Faith Foolishness or Presumption - Price

Faith,
Foolishness,
or
Presumption?
by
Dr. Frederick K. C. Price
HARRISON HOUSE
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the
King James Version of the Bile!
Some Scripture quotations are taken from Weymouth's New Testament in
odern !"eech " Richard #rancis $e"mouth, Harper and Row
%ulishers, Inc!, New &ork, New &ork! Used " permission!
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Faith) Foo*ishness) or Presum"tion+
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Table of Contents
'hapter 2
7a"in* 9he #oundation 8
'hapter /
Owe No ;an An"thin*< /2
'hapter 3
Should I Borrow #or 7ife=s Necessities< 38
'hapter 1
Steppin* Stones In 9he #aith $alk 10
'hapter 8
Insurance< 9o Ha(e Or Not 9o Ha(e 8.
'hapter >
#amil" Oli*ations 03
'hapter 0
$hat Aout 9akin* ;edication< -8
'hapter -
#amil" Relationships ..
'hapter .
'astin* Out 'alories? 228
'hapter 2+
Belie(in* @od Not 9o Ha(e Baies 2/2
'hapter 22
'laimin* a %articular Husand, Or $ife 2/0
'hapter 2/
#inances In 9he Home Situation 212
'hapter 23
#aith As! #ear 21.
Words of Faith........................................................................154
1
1 Laying The Foundation
9here are man" people doin* man" thin*s under the
*uise of Faith) when in fact, it is not #aith at allB it is
Foo*ishness) and in most cases, it is Presum"tion. $e want
to deal with this important matter, and rin* it out as
clearl" as we can, so that those who are desirous to walk
in line with the $ord of @od will actuall" e walkin*
consistentl" with the $ord, and not in Foo*ishness) nor
Presum"tion. $e will talk aout Faith) Foo*ishness) or
Presum"tion+ $hich is it<
FAITH IS A A! "F LIF#
$e read in Haakkuk /B1, CBehold, his soul which is
lifted up is not upri*ht in himD ut the Eust shall li(e " his
faith!C 9his is the part of the (erse that I want "ou to seeB
But the Eust shall li(e " his faith! How< C ! ! ! the Eust
shall li(e " faith!C $ell, if the Eust shall li(e " faith, then
,aith must e a way o, *i,e.
9oo man" ha(e thou*ht that faith was an instant, C*et
FrichFquickFscheme,C a panacea for all "our illsB a
parachute to instantl" ail "ou out of a prolem in which
"ou ma" e presentl" emroiled!
#aith is a wa" of life! It is a wa" of li(in*! It is not an
Cinstant,*et,rich,quick,scheme!C -t is a way o, *i,e. He said,
C9he Eust shall li(e " faith!C %aul is actuall" doin* a
takeoff from Haakkuk and other of old when he quotes
the followin* Scripture (erse! C#or therein is the
6 Faith, Foolishness, or Presumption?
ri*hteousness of @od re(ealed from faith to faithB as it is
written, the Eust shall li(e " faithC GRomans 2B20H!
9here is an interestin* statement in the ook of
@alatians, and a*ainFthe emphasis is placed on a
lifest"le! C9he Eust shall li(e " faith!C $e read in chapter
3, (erse 22B CBut that no man is Eustified " the law in the
si*ht of @od, it is e(identB for, 9he Eust shall li(e " faith!C
9he word .ust means Cone who has een Eustified " the
lood of Iesus 'hrist,C or more literall", Cto e made or
declared =ri*hteous!= C If "ou are in 'hrist, "ou ha(e een
made or declared Cri*hteous!C &ou are considered one o,
the .ust. 9hat means then, that "ou should e li(in* "
faith, accordin* to the $ord of @od, ecause it said, C9he
Eust shall li(e " faith!C
Iust to show "ou how important this conceptFC9he
Eust shall li(e " faith,C is in the scheme of thin*s with
@od, I want "ou to see it as the $ord of @od portra"s it!
Herews 2+B3- sa"s, CNow the Eust shall li(e " faith
G9here it is a*ain!HB ut if an" man draw ack, m" soul
shall ha(e no pleasure in him!C I will clarif" somethin*
hereB Because, man" times words are used in common
lan*ua*e, and the" come from a traditional source, or
ack*round, and "et the" ha(e no (alidit" or asis in the
written $ord of @od! 9he word ,aith has een misused
and misapplied so often, especiall" in the realm of what
we call Creli*ion!C &ou ha(e heard people ask, C$hat faith
are "ou< 'atholic, %rotestant, or Iew<C 9hat is reall"
unscriptural! 9hat is not a proper use of the ilical word
,aith. In other wordsD to ask someod" what faith the" are
is a misnomerB a misuse of the ilical word ,aith. &ou
should e ale to see that the ilical word ,aith does not
mean the denomination, or church, or reli*ion to which
"ou elon*!
Laying The Foundation 7
$e ha(e read four passa*es of Scripture, and each one
of them said, C9he Eust shall li(e " faith!C 9he" didn=t sa",
C9he Eust shall li(e " reli*ion!C $e don=t need an" more
reli*ions! Reli*ion won=t *et "ou an"thin*! It certainl"
won=t rin* "ou into the fellowship of Almi*ht" @od,
throu*h Iesus 'hrist! 'hristianit" is not a reli*ion! I ha(e
said it efore, and I shall sa" it a*ainB C$e ha(e made a
reli*ion out of 'hristianit", ut it is not a reli*ion!C
'hristianit" is a manFIesus 'hrist! It is a wa" of life, and
that wa" of life is the wa" of faith! C9he Eust shall li(e "
faith!C
A familiar (erse of Scripture that *oes ri*ht alon* with
what we ha(e alread" read, concernin* the Eust shall li(e
" faith, is found in / 'orinthians 8B0B C#or we walk "
faith, not " si*ht!C Si*ht refers to and means the sense
rea*m. $e, who are in 'hrist, should e walkin* " faith,
and not " what we percei(e with our sensor"
mechanisms! 9oo often people ha(e a relationship with
@od that is ased strictl" upon emotions, feelin*s, and
sense knowled*e! As lon* as "ou allow "ourself the
pri(ile*e of walkin* " "our senses, "ou will not e ale
to consistentl" walk " faith! And if "ou do not walk "
faith, "ou are not *oin* to recei(e the enefits of walkin*
" faith! @od has some enefits attached to walkin* "
faith! ;ost emplo"ers at least ha(e enou*h common
decenc" aout them, that the" don=t ask someod" to
work for them ,or ,ree. 9he" usuall" *i(e them somethin*D
e(en if it is no more than oran*es, lemons, or marles!
9he" usuall" work out some kind of a*reement etween
the emplo"er and the emplo"eeB an a*reement that the
emplo"ee will recei(e somethin* from the emplo"er for
his time! If a man has enou*h nicet" aout him to do that,
can=t "ou at least elie(e that the #ather @od is not askin*
"ou to ser(e Him ,or ,ree either< It would e enou*h Eust
ecause we ha(e recei(ed sal(ation, to ser(e Him, ut
thank @od, He has more than sal(ation! He has man"
other thin*s too? But we will ne(er *et into those other
thin*s until we learn how to li(e " faith!
!"$ A%# &I'#( TH# )#AS$%# "F
FAITH
$hat we are doin* at this point is la"in* a foundation!
Some of these Scriptures are familiar to "ouB some of them
are not! 9he whole idea is, we want to la" the foundation,
and then uild on itB concernin* this suEect, Faith)
Foo*ishness) $r Presum"tion.
$e read in Romans 2/B3D C#or I sa", throu*h the *race
*i(en unto me, to e(er" man that is amon* "ou, not to
think of himself more hi*hl" than he ou*ht to thinkD ut to
think soerl", accordin* as @od hath dealt to e(er" man
the measure of faith!C Now, "ou ha(e to understand that
the Ce(er" manC does not mean e(er" man in the world!
&ou ha(e to realiJe that %aul was writin* this letter to the
'hurch of Iesus 'hrist at Rome! And of course, since we
are in the same 'hurch that the Roman 'hristians were in,
ecause Iesus has onl" one od"D He is head of the od",
the 'hurch! He is one head, and He has onl" one od"! If
we are in the Bod" of 'hrist, we ha(e to e in the same
od" that the Romans were in! And thank @od, we are? So
when he sa"s, C#or I sa", throu*h the *race *i(en unto me,
to e%ery man that is amon* "ou ! ! ! as /od has dea*t to
e%ery man the measure o, ,aith.0 %aul means, 0e%ery man in
the ,ami*y o, /od.0 %lease understandFnot e(er" man in
the world, ut e(er" man in the Bod" of 'hrist! @od has
dealt unto e(er" man, or *i(en to e(er" one of us in the
Bod" of 'hrist, not a measure of faith, ut the measure of
faith!
9he (er" fact that it sa"s the measure o, ,aith) is
indicati(e of the fact that it desi*nates a quantit", or an
amount! $hen "ou sa", Cmeasure,C "ou think of a pint, or
a *allon, or somethin* "ou think of as a measurement, a
quantit", or de*ree! So when "ou sa", CHe dealt us the
measure of faith,C that means that we all start out with the
same measure! E(er" person who accepts 'hrist as his or
her personal Sa(iour has faith! 9he" ha(e to ha(e it!
Ephesians /B- shows "ou wh" an"one who comes to
'hrist has to ha(e faith! C#or " *race Gunmerited fa(orH
are "e sa(ed throu*h faithD and that not of "oursel(esB it is
the *ift of @od!C If "ou are sa(ed, "ou ha(e to ha(e faith!
And if "ou are sa(ed, "ou ha(e that measure of faith!
H" *"#S FAITH C")# T" !"$?
%aul tells us in Romans 2+B20, how faith comes! CSo
then faith cometh " hearin*, and hearin* " the $ord of
@od!C #aith cometh " what< Hearin*! Not " pra"er, not
" fastin*, ut faith cometh " hearin*! And the reason
that more 'hristians don=t ha(e an" more faith in
manifestation in their li(es, is ecause the" spend all of
their li(es *oin* to churches where the $ord of @od is not
preached in its fullness, under the unction and anointin*
of the Hol" Spirit! And since faith cometh " hearin*, and
since the" are not hearin* the $ord of @od, there is no
faith comin* to them, and their faith is ne(er stimulated!
9he" ha(e the measure ecause the" are sa(edD ut it
ne(er *ets an" stron*er, ecause it is not ein* fed! 9he
wa" that faith is fed is " hearin* the $ord of @od! 9hat is
wh" Iesus said, C@o preach the @ospel!C
9his is what happened when "ou were sa(ed! &ou
heard the $ord one da", somewhere, at some point in
"our life, and when "ou heard it, faith came, and "ou
elie(ed what "ou heard, and "ou recei(ed Iesus as 7ord!
&ou came into the famil" of @od throu*h the new irth!
And from that moment on, that measure of faith ecame
"our personal possession! ButFit is up to "ou to feed itD
and e6ercise it, so that "ou can *row up in that measure of
faith, so that it can e trul" said of "ou, that "ou are a
person who li(es " faith!
;an" people ha(e the idea that someod" who li(es
" faith is supposed to e Cpoor,mouthin*C itD the ottoms
of their shoes are outD the seat of their pants outD and their
old car is clinkin* alon* on two c"linders and four ald
tiresD the" ha(e no place to li(e, and no food to eat! 9he"
think to li(e " faith means that "ou ha(e to e some kind
of weird1o. No sir? 9he people who are not li(in* " faith
are the weird1os. 9he" Eust don=t know it! $hen "ou are
li(in* " faithFthe faith of @odF"ou will e on top, and
if "ou are not on top, or mo(in* towards the top, then "ou
are not li(in* " faith! &ou ma" think "ou are, ut "ou are
not! I ha(e had people tell me, CBless @od, Brother %rice, I
ha(e *reat faith, *reat faith? I ha(e alwa"s elie(ed the
Bile to e the $ord of @odD I ha(e *one to church and
Sunda" school since I was a little *irl, and I ha(e *reat
faith!C
Are "ou sick<
C&es!C
I thou*ht "ou had *reat faith< CI do!C
$hat are "ou doin* sick then< 9he Bile sa"s, C$ith
Iesus= stripes "ou were healed!C If "ou are trul" li(in* "
faith, "ou will ha(e kicked sickness and disease out of
"our life! &ou can think "ou are doin* somethin* ri*ht,
ecause "ou ha(e *ood intentions, and ecause "ou are
sincere aout it, ut "ou know, "ou can e sincere*y wrong.
I ha(e een there? I thou*ht I was ri*ht! I intended to e
ri*ht! I wanted to e ri*ht, ut I was as wron* as a three,
and,one,half dollar ill! The .ust sha** *i%e by ,aith. $e know
that we ha(e it ecause @od has dealt us that measure!
$e are la"in* a foundation! If "ou will *et this into
"our consciousness, then "ou will ha(e somethin* to uild
on! $e read in / %eter 2B2,-D CSimon %eter, a ser(ant and
an apostle of Iesus 'hrist, to them that ha(e otained like
precious faith with us throu*h the ri*hteousness of @od
and our Sa(iour Iesus 'hristB @race and peace e
multiplied unto "ou throu*h the knowled*e of @od, and
of Iesus our 7ord! Accordin* as his di(ine power hath
*i(en unto us all thin*s that pertain unto life and
*odliness, throu*h the knowled*e of him that called us to
*lor" and (irtue!C I want "ou to notice two thin*s he said
there, that are (er" important! CAccordin* as his di(ine
power hath *i(en unto us all thin*s that pertain unto life
and *odliness!C Notice, CGHeH hath *i(en them unto us!C
9he" are "ours " irthri*ht, ut "ou will ne(er li(e in
them, nor will "ou e(er enEo" them personall", until "ou
learn how to walk and li(e " faith! It is the faith that
causes those thin*s which ha(e een *i(en to "ou to work
in "our life as an indi(idual! 'ontinuin* with (erse 1,
C$here" are *i(en unto us e6ceedin* *reat and precious
promisesD that " these !!!!C these what< Not Eust promisesD
not e(en Eust, *reat, and precious promises, ut e6ceedin*
*reat and precious promises! C ! ! ! that " these Gthese
e6ceedin*, *reat, and precious promisesH "e mi*ht e
partakers of the di(ine nature, ha(in* escaped the
corruption that is in the world throu*h lust! And eside
this, *i(in* all dili*ence, add to "our faith (irtueD and to
(irtue knowled*eD And to knowled*e temperanceD and to
temperance patienceD and to patience *odlinessD And to
*odliness rotherl" kindnessD and to rotherl" kindness
charit"! #or if these thin*s e in "ou, and aound, the"
make "ou that "e shall neither e arren nor unfruitful in
the knowled*e of our 7ord Iesus 'hrist!C 9hat is shoutin*
*round? 9hat is out of si*ht? &ou will not e arren! But
these e6ceedin* *reat and precious promises work "
faith! 9hat is the (er" first thin* he said, CAnd esides this,
*i(in* all dili*ence, add to "our faith (irtue?C 2dd to your
,aith. 2dd to your ,aith. 3ou are supposed to do this!
FAITH, F""LISH(#SS, "%
P%#S$)PTI"(+L#T,S *#FI(# A(*
-$ALIF! TH#S# TH%## "%*S
&ou see that we are encoura*ed, "ea commanded "
the $ord of @od to li(e " faith! $e are talkin* aout
Faith) Foo*ishness) or Presum"tion) and in order to talk aout
these thin*s, we need to qualif" our terms! 9he first word
that we will define and qualif" is the word ,aith. Faith) in
its simplest definition, is Cactin* on what "ou elie(e!C So
,aith is acting on what you be*ie%e. $e are talkin* aout ,aith)
primaril", as it relates to @od, ut the principle works the
same wa" in the natural world! If "ou sa" "ou elie(e
somethin*, ut "ou fail to act on what "ou elie(e,
althou*h what "ou ma" elie(e ma" e true, historicall",
or scientificall", "ou will *et no enefit out of it until "ou
do it! &ou ha(e to act on what "ou elie(e in order to *et
results!
CI don=t understand, Brother %rice, what do "ou
mean<C
I mean thisB &ou can take the ke"s to "our car, pull
them out of "our pocket, walk out to the parkin* lot, clim
up on the hood of "our car, raise oth hands hea(enward,
ke"s in one hand, and holler out at the top of "our (oice, CI
elie(e that these are the ke"s to m" car, and I elie(e that
this is m" car, and I elie(e that I can put these ke"s into
the i*nition of m" car, and I elie(e that I can start m" car,
and I can dri(e home in m" car!C All of that ma" e true,
friend, ut "ou will ne(er *et home until "ou *et off that
hood, into that car, and dri(e home! &et e(er"thin* "ou
said is true! It is "our car, those are "our ke"s, "ou can *et
into "our car, and "ou can dri(e home! But "ou won=t *et
home until "ou act on what "ou elie(e!
&ou sa" food will nourish "our od", and keep "ou
from star(in* to death! 9hat is true, ut "ou can star(e to
death in the middle of a *rocer" store, if "ou don=t eat!
Belie(in* that, won=t keep "ou from star(in* to death! 9he
thin* that is *oin* to keep "ou from star(in* to death is
actin* on what "ou elie(e! &ou sa" that "ou elie(e it,
then "ou do it! It is not until "ou act upon what "ou
elie(e that it will affect "our life personall"! It ma" e
trueB "ou cannot fault the fact that it is true, ut it won=t
affect "ou! And that is what "ou want! &ou want to *et
some enefit from it! So the simplest definition of ,aith is
actin* on what "ou elie(e! &ou sa" "ou elie(e the $ord
of @od, then do the $ord of @od! Act on it! Relati(e to
@od, faith is actin* on the $ord of @odB being a doer o, the
Word.
&ou need to ha(e the meanin* of faith (er" clearl"
entrenched in "our mind, and in "our spirit! &ou need to
e (er" careful aout what "ou elie(e, ecause what "ou
elie(e is what "ou are *oin* to act upon! And what "ou
act upon is what "ou are *oin* to *et! If "ou don=t want to
*et the wron* thin*, "ou had etter act on the ri*ht thin*!
And of course, "our actin* is ased on "our elie(in*! If
"our elie(in* is wron*, "our actions will e wron*, and
what "ou recei(e will e wron*!
Iames /B/+ tells us, CBut wilt thou know, O (ain man,
that faith without works is dead!C #aith without works is
dead! ;ost of the time that passa*e of Scripture has een
used relati(e to sal(ation, ut the writer is not talkin*
aout sal(ation at all, here! But people ha(e taken that
(erse to mean that if "ou are sa(ed, "ou will act like "ou
are sa(ed! 9hat is a fore*one conclusion! But hereFhe is
talkin* aout the operation of the principles of faith! He is
sa"in* to "ou, that if "ou sa" "ou ha(e faith, and "ou don=t
ha(e the works to ack up the faith, then it is not *oin* to
do "ou an" *ood! In fact, Richard #rancis $e"mouth=s
9ranslation of the New 9estament, translates this (erse
more accuratel" from the ori*inal @reek! 7iterall", this is
what it sa"sB C#aith without correspondin* actions will not
work on "our ehalf!C 9hat is prett" clear! He is talkin*
aout actions that correspond with faith! Now, "ou can
understand wh" man" 'hristians ha(e not een ale to
li(e in (ictor" in man" areas of their li(es! 9he" ha(e not
understood that the" ha(e to act upon what the" elie(e
Gwhat the $ord sa"sH! #or instance, the Bile sa"s in
;atthew -B20, C!!! Himself took our infirmities, and are
our sicknesses!C And in 2 %eter /B/1, we read, C!!! " whose
stripes "e were healed!C $ell, if "ou were healed, "ou are,
and if "ou are, "ou is? 9hat means that "ou should e well,
accordin* to @od=s $ord! &et think of how man"
'hristians are sick! &ou can tell wh" the" are sick if "ou
will listen to them talk for three minutes! All the" talk
aout is how sick the" are, what is wron* with them, what
the" ha(e, and how ad the" are feelin*! 9he" sa" the"
elie(e that the" are healed, ut the" contradict it " their
Laying The Foundation 1!
confession! 9he" don=t ha(e correspondin* actions!
