Psalm 23
A Psalm of David.
1THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall NOT lack.


The question that I have been asking myself is: How far am I willing to trust Him. So I have decided to take it literally, the Word…like and e-mail to me.

So the Word is saying here that the Lord IS my Shepherd. Not maybe or if, but that He is. We know that God cannot lie, so I have to start out believing that He will feed, guide and shield me. Actually the Word says the Lord shall supply ALL my needs. So I have to figure out which part falls outside “all” in “all my needs” I have admit, all means all.

Philippians 4:19
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.


If I take this seriously then I have questions. Like: Why are some needs not met in my life. Either the Word is not true (and I know it is true…) or maybe I am wrong in some of my understanding. Could I be wrong? Yes of course I can be.

Do I have a choice in HOW to serve Him. Does God leave it up to me or does He make it clear in His Word. If I follow what I “think” is right, will God still bless my misunderstanding or is that maybe why it seems like some things do not work for me. For instance the Word says

1 Peter 1:15-17 (King James Version)
15But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
17And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

So I take it that God is saying we should be holy. Some say we cannot always live a holy life, so they do not even start thinking about this. If God says we should, it means He has already enabled us to do it. The Holy Spirit will enable you to live a holy life. It MUST be possible; otherwise God would not have bothered telling us about it.

I have questions going through my mind like: Is it possible that I have been taught by the church NOT to fully trust Him? I remember a lot of words from Christians when I asked them about healing. They normally have more to say to me than just the Word.

I wonder if we have become so accustom to our modern living that we actually have replaced God in many ways with the modern wonders. We seem to have God as a back-up plan if stuff do not work out.

When the treatments do not work, we pray (sometimes) I must admit that most advice I hear is not about having faith…it is about how not to have total faith, but how to split my faith into parts…one part for the doctor and one part for God. I know I am treading on thin ice. I am not telling you to drop your doc and your meds. One must never bow to peer pressure, but I am free to ask these questions. And they are popping up into my spirit, so I am not going to ignore them. What if these are from God and He wants to take me into a deeper walk? I must allow Him to do this in me

I wonder what will happen if we only had God to run to……………

I wonder if we can make a CHOICE out of our own free will, to go there willingly and say: Father teach me Thy ways and cause me to walk in them. I believe, help me in my unbelief. Father open Your Word to my heart and cause me to understand. I am tired of walking this powerless walk. I believe we can make that choice.

2 Timothy
4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
So it seems that godliness brings power, because a form of godliness we can have, plus we can deny its power.
I was thinking, maybe I am not seeing a lot more of God’s miraculous workings in my life, simply because I choose not to allow Him into certain areas. I have provided my own fleshly ways to protect me from life.

The reason I do not walk in faith, is that I am scared that if I go out on a limb for God, that He will drop me and will not come through for me, so I build in excuses to protect myself from having to ever take a stand in faith. I fear my failure in faith.But the Word says it is impossible to please God without faith…so in that I know that I do not please Him in my unbelief. Also:

Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

See, here God is speaking of the knowledge of His Word. We think we have freedom to take the Word as we please, but its not true. We have to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Remember we are a royal priesthood. As believers we have to make sure we KNOW what is in the Word.

So here is what I believe. There is a place to be (in Christ) where we have died to the world and its ways. God’s ways are not our ways, BUT is should be our way. The Word is His way. His thoughts are not our thoughts but they should be (We have the mind of Christ)
I believe that God wants to take us to a place where He can be God again in our lives. Where you get every prayer answered because you know His ways and His Mind…where we are grounded in the Word …so much that the evidence of things seen, will not move us, but that we will call things that are not, as if they were.

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
In other words: Faith is the “wool” that you give, so God can knit the “things of life” for you out of your faith (substance)
What you believe will be on your lips. It is as simple as that. The Word should be on your lips in every situation.
Love you…C

Amen Cornelius
This is good stuff. Where was it hiding? Where are you hiding I haven't seen a post from you in a while?




Charlie

Hi Charlie, I have been very busy the past three months or so. Moving house (house not ready, but I still moved in)and working on an exhibition at the same time.

God has been testing me on the above writing as well. He is faithful .

C

Hi Cornelius and blessings to you.

There is something that I want to share with regard to what you are saying.
For a very long time now I have been listening closely (and hearing) as God has been pointing out to me why in the past my faith has not been what it should have been.

I know that what Im about to say is going to be argued against by many and certainly I will be called names like fanatic. Im ok with all that.
Many Christians like to use the WWJD (what would Jesus do) thing, but when they (as I was) are confronted with regard to the things of this world, they just chalk it up to a "there's nothing wrong with that" and "everybody does that" kind of attitude.

