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HOW TO STAND ON GOD'S PROMISES
"...And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end. That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience INHERIT the promises." (Hebrews 6:11-12 KJV)
This entire section of our website called "Do You Have Needs?" was birthed in response to heartbreaking letters we receive from Christian believers. These dear people are facing impossible, desperate situations in their health and families. Especially in other countries, believers do not have money for doctors and expensive solutions that Americans often turn to. Unless God supernaturally intervenes for them, their future is bleak and hopeless -- not what our loving Lord Jesus came to bring them! (John 10:10 AND Isaiah 61:1-3/Luke 4:17-21) It is for these precious brothers and sisters that Roadmap To Heaven presents this series of teachings on the powerful, miracle-working Word of God. "...so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have HOPE (Romans 15:4)." ********************************* When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are given
access to blessings, benefits, and spiritual power. They are available
for our use and application in our life as the needs warrant. The Bible
is filled with promises waiting to be asked for or "claimed". Unfortunately,
too many Christians do not receive God's blessings, perhaps out of ignorance
or laziness. Triumphant believers are those who take or receive what
has been appropriated for them. They claim
what is rightfully theirs.
If Christians can just learn to trust God and believe for the miracles they
need in life, this knowledge will become more valuable to them than money
in the bank! (Notice in Acts 3:6 how Peter and John did not have money
to give a crippled beggar, but they gave him what they did have — their faith
in God's power to heal — and the cripple was indeed healed, no longer needing
to beg.)
In the United States, the government sometimes posts long lists of names
in the newspaper, trying to locate owners of "unclaimed property".
The unclaimed property usually consists of old, inactive bank accounts or
life insurance policies belonging to people who have moved or died or who
are otherwise unaware that they possess these valuable assets. Therefore,
the government publishes this information in hopes that the owners will see
what they possess and come and claim it.
So, too, God's thousands of promises in His book, the Holy Bible, often go
"unclaimed" by Christians who do not realize the wealth they possess.
Although these wonderful promises would unlock many of their difficult situations,
these believers struggle on, discouraged and defeated, not realizing they
are heirs to a vast treasure.
All answers are to be found in the person of Jesus and in His Holy Word.
"There is nothing too hard for the Lord!" (Genesis 18:14 and
Jeremiah 32:17+27) As a follower of Jesus, you have all of Heaven's resources
at your disposal, waiting to be used in any and every desperate situation.
Healing from sickness (and other blessings) are inheritances we as Christians
have been given as part of the Atonement. But healing promises and
all other Scripture promises are conditional — meaning that
they are only a right of those who are born-again children of God and living
according to covenant conditions (i.e. who are in obedience to His commands;
see Exodus 15:26; Exodus 23:22+25-26; Deut.7:12-15, etc.). Sometimes
God performs miracles for the unrighteous, too, because He is loving and
merciful and is reaching out to them, but they can't expect it as a right.
Also, God's answer to a believer's prayer on any matter may be "yes", "no" or "wait". For instance, occasionally it is not God's will to heal a sickness or infirmity [i.e. such as when it is time for someone to leave this world; or when suffering will better get someone's attention and bring them (back) to the Lord; or, occasionally, when God will be more glorified through the infirmity -- such as Paul's "thorn in the flesh" in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, etc.]. Or timing may be of critical importance in your situation, and so your longed-for answer tarries longer than you think it should. And, of course, life will always have problems and sorrow because we live in a fallen world since Adam and Eve sinned.
However, certainly a LOT less people are getting healed, or receiving other
kinds of miracles, than God wishes. Most Christians live beneath their
privileges as children of God. We are guilty of asking too little and
giving up too soon! John 14:12-14 KJV says, "Verily, verily,
I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do
also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may
be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will
do it."
For instance, look at how Jesus healed all who came to Him
(Mt.12:15), and remember that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday,
today and forever" (Heb.13:8). Assume that healing is usually
His will and proceed to believe God for it until He plainly shows you otherwise
in prayer. James 4:2 says, "You have not because you ask not."
In John 16:24 Jesus says, "Until now you have not asked for anything
in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete."
and Prov.29:18 KJV says "Without a vision (of hope for something
good), the people perish."
Those who expect
healings or other miracles, who consecrate their lives sacrificially to the
Lord in prayer and fasting, and who are willing to persevere and fight the
powers of darkness for their own or someone else's behalf WILL see God move
supernaturally sooner or later. Believers do not have to stand
back and watch their homes, their children, their nation destroyed by the
enemy. God has wonderful answers to every problem!
