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Showing posts with label God's Kingdom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's Kingdom. Show all posts

October 5, 2012

The Fight of Faith

By Tony V. Hammack

Abundant Life Today Media
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1 Timothy 6:12

I. Grace not law
II. 1 Timothy 6:12
III. Faith to manifest God’s kingdom

John 6:29
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent.”

We mustn’t trust in our own abilities to create spiritual realities but our trust must be in Jesus Christ, operating through us.

Matthew 11:30
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Fighting the good fight of faith in the context of 1 Timothy 6 is avoiding:
1.) an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and
2.)the love of money pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

Thesis: 
I’ve noticed many in the body of Christ don’t have any fight in them. They are bobbing in the water but aren’t fighting for anything. It’s time we picked up the fight of faith.

Fighting for what we cannot see.

Hebrews 11: 1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. “

Faith begins where the will of God is revealed. What has God told you? What are you fighting for?

Why is there a “fight” of faith? Well, we have to fight against the inclination to just allow circumstances to determine our reality. When God speaks through His word or into our hearts and we believe it, now we have to fight for it because nothing in the kingdoms of this world or the demonic world wants to see the kingdom of God expressed!

We also have to fight ourselves!

Often the Word of God can be contrary to paradigms of thinking that we’ve grown accustomed to.

Isaiah 55:9
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

When God spoke to Moses and told him what to do, go into Egypt and liberate the Israelites he began to “sputter” a bit in Exodus 3. He tried to hide behind his inability to put his thoughts together quickly.

Acts 7:22
Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.

If anything is created in the world, it starts with a thought that is believed in. I would call this faith. If you don’t believe you can do something, chances are you will never try it while this remains your mindset. However, if you believe you can do something you will persist until you see it accomplished.

Much of the church has divorced itself from faith because of the fight. It’s much easier to say, “God works in mysterious ways”. Than it is to say, “I’m very sorry, I didn’t have enough faith for this situation.”

Matthew 17:14-20
14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” 17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Why were the disciples unable to expel the demon that was causing the manifestation of epilepsy? Was it because God was trying to teach the parents and the boy something important? Was it because God had a greater plan for the boy that included this disease? Was it because he would reach people with the disease he had that otherwise he couldn’t reach?

All these reasons come out of the mouths of Christian leaders on a fairly regular basis but let’s take a look at where Jesus squarely places the responsibility for the solution to this difficult situation.

Reason #1 or Rebuke #1
v. 17 Unbelief

Reason #2 or Rebuke #2
perverse generation

Perverse - turned away from what is right or good : corrupt Generation - a group of individuals born and living at the same time

Reason #3
little faith v. 20

Now in Mark 9:14-29 we see another similar story where Jesus mentions prayer and fasting as the reason the disciples could not drive out a spirit. I believe the prayer and fasting increases the faith of the believer. I don’t believe there is a prayer or fasting threshold that is reached and then spirits come out. It’s not like saving up enough money to buy a car or some other object.

So, you’ve heard the message, and you’re thinking, “I want to fight!”. The fight of faith begins with the work of Jesus on the Cross and is followed up with prayer, fasting and victory over sin. When this starts the fight will begin to be won.
   
Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) and Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) If you can't be with us in person please visit via internet video on Jubilee T.V.

If you live in Batesville please tune into KBAP 88.1 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.

Jubilee Family Church45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501 (870) 793-9124
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September 15, 2011

Our Ability Comes from God


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God’s kingdom can be expressed to and through your life.

No matter what enemy you are facing today
- Sin
- Fear
- Apathy
- Feelings of inferiority
- Ignorance
- God’s kingdom can be expressed to and through your life.

The Kingdom of God is a conquering kingdom and can easily conquer all the kingdoms of our hearts. Walking in obedience to God’s kingdom is more rewarding, powerful and desirable than any other activity on the planet.

Ephesians 1:18-21
18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked,
Ephesians 2:6
God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

We need our eyes enlightened in order to know what we’ve been called to
  • The hope, that we’ve been called to
  • The riches of His glorious inheritance
  • His incomparably great power
The Hope That We' ve Been Called To

Romans 8:24
hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?
The Riches of His Glorious Inheritance
a. Eternal Life
b. Victorious Life
c. Kingdom Life

A. Inherit Eternal Life


Matthew 25:31-36
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’


B. Inherit Victorious Life


Titus 2:11,12
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

Grace is power to do the will of God and it’s freely available to the humble follower of Christ.
James 4:6
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

Luke 10:19
I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.


C. Inherit Kingdom Life

Luke 12:32
32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

At the center of any kingdom is a King. The kingdom life we’re promised causes the kingdoms of this life to come down and the kingdom of God to be established in newly conquered hearts.

His Incomparably Great Power
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Luke 11:9-13
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

John 3:34
God gives the Holy Spirit without limit.

The Holy Spirit is an active agent of the God head moving through the body of Christ today. The Holy Spirit moves through obedient people.

2 Peter 1:3
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Gamalial’s address to the Sanhedrin
Acts 5:38,39
38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

Romans 8:31,32
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Philippians 4:13
13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.


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Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.

If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501

(870) 793-9124

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