An example (and with regard to something that I posted awhile ago):
Television....
The more that I consider all that it is and all that it stands for, the more that I keep hearing the Holy Spirit confirm it.
Why am I choosing the TV? Because it is the most commonly used/watched thing on this planet.
If we think of it all very rationally, the television first of all causes us to do one thing, and that is to live by sight (not faith) it causes us to lust with the eyes, it causes us to covet almost continually.
The fact that programming is based on selling advertising to get people to want something that they dont have and dont need, and this (by the standard of God's word in Exodus 20) is called coveting.

Now there are those that are going to say that it is good because they can watch some Christian programming... Well, that might be alright, but there probably is not one that is not trying to sell the word of God. They are always asking for $ and trying to sell a cd or book that they say is inspired by the Holy Spirit,
Blasphemy!!!

Now just ask this question: Would Jesus be sitting down to watch some late night programming or catch one of the soaps? Would He be interested in one of the game shows? Or, dare I ask, would He be praising His
Father while writing out a check to support yet another endless evangelistic fundraiser?

I think that the time has come for God,s people to see this world for what it is, it's time to come out from among them and to not be partakers of their wicked deeds.

I know that I zeroed in on TV, but I think that it is just the beginning of identifying the things that we that call upon the name of Jesus need to come away from.
Why is the movie industry so rich? Yes even the christian movie industry. Why is disney world so popular?
Why do we have such enthusiasm for the things of this world and the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life? Understand that Im in reference to the "christian" portion of funds that these entities are grossing.
Again: What would Jesus do if He were here today and lived in this modern age? Im sure that His passion would be to reach those that are in need of a physician, He would be where the homeless and hungry are, His passion would be to weep with those who are weeping and to comfort the broken-hearted. He would be giving His "spare time" to the things that the Father was telling Him to do, He would be seeking the Father in the early morning hours in a quiet place alone, He would be spending His evenings trying to reach the lost and fasting to find strength to reach yet more.
What are WE doing???

Im not perfect, but Christ, my Lord, is perfecting me. By His mercy and grace, I have had my eyes opened to the truth of the lies that American tradition has taught and what I see is that if we do not all "come out from among them", those that choose to remain will be found as partakers of her iniquity.

"What would He do", truly is the question. So when you say "how far would I acually go to trust Him?"

I think that He truly wants people to stop living as if God has an on/off switch and to stop thinking that they can sub-divide the real-estate of their body, giving this portion to God and that portion to self.
I think that for sure the chuch of the Laodicean's is here and it is only a matter of time before it is spewed out.

Truly and passionately,
In Christ ... May His name be praised!!!!

Chris

Thanks Chris, time is indeed short and we need to live for Christ. Some people know more about what is on TV than what is in the Word.
I wonder what would happen if Christians had to spend the same time in the Word as watching TV.

Jesus said that He was not sure that He would find faith on earth when He returned.

I thought He meant faith like "I wonder if anybody will still believe in Me when I return" type of faith, but it is not that. He meant, would anybody still be believing the Word, when He gets back. Would we still have faith in the promises of God.

I got scared one day reading that verse and wondered what I will tell Him, when I saw Him, about my own faith (He will ask me one day) Then I saw that I was not living in the promises and was one of those who had no faith. I believed in Jesus, but His Word .......well lets just say that I agreed with a lot of other Christians. I use to speak Christianese and say: "Yes I believe that God still heals today, but He sent us doctors to help carry out is healing" My "faith" was mixed with the opinions of man.

I was using the Word and adding to it. I was saying a lot of "buts" after the Word, if you know what I mean.
"I believe it, but...." "yes, but"

Now God has challenged me to only believe the Word, although it upsets a lot of Christians around me, that tell me I am stupid and not responsible. (Not responsible for trusting God )

blessings C

I was also living in lies, but by His mercy and grace my eyes have been opened too.
Thanks for all of your honesty Cornelius.

In Christ,
Chris

LAYING HOLD OF THE INFINITE SUPPLY
by Dr. Ronald Powell 8/1


"Laying Hold of the Infinite Supply"

Eph 1:18-20 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.


My Child,
All of God is available to man through Christ, but the sinner does not know it. Many times your conversations is like the blind man, you see, but you do not see. You know you have have met with Me in Christ, but you do not see that all things are now yours. You still pray for what is in front of you ready to be taken. You are still blind to the supply. You see a whirlpool of hate and pray for love, not realizing love Himself is joined to your spirit and waits for you to begin living out what you do not feel. You still see confusion and darkness, not realizing that you are at unity with light and wisdom and as you live out from Christ darkness will be swallowed in light.You are surrounded by not only your needs, but the needs of thousands of others. If you do not know you are in unity with the infinite supply, you tend to tremble with them before their problem and whimper your prayers on their behalf, telling Me of the needs. When you know who you are, in unity with the Bread of Life, you will see their need and thank Me for My infinite supply that eternally is, though presently not seen or felt. You are so programmed to see the need and not the supply that you feel something akin to guilt if you embrace every need as the opportunity to reveal a supply. When you have seen the fullness that grace gives over and over again, you walk confidently speaking supply where none can be seen or felt by human eye. Repent of weak speeches which lack confidence and are built in needy flesh. Lay hold of the Inheritance for yourself and for others in Jesus name. The supply exist!

