SPEAK INTO THE ATMOSPHERE

Mark 11:22   And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.  23. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.  24   Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them]. 

Our Lord “walked by faith and not by sight.”  He was always inline with God’s Will for His assignment in this life.  So when He spoke, whatever He said happened.  It did not matter how difficult the task, all Jesus had to do was “ask.”  His words transcended over space, time, genetics, and whatever appeared to be impossible.  Our Savior was our example of how we are to trust the Father in all circumstances and situations.  In our topical verse the Lord of lords cursed a fig tree, and by the morning it was gone.  Astonished by what had taken place, Peter called attention to the infamously missing “figless” tree of the day before.  It gave Jesus the opportunity to leave a timely word of instruction and wisdom for His people for generations to come: “HAVE FAITH IN GOD.”    

When our faith is in God, it gives us the authority to speak into the atmosphere and change our conditions around us.  And as long as our words are in line with the Will of God for our lives, God will honor our request(s).  Faith is having total confidence in the God of all creation.  If we keep our minds focus on our Lord and what He did at Calvary, by shedding His blood for you and me, we will live a life according to God’s Word; then we are truly living holy.  This will give us authority over our atmosphere.  And when we speak with our faith pointed towards God, He who can do the impossible will move mountains out of our way.     

Peace

Peace is not dictated by outer circumstances but rather by the condition of your inner life.

How is your inner life? Where are you planted? And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:7). You don’t have to understand everything that happens to you as long as you know and believe that it is happening for you.  In Romans 8:28, it says that all things work together for the good to them that love God, and to them who are the called according to his purpose.  When bad things happen to you, you can still have peace because you know that God is in control of your life, because you belong to him.

Peace in the scriptures is defined as rest, safety, health, harmony and tranquility.  We can find rest for our souls in Psalms 116:7, it says, Return unto thy rest, O my soul….  It is God’s desire for our soul to be at ease, or in tranquility.  It is in this state, that we find God.  A soul in turmoil and unrest cannot receive the things of God.  Turmoil on the inside produces turmoil on the outside. So again I ask, how is your inner life?  

Change

Our origin cannot be changed.  We cannot change where we come from; whether it be our birth place, parents, nationality, or our past spiritual state. Our origin or our beginning is an important part of our testimony for Christ.  Your testimony is the story of your suffering, triumphs, struggles and victories.  It is the story of your transformation into the image of Christ.  For your past cannot condemn you if you are presently in Christ Jesus.

God is in the business of transforming people. Don’t fear your past. It is the springboard for the great things that God wants to do in your life. Satan will oftentimes use your past to depress you and suppress the reality of where you are in Christ Jesus at this present time.  Don’t believe his lies. You are not the same person.  If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Ask your Father in heaven to show you how you’ve changed.  You will begin to see that your desires, thoughts, and actions are different.  Be sure to thank him for his goodness.  Thank him for his grace.  And make a commitment to live each day better than the last. 

Your New Name

And he said unto him, what is thy name? And he said Jacob. Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel:  for as a prince hast thou power with God and men; and has prevailed.  Genesis 32:28 

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone; and in the stone, a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it,

Revelation 2:17

The name Jacob means”supplanter.”  According to Webster’s dictionary, supplant is a verb, it means to take the place of another as through force, scheming, strategy, or the -like. Is this not what Jacob did with Esau, his brother, when Esau was nigh to death, due to hunger, and Jacob bartered food in exchange for the birthright of the firstborn? (Genesis 25:29-34) However, when Jacob, wrestled with the Angel of the Lord, he was at a crossroads in his life. The Lord made it clear that the blessing of Abraham and Isaac was also upon him. In addition, he believed his life was in peril, because his past sins had finally caught up with him, for he was preparing to meet Esau his brother whom he had defrauded. Jacob desperately needed favor from the Lord, and the Lord gave him a new name; Israel.

A new name means a new identity and a new destiny for the individual and their future generations.  Jacob’s seed was once known as the “sons of Jacob,” but after Jacob’s transformation, became known as the children of Israel. Now do you see why it is important for you to be saved, and for you to live holy?  My brothers and sisters, many of us are still enslaved to the “sins of our fathers” because we are not letting God do the work which is necessary so that we can live victoriously as new creatures in Christ Jesus.  There is a new name written down in glory that belongs to you.  Claim it!  Live holy! Trust God! Be a victor not a victim!

