Betty's posts with tag: faith
The Realm of Faith
James Brandt
The Kingdom of God is spiritual; it resides in the spirit realm. We as humans are first and foremost spirit beings, and we possess a soul (mind, will, and emotions), and live in a physical body. When Jesus referred to the Kingdom of God residing in a Christian, He was referring to the real you; your spirit man. The Word of God says that we are to walk by faith, live by faith, and not by sight. We are to live every aspect of our life on this earth by faith in God’s Word. Consider this fact, when we ignore the spiritual reality of God’s Word and His Kingdom; we are going against the very core of our spiritual nature. It is impossible to solve a spiritual problem with a natural solution. It is when we focus only on the natural realm that we fall into fear, depression, worry, and other negative things. The spirit realm must become more real to us than the natural realm if we are going to step into the realm of faith that God desires His people to move into. If we are going to walk by faith, we must be blinded to the natural realm, so to speak. What do I mean by that? I am talking about staying focused on what the Word of God says about your situation and not on what you see with your physical eyes or what you hear with your physical ears. Colossians 3:2 says it this way, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” As Christians, we must be and remain spiritually minded (Romans 8:5-8).
In Romans 4:19-22, Abraham did not consider the inability of his own body or the deadness of Sarah’s womb when God promised him a child in old age. He was not discouraged by these natural facts; He knew that God’s Word would override anything in the natural realm. Abraham gave glory to God even before he saw the manifestation of the promise. He was convinced simply by the Word that God spoke to him, and his faith was accounted to him for righteousness. Our faith in God’s Holy Word must override all contrary evidence in the natural realm. This does not mean that you deny the existence of the problem, but rather believe God’s promises and simply trust Him with child-like faith to turn your situation around, (whether it is for salvation from sin, healing, ...) (Romans 8:28).
The Bible refers to two kinds of Christians: spiritual and carnal (1 Corinthians 3:1). The spiritual Christian focuses on a personal relationship and intimacy with God, hunger for the Word of God, and living a life of faith and holiness. The carnal Christian sets his heart on worldly things and human reasoning. He lives life only by what is seen in the natural. He sees no hope beyond human ability, and any spiritual wisdom is looked at as foolishness to him. All of the blessings and benefits in the Word of God reside in the spirit realm, and they must be transferred into the natural realm by faith. Ephesians 1:3 says that we as Christians have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly or spiritual places in Christ. That is because Jesus Christ has made the spiritual provision available. These spiritual blessings are manifested in our lives when we, like Abraham, take hold of them by faith despite any natural limitations.
The Word of God and the Kingdom of God will not agree with your fleshly and worldly mindsets. God gives us instructions in His Word that will cause our carnal mind to stumble to reveal what is really in our heart; either unbelief or faith; either the love of God or the love of the world. I think we try to sugar coat and shove this truth under the rug, but it is true; unbelief is sin. Any form of unbelief toward God and His Word is sin, and sin will hinder us from partaking of the spiritual blessings of the Gospel.
In Luke 9:62, Jesus talks about being fit for the Kingdom of God. How do we get ourselves spiritually fit? Second Corinthians 5:7 says, “We walk by faith and not by sight.” We get fit spiritually by exercising or acting on our faith in God’s Word and moving forward with Him. How spiritually in shape are you today? I want to encourage every Christian reading this article to be radical enough to allow the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit to override your natural thinking. It is time for us to truly be partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:1-4), and to live every day in the realm of faith!
