Living By Faith

THE WHOLE ELEPHANT

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.
(Ephesians 1:17-18)

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.
Albert Einstein

When I think about revelation, I often think about the story of the four blind men that were each holding on to a different part of an elephant. One held the tail and said an elephant was like a rope. One held the leg and said an elephant was like a tree. One held the trunk and said an elephant was like a snake. One felt the side of the elephant and said he was like a wall. Each man’s revelation was limited to the part of the elephant he experienced.

Many of us are like that today with our relationship with God. God wants to open our eyes to see the whole elephant. There is more that God has for us. Revelation opens God’s goodness and power to us and through us!

Confession: I know the love of Christ which passes knowledge that I may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:19)

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A PROFOUND SECRET

Therefore 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)

Every advance in the call and blessing of God comes from an advance in revelation. Mark Hankins

Revolution is something that effects radical change. It can be any fundamental complete change or the replacement of a government or political system. Revelation of who you are in Christ will cause revolution in your life!

The Apostle Paul’s revelation of Jesus Christ caused radical change in his life as well as the lives of countless millions over the past 2000 years. What God has revealed In Christ has uncovered the eternal purpose for every man. God’s love, God’s power, God’s goodness, God’s righteousness, and God’s wisdom are all revealed in the Gospel of Christ!

A. J. Gordon said it this way, “These two words, ‘In Christ’ give us profound insight into the Divine method of salvation. These two words open to us mysteries and secrets that were hidden for ages and generations.”

Confession: I am a new creature In Christ! Old things have passed away and all things are made new! “For the law of the Spirit of life In Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2)

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MIGHTY MIRACLES REQUIRE FAITH

And He could there do no mighty work, save that He laid His hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief.
(Mark 6:5-6)

The spirit of faith knocks a hole from the natural to the supernatural.
Mark Hankins

We know God is able to do all things. Nothing is impossible with God! People say, “It’s up to God. If God wants to do it, God can do anything. He’s a sovereign God.” Mark 6:5 says, “And He could there do no mighty work.” If God can do anything anytime He wants to, why didn’t Jesus do it right there in His own hometown? Can you imagine Jesus being frustrated because He wanted to do a mighty work, but He couldn’t? The original Greek implies that He tried, but He couldn’t.

What is a mighty work? It is a demonstration of His power and His glory. I believe Jesus wanted to do some mighty Jubilee miracles — some mighty demonstrations of His power — but because of unbelief, He couldn’t do any mighty work. I wonder what He would say about us today?

Confession: I do not lack for faith. God is able to do all things. I believe that nothing is impossible with God. I believe that miracles — mighty works — demonstrations of His power — are manifesting in my life! (Mark 9:23)

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FAITH DETERMINES YOUR DESTINY

He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]. (Hebrews 11:6 AMP)

The spirit of faith is necessary to do the will of God.
Mark Hankins

God is sovereign, but He has tied Himself to human cooperation to work out His divine purposes. Jesus said, “According to your faith be it unto you.” (Matthew 9:29) Lilian B. Yeomans said, “God has tied Himself irrevocably to human cooperation in the execution of divine purposes. He has made man’s faith a determining factor in the work of redemption.”

When the woman with the issue of blood touched Jesus, she got healed. Jesus said, “Daughter, your faith has made you whole.” (Mark 5) The first ingredient in the spirit of faith is to believe. Brother Kenneth E. Hagin said the Lord told him, “If her faith made her whole, then your faith will make you whole.”

Faith is absolutely necessary to please God and do His will. God rewards those who earnestly and diligently seek Him! (Hebrews 11:6)

Confession: Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. (Ephesians 3:20)

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A WALK IN THE CEMETERY

Ask the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you the Spirit, who will make you wise and reveal God to you, so that you will know Him. (Ephesians 1:17 Good News Bible)

The language of faith or redemption gives us access to the supernatural.
Mark Hankins

I remember walking through a large cemetery with my dad when I was a little boy. I particularly noticed the word “veteran” on many of the markers. I even commented to my dad about the large number of “veterans” in the cemetery. My dad just responded, “Yes, there sure are a lot of veterans in this cemetery.” My dad did not realize that I thought a veteran was a veterinarian. We were saying the same word but with two totally different pictures. My dad saw someone who served in the military, but I saw an animal doctor. As a child, I wondered why so many “veterans” had died at the same time — maybe they had all been bitten and got rabies.

Even though my dad and I were saying the same thing, we definitely were not seeing the same thing. We must understand the language of redemption and effectively speak it. The Gospel of Christ is a language of power; it is the power of God working in this world.

Confession: The revelation of God is causing things to turn around for me right now! “O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee forever.” (Psalm 30:12)

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