Wisdom About Leaping in Faith

RHEMA 4/07/13 WISDOM ABOUT FAITH LEAPS AND CLEAR WORDS

HEARD: The gift of faith. Leap.

INSERT QUICKENED MEMORY: Last night Wayne came in to say goodnight and after we prayed together, he shared a story about faith. He has a gift where the Lord just fills his mouth with inspiration and he shares without realizing how perfectly in tune he is with the Holy Spirit’s message.

There was a fellow who was preparing a sermon on faith and he kept looking out at the swimming pool. The more he thought about it, the more his faith was strengthened and so he put his suit and tie on and then stepped in. The next thing he knew, he was at the bottom of the pool saying, “Lord what am I doing at the bottom of the pool?” The Lord said, “I wasn’t walking on water today.”

Then there was a man whom the Lord taught how to walk on water. So the next time he came to some water, he stepped into it and sunk to his waist. He looked back on shore and Jesus was standing there smiling, He wasn’t walking on water on that day either. The moral is that just because Jesus taught you how to walk on water before doesn’t mean that you walk on water without Him.

Psalms 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain that build it: unless the LORD keeps the city, the watchman wakes, but in vain.

HEARD: The gift of faith. Weapon, how do you use it?

VISION: I saw a little 3 year old and she had a little super hero cape mantle and was pulling it around her waist. She said, “This needs a belt.”

HEARD: Tied down. The rule of thumb. Is it clear? Yes. Then move.

2 Cor 13:1 NKJV

"By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established."

When we are seeking God’s guidance, or questioning whether we heard the Lord, we need to verify that He has spoken and that we understood what He said. Seeking the Lord through confirmation is a very important part of validation. Seeking Him for confirmation comes from the scripture, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” This is a Biblical concept and He wants to make us strong and stable in our hearing His Words.

His Words will become like a hook, a nail, or an anchor on a boat. If something comes against us to rob us of that Word, (“hath God said?”) then we can run back and check that nail. Yes, His Word is secure and strong, bearing up against the weight because it has been confirmed, clarified and established. It is safe. Enough time has been given for Him to make His Word sure. It is settled, strong and stable. If a storm comes against us, we can come back to that place and know His Word is solid. Confirming and establishing is HIS business. He wants that. Your part is to give Him time to do so.

ASKING THE LORD FOR A CLEAR WORD: Through experience and years I have learned alot about how God speaks and His purposes behind some of His methods. We cry out to Him for a true clear Word, but there are reasons He gives us just enough to draw us, increase our faith and keep us asking for more. Here are some reasons why we do not receive a clear Word.

1. LEARN TO ABIDE

His methods teach us to abide and cling to Him, so that we dont take His Word and use it independently. We can do nothing without Him and He teaches us that through the school of hard knocks.

John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do: for whatsoever things he does, these also does the Son likewise.

2. LEARN ACCOUNTABILITY

He does not give us a clear Word until we are ready and therefore safe to do so. To receive a clear Word requires a level of accountability to heed and obey that Word. To whom much is given, much is required. Faith is justified when we obey His Word (works).

Luke 12:48A For unto whomever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

James 2:17-24 Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, You have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God; you do well: the demons also believe, and tremble. 20 But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 See how faith worked with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

3. LEARN THE FEAR OF THE LORD

The church has yet to know how to walk in the fear of the Lord, embracing His kindness and severity. We are about to witness the grand finale of all the ages in a full demonstration of God's power and final kingdom. The following scripture reveals WHY He keeps His people from having the power of the age to come, before they are prepared and ready for it. If we refuse His Word and become hardened to heeding after having tasted of the powers of that age, we will not be able to repent.

Romans 11:22

Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Hebrews 6:4-6 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

4. LEARN TO OVERCOME CARNALITY

Scripture says we are unable to receive His clear strong meat Words because we are still too carnal. The day I finally understood that my level of carnality was related to my level of hearing clearly without being sifted through it, it changed me.

1 Corinthians 3:1-3

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal.

5. LEARN TO HEAR GOD

Faith comes through hearing God, and in order for the Word to profit us, it must be mixed with our faith.

Romans 10:17

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

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 in them that heard it.

6. LEARN THE TEST OF EATING MANNA

Riddles are mysteries that require unraveling through prayer, study and waiting on the Lord to bring clarity, growth and understanding. Riddles are manna bread. They called it manna, meaning “What IS it??”

The word manna in the Hebrew literally meant "a whatness" so called from the question about it. (#4478 Strongs.) It comes from a Hebrew word (#4100) meaning: interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which).

Exodus 16:15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they knew not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat.

Eating manna in the wilderness is a total JOY and a test. It is a test until one learns the lessons of humility and fear of the Lord. It becomes a JOY and strength and blessing once one learns total dependence upon the Lord for daily bread.

Deuteronomy 8:15-18 Who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and thirsty land, where there was no water; who brought you forth water out of the rock of flint; 16 Who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers knew not, that he might humble you, and that he might test you, to do you good in the end; 17 And you say in your heart, My power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth. 18 But you shall remember the LORD your God: for it is he that gives you power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swore unto your fathers, as it is this day.

Numbers 12:6-8 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. 7 My servant Moses is not thus, who is faithful in all my house. 8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even clearly, and not in dark sayings; and the form of the LORD shall he behold: why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

Proverbs 1:6-7 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their riddles. 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Job 33:14-17 For God speaks once, yea twice, yet man perceives it not. 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; 16 Then he opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction, 17 That he may turn man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.