James Brandt Ministries
P.O. Box 338
Big Rapids, MI 49307
(231) 796-8228
www.jamesbrandt.org
www.revivalchristian.org
www.anointedsermons.org
|  | "If I but touch the hem of His garment, I will be healed." The woman who touched Jesus' garment in the press of the crowd, and was healed had her trust in Jesus' power and willingness to heal her. To the leper in Mark 1:41-42, He said, "I AM willing. Be thou clean." |
Joni Ames is a lady Christian minister who speaks frequently at conferences and churches. Her contact information can be found at the bottom of the page. Things Not As They Seem; Invisible To Manifest Soon by Joni Ames JoniAmes@aol.com Dear Friends, I recently had a very vivid experience with the Lord that I want to share with you. As I was driving down the road, the presence of the Lord came into the van, and I heard, "Things are NOT as they seem." "How so, Lord?" I asked "Although many feel as though I am standing still, I am doing MUCH behind the scenes, where it cannot be seen. So tell My People to stop accusing me of not properly doing My job and risk missing out on their Promised Land due to their murmuring and complaining." He went on to take me into the "Faith Chapter," Hebrews 11. In verse 1, it says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." In verse 3, it says: "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible." He emphasized by repeating the last part of verse three to me three times: "The things which are seen were NOT made of things which are visible." "The things which are seen were NOT made of things which are visible." "The things which are seen were NOT made of things which are visible." And then He said: "So, why then, do you expect to be able to SEE what I'm doing before it is time to be seen? Even when I made this world, I simply SPOKE, and IT WAS SO. I do not need to work with things that you can SEE, in your time schedule, for what I'm doing to be made manifest." "Be still, and know that I am God." (Ps. 46:10). "I am accomplishing MUCH that you cannot yet see, yet which shall soon be made manifest. Meanwhile, do not accuse me of improperly doing My Job." He reminded me of a similar rebuke in Malachai 3:13-18 13 "Your words have been harsh against Me," Says the Lord, "Yet you say, 'What have we spoken against You?' 14 You have said, 'It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the Lord of hosts? 15 So now we call the proud blessed, For those who do wickedness are raised up; They even tempt God and go free.' " 16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the Lord And who meditate on His name. 17 "They shall be Mine," says the Lord of hosts, "On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him." 18 Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him." During this experience, He let it be known that we are about to enter into a series of many "suddenlies." - Occurrences of many manifested answers to prayers. God is still God, and we are not to be concerned about those who have seemingly "gotten away with evil," for their 'day' is coming. In that, He gave me Psalms 37. In particular, the following verses: 1 Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. 6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. 7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret--it only causes harm. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. 11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 12 The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth. 13 The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming. And so, if we have spoken harshly against the Lord because we have gotten strained by the stresses of life, let's just repent through the scripture prayer below, and trust God, knowing that He IS God, and He IS doing His job right! ======== PRAYER ======== Dear Lord, Forgive us for speaking harshly of you, and help us in our weakness. Help us guard what we speak, and we pray as the psalmist David, Lord, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14) - Thank you for being a good God, and a God of integrity who keeps Your promises! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen. - Joni Ames JoniAmes@aol.com ======================================= Permission is granted (and you are also encouraged) to reprint these articles in hard copy form, as well as sending them to your own email lists and posting them on your own websites. We ask only that you keep Joni's website, email contact info, and author contact information intact. ======================================= Joni Ames P.O. Box 411501 Charlotte, NC 28241 E-Mail: JoniAmes@aol.com Main Website: http://www.joniames.org Prophetic Newsletter Archives/Web site: http://www.joniames.net Joni's Ministry calendar: http://hometown.aol.com/joniames/2007.htm
You Must Be Born Again Charles Spurgeon
Perhaps someone here says, “I have given up drunkenness....” “Well,” says another, “I am very different from what I was twelve months ago. I am glad of it, I say again, as glad as when I read that this blind man’s eyes were opened. But, my dear friend, that is not the main point. “Do you believe in Jesus, the Son of God, and the eternal sacrifice He made for your sins?” Morality is excellent as far as it goes, but without holiness no man shall see the Lord, and holiness far exceeds mere morality. Holiness can only be produced by a real change of heart, and that real change of heart can only come through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit which manifests itself through faith in Jesus Christ. Moral changes are commendable, and we would be the last to say a word against them; but just as silver is not gold, so morality is not holiness, and the message we have still to deliver is this, “You must be born again.” John 3:1-8
So we press the question of the text home upon the conscience of everyone here because it concerns the vital point of faith in Christ. I am convinced that this question, “Do you believe on the Son of God?” is the most important question that a man can ever have to answer; this is vitally and overwhelmingly important. “I am a Churchman,” says one. “I am a Nonconformist,” says another. “I am a Calvinist,” says one. “I am a good person,” says another. Well now, I am not going to ask you anything about your belief on any of these points, though I know what I think is the right view concerning all of them. But I can tell you that you may go to heaven or you may go to hell either as a Churchman or as a Nonconformist, as a Calvinist; but if you believe on Jesus Christ, you shall never perish, neither shall any pluck you out of His hands. It is believing in Him that is the all-important point, so I still urge each one of you to answer the question, “Do you believe, cling to, and trust Jesus, the Son of God for cleansing from your sins and for eternal salvation?”