If "ou elie(e that "ou are well, then "ou are *oin* to
ha(e to talk well, act well, and think well, in order for
"our faith to work for "ou! &ou can=t elie(e in healin*
and then act sick, talk sick, and think sick! &ou don=t ha(e
correspondin* actions! &our faith is without works, and
therefore, "our faith is dead!
If I elie(e I am well, I can=t sa", COh, pra" for me! I am
so sick! )id I tell "ou aout m" latest pain< I ha(e one
ri*ht here! It Eust started aout fi(e minutes a*o!C
&ou can=t talk like that and elie(e that "ou are well! If
"ou sa" "ou elie(e that "ou are well, then "ou ou*ht to
talk that, think that, and act like it! If "ou keep talkin* like
"ou are sick, keep confessin* that "ou are sick, keep actin*
like "ou are sick, "ou are *oin* to e sick, and there is
nothin* @od can do aout it! His $ord cannot work on
"our ehalf until "ou act on the $ord!
I found out that with Iesus= stripes, I was not going to
be healed! He did not sa" that He was thinkin* aout
doin* itB He said, C$ith His stripes "e were healed!C I
knew that were was past tense, not future tense! I knew
that if I were) or was, I am) and if I am) I is, and is is present
tense, and that means (". So I started sa"in*, CI elie(e
I am well!C I didn=t sa" that I felt like I was well! I didn=t
sa" that I looked like I was well! I didn=t sa" that I
understood that I was well! I said, CI elie(e that I am
well!C And the reason that I said it, is ecause the $ord
said so! I had correspondin* actions, and when I had
correspondin* actions, m" faith rose ao(e the sickness,
the disease, and the pain, and dro(e it out! 9hat is the wa"
it works!
&ou thou*ht "ou were ein* honest when "ou
confessed how ad "ou were feelin*! &ou didn=t know
that "ou were ein* s"iritua**y dumb. If "ou want to e
honest, confess what the $ord sa"s aout "ou! 9hat is
ein* honest, ecause whate(er @od sa"s aout "ou, that=s
who "ou are, ut "ou are not *oin* to *et the enefits of
that until "ou start sa"in* it!
SoFC#aith without correspondin* actions is dead!C #or
instanceB here is a *ood sister! She elie(es she is well! Her
ph"sical manifestation has not come "et, so she cannot
ph"sicall" *et out of the wheelchair! But she doesn=t ha(e
to sta" in the wheelchair in her spirit! She doesn=t ha(e to
sta" in the wheelchair in her mind! She can see herself
well! She can see herself up and around! She can talk, CI
elie(e that I am healed, and I can e*in to make plans for
the thin*s that I am *oin* to do when I do *et out of the
wheelchair!C But if she Eust sits there and sa"s, COh, I am so
sick! I am ound to this chair! I=ll ne(er *et out, I=ll alwa"s
e like thisBC then she will! But she can confess it, if she
elie(es she is well, ecause that is what the $ord sa"s
aout it!
C$ell? 9hat sounds like Science of mind, or ind
!cience.0
No, it is not! It ma" sound like it, ut it is not the same!
In ind !cience) and metaph"sical cults, there are some
similarities! 9he" look prett" close to ein* the same
thin*, ut the" are not, ecause what we are talkin* aout
is ased on @od=s $ord, and what the" are talkin* aout
is ased on what "ou ha(e in "our head! 9he" sa", CIt=s all
a state of mind!C
$hat aout all of those people who died from cancer<
$hat did the" die of, if there is no such thin* as cancer< If
it was all in their minds, what was that stuff that ate up
their odies< $hat was that *reat i* fat thin* inside of
that woman=s stomach that looked like a watermelon, that
the doctor said it was a tumor, and was cancerous, and
there was nothin* the" could do when the" opened her
up< 9he" had to sew her ack up, and she died from that
thin*! How could she die with somethin* that doesn=t
e6ist<
&es, it=s real! Sure it=s there, ut when "ou walk "
faith and the $ord of @od, instead of confessin* with
"our mouth and seein* with "our e"es the thin*s that are
in the ph"sical realm, "ou e*in to see the thin*s that are
in the realm of @od, then "ou rin* @od present on the
scene! His power will dissol(e that cancer, praise @od?
Numer oneB $e see then that faith is doin*
somethin*! And numer twoB #aith is confessin* or sa"in*
somethin*! &ou should confess what the $ord of @od
sa"s aout "ou! If @od sa"s "ou are well, then "ou must e
well! &ou shouldn=t care what "our od" tells "ou! &ou are
well ecause @od said that "ou are! And the Bile sa"s
that it is impossile for @od to lie GHerews >B2-H!
'onfess thisB CIf @od sa"s with Iesus= stripes I was
healed, then I must e healed! I don=t care how I feel? I
don=t care what the doctors sa"! I don=t care what the K,
ra" machine sa"s? 9he $ord of @od sa"s, =$ith His
stripes, I was healed!= I elie(e I am well!C 9hat mi*ht
seem foolish to "ou, ut it is accordin* to the $ord of
@od! It is faith with correspondin* actions!
I elie(e that I am well, and I act like a well person
would act! Sometimes I do that e(en in pain! Now, I don=t
sa" that I am not hurtin*, ecause if I said that I was not
hurtin*, I would e l"in* aout it! I Eust ne(er talk aout
how I feel! I onl" talk aout what I elie(e, and I elie(e
that I am well! $hen I *et m" faith mo(in* a*ainst that
prolem of sickness and disease, it dri(es it ri*ht out of
m" od"! 9hen I e*in to walk in di(ine health, and I
don=t need healin*! Onl" sick people need healin*! $ell
people don=t need healin*! &ou ha(e to *et well efore
"ou can walk in health!
If "ou are sick, @od has healin* a(ailale! &ou can
elie(e His $ord and *et "our healin*! %raise @od? and
*o on and li(e in di(ine health!
#aith is actin* on what "ou elie(e! 9hat is the first
definition! Rememer, what "ou elie(e must e ased on
what is written in the $ord! &ou cannot Eust dream up
some dum thin* like, C$ell, I think I will elie(e that I=ll
fl" like a ird!C 9hat won=t work! 9hat is Foo*ishness. $hen
"ou *et into faith, faith is actin* on what "ou elie(e, ut
what "ou elie(e must e ased on what is written in the
$ord!
Accordin* to Webster's 4nabridged Dictionary in
common En*lish usa*e, the word foolishness means
Ce6hiitin* foll", deficient in understandin*, without
Eud*ment or discretion, sill", unwise, stupid, idiotic,
senseless, ill,ad(ised, rainless, witless, irrational!C NowF
when we talk aout foolishness, "ou will know what we
are talkin* aout!
Since we are talkin* aout Faith) Foo*ishness) or
Presum"tion) we want to find out if our actions are actions
of Faith) or actions of Foo*ishness) or are our actions merel"
Presum"tion. Some people cannot tell the difference, and
"ou can tell it " their actions! 9he" ha(e not understood
it "et, and the" think that the" are actin* in Faith) when
the" are actin* in Foo*ishness) and in some cases,
Presum"tion. Accordin* to Webster's 4nabridged Dictionary
in use in the En*lish lan*ua*e, Presum"tion means Cto take
or suppose to e true, or entitled to elief without
e6amination or proof, or on the stren*th of proailit", to
take for *ranted, to infer, to suppose, to assume! 9hat is
Presum"tion.
9hese are the definitions that we will e workin* with
as we continue our stud" of Faith) Foo*ishness) or
Presum"tion.
/
2 "0e (o )an Anything?
Romans 23B- sa"s, COwe no man an"thin*, ut to lo(e
one anotherB for he that lo(eth another hath fulfilled the
law!C COwe no man an"thin* !!! ! C I elie(e that this
Scripture doesn=t necessaril" mean that "ou can=t u"
somethin* on credit, or u" somethin* on time! 9he word
owe in this (erse simpl" means Cnot ein* oli*ated to an"
man, other than to lo(e him!C 9he onl" oli*ation "ou
ha(e to that man is to lo(e that man in @od! &ou don=t
alwa"s ha(e to like the person, ut "ou can lo(e him! &ou
don=t ha(e to like him to lo(e him! COwe no man
an"thin* !!!!C
Some 'hristians ha(e taken the ao(e Scripture to
mean thisB CI can=t u" an"thin* on time or on credit! I
shouldn=t u" furniture, or a house, or a car, or clothes, or
an"thin* on credit!C Some will e(en *o so far as to sa", C9o
u" on credit is to use the wor*d's system) and that we
should not e in(ol(ed in the wor*d's system.0
'onsider this! &ou put "our mone" in the ank! &ou
don=t ur" it in tin cans in "our ack "ard! 9he anks are a
part of the wor*d's system. &ou use anks, don=t "ou< and
checks< $hen "ou *o somewhere "ou ride in an
automoile don=t "ou, or do "ou still ha(e a donke"
pullin* a cart ehind "ou< Automoiles are a part of the
wor*d's system. If "ou *o from one continent to another,
"ou usuall" *o " oat, or " airplane, "ou don=t swim, do
"ou< $ell, ridin* in airplanes is a part of the wor*d's
system.
C$hat do "ou mean " the wor*d's system+0
It means the way the wor*d does it. If "ou are not *oin*
to use the wor*d's system) "ou are *oin* to ha(e to stop
wearin* clothes, stop *ettin* "our hair cut, stop sha(in*,
stop usin* electric li*hts in "our house! Electric li*hts are a
part of the wor*d's system. Are "ou seein* an"thin* here< It
is reall" ridiculous to sa", CI=m not *oin* to do this,
ecause that=s the wor*d's system.0 &ou would ha(e to stop
doin* a whole lot of thin*s! 9he difference is thisB
'hristians operate from the under*irdin* of @od=s $ord,
whereas the world operates from the under*irdin* of
what the" can fi*ure out in their heads! 9hat makes the
difference! I can use the same thin*s that the world uses,
ut I can use them in the power of @od, and produce the
@od kind of results! It is the world=s s"stem to plant cropsB
where do "ou pull "our crops from< Out of the air< No?
$e depend on crops too! $e are still operatin* in the
world=s s"stem, so Eust to sa", Cthe world=s s"stem,C can e
misleadin* unless "ou qualif" what "ou mean " it!
"# (" )A( A(!THI(& 1111?
$hen the Scripture sa"s, COwe no man an"thin* !!!!C it
means, C)on=t e under oli*ation!C 9o e oli*ated means
that I ha(e a*reed to pa" somethin* and I didn=t pa" it,
when I said I would! $hen I didn=t pa" it, then, I reall"
owed it! I am under oli*ation! Otherwise, I=m not under
an" oli*ation until such time as I a*reed with the man,
and the man a*reed with me that I pa" it!
7et=s look at this Scripture (erse from another facet!
9hink aout thisB If it is wron*D if it=s unscriptural and
unspiritual to u" an"thin* on credit, and to make
pa"ments on it, and if that (erse in Romans 23B- reall"
means that I=m not supposed to u" an"thin* on credit,
then wh" are there other Scripture passa*es in the Bile
where @od requires "ou to loan mone" or *oods to
someod" else, and requires them to pa" "ou ack< 9hat
would e inconsistent! If @od doesn=t want 'hristians to
owe an"thin*, then it is equall" wron* for the sinner to
owe an"od"! 9he principle is the same! @od=s rules are
the same! 4" is u" to sinners Eust as it is u" to 'hristians,
and down is down to 'hristians Eust as it is down to sinners!
If this Scripture, COwe no man an"thin* !!!!C literall"
means that I=m not supposed to u" an"thin* on credit,
and that if I do u" somethin* and make monthl"
installment pa"ments, I am in (iolation of the $ord, then I
shouldn=t e6pect to find an" other Scriptures in the Bile
where @od would encoura*e me to loan to someod" else!
If it is wron* for me to orrow, then it would e wron* for
me to lend to someone else, ecause I would require them
to orrow and pa" ack!
L#T,S &" T" TH# "%*
Sometimes "ou ha(e to use one Scripture to clarif"
another! At face (alue it ma" look like, COwe no man
an"thin* !!!!C means C)on=t u" an"thin* on credit!C I do
not elie(e that this is what @od is sa"in* ecause, if we
operated under that premise, we would not e in our
uildin* GCrenshaw Christian Center5) and man" people
would still e in their sins! ;an" would still e ound "
fear, po(ert", sickness, disease, oppression, and
depression! But thousands ha(e een made free as a result
of comin* in contact with this ministr"! If we didn=t ha(e
the uildin*, we wouldn=t e hereB it wouldn=t e
Crenshaw Christian Center. $e didn=t ha(e L08+,+++ to u"
this propert"! 9hat=s what the" were sellin* it forF
L08+,+++! $e didn=t ha(e the cash mone", so we are
u"in* it on credit! $e ha(e a 28,"ear mort*a*e on it, ut
praise @od? it won=t take us 28 "ears to pa" it off!
$e are *oin* to pa" it off efore that, ut who cares?
$e are *oin* to ha(e to meet somewhereB Open air, or in
some uildin* or enclosure! )o "ou know an"one who
has a uildin* i* enou*h to seat 3,8++ people, that will let
us use it for free< I dout it? $ell thenFwe will ha(e to
u" our own, and then we can elie(e @od for the mone"
to pa" for it, and that is what we ha(e done, and what we
are doin*! $e elie(e @od, and we are pa"in* for it!
%raise @od, people are ein* sa(ed, set free, healed, and
filled with the Spirit in e(er" ser(ice!
I will show "ou two Scriptures that will help "ou to
understand, ecause this has reall" een a stumlin* lock
for man" people! #or instance, a husand wants to oe"
the $ord, ut the kids need clothes, and the" sit in their
houses on apple crates, ecause the" ha(e no furniture!
9he" ha(e *ood credit, ecause the" had it efore the"
e(er came to Iesus! And the" are doin* without, when
the" can ha(e itB as thou*h it were a sin to u" somethin*
on credit! Sure, I realiJe that "ou ha(e to pa" interest on
thin*s if "ou u" them on credit, ut "ou don=t reall"
know how much thin*s cost an"how! 9he" put whate(er
price ta* the" want on thin*s! &ou can *o into a store and
the price will e marked at L2..!.8, then there will e a
*reen line marked throu*h that price, and it will e
reduced to L28.!.8D then another line and another ta*,
special sale marked down to L2/.!.8! )o "ou think that he
is losin* mone" on the item< Not hardl"? 9hat Eoker is not
in usiness to lose mone"! He is in the usiness to *et "ou
in to u" from him, instead of the man across the street!
But all thin*s ein* equal, the merchant across the street
u"s from the same manufacturer and pa"s what
e(er"od" else has to pa"! Now, some of them are ale to
u" more at one time so the" *et a etter reak on the
price! 9he" can afford to sell for less mone" ecause the"
ha(e less o(erhead, their stores are not as plush, and
carpeted!
'onsequentl", the" don=t ha(e to put all of their
mone" in furnishin*s, and the" can sell for less!
&ou can Eust act like the interest that "ou pa" is a part
of what "ou had to pa" for the item, and don=t *et into
onda*e o(er it! 9here is no point in "ou sittin* around on
apple crates, when "ou can ha(e a nice sofa or couch!
Iesus is speakin* here, and He sa"s, C&e ha(e heard
that it hath een said, An e"e for an e"e, and a tooth for a
toothB But I sa" unto "ou, 9hat "e resist not e(ilB ut
whosoe(er shall smite thee on th" ri*ht cheek, turn to him
the other also! And if an" man will sue thee at the law,
and take awa" th" coat, let him ha(e th" cloak also! And
whosoe(er shall compel thee to *o a mile, *o with him
twain! @i(e to him that asketh thee, and from him that
would orrow of thee turn not thou awa"C G;atthew 8B3-,
1/H! It looks as if Iesus is sa"in* that if someod" wants to
orrow somethin* from "ou, "ou are free to loan it to
them, if "ou want to do so! $hate(er he is orrowin*
from "ou, he is *oin* to ha(e to pa" it ack to "ou! If he
sa"s, C7oan me some mone"D loan me "our carD loan me
"our do*, ! ! ! or whate(er,C he is orrowin* from "ou!
Isn=t he< &ou are lendin* to him! If it is wron* for "ou to
owe, then wh" would @od tell "ou to lend to someod"
else, and thus cause them to owe "ou< If owin* is wron*,
it is wron* for e(er"od"! $hether "ou know it or not,
adulter" is not Eust wron* for 'hristiansB it=s wron* for
e(er"od"! #ornication is not Eust wron* for 'hristians!
Nood" is supposed to e committin* fornication Gse6ual
intercourse without ein* marriedH! 9hat is not ri*ht for
an"od", accordin* to @od=s $ord! If it is wron* for me to
owe mone", or u" somethin* and make pa"ments on it,
it is wron* for me to put another man in onda*e to meF
to ha(e to owe and pa" me! Here, it plainl" statesB C@i(e to
him that asketh of thee, and from him that would orrow
of thee, turn not thou awa"!C
7et=s *o o(er into the Old 9estament and read from
)euteronom" /-B CAnd it shall come to pass, if thou shalt
hearken dili*entl" unto the (oice of the 7ord th" @od, to
oser(e and to do all his commandments which I
command thee this da", that the 7ord th" @od will set
thee on hi*h ao(e all nations of the earthB And all these
lessin*s shall come on thee, and o(ertake thee, if thou
shalt hearken unto the (oice of the 7ord th" @od! Blessed
shalt thou e in the cit", and lessed shalt thou e in the
field! Blessed shall e the fruit of th" od", and the fruit of
th" *round, and the fruit of th" cattle, and the increase of
th" kine, and the flocks of th" sheep! Blessed shall e th"
asket and th" store! Blessed shalt thou e when thou
comest in, and lessed shalt thou e when thou *oest out!
9he 7ord shall cause thine enemies that rise up a*ainst
thee to e smitten efore th" faceB the" shall come out
a*ainst thee one wa", and flee efore thee se(en wa"s!
9he 7ord shall command the lessin* upon thee in th"
storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand untoD
and he shall less thee in the land which the 7ord th" @od
*i(eth thee! 9he 7ord shall estalish thee an hol" people
unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shall
keep the commandments of the 7ord th" @od, and walk in
his wa"s! And all the people of the earth shall see that
thou art called " the name of the 7ordD and the" shall e
afraid of thee! And the 7ord shall make thee plenteous in
*oods, in the fruit of th" od", and in the fruit of th"
cattle, and in the fruit of th" *round, in the land which the
7ord sware unto th" fathers to *i(e thee! 9he 7ord shall
open unto thee his *ood treasure, the hea(en to *i(e the
rain unto th" land in his season, and to less all the work
of thine handB and thou sha*t *end unto many nations) and
thou sha*t not borrow0 G)euteronom" /-B2,2/H! Here is what
I want "ou to see! 9he ultimate is to *et to the place where
"ou won=t ha(e to orrow! 9hat is the *oal "ou should
shoot for, so "ou can *et into that position! But "ou do not
start there! Here is the point that I want "ou to *et! He
sa"s, C9hou shalt lend unto man" nations, and thou shalt
not orrow!C 9he reason that "ou shall not orrow is
ecause "ou are *oin* to e so lessed that "ou won=t
ha(e to orrow! He didn=t sa" that it was wron* for "ou to
orrow! He Eust said, "ou won=t ha(e to resort to
orrowin* ecause "ou will e the lender, praise @od?
