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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HIDDEN TREASURES

In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:3)

Man does not discover God. God reveals Himself. William Barclay

There are things that are hidden for us InChrist. We sometimes think so much is hidden from us, yet God has chosen revelation as His way. God seems to play “hide and seek” with us. When we seek Him, we will find Him, when we search for Him with all our heart. God actually enjoys revealing Himself. He chooses to reveal Himself. Today we are at the threshold of an increase in the revelation of God that will launch a revolution that will change this generation.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not a human discovery; it is a revelation from God. The fact that God is as Jesus showed him to be is not something which a man could have discovered by intellectual processes. Man does not discover God. God reveals Himself. ~William Barclay

Confession:I will call upon the Lord and pray, and He will listen to me. I will seek the Lord and find Him, when I search for Him with all of my heart! (Jeremiah 29:12-13)

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BY YOUR WORDS

For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. (I Peter 3:10)

Change your words and change your world! Mark Hankins

Your words will make you or break you. Your words determine the boundaries of your life. The speech center is the dominion center of your being. Your tongue will determine the direction, destination, and quality of your life! 

(James 3, 1 Peter 3:10)

When you go to a doctor, the first thing he does is look at your tongue. When you go to God with a problem, the first thing He says is, “Say Ahh! I see the problem. It’s written all over your tongue!”

James 3:2-5 in the Message Bible tells us how important our words are: “If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you’d have a perfect person, in perfect control of life. A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets course in the face of the strongest wind. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly everything -or destroy it!” 

Confession: I will refrain my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking guile. I will love life and see good days! (1 Peter 3:10)

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THE GLORY – A PLACE OF REVELATION

But we all with open face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

We must see the glory of God to do the will of God. Mark Hankins

The glory is a place of revelation. God reveals Himself to us in ever increasing ways in the glory. He is the Lord our Provider, Healer, Shepherd, Righteousness, and Victory. He is everything we will ever need!

After Moses saw the glory of God, his understanding expanded of who God is and how great His goodness is. Now Moses could receive what was necessary for him to do all that God required of him. We must see the glory of God to do the will of God.

You will look a lot better in Christ than you do outside of Him. So what do you need to do? Get on the rock; climb into the rock, and in Him the glory of God will pass by. In Him you will be changed. In Him is revelation. In Him the goodness of God will come to your house.

Confession: Before I was formed in my mother’s womb you ordained a place for me in Christ. Christ is the Lord my Provider, my Healer, my Shepherd, my Righteousness, and my Victory! In Him, the goodness of God is coming to my house!

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MY MOMMA RUNS

He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, and out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God. (Psalm 40:2-3)

It’s not necessary unless it’s necessary! B.B. Hankins

As I grew up in church, there were some unusual services. Sometimes while we sang, Mom would begin to praise God rather exuberantly and shout, “Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!”  With glory and joy on her countenance, she would shout “Wooooo!” and run around the church! Dad was a little more dignified. After Mom ran, Dad would say, “Now, some of you don’t think that is necessary. It’s not necessary, unless it’s necessary!”  While the congregation tried to figure out what Dad had said, Mom and others who had joined her would finish their rejoicing!

Dad’s preaching and Mom’s praying and running around the church began to make sense to me. I started studying the scriptures that showed me my redemption in Christ. I began to meditate daily on who I am in Christ. The power of God’s Word started to work in me, and I began to understand my identification with Christ.  That’s where victory begins — right where you are!

Confession: The revelation of your words sheds light, giving understanding to the simple.  (Psalm 119:30 NAB)

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