When David, as a young shepherd boy, was facing the giant from Gath, Goliath, he recounted the past victories which he had while tending his father’s sheep. King Saul was certain that David couldn’t go against Goliath, since he was a youth, and the giant had been a man of war for many years. David’s faith in God was not dampened at those words of opposition.
Respectfully, David recounted his past victories, to Saul, in guarding his father’s sheep from bears and lions. He said, “When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its jaw, and struck and killed it." 1 Samuel 17:34-35 In the battles we face as children of God, one of the best things to do when the enemy of our souls comes “to defy the armies of the living God,” is to think about all the times that God has delivered us out of the mouth of the bear or the lion. This is a powerful faith builder. The same God who has brought salvation, healing, deliverance, strength, or blessing of many kinds to us, will do it again! “For I AM the LORD, I change not;” Malachi 3:6 We can trust our faithful Father.
The devil may try to whisper in your ear, “Your need won’t be met this time. You won’t be healed or delivered from this thing.” Satan can’t do anything but tell lies, so never believe anything the devil says. He cannot tell the truth. Believe only the words of the Living God, and the victory is yours! One smooth stone felled this nine-foot giant, Goliath. Every God-breathed Word is as powerful as that one smooth stone. Jesus is the Rock of Ages!
Love in Him,
Betty Seiley
 WHAT THE LORD IS SAYING TODAY (English y en Espanol-al final) - July 12, 2007
Ras Robinson
Jul 12, 2007
July 12, 2007 (English y en Espanol-al final). Singing. Before dawn, I began to hear a lone bird singing. It was perched in its nest on the side of a building. Everything else was silent. Within a few minutes, the birds in the surrounding trees began to sing in great numbers. The Lord spoke these words: Be bold and declare my goodness and deliverance even if you have to do it alone. Others will follow. Testify of Me and exalt My name in all the earth. Declare your utmost dependence upon Me. Decree that I am your man of war. Watch how I will fight your battles for you. Stop whining; rather, speak faith and life. The Lord is My name. Singing.
Exodus 15:1-3 "Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, "I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name."
www.fullnessonline.org
To subscribe to my posting group, "Bread of His Presence," on InJesus.com, send an email to breadofhispresence-subscribe@myinjesus.com. You will be immediately added to the mailing list. Love in Christ, Betty Bread of His Presence Betty Seiley The walk of faith is sometimes a walk of perseverance. Many times, God answers believing prayer immediately, but we all know those times when we have to wait for our prayers to be answered, as we exercise perseverance and endurance. When the desired blessing doesn’t come the first time we pray, faith does not quit! Once we have the written promise of God, or logos, from His Word, and the spoken Word of God, the rhema, the way to receive what God has promised, is to keep believing. An athlete who has a dream or vision in his heart to go to the Olympics does not quit playing his sport the first time he makes a mistake on the court or loses a game. He doesn’t quit the second time, nor the one hundredth time, nor the one thousandth time. He or she perseveres. The Shunnamite woman, who had been barren for many years, received the promise of a son through the prophet, Elisha. 2 Kings 4:11-17 Once she believed the word of God, concerning that for which she had yearned, she ‘dug in’ and believed the word of the Lord in the most trying circumstances. The little boy was in the field with his father during the heat of the day, and he fell ill with a sunstroke, which resulted in his death. As an act of faith, the Shunnamite woman laid the child on Elisha’s bed in the room which she and her husband had built for Elisha. She knew of the mighty, double portion anointing of the Holy Spirt which was upon Elisha, and she believed that this anointing would bring her son back to life. She was NOT going to give in to death. God had promised! Verse 21 Further, she maintained her faith by not speaking words of doubt, even to her husband or to Elisha. She said to both of them, “All is well,” or “All will be well,” another rendering. The natural thing to do in such extreme circumstances is to speak words of doubt, but the promise of God is supernatural, and it must be guarded with words of faith only. 2 Kings 4:23-27 Elisha prayed for the little boy four times before he came back to life. He was steadfast and enduring in faith. Elisha, the prophet of God, didn’t stop praying when the child didn’t respond after his first prayer. Both the Shunnamite woman and Elisha persevered until they saw the answer, knowing it was the will of God for the child to live. Jesus said, “I am come that you might have life, and that more abundantly.” John 10:10 “Cast not away your confidence (faith), which has great reward. For you have need of endurance (perseverance), so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” Hebrews 10:35-36 Would you allow any person or devil talk you out of your eternal salvation through the Blood of Jesus? Certainly not! We can be as steadfast about all of God’s promises as we are about our salvation. In faith, complete the task! Naaman was a commander of the Syrian army, and he had leprosy. When he overcame his pride, Naaman dipped in the Jordan River seven times, according to the word of God through Elisha. 