- By Brother Mark Johnson

DON’T LET SIN REIGN

Rom 6:12- Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

 

The one who sits on your throne rules your world.  Sin is the dominate nature if its reign is unchallenged.  In order for a king to be dethroned, he must be defeated by one that is stronger than he.  Sin will dictate our actions, thoughts and words when it is given the authority to do so.  By reason of the lust that dwells in everyone, our sin nature seeks to control every aspect of our lives.  If our sin nature on a continual basis is allowed to have its way, by reason of the authority we have vested in it, we will find ourselves sinking deeper into sin, and further from peace within.

Our bodies only express what is on the inside of us; it cannot act independently of us.  The body acts upon the commands coming from the throne, the heart.  If the heart thinks wicked thoughts then the body will think, do, and say wicked things.  On the contrary if the heart is focused on Jesus Christ and Him crucified, it commands the body to pickup its cross and follow Jesus who died for them to be free (Luke 9:23)!  “AND IF ONE DIED FOR ALL, THEN ALL MUST DIE FOR ONE.”  “We” cannot do anything better as it concerns defeating sin.  Unless we deny ourselves of our right to sin based on loving Jesus for the sacrifice He made at the cross, all hope of being saved will be lost.  We must live a cross-centered life; it will lead us on the road to sacrifice.  Don’t be afraid to suffer pain; give up your right to the throne, and let Jesus reign!  

REMEMBER THE CROSS

Rom 6:11- Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

12- Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

 

Many thought that coming to Christ would take away the inclination to sin.  Not only were their expectations and perception wrong, but they found themselves having a stronger urge to touch and think on unclean things.  Our sin nature is innate.  We knew sin before we came to Jesus Christ, and will continue to sin even after coming to Christ: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).  There are known sins and unknown sins.  Known sins are those sins we are committing intentionally and know it.  Unknown sins are unintentionally committed and we are not aware of it, but they are sins nonetheless.  When we ask for forgiveness of sins this should be for unknown sins, I John 3:9.  A part of the previous verse says, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin….” The interpretation is that Christians don’t intentionally sin because we are born of God, and know that sin offends Him.   

The sin nature is defeated when we have faith in what Jesus did at Calvary on the cross.  Nevertheless the tendency to sin is not eradicated, but rather we are able to “reckon” it dead (Rom. 6:11).  To reckon it dead is to take into “account” what Christ has done; and to consider our sin nature overpowered through Christ who has given us the Holy Spirit, who in turn gives us the power to defeat our sin nature.  This causes our enemy (our carnal nature) to be dead to us.  When we focus on the sacrifice and selflessness of our Lord, and the power we have when “we walk in the Spirit,” then we will not need to make excuses for intentional sins.  If a man or woman of God contemplating fornication or adultery redirects their thoughts and begins to think on how Jesus sacrificed Himself for them, then they will know how important it is that he or she sacrifices for Him (Rom. 12:1).  

YOU ARE STILL STANDING

Ps 56:8- Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?  9.When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.  10. In God will I praise His Word: in the Lord will I praise His Word.

Of all the things I hate—the abuse of any kind to anyone, especially the sexual abuse of the defenseless, makes my righteous indignation boil at a feverish pitch.  It leaves them deeply scarred, distrusting, and damaged.  If you have suffered any type of abuse, God says that He has bottled your tears, and has not forgotten your pain.  “Where was God when it happened?” One might say.  In a world engrossed and saturated with sin, bad things happen to good people.  It does not mean that God did not know.  Rather, abuse of any kind shows the need of the victim and perpetrator.  Both need a loving savior to give them the right to enter the healing process.  You will never erase nor forget what took place, but God’s power to heal is available to you through His Word.  Rather than see the torment of the abuse, you will be taught to see it as a failed attempt of satan to snuff you out.  YOU ARE STILL STANDING!  

