dickbraswell

Word for Today:  July 31

God wants to encourage you today.

He wants to build you up in your most Holy Faith…  He wants to strengthen you and help you and deliver you.  He wants you to be blessed.  He wants you to know that He is able to set you free from every snare and every devil and every fiery trial.  He speaks to you by His Word and through the Anointing and assures you that He has everything under control.

We have a lot going for us.  We are blessed and well provided for.  We live in abundance and suffer no lack.  We are God’s People and we are a special people…  God calls us “Peculiar”… “Set Apart”… “A Holy Nation”… “His Children”… “His Husbandry”… “His Garden”… “His Temple”…

We are blessed with an abundance of His Word…  Yet, many are hurting and wondering and wishing… some are doubting and even more are struggling with apparent impossible situations and trying circumstances.   If this is you…. hold on!

God wants you to be delivered.  God wants you to be free.   God wants you overcoming, ruling and reigning in life.  Deliverance is for you.  God is for you.  The Word is for you.

And God is Able!

Word for today:  July 30

Faith’s potential.

What you do with your faith determines what happens to your faith.  If you use it, it increases.  If you don’t use it, it decreases.  Use it or lose it.   Faith demands action.  Faith demands risk.

Faith is a creative Force.  The Faith of God is the Force behind all creation.  Faith is a “first-order” force.  God is a Faith God.  We are commanded to have the “God-kind” of Faith.    Mark 11:22

“Have Faith of God.”  You have the same kind of Faith that God has.  Faith is a Divine Attribute of God.  When you and I got Born Again, we received an impartation of the very Nature and Character of God into our Recreated Human Spirit.  When we were Regenerated, we were “RE-GENED…”  God Supernaturally changed and altered the Genetic Mapping of our human nature.  He “imputed” His Faith into us.  NOW… we have the Faith of God.

Just as you received certain biological and genetic characteristics from your earthly parents at the time of your physical birth, your also received certain Spiritual and Supernatural characteristics from your Heavenly Father at the time of your Spiritual Birth.  You look like your parents.  You have personal and emotional characteristics like your parents.  The color of your eyes.  The color of your hair.  Your physical size.  The way you walk.  The way are physically built.  Your size.

All these were built into you… mapped by the genetic structures of your parents… and passed on to you at the time of your physical birth.  If all these intricate and miraculous physical attributes were placed in you when you were born, what about the wonderful supernatural characteristics that were imputed into your recreated human spirit at the time of your Spiritual Birth…  When you were Born Again?

If the faith of God is behind all creation, (and it most certainly is) and if you and I have the same kind of faith, (and we most certainly do) then we have access to the most awesome force known in the universe.

That is a Spiritual Reality

All things are possible to him that believeth…  Mk 9:23

Word for Today:  July 29

There are two kinds of faith.

First, there is Natural Faith and secondly, there is Supernatural Faith.

Natural Faith is based on what we see (our senses) and Supernatural Faith is based on what God Says.  Thomas exercised natural faith.  He would not believe (have faith) unless he saw the evidence.  He heard that Jesus was alive, but he refused to believe it unless he actually saw Him.  This is natural faith.

Abraham, on the other hand, exercised supernatural faith.  Abraham determined to believe (have faith) regardless of what he saw or felt.  His “senses” were not consulted.  He chose to Believe God.

Most believers are living in the realm of natural faith.   They tend to believe only what they can see.  They are subject to their senses and are dependent on natural facts.  Natural faith operates only in the realm of the visible, the sensible and the factual.

Other believers have determined to live in the realm of supernatural faith.  They can and do believe things that they cannot see.  They are not bound to the sense realm.  They are able to move beyond the natural and physical into the realm of the supernatural and spiritual.

They live by Truth instead of Facts

Word for Today:  July 26

Impossible?

The challenge of the impossible is fuel for the Spirit-Filled Believer.  It is the place where we become personally acquainted with God and His Grace and His ability to supply every need.  It is a proving ground…. a proving ground for the Word, for our Faith and for the Integrity of God.

