Faith of Champions Part II

Posted on November 30, 2008 by growintheword

Faith of Champions Part II

Synopsis of Bible Study 11/19/08

Delivered by Bishop Walker III

 

To have faith, there has to be manifestation or production of something. It is important to learn to grow & mature in your faith. The root of faith is the revelation of the word of God in your life. 6 So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Heb 11:6 (NLT)-Without God faith it is impossible to please God. When we go to God, we have to believe God is. We wouldn’t go to God if we didn’t think God had the where-with-all to manifest what we asked for.

17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. Romans 1:17 (KJV). We are the righteousness of God. This means we have chosen to walk into God’s word regardless of the charge of the world. We get from 1 dimension to another by our level of faith. Look at the things you experienced 3-5 yrs ago. Our faith was not the same level then as it is now. Over time, we grew & started looking like what his word says we should look like. What breaks you today will be looked at different next year if you are growing your faith. Faith that is not tested is faith that can’t be trusted.

2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 1:2).This is a total blessing. God wants you to be blessed in every area of your life. God doesn’t just want you to be financially prosperous. God wants you to be spiritually prosperous.

I.                   Faith Fruit- It is the tangible, touchable, manifested things that our faith produces. Whatever faith produces is considered to be Faith Fruit.

Things faith fruit produces

a.       Glorifies God.

b.      Satisfies our temporal needs. We must believe God can do what we are believing in him to do.

c.       We become channels of Devine favor. We are channels to benefit others. God is using us to be a blessings to others.

d.      Validate the testimony of God’s word working in your life

e.      Testify of God’s faithfulness to produce the promise.

f.        Inspire you for greater productivity. When you have been with God for a long time and you know how he is able to produce, then you stop asking for small stuff. Example: Instead of asking God to deliver a payment, you ask God to make a way for a lump sum of money so you can pay it off.

Faith – This gives us the ability to have the faith to believe in things we cannot see. 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Heb 11:1 (KJV). Faith is about assurance and conviction. Faith stands under every situation & supports it with assurance. Faith shows that we are convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that God will do what he says he will do.

Faith involves your yet future. The substance of faith is the revelation of the word. It is hope that brings you to a point of manifestation. A few months ago, they were laughing at the concept of hope (Barack Obama), but look at what hope accomplished. Hope points to the future. Hope allows us to see tomorrow according to God’s ability and not your own.

 

II.                How do we know God’s ability? It is by our faith. We hope based on what we know. Hope says we are seeing something God is able to do.

How do we articulate that? This deals with the “Things not seen” portion of Hebrews 11:1. The object of faith is believing in the things we can see. Faith is giving attention on what we do not see. We are not looking at our right now, but what God has shown us. Believing God by faith has to be beyond natural expectation.

God gives us Devine delays. Sometimes God holds up the things we are waiting on. Ex-Bishop explains that sometimes his staff gets worried when their flight is delayed. Bishop says he never worries. He simply pulls out his laptop and works on something. He does this because he has been running with God long enough to appreciate the concept of Devine Delay. If you understand Devine Delay, then you will understand what God was trying to teach the disciples. Example: Jairus’ daughter became sick and he came Jesus for help, but Jesus basically makes him wait, because he was interrupted by others who wanted to be healed. This is Devine delay. 40 On the other side of the lake the crowds received Jesus with open arms because they had been waiting for him. 41 And now a man named Jairus, a leader of the local synagogue, came and fell down at Jesus’ feet, begging him to come home with him. 42 His only child was dying, a little girl twelve years old.
     As Jesus went with him, he was surrounded by the crowds. 43 And there was a woman in the crowd who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years. She had spent everything she had on doctors and still could find no cure. 44 She came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped. Luke 8:40-44 (NLT)

Example 2: When they called Jesus to go help Lazarus his friend, Jesus decided to wait. This again is Devine Delay. When Jesus arrives he tries to tell the disciples that Lazarus was asleep. Jesus delayed coming to help Lazarus on purpose. If Jesus would had of gone ahead and come when Lazarus was sick, then skeptics would have discredited it and said he had the 24hr flu or something. Jesus had to make sure he was dead, so that everyone could see the power of God. 1 A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. 2 This is the Mary who poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. 3So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, the one you love is very sick.” 4 But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the glory of God. I, the Son of God, will receive glory from this.” 5 Although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, 6 he stayed where he was for the next two days and did not go to them. 7 Finally after two days, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go to Judea again.”  8 But his disciples objected. “Teacher,” they said, “only a few days ago the Jewish leaders in Judea were trying to kill you. Are you going there again?” 9 Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. As long as it is light, people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. 10 Only at night is there danger of stumbling because there is no light.” 11 Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.”
     12 The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, that means he is getting better!” 13 They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was having a good night’s rest, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.      14 Then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And for your sake, I am glad I wasn’t there, because this will give you another opportunity to believe in me. Come, let’s go see him.” John 11:1-15 (NLT).

