Sunday, March 12, 2017
A STUDY IN FAITH by E.W. Kenyon
E. W. Kenyon
A STUDY IN FAITH
ONE cannot grow in Righteousness. He may grow in Righteousness Consciousness, but he already is the Righteousness of God in Christ. One cannot grow in sonship. One may grow in sonship consciousness and learn to enjoy his privileges and rights in the family. We can grow in Grace. Grace is the first fruits of love. Grace is love bearing fruit.
"I am the vine; ye are the branches." The vine is love, the fruits are grace. We are the grace of God unveiled. We are sons of God, and as such we grow in fruit bearing. We increase in usefulness. We can grow in gentleness, in tenderness, in the beauty of the Master. We may grow in love.
Our love at first has little selfish streaks through it. It is marred again and again, but we keep studying the Word, keep fellowshipping with the Master, keep walking in love until by and by love gains the absolute supremacy in our lives, so that we only do love things, say love words. We are growing in love. We steadily move on up in our growth until we actually believe in love. We believe that love is the solution of every problem in life. We believe that love is better than force, better than going to law, better than the whip, better than argument, better than fighting.
We believe that the love way is the sure way, the success way. When Jesus said, "I am the way," He meant He was the love way. This new way is the best way. We grow in knowledge of our Father and of our rights, of the finished work of Christ. Then we take wisdom to use this knowledge. We do not grow in wisdom, for Jesus has been made unto us wisdom. We grow in the ability to use knowledge wisely. You cannot grow in Redemption. You may grow in the knowledge of what that Redemption means. You may grow in fellowship. You may grow in faith. Your fellowship will be measured by your personal sharing with the Master and with one another the riches of His grace.
Faith is a tender plant. It cannot stand the harsh winds of Sense Knowledge. It cannot be crowded out of its seat and out of its place without suffering. It must be fed continually upon the Word of God and upon our acting on that Word. Simply reading the Word, meditating on the Word, will not build faith. It will build a capacity for faith, but faith is only built when that Word becomes a part of our daily use, our daily conduct - a part of our daily speech. As faith grows, Satan's dominion over us wanes. Circumstances are less formidable. Fear is destroyed. As your faith grows, you begin to possess your rights in Christ. You begin to take what belongs to you.
At first, you take the things over that you have merely hoped for before. You have hoped for money, now by faith you have it. A second thing, you begin to enjoy what you formerly "mentally assented" to. You have said, "Yes, by His stripes I am healed, but I am sick." You have agreed with the Word, but you have not acted upon it . . . you have merely assented to it. Now you have reached the place where you no longer hope for it, but you look up and say, "Father, I thank Thee that I am what you say I am."
What you have mentally assented to, you now possess. Believing is possessing. What you assented to for years, you now enjoy. Faith grows in the atmosphere of confession of the Word. We are not speaking of confession of sin. It is our confession of what we are in Christ, what Christ is in us, and what the Word is in our lips. The Word in your lips becomes a living thing, just as the Word in Jesus' lips could rule the sea, the winds and the waves (even the fish in the sea), so His Word now in your lips will take the place of Christ on earth. There is a sick one. The Word in your lips now will take the place of Jesus. If Jesus were here, He would say, "Son, you are healed." You say, "Son, by His stripes you are healed." You are using His Word. That is your confession, that His Word now has become the healer in your lips.
There is another one who is held in bondage by Satan. You remember what He said, "They that believe shall cast out demons." Fearlessly you speak the Word, "Satan, in Jesus' Name leave this person. Go off into the abyss where you belong." You are quoting the very words of Christ. Your lips become the pulpit of Jesus Christ. Faith grows with this confession. Faith is no greater than your confession. Everytime you break the silence caused by fear with an open confession of the integrity of the Word, and you act on the Word, you destroy the very roots of fear and unbelief in your life.
Fear and unbelief grow with confession, the same as faith grows with it. You confess that you are sick, and unbelief grows in you.
If you confess that you have been prayed for and have not received your healing, you are confessing that Satan had made the Word of God ineffective. And we know, "that nothing is impossible to the Word of God" in our lips. That is a literal translation of Luke 1:37, "No Word from God is void of power." It makes no difference what the environment is, what the association, the limitations, the mental attitude of folk; here is the Word that liveth and abideth, the Word that cannot be broken, the Word that said, "Let there be" and there was, and the sun, moon and stars leaped into being. The Word has not lost its ability. Its ability is measured by its Author's ability.
