2014 - The Warrior Constantly Presses Forward - Part 3

So far, we have looked at people who reached out to Him (Part 1), and people who were bold enough to demand His presence to heal them (Part 2). Today, we look at a far rarer (then and now) and even stronger anointing. Today we look at those who require only their Faith and their Understanding to receive from Him. 

This Faith by Understanding is actually a cornerstone of our modern belief system. We believe that Jesus is alive within each of us. We believe that He is still in the miracle business. We believe Him, but we do not need to see Him in the flesh. And yet, we are surrounded and occasionally overrun by doubt. Let’s look at our Faith in Action:

Luke 7:1-10 (Living Translation) The Faith of a Roman Centurion

7 When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people, he returned to Capernaum. ² At that time the highly valued slave of a Roman officer was sick and near death. ³ When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some respected Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his slave. ⁴ So they earnestly begged Jesus to help the man. “If anyone deserves your help, he does,” they said, ⁵ “for he loves the Jewish people and even built a synagogue for us.”

⁶ So Jesus went with them. But just before they arrived at the house, the officer sent some friends to say, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself by coming to my home, for I am not worthy of such an honor. ⁷ I am not even worthy to come and meet you. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. ⁸ I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”
⁹ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, “I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!” ¹⁰ And when the officer’s friends returned to his house, they found the slave completely healed.

In other examples, we see the recipients of healing power only by interacting with Jesus. This time, the recipient is standing on his own understanding of how power works, and is applying that knowledge to the Power of God that flows thru Jesus.   

Jesus is astonished (v10), because this Centurion (a non-believer) is actually further along in his faith walk than 99.9% of those who follow Him. The Centurion believes that Jesus has Power, and that he knows how to use it. No fluffy and flowery explanation required, (v8) you are He who has the Power, period. For this Centurion, it is really a fundamental truth that he is perfectly willing to accept. 

This actually put his Faith in a higher place than the respected Jewish Elders (v3) that he sent as his emissaries. His Faith was ready to be grounded in his understanding of how Power works at ANY level. He made it clear to everyone in verse 6 – “Lord, don’t trouble yourself by coming to my home” he said. He makes it clear that the real power does not require a presence.  Then in verse 7, he taught EVERYONE just what Faith looks and sounds like - “Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed”.  This is a declaration, not a question. Likewise, our own Faith expressions should be as clear, concise, and direct as this Roman Centurion.  He is secure and firm in his understanding that Power requires only the will and direction of the one who wields it, NOTHING MORE.  This is an early illustration of a principle that many of the Apostles did not fully receive until the after the Resurrection.  It is a level of Faith that we don’t see again in evidence until after Jesus sends the Disciples out with Power to heal and cast out Demons (Mark 6:7-13).

Jesus even promised us that we would perform greater miracles than He did. The simple question is – Do you have the Faith, Confidence, and Understanding that will allow you to USE that Power.  If you are ready to accept and believe in Jesus AND in the Power of His Spirit in you like the Centurion, you will be known as a Mighty Man or Woman of God. If not, His Gifts and His Power will sit beside you, like a jug of water with its cork tightly sealed in the top.

Your Faith REQUIRES you to understand that you do not question whether or not it can work. Your Faith REQUIRES that you believe that Jesus did what He did and that His Promises are true and real. Your ability to use your gifts and to be effective on your circumstances (and those of others) REQUIRES that you understand and accept how Power works – and then you must USE IT according to His Plan for You. Embrace your Gifts, Exercise your Faith, and be BOLD enough to believe without question! Then you can USE this is the power to wield your sword, to heal your circumstances, see miracles great and small, and to accept that He knows what He is doing (you cannot fix EVERYTHING that you don’t like – you are ALWAYS using your Power under His Authority and Permission) with your life and your journey 1000% of the time.    

Blessings,

Bryan

2014 - The Warrior Constantly Presses Forward - Part 2

As we go a bit deeper into the Warrior’s Press Forward, we need to see the difference between the Believer and the World. As His anointed, it is on each of us to stand firm on what He has promised to us, no matter what the current situation may look like. 

God based resolutions are different. There is always a higher purpose to the tasks that He calls us toward. There is always a journey to take, and we have what we need to achieve success, if we are willing to take up the challenge.

Blind Bartimaeus - Mark 10:46-52 (Amplified)

⁴⁶ Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, a son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside.

⁴⁷ And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, saying, Jesus, Son of David, have pity and mercy on me [now]!

⁴⁸ And many severely censured and reproved him, telling him to keep still, but he kept on shouting out all the more, You Son of David, have pity and mercy on me [now]!

⁴⁹ And Jesus stopped and said, Call him. And they called the blind man, telling him, Take courage! Get up! He is calling you.

⁵⁰ And throwing off his outer garment, he leaped up and came to Jesus.

⁵¹ And Jesus said to him, What do you want Me to do for you? And the blind man said to Him, Master, let me receive my sight.

