Have your ears been fused with faith? According to the Bible, it is imperative we unite our hearing the Lord with faith.

For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.”  Hebrews 4:2

The writer of Hebrews is alluding to the Israelites whom God delivered from Egyptian slavery. In just a few short weeks, He led them to Sinai and gave them His word. Unfortunately, the people did not received God’s word and ultimately failed to reach the Promised Land. The word did not profit the people.

We are now in a similar situation. God has delivered us from the kingdom of Satan and slavery to sin. He has given us His Word. We have received in that Word the good news that if we trust and obey, we will reach the spiritual ‘promised land’ – heaven. On the other hand, we have been told that should we fail to trust and obey, we will never reach heaven.

We experience “faith fusion” when the words God speaks to us is united with faith causing us to believe whatever He speaks. When we neglect to unite God’s word with faith we miss inheriting the promises of God.

Why do so many fail at this point? It is because they do not receive God’s word with faith. In other words, they do not believe God meant what He said. They do not believe the Word absolutely. They do not take God’s word seriously enough to allow it to influence their hearts and their minds.

There is an old commercial which says, “Everything is better with Bluebonnet on it.” Bluebonnet is a butter-like margarine.  Every word of God is better when smothered in faith. We need to realize that hearing the Word or reading the Word will not profit our lives unless we believe what we hear and read. We will derive no advantages or blessings from the Word unless we place our complete trust and confidence in it. Listen to 1 Thessalonians 2:13,

“And for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God’s message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”

Faith says – ‘I believe what I am hearing to be true and because I believe it to be true I will begin to act on it.’

How we can know if someone is receiving the Word with faith? You will see them acting upon the Word. Faith naturally leads to obedience. Faith doesn’t wait for full understanding or perfect timing… faith acts!

Despite the “Do Not Touch” signs, a museum was having no success in keeping patrons from touching–and soiling–priceless furniture and art. But the problem evaporated overnight when a clever museum employee replaced the signs with ones that read: “Caution: Wash Hands After Touching!“

When people finally discover it is in their best interest to obey… they do! It is in our best interest to take God at His word. If you are going to read the Bible, listen to the Holy Spirit and follow Jesus’ teachings, then purpose to fuse the words you receive with faith. It will change your life and please the Lord.

Blessings,

Pastor

Believe, Confess, Conviction!

Hebrews 4:2 -

For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them:

but the word preached did not profit them,

not being mixed with faith (believing) in them that heard it.

What you believe equals who you are. Because of the accomplishments of Jesus Christ we have a rock, a solid foundation of who we really are. {Christ in you, the hope of glory}  We can confess the realities of who we are in Christ and we can have conviction to apply God’s Word in our lives. We can mix our believing with the truth of God’s Word!

Our goal is to come to the place where we rely upon the power or ability of God in Christ in us. This is the walk of believing!

Colossians 1:27 -

To whom God would make known what is

 the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles;

 which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Win from within!

We measure up to him because we have the full measure.

Ephesians 4:24 -

And that ye put on the new man,

which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

It’s so simple, like putting on a new shirt! Decked out in righteousness, the tuxedo of truth, a gown of glory! This gives us the great confidence to believe big! We come to the place where we rely upon the power or ability of God in Christ in us. What we believe = who we are! On Christ the solid rock I stand.

Matthew 9:20-22

And behold, a woman, which was diseased

 with an issue of blood twelve years,

 came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:

For she said within herself {confession},

If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her,

he said, Daughter, be of good comfort;

 thy faith {believing} hath made thee whole.

 And the woman was made whole from that hour.

Win from Within! She said within herself {confess}. Confession is the great Key. It is self talk. We speak the Word to ourselves. I mean, really talk it to ourselves….personalize it. I can do….I am blessed….I have Christ in me! We speak what He speaks. We have conviction {something one holds to be true}.

Romans 4:21 -

And being fully persuaded that,

what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Conviction makes you persevere, get persuaded. It’s something you hold to be true. Don’t rationalize, stay with the promise of God. This is the walk of believing. We believe who we really are {Christ in you}, we confess the truth {speak the words of the Word}, and we have conviction {hold on to truth}. We come to the place where we rely upon the power or the ability of God in Christ in us. What we believe=who we are!