God speaks in the Book of Malachi and commands us to prove Him.

…prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.   Mal. 3:10-11

God is literally saying “I dare you.  I ‘double-dog’ dare you.  I dare you to try what I am saying and PROVE me.  Prove that My Word transcends every impossibility.  Prove that I will actually and factually do what I say that I will do.  Prove that My Word works.  Anytime. Every time.  All the time.  Prove that My Power will prevail.  Prove that with Me nothing shall be impossible for you.”

The challenge for us this day is to PROVE GOD… To believe God.  To act on what He promises.  To reveal to the world how Great He is.  To break away from our timidity, our insecurity and false humility… to break out of our box and soar to new heights in our Spiritual Walk.

What are you waiting for?

Word for Today:  July 25

The level of victory

The Level of Victory we are experiencing is directly proportional to the amount of Word that is active in our life.  This is a fixed equation.

• The amount of HEALING we have is equal to the amount of WORD that is ACTIVE in our life…
• The amount of PROSPERITY we have is equal to the amount of WORD that is ACTIVE in our life…
• The amount of PEACE we have is equal to the amount of WORD that is ACTIVE in our life…
• The amount of JOY we have is equal to the amount of WORD that is ACTIVE in our life…
• The amount of FAITH we have is equal to the amount of WORD that is ACTIVE in our life…
• The amount of OVERCOMING POWER we have is equal to the amount of WORD that is ACTIVE in our life…

All redemptive provisions work proportionately to the amount of Word that is active in us.

Whatever revelation we have from the Word is what we will have faith to act on and receive.   Revelation is important because this will determine our level of deliverance.

Knowledge is not enough.  Intellect will not do it.  Revelation is imperative to receiving and maintaining our deliverance.

Our success level will never exceed our WORD level

Back in the 1960’s when racial tensions were maxed out and prejudice was running rampant, I was preaching one Sunday Morning when a young Black Guy, wearing a red baseball cap, came barging in the front door of the sanctuary in the middle of my sermon.  He stomped around, stopped and stood against the side wall and began to vent his anger (and he, at that time, probably had a right to be mad), by talking back and taking issue with me.   I managed to get through the message with all the distraction going on and dismissed the service.   He then came directly to me, glared with hate as I said, “I’m glad you came here this morning.  Please always feel welcome to come and worship with us.”  Then he replied. “You are the biggest fool I have ever seen.  I have never met anyone as stupid as you.  You are crazy to rant and rave like you did.  You are an idiot.”

Then God literally flooded me with a supernatural outpouring of His Love.  It was supernatural.  It was something I had never experienced before.  He gave me an overwhelming baptism of the God-Kind of love for this misguided, hurting young man.  It had to be God, because my natural reaction was to have the ushers throw this guy out. Immediately.  But before he could turn and walk away, I reached up and grabbed him around the neck, hugged him tight and refused to let him go.  I whispered in his ear. “You can call me anything you want and disagree with what I do.  You can ridicule me and criticize me if you want to, but there is something you will never be able to do.  And that is, you can never make me not love you or respect you.  You are special to me and special to God.  And this church loves you, too.”

Immediately, his rigidness weakened and his hatred evaporated.  He quietly walked out.

I’ve often wondered what became of that angry young man wearing the red baseball cap.  But one thing I know, on that Sunday, he encountered the awesome power of the Love of God.  And where ever he is

That will never let him go

Word for Today:  July 23

What if?

“But, what are you going to do IF….?”  “But, what IF…?”  What if it gets worse?  What if I’m not healed?  What if the money doesn’t come in?  What if my marriage fails?  What if I don’t get the job?

If our faith is determined by situations, then we really do not trust God.  We are “wishers” and “hopers.”    We are compromise and chameleon Christians.

If our faith is based on the Word, then, sink or swim… live or die… win or lose… succeed or fail… We Believe God!

Listen to the Hebrew Boys:

Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king… but if not, be it know unto thee O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up…      Daniel 3:17

Fires are faith’s Proving Ground.  Trials, Tests and Fires are the test track for your faith.  God does not bring on trials but they are the testing and proving ground for your faith.  “Impossible” and “hopeless” situations are opportunities for God to show Himself strong in your behalf.

