan comes “immediately” to take away the Word-Seed before it has time to take root. 

And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.  Mark 4:15   

          It is easier for Satan to steal a seed or dig up a seed than it is for him to pull up a tree.  Satan is a thief and a robber.   Here are some real hindrances to great faith:

• Seeing no evidence.
• Having no feeling.
• Considering facts and turning to human rea­soning.
• Failures we have experienced in the past.
• Dead religion, cold churches, denomina­tional doc­trine,
• unbelieving preachers and teachers.
• Our fear of man, relatives, influential friends, and what people may say.
• Refusing the Gifts of the Spirit
• Ignorance.
• Unrenewed mind.
• Negative mouth.
• Doubt and wavering.
• Love of the world. 
• Impatience

          Strife, bitterness, unforgiveness, sarcasm, gossip, jealousy, envy, unkindness, anger, griping, self-pity, pride, hypocrisy, uncaring, no compassion, no love, greed, stinginess, egotism, no disci­pline, sense-ruled, appetite-ruled,  sight-ruled;   any of  the above will prevent our faith from developing.  They are hindrances to faith and they can only be dealt with and overcome by our deter­mination and prayerful effort. 

          The Revelation of Faith and the continual opera­tion of this revelation in the life of the Believer is essential if one is to Reign in Life. 

Word for Today:  March 19

I believe we have missed the point somewhere.

Religion has formed opinions and manufactured definitions of what church is.  I wonder if church is today what it was in the first century.  I wonder if we did today what they did in the first century… would we qualify as ministers…. Or churches… or Christian assemblies?   Would it be acceptable? Would it fit in our specified service times?  What would happen?

Perhaps we have become acclimated and accustomed to contemporary activity that we call “church” and maybe it is not church at all… at least not church in the sense of the New Testament definition.

Does God wonder what we are doing?  Maybe we should re-evaluate what we do on the Lord’s Day and what happens on Sunday and then compare it with Scripture and see if it is really church or not.

Much of what we call “church” is not church at all.  It may qualify as a “meeting” but it certainly is not “Church.”  Our first question after the services should be “did we have Church?  Or did we just have a meeting.”  Many services in many churches would go right on without the Holy Ghost showing up and many would never know the difference.

• Church is not church if nothing happens.
• Church is not church if shock waves are not sent through hell. (Remember the “gates of hell” thing?
• Church is not church if people in church can sleep right through it.
• Church is not church when everything is planned and orchestrated by professional religious personnel.
• Church is not church if there is no excitement. No movement.  No action.
• Church is not church if there is no rejoicing.
• Church is not church lives and situations are not changed.

Real Church is radical

Word for Today:  March 18

What are Storms?

Storms are circumstances and situations.   Storms are problems.  Storms are crises.  Storms are hindrances and delays and disappointments.  Storms are situations that plague us and harass us and attempt to destroy us.  Storms are sicknesses and physical attacks. Storms are Family conflicts and marriage troubles.  Storms are difficulties and impossibilities in the work place. Storms are addictions and habits that keep us in bondage.  Storms are demonic.

Where do Storms come from?  What causes them?

Storms are caused by the devil.  They are demonic attacks.  They are designed to do what the devil wants to do to you… to kill you, to steal your goods, and to completely destroy you.  Storms are planned and birthed in hell.  They are crafted for you personally by the devil and his demons.  They are intended to keep you as far away from God and God’s Purpose as possible.

What is the Purpose of Storms?

The purpose and intent of storms is to stop you before you get where God wants you to be.  Storms arise and winds blow in the process of ministry and spiritual growth.  When you determine to obey God and be a blessing to others is when you will find yourself in a storm with the devil attempt­ing to sink your boat.

The moment you decide to go to the Other Side with Jesus, satan will send a storm to stop you and capsize your boat.  You hear the voice of God… the challenge… the command… (This is point A) and you start out toward point B which is the place where God wants you.  And on the way…. You run into a STORM.

How do we Calm the Storm?

The Word spoken in faith and prayed in faith always creates a calm and produces peace.  When Jesus found Himself in a great storm, He “rebuked” the wind and “said” to the sea… (Mark 4:39)  There is a time to pray and there is a time to arise and speak the Word.

Faith-filled words will make the Natural submit to the Spiritual.  If “no-faith” which is what the dis­ciples had (“how is it that ye have no faith…?”) yields to the destructive power of storms then Faith (which is what Jesus had) makes the de­structive power of storms submit to the Power of God.

Talk to your storm

Word for Today: March 17

We are suffering loss because we have allowed suffering to happen.

Every defeat and every spiritual failure is the result of our laziness, our ignorance, our stupidity or our rebellion.

satan moves in when he is not resisted.  satan stays when we draw back and let him stay.   satan sets up housekeeping when we give place to him.  satan builds strongholds when we do not fight back.  satan cannot do what he is not allowed to do.