If He were sa"in* that "ou shall not orrow, ut that
"ou will lend, then that means that the man who orrows
from "ou is *oin* to owe "ou! $ell, if it is wron* for "ou
to owe, then it is wron* for "ou to lend to a person,
ecause "ou will cause him to owe "ou! 9herefore, I don=t
elie(e that that (erse in Romans 23B- is sa"in* that it is
wron* to u" somethin* on time! I elie(e that %aul is
sa"in*, that the onl" oli*ation that I ha(e to m" fellow
man, or to m" rother is to lo(e him!
&%" $P I( !"$% FAITH 2! $SI(&
IT
If "ou ha(e *ood credit and "ou need a chair in "our
house, "ou are one of the 5in*=s kids, and there is no point
in "ou sittin* on an apple crateB *o u" a chair! 9hen, use
"our faith to elie(e for the pa"ments on the chair! $hen
"ou *et "our faith de(eloped and it is stron*, the ne6t time
"ou need a chair, "ou won=t ha(e to u" it on time! &ou
will e ale to pa" cash for it! &ou ha(e to *row, or
de(elop to that point in "our faith!
&oun* married couples, who are Eust *ettin* started in
life, need man" thin*s to start their home! ;an" of them
don=t ha(e a lot of relati(es, or friends who will *i(e them
a weddin* shower, or reception, and there" recei(e
man" *ifts to help them start a home! ;ost couples don=t
normall" ha(e a whole lot of mone", unless the" are rich,
or well to do, or perhaps, ha(e a rich father! SoFif "ou
need somethin*, and "ou ha(e *ood credit, *o and u"
what "ou need! 9he important thin* to rememer is thisB
)on=t look to that method as the method for the rest of "our
life! Onl" look at it as simpl" a means to an end) and the end
ein* *ettin* into a position where "ou won=t ha(e to u"
an"thin* else on time! &ou ha(e to start somewhere, and
that is Foo*ishness6not faith, necessaril" to not buy
somethin* on time when "ou need it! &ou ma" not ha(e
enou*h faith to elie(e for a whole house full of furniture
at first! &ou don=t start out with a full" de(eloped and a
full *rown faith! &ou ha(e to e*in to use your ,aith and
grow u" in it.
Are "ou *oin* to depri(e "our child of a a" ed, or
"our wife of a ed to sleep on instead of a pallet on the
floor, Eust ecause "ou want to elie(e @od< It ma" take
"ou si6 "ears efore "our faith *ets to workin* to the
de*ree where "ou can *o out and u" a house full of
furniture! 9hat is Foo*ishness to *o without when "ou can
ha(e it if "ou ha(e *ood credit and are workin* on a
stead" Eo! It doesn=t make sense not to ha(e it!
Now, "ou can choose to do it G*o withoutH, if "ou want
to, ut don=t make it look as if that is the wa" that "ou ha%e
to do it) in order to e operatin* in faith! &ou can u" it on
time, and elie(e @od for the pa"ments, and "ou will still
e usin* "our faith! It is a lot easier to pa" L08!++ a month
on a pa"ment than it is to elie(e for L/,8++ to u" a whole
house full of furniture, or a room fullFwhate(er "ou wish
to u"!
I "(C#, AS I( FI(A(CIAL
#(SLA'#)#(T1
Once, we couldn=t afford to *o out and pa" cash for a
whole house full of furniture! But the ne6t time we u"
some furniture, I am *oin* to pa" cash for it? &ou must
rememer, I ha(e een usin* m" faith for a numer of
"ears! I ha(e m" faith in operation! I ha(e faith mo(in*
a*ainst mountains! I know how to be*ie%e the money in)
now! I paid cash for the last two chairs that I ou*ht for
m" houseD I paid cash for the washin* machine, and the
last two color tele(isions, and that was the first time in our
li(es that we e(er paid cash for an"thin*!
Before that, I was doin* *ood to *et the credit! 9he"
arel" let me *et the thin*s and make the pa"ments!
9hat=s ri*ht? Once, I was in such financial ensla(ement
that I couldn=t e(en *et credit! I went to a ank and tried to
consolidate m" dets, and make one monthl" pa"ment!
9hat ank refused to loan me an" mone"! C&ou are a ad
risk,C the" said! C$e=(e een lookin* at "our track record,
and we see that "ou=(e een *ettin* in det!C %oor thin*s,
the" didn=t realiJe that the reason I kept *ettin* into det
was ecause I couldn=t *et out of owin* for the other
thin*s! I still needed thin*sB the sto(e went outD the
refri*erator wouldn=t workD the chairs roke downD I
needed a new tale, ut I didn=t ha(e an" e6tra mone",
ecause I was makin* all of those pa"ments! 9he onl"
thin* that I could do was to either add it on, or orrow!
9he stores had a limit and the" wouldn=t add an"thin* to
m" char*e accounts! $e were in a terrile state of affairs!
$e couldn=t *et an" more furnitureD couldn=t u"
an"thin*D we didn=t ha(e an" mone", and ecause I wasn=t
makin* enou*h mone", the ank refused to help me! $e
had the situation where we had more *oin* out than we
had comin* in! $e li(ed in that financial ind for "ears!
Sure, I *ot us into it, and I know it was wron*, ut I had
si*ned the papers, and the man had me! 9here was
nothin* I could do, e6cept pa" for it, or he would come
and pick up the stuff, and I would lose it plus all that I had
paid on it!
Bless @od, I don=t need the ank now! It was a
stru**le, ut I found out how to elie(e @od for the
pa"ments! I found out how to use m" faith, and I e*an to
put m" faith to work! $e e*an to elie(e @od on little
thin*s, and finall" we *ot our faith mo(in*! $e put our
faith a*ainst the prolems of life, and a*ainst the financial
situations and we elie(ed our wa" out of e(er" prolem,
praise @od? Now, we can u" almost an"thin* we want
and pa" cash for it?
3!#AH, 2$T HAT A2"$T PA!I(&
F"% A CA%3?
Is it Faith) Foo*ishness) or Presum"tion to u" a car on
time<
I ha(e heard people that ha(e heard this faith messa*e
sa", C%raise the 7ord? I am *oin* to elie(e for a Rolls
Ro"ce?C $ell, that=s fine! 5in*=s kids ou*ht to ride around
in Rolls Ro"ces! If "ou ha(e L3+,+++ to pa" down on it, "ou
can ha(e it? &ou know, that is all it takesB a measl" L3+,+++!
Or if "ou want somethin* sport"B one that e(er"one else
doesn=t ha(e, "ou can u" a StutJ Black Hawk at L8+,+++!
If that is what "ou desire then "ou ou*ht to ha(e it! BU9
"ou=re *oin* to ha(e to *et to the point where "ou can
elie(e for L8+,+++! $hat are "ou *oin* to do while "ou
are waitin* for the L8+,+++ to materialiJe< $alk<
If "ou can=t e(en elie(e for whate(er it costs to ride
the us, how are "ou *oin* to elie(e for a L8+,+++
automoile< No? %raise @od! If all "ou can afford is a
Aolkswa*on, there is no point in "ou walkin* in the rain!
9he 5in*=s kids, walkin* in the rain? @et a Aolkswa*on,
praise @od, and start elie(in* @od for the pa"ments on
it! $hen "ou *et that Aolkswa*on paid off, then *o u"
"ourself a 'he(rolet, or whate(er "ou want, and elie(e
for the pa"ments on that! %a" that off, and then step up!
#inall", "ou will e elie(in* for a Rolls Ro"ce, if that is
what "ou want!
I would rather ha(e a 7incoln 'ontinental, m"self! So
whate(er it is, different strokes for different folks! 9he
point is, while "ou are sittin* around waitin* for the
L8+,+++ to *o u" a StutJ Black Hawk, are "ou *oin* to
ride the us in the meantime, dra**in* "our wife and little
kids on the us, in the rain< $h" suEect "our famil" to
that, when "ou ha(e *ood credit< @o u" a car, and then
start usin* "our faith and elie(in* @od for the pa"ments!
$e did that with our carB a 2.03 %ontiac! 9hat was the
most e6pensi(e car we had e(er ou*ht in our li(esFup
until that time! I knew we were in det, and we didn=t
ha(e an" e6tra mone", ut I reall" didn=t know what ad
shape we were in! I shall ne(er for*et! $e came ack from
a meetin* in 9ulsa, Oklahoma! As we were fl"in* alon*,
m" wife said, CIt=s Eust a shame, "ou are around here,
preachin* faith, and *oin* to these different meetin*s,
dri(in* an old eat,up 'he(rolet!C It did look ad! It was
dented in on oth sides, plus the front and ack! So she
said, C$e=re *oin* to u" a car?C I wanted a new car, ut I
knew we didn=t ha(e the mone" to u" a new car! But I
would sure like to dri(e a new car? It had e(er"thin* on it
that I had e(er wanted on a new car! $e didn=t ha(e to
reach o(er and roll the windows down an"moreB Eust
press the utton? Hot do*? $e were mo(in* up in the
world! $hen we ou*ht that car, we couldn=t afford to
u" an old lad"u*! And those folks tied me up with 1/
months of pa"ments, at L288 a month! 9hat was a lot of
mone"!
I didn=t know it at the time, ut we reall" didn=t ha(e
L288 for pa"ments! But "ou see, we had een usin* our
faith, and m" wife had made up her mind that we were
*oin* to elie(e @od for the pa"ments on that car! I am
here to tell "ou that that pa"ment was hi*her than the first
trust deed on the house! $e elie(ed @od for those
pa"ments, and that was the easiest thin* that we e(er paid
for in our li(es! In fact, we did not ha(e e6tra mone"
comin* out of our re*ular pa" check to co(er the pa"ment!
$e used our faith, and elie(ed @od for that mone", o%er
and abo%e our regu*ar "ay check. ;" wife used her faith and I
a*reed with her!
All of that time our faith was *rowin*! It was
increasin* and *ettin* stron*er, and stron*er as we put it
a*ainst those issues of life! And finall" it *ot to the point
where we were ale to elie(e inFo(er and ao(e our
re*ular needs, enou*h mone" to pa" that car off /8
months ahead of time?
Now, that was etter than walkin* around, or ridin* a
ic"cle! 9here was no point in me ridin* on a ic"cle uilt
for two, *oin* somewhere preachin*, with m" wife on the
ack and me on the front? So we used our faith and
elie(ed for the pa"ments! And throu*h it all, m" faith
was *rowin* and de(elopin*!
As our faith sufficientl" de(eloped we paid cash for
our ne6t new car, praise @od? I would like to point outB if
we had started out elie(in* to pa" cash for it, we couldn=t
ha(e e(en paid for the license ta*sB that=s how much in
det we were! But we started usin* our faith on makin*
pa"ments, and now that our faith has sufficientl"
de(elopedFut we ha(en=t arri(ed "et! $e are still on the
wa" up, ut we are in the position now, where we can pa"
cash for almost e(er"thin*! $e ha(e een usin* our faith
for se(eral "ears now, ut in the meantime, wh" should I
ha(e depri(ed m" famil" of the thin*s the" needed<
I ha(e finall" come into the position where I now ha(e
such a *ood credit ratin*, that e(er"od" wants me to *et
one of their credit cards! 9he" send me letters wantin* me
to u" this, and u" that, and pa" for it an" wa" I want to!
Numer oneB I don=t want it! And numer twoB if I decided
to u" it, I would write a check and pa" cash for it! But I
didn=t start out there! It took us se(enteen "ears to *et into
that det, and after walkin* " faith for se(en "ears, we
are totall" financiall" independent of the circumstances!
How did we *et here< $e *ot here " usin* our faith! $e
e*an to use our faith a*ainst the small issues of life, and
now our faith is in operation to such an e6tent that we can
afford to elie(e for thin*s and to pa" cash for them!
After we elie(ed oursel(es into a position of not
ha(in* to make an" monthl" pa"ments, the first thin* I
ou*ht was a second carB I ou*ht m" wife a 9o"ota! It
had air conditionin*, automatic transmission, radio,
heater, tape deck pla"er, and all that? 9hat was what she
wanted? And I paid cash for it, praise @od? L1,+++! 9hat=s
not ad?
4
3 Should I 2orro0 For Life,s
(e5essities?
9his is where we li(e, #riend! As I told "ou efore, we
li(e in a material world! And the primar" reason that a
man works two Eos is ecause he doesn=t make enou*h
on one Eo! )on=t tell me that a man likes to work that
well! If he did he would work ,or ,ree. No! He is tr"in* to
*et enou*h mone" to *et ahead! He doesn=t realiJe that the
s"stem is *eared so that he won=t *et ahead! 9he s"stems
of the world, economicall" speakin*, are not desi*ned for
"ou or an"od" to *et ahead, e6cept for the rich! So the
onl" wa" that "ou are *oin* to *et ahead is to *et rich?
And I am on m" wa"!
C@et rich<C
Sure, that=s what the $ord said! 9he $ord tells us,
concernin* Iesus 'hrist, C!!! he was rich, "et for "our sakes
he ecame poor that "e throu*h his po(ert" mi*ht e richC
G/ 'orinthians -B.H! 9hat=s ri*ht? But "ou ha(e to keep
thin*s in their proper order! ;atthew >B33 sa"s, CBut seek
"e first the kin*dom of @od, and his ri*hteousnessD and all
these thin*s shall e added unto "ou!C 5eep e(er"thin* in
its proper perspecti(e! )on=t let thin*s ecome "our *oal
in life, ut simpl" a means to the end! 9he kin*dom is
first! 9hin*s are not m" *oal in lifeB thin*s are simpl"
steppin* stones! Iesus is m" *oal! ;" *oal is to li(e in the
power of the Spirit of @od! 9hese other thin*s Eust help to
make life nicerFthat=s all!
If the ;afia can ride around in 7incoln 'ontinental
town cars, wh" can=t the 5in*=s kids< 9he question isB Is it
Faith) Foo*ishness) $r Presum"tion Eust ecause "ou don=t
u" a car on time pa"ments, and instead ride on "our little
ic"cle with a tandem car on the side for "our wife and
three kids to ride in< &ou are *oin* to elie(e @od for a
L8+,+++ car and "ou can=t e(en pa" for the license on the
ic"cle! I elie(e that we estalished in the last chapter
that "ou need to e6ercise "our faith for the little thin*s, or
issues of life, and let "our faith *row as "ou elie(e @od
for pa"ments on a smaller car that will e adequate for
"our famil"! How is "our faith *oin* to *row unless "ou
use it on somethin*< Use "our faith on the little issues of
life, and it will e*in to *row! &ou don=t clim a ladder "
startin* at the top run*! &ou start at the ottom and "ou
clim to the top!
I don=t want "ou to *et the wron* idea, so I want to
emphasiJe a*ainB I am not sa"in* for "ou to *o out and
u" e(er"thin* on credit and pa" interest! I am simpl"
sa"in*, learn to use "our faith on the little issues of life
Gelie(e for those small pa"mentsH until "ou can ecome
financiall" independent of the circumstances as "our faith
*rows and de(elops!
9here is a place in Iesus 'hrist where "ou can rise
ao(e the circumstances economicall", and financiall"!
&ou can e financiall" independent and financiall" free,
ut "ou=re not *oin* to start out like that! E(en the Bile
tells us to C@row in *race and in the knowled*e of our
7ord and Sa(iour Iesus 'hrist!C 9hat implies that I do not
start out with full knowled*e, ecause if I did, I wouldn=t
ha(e to *row in it! 9here is a place where we can mo(e in
the thin*s of @od, when it is faith! But sometimes, we can
act presumptuousl", or e(en foolishl"!
HAT A2"$T C%#*IT CA%*S?
9here is nothin* wron* in usin* credit! But it is wron*
when "ou allow credit to use "ou! I use credit! I ha(e all
the credit cards "ou can name! 9here was a time when I
couldn=t e(en *et a credit card! I ha(e een turned down
for so man" credit cards ecause m" credit ratin* was ad!
9he" wouldn=t e(en *i(e me a Bank,americard, ut praise
the 7ord, I ha(e them all now! Sure, I use credit cards, ut
I ne(er pa" an" char*es! 9his is the most con(enient wa"!
I ne(er ha(e to carr" L3++, or L1++ cash in m" pocket to
u" an airline ticket! I Eust *i(e them m" numer!
;" checkin* account is the kind that I ha(e to pa" L!/+
each time I write a check! If I *o to fi(e stores in one da"
and make a purchase in each store, I spend L2, Eust in
char*es, when I can char*e it all on m" ;aster,char*e
card and *et one ill, and write one check! 9hat=s wisdom!
I am to the point where I don=t ha(e to pa" an" char*es for
these credit cards! I use them ecause of their
con(enience, and it helps me to keep a etter record of m"
e6penses! If I don=t use the credit card it will still cost the
same amount of mone" to u" the article, so I o"t for the
card! It keeps m" credit estalished and it makes me look
*ood in the e"es of the world! It opens up a lot of doors
that otherwise, I couldn=t *et into, and then I can ecome a
channel for @od=s lessin* in that situation! I can=t ecome
a channel if I can=t *et in! $hen the stores ha(e sales the
people who ha(e char*e accounts *et the first notification
of the sales, and we are ale to take ad(anta*e of the sales!
9here are man" ad(anta*es to ha(in* credit cards and
char*e accounts, ut I=ll not e in onda*e to either of
them! An" time I si*n m" name on somethin*, I ha(e the
mone" in the ank to pa" for it! It is not a si*n of lack of
faith to use credit cards! Iesus said, CBe wise as serpents
and harmless as do(es!C $isdom dictates that it is etter to
pa" L!/+ for one check once a month, than to ha(e to pa" L
!/+ for each check and end up with L1 or L8 worth of
ser(ice char*es at the end of the month!
Now, I am not tellin* "ou to *o out and make
application for all the credit cards in the worldD "ou ma"
not need them! I use them ecause I do a lot of tra(elin* in
the United States and forei*n countries, and it is easier to
use credit cards than to tr" to keep up with the currenc"
e6chan*e rate from da" to da"! 9hat is a hassleB wh" fi*ht
it< 9he use of credit cards is international, and most
usinesses reco*niJe them! 9here are ad(anta*es in usin*
them!
In some situations the use of credit cards and char*e
accounts ma" e the etter part of wisdom! 9hank @od,
for the little credit those people did let us ha(e, ecause
that was the onl" thin* that kept clothes on our acks!
9here was a time when that was the onl" thin* that kept
us! ;" kids wouldn=t ha(e had an" school clothes if it
hadn=t een for those little measl" char*e accounts! E(er"
time we would u" two or three thin*s, it would push us
o(er the limit, ut at least the" could *o to school!
Is it Faith) Foo*ishness) or Presum"tion to use credit<
$ell, "ou ha(e to learn how to control "ourself, and not
let credit control "ou! 'redit can *et so eas" that "ou Eust
start u"in* stuff here and there, and char*in* and
char*in*, and all of a sudden "ou *et that letter at the end
of the month, and oom? "ou ha(e a L2,+++ ill on "our
hands, and I=ll tell "ou, that will sure knock the wind out
of "our sails, and that is foolishness!
#2#(##6#% SC%""&# "% #2#(##6#%
P%IC# AT "%7
$ho turns awa" his kids at 'hristmas< Onl"
EeneeJer Scroo*e, or 7benee8er Price. But we had to do it!
E(er" "ear we would *o out and u" that dum stuff and
char*e it, and it would take us all "ear to pa" for it! In the
meantime, we would need other thin*s, and I could not
u" them, and I would feel *uilt", ecause we were
alread" makin* pa"ments on our o(erdrawn accounts! So,
we made up our minds that we were not u"in* an"thin*
on credit for 'hristmas, and we had (er" mea*er
'hristmases for a couple of "ears! I did this to reach a
*oal! I didn=t e(en u" a 'hristmas tree! $e didn=t need a
'hristmas tree to throw in the trash after 'hristmas if it
meant *oin* in det for it! $e could use that L/+ for
somethin* else! 'hristmas trees do not make 'hristmas,
an"how!
