Good Morning Brothers and Sister,
Starting another great day in the Lord Jesus Christ and reflecting on the wonderful blessings He created for us before the foundation of the world. Now, we just have to believe and receive through the spoken Word. This takes faith – “the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
Faith is an oft misunderstood fruit of the Spirit we have in us (Galatians 5:22-23). Yes, it is NOT our faith. It is CHRIST’S faith in us. Our faith, like our works, is as filthy rags in God’s sight. God only accepts the faith of His Son which resides in our spirit – our spirit which is 100% Jesus Christ. If our unredeemed soul and body cannot enter Heaven, what makes us think our unredeemed faith can enter? No, it is Christ’s faith in our spirits which takes God’s Word forth to be obeyed and carried out – from the spiritual world into the physical world.
Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
When a Believer accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior, God gives to every Believer “the measure of faith.” Notice, it is NOT, “a measure of faith.” It is “THE measure of faith.” “The” is a “definite article,” which means something specific. “A” and “An” are indefinite articles which means something unspecific. Romans 12:3, below, states “God has dealt to EVERY man THE measure of FAITH.” Yes, this means Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, Timothy, Billy Graham, and every single Believer has received the same measure of faith – no more, no less.
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. (Romans 12:3)
We have to build up our faith on a day-by-day walk with Christ. We know faith can grow from God’s Word:
II Thessalonians 1:3
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet [suitable, proper, qualified], because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity [love] of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
God’s Word tells us we are to “walk by faith, and not by sight” (II Corinthians 5:7). In other words, we are to walk in the spiritual (faith) and not in the physical (sight). If we walk in the physical or carnal [fleshly], we can be guaranteed to have challenges that don’t resolve themselves in our favor or according to God’s plan for us, or we end up accomplishing so much less than God intended for us.
God’s Word tells us that “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). Now, it doesn’t say God stops loving us, or God punishes us or puts something on us (James 1:17 – only the good and perfect thing is from above, from the Father of lights. Anything of the curse that comes against you is from Satan and Satan only. God has given you the way out such that even your clothes will not smell of smoke – see if you know what I’m referring to from the Old Testament). Don’t we want to please God every day? Yes, we all do. Well, God’s Word makes it clear we must operate in faith to please him.
God will help our faith to grow if we allow Him to do so. But, we must be diligent in God’s Word, we must be diligent in decreeing God’s Word, and we must be diligent in receiving that which God has already provided for us. Romans 1:17 tells us the righteousness of God is revealed to us in every occasion when we use His faith in us to “call those things that be not, as though they were” (Romans 4:17). In other words, when we choose to obey God, study his Word, allow His Word to grow in our heart by confessing it and meditating it over and over, then we will develop the faith to “call those things that be not, as though they were” and believe we will receive.
Regretfully, this is not taught much or at all. This is why you have God’s statement in Isaiah 58:12:
And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in.
You have to read the verses before and after it to gain the context. It is speaking to Believers. Essentially, it is saying there are breaches in the hedge around God’s church that are caused by Believers’ carnality and by wolves in sheep’s clothing that Believers have allowed into churches. The breaches in the hedge are there because Believers have not valued God’s Word. In Psalms 138:2, David writes, under the inspiration of God, “for Thou [God] hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy name.” God values His Word above all of His name. And we know nothing else is above God’s name – His name is above all things in Heaven and in the earth with exception of His Word. So, how important is God’s Word to Him. I feel sorry for those who have messed with His Word – who have changed it, who have taught others not to believe it in its entirety.
Now, what I really love is the title God gives to us who love His Word, who believe ALL His Word, and who share His inerrant Word. We are the “REPAIRER OF THE BREACH, THE RESTORER OF PATHS TO DWELL IN.”
Now, look again at Isaiah 58:12:
“And they that shall be of thee..” This is referring to your children, your family, those you lead to Christ outside your family, those you disciple. What are they going to do? Well, God’s Word says they “shall build the old waste places.” The “old waste places” are the things Satan has stolen from you, your family, their families, the things Satan has destroyed or laid waste to over time – the decay of the curse of death. Your obedience to God’s Word will establish the foundations of many generations – the generations of your children, your family, those you’ve led to Christ, those you’ve discipled. Just think how their lives will change from what it would have been had they not come to know Christ. But, it is just as important they learn His inerrant Word so they can use the inheritance God has created for them to lead others to Christ, to do mighty works for Christ. To be “Great in Faith.” And what does God call you for doing this – REPAIRER OF THE BREACH, THE RESTORER OF PATHS TO DWELL IN.
Look what God says about “paths.” There are hundreds of verses on God’s paths and the promises of His paths, which are all GOOD:
Psalms 25:4
Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
Psalms 25:10
All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
Psalms 65:11
Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness [rich, affluent, wealthy, fertile, nourishing, abounding in spiritual grace and comfort].
Wow, isn’t God’s Word GREAT!! Folks, I don’t know about you, but I BELIEVE every Word of God from Genesis to Revelation and all in between. Don’t wake me up and tell me God’s Word only worked in the Old Testament or only worked when Jesus walked with the disciples or only works if we are this or that. God’s Word tells me in John 14:12, “Verily [truly], Verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the things that I do shall he do also; and greater things than these shall he do because I go to my Father.” God’s Word said I can do everything Christ did and MORE because I have His Holy Spirit inside me. Praise God, I can change things in an instant on this earth. I’m not mastered by time, time is mastered by my faith. (you see this with the Centurion and the Syrophencian Woman. Their faith collapsed time – it was not the Gentiles time; however, their “Great” faith, as Jesus called it, collapsed time). But, you have to believe to receive. It’s that simple. Religion has complicated it.
Love you all and look forward to seeing you soon. Oh yeah, I just led my mother-in-law to Christ!! Hallelujah!! I took a break out of the home office to speak with her as she is spending some time with us. Otherwise, I would have sent this email and hour ago.
Praise God for His promises. “Sirs, what must I do to be saved. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, AND YOUR HOUSEHOLD.” Praise God all of the family under the borders of my tent shall be saved. It won’t happen if you can’t speak it and believe it! Folks, God is asking you today to DREAM BIG. Luke 1:37 says, “For with God, nothing shall be impossible” and Philippians 4:13 says, “We can do all things through Christ which strengthens us.” What is stopping your BIG DREAMS? Don’t let Satan steal the Word from you. Meditate on it, confess it, and it will become a belief and a reality.
Walk in God’s Blessing in a mighty way!
Larry