Grace be with you,

Nikeo Nick 

Hot cross buns are a favourite around our house-especially when they’re homemade. One year, I prepared a batch for Easter weekend, popped them in the oven, enjoyed the sweet aroma as they baked-then almost cried when I realized I had forgotten the most important ingredient-YEAST! They still looked good and certainly smelled good but they were as hard as rocks! The Word of God is wonderful to read, quote, teach and preach. But unless we add the most important, active ingredient-FAITH-it will not profit us. God has given us the recipe for every situation we face in life. So when we go to His book and look for a recipe for that certain occasion-let’s not forget to add faith if we want to get the right results.

Pray: Lord, increase my faith to believe and stand upon your Word in every situation of life I face.

Devotion by Anne Richardson

Listen online  Pastor Brad Grasley.

With Jim Burbridge with American Dream Design 

Jim is a member of our church and builds beautiful houses. Pastor Brad is talking to him today to get the building aspect of houses and then apply it to our building with God.

Some may think we just gave a hammer and some nails and we can build a house. Those that actually do it for a living know better! There is quiet a bit more to building a sturdy home.

Building a House Requires:

• Vision
• Understanding
• Plan Design
• Decorative Stuff

The Vision is what we need or want in our house. When we meet with a home builder we would need to be specific and tell him exactly what we want and need or we may end up with a house that is completely wrong and then be upset. It is the job of the home builder to understand your needs, so when we are clear about what we want it makes it easier for the builder to fulfill our request. Then the home builder would design a plan to show you and this is also confirmation of your needs and the place to fix any problems. Then after that is all done properly Jim says his wife comes in and makes it pretty with decorative stuff!

A Strong Structure.

Everything is effected by the structure and in this case the framing job. Jim says that if you take the time to frame the house properly that every other person who comes in, electricians for example, will also take the same amount of care and professionalism in their work. Jim also says the show Extreme Makeover: Home edition is a TV show for a reason. The show does nice things for people, but in Jim’s words it’s like “lipstick on a pig.” Just a band-aid to the problem. Painting over mold, building new floors over a rotting old one is not the fix. The structure needs to be rebuilt and started from scratch. This takes TIME.

Hebrews 3

Jesus Greater Than Moses

 ¹ Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. ² He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. ³ Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. ⁴ For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. ⁵“Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,”^[a] bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. ⁶ But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.

We are His house; the Temple of the Lord, the church, not the building we sit in on Sunday. How do we build up our house to what God wants for us?

Design

Do you ever dream with God on what you could be?

Or do you just stick with frustration on what you are not?

Dream BIG with God! Even the little stuff that frustrates us, the little day-to-day dreams. You may think they are too little to waste God’s time with. Your saving your blessings for a BIG one! These small dreams are BIG to God because they are from us. He put them in us. In turn your BIG dreams and small, or easy for God! All things are possible!

Strategy

How do you plan to get where you want to be? Be specific and dig deep! Don’t say I want to be a better person. Why and what specifically makes you think you are not or where you could improve. Just like in the previous weeks where we talked to the personal trainer; think deep on why you want to lose weight, to look good, to be happy.  Find the core reasons and the results will be amazing.  How long is this going to take? If you want this transformation to be lifelong, it will take time. Layer by layer like an onion of sins and issues that need to be overcome. This process will take time and most importantly prayer.

You do not have to religious to pray!

Just talk to God! We need to reinforce the temple that is us and we will need His help. We are not on “Pimp my Temple.” One day someone swoops and makes you an amazing christian who can pray with scripture and hear His voice and speak in tongues! Get back to God’s design because He is the only one that can “pimp our temple.”  Pastor Brad’s words that he will regret when we tease him for months

If you feel you are not worthy of the view God has for us, think to the cross. Why would He have his son, Jesus go through what He did, if God wasn’t serious about His love for us!? That death was for YOUR sins, not just church members and pastors. That sacrifice was for anyone who receives it! That alone makes you worthy.

Reinforcement

Reinforce yourself with people who have God in their heart. People that will lift you up and keep you accountable! Keep reading the bible, learning and growing. Just because the house is built doesn’t mean you do not need to make improvements and do the upkeep. Reinforce your faith. Lastly we cannot build up our city, if we do not let Him build us up first. Accept and Receive Today!

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

For more information on this, read this article.