If you confess that you have been prayed for and have not received your healing, you are confessing that Satan had made the Word of God ineffective. And we know, "that nothing is impossible to the Word of God" in our lips. That is a literal translation of Luke 1:37, "No Word from God is void of power." It makes no difference what the environment is, what the association, the limitations, the mental attitude of folk; here is the Word that liveth and abideth, the Word that cannot be broken, the Word that said, "Let there be" and there was, and the sun, moon and stars leaped into being. The Word has not lost its ability. Its ability is measured by its Author's ability.
His Word is full of creative ability now. He lives in His Word. His Word has given life to creation; to man, and to the animal and vegetable creation. "In Him was life (that was the Word) and that life has become the light of men." John 1:4. You understand that faith, in the sense we are using the Word, is letting the Word of God function through you. It is the Word of God doing business. Matt. 19:26 "And nothing is impossible to God." Mark 9:23 "All things are possible to him that believeth." There has come the union of man with God. God', ability has been linked with man's inability and has swallowed it up. His, very weakness is God's opportunity. "When I am weak, then am I strong."
"Nothing shall be impossible unto you." God is speaking in person to you. Just as food rejuvenates the body, so the Word rejuvenates faith in our spirits. When will we ever learn that He and His Word are one. He is the surety of the New Covenant. He watches over His Word. He lives in His Word. His ability is in His Word. It is Jesus speaking through your lips when you use the Word. Let us think of the vine for a moment again. You are the branch, the miracle bearing part of the vine. You and the vine are one.
You are the miracle part of the body of Christ. The fruit grows on the branches. Love fruit, healing fruit, grow on the branch. We are sharers with Him and the bearers of His fruit.
Your fruit bearing is the measure of your confession. Your confession determines your faith life, so hold fast to your confession in the face of all opposition. They cannot conquer you. You are the unconquerable one. Remember that your lips give expression to your faith. Your words are your faith. You say, "I believe; I have." Then you thank Him for it. You do not need to see or hear or feel. The Word is your evidence. He says you are, and because He says you are, you are.
Your fruit bearing is the measure of your confession. Your confession determines your faith life, so hold fast to your confession in the face of all opposition. They cannot conquer you. You are the unconquerable one. Remember that your lips give expression to your faith. Your words are your faith. You say, "I believe; I have." Then you thank Him for it. You do not need to see or hear or feel. The Word is your evidence. He says you are, and because He says you are, you are.
THE HIDDEN MAN
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Saturday, March 11, 2017
1 Peter 1:1-12 NLT
Outline
- Greetings (1:1-2)
- Praise to God for His Grace and Salvation (1:3-12)
- Exhortations to Holiness of Life (1:13;5:11)
The Requirement of Holiness (1:13;2:3)The Position of Believers (2:4-12)Submission to Authority (2:13;3:7)Duties of All (3:8-17)Christ's Example (3:18;4:6)Conduct in View of the End of All Things (4:7-11)Conduct of Those Who Suffer for Christ (4:12-19)Conduct of Elders (5:1-4)Conduct of the Young (5:5-11)
The Purpose of the Letter (5:12)Final Greetings and Benediction (5:13-14)
1 Peter 1 NLT
1 This letter is from Peter, an apostle
of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as
foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and
Bithynia.
2 God the Father knew you and chose you
long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him
and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and
more grace and peace.
3 All praise to God, the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again,
because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great
expectation,
4 and we have a priceless
inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled,
beyond the reach of change and decay.
5 And through your faith, God is
protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to
be revealed on the last day for all to see.
6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful
joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.
7 These trials will show that your
faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though
your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains
strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor
on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
8 You love him even though you have
never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice
with a glorious, inexpressible joy.
9 The reward for trusting him will be
the salvation of your souls.
10 This salvation was something even the
prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious
salvation prepared for you.
11 They wondered what time or situation
the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance
about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward.
12They were told that their messages were not
for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you
by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is
all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things
happen.
Friday, March 10, 2017
Summary of the Book of 1 Peter
Summary of the Book of 1 Peter
This summary of the book of 1 Peter provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the Book of 1 Peter.
Author and Date
The author identifies himself as the apostle Peter (1:1), and the contents and character of the letter support his authorship (see notes on 1:12; 4:13; 5:1-2,5,13). Moreover, the letter reflects the history and terminology of the Gospels and Acts (notably Peter's speeches). Its themes and concepts reflect Peter's experiences and his associations in the period of our Lord's earthly ministry and in the apostolic age. That he was acquainted, e.g., with Paul and his letters is made clear in 2Pe 3:15-16 (see notes there); Gal 1:18; 2:1-21 and elsewhere. Coincidences in thought and expression with Paul's writings are therefore not surprising.
