It’s been said by more than a few folks that I’m “Word of Faith”. Well, I am, but I’m not. I am to the extent that WoF lines up with the Bible (the core teachings certainly do) and I’m not to the limits of the “out-there” teachings that some WoF folks have.

WoF is often called “the health and wealth” gospel because many of its proponents seem to focus on one or the other to the exclusion of all else. Worse, some operate out of an intensely greedy agenda, not out of a Kingdom mindset. They believe that God somehow owes them a mansion on a hill with a Mercedes in one garage and a BMW in other… and they don’t care who they trample on in order to get those things. That’s not God’s heart for His people!

But is His heart for His people poverty? Agony? Strife? Sickness?

• Yes, it’s true – Jesus said we’d always have the poor.
• Yes, it’s true – Jesus said we’d have tribulation in this world.
• Yes, it’s true – there’s a lot of sick people out there. Some of them are not healed.
• Yes, it’s true – Jesus does say that He will personally strike some people IN THE CHURCH with sickness. (h/t Don Capps: Rev. 2:22, which had better be a holy wake-up call to the church)

But are these things that God *wants* to do? No. God recognizes the sin, strife, and disease in the world and He sent The Solution – Jesus.

He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed, To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18,19)

I don’t see anywhere in the Bible where it’s God’s heart and desire and best to make someone or leave someone sick or poor or in despair. Jesus came so we can have ABUNDANT life! (John 10:10)

I’m going to quote from Jesse Duplantis here:

Let’s go back to Micah 7:7, “Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.”

Notice that this scripture isn’t a question – it is a strong affirmation of faith. Yet the church as a whole has turned the statement into a question.

“Will God hear me?”

“Will God heal me?”

God said, “By Jesus’ stripes you are healed.”

Micah 7:7 says, “My God will hear me.” It’s personal. “My God.” It signifies knowledge and acquaintance.

I know for a fact that my God will hear me. Do you understand? It’s not a shot in the dark! And that’s what makes religious people mad.

They ask, “Who do you think you are?”

“Well, how much time do you have? Get your Bible and we’ll go from Genesis to Revelation, and I’ll show you who God says I am.”

“Well, suppose it doesn’t work.”

When you have knowledge of God, and acquaintance with God, the “suppose it doesn’t work” syndrome doesn’t affect your future. Instead, you say what the Bible says, “My God will!”

When the devil is coming at you with everything he’s got, you can say, “My God will!”

“That’s nothing more than a confession, Brother Jesse.”

“No, it’s more than confession. It’s possession.”

Think about Abraham. He considered not, staggered not, and was fully persuaded.

How could he do that? Knowledge and acquaintance. He didn’t just believe in God, he walked with God. When you walk with God, you get his attention.

That line I highlighted in red, “No, it’s more than confession. It’s possession.” hit me like a steam roller at 8am this morning. I looked at that article briefly last night and thought this particular section was good, but it didn’t hit me until this morning when I heard from the Lord.

Every day I get up and at some point in my morning routine, I sit down with my Bible and say, “Lord, what do You want me to know from your heart today?” and He’ll lead me to a verse or passage of Scripture.

This morning He said to me, “Turn to Psalm 103. This is your life.”

Psalm 103 has always been a favorite… it talks about God’s tangible benefits: salvation, forgiveness, healing, redemption, protection, satisfaction, glory, justice, the kingdom, love.”

But I can believe in those things – and in God – all day long. I can even confess them all day long. It won’t do me a lot of good.The Bible says that it’s possible to forget those benefits (hence the admonition, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” !!!). But belief and confession and remembrance – tho all good, necessary things, only get one so far.

What I need is to possess those benefits! My heart’s desire is to share Jesus with the world – and Jesus wants to give of Himself – and His benefits – through His people!  But I can’t give what I don’t possess myself.

Glory to God, now I’m so excited I can’t hardly type! 😀

Quote is from “Don’t Give Up!”, Voice of the Covenant Magazine, August 2009 issue.