I Got Faith You Got Faith All God’s Children Got Faith April 10, 2024
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Pastor John Osteen the father of Mega Church pastor Joel used to lead his congregation in this confession, “This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do.” while waving his big black Bible in the air. He started every service this way encouraging the faithful to stand on God’s Word.
It’s our confession of God’s Word that opens the door to miracles. For if we don’t believe God’s Word how can we say we believe God? And if we don’t believe God who and what do we believe?
Many of us have been told we’re losers. Many of us have been told we’re worthless, unwanted, unnecessary, and unloved. Not all of us grew up with Mom and Pop Cleaver protecting, supporting, and affirming us. Many of us have told ourselves we’re no good, forgotten, and useless. And sad to say many of us believe what the world says about us and allow these beliefs to shape and guide our lives.
Maybe we should try God? Let’s believe His Word and let that shape and guide our lives.
Now think about God’s Word for a moment. He says[1] that His word[2] is truth,[3] and that His judgments endure forever. He also says He watches over His Word to perform it.[4] If He’s lying about all that He’s a liar, and we know God isn’t a liar. The devil is.[5] That’s his very nature. And since the devil’s original sin[6] was his desire to be recognized as God, when we say or act as if God is a liar, we’re giving the devil exactly what he wants, because we’re saying the liar is our God.
Spiritual things can only be understood[7] by those who are spiritual. To the natural man they’re foolishness[8] and the fool has said[9] in his heart there is no God. In this article I’m speaking to believers and hopefully to those without hope who might become believers. To those who’ve confessed Jesus as Lord and who believe in their heart that God raised Him from the dead. If we’ve done those things His Word says we will be saved.[10] It doesn’t say might be saved. It doesn’t say could be saved. It says will be saved. Which also means you can be. It doesn’t leave anyone out, everyone is included.
He also says we overcame the devil by the blood of the Lamb AND the word of our testimony,[11] that we will be judged by the words[12] that come out of our mouth, and that whatever we ask in the name of Jesus[13] we shall receive that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
That is some powerful stuff. Our words are important. Some people interpret all this in such a way that believe God becomes their servant and that He’s honor bound to give us anything we ask for. But in His Word, He tells us that we need to ask for the right stuff when He says you ask and don’t receive,[14] because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
We need to get lined up with Him. We need to allow Him to put the desires in our heart[15] and then use the power of confession in the Name of Jesus to move forward in the ministry He’s called us to, and then we’ll receive the desires of our heart, the ones He put there. For make no mistake if you’re a believer you’ve been called to minister the Word to a world dying to receive it. That ministry is your witness.[16] You don’t have to be a Bible scholar. God will always give you the words to say if you testify of Him.[17] Share your witness, your testimony. Simply tell what the Lord has done for you. And if you don’t have a testimony, seek the Lord until you have one.
All it takes is faith to walk out on God’s Word and expect Him to accomplish it. That’s what we do to get saved. And that’s what we must do to be who He says we are, to have what He says we have, and to do what He’s called us to do.
And if the believers among us think we don’t have enough faith remember we had enough faith to believe God for salvation. And I don’t know about you but if I have enough faith to believe God will welcome someone like me into heaven I’ve got more than a mustard seed’s worth so mountain you better start jumping.[18] Also remember faith itself is a gift from God.[19] We can always ask for more.[20] So if you don’t have enough faith to believe God for salvation, ask God and He will give it to you.
I got faith, you got faith, all God’s children got faith, and the only kind of faith for me is faith in Jesus Christ.