From the beginning, 1 Peter was recognized as authoritative and as the work of the apostle Peter. The earliest reference to it may be 2Pe 3:1 (see note there), where Peter himself refers to a former letter he had written. 1 Clement (a.d. 95) seems to indicate acquaintance with 1 Peter. Polycarp, a disciple of the apostle John, makes use of 1 Peter in his letter to the Philippians. The author of the Gospel of Truth (140-150) was acquainted with 1 Peter. Eusebius (fourth century) indicated that it was universally received.
The letter was explicitly ascribed to Peter by that group of church fathers whose testimonies appear in the attestation of so many of the genuine NT writings, namely, Irenaeus (a.d. 140-203), Tertullian (150-222), Clement of Alexandria (155-215) and Origen (185-253). It is thus clear that Peter's authorship of the book has early and strong support.
Nevertheless some claim that the idiomatic Greek of this letter is beyond Peter's competence. But in his time Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek were used in the Holy Land, and he may well have been acquainted with more than one language. That he was not a professionally trained scribe (Ac 4:13) does not mean that he was unacquainted with Greek; in fact, as a Galilean fisherman he in all likelihood did use it. Even if he had not known it in the earliest days of the church, he may have acquired it as an important aid to his apostolic ministry in the decades that intervened between then and the writing of 1 Peter.
It is true, however, that the Greek of 1 Peter is good literary Greek, and even though Peter could no doubt speak Greek, as so many in the Mediterranean world could, it is unlikely that he would write such polished Greek. But it is at this point that Peter's remark in 5:12 (see note there) concerning Silas may be significant. Here the apostle claims that he wrote "with the help of" (more lit. "through" or "by means of") Silas. This phrase cannot refer merely to Silas as a letter carrier. Thus Silas was the intermediate agent in writing. Some have claimed that Silas's qualifications for recording Peter's letter in literary Greek are found in Ac 15:22-29. It is known that a secretary in those days often composed documents in good Greek for those who did not have the language facility to do so. Thus in 1 Peter Silas's Greek may be seen, while in 2 Peter it may be Peter's rough Greek that appears.
Some also maintain that the book reflects a situation that did not exist until after Peter's death, suggesting that the persecution referred to in 4:14-16; 5:8-9 is descriptive of Domitian's reign (a.d. 81-96). However, the situation that was developing in Nero's time (54-68) is just as adequately described by those verses.
The book can be satisfactorily dated in the early 60s. It cannot be placed earlier than 60 since it shows familiarity with Paul's Prison Letters (e.g., Colossians and Ephesians, which are to be dated no earlier than 60): Compare 1:1-3 with Eph 1:1-3; 2:18 with Col 3:22; 3:1-6 with Eph 5:22-24. Furthermore, it cannot be dated later than 67/68, since Peter was martyred during Nero's reign.
Place of Writing
In 5:13 Peter indicates that he was "in Babylon" when he wrote 1 Peter. Among the interpretations that have been suggested are that he was writing from (1) Egyptian Babylon, which was a military post, (2) Mesopotamian Babylon, (3) Jerusalem and (4) Rome. Peter may well be using the name Babylon symbolically, as it seems to be used in the book of Revelation (see Rev 14:8; 17:9-10 and notes). Tradition connects him in the latter part of his life with Rome, and certain early writers held that 1 Peter was written there. On the other hand, it is pointed out by some that (1) Babylon is known to have existed in the first century as a small town on the Euphrates; (2) there is no evidence that the term Babylon was used figuratively to refer to Rome until Revelation was written (c. a.d. 95); (3) the context of 5:13 does not appear to be figurative or cryptic.
Themes
Although 1 Peter is a short letter, it touches on various doctrines and has much to say about Christian life and duties. It is not surprising that different readers have found it to have different principal themes. For example, it has been characterized as a letter of separation, of suffering and persecution, of suffering and glory, of hope, of pilgrimage, of courage, and as a letter dealing with the true grace of God. Peter says that he has written "encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God" (5:12). This is a definitive general description of the letter, but it does not exclude the recognition of numerous subordinate and contributory themes. The letter includes a series of exhortations (imperatives) that run from 1:13 to 5:11.
Outline
- Greetings (1:1-2)
- Praise to God for His Grace and Salvation (1:3-12)
- Exhortations to Holiness of Life (1:13;5:11)
- The Requirement of Holiness (1:13;2:3)
- The Position of Believers (2:4-12)
- Submission to Authority (2:13;3:7)
- Duties of All (3:8-17)
- Christ's Example (3:18;4:6)
- Conduct in View of the End of All Things (4:7-11)
- Conduct of Those Who Suffer for Christ (4:12-19)
- Conduct of Elders (5:1-4)
- Conduct of the Young (5:5-11)
- The Purpose of the Letter (5:12)
- Final Greetings and Benediction (5:13-14)
From the NIV Study Bible, Introductions to the Books of the Bible, 1 Peter
Copyright 2002 © Zondervan. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Copyright 2002 © Zondervan. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Thursday, March 9, 2017
James 5 NLT
Outline
Greetings (1:1)Trials and Temptations (1:2-18)Listening and Doing (1:19-27)Favoritism Forbidden (2:1-13)Faith and Deeds (2:14-26)Taming the Tongue (3:1-12)Two Kinds of Wisdom (3:13-18)Warning against Worldliness (ch. 4)- Warning to Rich Oppressors (5:1-6)
- Miscellaneous Exhortations (5:7-20)
James 5 NLT
1 Look here, you rich people: Weep and
groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you.