Our spiritual condition is precisely what we have allowed it to become.  We can fuss and cuss about the government about world conditions about immorality and crime and ungodliness… we can criticize and complain but what IS is what we as the Body of Christ have allowed to be.

God has equipped us and supplied us with every effective and offensive weapon to stop the devil and drive out demons and take back what hell has stolen… the problem is we have grown fat and lazy and we have crawled into our recliners and gone to sleep.

And while we slept the enemy came and invaded.  Now it is time to attack.  It is time to declare our independence from the powers of darkness… it is the hour to move into the territory of the devil… to charge the gates of hell and demand a refund.  With interest.

Just go ahead and do it.

Word for Today:  March 16

People want to see Jesus.

The world is tired of seeing Church and Performance and Form and Custom.  They want to see Jesus.  I want to see Jesus.  Jesus has been buried under Religion and the traditions of men and doctrines that have sanitized God and ripped the miraculous out of the Bible.

People are tired of Professional Preachers and Social clubs called churches.     We have kept Jesus covered and hidden by our veneer of hypocrisy.  What we do speaks louder than what we say.  Who we really are is often not what people see.

It is not great preaching that is needed or great preachers…not bigger churches or better facilities…. People need to see Jesus.  People want to see Jesus.  People must see Jesus.  When Jesus is welcomed in our churches… crowds will follow.  Because where Jesus is… God is.  And were God is… the devil isn’t.

And Jesus draws crowds…  not gimmicks, contests, covered dinners, homecomings, band concerts, or free pizza.  It is JESUS that people want to see and it is JESUS that people need.

Only Jesus can change your situation.  Only Jesus can bring you into Victory Living.  Only Jesus can deliver you and make you free.  Only Jesus can satisfy the hunger in your heart.

Only Jesus can give you LIFE.  (John 10:10)

Word for Today:  March 15

satan is fighting.

But he is fighting the God in you.  So he is fighting a can’t-win battle.

he is defying the God Who lives in you.  This is the reason the devil hates you… you are where God is.  When he sees you he sees God.  When he sees you coming he thinks God is coming.  He hates God and defies God and is terrified of God.

David realized this in his confrontation with Goliath.  He declared:  “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the Living God?”  He did not see a giant.  He saw an opportunity.  He did not say that Goliath was defying the armies of Saul or the armies of Israel… but instead, the armies of the LIVING GOD.

Now, Who is the Champion?  Who is the Stronger One?  Who is the Victorious One?   It is God Who lives in you.  If He wins, you win.  If He can’t lose, you can’t lose.  If He overcomes, you overcome.

If satan is defying the God in you he is also defying the Word of God in you.   The Word has always been the enemy of satan.  The Word busted him and kicked him out of heaven.   The Word “bruised” his head.  The Word keeps him at bay.  The Word continually destroys all his “works.”

Whatever the devil will ever do, can be undone by the Word of God.  Whatever is planned and programmed by the devil can be prevented by the Word of God.

It is the Word that defeats the devil.  satan cannot stand against the Word.  Jesus used the Word on the devil and the devil left Him.  “It is written…” is what Jesus declared to the devil on the mount of temptation.

And the devil gave up and left

The thief cometh not, but for to steal,  and to kill, and to destroy:  I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10  

            There are only two kinds of people on earth.  And I do not mean men and women.  They are either Alive people or Dead people.  You can be dead before you are dead.  If you are Alive you know it.  If you are  Dead you know it.  The devil is the mer­chant of death.  Jesus is the Giver of life.      

            The ultimate purpose and mission of the devil is to steal, kill and destroy; we find this out in John 10:10.  The devil deals in death and destruction.  Jesus gives LIFE and brings RESTORATION.   All problems and at­tacks are designed by Satan to steal your goods, take your life, and destroy you and anything and everything you have.   The devil wants death and destruc­tion to overtake you. 

On the contrary, Jesus wants Life and Restoration to overtake you.   How did Jesus deal with death?  The Bible says He conquered death, hell and the grave.  Because He did, they are still conquered.  If we can see and understand how Jesus dealt with death, we can deal with it the same way.   

“Death” comes in many forms.  It is more than dying a natural death and becoming a corpse.  Death can come into a marriage.  Death can come into a business.  Death can come in the form of sickness and disease.  Death can come into a family, a relationship or any situation in the human experience. 

As we consider how Jesus dealt with death, we can learn some valuable lessons that can bring a resurrection into any “death” experience we may be facing. 

Let’s look at how Jesus dealt with the death of His friend Lazarus.

