POSSESS IT WITH YOUR SPIRIT!
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).
Faith is the response of the human spirit to the Word of God. When a man hears God’s Word, he doesn’t hear in words; he hears in pictures. If he couldn’t walk and you preach the Word to him, the moment he believes, when you tell him to get up, he never finds it hard to respond, because you’re not telling the man on the outside to get up; you’re actually talking to the man on the inside.
If the man on the inside hears you and gets up, the one on the outside can’t stop him. That’s because the response is from the human spirit, and that’s what faith is. That’s why a man can lay claims to something that he hasn’t seen and begins to declare that that thing is real. He’s not trying to get it; he has actually possessed it in his spirit already; he’s taken a hold of it in his spirit. That’s the reason you can’t change his
mind about it, because he already knows he has it. Though he doesn’t see that thing outwardly, it doesn’t make any difference to him, because he’s got the evidence.
And faith is the evidence: “NOW FAITH is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). This is different from someone saying, “I claim it! I float into the heavens and possess it!” I’m talking about your spirit taking possession of what you desire.
The Amplified version of Hebrews 11:1 says: “Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses] .” This lets you know that whatever you want in this world, once you can see it inside first, and take possession with your spirit, you’ve got it!
Practise taking possession with your spirit, for that’s where God guides you from. He doesn’t function in the realm of the mind or senses. The things you see with your eyes of faith, and take possession of in the realm of the spirit, will manifest physically as you speak them forth.
YOUR FAITH WILL TRIUMPH
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith (1 John 5:4).
Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Imagine that as a Christian parent or a minister of the
Gospel, your son or daughter isn’t living according to the training that you gave him or her in the Word. There may be some who’d be quick to judge and say, “So-and-so’s parents are Christians, yet he behaves like a sinner.” If this happened to you as a parent, don’t be moved by what others may be saying.
Challenges come to everybody; so, at the time you’re facing your own challenges, stay focused on God’s Word, and put your faith to work. Soon enough, that child will
come into the right place and be all that God destined for him to be. Even the time others might have thought he lost will be regained, because God said, “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm…” (Joel 2:25). So in such matters, don’t allow the negative sentiments of others dissipate your faith.
God gave us His Word so that no matter what we see or hear, we’re not distracted; we stay focused. After all, as students, we weren’t Doctors, Lawyers, and Architects whilst in the university. We were in school, being trained for what we were going to be. If someone saw you while still in school and said, “Hey, you don’t look like a Doctor, Lawyer or Architect,” you’d probably have replied, “I don’t look like it yet, because I’m in training for it.”
In like manner, we’re all still being trained by the Spirit of God through the Word to be all He’s destined us to be. If you already have children, keep training them in the Word. Even when it looks like they’re not imbibing the culture of the Word, keep at it. Recall what we read in Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Give some time; the results of the training will be evident.
Never give up your faith because of the negative opinions of gainsayers; learn to live by the Word. No matter what you see or experience, your faith will triumph. Glory to
God!
LOOK “AWAY ” UNTO JESUS!
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith… (Hebrews 12:2).
In your Christian walk, it’s important that you look “away” from every distraction unto the Master. I like the way the Amplified version puts it; it says, “Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus….” What God is telling you here is simple: Turn away from everything else, and fix your gaze on Jesus. Don’t get distracted.
Imagine the case of Peter on the sea with the Master; if he had kept his gaze on the Master, he wouldn’t have been overwhelmed by the billowing waves and tempest. He
was distracted, and then he began to sink. The same thing happens to many today; when they allow themselves to be overwhelmed by the “magnitude” of their problems, instead of focussing on the Word of God, they sink even further. Refuse to be overwhelmed by any problem.
There’s no situation you can’t handle successfully with the Word of God. Make the Word of God your stay; live in the Word! Learn from Jesus; He lived the Word, though He’s the Word! He was focused, and was never distracted from the Word. He looked at the result of His faith; for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame. He didn’t care what people thought about Him; His focus was
to carry out the will of the Father. It should be the same with you.