The enemy hates for God’s own voices to be blessed; yet it is the promise of the Father! The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the one that promised we would be prosperous and have greatest wealth on earth. God is taking care of His children. We must always give the Father praise for this wealth He has bestowed upon us. We are the wealthiest people upon the earth. We have treasures in heaven that no human has ever seen until they are able to live with them forever. Until then, we have immeasurable wealth and blessings here upon this earth.



When we seek the Lord and put Him and His Kingdom first in our lives, then we are assured of all the abundance that is necessary to multiply His Kingdom! Never listen to the enemy that says you are the loser as we certainly know who has lost, and the accuser of the brethren likes to cast his shadows because he knows his plight and wants to make it yours, but that is too late! We are children of the King and the King has more than enough to fund His voices, His leaders and His Kingdom citizens! My Daddy’s got an Endless Supply! He is my Sheperd; and I am lining up with His Word: therefore, I SHALL NOT WANT!
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD I SHALL NOT WANT

Cornelius and Chris,
This is a leading that God is been trying to get into my head for some time now. There is a depth of "really" believing what you read in God's WORD that really is boggling to my mind. It is tied into what John put at the very beginning of his gospel.
We call the book that we hold the Word of God. But we have read books in school. We have read books to do reports. We have read books to teach us how to fix things. We have read books just for fun. We have books from the time we were infants and right on through to the present. We are well familiar with books. And in many of our minds what we call the Word of God is a book.
To grasp what John is trying to tell us and when we begin to grasp that concept, we find in other places that this Word is like a, I want to say portal, but that isn't entirely accurate. This Word is more accurately the Voice of a living breathing, eternal, God coming across the barrier between the spiritual and the physical. It seems to us that the word in this book are like reading a novel, but then we begin to realize, as we read, that there is a life behind these words, that are written on paper. The words begin to come alive and even though we "know" that they are printed on paper, there is a living God that is doing HIS best to communicate with us.
I hope that I have been able to communicate a piece of what has been rattling around this empty head of mine for some time. I have described this, at some points, as the words "jumping off the page into my consciousness.
j

Amen brother! Once we realise that the Word is Jesus Christ, then we can know what it is to walk in Christ, to be IN Him. The Word was with God and the the Word WAS God. We cannot separate the Word from God.
Jesus was saying to believe in Him, well if we believe the Word, we believe in Him. If we do not believe the Word, we do not believe in Him and we do not follow Him.

The Word became flesh and lived amongst us.

One look at the numerics in the Bible will show all those who doubt that this is truly the Word of God.



Now we have to "eat His flesh"...eat the Word...those who does not have no part in Him. We have to drink His blood, (partake of His live (Zoe), for the "live is in the blood" ) more than that, we have to eat the unleavened Bread.No doctrines of man allowed, no adding and no taking away. Those who add or leave out.........This is rather serious because of the consequences if we abuse the Word of God. God is very serious about it. I have a very real fear to teach anything that is not in the Word.So I had a real hard look at the "traditions" in my life and I asked God to help me to get rid of them, He has really plowed through them and many bit the dust. Praise God.

C

Mark 11:24
"Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.

I'll add to here too. A friend long ago had prophecized that my cup will runneth over in blessings from God. Praise God this has come to past!

I believe it...

(sigh)

<Cornelius said:>
Jesus was saying to believe in Him, well if we believe the Word, we believe in Him. If we do not believe the Word, we do not believe in Him and we do not follow Him.
<End quote>



There is just one thing that I would add to that Cornelius, (Im sure that you are implying it, but I will just go ahead and write it out anyway).

We can't just believe in His Word, but in believing, we must obey! Because faith without works is dead.
This I think is the heart of what this whole issue is, that we not only be hearers of the Word, but doers.
We can no longer be like the double minded that sees himself in a mirror and then goes his way and forgets what manner of man he was. Its because of this kind of double-mindedness that the Laodiceans
are deceiving themselves, Jesus also tells the church at Pergamos:
But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

Ive just recently (finally) understood that the "eating things sacrificed to idols" here in Rev 2, is meaning that they are doing the opposite of that which Christ said we should be doing which is: "If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh , which I shall give for the life of the world "

They were going after another doctrine in Rev 2, they were eating "bread" that they thought was Christ, but
instead was food sacrificed to idols, not the "True Bread" that was sacrificed on the cross (which was not sacrificed to idols).