The fire you are now in is purifying and refining… it cleanses and tempers… it develops and works patience into you.  It forces you to depend on God and it directs your attention off of yourself and on His ability.

Make your boldest confession in the midst of your hottest fire

Word for Today:  July 22

Unstoppable.

There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage:  Joshua 1:5-6

No enemy can stand in your way.  No need to fear and be timid.  No reason to be anxious.  God says that no man (no demon, no devil, no situation, no circumstance, etc.) can stand before you (if they cannot stand before you, they must submit to your authority and the power of your words), all the days of your life.

How long?  All the days of your life!  When you are young and when you are old.  When you are strong and when you are weak.  When you feel bad and when you feel good.  When everybody is against you and nobody is for you.  When you have nothing.  When you are stressed.  When you are tired.  When you are discouraged.  When you are facing a dead-line.  When there is no way out.

Nothing and nobody can stand in your way when you are in pursuit of God and God’s will for your life.  When you choose to live and refuse to die.  When you choose Truth and refuse the Lie…  You join with God and connect with the supernatural.   NOTHING can stand before you.

You are unstoppable

Word for Today:  July 17

Evidence

There is only one real fool-proof evidence of the new birth.    Jesus gave this measuring method to us in His Word.  This is the one most important characteristic of the Christian Walk.  Nothing is more important than this.  This one demand and one command is basic.

Jesus talked about it more than anything else and He demonstrated it more perfectly than any other message of His earthly ministry.  He longed to see it in His disciples and He knew that it would be the basis for the New Testament Church.

If the Church is to BE what Jesus died for it to be and if the Church is to do what He died for it to do, then this one thing is absolutely necessary.

I am convinced that this is the greatest need in this hour.   It is perhaps the greatest need in your life as a Believer.  It is not impossible.  It is possible.  It is necessary.  It is vital.  It is fundamental to the continuation of the Gospel on earth.

Jesus called this a “new commandment” in John 13:34.  He knew that He was soon to depart from the earth and He wanted so desperately for His followers to be adequately equipped to carry on His Ministry on earth.  He did not emphasize theology.  He did not emphasize education.  He did not emphasize experience or ability.  He brought attention to the one thing that will guarantee the continued success of the Gospel message.

He also stated that this would be the one qualifying characteristic that would cause the world to know how we stand with God.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples…  John 13:35.

By this….  This is the one thing that will show the world where you stand with God.  And this is the greatest thing needed in the Christian Faith today.  This One Thing is

LOVE

He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is Love…  I John 4:8

Word for Today:  July 16

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth…. Eph 4:25

Wherefore putting off the lie…

In these passages, Paul is speaking about the Believer.  He is talking about “putting off” and “putting on.”  This is an act of the human will.  We determine what we “put off” and what we “put on.”  We are to “put on” the New Man with all his privileges and provisions and we are to “put off” the old man with all his lack and need.

This speaks of personal action that issues forth from the human will.  You do it or you don’t do it.  If you do it you get the results the Bible promises and if you do not do it you don’t.

There are two primary principles involved in living and not dying.  One is Truth and the other is “the lie.”  Operating in TRUTH results in LIFE.  Operating in “the lie” results in DEATH.  Jesus said:  “I am the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE…”  John 14:6.

In the 17th chapter of John, Jesus declared:

They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.  Sanctify them through thy Truth:  thy Word is Truth… (16-17).

Every man has the option of living by Truth or living by the Lie.  The Lie is from hell.  It is authored by satan and orchestrated by demons.  It is the operating principle of the kingdom of darkness.  Everything in hell operates and functions by the lie.  Pain, lack, fear, sadness, depression, worry, sickness, disease, poverty, anxiety, stress, condemnation, guilt, dread, bondage, no hope, no joy, no happiness, no satisfaction, no purpose, misery, uncertainty, terror, death…. all these operate by the force of the lie.

And the Word commands us to “take off THE LIE”

Do it