C$ell, what are "our kids *oin* to think<C
9he" are *oin* to think what the" want to think
an"how! 9he" are not the ones in det! 9he" don=t know
the" are ridin* on a *ra(" train! I am the one who has to
pa" the ills! In fact, the" are costin* me more mone"!
9he" make the illsD the" do not pa" them! So, we refused
to u" a 'hristmas tree for a couple of 'hristmases!
Since that time, we ha(e paid e(er"od" off " usin*
our faith! $e now ha(e the most faulous 'hristmases
e(er, and we don=t owe an"od" an"thin*B halleluEah?
9hat is freedom? But we had to *et to that point, and we
e*an " usin* our faith on the pa"ments! $e did not act
,oo*ish*y) and we did not act "resum"tuous*y) ut we acted
in ,aith. $e took it one step at a time!
HAT A2"$T A PLAC# T" LI'#?
$e will look at another aspect! How aout a place to
li(e< How aout a house< Is it faith to not u" a house and
make pa"ments on it< Is that necessaril" faith< Are "ou
*oin* to wait until "ou elie(e in enou*h cash to pa" for a
house, when "ou aren=t doin* too well in pa"in* "our
rent<
&ou ha(e to sta" somewhere, and "ou onl" ha(e a few
choices! &ou can sta" outsideB li(e somewhere on a (acant
lot with nothin* o(er "our head! &ou can *et someod" to
*i(e "ou a place to li(e with no pa"ments in(ol(ed! And
"ou know how often that happens, don=t "ou< And "ou
can either rent, lease, or u"! Or perhaps, "ou can sta"
with relati(es or friends, and that can e the worst thin*
in the world! 9hose are "our asic choices, ut "ou do
ha(e to li(e somewhere!
As I look ack on it now, I had in m" mind, e(en in the
natural, the kind of house I wanted, efore I e(en learned
how to use m" faith! I liked architecture, and I used to *et
architectural drawin* ooks and ooks of house plans,
and I would cop" them and landscape them on paper! I
was reall" *ood at that! I had in mind the kind of house I
was *oin* to u"B a ranch st"le house! I fi*ured that a
ranch st"le house was *oin* to cost me a lot of mone"! So I
was Eust *oin* to wait until I *ot the mone", and then u"
the house! All of that time, Gstupid, i*norant me5 I was
pa"in* rent, and *ettin* nothin* for it! $e paid rent for
ten "ears, and when those ten "ears were up we left that
apartment with onl" the clothes on our acks! $e had
made the landlord rich, and we still didn=t ha(e a thin*!
Rentin*Fas far as I am concerned is like takin* "our
mone" into the athroom, puttin* it in the toilet, and
flushin* it! 9hat is how much "ou *et for "our mone"!
Actuall", u"in* a house is an in(estment! Bu"in* a house
is usin* wisdom! &ou are *oin* to ha(e to li(e
somewhere! So if "ou are *oin* to pa" rent, wh" not
elie(e @od for the pa"ment on a house< E(er" time "ou
make that pa"ment, "ou are pa"in* "ourself somethin*!
$hen "ou rent, e(er" time "ou pa" the rent, "ou are
pa"in* that man somethin*! And "ou *et nothin* ack!
9hat=s ri*ht!
Iust to show "ou how this can work, I am *oin* to
share an e6perience with "ou! $e ou*ht a house that cost
L2/,8++ in an area where it wasn=t reall" m" choice to li(e!
But an opportunit" opened up, and we were ale to *et
this house some "ears a*o for L8++ down! At that time,
*ettin* L8++ to*ether was like pullin* e"e teeth! $e finall"
scroun*ed and scroun*ed, and with the help of a roker
who was a relati(e, we finall" *ot the down pa"ment on
the little house, and we made pa"ments on it for 3 2:/
"ears! $e were in such ad shape financiall", that we
couldn=t e(en put an" paint on that house, on the outside!
$e finall" were ale to paint the inside, and we fi6ed it up
so it was reall" nice! 9hen one da" I said, C$e need to
mo(e to the other side of townDC and we decided to sell the
house! $e were pastorin* on the other side of town, and I
was workin* in 'ul(er 'it", which was Eust aout two
miles from the church, and I was dri(in* from 'ul(er 'it"
to home, which was aout twent" miles one wa", and
from home all the wa" ack, almost to the same place, to
the church, two or three times a weekD I was dri(in*
m"self buggy.
Althou*h we didn=t know much aout sellin* a house,
or e(en if we could *et an"thin* for our equit", we sold
that house that we ou*ht for L2/,8++ for L2>,.8+, and that
*a(e us L8,+++ to put down on another house! Now that is
wisdom! $e paid the loan off and *ot more cash out of
that house than we had put into it! Rememer, we
wouldn=t ha(e had an"thin* if we had een rentin* for
that 3 2:/ "ears!
As I said efore, "ou are *oin* to ha(e to li(e
somewhere! And I elie(e if "ou ha(e the opportunit" to
*et a house, *et it! &ou are *oin* to either elie(e for
house pa"ments or rent! And the prices the" are char*in*
for rent now is asolutel" outra*eous! I ha(e listened to
people talkin* aout their rental pa"ments and m"
pa"ment on m" house was nothin* compared to the rent
that the" were pa"in*! And the" didn=t e(en ha(e an"
pri(ac"! 9he" had to put up with those idiots ne6t door,
throwin* their parties all ni*ht lon*, an*in* on the wall,
and doin* all that other stuff!
&ou can *et "our own (ine and fi* treeB "our own
house, praise @od? &our kids can run free! If the" want to
pull the flowers off, the" can do so! Nood" is *oin* to cut
their heads off! In an apartment "ou can=t walk on the
*rass, "ou can=t touch the plants, "ou can=t do this, that, or
the other! In a lot of places, the" will not e(en rent to
people who ha(e children!
&ou ha(e to elie(e @od for rent! @et "our faith
workin*, and elie(e @od for the down pa"ment on the
house, and pa"ments on the house! )on=t tr" to mo(e up
on the hill into a L2++,+++ house the first time "ou e6ercise
"our faith! $hat I am pointin* out is, if "ou li(e in an
apartment, "ou can li(e in a house! And in the meantime,
keep makin* those pa"ments, and pa"in* that mone" to
"ourself! 9hat is on "our account now, and not to the
landlord=s! &ou are puttin* that in for "ourself! @et "our
faith workin*, and "ou will *et to the place where we are
in our li(es! B" makin* the pa"ments, and usin* our faith
on the pa"ments, we *ot to the point where we could pa"
the house off 9' years ahead o, time. $e don=t owe an"od"
an"thin* on our house! Now, we ha(e a *ood in(estment
that we are sittin* on, that we can parla" into another
house! I am *oin* to u" another house! $e need a lar*er
house, and I want to mo(e closer to the church! I want to
ha(e more of the church people in our home, and to ha(e
the opportunit" to ha(e more fellowship with them! $e
need room for that! In fact, we alread" elie(e that we
ha(e a lar*er home! Our plan is to pa" cash for the ne6t
house!
Now, I couldn=t do that a few "ears a*o! I was arel"
makin* the pa"ment on the house! But I started usin* m"
faith!
Foo*ishness would e to sit around and tr" to wait and
elie(e for a L28+,+++ house! It takes more faith force to
elie(e for L28+,+++ than for L28+! $h" do that< Belie(e
for L28+ a monthFelie(e for "our rent, or the pa"ment
on the first trust deed on the house, and then all the time,
"ou are puttin* mone" in the ank for "ourself! As I ha(e
said, "ou ha(e to li(e somewhere, and if "ou ha(e *ood
credit take ad(anta*e of it! Use "our credit, ut don=t let it
use "ou, and I elie(e that @od will less "ou!
It isn=t necessaril" ,aith) ecause "ou sit at home on
"our apple crates in "our li(in* room with no carpet on
the floor, and no furniture in the house! No pictures on the
wall, with "our Bunsen urner in the kitchen to cook "our
food on ecause "ou don=t ha(e a sto(e, and eatin* on
paper plates ecause "ou can=t afford to u" china! @et a
house, and elie(e @od for the pa"ments, and *et "our
faith to mo(in*! It is a lot easier to elie(e for L28+ a
Faith, Foolishness, or Presumption?
month than it is to elie(e for L2++,+++! It doesn=t take as
much faith force! But as "ou keep on elie(in* "ou are
*oin* to e stren*thenin* "our faith muscle! As "ou
stren*then that muscle, "ou will e ale to pick up hea(ier
loads! And soon, "ou will e ale to elie(e for a L2++,+++
house, and pa" cash for it! I elie(e that is ,aith. I elie(e
that it is ,oo*ishness Eust to sit around and do nothin*! Now,
different strokes for different folks! &ou do what "ou
want! I=m free, so whate(er "ou do doesn=t affect me! I am
tellin* "ou how "ou can *et free! It works?
C$ell, @od did that for "ou ecause "ou are a
preacher!C
Oh, come on! I don=t want to hear that! I can take "ou
all o(er the cit" of 7os An*eles, and show "ou preachers
who don=t e(en ha(e a church to preach in! 9he" preach in
store fronts, and can=t e(en pa" the rent on that! &ou don=t
*et lessed ecause "ou are a preacher! &ou *et lessed
ecause "ou operate in line with the $ord, accordin* to
faith! 9hat is how "ou *et lessed! I don=t care if "ou are
lack or white, rown or "ellow, *reen or red,polka,
dotted, educated, or uneducated, "ou are not *oin* to *et
lessed ecause of that! @od is onl" *oin* to confirm His
$ord, with si*ns followin*! $h" didn=t @od less me the
first se(enteen "ears that I was a preacher< I was poor and
stru**lin*B I didn=t ha(e an"thin*! I hated to face another
da"B it was a*on"! I didn=t know where the mone" was
comin* from! But I was still a preacher, and I wasn=t ein*
lessed!
I HA* T" ACT I( LI(# ITH TH#
"%* "F &"*
I started *ettin* lessed when I started doin* what
Laying The Foundation !
@od=s $ord told me to do! $hen I e*an to use m" faith
instead of operatin* in ,oo*ishness) and I e*an to act in line
with the $ord of @od instead of "resum"tion) then that put
@od to work on m" ehalf! 9he power of @od came into
pla" and @od mo(ed thin*s out of the wa"! As I mo(ed in
faith, @od honored it, ecause He confirms His $ord with
si*ns followin*! %raise the 7ord? It works, ut "ou are
*oin* to ha(e to work it! SoF*et out of that a* that "ou
are in, and mo(e in ,aith.
If "ou are a "oun* husand, and "ou are marr"in* a
*irl and takin* her into an empt" edroom, and callin*
that Chome,C that isn=t faith Gnecessaril"H! Start usin* "our
faith and elie(e @od to *o ahead and *et a house, and
u" some furniture! Use wisdom, and don=t o(er,e6tend
"ourself! )on=t do as I didB make L2++ a week and ha(e to
pa" out L228 a week in ills! 9hat won=t work! &ou will e
in troule that wa"!
&ou ha(e the Spirit of @od in "ou to *i(e "ou wisdom!
)on=t u" e"ond "our ailit" to pa"! Use "our faith on
those pa"ments and make the pa"ments on the furniture,
and houseB elie(e @od e(er" time "ou make a pa"ment!
Belie(e @od for an e6cess to come in, o(er and ao(e that,
so "ou can pa" the thin* off, and "ou will soon *et to the
point where "ou can pa" cash for e(er"thin* else "ou
want! 9here is nothin* in the world that feels so *ood, as
to e ale to walk into a store and tell the salesman, CI
want one, and I want that one in *reen, and I want that
one!C And when the" ask "ou how "ou are *oin* to pa",
char*e or cash< &ou can sa", C'ash, man! 'ash?C 9hat is
faith, and I tell "ou it makes life eautiful when "ou
operate that wa"! So don=t think it=s faith, Eust ecause "ou
are sittin* around doin* nothin*B that ma" e foolishness!
It ma" e presumptuous for "ou to attempt to elie(e
for a L2++,+++ house when "ou don=t ha(e enou*h faith to
elie(e for L28+ a month rental pa"ment! $hen "ou mo(e
up to a L2++,+++ house, "ou will end up pa"in* L/,+++ or
L3,+++ a "ear for ta6es! And if "ou stop and think aout it,
that is much more than L28+ a month that "ou are makin*
in pa"ments! How are "ou *oin* to come up at the end of
the "ear with L3,+++ for ta6es< 9he hi*her "ou *o, the
more it will cost "ou to e up there! 9he i**er the car, the
more the license ta*s! E(er"thin* *oes up
correspondin*l"! $hen "ou u" L3++ suits, "ou can=t wear
a L2!.8 tieB that Eust won=t work! &ou will end up *ettin*
into silk ties at L2/!8+, up!
&ou must start ri*ht where "ou are, and e*in to use
"our faith! 9he more "ou ecome free, the freer Iesus is in
"ou, to flow out of "ou and the *reater impact "ou can
ha(e on the en(ironment around "ou! 9hen the" will see
"our Eo"B the" will see "our peaceB the" will see "our
(ictor", and the" will see "ou o(ercomin* e(er"
circumstance and situation! 9he" will want to know, C$ho
is "our source<C
&ou will tell them, CIesus is the One who puts me o(er
and puts me on topB %raise @od?C
9hat is the wa" it works! It works? Oh, let me tell "ou it
works? If "ou are not workin* it, I feel for "ou! It works,
ut it is onl" *oin* to work in conte6t with @od=s $ord!
So e*in to use "our faith for the little thin*s, and prett"
soon, "ou will *et to that point where "ou will e*in to
elie(e for more and more! And this is the most e6citin*
part of all! &ou will *et to the point where "ou will e ale
to elie(e for someod" else=s needs! 9hat is when it reall"
starts *ettin* *ood! It works, praise the 7ord!
8
4 Stepping Stones In The Faith al9
I elie(e that we ha(e adequatel" shown that when
the Scripture sa"s in Romans 23B-, C!!! Owe no man
an"thin* !!!!C it does not necessaril" mean that "ou cannot
u" somethin* on time, and make installment pa"ments
on it! &ou don=t look to that as the end, or the wa" it
should e for the rest of "our life, ut "ou think of it in
terms of *ettin* out of det! &ou use it as a ste""ing stone)
ecause the faith life is a pro*ressi(e de(elopment in faith!
Nood" is orn a full *rown ph"sical adult! 9he" are not
orn full" de(eloped, mentall", ph"sicall", and
ps"cholo*icall"! Some of us ha(e *otten into a a* of
thinkin* that Eust ecause a person is orn a*ain, the" are
orn a*ain a full" de(eloped 'hristian, ut the" are not!
9he" are orn aies, and ecause the" are aies, the"
ha(e to *row up! Sometimes, the" tr" to act like the" are
*rown,up spirituall", when in fact, the" are not, and it
won=t work!
I am sure that a si6 "ear old child can see an
automoile or fire truck as it passes ", ut I dout if he is
thinkin* that he can dri(e them! He mi*ht tr" it! He mi*ht
clim upon the seat, ut his little feet wouldn=t e(en touch
the floor oards! He couldn=t dri(e either of them if he
wanted to! He can=t e(en put his foot on the accelerator
pedal! He is not i* enou*h ph"sicall"! It is the same with
some people who ha(e heard the faith messa*e! 9he" can
hear aout the fact that the" don=t ha(e to e sick, and
the" don=t ha(e to e poor, and the" can desire that and
want it, ut their faith lifeFtheir spiritual lifeFis not
sufficientl" de(eloped to handle it!
And the" *o off and sa", CI am not *oin* to *o to the
doctor an" more! I am not *oin* to use medicine an"
moreBC and the" do not ha(e their faith sufficientl"
de(eloped to elie(e for a roken fin*er nailB and the" are
tr"in* to elie(e for deli(erance from cancer! It won=t
work! 9hat is not ,aith) that is ,oo*ishness.
Use the means that are a(ailale to "ou as steppin*
stones to *et to that point where "ou won=t ha(e to use
steppin* stones an" more! $hen "ou first start out, "ou
are not there "et! &ou do not start out at the endB "ou start
out at the e*innin*! ;an" people are actin* (er"
foolishl", and the" are not actin* in faith at all!
CA(,T I :$ST 2#LI#'# &"* F"% L"TS
"F )"(#!?
7et=s look at another aspect in our e(er"da" life
relati(e to ,aith. 9his is an area where people can *et
o**ed down! 9he" want to know aout elie(in* @od
for mone"! I run into people all of the time, who want to
start ri*ht out elie(in* @od for a million dollars! Some
people think that @od will cause it to come to them Eust
ecause the" think aout it! :e wi** cause a million dollars
to come to "ou, i, "ou ha(e "our faith sufficientl"
de(eloped to elie(e for it!
If "ou ha(en=t een doin* too well elie(in* for
quarters, what makes "ou think that "ou are *oin* to
elie(e for a million dollars< It takes more ,aith ,orce to
elie(e in a million dollars, than it does to elie(e for a
quarter!
FAITH IS A F"%C#
9hink with me aout ,aith. Aside from all the
definitions that we ha(e *i(en "ou, think of ,aith as a ,orce.
It reall" is! Faith is a ,orce. It has power inherent within it!
If "ou will think of faith as a force, "ou will realiJe that it
can e de(eloped in ailit" to push or mo(e an oEect!
I fl" a lot, as I tra(el from one place to another! And
the power of the modern da" Eet aircraft ne(er ceases to
amaJe me, especiall" when I am ridin* on the Ci* irds,C
like the 72+22=s, )'2+=s, or 010=s! 9he pilot does not ta6i
out to the take,off runwa", press a utton, and Jip that
plane is in the air, fl"in*, with the wheels up! NO! He has
to start out slowl" on that runwa", and "ou can hear the
whine of the en*ines as he pushes the throttles forward!
9he plane e*ins to mo(e, slowl" at first, then faster and
faster, as he continues to push the throttles full" open, and
until the plane is mo(in* fast enou*h to ecome airorne!
But he doesn=t start off at his takeoff speed of 2/8,23+
miles per hour! He starts at Jero, and works up to that! If
"ou could Eust think of "our faith that wa"! 9he en*ines
can=t push the plane into the sk" all at once! It is the same
with faith! &ou ha(e to uild up and de(elop "our faith
force in "our life, and then put it a*ainst the issues of life!
)on=t tr" to put "our faith force a*ainst an issue when "ou
don=t ha(e that force de(eloped to push that issue,
ecause "ou will e operatin* in "resum"tion) and in
,oo*ishness.
It is not a matter of @od not wantin* "ou to ha(e a
certain thin*! It ma" e that "our faith is not sufficientl"
de(eloped to handle it! &our faith force is not stron*
enou*h to mo(e or push that oEect into e6istence! &ou
can take one of these little pri(ate planes like a %iper 'u
!0 Faith, Foolishness, or Presumption?
or a 'essna, or somethin* like that, and "ou could put it in
ehind one of those *iant 010=s and tr" to push it down the
runwa", ut it won=t work! 9hat little plane could ne(er
push it down the runwa"! It doesn=t ha(e the power! &ou
ha(e to ha(e a lot of power in operation to push that much
wei*ht! &our faith is like that! It is a real force, ut it has to
e de(eloped! As "ou *et it into motion, and keep it
mo(in*, "ou can push *reater and *reater oEectsB
whether it e an oEect of det, or sickness, or whate(er,
"ou de(elop "our faith! )on=t tr" to start out from the take
off runwa", and Eust Eump into the sk" and e airorne!
&ou can=t do it! Airplanes can=t do it and neither can "ou!
