Gospel Definition

The word “Gospel” means “Good News”. It comes from the Olde English gōdspel, from gōd [good] + spel [news, a story]. It is the word used to define the Latin word eujaggelivzw, which means the following:

to bring good news, to announce glad tidings used in the OT of any kind of good news of the joyful tidings of God’s kindness, in particular, of the Messianic blessings in the NT used especially of the glad tidings of the coming kingdom of God, and of the salvation to be obtained in it through Christ, and of what relates to this salvation glad tidings are brought to one, one has glad tidings proclaimed to him to proclaim glad tidings instruct (men) concerning the things that pertain to Christian salvation

Requesting Post

I know that there are other questions out there that I have not answered on this Blog. So I has developed this blog to create a forum to request a blog or post. Post a comment at the bottom of this Post containing your question or comment about the Word of Faith, and I will answer it as soon as possible.

Please understand that this blog is not a contentious one and will not bring down or talk poorly about anyone. I will write about the Word and what it says.

All questions are welcome. Please be as clear as possible.

Word of Faith Preached

Word of Faith Preached

The word from the Pulpits across the World should always be the following:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. And Love your neighbor as yourself. In doing so, we open ourselves up to allow His Glorious Power to work in us and through us (Eph 1:18-19).

As a result of the above and the exceedingly great and abundant grace He has shown on us by redeeming us from evil and our sins. We preach Ephesians 1:21 where Paul points out that Christ was raised far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named. And then in Ephesians 2:5-6 Paul connects the dots and reveals to us that we were raised with Him and are seated with Him. We are Co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17) and if that weren’t enough in John 17:23 Jesus is praying that we would realize that God loves us just as must as He does Jesus. Religion would have us believe that we could never reach those levels.

No doubt Christ has all authority and power and glory just as it says in 1 Chronicles 29:11-12. No one disputes that. No one preaches that we deserve anything less than death. But that was before He showed His amazing grace on us and redeemed us by the blood of the Lamb. He picked me up like a beach comber finding a treasure in the sand. He dusted me off and placing me beside Him.

• Did I deserve it? No
• Did I do it on my own? No
• Am I, now a co-heir with Christ? Yes
• Does that entitle me with certain rights and privileges? Yes
• Do I have to wait until I can enjoy them? No

That says it all. Doesn’t it? “If He who did not hold back His only Son how much more will He give all things.” (Romans 8:35)

I could go on. I could explain the “ask and receive, knock and it shall be opened, and seek and you shall find” verses that Jesus preached. Or make emphasize on Jesus’ words “Ask God anything in my name and it will be given to you.” (John 14:14, 16:23-24)

It’s all there in the Word. It doesn’t require a special degree or schooling to learn and grow in it. But we do have to remain vigil to the Religious thoughts and ideas. They spring up in response to tragic stories. Human nature yearns to explain away personal responsibility by pushing it off on God. Religion says “Little Jimmy died, because it was God’s will.” “Frankie has cancer so God can teach something to him.” Even though the Word Says that Scripture is used to teach and instruct, and death belongs to the thief, not to the Light in whom there is no shadow.

So the question is “Shall we place personal experience, and third-party stories over what the Word says? Shall we use them to interpret the Word or shall we use the Word to interpret the stories and experiences?”

Word of Faith and “little gods”

Little gods

I have found this topic to be particularly interesting, especially since it’s the one which is used to link those who preach The Word with Mormons, it’s the one used to cry heresy, and many times used to accuse of New Age teachings.

But let’s go back to the Word, and see what it says. In Genesis we see that God created us in His image and likeness. (Genesis 1:26) Some like to argue this point and try to explain away what exactly this means. But let’s just take it at face value “In the image and likeness of GOD”. Then He did something He hadn’t done with any other creation. He breathed into man His breath of Life. (Genesis 2:7) We have been made the Righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21) We have been raised up with Christ and placed in heavenly places. (Ephesians 2:6) We are God’s heirs and Co-heirs with Jesus. (Romans 8:17) His Love is poured out in our hearts. (Romans 5:5) and many other examples….

So we look like Him, His love is in us, we are literally His children, we are His righteousness, His power is in us, we have been given authority by Him through Christ, His breath of Life is in us. So I would venture to say that in the Spirit (at least) we look like God. We call ourselves children of God but Religion refuses to let us see ourselves like God sees us. Just like my children are little me’s…So we are little Him’s.

We aren’t little gods like the Greeks worshiped. Zeus, Athena, Sophia etc. But we are little Him’s.

Does Word of Faith Preach No Suffering?

What can be said about suffering

Our Lord said that we will be persecuted as He was persecuted. But He never preached poverty for those who followed him. He said give and you shall receive. He told the rich young ruler give away all that you have to the poor, but then He also said in Matthew 19:29 that if we leave or give our positions for the Kingdom we would receive a hundred fold back. In Luke 18:29-30 it makes it even more clear that we will receive it in this lifetime, and in the ages to come eternal life.