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      3)      Mechanics of Learning Doctrine

This is what Bob Thieme calls GAP, the grace apparatus for perception or Operation Z.  The following diagrams illustrate the means by which we learn the word of God.  I want you to pay particular attention to the role your volition plays in all of this.  God is a gentleman and never forces anything on you.  Your volition is the major factor in playing the out of the Angelic Conflict.  In the first step, the Pastor teaches Bible doctrine, the Word of God from the pulpit of a local church.  In order for him to teach without violating your volition or anyone’s volition, there must be at least two people in the congregation.  In a one-on-one situation, you risk shoving doctrine down someone’s throat.  That violates the principle of volition.The pastor is teaching what the Bible calls LOGOS, the Word of God, the thinking of Jesus Christ.   Who wrote the Word? Man is the instrument of recording the Word, but not the author of the Word of God.:

 Knowing this first, that all Scripture does not originate from one’s own explanation; for no prophecy was ever made by the design [will or purpose] of mankind, but men communicated from God, being carried along by means of the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:20-21

God’s Attitude toward His Word: This is David’s testimony:

 I myself will worship toward Your holy temple [the temple in heaven], and I will give thanks to Your person because of Your grace and because of Your doctrine; because You have magnified Your word together with Your person. Psalm 138:2

God’s wrote His Word.

 All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the person from God may be proficient [capable, complete, able to meet all demands of the spiritual life], having been equipped for every good of intrinsic value action.  2 Timothy 3:16-17

God has designed specific mechanics for the pastor as he studies, learns and prepares his sermons.  He must ensure that he is filled with the Spirit, availing himself to the teaching ministry of the Spirit. He teaches what he learns then what he teaches goes to the ear of the motivated believer.

This is the first place where your volition comes into play. Are you, as a believer, motivated to expose yourself to the teaching of the Word of God.?  You have a choice here!  If you choose not to, you will not grow up spiritually and fulfill God’s plan for your life.This diagram illustrates the believer objectively listening to the teaching of the Word.  This believer is filled, therefore, empowered by the Holy Spirit so the Holy Spirit teaches his human spirit The Word goes into his human spirit, called in the Greek, PNEUMA.By empowering the believer to understand it, the Holy Spirit converts this doctrine into spiritual phenomenon or PNEUMATIKOS. God the Holy Spirit then transfers this PNEUMATIKOS to the NOUS, the left lobe of the soul, where it becomes GNOSIS. One real important issue here is to recognize one bottle neck in the formation of gnosis doctrine.  You need to understand the doctrine before you move on to the next stage of this provision.  If you do not understand something, I recommend that you ask your pastor!  While he is teaching you, look confused!! Once you arrive at the point of understanding the doctrine, you need to make a decision about the doctrine you understand.  Should you believe it or reject it?  So, this is the second time your volition comes into play.  God the Holy Spirit cannot make you believe it.  It is up to you.

If you believe this doctrine, that is, your volition is positive, then God the Holy Spirit converts this doctrine into EPIGNOSIS doctrine and sends it on into your KARDIA or your stream of consciousness.  Your belief, faith perception or positive volition permits God the Holy Spirit to transfer spiritual information to the right lobe of your soul as epignosis doctrine.  Extrapolation from epignosis doctrine circulating in the soul’s stream of consciousness produces ten problem solving devices by which you, in the privacy of your priesthood, can resolve your own problems and make good decisions from a position of strength.  With ten problem solving devices on the defensive line of your soul, you defensively prevent adversity from being converted into stress in the soul.  Offensively you remove stress from the soul.  Metabolized doctrine in the stream of consciousness produces cohesion of soul–a soul that is healthy and normal under the concepts of the word of God.

The conversion of gnosis doctrine to epignosis doctrine, that is, doctrine you understand into doctrine you believe, through faith perception, prevents the conversion of the outside pressures of adversity into the inside pressures of stress in the soul, which is tantamount to sin nature control of the soul.  Extrapolation from believed doctrine circulating in your soul’s stream of consciousness produces ten problem solving devices by which you, in the privacy of your priesthood, can resolve your own problems and make good decisions from a position of strength.  With ten problem solving devices on the defensive line of your soul, you defensively prevent adversity from being converted into stress in the soul.  Offensively you remove stress from the soul by learning and applying doctrine.  Metabolized doctrine in the stream of consciousness produces cohesion of soul–a soul that is healthy and normal under the concepts of the Word of God.