Again I will say that WE must come out from among them and not be partakers of their iniquity.
We must, with all that is in us, submit everything that we are and have to Christ. Anything less is being
doulbe-minded.


Thanks Brothers for all of your words.
In Christ,
Chris

Did not the apostles have a common money bag? They did not go in the streets pennyless. People chose to join them and to sell their properties to fund them. When one of them lied and tried to keep some of the money he got from his property, he died. Not because he did not give it all, but because he had lied about the proceeds and tried to keep some for him.

No one forces any one to give to televangelists, family members, friends, strangers, or to buy a car or a house. Just as no one can force us not to give to televangesists, family members, friends, strangers, or to bury a car or a house. It's free will.

Money is needed for every thing. Otherwise we who work for money are just as just plain hypocrits. OK lets work for free. And who will pay the bills? Santa Claus maybe???

Paul took up a collection of money and donations from the Christian churches in Asia, and Paul carried said donations to the Church in Jerusalem (they were going hungry in a famine).

Some of these Christians and Churches were extremely poor, yet they donated money and valuables to give to the Church in Jerusalem.

Read Deut 28...........Israel was promised great prosperity and Peace, and victory over all their enemies, IF THEY OBEYED THE LAW OF MOSES.

Is the Christian Church promised great prosperity and protection from enemies (persecutions, Nero, Hitler, jews, RCC Inquisitions, etc)?........i don't think so, not in the same way as the OT speaks of it.

the OT promised PHYSICAL prosperity.

the NT promises SPIRITUAL prosperity.
(big difference!)

How would we learn generosity, patience, forgiveness, longsuffering, charity, love, helpfulness, etc?........if there was no-one in need?

How would God TEST our faith?,...........if we had no poor to give to?

Jesus said the poor widow threw 2 tiny coins into the Temple Treasury, and that was a larger gift than the gifts from the rich folks..............
Why wasn't the widow prosperous?......Didn't the PROMISES of Deut 28 apply to her?......a Righteous OT Saint?

i don't have all the answers...........someone should teach me................Holy Spirit, You are my Teacher!

Praise the Lord!

the consequences of the Fall (original sin by Adam) are:

the land grows thorns and thistles, instead of good fruit.
Childbirth is painful for the woman.
the woman wants to follow the man's lead.
the man must work hard to earn a living from the soil.
the people will die.
all men (mankind) are born SPIRITUALLY DEAD.

so, if I believe with Biblical Faith, my land will stop growing thorns and thistles, it will grow good fruit .
and
childbirth will not be painful for the woman
and
the woman is released from following the husband's lead
and
the man doesn't have to work hard to earn a living
and
i will live forever PHYSICALLY
and
my children will be born SPIRITUALLY ALIVE.



no, the Truth is,
my land will grow thorns and thistles, regardless of how Biblical my faith is.

my body will deteriorate as i grow older, and i'll eventually die PHYSICALLY,

i'll always have to work for a living,

sometimes i'll get sick, and need medicine and a doctor,

sometimes , i'll get sick and die,

in the first half of Hebrews 11 (the heroes of faith chapter), the faithful received wonderful miracles from God.

in the second half of Hebrews 11, the faithful were killed, ruined, sawn asunder, persecuted, and they didn't get a wonderful miracle from God.
They died wondering "WHERE IS MY MIRACLE?"



God sometimes does wonderful miracles.
and He commands us to believe for a miracle.
and the Scripture tells us that we don't always get a miracle, no matter how GOOD or FAITHFUL we are.

1 Cor 12;30.........Do all possess extraordinary powers of healing? No, only some do.
Do all speak with tongues? No


1 Cor 8;9...........Jesus became so very poor, in order that by His poverty you might become enriched

I agree with you.
I believe we are entering a time where we will be tested on what we believe.
C




Jesus showed us that we must move in the "spirit of poverty" . That is, although you might make a lot of money, its not for you to be rich, but so you can share. To make a decision that all belongs to God and we are only looking after it for God.. It is not easy for some to come to the point where we give up the right to ownership and move into sharing what we have.

There is in fact a flip-side to this coin. A flip-side which God has started to reveal to me and its harder than giving. If somebody does not WANT to work, they cannot eat.We are not allowed to help.

C

Good post brother. You know, the Lord showed me that too a while back. But, I like what my good brother David told me once.

Not a quote, but close.

Sometimes the Lord will lead you to some different things, even through TV's or movies that he wants you to see. But it's good not to watch tv or movies because they're really no good for you. Just don't make a law out of it, especially for others.

Nobody should really argue with you on that.
Tell me, what is so good about tv and movies?
How does it build you up?
It doesn't.
So really, it's best to avoid it if you don't need it.

Good post, GB, Marc.