He told us to take up the cross and follow him but religion has focused on the weight of an actual oak cross built to carry a man. Jesus on the other hand was clear in describing this walk. Mark 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Mark 11:30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Further more in Philippians 4:19 it says that God will meet all our needs according to His riches in glory.

In Hebrews 11 often referred to as the “Faith Hall of Fame” we see Abraham the father of our faith and the richest man in the land, Jacob was asked by the Philistines to leave the land because he was too powerful and his flocks competed with the Philistine population, he sowed in famine and reaped a harvest of a hundred fold. We see Moses the leader of millions. Rahab the prostitute condemned to die with all of Jericho, was set free, saved her entire family and became the grandmother of David, and Solomon. And the list goes on with kings, judges, prophets, and other great men and women of God. All those who trusted in God and believed were saved, rescued, and set free. Their lives reflected God’s kingdom on Earth.

It should be noted that none lived free of attack. None lived without persecution. But I don’t know of anyone, who teaches the Word, who will venture to say that we in Christ will live free from attack. In verse 35 of Hebrews 11, we see why some of those mentioned were martyred. It wasn’t because God wanted it that way, it was their choice.

Is Word of Faith another Gospel?

Another gospel or is it The Gospel

Religion would have us believe that God wants the majority of us sick, poor, or in some other “test”. But what does Jesus say? In John 10:10 He says that it is the thief that comes to steal, kill, and to destroy, in contrast He has come to give us Life and Life more abundantly. In John 3:16 (we all know it by memory) “…that whosoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” The interesting thing is that the word “life” in both verses means the Zoe life of God. As you can imagine it means much more than just being able to breath. Zoe, in a few words is the life in all things, it means being complete and whole, it is the exact opposite of being dead, useless, damaged, or lack.

These aren’t my words or opinions. This is the Word of God.

In Luke 4:18 Jesus says that He is anointed to preach the Gospel (the good news) to the poor. In verse 19 He continues by saying he must preach the acceptable year of the Lord in other words the year of Jubilee. In that year all debts were canceled, all things that were pawned were returned. In other words everything was returned to its original state.

Our original state is the way God created us in the first place. Not the way we were born in the Earth but the way He created Adam and Eve. No sickness, No disease, no disfigurement, no lack. In fact He created Adam and Eve in a garden that was more that the couple needed, and He placed them in authority and power over the entire creation.

Jesus continues in Luke 4:43 by telling His disciples that he must preach the Kingdom of God. In Luke 9:2 He, in turn, tells His Disciples to go and preach the Kingdom of God and heal the sick.

WORD of FAITH

What is the Word of Faith

The phrase comes from the Word of God in Romans 10:8. We read that the author writes that the Word is near you. It is in your heart and in your mouth. That is the Word of faith that we preach. Please read the rest of the chapter and you will see that the writer makes it clear how we speak in faith. It isn’t something we have in our hand or something that we can see. It is something that is in our heart, and then we SPEAK it. In other translations it says CONFESS it. In verse 13 of that same chapter it says that if we call on the name of the Lord we will be saved. That word “saved” means much more than simply being thrown a lifesaver. It means being completely restored to the previous state before being lost, or broken.

These aren’t just the words of the writer of Romans. Jesus said it too in Mark 11:23-24. But in this verse He says something that is really controversial. He starts the verse by saying “whosoever”, meaning that there is no special requirement. In other times Jesus says “those who believe in me” “my disciples” “those who love me”, but here He says “whosoever”. Please note the believing and the saying.

“whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”

It can’t be any clearer than that. In most bibles these words are in red.

In Romans 4:17 we see that God speaks in Faith, calling those things that are not as though they were.

The Word of Faith is not a man thing. The Word of Faith is the Word of God.

Believe it or Not

I was asked the other day about my faith and what I believe. And it made me take a moment and think. I think we all should stop our “good lives” and look inside. We need to get off our “church-ride” without our friends around and check ourselves out.

“Sure,” I thought. “I have faith in God, I have faith in love, I have faith in Christ and what Jesus did for me on the cross, and I have faith in the Word of God.” I often tell people around me, “If it’s in the Bible, I believe it.”

At that moment, I was reminded of several things I had read in the Bible that struck me odd.

For example, when Jesus said if we don’t forgive others, our Father in heaven won’t forgive us our trespasses. (Matthew 6:14-15, 18:35, Mark 11:25, Luke 6:37) That has to be true, right? God doesn’t lie. (Numbers 23:19) So whatever He says in the Bible (i.e. the Word of God) is THE TRUTH. It’s not A truth, nor is it a guideline for the truth. It is the embodiment of the truth. Jesus says in John 14:9-10, “The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing His work.”

How about when Jesus said, “Anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these.”(John 14:12) So, do you believe that YOU can do even greater things than Jesus did?