Example 3: When Jesus arrived, Lazarus’ sisters tried to have attitude instead of celebrating the possibility of what God could do. Jesus calls Lazarus forward. It is evident that a miracle is about to happen. What happens is they say there is nothing else that Jesus could do. 30 Now Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. 31 When the people who were at the house trying to console Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there. 32 When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell down at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, he was moved with indignation and was deeply troubled. 34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them.
They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Then Jesus wept. 36 The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him.” 37 But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Why couldn’t he keep Lazarus from dying?” 38 And again Jesus was deeply troubled. Then they came to the grave. It was a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. 39 “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, said, “Lord, by now the smell will be terrible because he has been dead for four days.” 40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you will see God’s glory if you believe?” 41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so they will believe you sent me.” 43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And Lazarus came out, bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”  John 11:30-44 (NLT).  It is easy to believe God for a job when an employer is hiring, but what about when they are not? Sometimes God will delay you to move you beyond your expectations. The crowd was following Jesus on the way to his house when the woman with issue of blood, who could care less about Jairus’ agenda, interrupts Jairus’ breakthrough. This again is Devine Delay

During Jarius’ break through there were two things that went on.

·         Faith beyond natural expectations

·         Devine Delay.

o   Jesus told the woman with the issue of blood that her faith had made her whole. 48 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” Luke 8:48 (NLT). Everybody always assumes that this word was for the woman with the issue of blood, but we have to remember that Jairus was still standing there. Jesus wanted Jairus to know that he had to have faith to get what he desired. When Jesus came to heal Jairus daughter, there were people there that laughed. Jesus put those people out. 51 And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. 52 And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. 53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. 54 And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. 55 And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. 56 And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done. Luke 8:51-56 (KJV). You have to put faithless people out of your circle. Sometimes God will delay blessing and allow thing to get worse to measure your faith. You have to be spiritually minded to get this. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:5-6 (KJV).Spiritually minded is having a mind of peace. Example: When Bishop’s house caught on fire, they asked him was he going to fly home from his vacation. Bishop quickly told them no, because there wasn’t anything he could do. He knew it was in God’s hands. We have to refuse to make other people’s emergency, our emergency.

5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. Prov 3:5-7 (KJV).

 

III.              5 things Faith Exercises to live by

1.       Get a picture of what God has in store for you.  You must first see it, to achieve it.

2.       Begin to confess to one another what you see God doing. 13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, and so I speak.” 2 Cor 4:13 (NLT). When you believe something, we got to speak it.  Salvation that comes from trusting Christ—which is the message we preach—is already within easy reach. In fact, the Scriptures say, “The message is close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” Romans 10:8 (NLT). Bishop is preaching a word of faith not emotions. If you receive a good word (preached from your Pastor), you ought to speak that word. Got to picture what you want God to do and see it. Ex-Bishop Walker explains as a young Pastor of Mt Zion, he tried to tell his congregation to move up and fill up the front pews. Most of the people wanted to sit in the back. He also asked the Deacons to put chairs in the isle. He was speaking into existence what God had already shown him. Bishop Walker reminds us that his Grandmother had reminded him that he used to talk to preachers when he was a child and he would tell them that someday he would have a church. Even though he had forgotten about it, when Bishop was putting those chairs in the aisle, he was speaking what God had already shown him.

3.      Faith comes by finding the biblical solution. According to God’s word, we believe. 17 Yet faith comes from listening to this message of good news—the Good News about Christ. Romans 10:17 (NLT), Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed. Josh 1:8 (NLT). We have to mediate on God’s word day and night. Look in the bible and find word around what God has shown you.

4.        Faith picture must be put into action. Example: There are some folk that is always working on some things, yet nothing ever gets done. 17 So you see, it isn’t enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is no faith at all—it is dead and useless. James 2:17 (NLT). . We have to have a corresponding action. If we want to lose weight, we have to get on the tread mill and not just talk about it. If we have a financial breakthrough, we need to start tithing and then take control of our spend-tithe. This is a responsibility you must have for faith.