E(er"where I *o, I don=t care what color the people
are, or what plateau of life the" are li(in* on, how well
educated the" are, "ou can hear the same cr" comin* from
the mouths of e(er"od"! C$hat aout mone"< I don=t
ha(e enou*h mone"! How can I *et some more of it< $hat
aout elie(in* @od for finances<C
Some people hear this ,aith message and the" *o out
and quit their Eos! I ha(e actuall" known people who
ha(e *one out and quit their Eos! COh, praise @od,
Brother %rice, I am *oin* to li(e " faith!C &ou can see
ri*ht there that the" ha(e missed the whole thin*! 9he"
think that li(in* " faith means to li(e without an" (isile
means of support! 9hat is not li(in* " faith, and that is
how the $ord of faith has recei(ed such a ad
connotation in the minds of man" people!
Usuall" the people who sa", CI am *oin* to li(e "
faithDC and the" *o out and quit their Eos, ha(e a wife and
a a", and the" don=t ha(e food on the tale! &et the" call
that Cli(in* " faith!C 9he" sa", C$e are *oin* to elie(e
@od, Brother %rice! 9he 7ord is *oin* to pro(ide!C
Laying The Foundation !1
%ro(ide what< Muittin* "our Eo is not li(in* " ,aith.
Not onl" is it ,oo*ishness) ut it orders on presumption!
&ou don=t ha(e an" Scripture upon which to support that
kind of action!
C$ell, I am *oin* to elie(e @od! I am not *oin* to
work!C
Not workin* is not necessaril" an act of faith! It could
e an act of laJiness! It doesn=t automaticall" mean faith!
@od is *oin* to work throu*h channels! And I ha(e said
this efore, and I shall sa" it a*ainB @od is not *oin* to
drop an" mone" out of the sk" on "ou! If "ou are sittin*
around waitin* for @od to drop L2,+++ out of the sk" on
"ou, "ou are *oin* to e waitin* a lon* time! @od doesn=t
operate like that! @od is *oin* to rin* what He rin*s to
"ou throu*h some man! E(en if "ou walk down the street
and find some mone", it came throu*h some man!
CBrother %rice, @od will Eust make some mone"! @od
can do an"thin*!C
No He can=t? He can=t do e(er"thin*! He can=t lie! 9he
Bile sa"s that it is impossile for @od to lie, so that is
somethin* He can=t do! He can=t sa(e "ou unless "ou come
in repentance! &ou won=t *et sa(ed unless "ou come in
repentance, and elie(e in Iesus! 9he Bile sa"s that C@od
is not the author of confusion,C so He can ne(er start an
ar*ument! If there is an ar*ument, @od is not in it! He did
not start it! &ou seeFthere are some thin*s that He cannot
do! Neither can @od pour mone" out of the sk" on us! If
He did, He would e a counterfeiter!
C$ell,C "ou sa", CI don=t understand that?C
Sure "ou do! 9he United States 9reasur" )epartment
has alread" issued all the currenc" for the United States! It
is all in serial numers, in sequence! An"od" else that
introduces an" other mone" into this econom" is randed
a counterfeiter, and if "ou don=t elie(e it, "ou *o make
"ou some mone", and start spendin* that mone" and see
how lon* "ou last! 9he" will put "ou ehind ars as a
counterfeiter! All the mone" is alread" in circulation! @od
can=t Eust create some mone"! If He did, what serial
numers would the" ha(e on them< 9hose L2++ ills that
"ou sa" that @od will create, what serial numers would
the" ha(e on them, and what sequence would the" fall
under< As soon as the 9reasur" A*ent looks at the
numers and sees that there are no serial numers on
them, "ou are reall" in troule! How is @od *oin* to do it<
I used to ha(e that dream,state ideaB that somehow,
@od would Eust reach out o(er the alcon" of hea(en, and
"ell, CHe", #red,C and drop it down!
And I would Eust run out and sa", CAh,ha? @ot it?C It
doesn=t work that wa"! 9hat is ,oo*ishness; that is not ,aith.
@od is *oin* to work throu*h the hands of men! He will
mo(e on the hearts of men! He can work throu*h a Eo!
&ou ma" pra" and sa", C7ord, I need L2++DC and "ou
thou*ht that the L2++ was Eust *oin* to materialiJe out of
nowhere! No! It ma" come in the form of a Eo! It ma"
come in the form of o(ertime that nood" else can *et ut
"ou! It ma" come in the form of a raise, or it ma" come in
the form of somethin* else comin* to "ou that "ou didn=t
e(en e6pect to *et! )on=t think that ecause "ou walk "
faith, "ou do not work! 9hat is "resum"tion) and "ou ha(e
no Scripture on which to stand!
IF !"$ *"(,T "%7, !"$
SH"$L*(,T #AT
%aul *i(es us somethin* in / 9hessalonians 3B2+,28,
that ma" e a mind bogg*er for some who read this ook!
NoticeF%aul didn=t sa" this to us, CIf "ou can work it into
"our us" schedule, or see if it will fit into "our
denominational doctrine !!!!C No? He said, C#or e(en when
we were with "ou, this we commanded "ou, that if an"
would not work, neither should he eat! #or we hear that
there are some which walk amon* "ou disorderl",
workin* not at all, ut are us"odiesC G((! 2+,22H! 9imes
ha(en=t chan*ed, ha(e the"< CNow them that are such we
command and e6hort " our 7ord Iesus 'hrist, that with
quietness the" work, and eat their own readC G(! 2/H! In
other words, not spon*in* off the nei*horsB not spon*in*
off their other rothers and sisters in 'hrist, under the
*uise of CI=m elie(in* @od for mine! ;" ship will come in
some da"!C &our ship has sunk, Ba"! &ou had etter *et
"ourself a Eo! &our ship is under the water! 9he Book sa"s
that e(er" man ou*ht to eat his own read! CBut "e,
rethren, e not wear" in well doin*! And if an" man
oe" not our word " this epistle, note that man, and ha(e
no compan" with him, that he ma" e ashamed! &et count
him not as an enem", ut admonish him as a rotherC G((!
23F28H! Now, that is (er" plain, isn=t it< &et a lot of people
hear this faith messa*e and the" think that the" are *oin*
to Eust run out and elie(e @od!
&ou can elie(e @od throu*h "our Eo! @od will work
throu*h "our Eo! %erhaps "ou ha(e had opportunities,
and "ou pra"ed and elie(ed @od, and "ou thou*ht that
the mone" was Eust *oin* to fall out of the sk", and
someod" said to "ou, C)o "ou want to do some e6tra
work<C
CNo, not me, I elie(e in @od, Brother! I ain=t *ot no
time for no work! )on=t "ou see, m" hands are clean! I
! Faith, Foolishness, or Presumption?
elie(e in @od!C
9hat is not elie(in* in @od! &ou are operatin* in
,oo*ishness. @od ma" rin* "ou the Eo, a Eo that nood"
else can *et, at a time when nood" else can *et it, and
ha(e them pa"in* "ou mone" that nood" else could *et!
9hat will e @od pro(idin*! He works throu*h channels!
It is ,oo*ishness and "resum"tion to think that "ou are *oin*
to e6ist without workin*!
C$ell, Brother %rice, "ou don=t work?C
9hat is the dumest thin* "ou e(er said! 9he ministr"
is work! It is m" Eo! 9he Scripture sa"s, C;uJJle not the
o6, that treadeth out the cornBC and, C9he" that preach the
*ospel should li(e of the *ospel!C 9hat means that when a
man is in the full,time ministr", that ministr" ou*ht to
support him, and pa" all of his ills, and if it doesn=t, he
ou*ht to *et a Eo? 9he ministr" ma" look like pla" to "ou,
ut it is work! It is m" Eo! It is the Eo the 7ord has *i(en
to me, and as I am faithful in it, He alwa"s pro(ides all m"
needs! Because I am operatin* " faith doesn=t mean that I
can sit around and do nothin*! If I do, I am *oin* to e
like the ones who won=t workB the" ha(e nothin*, the" sit
in a are house with nothin* on the floor, and the" sit on
apple crates, and the a" has to sleep in a o6, when the"
could *et out and *et themsel(es a Eo!
If "ou are sittin* around sa"in*, CI am waitin* on the
7ord, the 7ord is *oin* to suppl" m" needsDC "ou are Eust
laJ", that=s all! 9he Bile is (er" plain aout the fact, that if
"ou do not work, "ou should not eat!
CI elie(e in @od, Brother %rice!C
$hat are "ou elie(in* for<
CI elie(e in @od to suppl" m" needs!C
Laying The Foundation !!
$hat do "ou think that was when that man walked up
to "ou and offered "ou that Eo for L/8+ a week< &our
finances ma" come throu*h a Eo! It ma" come throu*h
opportunities! I ha(e had opportunities to *o places, and
minister when it looked like a hopeless case, and a waste
of time to *o! But I was oedient to @od, and I went! I
didn=t e6pect to *et an"thin*! In fact, I e6pected to pa" m"
own wa"! I fi*ured the situation was so poor Eust lookin*
at it, ut @od spoke to the people, and the lessin*s Eust
came out of the walls! #olks would walk up to me and sa",
C9he 7ord told me to *i(e "ou this,C and I recei(ed man"
times more than I e(en dared to e6pect!
@od will work throu*h the situations! Someod"
mi*ht *i(e "ou a ack "ard to clean up! 7i(in* " faith
does not mean that "ou don=t ha(e a Eo! 7i(in* " faith
means that "ou do not *ook to that .ob as the source of "our
suppl", ut onl" as one of the a(ailale channels that @od
is usin* to pipe the mone" to "ou! 9here is a i*
difference! %lease notice what I saidB 9he man who walks
" faith does not look to the Eo as the source of his
suppl", ut simpl" as a present a(ailale channel that @od
is usin*! @od is m" source, ut it ma" e "our hand that is
the channel! It ma" e the Eo that mi*ht e the channel,
ut I don=t look to the Eo as m" source! &ou can easil" tell
the difference etween the man who walks, or li(es "
faith, and the man who is lookin* to the Eo as the source
of his suppl"! $hen the" start talkin* Cla"off,C the man
who looks to his Eo as his source, starts *ettin* a Eump"
stomach! He starts losin* sleepD he starts *ettin* cold,
sweat" hands, e(er" time he hears the telephone rin*, or
the intercom from the i* oss= office he starts shakin* in
his oots, and perspiration reaks out on him! His source
e*ins and ends with the Eo! $hen "ou talk Cla"off,C he
runs scared, ecause his source is aout to dr" up!
9he man who li(es " faith is not worried aout the
economic situation! 9he man who walks " faith is not
worried aout the cost of li(in* *oin* up! Suppose e**s *o
up to L8 a doJen! Suppose *as *oes up to L2+ a *allon!
$hat is that to our Hea(enl" #ather< He owns the cattle
on a thousand hills! He has a cit" up there with streets
pa(ed with *old! 9hat=s no i* thin*! 9he man who li(es
" faith is not concerned!
Sometimes, e(en now, as we are ein* so lessed, I
ha(e to help m" wife alon*! She came out of a kind of
po(ert" thinkin* situation! E(er" once in awhile, she *ets
a little distured aout how hi*h the price of meat is, and
the hi*h price of coffee! And I sa", CSo what< $ho cares
how hi*h it is< Hone", we can afford it? Our #ather is rich
in houses and lands, and we are not *oin* to depri(e
oursel(es of the niceties of life, and the necessar" thin*s,
and the thin*s we e(en want, ecause we don=t ha(e the
mone"! $e elie(e we do ha(e the mone", and @od will
*et that mone" to us ecause we are lookin* to Him as our
source of suppl"!C 9he thin*s in the natural don=t cause us
to run scared! 9he man who walks " lookin* at his Eo as
the source of his suppl", runs scared when "ou start
talkin* aout price hikes, and ta6 rises! $ho cares< 9a6es
ma" *o up, I don=t want them to, ut m" #ather can afford
it!
@od is our source! $hen "ou talk aout faith and
finances, and elie(in* @od for mone", "ou had etter
wake up and realiJe that mone" ma" come to "ou throu*h
a Eo! He will open up a wa" for "ou to make it! Suppose
the Eo onl" lasts a week< So what< He is not the @od of
Eust one week! He is the @od of all weeks! And He will
ha(e another Eo at the end of that week!
LI'I(& 2! FAITH *"#S(,T )#A(
-$ITTI(& !"$% :"2
)on=t think that ecause "ou are walkin* " faith, "ou
are supposed to run out there and quit "our Eo! If "ou
ha(e done so, and "ou are talkin* aout how "ou are
elie(in* @od, "ou are actin* in "resum"tion) and "ou
ha(e no Scriptural asis to stand on! 7et=s read these
words a*ain, that %aul *a(e to us, throu*h the anointin*
of the Hol" Spirit! C#or e(en when we were with "ou, this
we commanded "ou, that if an" would not work, neither
should he eatC G/ 9hessalonians 3B2+H!
$ife, if that rascal is not workin*, don=t feed him an"
more! 9ell him to *o *et himself a Eo! 9ell him that when
he *oes and *ets himself a Eo, "ou will cook for him! I
elie(e that "ou can help that rascal to *et off of his rusty
dusty if "ou stop cookin* for him, and he will *et out and
work! A lot of people sa", CBless @od, Brother %rice, I ha(e
to *i(e time to the $ord! I ha(e to stud" the $ord!C &ou
are stud"in* the $ord while "our kids are star(in* to
death< 9hat is not ,aith. 9hat is "resum"tion. 9hat is
,oo*ishness. CBut I ha(e to *et alone with the 7ord!C &ou
had etter *et alone with the emplo"er so that "ou can *et
alone with "our pa" check at the end of the week! 9here is
plent" of time at the end of the da" for "ou to *et alone
with the $ord, and *et alone with @od! 9he Bile is
tellin* "ou that "ou had etter work! And if "ou are not
workin*, "ou should not eat! So, the ne6t time that .ob
<uitter comes home and sa"s, C$here is m" dinner<C tell
him that if he doesn=t work, then he doesn=t eat! &ou ha(e
the Bile to ack "ou up! 9he Scripture is ri*ht there! 7et
him *et mad at @od if he wants to, ut this is where we
li(e! 9oo much of what is called Cfaith,C is foolish thinkin*!
&ou ha(e quit "our Eo, and "ou call that Celie(in* @od<C
as "ou stand out there and wait for the ra(ens to rin*
"ou read and flesh in the mornin*, and read and flesh
in the e(enin*!
C&eah, ut that=s what @od did for EliEah!C
Is "our name EliEah<
CNo?C
$ell, "ou had etter stop lookin* for the ra(ens then!
9hat is not ,aith) that is "resum"tion and ,oo*ishness.
$ork? @od will operate throu*h that Eo! I can *i(e
"ou testimon" after testimon" of people who ha(e worked
on their Eos, elie(ed @od, and @od has raised them up,
*i(en them raises, onuses, and thin*s the" did not e6pect
to *et, and He has Eust lessed them in e(er" wa" possile
throu*h that channel! $hen that channel ecomes too
small for @od to *et to "ou what He wants "ou to ha(e,
He will mo(e "ou out of there! He will mo(e "ou to
another position, mo(e "ou to another compan"! $ho
cares what compan" it is< He will less "ou throu*h that
channel, as "ou walk in faith, elie(in*!
It is foolish, talkin* aout how "ou are *oin* to elie(e
@od, and not *oin* to work! &ou don=t ha(e an" Scripture
to stand on! 9hat is "resum"tion6not ,aith. @od will
pro(ide "our finances throu*h an" channel that "ou ha(e
open! &our Eo is one channel!
;
5 Insuran5e? To Ha<e "r (ot To Ha<e
Another area which seems to e a stumlin* lock to
man" 'hristians is the question of insurance! Some people
ha(e the idea that to walk " faith means that "ou
shouldn=t ha(e an" insuranceB no automoile insurance,
no fire insurance, no life insurance, and no medical
insurance!
Is that walkin* " faith< Is that what faith means< I
know some who teach that!
I elie(e that it is wron* to tell another person to *et
rid of his or her insurance, ecause that puts people into
onda*e! If "ou teach this, "ou do not know that person=s
*e%e* o, ,aith. ;a"e "ou can do it, and if "ou wish to do so,
that is fine, ut don=t impose that on other people, and
make it mandator" for e(er"one, ecause "ou ha(e no
Scriptures to stand on! If "ou choose to *et rid of all "our
fire insurance, and "our life insurance, and "our medical
plan, health plan, and "our automoile insurance, that is
wonderful? If "ou want to do it, ut "ou cannot make that
a mandator" proposition for e(er"od" else, ecause "ou
ha(e no idea where someod" else=s faith is!
An"od" with two ounces of sense knows that
insurance does not keep thin*s from happenin*! #ire
insurance does not stop fires! ;edical insurance does not
stop sickness, does it<
$ell, what aout insurance< 9o ha(e or not to ha(e it<
9hat is the question!
;an" of "ou readers, ha(e had an automoile, and
ha(e had automoile insuranceB collision, liailit",
whate(er, and still ha(e had an accident! I am sure that
"ou did not intend to ha(e that wreck! But "ou had that
wreck ecause, number one= "ou are imperfectB number two=
"ou li(e in an imperfect worldB number three= "our
en(ironment is imperfect, and number ,our= those other
nuts dri(in* on the street are imperfect, Eust like "ou! So
the insurance does not stop the accident from happenin*!
$e are talkin* aout automoile insurance not stoppin*
an accident from happenin*! But I will tell "ou what it can
doB It can stop the de(il from takin* e(er"thin* "ou own!
&ou know the Bile tells us in Ephesians 1B/0, CNeither
*i(e place to the de(il!C It is sa"in*, C)on=t *i(e the de(il
an" place!C 9he word "*ace in the @reek is the word To"os)
and it is the word from which we deri(e the En*lish word
to"ogra"hy. To"ogra"hy has to do with the contour and the
surface of the landB islands, mountains, (alle"s, in other
words, the shape of the land! $hat the Bile is sa"in* is,
C)on=t *i(e the de(il a rock to stand on! )on=t *i(e him an
inlet, a peninsula, a cape, an island, a mountain peak, a
(alle"B don=t *i(e the de(il an" place!C
9hink aout thisD especiall" relati(e to automoiles in
the United States of America! $hat is the one thin* that an
indi(idual wants to do as soon as "ou hit him< Especiall",
if "ou hit him from ehind< 9he first thin* that he wants
to do is sue "ou! And he doesn=t want to sue "ou for Eust
the L2+ or so that it takes to *et an K,ra" picture! He
doesn=t want to sue "ou Eust for the L28 that he will pa" for
the consultation with the doctor! He doesn=t want to sue
"ou Eust for the L8+ he loses for not ein* ale to *o to
work! He wants to sue for L2,+++,+++! $h"< Because in
this societ", people are so mone" hun*r" that the" will
take e(er"thin* awa" from "ou if the" can, and feel
nothin* aout it!
As a 'hristian, "ou know that "ou are not lookin* to
the insurance to keep "ou from ha(in* a wreck, ecause if
"ou are, "ou are *oin* to miss it, ut that is one place that
"ou can stop the de(il, and he will ne(er e ale to take
an"thin* awa" from "ou!
I=m sure that "ou think "ou are a *ood dri(er! I
consider m"self a (er" *ood dri(er, ut I ha(e done some
thin*s that I could not help! I didn=t intend to do it, ut I
did it! $h"< Because I am imperfect!