Every Death Attack is an Opportunity  

When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. John 11:4  

            Jesus “heard” the bad report that His friend Lazarus had died.  We know that faith comes by hearing but doubt also comes by hearing.  Unbelief can be birthed and nourished  by hearing bad news.  Distress can come by hearing a bad report.   Fear can be initiated by hearing negative things.   What are you hearing?  Whatever you are hearing will either build your faith are add to your unbelief.  Jesus determined not to be moved or influenced  by what He heard. 

            Then, Jesus declared with His mouth what the situation was going to be.  He took the opportunity to prophesy what was going to be because he knew the will of God in the matter.   Jesus “heard” and then He “said.”  What He heard did not alter what He said.  He re­fused to give in to the sense realm by be­lieving the opinions of men. 

            “It’s not over.  It’s not final.  It’s not what it’s going to be.  God is working.  I am waiting.  I am believing.  I am speak­ing.  I am prophesying.  What I say agrees with God and because of this, the devil (and all his works) will have to move aside.”  This kind of thinking and speaking comes out of a mind that is renewed by the Word and a faith that is founded on the Word.

            Jesus saw sickness is an opportunity.  He even saw death as an opportunity.  In the believer’s life, every impossibility is an opportunity.  Your fiery trial is an opportunity for you to exercise your faith,  to get into the Word and find out what God says.  It is an opportu­nity to turn tragedy into testimony. 

When you see your “death” situation in this light, you will be encouraged to say the same thing Jesus said: “This thing is not unto death…. it is not the end….it is an opportunity for God to show Himself strong in my behalf and to give me a powerful testimony of His Faithfulness.”

            We are all faced with “Lazarus” at­tacks.  What we do and how we act in the midst of such situations will demonstrate just how deep we are in God.   We can say what others are saying.  We can agree with what the facts are.  We can accept the “inevitable” or we can prophesy to the situation.  God has called us into His Kingdom and given us the power to cre­ate with our words the things that are in the will of God.    

            Your fiery trial… your graveyard tribulation… your Red Sea and your furnace heated seven times over… your den of lions and your Goliath…  all these are opportunities for God to get glory and for you to experience a miracle.  Jesus knew that impossibilities are oppor­tunities for God to show Himself strong in behalf of those who would DARE to BELIEVE!

When under pressure:  Don’t Change your Plans 

When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.   John 11:6   

            The devil wants you to change di­rections… especially if you are in the will of God.  If you are on the way to where God wants you, then Satan and all the forces of darkness are aligned to make you change your direction and alter your plans. 

Remember how the devil tried to stop Jesus on the Sea of Galilee with the great storm before He made it to the other side?   Here, as He considered the Lazarus situation, Jesus was in the flow of God and was not willing to change His direction just because He re­ceived some bad news.  Jesus stayed.  Sometimes it is hard to stay.  Staying can be standing still.  When we hear of pressing needs and powerful at­tacks, we are tempted to run ahead of God.  Remember… the Battle is the Lord’s but the victory is ours. 

            Satan is the author of all bad news.  Bad news is demonic.  Bad news is a fiery dart of the enemy.  Bad news is Satan’s at­tempt to get you to change your plans and alter your direction.  When you are the receiver of bad news, keep your eyes on your objective… do not allow discour­agement, worry, fear or distractions to make you change your plans in your walk of faith. 

            Job was a man who was a servant of the Most High God.  He had some bad news brought to him… over and over again.  On the very heels of one messen­ger, another would come until it seemed that Job could not stand any more.  And yet “in all of this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly…”  It was the devil attempting to change the course of Jobs life.  Learn from the Life of Jesus…. do not allow demonic pressure to change your faith position. 

            How many times have we wanted Jesus to “hurry up?”  Our need presses us to prompt Jesus to hurry to our rescue.  However, God has a time.  He has a schedule.  And His time is the always the RIGHT TIME.  During tough times, we need to remember that things are happen­ing in the realm of the spirit we can­not see. 

God is working.  The devil is fighting.  We are waiting.  And while we wait, He is working in our behalf.  If He is not hurrying, He has a reason.  Jesus needed to remain where He was in order for God to get the glory for the mira­cle of Lazarus’ resurrection. 

            Remember, when you are in the will of God, you do not have to change your plans when Satan attacks and emer­gencies arise.   Hold steady.  Do not panic.  Stay on your course.  Do not change your plans because of de­monic emergencies. 

Nothing is FINAL when Jesus is Present

Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.  John 11:14  

            Nothing can be more final than death.  Death means it’s over.  Death means it’s done.   When you are dead…. you are dead!  It’s over!  It’s finished!  It’s done!  UNLESS Jesus is there!  Listen:

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.   1Cor. 15:26  

            So many times our attitude is like that of Thomas:  “Let us also go, that we may die with him…”   (John 11:16). Thomas was reflecting the normal attitude of most people when they are facing a death situation;  “Oh, well, it’s over.  No need to keep on.  It’s finished.”   However, nothing is FIXED or “set in concrete” in the world system.   Not even death!  Jesus is the Great Changer.   He changes things.  When it seems totally fi­nal and nothing more can be done… when death looms and defeat is at hand and all hope is gone… Nothing is FINAL when Jesus is present.  If He can raise Lazarus from the dead, He is more than able to resurrect your dead hopes and dreams and aspirations.       