⁵² And Jesus said to him, Go your way; your faith has healed you. And at once he received his sight and accompanied Jesus on the road.

Reading this, I ask you again (see Part 1) – when did this beggar receive his healing?  The World would say it is in verse 52, after he spoke with Jesus and touched Him.  I submit to you that he received his miracle in verse 47, when he began to boldly shout to his Savior for his healing. When the disciples (v48) tried to silence him, based on their view of “what is the proper thing to do”, he responded with the strength, defiance, and determination of an anointed Warrior. Their admonitions only made him cry out louder and with MORE conviction!

In verse 51, Jesus knows that He is about to turn Faith into Manifestation for the World to see. It is clear that the power of God produced yet another miracle for the disciples and the followers.  Warriors anointed by God and chosen for a task MUST display the determination to Seek Him no matter what it takes. If you are willing to swim against the tide, and defy decorum for the sake of His Glory – then step forward with Bold Conviction! 

Each of us has been given access to the determination and will of the woman in Mark 5.  Each of us also has access to the bold Faith of a blind beggar.  The question is always the same, when the situation and the World cry out for it; will you have the strength and confidence within yourself to access it and demonstrate it?  Do you believe that you have the Victory when the current situation screams that you are a defeated soldier?  When you are bleeding, will you quit the fight? The World will present you with multiple chances to conform and step aside – what will you, His Warrior, do then? As His Warrior, your answer must be that the Victory IS yours. You must believe that you will receive His Hand on you at the appropriate time, and that His Victory for you will be seen by Everyone.

Your Faith cannot be ashamed. Your Anointing cannot be hidden. Your battle and your blood are what He requires of you – pay the price for His Plan and your victory is assured! The battles that you fight every day in your walk with Him are just a part of the “iron sharpens iron” adage.  You have the tools – be BOLD enough to use them!   

Blessings,

Bryan

2014 - The Warrior Constantly Presses Forward - Part 1

As the year 2014 begins, many of us will make New Years Resolutions. Sadly, most of these resolutions will have the shelf life of a carton of milk. As His Warriors, we need to be made of a different kind of stuff. We don’t need to keep all of our resolutions, but we should be able to keep His resolutions that He assigns to each of us.  

God based resolutions are different. There is always a higher purpose to the tasks that He calls us toward. There is always a journey to take, and we have what we need to achieve success, if we are willing to take up the challenge.

The Woman with the Issue of Blood - Mark 5:25-33 (Amplified)

²⁵ And there was a woman, who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, ²⁶ And who had endured much suffering under [the hands of] many physicians and had spent all that she had, and was no better but instead grew worse. ²⁷ She had heard the reports concerning Jesus, and she came up behind Him in the throng and touched His garment, ²⁸ For she kept saying, If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health. ²⁹ And immediately her flow of blood was dried up at the source, and [suddenly] she felt in her body that she was healed of her [distressing] ailment. ³⁰ And Jesus, recognizing in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around immediately in the crowd and said, Who touched My clothes? ³¹ And the disciples kept saying to Him, You see the crowd pressing hard around You from all sides, and You ask, Who touched Me? ³² Still He kept looking around to see her who had done it. ³³ But the woman, knowing what had been done for her, though alarmed and frightened and trembling, fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.

In the passage, the task that God had was to show how Faith works. To achieve this, He chose a woman 12 years earlier (v25) to be beset with a condition. He chose to give her an affliction that would defy the medical knowledge (v26) of the time, and would exhaust all earthly resources and had “nothing left”.    

Reading this, I ask you – when did this woman receive her healing? Some would say in verse 29, after she touched His robe. I submit to you that she received her miracle in verse 26 & 27, when she heard went from Doctor to Doctor on a 12 year quest for her healing – a journey of preparation for hearing about Jesus’ coming.  Se would need the dogged determination of someone whose will has been sharpened by her quest to press through the crowd at the moment when she encountered her healing manifestation (v28). If she could not see that her healing would come, she would not have had the determination to reach out to Jesus.

Look at verses 30-32. Jesus knew that someone had received from Him. It is clear from the text here that it is NOT enough to bump into Him. It is clear that only those who Seek Him with a Purpose can receive from Him (v31).  Warriors anointed by God and chosen for a task MUST display the determination to Seek Him with a Purpose.  

Each of us has a journey and a task. Each of us has been given access to the determination and will of the woman in this passage. The only question is, will you reach down inside yourself and take hold of these tools. Will you take on the task, no matter how long the walk to manifestation may take? Will you take up your sword and jump into the fight, even if it means that you will be wounded as a price to be paid by you for His victory?  As His Warrior, your answer must be “YES”.

Your victory has a price. Your preparation has a need for a piece of your life’s timeline. Your participation in His Plan has a price that you may need to pay. Remember that you are, however, fully prepared and equipped to complete this task. You were chosen by Him because you COULD pay the price required. Do what must be done so that He can receive the glory of the victory and He will carry you through EVERY TIME.   

Blessings,

Bryan