Believe that God's promises in the Bible have unseen power over the natural
world, and that they will slowly and surely change your circumstances as
you saturate yourself with them. As you pray and believe these promises,
especially those that pertain to your particular situation, in due time the
problem in your life will begin to turn around. In Luke 8:50 Jesus
urged a man in a desperate looking situation, "Don't be afraid; only
believe," and know that He is telling you the same thing. Like
Abraham, take your eyes OFF the situation altogether and keep them fixed
ONLY upon His Word.
Romans 4:17b-21 says, "...the God who gives
life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
Against all hope (in the natural, physical realm), Abraham in hope (in the supernatural, spiritual realm) believed and so became the father of
many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.'
Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good
as dead -- since he was about a hundred years old -- and that Sarah's womb
was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the
promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised....."
Remember such Scriptures as Hebrews 10:38, "The just shall live by
faith;" Mk 9:23, "Everything is possible for him who believes;"
and, lastly, Gal.6:9, "Do not grow weary in well-doing, for in due
season you shall reap if you faint not." His Word is more true
than the negative circumstances you are seeing; consider these discouragements
as lying deceptions!
Make sure you walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor.5:7). Hebrews 11:1
(KJV) also challenges us by saying, "Now faith is the substance of
things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen."
Believe that God has good things for you and that they are coming; do not
be dismayed by how things look at present. Choose to exalt God's
Word as truth, and every man (or devil!) that says contrary to it is a liar
(Romans 3:4). Jonah 2:8 KJV says: "They that observe lying
vanities forsake their own mercy (or "the grace that could be theirs,"
NIV)." The bleakness and hopelessness of our situation is a
lying vanity that the devil puts in front of us, but
we must not "observe" (or "dwell on") it. Rather, we must embrace the
mercy and goodness of God's promises to us.
Let us be people of faith
who please God (Heb.11:6) and who choose to believe His Word, not the discouraging
thoughts the devil puts in our minds. Refuse to listen to the devil
when he tries to tell you that your trials will never end and that your future
is hopeless. He is the "father of lies"! (John 8:44) He comes
only to "steal, kill and destroy," but the good Lord Jesus came to earth
to bring "life...more abundantly, " (John 10:10 KJV). What does GOD
say about your future?! He says, "For I know the plans I have
for you, sayeth the Lord; plans for good and not for evil, to give you a
future and a HOPE." (Jeremiah 29:11)
Renewing your mind (Romans 12:2) according to the Word of God takes work.
Like muscles, your faith must be exercised in order to grow and obtain the
promises from His Word. Romans 10:17 says, "...faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by (of) the word of God."
Read the Word of God abundantly and step out boldly in prayer. Pray
and thank God unceasingly, according to 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Sooner
or later He will work incredible miracles on your behalf. Meanwhile,
God will change you as you serve Him and trust His promises in the Bible.
You will fall in love with Jesus while you wait, will become strengthened in character, and will obtain clear guidance from Him about what to do.
In God's Universe there is a law of "sowing and reaping". (Job 4:8;
Prov.11:18; Prov.22:8; 2 Cor.9:6+10; Gal.6:7-9) What you sow now, you
will reap later (whether good or bad). So, as in planting a garden, if you want to reap miracles
of answered prayer later, make sure you are planting Scripture
promises now. If you don't put this kind of divine seed
in your ground now, you won't have a miracle harvest later.
Likewise, unfortunately, if in the past you have sowed bad seed (i.e. of
sin) in your life, you may now have to endure reaping unpleasant
fruit from it. Hosea 8:7 describes this when it says, "sowing the wind
and reaping the whirlwind". You may now be experiencing rebellious
children, financial problems, sickness in your body, etc., that you yourself
have caused in the past (by breaking God's commandments -- known or unknown). However, if this is the case, do not despair! God is merciful! You can begin to change the kind of crops you are eating if you now determine
to serve God, and patiently plant the seed of His Word in your heart today. "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans for good and not for evil, to give you A FUTURE AND A HOPE." Jeremiah 29:11
"...So is My Word that goes out from my mouth; it
will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:(10+)11
"...for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name."
Ps.138:2 KJV
Therefore, as believers, let us immerse ourselves in specific promises of
Scripture so that our faith will grow and be ripe to receive miracles.
However, as we do so, we must make sure we are mindful of special conditions. Then we can rest with confidence that
a faithful (2 Tim.2:13), promise-keeping God will fulfill His part at the right time.
Click HERE for special conditions to bear in mind as you stand on
God's Word for your miracle.
P.S. Feel free to print out, copy or distribute this page to those you love and pray for. Please include the information below. To send this page to a friend right now, click on the button at page bottom.
Roadmap To Heaven, Inc.
Your Bible Is Your Roadmap!
Tract #PRO
For more free tracts or tapes contact us:
P.O. Box 4614, Augusta, Maine 04330 U.S.A.
Website: roadmaptoheaven.net
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