2 Your wealth is rotting away, and your
fine clothes are moth-eaten rags.
3 Your gold and silver are corroded.
The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This
corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of
judgment.
4 For listen! Hear the cries of the
field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who
harvest your fields have reached the ears of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
5 You have spent your years on earth in
luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day
of slaughter.
6 You have condemned and killed
innocent people, who do not resist you.
7 Dear brothers and sisters, be patient
as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for
the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable
harvest to ripen.
8 You, too, must be patient. Take
courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.
9 Don’t grumble about each other,
brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at
the door!
10 For examples of patience in
suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the
name of the Lord.
11We give great honor to those who endure
under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance.
You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of
tenderness and mercy.
12 But most of all, my brothers and
sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a
simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.
13 Are any of you suffering hardships?
You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.
14 Are any of you sick? You should call
for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil
in the name of the Lord.
15Such a prayer offered in faith will heal
the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins,
you will be forgiven.
16 Confess your sins to each other and
pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a
righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
17 Elijah was as human as we are, and
yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a
half years!
18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky
sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.
19 My dear brothers and sisters, if
someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back,
20you can be sure that
whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death
and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
James 4 NLT
Outline
Greetings (1:1)Trials and Temptations (1:2-18)Listening and Doing (1:19-27)Favoritism Forbidden (2:1-13)Faith and Deeds (2:14-26)Taming the Tongue (3:1-12)Two Kinds of Wisdom (3:13-18)- Warning against Worldliness (ch. 4)
Warning to Rich Oppressors (5:1-6)Miscellaneous Exhortations (5:7-20)
James 4 NLT
1 What is causing the quarrels and
fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within
you?
2 You want what you don’t have, so you
scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t
get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have
what you want because you don’t ask God for it.
3 And even when you ask, you don’t get
it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you
pleasure.
4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize
that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If
you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.
5 Do you think the Scriptures have no
meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within
us should be faithful to him.
6 And he gives grace generously. As the
Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
7 So humble yourselves before God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Come close to God, and God will come
close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your
loyalty is divided between God and the world.
9 Let there be tears for what you have
done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of
laughter, and gloom instead of joy.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord,
and he will lift you up in honor.
11 Don’t speak evil against each other,
dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are
criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to
judge whether it applies to you.
12 God alone, who gave the law, is the
Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have
to judge your neighbor?
13 Look here, you who say, “Today or
tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do
business there and make a profit.”
14 How do you know what your life will
be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while,
then it’s gone.
15 What you ought to say is, “If the
Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”
16 Otherwise you are boasting about your
own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.
17 Remember, it is sin
to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
James 3 NLT
Outline
Greetings (1:1)Trials and Temptations (1:2-18)Listening and Doing (1:19-27)Favoritism Forbidden (2:1-13)Faith and Deeds (2:14-26)- Taming the Tongue (3:1-12)
- Two Kinds of Wisdom (3:13-18)
Warning against Worldliness (ch. 4)Warning to Rich Oppressors (5:1-6)Miscellaneous Exhortations (5:7-20)
James 3 NLT
1 Dear brothers and sisters, not many
of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged
more strictly.
2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes.
For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control
ourselves in every other way.
3 We can make a large horse go wherever
we want by means of a small bit in its mouth.
4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship
turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong.
5 In the same way, the tongue is a
small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest
on fire.
6 And among all the parts of the body,
the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting
your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by
hell itself.
7 People can tame all kinds of animals,
birds, reptiles, and fish,
8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is
restless and evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and
Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of
God.
10 And so blessing and cursing come
pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not
right!
11 Does a spring of water bubble out
with both fresh water and bitter water?
12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a
grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty
spring.
13 If you are wise and understand God’s
ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility
that comes from wisdom.
14 But if you are bitterly jealous and
there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting
and lying.
15 For jealousy and selfishness are not
God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.
16 For wherever there is jealousy and
selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.
17 But the wisdom from above is first of
all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to
others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism
and is always sincere.
18 And those who are
peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.
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