5.       Expect change to occur. When we believe God and pray, we do it with expectation. 24 Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it. Mark 11:24 (NLT). If you believe, you will receive and you will have what you desire. When you pray, believe that when you get, it is done. One is spiritual, one is natural. We make preparation when we pray, because we realize it is only a matter of time before God shows up and shows out.

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Faith of Champions Part I

Posted on November 30, 2008 by growintheword

Faith of Champions Part I

Synopsis of Bible Study 11/12/08

Delivered by Bishop Walker

 

Being a champion is about mindset. It is about approaching life victoriously. It is an attitude of confidence. There is a certain way people walk, when they know God. They walk as champions. They realize that nothing is too difficult as long as they have God in their lives. 27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Luke 18:27 (KJV).

We look at challenging things and think we don’t have the time or resources to overcome them. The things we go through have little to do with us and lots to do with God. We have to remember, even though we can’t do it, God can. With God, all things are possible.13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Phil 4:13 (KJV). Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity. One translation of Phil 4:13 says “we are ready for anything that can make us strong. There is nothing we can’t handle, because we have strength of God”. 12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 1 Tim 1:12 (KJV).We have to realize that God wouldn’t put us in front of something that he didn’t feel we could achieve. If he put you in front of it, then he knew you could achieve it, so it really comes down to our own mindset.

10 components of the Champion Creed

1.       I can believe. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Heb 11:6 (KJV). Without faith, it is impossible to please God. We have to believe God can do it, before he does it. We have to visualize ourselves winning. Example: Michael Jordon had a coach that made the whole team visualize winning, before they actually played the game. Michael and his teammates always believed that this played a large part of them winning so often. Michael Jordan adopted this idea for himself and as a result, he became one of the most notorious basketball players of all time. We need to adopt this habit as well. We need to visualize ourselves coming out of our situations and our dilemmas, before God actually brings us out.

In Mark 9:22-24, there was a father who had a son that was demon possessed. The Father came and asked Jesus for help. 17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; 18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. 19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. 20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. 21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. 22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. 23  Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. Mark 9:17-24 (KJV). One thing the father said was that he believed it was possible that his son could be healed. The father also says help my unbelief or in other words, the part of me that has doubt because of what I see. Our faith makes our deliverance possible. A lot of time, we say we have faith, because we haven’t been thru anything. It is easy to believe while all is well, but what about when things get tight. You can’t just believe when things are manageable. Anyone can do that. You have to believe when things are out of control too.

Ø  Do you believe God has made you equal to your dilemma?

Ø  Do you believe God will make your impossibilities you possibilities?

Ø  Do you believe you are more than a conqueror?

2.       I can change. We get to point where we have begun to encounter people that believe they are always right. As champions, we should always be open to positive change.

3 false beliefs about change

o You cannot change, because you already tried to change. Just because you have tried before and was unsuccessful, doesn’t mean that you can never change.

o It is not my responsibility to effect change in the life of others. It is all of our responsibility to make this world a better place and to bring others to Christ.

o I am not as bad as it seems. One of the tricks of the Devil is to try and justify that what you are doing is right, when you know in your heart it is wrong.

a.       We have got to always strive to be like Christ. When you come before God, you are sometimes transparent. 18 And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.  Cor 3:18 (NLT).

b.      Because of God’s cause, we offer changes to take place. We have come to a point where we realize the importance of putting on our new man and taking off the old. 21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Eph 4:21-24 (KJV). One thing that is often significant of our old self is our language. Our language often is what gets us caught into bondage in the first place. You might not realize it, but you can be in new place, but still be holding on to the anger of an old place. God gave us a new word for a new place. It was given to Adam and Eve in the garden. Satan pulled Adam and Eve into an old place by talking Eve into tasting the fruit. Tasting the fruit caused us to move from paradise, to a place full of sin. You can be in church every Sunday, but talking to people that is pulling you into an old place. Example:  Remember Diction refers to talking such in the word “addiction”. When you are addicted to something, you are saying whatever you are addicted to is talking to you and trying to pull you back into what you are trying to give up. Changing your language is like changing your crowd. We have got to remove people that are trying to talk to you in your old language (in other words the way you used to be). If people can’t see the new you, then the old you will be what they know.

