Returning to Faith
Have you ever heard the expression “blind faith”? Well let me clarify,there is no such thing! Faith is not blind but sees and hears. Remember, faith is believing what God told you in His Word, His promises and His direction and guidance (both Rhema and Logos). When we understand this, then we can begin to stand on them, just like Abraham. God told Abraham he was going to have a son and that was enough and final for Abraham. He had to wait 25 years, but each day he did not doubt nor question God’s Word. Rather, to him, with each passing day he was getting closer to God fulfilling His promise.
David had also received a Word from God and he knew who he was before God. He knew that the people of Israel had a protecting covenant (Logos) with God. David also knew that this Philistine Giant, was not only an offense to God, but Goliath and his people had no covenant with God. So David knew from scriptures (Logos) that God was with him, and not Goliath.
What shocked David was how the Army of Israel was so stuck in their boots (afraid) of Goliath and also how they allowed (Goliath) to speak of God in the way he did! This caused a righteous and a holy anger to arise and burn in David. David was now highly motivated.
David had Faith and Experience with God
Learning to walk in faith builds experience and confidence in God, this is one thing I want to touch on here. Faith is always bigger than you!! I have heard it said; “If you can achieve it on your own, it is not from God.” God loves to tell us to do what is far beyond us. He loves to show us what we could not imagine or dream of. Things that we could never achieve on our own. Unfortunately, once again, most in the church will never know what this is or what is it like to go for the impossible. That is why God makes the “impossible, possible.” There is one catch, however! You have to hear God and then move out of “your comfort zone”. Faith is never comfortable nor is it for the faint at heart. Remember God tells us to do what is far beyond our own abilities. In this manner God will rightfully get the glory. There is one more thing about this however, God will not give you something you can not accomplish. If God tells you to do it with Him, you will succeed if you do not quit!
When David told Saul not to worry, he would kill the Giant, Saul almost fell over. David was a young teenage boy, not big or strong, no combat experience to fight a seasoned veteran like the warrior Goliath. So in the natural, to Saul, this was an impossible and suicidal mission for David. The reason is because in “the natural” it was a suicide mission. It was completely impossible for a young teenage boy with no weapons or training to beat a 9 foot tall homicidal monster, but David had a secret in his heart:
34-37: But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”
Think about this! I live in Colorado with mountain lions and bears, there is no way, even with my army training, I would fight a bear or a lion with a stick! What is impossible for me was also impossible for David, but with his intimate relationship with God, David knew that God was always with him. God showed him how to kill a lion, and how to kill a bear. So now this giant was no different to him (preparation time). In fact, Goliath was even less of a challenge for David than a lion or a bear. They were only animals and they were not offensive to God, but Goliath, because of his words about the God of Israel, was only going to make this fight even easier in David’s mind. This Giant declared war on God!
David had intimacy and experience with the most high God. So for David, the Giant was the one who was in danger, not him. David had spent enough time with God and had seen enough of God’s power at work in his own life to be totally confident. Therefore, David had no doubt about the outcome of his fight with Goliath. His experience with God showed him that and gave him his confidence.
Secondly, David knew above all that He could not die! He had a God given destiny to be the King of Israel and rule over the land (Rhema Word). So with the Logos (God’s covenant with Israel) and the Rhema (David would be king of Israel), he was confident in the Lord’s promises, he would win and would not die at the hand of Goliath.
45 David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! 47 And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”
Faith without works is Dead- Book of James
48 As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. 49 Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.
50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. 51 Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head.
Faith requires action! Too many believers love to sit around and talk about faith like they would in a cheerleading rally. They get all excited and fired up, but when the smoke clears they do nothing! Faith is more then quoting some fine scriptures and acting all pumped up at a church service. Faith takes work.
David had faith, and lots of it, but he still had to go face to face with Goliath. God did not take away the fight for David. God did not strike Goliath with a lightning bolt as David looked on. David had to “run quickly and confront his giant.” Too many Christians sit around asking God to remove the giants or mountains in their lives, but at the same time refuse to do what God has told them to do!
Just like David we need to understand our Covenant
So many of us today are like King Saul and his army. They had the same covenant David has as an Israelite, but they did not know it. This was caused either through ignorance or they were living in a condition of unbelief. But either way look at the results, they lived 40 days in total fear. In reality, at any time one of them could have done exactly what David did. But rather, they lived in a state of unbelief. Their unbelief not only came from bad teachings, but most of all from the fear generated through believing the devil’s lies.
John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
I will finish up with this. When you say I am saved or I have received salvation, you may not be aware of what you are really saying. Remember the New Testament portion of the Bible was written in the original Greek language. For most folks, when they use this terminology, what they are really saying is this; “I have been born-again and Jesus forgave all my sins and one day I will go to heaven” But the Greek gives you more to this: (Remember, I am not using my brand of theology here! This is what the words “Saved” and “Salvation” means in the original language and what all is encompassed in your New Covenant as believers.)
sózó: to save
Short Definition: I save, heal
Definition: I save, heal, preserve, rescue.
Short Definition: deliverance, salvation
Definition: welfare, prosperity, deliverance, preservation, salvation, safety.
So in closing this series of (What Voice Do You Hear), I want to leave you with the Word of God and its original meaning. Remember, King Saul and his army had the same covenant with God as David had. However, they refused to believe and act on their covenant because of the erroneous voice they listened to. It was there but left void because of their lack of faith and disbelief. Therefore they suffered in fear and anxiety while David came along with the same covenant, acted in faith, used and believed it and killed Goliath.
Today many are living like Saul and his army because of what some churches and preachers have taught them – that their sickness is from God! That Jesus was poor and therefore you should be also! That being broke glorifies God! If we really sat down and thought about what we are saying, there would be no need for a theological debate.
Think! How does a child suffering from cancer glorify God? A child or loved one dying draws someone closer when they think it was God who killed the loved one? I don’t think so!
On prosperity, how does being broke and being a failure at all you do glorify God? How does living in fear and anxiety of the world around you glorify God when God Himself says He is our strong tower, our mighty fortress?
One of my favorite verses.
Psalm 103 v 3-Bless and affectionately praise the Lord, O my soul,
And do not forget any of His benefits;
He forgives all your sins,
He heals all your diseases;
He redeems your life from the pit,
He crowns you [lavishly] with lovingkindness and tender mercy;
He satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the [soaring] eagle.
Read this whole Psalm. The one thing I want to point out in closing is in verse 3. I believe that most believe Jesus forgave all theirs sins (past, present and future) and I believe that most (born again believers) agree on this, but finish verse 3 “who heals ALL YOUR DISEASES! This is not charismatic theology this is the WORD OF GOD!
Written by Dennis Stauffer
Edited by Gary Green (Omega House)
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