Living By Faith

THE SAME STUFF

I consider myself as having died and now enjoying a second existence, which is simply Jesus using my body. (Galatians 2:20 Distilled Bible)

You have an identical condition with Christ; He took your place in His death.
Mark Hankins

Paul understood that Christ lives in you and me. What does this mean? It means you have the same righteousness, the same life, the same power, the same triumph, the same spirit, the same stuff, and the same blessing Christ has. You are an heir of God and a joint-heir with Christ. You are joined to Him. Your spirit is joined to Christ. This makes it difficult to be defeated, doesn’t it? Paul understood that Christ lives in you and me.

Jesus was made to be sin for us on the cross. He took our sin. He died our death, and He took our place. When you see the cross, you see man’s condition in Adam, which is man’s condition outside of God. Man is a sinner separated from God. Jesus died the death of the sinner; He was treated the same as a sinner would be in the sight of God.

He took the same condition you had, so when He was raised from the dead, you could have that identical condition. He took your place in His death, thereby giving you the same life He has in His resurrection.

Confession: I have the same righteousness, the same life, the same power, the same triumph, the same spirit, the same stuff, and the same blessing Christ has!

  • 0

THE TRAJECTORY OF FAITH

The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever: forsake not the works of thine own hands. (Psalm 138:8)

God is a champion at “putting” people in the right direction.
Mark Hankins

One day, I watched a championship golf match on television. One of the greatest golfers in the world stood on the green needing to make a very critical putt. He walked around the green and viewed the location of the ball from several different angles. He carefully prepared to putt as the crowd watched almost breathlessly. When he hit the ball, it looked like he putted the wrong way!

Amazingly, the ball turned and headed right into the hole. As the crowd cheered, I sat there amazed that he had made the putt. However, from my view, I could not see the lay of the land on the green. The golfer judged it perfectly and the ball landed right in the hole.

Every man or woman in Christ has a definite trajectory of faith and destiny. When it looks like God is putting you the wrong way, remember — He is a champion. He is able, by His Spirit, to get you in the right place at the right time to fulfill the call of God on your life.

Confession: God is “putting” me in the right direction. He is a champion. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me. (Psalm 138:8)

  • 0

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!

  • 2

SPEAKING OF HIS GLORY

In his temple doth every one speak of his glory. (Psalm 29:9)

Whenever we say, “Glory,” we are including all of the goodness of God!
Mark Hankins

God is called the “God of Glory” in Acts 7:2.
Ephesians 1:17 calls God the “Father of Glory.”
He is the “King of Glory” in Psalm 24:7-10.
Jesus is the “Lord of Glory” in 1 Corinthians 2:8.
Hebrews 2:10 tells us that Jesus died to bring “many sons into glory.”
I Peter 4:14 says, “The Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you.”
In 1 Corinthians 2:7, the Apostle Paul says of his revelation, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory.”
John 17:22-24 describes Jesus as the Lord of Glory and says that He came that we might enjoy the same glory

One commentary I read defined the glory this way: wealth, numbers, commerce, power, wisdom, promotion, superiority, dignity, authority, nobility, splendor, valor, magnificence, extraordinary privileges, and advantages. Whenever we say “GLORY,” we are including all the goodness of God. We speak of His glory and carry His glory!

Confession: Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world! (1 John 4:4)

  • 0

FILLED TO OVERFLOWING

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be IN you! (John 14:17)

We can apprehend Christ fully only when we are filled and overflowing with the Spirit of God.
Smith Wigglesworth

One of my favorite things to eat is a blueberry pancake. So if I go out to eat somewhere that serves blueberry pancakes I always ask the server, “Do these blueberry pancakes just have blueberries poured on them or are the blueberries cooked in them?” Once you have had blueberry pancakes with the blueberries cooked in them, you don’t want to eat them any other way. When I eat blueberry pancakes I want the blueberries cooked in the batter. I want to hit a blueberry in every bite.

In the Old Testament, they just had blueberries (the Holy Spirit) on them. In the New Testament, the blueberries were cooked right in the batter. In other words, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, nothing in life can take a bite out of you without hitting a blueberry. When the devil takes a bite out of you, you can say, “Ha, ha, ha, devil, you just hit a blueberry! You just hit the Holy Ghost living on the inside of me!”

Confession: I am filled with the Holy Spirit to overflowing! He dwells with me and He is IN me!

  • 0