WORD STUDY: DARK SPEECH, RIDDLE, PARABLE

OT:2420

OT:2420 chiydah (khee-daw'); from OT:2330; a puzzle, hence, a trick, conundrum, sententious maxim:

KJV - dark saying (sentence, speech), hard question, proverb, riddle.

OT:2330

OT:2330 chuwd (khood); a primitive root; properly, to tie a knot, i.e. (figuratively) to propound a riddle:

KJV - put forth.

JOHN PAUL JACKSON: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

http://www.streamsministries.com/

UPDATE 4/08/13: I listened to John Paul tonight and he spoke on the issue of clarity vs ambiguity of God’s Words. I felt this was a good partner to what I had written above and so I transcribed it from one of his videos.

Why Didn’t My Word Come to Pass?

QUESTION: Someone wrote to him and asked: “What do you do when the Lord very clearly spoke to you about a certain situation, but suddenly it seems yanked out of your life with no natural explanation?”

ANSWER FROM JOHN PAUL: It doesn’t seem like it came to pass, that’s how I take what you wrote. First of all, we need to clearly settle something right off the bat. God does not lie. So if He said it, He will do it. But it doesn’t look like He did it, then what could have happened?

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: has he said, and shall he not do it? or has he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

LAW OF CONTRARY FULFILLMENT

The first thing, I call it the law of contrary fulfillment. You get a prophesy and it looks like the opposite happens in what the prophetic word said. I call it the law of contrary fulfillment.

It is the Joseph who is sent into slavery, who was supposed to deliver his brothers. It is the Moses who was exiled from the people he was to led out of captivity. It is the Timothy who is sitting in his church in Ephesus and in 2 letters, three times Paul has to exhort him not to forget the Words that were prophesied over him. And I don’t think Timothy had to be reminded of that, because he was thinking WOW, everything Paul is said is happening! I think he had to be reminded about that because he is probably thinking nothing Paul said is happening!

So in Psalm 105:19 it gives us some incredible insight into this.

Psalms 105:17-19 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: 18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in irons: 19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tested {6884} him.

Now when you look up that word tested doesn’t mean like we think today. The word of the Lord, tested, literally means purged.

6884. צָרַף tsaraph
Search for H6884 in KJVSL

צָרַף tsaraph tsaw-raf'

a primitive root; to fuse (metal), i.e. refine (literally or figuratively):—cast, (re-)fine(-er), founder, goldsmith, melt, pure, purge away, try.

The Word of the Lord purged him. Purged him of what? Everything that would keep the prophesy from coming true. Everything you would do with the prophesy that would be wrong to do with the prophesy. For example, Joseph is unpurged and he is now the top guy in all of Egypt, right underneath Pharaoh. His brothers come on the scene, guess what the unpurged Joseph does? My brothers are here, off with their heads! And the whole bloodline is gone! The purged Joseph says this, you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. Because I am about to save a bloodline. A million Hebrew children being released 400 years later.

Genesis 50:20 But as for you, you thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive.

They were saved because Joseph was purged of his vengeance. Purged of unforgiveness, purged of any thought that says now I will get my way. He purged him and it took a long time to do it. False accusations, imprisonment twice. Rejection by his brothers, but it worked its work.

CLARITY AND COST

There is another process called the Clarity and Cost issue. Meaning the clearer God speaks, the costlier it is going to be to see the fulfillment. So Paul who God knocked off his horse and God audibly spoke to him was also told by Ananias who delivered to Paul, tell him all the things he must suffer. So you have great clarity, audible voice and light of God shines on you. Paul later says, because of the exceeding great revelation, the clarity of what I have seen, I was sent a cost, or a message of satan to buffet me. So clarity and cost go together.

And it seems like the greater the clarity, the longer the period of time until fulfillment. It doesn’t happen instantly. Its almost like the more ambiguous God is, the quicker it is going to happen. So I have learned to embrace the ambiguity of God. I really like that ambiguity. And it means it is going to happen quicker. I don’t have to know all the details, I am just glad it is going to happen. But when He speaks clearly, my first thought is, Oh no, this is going to be so hard!

LEARNING TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN SOUL AND SPIRIT

The other issue is this. As we are growing and understanding how the Spirit of God works in our lives, we often will mistake the desire of our soul as being the Word of God. And there are 3 predominate areas this works in.

· One is in romance and marriage.

· Second is in sickness and healing.

· Third one is in money and investments.

I cant tell you how many times men and women have come to me and said, God told me I was to marry a person and she married someone else. I know great men who passed away and people prophesied the man was going to get up and walk and be healed and it just didnt happen. Times when told me this stock and the stock immediately crashes. What is going on here?

In those three areas, we see what John was talking about when he says this: Everything that has been in the world from the very beginning, lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life.

1 John 2:15-16 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

So in these 3 areas, romance and marriage is lust of the eye, sickness and healing is lust of the flesh and money and investments is pride of life. And if we are not more mature in our gift, we will not be able to distinguish this is what my soul wants, this is not what the Spirit is saying. We have to learn to distinguish our soul from the spirit.

Our soul can cause dreams to be dreamed. Jeremiah 23 it talks about the prophets and the people that cause their own dreams to be dreamed, because their soul has not yet been broken and their spirit is not yet ruling.

Jeremiah 23:16-18 Thus says the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you worthless: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. 17 They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD has said, You shall have peace; and they say unto everyone that walks after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. 18 For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD, and has perceived and heard his word? who has marked his word, and heard it?

{End John Paul Jackson Quotes}