Living By Faith

GOD IS A REWARDER

The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. (Ruth 2:12)

With God, payday isn’t always on Friday, but paydays always come.

B.B. Hankins

God told Abraham, “Fear not…I am your shield and exceeding great reward.” (Genesis 15:1) Think of the great rewards that God gave to Abraham and his descendants because he believed and obeyed God. Abraham, the father of faith, knew God as a rewarder. The word recompense simply means payday. God has a definite payday for your work of faith.

Years ago, Trina and I were believing God for a financial breakthrough. We had been faithfully giving over thirty percent of our income and were believing that God would multiply our seed sown. One night, I dreamed I ate a Payday candy bar. So the next morning, I went to the local store, bought me a Payday candy bar, and ate it. I told Trina, “It’s payday.” Within 24 hours, we had a pressed down, shaken together, and running over harvest come in! There is a payday! God is a rewarder!

Confession: God has a great payday of blessing for me. There is a full and exceeding great reward for me from the Lord! I rejoice because my payday is on the way!

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THE SECRET POWER OF JOY

Even now you are happy with the in expressible joy that comes from heaven itself. (1 Peter 1:8 TLB)

Rejoicing is an act of faith.

Mark Hankins

One day, the Lord spoke to me very clearly and said, “If you only knew what happens in the spirit when you rejoice, you would rejoice every day.” When we rejoice, we are acting like sons and daughters of God!

Rejoicing is an act of faith. Remember the words of Paul in Acts 27:25, “Cheer up…I believe God that it shall be as He told me.”  When we believe God, we can cheer up!  Believing and rejoicing ushers in the glory and goodness of God in our lives.

Rejoicing enables us to make progress in difficult times. Joy is the secret of faith and endurance. James 1:2 says to count it all joy when trouble comes. This must be why Job laughed at destruction and trouble. (Job 5:22) Of course some people may think you are a fool, but if you have found joy, you have found the secret of survival and success.

Confession: Even now I am happy with the in expressible joy that comes from heaven itself! The joy of the Lord is my strength. Just like Job, I laugh at destruction and trouble because I know that joy is the secret of faith and endurance. Ha! Ha! Ha!

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SACRIFICES OF JOY

And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore, will I offer in His tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord. (Psalm 27:6)

Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up!

Mark Hankins

David said, “I get in the presence of God, and I offer Him sacrifices of joy.”  What would that look like? In other translations it says, “sacrifices of shouting.” Can you imagine David getting in the presence of God?

I remember one time as I was leaving my place of prayer, the Holy Ghost said, “You’re not going to dance? The Father likes it when you dance.”  So there I was trying to be spiritual and dignified, and God wanted me to dance. I began to dance and said, “Hallelujah, hallelujah, can’t nobody do me like Jesus, ha, ha, ha!”  Suddenly, the Holy Ghost came on me. I thought, “He does like that! I believe I will do that again!” One of the greatest things it did was to crucify my flesh because my flesh did not want to act like that.

Confession: I will offer in His tabernacle sacrifices of joy–sacrifices of shouting! I will dance and sing praises to the Lord!

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SUPERNATURAL JOY

Happy is the people that know well the shout of praise, that lives, Lord, in the smile of thy protection! (Psalm 89:15  Knox)

The Holy Ghost is not just interested in the miracle; He’s interested in you receiving strength!

Mark Hankins

When the Word hits your spirit, there can be conception; then you can give birth to your miracle. In Genesis 18, when the Lord told Abraham and Sarah that she would have a son, she first laughed in unbelief. At some point, however, she must have started laughing in faith. She must have said, “I’m not the performer; I’m just the believer.” Sarah and Abraham then named their miracle, “Ha, ha.”

They named him “Isaac, which means “laughter.

The people that know the joyful sound are the ones who get into the presence of God and walk in the light of His countenance. This joy is not dependent on how much money you have in the bank or who likes you; it is supernatural. It comes from heaven. It comes from God. God has this joy in Him and as believers; the same joy is in us!

Confession: I laugh in faith because I realize that I’m not the performer, I’m just the believer. The joy of the Lord is my strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)

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CHRIST IN GOD…CHRIST IN YOU…YOU IN CHRIST

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man. (Ephesians 3:16)

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit and yield to Him, He makes our redemption real to us. Mark Hankins

The Spirit of God infuses us with inner strength. As we invite God to fill us and strengthen us, something begins to happen in our spirit. There is a new enthusiasm about life and the will of God for our lives. As we recognize and yield to the Holy Spirit, God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think. We have “joy unspeakable and full of glory.” (1Peter1:8)

We live in a great day because of what Jesus has done for us! We are redeemed because of His death, burial, resurrection, and the power of His blood. The Spirit of God lives in us.

What a powerful revelation given by the Holy Spirit. You are in Christ, Christ is in God, and Christ is in you! 

Confession: That He would grant me, according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in my inner man! (Ephesians 3:16)

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