[1] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+119%3A160&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[2] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Samuel+7%3A28&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[3] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+17%3A17&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[4] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+1%3A12&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[5] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+8%3A44&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[6] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+14%3A13&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[7] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+2%3A13-15&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[8] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+2%3A13-15&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[9] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+14%3A1&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[10] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans+10%3A9&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[11] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=REV+12%3A11&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[12] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+12%3A37+&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[13] Bible Gateway
[14] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=+James+4%3A3&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[15] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+37%3A4&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[16] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts+1%3A8&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[17] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke+12%3A12&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[18] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew+17%3A20&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[19] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+2%3A8&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[20] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+9%3A24-25&version=NKJV 1-25-19
Season Three Episode Seven April 9, 2024
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In Episode Seven / Season Three of I Took a Right Turn: We share two old revival song: There’s Power in the Blood and Put Your Hand in the Hand of the Man From Galilee, and one of our homegrown songs: I Am. In our Bible study this week we speak about Psalm 37:4; Matthew 17:19-20; and James 4:3, looking at the faith we need to stand for what God has promised. Robert reads another essay from the first in a series of books on Christian living, (Faith, Hope, and Love) Robert reads Essay # 11 I Got Faith You Got Faith All God’s Children got Faith. The text of this essay will be posted the day after the release of this episode at www.itookarighturn.com All of Robert’s more than thirty books are available through Amazon. We also invite everyone to visit our online art store, The Pair a Docs Shop where we offer our original paintings, prints and merchandise.
An excerpt from the book New Old Sayings Volume Two by Dr. Robert Owens April 8, 2024
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When we dream of the future we should do so through the lens of prayer.
This is an excerpt from the book New Old Sayings Volume Two by Dr. Robert Owens. This and all his books are available from Amazon in paperback or kindle at Amazon
An excerpt from the book New Old Sayings Volume Two by Dr. Robert Owens April 7, 2024
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When we look back, we should do it through the lens of forgiveness.
This is an excerpt from the book New Old Sayings Volume Two by Dr. Robert Owens. This and all his books are available from Amazon in paperback or kindle at Amazon
An excerpt from the book New Old Sayings Volume Two by Dr. Robert Owens April 6, 2024
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Yesterday lives if memory sustains it.
This is an excerpt from the book New Old Sayings Volume Two by Dr. Robert Owens. This and all his books are available from Amazon in paperback or kindle at Amazon
An excerpt from the book New Old Sayings Volume Two by Dr. Robert Owens April 4, 2024
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That which is true never minds being questioned, a lie does.
This is an excerpt from the book New Old Sayings Volume Two by Dr. Robert Owens. This and all his books are available from Amazon in paperback or kindle at Amazon
Here’s a Free Gift April 3, 2024
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As a retired pastor I am still amazed at the number of people who came forward week after week repenting of sins and seeking salvation. It was often the same people week after week. No matter how much I preached it, no matter how much I taught it, so many never seemed grasp the idea that the cleansing of sins, salvation, and righteousness are free gifts given to us by our Father.
People would cry, “I’ve been seeking after God for years. I’ve laid at the altar and pleaded over and over for God to guide me, to save me, to help me, and nothing happened. I leave the altar the same poor sinner as when I went up there.”
My heart breaks for any and all who labor under such beggarly results.
My mind would scream as my voice would say, “Salvation is a gift. It isn’t necessary for you to go anywhere to get it. You can find it anywhere. It isn’t what you do, it’s what Jesus has done. All there is to getting saved and to becoming a child of God is to receive something for free. You can’t earn it by doing anything.”
Most of us have been taught and have accepted that it was all about giving up, surrendering, and confessing sins. It isn’t. It is receiving Jesus Christ as our Savior and confessing Him as our Lord.
I have had people say, “It can’t be that simple.”
It is that simple. It’s free and it’s available to everyone, everywhere, at all times.
Some have asked, “But don’t we have to do something about our sins?”
No, He has done everything that ever could be done. And this isn’t some new teaching or revelation. Our Father God told us about it through His prophet Isaiah long ago, “We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost. We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong, on him, on him.”[1]
This is speaking about all of us. We have all gone our own way, done what we wanted without any reference to what God wanted us to do. We were stubborn and willful yet the Father laid the penalty for all that on Jesus. Notice there was nothing we had to do to save or help ourselves.
So how do we get from knowing this in our heads to having this become life in our hearts? John tells us, “as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.”[2]
Once again we do nothing except receive a free gift.