2 Kings 5:8-14 Naaman completed the simple task given to him by God, and he was completely healed. Would he have been healed if he had dipped in the river only four times? No. He completed the task, and through faith and obedience, he received his healing. As you persevere in faith, whatever the Lord asks of you, do it wholeheartedly. Israel needed victory over Syria when Joash was king. Elisha, the prophet with the double portion of Elijah’s anointing, told Joash that he must strike the Syrians until they were destroyed. As a test of his wholeheartedness, Elisha didn’t tell the king how many times to strike the ground with the arrows he gave him. 2 Kings 13:14-21 Joash only struck the ground three times on his own volition. Elisha was upset with Joash, and he told him that he should have struck the ground five or six times. How much did Joash believe that Israel could destroy Syria? How determined was he to win the battle? Elisha told Joash that he would only overcome Syria three times, the number of times he struck the ground, instead of utterly destroying Syria. Joash wasn’t wholehearted about the battle, therefore, Syria continued to be Israel’s enemy for centuries. The woman who kept going to the unjust judge in Luke 18 was wholehearted, and she was granted her request. “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men.” Colossians 3:23 In His love, Betty and Carl Seiley www.revivalwaters.net
Worship the Lord, all lands, nations, tribes, and tongues! For He is the God of Power and Might, the God of miracles, signs and wonders, and He loves you! Render unto Him your highest praise, and worship Him in the beauty of His Holiness! He alone is God, for beside Him there is no other! He gave you life and breath, for He alone is the Creator. He is without beginning and without end, for He always was, always is, and always shall be. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the God of all glory, and He desires that you come to Him, in faith, believing that He loves you with a burning love that compelled Him to give His Only Son on the Cross for you. He will save you from your sins, He will heal you of your sicknesses and diseases, He will set you free from the devil's oppression, and He will daily care for you. He will bring you out into a large place as you give your heart to Him and follow Him. The Lord will fill your heart with joy unspeakable and full of glory, because He is a God of great joy and love. He will change you into the image of His dear Son, Jesus, as you yield to the Master Potter. Hear and believe Him today. "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest." Revelation 15:4 "He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me." Psalm 18:19 Betty Seiley www.revivalwaters.net http://glassysea.net
I am pleased to bring you great news about two decisions just handed down from the Supreme Court of the United States! FEC v. Wisconsin Right to Life (No. 06-969) McCain v. Wisconsin Right to Life (No. 06-970) In these consolidated cases regarding censorship in the weeks and months leading up to an election, the high court ruled on the side of free speech. Its decision acknowledged that a pro-life group should have been permitted to air advertising in the final months leading up to a 2004 election. The ACLJ filed an amicus brief in this case urging the high court to remove the prohibition of grassroots lobbying organizations from taking part in issue-advertising 30 days before a primary election and 60 days before a general election. You can read more about this decision at aclj.org. Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation (U.S. No. 06-157) The Supreme Court's 5-4 decision in the Hein case turned away church-state separationists' federal lawsuit challenging the use of taxpayer dollars to fund a program of President Bush's faith-based initiative. The Court ruled that the separationists had no legal standing to bring the suit. We filed an amicus brief in this case as well and are very pleased with the high court's decision. This is a true victory for your First Amendment rights! Further details are available via our website, aclj.org. I take this opportunity to thank members like you who have supported the ACLJ in prayer and in giving. These decisions are yet another example of your faithfulness. Thank you for helping make this happen!
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