A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day (January 5, 2017)
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (James 1:22)
There is a great truth that we have learned after years of ministry. Regardless of how educated we are related to the Word of God (even if we have a Doctorate in Theology and Pastor a 10,000 member church) we will never really know the Word of God until we have done it.
Being a “Doer of the Word” will always take faith, which requires personal action on our part. For example, if you are a born-again believer you had to believe in your heart and confess with your mouth (Romans 10:9) that Jesus was raised from the dead and is who the scriptures say He is. At some point you had to get to the end of yourself, repent, and ask Jesus into your heart. Until you actually believed and confessed you only had a head knowledge of being born-again. After you were born-again you became a new creation. Your thoughts and dreams changed. Things changed in your life in a way you could have never known or imagined beforehand. You now REALLY know that this born-again thing is authentic because you have experienced it and as a result nobody can steal it from you.
This same principle works in every area of ministry. You can read the Word and see where you are told to lay hands on the sick and they will recover (Mark 16:18). That sounds good but until you actually lay hands on someone and see them healed you REALLY don’t know it and when you don’t REALLY know it you are in a position to deceive yourself or be deceived by religion or the enemy. For example, thoughts such as, “What if they don’t get healed?”, “Am I going to give false hope to this person?”, “Am I really gifted in this area?”, “Didn’t these gifts pass away with the Apostles?”,etc., etc.
These type thoughts will try to talk you out of doing the Word. You have to push past those type deceptions and just “Do the Word!” Then, when you actually lay hands on someone and see them healed, you are at that point of REALLY knowing the truth and that truth cannot be stolen from you.
Let’s look at one more example. My wife and I have prayed for and seen literally hundreds of people receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. The biggest hindrance that we have seen to people receiving their prayer language is this same issue. You have to be a doer! If you ask for it, He gives it to you (Luke 11:9-13) but you have to get past all the deceptions and delusions and speak. He is not going to speak for you. You have to use your tongue to speak in a new language. “But I might sound silly!” “I might not do it right!” Get past all those hindering thoughts and speak your prayer language by faith!!! Submit your most unruly member (your tongue) to Him.
One of the great failures of the Church today is the failure to put into practice what they preach and teach. Some churches say they believe certain things but they never do the things they say they believe in. It is only by “reason of use” that we can mature in the things of God.
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:14)
Don’t be afraid to use the power and authority that was paid for on the Cross. Be a Doer of the Word! You will never regret it. Just remember, we are in advertising, He is in management.