John also tells us “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”[3] This is the Father giving His Son Jesus as our substitute, as our Savior and all He asks is that we accept Him for what He said He is. There is nothing for us to do except believe that He paid the debt owed for our sin and that He rose from the Dead to bring us life. Or as Paul put it, “who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.”[4]
God delivered Jesus to pay the punishment for our sins and He was raised from the dead when He had paid the full measure, and all we have to do is accept that. We don’t have to do anything to earn what He has already paid for.
Paul sums it all up well in the next verse when he says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”[5]
Now besides salvation we have peace. There is nothing standing between us and God we are at peace and still there is nothing for us to do is there?
Paul tells us as clearly as can be how this all comes about and what the result is when he says, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
Look at that a little closer: when we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord that should be the end of us going our own way and doing our own thing. If you’re anything like I was before I did this that shouldn’t be too hard considering where our own choices and our own things have brought us. In other words if I relinquish being the Lord of my life and give that place to Jesus I will no longer be separated from God and I will become His child, a member of His family with all the rights and responsibilities that means.
If we do this what does the Word say? It says that we will be saved. When does it say we will be saved? It happens as soon as we believe. This isn’t pie-in-the-sky. This is here and now reality. What does the Word say we are when we believe? It says we are now children of God. Does that mean now or someday way over there in the future when we get to heaven? No it says we have it now even if we don’t know fully what that means. Or, as John put it, “now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”[6]
How do we know all this is true? How do we know that as soon as we confess and believe we are born again into a new life right here right now? John tells us, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.”
Having learned this do you believe in the Name of Jesus?
If you do then you have eternal life. Eternal life is the nature of God. That means you now have the nature of God. You are no longer a fallen sinner who needs to beg forgiveness you are filled with the very nature of God. Peter put it very clearly when he said, “by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” That corruption is spiritual death and we have escaped it by receiving the divine nature: eternal life.
So don’t fall into the trap of thinking you have to get good enough to get saved, or to see your life change. None of us could ever be that good. It isn’t about what we do. It’s about what He has done. It isn’t about who we are. It’s all about who He is. He paid the price. He purchased the freedom of all humans from the grip of Satan, and he extends that freely to all who believe He is who He said He is, that He rose from the dead and that He is the Savior of all who believe in Him.
Come on. It’s free and it’s yours for the taking. Why wait another moment. You can have it right here right now. Confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead and it’s yours.
Got it? Done it? Now tell someone. Shout it from the rooftops you are a child of God living an eternal life in fellowship with our Father. Welcome to the family.
[1] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=isaiah+53%3A6&version=MSG 1-25-19
[2] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1%3A12&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[3] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john+3%3A16&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[4] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans+4%3A25&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[5] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+5%3A1&version=NKJV 1-25-19
[6] Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I+john+3%3A2&version=NKJV 1-25-19
Season Three Episode Six April 2, 2024
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In Episode Six / Season Three of I Took a Right Turn: We share two old revival songs: I’ve Been Redeemed and I Saw The Light, and one of our homegrown songs: He Will Save You Too. In our Bible study this week we look at John 1:12, 3:16; Romans 5:1; and I John 3:2, looking into the free gift of salvation available to all. Robert reads another essay from the first in a series of books on Christian living, (Faith, Hope, and Love) Robert reads Essay # 8 Here’s a Free Gift. The text of this essay will be posted the day after the release of this episode at www.itookarighturn.com All of Robert’s more than thirty books are available through Amazon. We also invite everyone to visit our online art store, The Pair a Docs Shop where we offer our original paintings, prints and merchandise.
An excerpt from the book New Old Sayings Volume Two by Dr. Robert Owens April 1, 2024
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God has already prepared the Way, now He’s preparing us.
This is an excerpt from the book New Old Sayings Volume Two by Dr. Robert Owens. This and all his books are available from Amazon in paperback or kindle at Amazon
An excerpt from the book New Old Sayings Volume Two by Dr. Robert Owens March 31, 2024
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Sinners get mad because the truth God speaks contradicts the lie, they live.
This is an excerpt from the book New Old Sayings Volume Two by Dr. Robert Owens. This and all his books are available from Amazon in paperback or kindle at Amazon
Dr. Robert Owens Chronicles the History of the Future 