Living By Faith

SO BE IT

Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God’s Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. (2 Corinthians 1:20 Message)

You can go to church and walk out in the same condition you came in, even though you said, “Amen! Glory! Hallelujah!” in all the right places.
Mark Hankins

Do you know what “Amen” means? It means, “So be it.” If you are in church and say, “Amen,” you are saying, “So be it.” You ought to consider what you “Amen.” Some people just say “Amen” at timed intervals. They are not even paying attention. One man was preaching and said, “You know, millions of people are going to hell every day.” Then he said, “Amen.” That means, “So be it. Let them go to hell, man. I don’t care.” You need to be careful when you say “Amen.”

Paul is saying, “Amen, so be it.” Jesus is the Amen. Jesus, through His death, burial, and resurrection came and said, “So be it” to everything God has ever promised. He fulfilled it and brought the reality of it into the economy of God. It is no longer just a promise or just some theology; it is an absolute reality.

Confession: What God has promised is affirmative-no question about it!

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PROOF OF IDENTIFICATION

…and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Many Christians are weak though they are sincere because they have never dared to make a bold confession of who they are in Christ.
E.W. Kenyon

Have you ever checked in for a flight and been asked for proof of identification? You can say, “Here I am. Can’t you see — this is me? I can prove that I exist. Just look.” That is not enough. You have to have some authentic legal proof of identification.

Identification is defined in Webster’s Dictionary as, “to consider or treat as the same, the condition or fact of being, the same in all qualities under consideration.”

Many people live and die and never find their true identity. In the realm of the Spirit you say, “Well, here I am. Obviously, I am who I am.” God will ask, “Do you have any identification on you?” You say, “I sure do, I have some identification right here in Galatians 2:20– I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me.” Your true identity is found in Christ!

Confession: I have found my true identity in Christ. “Now it is not my old self, but Christ Himself who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20 Noli)

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GENETIC CONNECTION

Lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities…Behold your God! (Isaiah 40:9)

When you speak, there is an identical voice of faith. It sounds like the voice of God.
Mark Hankins

A number of years ago I called my brother’s church. The secretary mistook my voice for his voice because we’re brothers and there is a genetic similarity. She immediately said, “Pastor Mike.” When she said that, I thought I would take advantage of the situation and said, “You know, I really love my brother Mark a lot and would like to express my appreciation to him in a more tangible way. I want you to send my brother Mark a check for $10,000.” The secretary got real quiet on the other end of the phone because she thought I was Mike. Then I said, “I’m just kidding, this is Mark.”

I realized my voice, because of the genetic connection, gave me access to his checking account. That’s why God says, “Lift up your voice and speak.” There is a genetic connection between you and Jesus Christ. There is authority, healing, deliverance, victory, and blessing in your voice.

Confession: I lift up my voice in faith and victory! Mountains have to move! I have authority, healing, deliverance, victory, and blessing in my voice!

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PREPARE FOR GLORY: LIFT YOUR VOICE

Then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. (Jeremiah 1:9)

The spoken word builds the road for the glory to come.
Mark Hankins

In Mark 11:23, Jesus said, “Whosoever shall say…he shall have whatsoever he saith.” Anytime God wants to change someone’s life, He always touches his or her mouth. He changes families, churches, cities, and nations the same way.

The move of God is voice activated. We must speak the Word of God. Your voice is your address in the realm of the spirit.

Today, God is touching your mouth. God wants you to lift your voice as a believer; as you do, you will move mountains and prepare for the glory of the Lord. We must exercise our faith to prepare for the glory of God.

Confession: 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. ( Mark 11:23)

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THE PERFECT LANGUAGE

Whosoever shall say…he shall have whatsoever he saith. (Mark 11:23)

Effective communication must involve both seeing and saying. Mark Hankins

Human speech is a characteristic of man made in the image of God. We can see from Genesis1 that God said and God saw. Sound came before sight in the order of this world’s creation. God said and God saw. Everything we can see was made from sound. Sound changes sight. Faith has a certain sound. As we speak the word of faith, things change in our lives.

In the beginning, a language existed that perfectly expressed the essence of all possible things. The language spoken in the Garden of Eden must have been such a language. Today, in the language of the Gospel, there is even greater power available. God has redeemed us by the blood of Jesus and has given us the language of redemption in Christ Jesus. God has restored all power to us “in Christ.” It is a language of authority that will move mountains as Jesus said in Mark 11:23. It is a language of healing that Paul spoke in Acts 14:7-10. It is a language of love that Paul described in 1 Corinthians 13.  It is the perfect language.

Confession: I am making a different sound–the sound of faith. The scenery of my life is changing because I walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

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