Claiming God’s promises by faith replaces stress in the soul with contentment and tranquility.  No believer can deal with stress and adversity when he comes short of the temporal rest of contentment and tranquility provided through the ten problem solving devices of God’s protocol plan.  The alternative to dealing with pressure and catastrophe in life is the total carnal breakdown of the believer, also known as self-fragmentation.  Self-fragmentation results in both Christian moral and immoral degeneracy and involvement in the cosmic system so that the believer cannot be distinguished from his unbeliever counterpart in mental attitude, sin nature function, and the modus operandi of life.

The faith-rest drill coordinates and correlates by claiming the promises of God and applying the doctrinal rationales with God’s happiness.  When pressure and adversity attacks, you must have a base of contentment and tranquility from which you use the faith-rest drill under the power of the filling of the Holy Spirit, grace orientation, and doctrinal orientation.

Let us continue with Paul’s commentary of the Exodus generation’s failure.

For we also have been evangelized, even as they; but the doctrine of hearing [the word of teaching] did not profit them, because it was not mixed together with faith by those who heard. Hebrews 4:2

The faith-rest drill has been operational since the earliest dispensations.  Living by faith should be the central theme in the life of every believer since Adam!  The mature Old Testament believer was considered mature when he lived by faith.  “They” refers to the Children of Israel who lived centuries ago, while “we” refers to every Church Age believer since Paul wrote this.

Paul differentiates entering into God’s rest from salvation because both groups, those in the Exodus generation and “we” have been evangelized.  So the immediate means of entering in His rest is not salvation by faith but by the function of the faith-rest drill.  After salvation, the believers of the Exodus generation were not able to use the faith-rest drill because they did not believe, did not mix Moses’ words with faith.  Therefore,those in the Exodus generation did not receive God’s promises by faith.  They did not understand, believe or make them apart of their thought pattern.  It is possible to sit in Bible class, as they did and not be profited.  We only profit if we mix the doctrines we hear with faith.  They failed to mix the doctrines Moses taught with faith.

 For we who have believed enter into the place of rest, just as He said [in Psalm 95:11], ‘As I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter into My place of rest,’ although His works were finished from before the foundation of the world. Hebrews 4:3

The place of rest was the place of blessing.  For us, believers in the Church Age, this place can be anywhere because the mechanics of Church Age blessing is the appropriation of divine power through thought; thinking the very thoughts of Christ.  No matter where you are, you can learn to depend on God’s promises and doctrinal rationales to handle stress, problems, and adversity in life.  The Exodus generation was to enter a physical place of blessing, Canaan.  But they did not enter into Canaan, the place that God had provided for them, because they did not use the faith-rest drill during their time in the desert.  Since they did not claim the promises of God as taught in Bible class, God gave them the promise that they would never enter into the place of blessing but would die the disciplinary sin unto death in the desert.

God provided for all believers, whether those in the Exodus generation or believers alive today, in eternity past.  Before the foundations of the earth were laid, God provided in grace everything the believer needs in human history to handle every adversity.  God provided the faith rest drill for every generation in human history in order that every believer have the potential to meet any stressful situation in life using God’s power.  Doctrine is always available to meet any stressful situation in life.

Mixing the promises of God with faith is designed to stabilize the mentality of the believer under pressure, confusion, adversity, stress, and disaster.  Claiming promises is the way new believers and young believers who have not yet grown up spiritually can function spiritually.  In time of stress, the believer begins by claiming promises of God and mixing those promises with a weak faith.  As the believer grows spiritually, his faith increases.

As a result of stage one of the faith-rest mechanics, the believer begins to prevent the outside pressures of life from penetrating into his soul.  The believer with even the smallest, simplest faith can claim God’s promises!  By faith this same believer applies the promises of God.  His faith takes control of the situation.  The believer who continually applies the faith-rest drill will increase of control over his soul and spiritual life.

Abraham used the first stage mechanics:

 Yet, he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, being fully persuaded that what God had promised, God was able to execute. Romans 4:20-21

Abraham illustrates the concept of faith application.  He believed that what God said He was going to do was absolute truth, so he built his life around what God told him.  When we believe God’s promises, the first stage of faith rest mechanics then we live or walk by faith.  We perceive as absolute reality God’s promises.  Those promise become more real to us than what we read in the newspapers and what we perceive with our senses.  Paul noted this in his second letter to the Corinthian Church:

 We walk by faith [the faith-rest drill] and not by sight [human viewpoint]. 2 Corinthians 5:7

You walk by faith when you believe then apply God’s promises to you.  The mechanics of that walk involve the faith rest drill.  When you walk by faith you relegate your human viewpoint, that is, your sight, to second place.