You may even want to see your offender suffer.  But remember, vengeance belongs to God (Rom. 12:19), and He has commanded His children to forgive (Mark 11:25-26).  “Yeah, but forgiveness seems useless!”  You might say.  To the contrary, forgiveness shows our willingness to believe God to heal us because of our obedience to Him.  Forgiveness is not for the perpetrator, but for the victim.  It reveals the resolve to love, rather than to be brought to the level that caused the beastly act of the violator in the first place!  This is what our Lord did when He forgave those who murdered Him without just cause (Luke 23:34).  He, too, was purposely violated, but He held no ill-will against His haters.  Are we better than Jesus?  Of course not!  His example of unconditional love should spark us to believe God for the spiritual revival of our hearts, the restoring of our souls, the renewal of our minds, and the eventual resurrection our bodies for using His word as our instruction manual during our redeemed life.  O, by the way, YOUR STILL STANDING.  Praise God for His Word.  God is for me!   

DON’T EVER GIVE UP

Gal 6:8- For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

9. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

The pressures of life can wear us down.  Mental exhaustion will be the result.  Deadlines, demands, and the disruptions to our peace and joy are ever present.  But we must always beware of allowing our problems to cause us to sow to our flesh.  Our thoughts, actions, and words are easily the products of what is going on in our lives that is affecting our hearts.  Thoughts are seeds, and wrong thoughts will sow inedible seeds.  If I intentionally sow apple seeds, an apple tree will grow and bring forth fruit.  If I purposely sow poison ivy, it will not bring forth anything for me to live off.  

We must think the best in the worst of times.  Thank God he didn’t leave us to do this on our own.  Rather, He gave us His Word, and commands that we have faith in what He said: “…Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22).  The things of God are not natural to us.  His things are against everything our flesh holds dear.  Fear, doubt, and giving up on our brothers and sisters are the exclusive rights of the flesh; but to love and believe God is obeying God’s Word in faith.  Get the point!  So while well doing can seem tiresome, burdensome, and just downright unacceptable, the benefits will exceed our expectations.  A promise is given to those who do not give up.  We sow in one season, to reap in another.  Keep sowing to your spirit.  God cannot lie (Titus 1:2).  Don’t give up, and you will reap the benefits of faithful obedience. 

THE RIGHT SEED

Hos 10:12- Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

Farmers, in my opinion, are the hardest working people on the earth.  They rise early, go to bed late, and take little or no breaks.  Their livelihood depends on hard work, weather conditions, scheduling, timing, and patience.  Any miscalculations or no cooperation of the previous things could cause the farmer financial hardship.  His first concern is to break up the fallow ground.  If he plants seeds on uncultivated ground he cannot expect a harvest.  The plants might shoot upwards, but prospering depends upon the seeds being in the depth of the earth.

The Word of God is a seed (Luke 8:11).  Whenever we read, hear, or speak God’s Word, we must ask ourselves a question: How deep did the unadulterated gospel go into my heart?  Did I let it go deep enough to reap a harvest?  When bad habits, addictions, and conduct unbecoming a Christian persists, we need to ask ourselves a question: What have I wrought (created)?  Like the farmer, we should understand that hard work will eventually payoff.  When we wakeup early to spend time in the presence of the Lord, we are breaking up the fallow ground of our hearts.  This will cause God’s loving-kindness to send the latter rain.  Our initial salvation is free (the induction into the Body of Christ), but God’s saving power throughout our lives comes at a cost: to walk in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  We accomplish this by sowing His Word in our hearts          

God is watching

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:3

For mine eyes are upon all their ways; they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes (Jeremiah 16:17). 

We need to stop pretending and ignoring the truth: God sees everything that we do.  We are more fearful of being found out by others than we are of God.  This thing aught not to be.  Don’t you know that our God is a consuming fire?  Don’t you know that our God tries the reigns of our hearts and knows our every secret?  In him there is no darkness, he is Light, and therefore, all things are known by him and seen by him.  

We “hide” our iniquities because we want to appear perfect before men.  Although we know that nothing can be hid from the eyes of the Lord, we apply the philosophy of “out of sight, out of mind”.  We are to live by a different standard, which is faith and love. The Lord knows that we are not perfect (yet…!!!!). While, we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.(Romans 5:8) In other words, when our hearts were darkened by sin, when our minds had forgotten God, when we abused our bodies (now the temple of the Holy Ghost), when we blasphemed God with our words and actions, God gave us his Son, to die on the cross for us.  Selah.  Make a decision today to become vulnerable to the Lord.  Stop allowing pride to get in the way of your deliverance.  You cannot hide!  God is watching

written by - Brother Mark Johnson