9o *i(e "ou an illustration! $e had a 9o"ota, and
'her"l, m" dau*hter Gshe was ei*hteen at this timeH was
on her wa" to school one da" and had an accident! I don=t
know what happened ecause I wasn=t there! 'her"l
didn=t reall" know what happened either, it happened so
fast! One thin* that she knew was she hit the car in front
of her, and the car in front of her hit the car in front of
him, and the lad" ehind 'her"l=s car hit herB that was all
that she knew! $hen she looked up, e(er"od"=s car was
in perfect condition, ecause the" were i* cars, ut the
front end of her 9o"ota was smashed all the wa" ack to
the front doors! 9he first thin* that the man in front of her
wanted to do GHe didn=t ha(e a scratch on his car, not e(en
a scratch on his umper!H was sue! Sure, I commission the
an*els to watch o(er m" kids! Nothin* can happen to
them ph"sicall" to permanentl" hurt them! But the" ma"
do some dum thin*, and if the" do some dum thin*,
the" are *oin* to *et in a dum wreck! Rememer, "ou are
not perfect, and thou*h "our intentions are not to *et in a
wreck, "ou are in an imperfect situation!
If "ou are the head of "our household, I am talkin*
primaril" to "ou! &ou ma" e a sin*le woman, a sin*le
man, a husand, whate(er! &ou ma" e a di(orced
woman who does not ha(e a husand, ut "ou do ha(e
childrenB "ou ha(e a responsiilit" to do whate(er "ou can
to protect "our famil"! Stop and think aout itB insurance
is not a*ainst @od! 9he" don=t issue insurance a*ainst @od
in that sense! 9he" are tr"in* to help "ou! I ha(e
automoile insurance, ut I am not lookin* to that
automoile insurance as the source of m" protection! I
ha(e the minimum amount of automoile insurance that
the law requires me to ha(e! I could *o out and u"
L8,+++,+++ worth of automoile insurance to keep me from
ha(in* an accident! But I ha(e a wife and two dau*hters
li(in* with me! 9he "oun*est is not read" to dri(e "et, ut
she is *oin* to dri(e, and she is proal" *oin* to ha(e
her whack at it when she *ets there! I am not makin* a
ne*ati(e confession! I am talkin* facts! I did not talk that
child into wreckin* that car, ut when I *ot home, it was
wrecked! It was wrecked to the tune of L0++! I ha(e etter
thin*s to do with m" mone" than to pa" someod" to fi6
up dented fenders! I didn=t e(en dent it! I wouldn=t ha(e
minded it so much if I had dented it, ut I wasn=t e(en
dri(in* the car? &ou know, that *ets to "ouB pa"in* for
someone else=s mess up! But she is m" child! She didn=t ask
to come here! I rou*ht her into the world, and I ha(e to
do all within m" power that is reasonale to protect her in
e(er" wa"! $h"<
Because there is a ruthless societ" out there, and a
ruthless de(il, and a pack of ruthless demons that will tr"
to kill them an" wa" the" can!
I know she did not want to ha(e the wreck an"more
than she intended to ha(e it, ecause she didn=t want to
face me! )on=t "ou feel ad when "ou ha(e wrecked
somethin* that elon*s to someone else< &ou don=t want
to face them! 'her"l and Stephanie were oth in the car,
and neither *ot a scratch! It could ha(e een worse? I ha(e
seen people *et killed and there wouldn=t e a scratch on
the car! But I ha(e the an*els watchin* o(er them! &et, the
an*els can onl" protect "ou to the e6tent that "ou oe" the
e6istin* laws! I don=t mean Eust the law of 38 mph!, ut the
laws that operate in the ph"sical world! $hen "ou (iolate
those laws, "ou are *oin* to pa" some consequences! I
don=t care if "ou talk in ton*ues! &ou are *oin* to pa"
some consequences, and an"thin* that can minimiJe the
consequences, I am all for it! An"od" can mess up, "ou
know!
HAT A2"$T H#ALTH I(S$%A(C#?
I am not *oin* to spend all of m" mone" on
insurances, and *o out and u" L8+,+++ worth of life
insurance! I don=t need that? But I do ha(e some minimum
thin*s to protect m" famil"! 7et=s talk aout health
insurance! Some of these "oun* men are *ettin* married,
and the" ha(e come into contact with the $ord of #aith,
and the" ha(e decided that the" are not *oin* to u" on
time, or ha(e an" insurance, and the" are not e(en *oin*
to *o to the doctor! I elie(e that that is a mar(elous *oal
to shoot for! I am shootin* for it m"self on a minute,",
minute, second,",second asis! But I ha(e not arri(ed
there "et! I am not perfect "et, and neither are "ou!
Suppose "our wife=s female or*ans are *i(in* her such
a fit, she Eust doesn=t want to stand a*ainst an" more pain!
&ou are the husand, "ou are the pro(ider, and she is of
a*e, and ma"e she has heard the $ord, ut "our faith
cannot o(erride her faith! She has to at least e in
a*reement with "ou! &ou cannot o(erride her will!
Suppose she sa"s, CI don=t want to *o throu*h another one
of these natural childirths! I want "ou to take me to the
doctor, and let him *i(e me a shot and put me to sleep! I
don=t want an" more of that pain!C
$hat are "ou *oin* to do< 9ell her, CNo! &ou are *oin*
to ha(e a natural childirth, or *o to hell!C Of course not!
Some would think so! Stop and think aout it )octors are
not opposed to di(ine healin*! 9he" are not opposed to
@od!
I do e(er"thin* as accurate as I can, ut I am not
perfect! I can *uarantee "ou this, I am alwa"s shootin* for
perfection! I want to e perfect efore @od! I don=t
consider m"self perfect, ut I am sure tr"in*! 7et me tell
"ou aout an incident that happened to me!
One ni*ht, it was (er" late, we were comin* from a /1,
hour market and I did somethin* real dum! I didn=t mean
to do it, ut I did it! I was (er" familiar with the area,
althou*h I will ha(e to admit that the direction in which I
was dri(in* at that time was not one that I dro(e (er"
often! Since it was (er" late at ni*ht, there were no cars on
the street! Now, I am a law aidin* citiJen! It is alwa"s m"
intention to oe" the law! $e came to this si*nal, and I
wanted to make a left turn, and as we approached the
intersection, I suddenl" realiJed that I was not in the left,
turn,lane! I *lanced up at the si*nal, and I saw *reen, so I
whipped o(er into the left turn lane, and made m" turn,
Ri*ht in the middle of the turn, I suddenl" realiJed that
the left turn lane was controlled " a separate si*nal! I
thou*ht I saw somethin* red ack there when I saw the
*reen! And I looked ack quickl", and realiJed the *reen
li*ht was for the throu*h traffic, and the red for the left
turn lane! $hat was I *oin* to do< I was wron*! I didn=t
intend to do it! I was sincere! @od knew that I didn=t mean
to make that turn like that! I wouldn=t ha(e disoe"ed the
law for an"thin* in the world! &ou could not *et me to *o
throu*h, ut I did it! 9hank @od, there were almost no
cars on the street at that hour of the ni*ht! But that could
ha(e happened at an" intersection! But CHolier than 9hou!
%erfect me?C I did it?
9he point I am tr"in* to make is "ou need to realiJe
"our wife is not perfect! &our kids are not perfect, and
"ou, as a father, as a husand, and as the head of the
house, ha(e the responsiilit" to pro(ide for and protect
"our famil" to the est of "our ailit"! &es, pra" for them!
Sure, put the an*els around them! But I sa", use an"thin*
that is a(ailale to "ou to stop the enem" that=s not in
conflict with @od=s $ord! After all, I can=t find an"where
in the Bile where it sa"s, C)on=t *o to the doctor! )on=t
ha(e insurance, and don=t wear seatelts, or use a
parachute!C
PA$L *I*(,T ST"P A ST"%)
If "ou will look at the latter part of the ook of Acts,
"ou will find the *reat Apostle %aul, who had se(eral
(isions of the 7ord Iesus 'hrist, and wrote more than half
of the New 9estament, was on oard a ship, and the" lost
e(er"thin* on that ship!
C$h" didn=t %aul stop the storm<C
I don=t know! Iesus did, ut %aul didn=t! But nood"=s
life was lost! 9he" lost the ship, the" lost the car*o, the"
lost e(er"thin* on oard that ship! In fact, an an*el
appeared to %aul and said, CNo loss of life shall e
sustained, if e(er"od" sta"s on oard the ship!C
C$ell, wh" didn=t @od stop the storm< $h" didn=t
%aul stop the storm< $h" lose all that car*o<C
9here were o(er /++ people on that ship, and nood"=s
life was lost! 9hat is the most important thin*! $hat is a
car< Nothin* ut a piece of metal! $hat is a house< Some
plaster, and electrical wires! &ou can *et another house,
ut "ou can=t *et another "ou?
I can=t *et an" more children like the ones I ha(e now!
I can=t *et another wife like the one I ha(e now! And I
ha(e an oli*ation to protect them! &es, I am pra"in* for
them! &es, I ha(e the an*els encamped around them! &es,
I set the an*els around 'her"l that da" she went to school,
ut she still had the wreck! If I had not had the insurance,
that Eoker would ha(e tried to sue me, and I would ha(e
had to put up a lot more faith to fi*ht him off with all the
demons that were ehind him, tr"in* to sue me to *et rich!
On top of that, I would ha(e had to shell out L0++ for
nothin*! So, thank @od, I had insurance! It kept the de(il
off m" ack! &ou see, I am co(ered! I ha(e all the proper
insurance that I should ha(e, and I am not *oin* to spend
an" mone" for an" more! I am not *oin* to *i(e the de(il a
place in me! He is not *oin* to take e(er"thin* from me
o(er some dum automoile accident!
&ou can *o(ern "ourself accordin*l"! I am not *oin* to
tell "ou to *et insurance, or not to *et it! But I think "ou do
need to stop and thinkD if "ou ha(e responsiilities to
someod" else, "ou owe them somethin*!
;ost reputale doctors are doin* e(er"thin* the" can
to help "ou sustain "our life, are the" not< ;edicine is not
a*ainst di(ine healin*! ;edicine tries to *et "ou well!
$ell, I elie(e that there is a place in @od where "ou can
come to, in "our own indi(idual life, where "ou won=t
need a doctor, or the medication! But "ou ha(e a famil",
"ou ha(e a wife, "ou ha(e kids! &ou ha(e a responsiilit"
to them! ;an" times, a man is talkin* aout faith, and it is
not faith at all! It is foolishness, or presumption!
Sometimes, he is plain stin*"! He doesn=t want to pa" the
premiums! 9hen he is *oin* to insist that his wife elie(es!
But suppose his wife doesn=t elie(e< Suppose this time,
she is Eust tired of standin* a*ainst the pain, and she sa"s,
C9ake me to the doctorC<
$hat are "ou *oin* to do< 9ell her, C$ell, Hone",
elie(e for "our healin* or dieC< Are "ou *oin* to tell her
that, when it is within "our power to help< &ou know as
well as I do, if "ou ha(e an" sense at all, that doctors
cannot heal! &ou are not lookin* to the doctor as "our
healin* source! &ou know that healin* comes from @od,
ut until the healin* ph"sicall" manifests itself, what
aout that pain<
If "ou are hurtin*, wh" should "ou sta" awake all
ni*ht lon* with pain pills ri*ht ne6t to "our ed< All "ou
ha(e to do is take that pill and *et a *ood ni*ht=s sleep!
Now, understand what we are talkin* aout! $e are
talkin* aout Faith) Foo*ishness) $r Presum"tion. I am not
sa"in* to *et "ou a unch of pills and lean on them!
I don=t use pills m"self, ecause I do not need them,
ut if I needed one, I would take it, and not feel a thin*
aout it! I ha(e m" faith operatin* to such an e6tent that I
Eust don=t need them! 9hat doesn=t mean that I don=t *et
attacked, ut I am willin* to take whate(er pain the de(il
puts on me, ecause I want m" faith to work for me!
9hat is m" choice, ut I don=t impose that on m" wife
or m" kids! I ha(e no ri*ht to do that! 9he" ha(e free wills!
I should teach them, and show them @od=s est, and
praise @od, I ha(e done that, ut the choice is still theirs!
After all, sal(ation is not ased on *oin*, or not *oin* to
the doctor, or ha(in* or not ha(in* insuranceD ut on the
shed lood of 'hrist and our faith in that shed lood!
Once, Stephanie had an attack on her od" in her ear,
and the thin* had her climin* the wall! $e did all the
thin*s we knew how to do! $e laid hands on her from
stem to stern, we pra"ed, and we elie(ed @od, and she
did herself! She is a faith child! She was usin* her faith all
that she could, and doin* e(er"thin* that she could to
keep from whimperin* and cr"in*, ut "ou could see that
thin* was dri(in* her u**"! So, aout /B++ o=clock in the
mornin*, we had done all we could for her, and I *ot up,
Eust as i* as "ou please, and dro(e her to 'hildren=s
Hospital! I was not lookin* to 'hildren=s Hospital as our
healin* source, ut I fi*ured that there was somethin* that
the" could *i(e her to deal with the s"mptoms until our
faith took o(er and dro(e the thin* out of her od"! $h"
let a little nine "ear old lie there and suffer with her ears
crawlin*, and she doesn=t e(en know wh" she is hurtin*,
when I=(e *ot the power and ailit" to do somethin* aout
the pain that she is *oin* throu*h< I took her to the
doctor, and the" put some drops in her ears! E(en the
doctor didn=t reall" know what was wron*! 9he" fi*ured
it was some kind of infection! But I wasn=t lookin* to the
doctor for the healin*! I was lookin* to the doctor to *i(e
her somethin* where" she could *o to sleep! I couldn=t
make her sleep, and we were pra"in* and elie(in* @od
all we knew, ut the manifestation was not there, and she
was sufferin*!
I don=t mind sufferin*! I=ll suffer and take all the pain I
can take for me, ut I don=t put that off on m" wife and
kids! If the" want to do it, that is on them, and I let them
make their decisions! If the" sa" that the" want to *o to a
doctor, I=ll take them to the doctor! I am the father, and I
am *oin* to do e(er"thin* I can to protect the in(estment
@od has *i(en me! I don=t see medicine, medication,
doctors, hospitals, and nurses as anti,healin*, or anti,@od!
I see them as merel" assistants in the natural! An" doctor,
nurse, or hospital will tell "ou the" do all the" know to
relie(e the pain and sufferin*! 9he" are doin* the est
the" know how to do! If the" could do more, the" would
do it! 9he" are workin* on it ni*ht and da"!
9hat is not a*ainst di(ine healin*! Admittedl", it is not
the hi*hest le(el of health! @od is the hi*hest le(el of
health, ut doctors are tr"in* to help "ou! I elie(e that
each person ou*ht to e persuaded in his own mind,
whether or not he wants to take medication! And I don=t
think that a father has the ri*ht to make that mandator"
on his famil", and tell them, C&ou ha(e to do it this wa"!C
If the" come into a*reement with "ou, and the two of "ou
a*ree to do it, fine! But "ou shouldn=t make a hard fast rule
like that! It isn=t fair!
Some *u" will sa", CIt will hinder m" faith!C
9hat little a" is l"in* there, urnin* up with fe(er,
and "ou are talkin* aout whether or not it is *oin* to
hinder "our faith! )on=t e sill"! &ou aren=t e(en thinkin*
aout the a"! &ou are thinkin* aout how it is *oin* to
look for "ou! @oin* to hinder "our faith? How is that
*oin* to hinder "our faith< Is "our faith in the medicine<
CNo!C
$ell, then, it can=t hinder "our faith! I will tell "ou
what it will hinder! 9he onl" thin* that *i(in* some
medication to that a" that is urnin* up with fe(er, is
*oin* to hinder, is the de(il and demons from hurtin* that
child! 9hat is what it is *oin* to hinder! It will hinder him
from *ettin* his kicks!
$hen I took Stephanie to the doctor, he put some
drops in her ear, *a(e me a prescription to ha(e filled, and
told me to keep her home for the ne6t couple of da"s!
Now, at least she could *o to sleep! She did not ha(e that
pain dri(in* throu*h her ear! &ou know what happened
in the mornin*< $e ne(er did *i(e her an" medication!
$e ne(er did *et the prescription filled, and we didn=t
keep her home! She was well the ne6t da"! I don=t see a
thin* in the world wron* with that!
7ike I sa", "ou do it "our wa"! Iust rememer, when
"ou start li(in* in a world where there is no one else ut
"ouD when "ou dri(e "our car where there are no other
cars on the road ut "oursB when "ou are li(in* within
that little enclosed (alle" on "our island, with no other
cars on the road, no do*s, cats, chickens, or irds to cross
"our pathB when "ou *et into a place where there is
nood" ut "ou, and nood" else can e attacked "
sicknessFthen "ou make that stand and sa", CI=m not
*oin* to take an" medication! I=m not *oin* to the doctor,
and I=m not *oin* to ha(e an" insurance!C
9hat is fine for "ou to do that, ut I think if "ou are the
head of the house, and if "ou ha(e little children under
"ou, "ou ha(e a responsiilit" efore @od to take care of
them to the e6tent that "ou can, and do an"thin* that will
not (iolate @od=s $ord! I can=t find an" place in the Bile
where it sa"s, C)on=t take medicine!C I don=t see where it
sa"s, C)on=t ha(e an operation!C I do elie(e that there is a
etter wa" than that, ut "ou ha(e to *et to that place! &ou
ha(e to *row to that point where "ou can do that! &ou
don=t start out elie(in* after the doctor tells "ou that "ou
ha(e cancer! &ou had etter *o to the doctor, ecause I=ll
tell "ou ri*ht now, "ou are not *oin* to operate in faith,
"ou will e operatin* in desperation! If "ou were
operatin* in faith, and knew an"thin* aout faith, "ou
would not ha(e accepted the cancer in the first place! 9he
fact that "ou ha(e that thin* lets "ou know that "ou had
etter find a *ood sur*eon, or someod" to stem the tide
of that disease until "our faith can e de(eloped stron*
enou*h to dri(e it out of "our od"!
Now, I know that there ha(e een some people who
ha(e een healed, ut "ou watch and see, in ..N of the
cases where people ha(e een healed of cancer, it has een
when the *ifts of healin*s were operatin*! It was not that
indi(idual=s own faith standin* on the $ord of @od!
'heck it out! &ou will find that is true! I elie(e in
@od=s di(ine healin* in terms of the *ift of the Spirit
operatin*, ut accordin* to 2 'orinthians 2/B22, it sa"s,
CBut all these worketh that one and the self,same Spirit,
di(idin* to e(er" man se(erall" as he will!C @ifts of
healin*s work, ut "ou don=t know when it is *oin* to
work for "ou!
In the meantime, "ou are *oin* to let that precious
wife of "ours die< Are "ou *oin* to let the little child die<
Iust ecause "ou want to look super,spiritual to
e(er"od" around "ou, "ou are *oin* to let "our little
child urn up with fe(er all ni*ht lon*, when "ou can do
somethin* aout it< Shame on "ou!
$e are talkin* aout the practical aspects of faith! Is
this Faith) Foo*ishness) or Presum"tion+ Now, like I said, I
am not *oin* to *o out and u" L8,+++,+++ worth of
hospitaliJation! I don=t need that! But I am *oin* to la(e
enou*h a(ailale so that if m" wife sa"s, C7ook, I Eust don=t
feel like standin* a*ainst an" more pain! ;an, am hurtin*!
I want "ou to take me to the doctor, and get me a shot!C I
can take her to that doctor!
)o "ou think I am *oin* to tell her, C$ell Hone", "ou
are sinnin* if "ou *et a shot! &ou are *oin* to hell<C No?