6 steps to life change

o Establish the truth about who you are. Bishop Walker says he looks at himself as simply Joseph. This is who he really is. Through God, he happens to be Bishop of Mt Zion Baptist Church. He is able to separate the two and recognize who he really is.

o Recognize the challenge of knowing who you are. Don’t let people define who you are.

o Have a predetermined response to negative stimulus. Don’t try and get people to like you, that don’t you. Example: “Bless you!” You can’t convince people that you are not who think you are. You need to have a default response to negative comments. A good default expression could be “God Bless you”.

o Eliminate misbehavior. This is a big area of struggle. Some things you can’t do anymore if you are going to change and be a champion. Example: Remember the brick cell phone. What would it look like to see someone drive up in a 2008 Chrysler 300 and then step out with a brick phone or better yet, you look inside and they are sporting an 8 track player? The two just don’t match. New stuff and old stuff doesn’t fit together. Likewise if you say you’ve changed, yet you act in our old ways, this is confuses people into not knowing who you are. It simply doesn’t match.

o Glorify God with your outcome. Before you do anything, ask yourself “if I do this, will God be glorified by this action”?

o Be accountable to those who love you. Normally we run from people the people that love us, and run to the people that accommodate us.

  1. I can be loved by God & love others. Some people have children that don’t even realize that you love them. They think because you get on to them all the time, you don’t love them. 34 A new commandments I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:34-35 (KJV).Our responsibility in life is to love folk. We can’t receive from God what we won’t give ourselves.
  2. I can forgive and be forgiven. Forgiveness is to refrain from penalizing one for what they have done. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (KJV). , 3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. Luke 17:3-4 (KJV).We must be quick to forgive. The scriptures remind us that we must forgive in order to receive forgiveness. The problem that most people have forgiving is that they think they can’t put a person in check. You can rebuke the sin, but you still must forgive the person.

3 things forgiveness is not

o Not emotional-You must forgive even if you don’t feel like it.

o Not forgetting-Only God has the ability to forget an act. You don’t necessarily have to forget what has been done, but you are required by God to forgive. You can remember, so that you never let it happen to you again!

o Not trust-You are not automatically restored by forgiving. You can forgive someone, but God doesn’t make us trust them. This might be something that has to be re-earned.

  1. I can rule my thought life. You will have more trouble with your mind while you are doing spiritual things. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 2 Cor 10:3-5 (KJV).  Imaginations are pictures. Pictures will pop in your mind no mater how spiritual you are, but you have to bring those pictures into captivity. ,

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Phil 4:7-8 (KJV)-Example: The doctor sees something on your x-ray. They say they are not sure what it is, but you make up in your mind that it is something more. Before you know it, you have made yourself sick. We have go into our situations thinking good things. We need to think things of peace.

  1. I can make a difference.      14 In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people. Let your lives shine brightly before them. 16 Hold tightly to the word of life, so that when Christ returns, I will be proud that I did not lose the race and that my work was not useless. Phil 2:14-16 (NLT). We are here to be a blessing to someone else. We have been sent to do something special on behalf of God.
  2. I can accomplish great things. 12 “The truth is, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. John 14:12 (NLT). Jesus doesn’t want us to be co-dependent on people.  He wants us to tap into the power he left for us. He said we would do greater things than him.
  3. I can be a finisher. 6 As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 2 Tim 4:6-7 (NLT). I finish what I start says the Lord. When God sent his son, he gave back what the Devil stole from us in the Garden of Eden. Example: Bishop tells the story of he and his team (basketball) being down my 10pts. He explains that little by little, his team begins to come back. Eventually they win. He states the problem is that the opposing team starts out strong, but finishes weak. They simply cannot close. Closing is about preservation. When dodging lots of things, you have to learn how to focus on one thing.
  4. Stand in the midst of adverse circumstance. 12 For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. Eph 6:12 (NLT). Any champion of faith studies their enemy so they can prepare. When the bible speaks of putting on the whole armor of God, all the members of the armor mentioned refers to the front of us. You are designed to stand your ground and not run.
  5. I can defeat the enemy. Example: Muhammad Ali fought Joe Frazier one time. Ali was just taking punches, because he knew eventually he would knock him out. Champions never wonder if they are going to win. They know they will win. Champions don’t fight for victory, they fight from victory. The fight from victory that they have already won. 4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won your fight with these false prophets, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. 1 John 4:4 (NLT). What is in you is far greater that what is happening around you. We don’t realize the Devil is defeated foe. Example: A father and son were driving along in a car. A bee gets inside the car. The son is scared of the bee and keeps running from the bee. The Dad grabs bee and allows the bee to sting him, then he releases it. The bee starts back buzzing around in the care the boy continues to run from it. The father tells the son there is no longer any need to run from the bee, because he already took the sting. He told the son that it would be a matter of time before the bee dies. God has taken the sting from our enemy, so we do not have to run. The sting of the enemy has already been taken and eventually the enemy will fade away.
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Posted on November 30, 2008 by growintheword

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