            Both Mary and Martha fell into the trap of the “If Syndrome.”

Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.  John 11:21  

Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him,  Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.  John 11:32  

            You cannot afford to live in the land of IF.  “If I had just done this… ”  “If I had just said this…”  “If I had tried harder…”  “If ” moves you into the place of legalism and performance-based faith.   IF is not Grace.  IF is works.  IF will short circuit the will of God.  It does not matter who or what you are, what you have done, or what your need may be… all you need is JESUS.  He will erase all your “Ifs”  and  deliver you from your negative thinking. 

Don’t Yield to Religious Thinking

Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.   John 11:24  

            Every time you are faced with an impossibility, Religion will attempt to rise up and “explain” the situation.  Religion attempts to make the Word of God agree with the death situation you are experi­encing instead of making the death situa­tion agree with the Word of God.   Religion is dead doctrine.  Religion is self-righteous pride and arrogance.  Religion is form and tradition and legalistic law.  Religion is a heavy burden.  Religion works with the devil to keep you in death.  Religion is deception.  Christianity is not Religion… it is LIFE.    Read Matthew 23 to see what Jesus said about Religion.

            Religion will help the devil kill you and destroy you.  Pious platitudes that look way into the future for pie in the sky by and by will not help you in the NOW.  Most of what Religion taught us about God had nothing to do with the present.  It was either history or Heaven.  God is a God of the NOW.  And Jesus is a Jesus of TODAY.   

Don’t Be Moved by the Opinions of Men

And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?  John 11:37  

            What people think and say has nothing to do with what the Word says unless they are thinking with a renewed mind.   All the opinions of men will not heal the sick or raise the dead.  What you say and what you think is worthless unless your WORDS and your THOUGHTS agree with the WORD OF GOD.  

Most who are so quick to give advice and counsel know little or nothing of the power of God.  The ones looking on the death scene Jesus faced, saw the grave and the grieving family and began to murmur.  Skeptics always murmur.  Doubters and unbelievers are always looking for REASONS.  God is not a rea­soning God and He does not operate REASONABLY…  He is a FAITH GOD and He operates in the SUPERNATURAL.  

Attempt the Impossible

Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.  John 11:39  

            Jesus “went too far.”  He crossed over the line.  He “lost it.”  When you begin to roll away gravestones from impossible situations, the devil and all his helpers will accuse you of going too far.  “You can’t be serious.”  “You really don’t mean that.”  “Do you realize what you are doing?”  “What will people say?”  “What will my relatives think?”    

 If you never attempt the impossible you will never get a miracle.  When you refuse to roll away the stone, you accept defeat and limit God and stop all miracles from happening.  What stone will you roll away today?  What stinking corpse of impossibility will you drag out, uncover and present to God?

 You will never  get a resurrection if you refuse to roll away the stone.  This is your initial act of faith and it is this very act that moves heaven in your behalf.

Pray Right

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.  John 11:41  

            Notice how Jesus prayed.  He refused to pray in doubt and unbe­lief.  “If it be Thy will” praying will never get a miracle or experience a resurrec­tion.  If you know the Word you know the Will!    If you do not know how to pray the Word, you better never roll away the stone. 

Jesus knew (1) What God’s will was,  (2) How to pray in agreement with God’s will, and  (3) How to pray in great faith.  He was sure of His position in God.  He knew who He was and what God had promised to do for Him.  He did not beg.  He did not plead.  He did not an­guish.  He thanked God.  

Speak Faith Boldly

And when he thus had spo­ken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.   John 11:43  

            I get great comfort from this verse.  If Jesus “cried with a loud voice” I guess it’s OK for me to preach with a loud voice.   He boldly and specifi­cally spoke out and called for a miracle.  He “got what He said!”  Remember Mark 11:23?   

For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall SAY unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall HAVE WHATSOEVER HE SAITH…   

It’s time for you to roll away the stone and speak (loudly) to your situation! 

Get Free

And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave­clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. John 11:44   

            Loose yourself.  Cast off those grave clothes.  Walk out of your tomb.  Get free and stay free.  Do not get entangled again with the yoke of bondage that kept you bound.  Tear off the grave clothes and let new life come forth.  Refuse to stay in the graveyard dressed like the dead, looking like the dead and smelling like the dead.    Get Up.  Get Out. Get Free.  Stay Free.

            This is how Jesus dealt with death.  Since the Word says
“as He is so we in this world…” we can deal with our death situations just like Jesus did with His. 

Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.   1Jo 4:17