I=ll tell her, CAll ri*ht, if that is what "ou want to do! &ou
know what the $ord sa"s!C But I ha(e no ri*ht to impose
this on m" wife, m" children, or famil"! I ha(e no ri*ht to
force that on them to make them do what I do! I can make
the decision for m"self, and I ha(e made m" decision, ut
I should not make that mandator" for them and sa" to
them, C&ou=re not in faith! @o cancel "our insurance!C
$hat is the insurance for an"wa"< Simpl" to *i(e the
de(il no place! I ha(e seen people lose their homes, lose
their life sa(in*s, and lose e(er"thin* the" had o(er a
sickness, or a cancer, or a prolon*ed illness! $as it worth
it<
9hank @od, when "our faith is mature and stron*, "ou
can do without the doctors and the insurance! 9hat is wh"
I tell "ou to use "our faith now, on the little issues of life!
)on=t wait until "ou *et cancer! )on=t wait until the doctor
tells "ou that it=s incurale, ut use "our faith ri*ht now!
9hen when "our faith is stron*, the de(il won=t e ale to
make the cancer stick on "ou an"how! But until that time,
I don=t think there is an"thin* wron* in usin* doctors,
medicine, or insurance if "ou need it! %raise @od, it is
a(ailale to "ou!
#aith should not e ased on not taking medicine) or not
going to the doctor) or not ha%ing insurance. It should e
ased on &od,s ord1
=
6 Family "bligations
In the last chapter we were talkin* aout insurance!
$e will discuss it a little more as we look at Fami*y
$b*igations. ;an" people ha(e a prolem with insurance!
9he" sa", CIf "ou are *oin* to li(e " faith "ou shouldn=t
ha(e insurance!C $here does it sa" that in the Bile< CBut
Brother %rice, that is inconsistent! If I am trustin* @od,
and elie(in* @od, then I don=t need insurance!C Ri*ht? If
"ou were li(in* on an island " "ourself with nood" else
to interact with, then it mi*ht e possile for "ou to li(e
without an" insurance! &ou wouldn=t need an" then,
ecause it would e Eust "ou and @od! But rememerB "ou
are not perfect, and neither do "ou li(e in a perfect
en(ironment! &ou li(e in an imperfect en(ironment, and
"ou are imperfect!
$hen it comes to other people, for instance, a husand
ha(in* a wife and children! He is not onl" the head of the
house, ut he is responsile to take care of those people!
%ro(idin* a home for them, and pro(idin* some securit"
and protection for themB whate(er is in(ol(ed in takin*
care of them! He is oli*ated to do that ecause he is the
head of the house!
Suppose "our wife decides not to use her faith and the
doctor tells her she has to ha(e an operation or she is
*oin* to die! Suppose she is pre*nant and has to ha(e a
cesarean section and she doesn=t choose to use her faith!
$hat are "ou *oin* to tell her< C&ou elie(e @od or die,
Hone"C< Is that what "ou are *oin* to sa"< Rememer, if
she is at the place where she knows how to use her own
faith, and she chooses not to use it, "ou cannot make "our
faith work for her in that situation, ecause she is
responsile to use her own faith! Suppose the doctor tells
"ou it is *oin* to cost "ou L8,+++, and "ou ha(e onl" L8 in
"our checkin* account! $hat are "ou *oin* to do, let "our
wife die< 9hese are the thin*s that "ou ha(e to consider!
&ou know as well as I that insurance is not *oin* to
stop an"thin* from happenin*! 9hat is foolish! Insurance
is not *oin* to stop "ou from ha(in* an automoile
accident, and insurance is not *oin* to keep "ou from
d"in*! But there is one thin* that it can doB it can keep
from *i(in* the enem" a place! Ephesians 1B/0 sa"s,
CNeither *i(e place to the de(il!C $h" shouldn=t "ou *i(e
the de(il place< If "ou don=t *i(e the de(il place, that
means that "ou don=t *i(e the de(il an opportunit"! A
*ood Scripture that shows wh" "ou shouldn=t *i(e the
de(il place is found in Iohn 2+B2+D Iesus is speakin* and
He is contrastin* the @ood Shepherd with someone else!
Iesus st"les Himself as the @ood Shepherd, ut He sa"s
that there is another fellow that is loose in the world, and
he is referred to as the de(il! Iesus said, C9he thief cometh,
not ut for to steal, and to kill, and to destro"B I am come
that the" mi*ht ha(e life, and that the" mi*ht ha(e it more
aundantl"!C 9he thief Gthe de(ilH comes for nothin* ut to
steal, and to kill, and to destro"! 9hat means that "ou ha(e
to e on *uard a*ainst the thief! Now, insurance is not
*oin* to stop the thief, ut it can *i(e "ou a measure of
protection a*ainst him, for "our famil" and "ourself!
C$h"<C
Because satan works throu*h people! He works
throu*h men! He is not *oin* to come fl"in* out of the
sk", ut he will work throu*h people! And "ou know as
well as I that in this societ" all "ou ha(e to do is dent
someod"=s door and the" are read" to claim Cwhiplash,C
and the" are read" to sue "ou!
9he" ne(er ask for Eust the amount to co(er the
doctor=s ill! 9he" want to *et rich quick, Ba"! 9he" are
*oin* to sue "ou for e(er"thin* that "ou ha(e! &ou can
count on "our fin*ers the times an"od" takes someod"
to court, and all the" want to do is *et the car fi6ed, or Eust
*et their medical ills paid, and the doctor=s ill, or Eust *et
compensation for the time that the" missed work! No! It is
alwa"s for L8+,+++! E(en thou*h "ou onl" did L8 worth of
dama*e, the" will sue for L8+,+++, ecause this is a (er"
mercenar" societ" that we li(e in! It seems as thou*h
e(er"od" is tr"in* to *et somethin* for nothin*!
Insurance can keep the de(il from stealin* e(er"thin* that
"ou ha(e worked for all of "our life to *et! Some don=t
ha(e much, an"wa", ut the de(il would like to steal all
that the" ha(e! Insurance doesn=t stop him from comin*
a*ainst "ou, ut it sure can *i(e him a hard wa" to *o
when it comes to him stealin* e(er"thin* from "ou!
I ha(e seen people who ha(e lost their homes! 9he"
ha(e worked for "ears, and the wife *ot sick, and the
husand=s insurance ran out! E(en the medical insurance
ran out! He had to end up liquidatin* e(er"thin* that the"
had! He had to sell the house, and the car! ;an" people
ha(e lost e(er"thin* the" had from a sickness, ecause
the" didn=t ha(e enou*h insurance!
Now, "ou are sa"in*, CBut we don=t elie(e in ein*
sick!C 9hat is ri*ht? I don=t either, ut let me ask "ou this
question! Since "ou ha(e een operatin* in faith, ha(e "ou
e(er een attacked with sickness and disease< Hasn=t the
de(il tried to put some sickness on "ou< Suppose he puts a
sickness or disease on "our little child, and "our little
child cannot come a*ainst it, what then< Or suppose "our
wife decides not to use her faith, and "ou ha(e no
insurance, what then<
P#"PL# A%# AT 'A%I"$S STA&#S "F
SPI%IT$AL &%"TH
I don=t look to insurance, ecause insurance can=t stop
an"thin* from happenin*! It can=t stop the attacks from
comin*, ut it can help to ward off the attacks! 5eep in
mind, people are at (arious sta*es of spiritual *rowth and
de(elopment! Nood" starts out with the same de*ree of
faith force in manifestation that the" will ha(e after the"
walk with the 7ord for a period of time! Insurance can e a
deterrent to the enem", until the person=s faith is
sufficientl" de(eloped to the point of not needin* an"!
$e li(e in an imperfect societ"! $e had a situation
happen ri*ht on the parkin* lot of the church, one da"! A
'hristian man came to Bile class to stud" the Bile! He
came to *et more information aout @od! He came for a
le*itimate reason and purpose! He was there on the
church *rounds to stud" the $ord of @od, and ecause he
was an imperfect human indi(idual, he was tr"in* to turn
his car around, and he miscalculated and ran into
someod" else=s carFanother 'hristian=s car ri*ht there
on the church *rounds! Both 'hristians were filled with
the Spirit, "et one 'hristian hit the other 'hristian=s car!
He didn=t mean to do it, ut it was aout L2++ worth of
dama*e! As I said, he didn=t mean to do it, ut "ou see we
are imperfect! $hen it has to do with other people, "our
children or "our wife, I elie(e that the head of the house
has the responsiilit" of pro(idin* protection if he can!
Someod" *ot an*r" at me once and said, C&ou know
that=s Eust not consistent! $alkin* " faith and ha(in*
insuranceB I Eust can=t see that!C
All ri*ht, let me ask "ou a question! )o "ou ha(e a
lock on the front door of "our house< )o "ou ha(e locks
on "our car< )o "ou ha(e locks on "our *ara*e< $ell, "ou
know as well as I that a lock certainl" doesn=t stop a thief
from comin* in if he wants in, ut I tell "ou what, if he is
walkin* down the street, lookin* for a house to reak into,
and he *ets to "our house and finds it all locked up, as
ti*ht as a drum, and he *oes ne6t door and that house is
wide open, he is *oin* to *o into the one that is the easiest
to *et into! If he reall" wanted to *et into "our house, the
lock will not stop him, ut the lock sure will discoura*e
him, and it makes his Eo Eust a little it harder! So, if it is
all ri*ht to ha(e a lock, it is all ri*ht to ha(e insurance! 9he
lock is insuranceB "ou Eust don=t pa" an" monthl"
premiums on it, ut it is the same principle!
I am tellin* "ou, "ou had etter lock that house up,
ecause the" will steal it! 9he" will rip "ou off! 9he de(il
will rip "ou off! $h" *o throu*h the hassle< ;" faith is
not in the lock and that it is *oin* to keep the criminals
awa", ut that lock is *oin* to make it hard for the thief to
*et in! I ha(e m" an*els on *uard, ut suppose I=m not Eust
ri*ht all the time! Suppose I do somethin* dum! Suppose
I lea(e somethin* open and don=t realiJe it! $e are not
perfect! $e use locks and insurance is the same thin*! Not
onl" that, ut did "ou know that the #ather @od uses
insurance< He has *i(en us an insurance polic"! In
Ephesians >B22, the Apostle %aul sa"s, C%ut on the whole
armour of @od G$hat for, %aul<H, that "e ma" e ale to
stand a*ainst the wiles of the de(il!C He didn=t sa" that
"ou would e ale to stop the de(il from comin* a*ainst
"ou! Notice, he didn=t sa" puttin* on the armour would
sto" him from comin*, ut it is *oin* to stop him from
*ettin* throu*h to "ou! 9hat is an insurance polic" as far
as I am concerned! 7ook at ((! 21,2>B CStand therefore,
ha(in* "our loins *irt aout with truth and ha(in* on the
reastplate of ri*hteousnessD And "our feet shod with the
preparation of the *ospel of peaceD Ao(e all, takin* the
shield of faith G$hat do I need a shield of faith for<H,
wherewith "e shall e ale to quench all the fier" darts of
the wicked!C )id "ou notice that the shield wasn=t *oin* to
sto" him from throwin* them, ut it is *oin* to stop them
from hurtin* "ou< If that isn=t insurance, I don=t know
what it is! 9he onl" thin* is, "ou don=t ha(e to pa" the
premium on it! Iesus has alread" paid it with His lood!
9here are (arious reasons wh" it mi*ht e ad(isale
for "ou to ha(e insurance! I ha(e it on m" famil", praise
@od? I don=t trust it to stop an"thin* from happenin*, ut I
am *oin* to pin the de(il down in that area!
I ha(e a wife and kids, and I don=t know when the"
mi*ht not want to elie(e @od! And I=(e een there
sometimes m"self! I ha(e een attacked to such a de*ree,
and een in such pain, that I almost wished that I had
ne(er heard aout faith and healin*! Sometimes I would
hurt so adl" until I wanted to *o to the doctor and let
him *i(e me a shot, and knock me out for si6 weeks, and
that would ha(e een eas"! But I knew etter! I knew that
there would e no wa" that I could e(er minister to the
Bod" of 'hrist if it didn=t work for me! If it doesn=t work
for me, I can=t preach it! I Eust can=t e phon"!
E(en thou*h it is still true, it would e hardFI
couldn=t, with an" real con(iction, share with "ou what
doesn=t work for me! I couldn=t tell "ou aout elie(in*
Iesus for healin* if I were sick m"self! So, I had to stand! I
made it up in m" mind that I was *oin* to standD that I
was *oin* to hurt, and I knew that hurtin* couldn=t kill
me! But the de(il wanted to scare me into thinkin* that the
pain would kill me! $ell, I Eust let the pain come! ;" wife
can tell "ouD I crawled around on m" edroom floor,
shoutin* and hollerin* at the top of m" (oice! I was in
such pain I couldn=t stand on m" feet ecause m" ack
was in such ad shape! I crawled on the floor! I had to
crawl out of the ed! I had to crawl into the shower, and
crawl up the wall and hold m"self up to take a shower! I
was under attack to that e6tent! But I refused to *i(e in to
it!
E(er"od" is not *oin* to do that! E(er"od" is not
*oin* to make that kind of commitment, and "ou can=t
force them to do so! 9he" will take the path of least
resistance!
I wanted m" faith to work for me! I didn=t want to
ha(e to call "ou up and ha(e "ou pra" for me! &ou mi*ht
not feel like pra"in* for me! &ou mi*ht not like the wa" I
wear m" hair, and "ou mi*ht decide not to pra" for me!
Or "ou ma" e on (acation somewhere and I couldn=t *et
"ou on the telephone, or the telephone mi*ht e out of
order! I would e up the creek in a oat with no oars! So, I
learned how to elie(e @od for m"self!
But I ha(e a wife and kids, and I am the head of the
house! I ha(e a responsiilit" to them! 9he" ma" decide
that the" don=t want to hassle that pain! After all,
medication and doctors are not opposed to di(ine healin*!
9he" are tr"in* to help "ou *et well! 9he onl" thin* is,
the" are onl" ale to deal with the s"mptoms! 9hank @od,
the $ord of @od deals with the cause of the thin*! %raise
the 7ord, that is the difference! But dealin* with the
s"mptoms can sure put "ou in *ood stead to handle the
cause!
)on=t put "ourself in onda*e, or let an"one else put
"ou in onda*e!
9here are man" people who are puttin* their wi(es
and children in onda*e! 9he" sa", C&ou are hinderin* m"
faith! &ou can=t *o to the doctor!C And the" let that little
a" lie there and urn up with fe(er! If "ou decide to do
that for "ourself, that is *reat! But it is neither ri*ht, nor
Scriptural to impose that on "our wife and children! Now,
if the" a*ree to it, fine! 9hen the two of "ou can a*ree
to*ether accordin* to ;atthew 2-B2., and @od will honor
that! But suppose the" don=tB "ou need to at least make
whate(er "ou can a(ailale to them, ecause the" are
countin* on "ou as their source in this life! Sure, the"
elie(e in @od too, ut "ou are the head of the house, so
"ou need to think aout it!
I don=t sa", *o out and u" L8,+++,+++ worth of
insurance! &ou don=t need that, ut *et enou*h where"
the de(il can=t steal e(er"thin* from "ou! )on=t think that
Eust ecause "ou don=t ha(e insurance, that "ou are
operatin* in faith! And Eust ecause "ou ha(e insurance
doesn=t mean that "ou are not operatin* in faith! &our
faith is not ased on whether "ou ha(e or don=t ha(e! &our
faith is ased on whether or not "ou are operatin* on the
$ord of @od!
$hen "ou *et to a point where "our faith and the faith
of "our wife and kids is operatin* to such an e6tent that it
is impossile for the enem" to put an" s"mptoms or pain
on "ou, then perhaps "ou won=t need an" health, medical,
or life insurance! 9hen "ou can do awa" with it if "ou
wish! But I elie(e if it is a(ailale to "ou, and "ou can *et
it, there is nothin* wron* with it!
I won=t ar*ue with "ou if "ou want to *et rid of "our
insurance, and take all the locks off "our house! I elie(e
that @od will honor that, ut I also elie(e that He will
honor the other! Especiall" when "ou ha(e other people to
consider and it isn=t Eust "ou!
SH"$L* I HA'# A(! LIF#
I(S$%A(C#?
$ell, one thin* for sure, if Iesus tarries "ou are *oin*
to die! And I=ll tell "ou for sure, there are no funeral
homes that I ha(e e(er heard of that will ur" "ou for free!
9he" want their mone", and the" want a lot of it! I ha(e
known people who thou*ht that the" were operatin* in
faith, and the" meant to do ri*ht, ut the" didn=t stop to
think aout all the issues, and satan *ot in throu*h
someod" makin* a mistake, and the" died! 9he" didn=t
e(en ha(e mone" for urial e6penses! 9hat doesn=t *lorif"
@od! 9hen someone has to run around, scroun*in*, and
e**in*, and hopin* that someod" will help pa" the ill!
&ou should at least, ha(e enou*h life insurance to ur"
"ourself! I am not *oin* to *o out like some people, and
put in for L2++,+++ worth of life insurance, ut I am *oin*
to die, and there is no point in m" wife e(en ha(in* to use
her faith to elie(e to ur" me! It costs mone" for the
ur"in* *round, and it costs mone" for the funeral, so a
little insurance is no different than takin* some mone",
puttin* it in the ank, and laelin* it, Curial funds!C 7ife
insurance doesn=t keep "ou ali(e, ut praise @od, it can e
a lessin*!
As I told "ou efore, m" wife and I had it tou*h
durin* the earl" "ears of our marria*e! Satan kept us
ound, and we didn=t e(en know that we didn=t ha(e to e
ound! Nood" was tellin* us how to *et out of onda*eB
all the" were tellin* us was, CSa", =Iesus, Iesus, Iesus?= Sa",
=@7OR&, @7OR&, @7OR&?= C $ell, that won=t pa" an"
ills! And "ou know, when "ou are first married, all those
insurance people find out aout "ou, and here the" come,
wantin* to sell "ou some insurance! $hat did I know
aout insurance< Nothin*! I $as "oun*, and I wasn=t
thinkin* aout d"in*! I fi*ured, =$ho needs insurance<C
$ell, the" scared me into takin* out a little life
insurance polic", and that life insurance polic" was one of
the thin*s that helped us to sur(i(e! I orrowed on it!
If "ou ha(e insurance, it is "our mone"! &ou can
orrow on it! It is like puttin* mone" in the ank! 9hat=s
all! &ou are Eust *i(in* the insurance companies the
pri(ile*e to use it to do other thin*s with it, ut it is "our
mone"!
A*ain, I am sa"in*, don=t *o out and u" all kinds of
insurance! 9he point I am makin* is, don=t let whether "ou
ha(e insurance, or do not ha(e insurance, e the
determinant as to whether "ou are operatin* in faith or
not! &ou ma" e operatin* in ,oo*ishness) or "ou ma" e
operatin* in "resum"tion.
I had some life insurance efore I came into the
knowled*e of faith and how to li(e " it, and I am not
*oin* to cancel it! It=s not much, ut m" faith is not in that
insurance to keep me ali(e! ;" faith is in the $ord of @od
to keep me ali(e! But I know that I am *oin* to die if Iesus
doesn=t come ack! And if I should *o the da" efore m"
wife *oes, she is still *oin* to ha(e to make arran*ements
to ur" me! Or if m" wife and I *o to*ether, our kids are
*oin* to ha(e to ur" us! $ell, wh" should the" ha(e to
*o out and *et some mone" from somewhere! I Eust pa"
for m" thin* ahead of time, contrar" to what some folks
are sa"in*B if Iesus tarries, I am *oin* to die! And "ou are
*oin* to die! It has een >,+++ "ears from Adam and
nood" has een ale to o(ercome it "et, and "ou are not
*oin* to start now! &ou are *oin* to die, so "ou mi*ht as
well make preparations for it, and *et it out of the wa"!
9hat is all m" insurance will do, pa" for the urial! I don=t
think that that is a lack of faith!
I elie(e @od, ut these are thin*s that ha(e to do with
e(er"da" life that we li(e!