And, what about this? God loves us just as much as He loves Jesus? (John 17:21-23). I know plenty of Christians that act and speak as though they are lower than a worm. I would think that John 17:23 coupled with 2 Corinthians 5:21 which says, through Christ we have become the righteousness of God, flies in the face of those people’s “humility”.

And let me slide this one in for good measure. In Mark 11:23-24 it says, “…Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Jesus doesn’t say it will happen for only those who love Him or for only His disciples. No, Jesus says, “whoever says, believes and does not doubt in his heart, will receive.

Do I believe all those things?

What about YOU?

Do you believe all those things?

Our enemy, the devil, would have us look at the supernatural and call it ridiculous. He wants us excuse it away by telling us that Jesus didn’t mean those things literally. He wants us to look at our own circumstances and measure the Word of God, as if our experiences are the universal constant by which things can be compared against.

I believe it’s imperative for our spiritual walk and our testimony to believe the Word of God 100%. It may not make sense at first, but if it’s in the Bible, we must update our hard-drive (our mind) and believe it. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world and its superficial customs, but be transformed (changed) by the entire renewal of your mind.”

So after much reflection I came to the realization that there may be things I haven’t understood just yet and there may be things I haven’t put into practice just yet, but to answer the original question: “Yes, I do believe the Word. I do have faith  and I am growing my faith by listening to the Word of God every day.” (Romans 10:17) I do that not because of popular opinion or comparison or even according to my own experiences. But only by the Word of God

Did Jesus Die Spiritually

I was moved by a question asked of me regarding Jesus and His atonement for our sins. Although I had the answer, it made me wonder how many of my friends may not know or understand what happened that day. It may seem strange, but have you considered that Jesus died for your sins that day? He died both physically and spiritually so that we could be alive and have a future with God.

Give me a chance to show you where I’m getting this, okay? I wouldn’t be saying this if it weren’t true.

We both know that the grace that God has given us is because of what Jesus did for us. He is the lamb that was slain. Just as in the old times when the priest laid his hands on the lamb and placed on it the sins of the people, so the same thing happened with Jesus—the Lamb. The Lamb had to be sacrificed and His blood was poured out to cover the sins of the people. The lamb didn’t die for its sin (because the lamb was without spot or blemish) but, rather for the sin of others.

I am certain you already know this, but it lays a foundation for what I have found.

God Cannot Lie (If we believe Him, we cannot lose)

If God said it, it will happen. There is no turning back. There is no shadow in His words. There is no need to search to find out what He means because what He says is exactly what He means. There is no way His words will fall to the ground. And there is no way they will not go out and follow through with His will…as long as the man He is working through continues to walk in faith.(1)
God gave man power and authority here in His creation called earth. (2) So when God speaks, if there is nothing in His way, then what He says happens immediately. So what are the things in His way? Man’s will! For example, look at Aaron, Moses’ brother. He was given God’s Word but he refused and as a result he could not enter into the promise land.(3) Later we see that an entire generation that was moved by their feelings, emotions, and senses were denied entrance to the promise land and the rest of the Hebrews had to wait until they passed away.

God loves the world and His creation. He doesn’t want anyone to perish, die, be destroyed, or be banished like Satan will be. But if the man refuses God’s love then God’s will is thwarted. (4)
In the beginning, Adam bowed his knee to experience. By listening to Satan and doubting God’s Word, Adam, in essence said, “I want to see if this tree really is what God said it is.” This is an example of him choosing experience over obeying the Word. Similar to a child who is told by his parent not to put his finger in the electrical socket. The child has the choice to obey the WORD or choose experience. It is the will of the parent that the child succeed and live without pain and discomfort. But it is the desire to see-feel-taste-smell-hear for one’s self that takes the child down the path of experience.

In fact, the desire to experience is an innate prideful desire or impulse. By choosing experience the child is basically saying, “You may be right or you may be wrong but I’ll find out on my own.” It’s an egoistic act based in doubt and distrust.

This is the reality in which we live. It all boils down to this … Do we obey the WORD and receive God’s will? Or do we choose to doubt and live by experience?

Experience is much more than just desiring an event. It is using our five senses rather than depending on God. Let’s take for instance the boy David. He and the whole Hebrew army could see the giant called Goliath. The Word of God had already been given with regard to success and battles. But it was only David who took God at His Word. By TAKING God’s Word, David ran toward Goliath with the full expectation that God was good for His Word and that the huge giant in his path was small and already defeated. He said “No” to his senses and “Yes” to God’s Word. This action brought about God’s will. (5)

In order to walk in God’s will, we must take God at His Word!
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Scripture References

1 (Num 23:19 KJVR) God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Isa 55:11 Jer 1:12)

2 (Gen 1:28 KJVR) And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (vs. 29-31) (Mat 28:18-20 KJVR)(18) And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.(19) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:(20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

3 (Num 20:24 KJVR) Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.

4 (2Pe 3:9 KJVR) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

5 (1 Samuel 17)