They may call you names, because of your devotion and dedication to the Lord, but don’t let that affect you. If anything, be inspired to love Him more; be challenged to
serve Him even more passionately. Don’t be moved by hard times and turbulent circumstances; hold on tight, with your focus on Jesus.
1 Timothy 6:12 says, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” Stay in the Word, and don’t turn away from it; and the Lord will keep you in the peace of prosperity: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isaiah 26:3).
CONTINUE IN FAITH
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This
only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? (Galatians 3:1-3).
As you study the entire book of Galatians, you’d understand why Paul made the statement above, chiding the Galatian Christians: they had strayed from the message of the Gospel, the Word of faith, which they had received. Some false teachers came, teaching them that they had to obey the Law to be justified; as a result, their faith began to waver. Decrying their deviation from the message of faith, Paul asked them, “…having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh ?”
He wanted them to remember how they received the Holy Spirit; it wasn’t through obedience to the Law, but by faith. The salvation they had received didn’t happen by
keeping the Law: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Your
righteousness and right-standing with God aren’t the results ofyour good works; they’re by the faith of Christ, the result of what He did.
Galatians 2:16 says, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might
be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” The righteousness, which is by faith, doesn’t rely on the works of the Law, but on faith in the God that justifies the ungodly (Romans 4:5).
By faith, you received eternal life, and the Holy Spirit to live in you. By faith, the righteousness of God was imparted to your spirit. Therefore, continue in faith, grounded and settled,and refuse to be moved away from the hope of the Gospel,
which you’ve heard (Colossians 1:23).
“IN ALL THESE THINGS …
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy
sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us (Romans 8:35-37).
Your road to success could have trials and challenges, from inflation to economic recession, health issues, unemployment, etc. The good news, however, is that it doesn’t matter the challenges you face or the situation in your country; the Word says, in all these things we’re more than conquerors through Christ. This should give you comfort, peace, and joy.
Knowing we would encounter challenges in this world, the Lord Jesus assured us of victory when He said in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulations: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Distressing situations come from the enemy—the devil—but God already made you an overcomer: “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). You’ve been lifted over and above the depravities and corrupting influences of this world.
Recall our theme scripture again; it states clearly that neither tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, nor sword can separate us from the love of God, because in spite of them all, we’re more than conquerors.
Now, if this meant that no matter what you face in this world, you’d conquer, that would have been wonderful. But it means much more than that. It means you’ve gone past conquering, because you conquered a long time ago—in Christ! You’re now living in the victory of Christ! That means there’s nothing to struggle with or try to overcome anymore, because you’ve already won.
Don’t allow the circumstances of life or the economic situation in your country make you a victim. You were born into the victorious life when you were born again. Therefore, say like the Apostle Paul, “...none of these things move me…” (Acts 20:24).
CHALLENGES: LIFE’S ’s EXAMS FOR YOUR PROMOTION
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be
able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
The Christian life is a journey, and in that journey, there’re challenges. These challenges are springboards for your promotion. Some have thought the moment they became Christians, they would no longer face challenges. Bewildered, they ask, “Why do I still have troubles? Why do I still have problems with my health? Why is it that when I pray, the things I pray about don’t happen instantly?” These and other related questions puzzle their minds from time to time.
If there’re no challenges to your faith, your faith can’t be strengthened. Life isn’t about how smooth things are; you aren’t promoted without the tests of life; that’s what
challenges are. God has to let you face certain things so you can exercise your faith and win; and when you do, you’re decorated for more. Never buckle in the day of trouble. Don’t cry. Instead, eyeball the devil and say, “Devil, no matter what you do, I’m more than a conqueror. Greater is He that’s in me, than he that’s in the world.”
Learn from the Apostle Paul who despite the tribulations, trials, and temptations he faced, didn’t buckle under the pressure. Rather, he latched on to the consolation
of the Holy Spirit, while consoling and comforting others who were in trouble with the same comfort he had received. That same comfort of the Holy Spirit is available for you today. Therefore, no matter the challenges you face, they’re bread for you. Stand tall and refuse to fear. Keep the Word of victory in your mouth!
You have the comfort of the Word, and the consolation of the Holy Spirit, to go on and win! No weapon fashioned against you shall prosper. 1 John 4:4 says, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”