Someod" sa"s, C$ell, the Apostle %aul ne(er had an"
insurance!C Be fair, "ou know the" didn=t ha(e insurance
when %aul li(ed! 9here wasn=t an" ;etropolitan 7ife
Insurance 'o! then! And that makes a difference!
I am not tellin* "ou to *o out and *et some insurance!
I am tr"in* to strike a alance, and *et "ou out of
onda*e! I want to *et "ou to a point where "ou realiJe
that "our faith ou*ht to e ased on the $ord of @od,
while other thin*s are incidental! )on=t put "ourself in
onda*e, and don=t put "our famil" in onda*e, "
makin* them feel like the" are sinnin* if the" ha(e
insurance! $hether "ou ha(e it or not is irrele(ant and
immaterial! If "ou elie(e @od, and "our faith is stron*
enou*h "ou won=t ha(e to ha(e an" insurance, ut Eust e
sure "ou ha(e enou*h faith to elie(e for "ou, "our
famil", "our wife, "our kids, and all the other people that
"ou are li(in* around all the time! &ou will ha(e to use
"our faith on all of them, to keep them from runnin* into
"ou! Sure, "our an*els will keep "ou from *ettin* killed, I
elie(e that! But Brother, I ha(e used m" faith and m" cars
ha(e still een an*ed up! ;" famil" still an*ed up m"
cars!
9he point I am makin* is thisB Is it faith, necessaril",
ecause I don=t ha(e insurance< )oes it mean that I lack
faith ecause I ha(e insurance< I elie(e that it is
irrele(ant and immaterial! 9he question is reall", C$here
are "ou puttin* "our trust<C
;" trust is not in an" insurance policies! 9he" are Eust
simpl" some a(ailale securit" measures that close the
door to the enem", and keeps him from comin* throu*h
that method and wipin* me out financiall"!
&ou make the decision! But I don=t think that it is faith
for a husand to Eust impose that on his wife and child,
and especiall" newl"weds, " tellin* them that he is Eust
*oin* to elie(e @od, and his faith is not e(en de(eloped
"et! It is Eust so eas" to *et those thin*s, and when "ou *et
to a point where "ou don=t need them, less @odFEust *o
ahead and do without them! )on=t make that a rule, and
put others in onda*e " makin* them feel that the" are
sinnin* if the" do ha(e insurance! &ou know as well as I,
that locks are not *oin* to keep ur*lars from reakin* in
if the" reall" want to reak in that house! And insurance is
not *oin* to keep "ou from ha(in* a wreck an"more than
the shield of faith is *oin* to keep the de(il from throwin*
the darts at "ou! But it will help "ou to quench them when
the" *et there! %raise the 7ord?
>
7 hat About Ta9ing )edi5ation?
A lot of people put undue strain upon their wi(es and
children concernin* healin* and not takin* medication!
%eople ma" ha(e a sick a", and the" could *et it a shot
and help the child! And the" Eust sit there and let that
a" suffer all ni*ht lon*, urnin* up with a fe(er, and
the poor a" doesn=t e(en know what is *oin* on! $hat
does that reall" pro(e< )oes that pro(e "ou ha(e faith,
ecause "ou let "our a" urn up with a fe(er< Is that an
automatic si*n that "ou ha(e faith<
$ell, I elie(e in healin*, ut I also ha(e enou*h sense
to know that all di(ine healin* is not instantl" manifested!
SoFwhat aout the s"mptoms in etween the time "ou
pra" and elie(e @od, and until the ph"sical manifestation
comes<
&ou need to understand that all healin* is not instantl"
manifested! I ha(e seen people who were pra"ed for, and
the" thou*ht that their act of faith was to throw awa" their
*lasses! 9he" ha(e thrown their e"e*lasses awa" or
Eumped on them and roken them up, sa"in*, C9his is m"
act of faith, Bless @od? I=m operatin* in faith, praise the
7ord?C And the" couldn=t e(en see their hand in front of
their face! 9he" sa", C%raise the 7ord? I=m elie(in* @od
for m" healin*! Oops? E6cuse Gme, I didn=t see "ou!C I don=t
know wh" people *et off in this! I ha(e ne(er tau*ht it!
An"od" that has een under this ministr" has ne(er
heard me tell an"od" to throw awa" their *lasses! %eople
*et that on their own! 9he" still don=t understand the ,aith
message. 9he" still are relatin* faith to thin*s, instead of
relatin* faith to the $ord!
A "oun* lad" came up to m" wife and me one time,
almost whimperin*, almost in tears! She hardl" had an"
friends now! Nood" would ride with her in her car! $e
couldn=t fi*ure out what in the world could e wron*!
#inall", she said, CI claimed m" healin* for m" e"es, ut I
can=t see m" hand in front of m" face! But I don=t know
wh" nood" will ride with me in the car!C I do? I know?
%oor thin*! 9hat isn=t ,aith) that is ,oo*ishness.
&ou ma" lau*h at that, ut I run into this all the time!
Stop and think aout thisB In a case like this, "our faith is
not reall" in the $ord of @odB it is in not wearin* *lasses!
5eep in mind that in di(ine healin*, all di(ine healin* is
not instantl" manifested! Especiall" faith healin*! If "ou
are makin* a claim " faith on @od=s $ord for "our
healin*, it doesn=t alwa"s come instantl"! If "ou *o
without "our *lasses in the meantime, what are "ou *oin*
to do< 5ill someod", run some pedestrian down, kill
"ourself and "our own famil", ecause "ou can=t see "our
hand in front of "our face< 9o *o out there and dri(e,
when "ou can=t see is ,oo*ishness; not ,aith. $hat does
wearin* *lasses or not wearin* *lasses ha(e to do with
"our e"es ein* healed an"wa"< Nothin* reall"Funless
"ou put "our faith in the *lasses! If "ou put "our faith in
the *lasses, and "ou take them off, then "ou are in troule,
ecause "ou ha(e discarded "our faith! But if "our faith is
in the $ord of @od, then let the $ord of @od e the
e(idence of thin*s not seen, accordin* to Herews 22B2! If
"ou can do without "our *lasses in certain situations,
don=t wear them, ut if "ou need to wear "our *lasses,
then *o ahead and wear them! And e(er" time "ou put
them on, sa", C%raise @od, I elie(e I am healed!C
&ou ma" sa", C$ell, I Eust don=t understand that!C
Ri*ht! 9hat is ecause "ou still do not understand how
faith works! &ou are asin* "our faith on not takin*
medication! &ou are asin* "our faith on not *oin* to the
doctor! &ou are asin* "our faith on not wearin* *lasses!
&ou are asin* "our faith on not ein* in the wheelchair,
instead of on the $ord of @od! $hen "ou stop and think
aout it, "ou will know that wearin* *lasses doesn=t heal
"our e"es, ecause if wearin* *lasses could heal "our
e"es, "ou would not ha(e to pra"! &ou would Eust wear
"our *lasses! If "ou ha(e worn *lasses for an" len*th of
time, "ou know that "our e"es do not, normall", *et etter
ecause "ou wear *lasses! 9he" *et weaker, and o(er the
"ears "ou ha(e to increase the stren*th of the prescription
to compensate for the deterioration of "our e"es!
9herefore wearin* *lasses is irrele(ant and immaterial to
whether "ou are healed or not!
;an" people still do not understand that if the" put
their faith in their *lasses and the" take them off, the" are
in serious troule! 9he" tr" to function as thou*h the" are
healed, when in fact the" are not healed "et! Because if
"ou were healed, as a ph"sical fact, "ou wouldn=t ha(e to
wear *lasses! If "ou actuall" had the healin* ph"sicall"
manifested "ou would know it! #or instance, as "ou read
this ook, and if "ou are wearin* *lasses, and if "ou were
to remo(e "our *lasses, "ou would not e ale to see!
9hen suddenl", the healin* of "our e"es manifested itself,
do "ou know what would happen< &ou wouldn=t e ale
to see throu*h "our *lasses! )on=t "ou think that "ou
would know that "our e"es were healed< Nood" would
ha(e to tell "ou to throw "our *lasses awa"?
3FAITH IS TH# #'I*#(C#11113
9he point that I am makin* is thisB If "ou take "our
*lasses off and "ou cannot see, then that ou*ht to tell "ou
that "ou are not healed "et, as a ph"sical fact! &es, "ou are
healed as a faith fact, ut rememer, accordin* to
Herews 22B2, C#aith is the e(idence of thin*s not seen!C
It=s not the fact that "ou don=t ha(e the *lasses on! It sa"s,
CNow faith is the sustance of thin*s hoped for, the
e(idence of thin*s not seen!C It doesn=t sa" that takin* off
"our *lasses is the e(idenceD it sa"s that Cfaith is the
e(idence!C
9he (er" fact that "ou cannot see without "our *lasses
ou*ht to tell "ou that "ou are not healed "et as a ph"sical
fact! &ou wouldn=t need the *lasses if "our healin* were
manifested! It is the same thin* with the wheelchair!
Some people ha(e hurt the ministr" of di(ine healin*!
9he" are Eust so an6ious to see a miracle! I ha(e seen them,
and it has done a disser(ice to the ministr" of di(ine
healin*! Because of their actions the" ha(e put in the
minds of man" people that healin* is Eust a Cunch of Eunk
and a fake!C
9he" will sa", C@et up and walk in Iesus= name!C And I
ha(e watched people *et up and fall ri*ht on the floor! 7et
me tell "ouFif a person in a wheelchair elie(es he is
healed " faith, it ma" not e a ph"sical fact "et! $hen it
does ecome a ph"sical fact, nood" will ha(e to tell him
to, CRise and walk in Iesus= name!C 9he" will rise and
walk, ecause the" will e the first to know that the" are
healed!
$hether "ou wear *lasses, or ride around in a
wheelchair, if "ou elie(e that "ou ha(e recei(ed "our
healin* accordin* to the $ord of @od, then it is a faith
fact! It is not a ph"sical fact "et! Because if it were a
ph"sical fact "our urine would not show su*ar to indicate
that "ou need insulin! If "ou are elie(in* @od to heal "ou
of diaetes, do not ase "our faith on not takin* insulin, or
an" other kind of medication!
9here was a celerated case one time in the news! A
o" died, and it set di(ine healin* ack in the minds of
man" people! An e(an*elist came to town and said, C&ou
are healed in Iesus= name!C It is said that the parents took
the insulin awa" from the little o", and he e*an to *o
into insulin shock!
9he little o" said, CI need m" medicine! I need m"
medicine! @i(e me m" medicineBC and the" wouldn=t *i(e
it to him!
9he" didn=t understand at all, and the" thou*ht that "
takin* awa" the medicine, healin* would come! 9hat is
not ,aith. 9hat is "resum"tion.
HAT CA( I *", TH#(?
&our initial, primar" act of faith is the confession of
"our mouth of what "ou elie(e in "our heart, ased on
the $ord of @od! &ou are not alwa"s ale to act
ph"sicall"! No one should tell someod" to *et out of the
wheelchair! I=m sure the person in the wheelchair wants
to, and has tried to *et out of the chair, ut until the
healin* takes place, he can=t *et out of that wheelchair!
And he doesn=t ha(e to *et out of the wheelchair to pro(e
that he is healed as a faith fact! It is " the confession of his
mouth, accordin* to what the $ord of @od sa"s! And
when the power comes and the healin* actuall" takes
place ph"sicall", then he will *et up!
)on=t *et into a a* of tr"in* to pro(e that "ou are
healed " not takin* medication! If "ou can do without it,
then don=t take it, ecause the medication is not *oin* to
heal "ou an"howB it helps the s"mptoms!
I don=t choose to take an" medication for m"self! I
ha(e made it up in m" mind, ut that is Eust for me!
)on=t tr" to do what someod" else does, unless "ou
know the depth of their commitment from their heart! &ou
can=t know that Eust " listenin* to them talk! It is nice to
want to emulate someod"! It is nice to want to ha(e a
*oal to shoot at, ut "ou had etter e sure that "ou can
handle the action efore "ou put "ourself in that situation!
I don=t ha(e an"thin* a*ainst medicine, ecause medicine
is not a*ainst di(ine healin*! ;edicine can work with
di(ine healin*! ;edicine is not @od=s hi*hest or est!
9here is a etter wa" when "ou know how to use "our
faith! $hen "ou ha(e de(eloped "our faith to such an
e6tent that "ou can stand on the promises of @od, then
"ou won=t need medicine!
9hat=s the reason that I don=t take medicine! If I needed
some medicine, and I wanted to take it, I would take it! I
wouldn=t feel a thin* aout it, and it would not put me
into onda*e!
I am tr"in* to help some of "ou husands who put
"our wi(es and children into onda*e, and make them
suffer, Eust ecause "ou want to stand in faith! 9hat is
*reat for "ou to stand in faith, and I elie(e that "ou
should do so, ut I don=t think that "ou should impose that
on "our wife or children! If the" decide that the" want to
a*ree with "ou for their healin*, do it! $onderful! But I do
not elie(e that "ou are ri*ht if "ou make them do so! 9hat
is not what the Bile tells "ou to do! 9he" ma" not e
read" for that!
9he (er" fact that that little o"=s od" needed insulin
shows "ou that he wasn=t healed as a ph"sical fact "et,
ecause if he were healed he wouldn=t ha(e died!
TH#%# IS A *IFF#%#(C# 2#T##( A
FAITH FACT A(* A PH!SICAL FACT
$hen "ou elie(e @od accordin* to the $ord of @od,
"ou ha(e "our healin* as a faith fact, and the $ord of @od
ecomes the e(idence of it! $hen "ou ha(e it as a ph"sical
fact, then "ou don=t need an" e(idenceB "ou ha(e it! 9hank
@od, that medication is a(ailale if "ou need it! 9here is
no point in "ou tossin* to and fro all ni*ht lon*, in pain,
and not sleepin*, when "ou ha(e a pain pill sittin* ri*ht
" "our ed! @od doesn=t *et an" particular *lor" out of
"ou whinin* and cr"in* all ni*ht lon*, and "ou don=t *et
an" sleep! @od doesn=t *et an" *lor" out of that! Howe(er,
if "ou, as an indi(idual choose to do this on "our own,
that is different! I ha(e made it up in m" mind that I am
*oin* to act on @od=s $ord! But that is m" choice, and I
will not impose it on m" wife or m" kids! 9he" know what
I elie(e, and the" know what I stand for! 9he" hear me
preach it, and if the" want to stand in faith the" can! But I
am not responsile for them standin* in faith, and the"
are not responsile for me standin* in faith!
If the" want to *o to the doctor, I=ll take them! If the"
need medicine, and it will do them some *ood, I will *i(e
it to them, and won=t feel a thin*! 9hose are m" kids, and
that is m" wife, and I lo(e them! I don=t want satan
messin* with them, and the" ma" not e ale or willin* to
make the kind of commitment that I ha(e made!
E(er"od" is Eust not *oin* to make the same
commitment!
9here are some decisions that "ou ha(e to make for
"ourself! And "ou cannot impose those decisions on
someod" else, and call it CfaithC ecause their will is
in(ol(ed! &ou ma" e actin* ,oo*ish*y) or "ou ma" e(en e
*ettin* o(er into "resum"tion. $hen it comes to someod"
else, their will is in(ol(ed, and the" can a*ree to it, then
"ou can a*ree in pra"er to*ether! But Eust to impose it on
them " sa"in*, C&ou ha(e to stand in faith, and "ou can=t
take an" medicine,C is not necessaril" ,aith.
I am sa"in* this to "ou if "ou are a "oun* husand! It
is *reat that "ou want to stand in faith, ut "ou ha(e to
take into consideration "our wife and "our kids! )on=t
ase "our faith on not taking medication. @et that out of
"our mind! ;edicine is not opposed to di(ine healin*! It is
all for it! It is Eust on a lower le(el, ut @od can work
throu*h medicine! I ha(e seen people healed throu*h
medicineB it wasn=t actuall" the medicine that healed them,
ut the medicine and the limited amount of faith that the"
put in @od, *a(e @od an a(enue " which He could work
throu*h that medicine to make the thin* come to pass! I
ha(e seen @od work throu*h sur*eonsB I=(e seen Him
work throu*h doctors! 9he doctor said, C;an, "ou=ll e
laid up for si6 weeks at least!C And the person *ot out in
three weeks! 9he doctor had to admit that it was a miracle!
But it was a miracle on a lower le(el, ecause the person
had to e cut on! He had to *o to the doctor!
Rememer, *oin* to the doctor is not opposed to faith,
nor is it opposed to di(ine healin*B it is simpl" *ettin* it
on a lower le(el! It ma" cost "ou more, and "ou ma" end
up with onl" one arm instead of two! But it doesn=t mean
that "ou ha(e sinned! It is Eust on a lower le(el! But friend,
if "our faith is not operatin* at its hi*hest le(el, one of the
est friends "ou will e(er ha(e will e a *ood doctor!
L#A%( T" $S# !"$% FAITH "(
S)ALL THI(&S
7earn how to use "our faith on the ne6t headache that
comes to "ou! 9here ma" e some medical records on it,
ut I don=t know of too man" cases where people ha(e
died from headaches! 9here ma" e some cases, ut on the
a(era*e, a headache is usuall" not terminal!
)on=t wait until the doctor takes a iops" and tells "ou
that it is mali*nant, to elie(e @od for "our healin* of
cancer! Because "ou will not e comin* in faithB "ou will
e comin* in desperation! Start usin* "our faith on the
ne6t pain that tries to approach "our head! )etermine, CI=ll
not take an" Bufferin, or Anacin talets for it! I am *oin*
to use m" faith! I am *oin* to uild m" faith!C If "ou can=t
elie(e for a headache, there is no wa" in the world that
"ou are *oin* to elie(e @od for the healin* of a terminal
cancer!
I STA%T#* $SI(& )! FAITH "(
S)ALL THI(&S
I started usin* m" faith on coldsB Eust the common
cold! I started elie(in* @od! I stopped takin* patent
medicines for cold s"mptoms! I wouldn=t accept the
s"mptoms, or take an" medication! I stood a*ainst it e(en
thou*h I had some miserale da"s, and times! But I was
determined that I wanted to use m" faith, and I knew that
ordinaril" a cold wasn=t *oin* to kill me! I can stand that,
e(en thou*h it was painful in man" of the ph"sical aspects
of it! But I was determined that I wanted to learn to stand
in faith! I used m" faith on the colds, and I used it on the
flu! I used m" faith on the little issues of life that weren=t
terminal situations! Now, I ha(e m" faith mo(in*! I
de(eloped m" faith to the point that it dro(e a tumor out
of m" od"! It made a tumor disappear out of m" od"!
And I sa" to "ou, learn how to use the principles of faith!
7earn on the ne6t headache that "ou *et! Instead of takin*
the pills, use "our faith! 9here is nothin* wron* with
takin* the pillsB don=t *et into onda*e o(er that! But the
point that I am makin* is, the onl" wa" that "ou will learn
to use "our faith is to use it! 9hat is how "our faith *rowsB
when "ou use it! Use "our faith on somethin* that is not
terminal, and then when the de(il tries to approach "ou
with cancer, or somethin* else that is terminal, "ou can
stand a*ainst him with no sweat! $h"< Because "ou will
ha(e de(eloped "our faith to the point where it is workin*
for "ou!
9here are (er" few people that I=(e e(er seen, who
ha(e een healed after the doctor told them that the" had
terminal cancer, " usin* their ,aith. If the" were healed, it
was usuall" the gi,ts o, hea*ings that operated throu*h
someod"=s ministr" like the late 5athr"n 5uhlman t"pe
of ministr"! 9hat was not faith healin*B that was the gi,ts o,
hea*ings) and the" operate as the !"irit wi**s) not as we will!
And the thin* aout it is, "ou ne(er know when the Spirit
wills! But, thank @od, "ou don=t ha(e to wait until the
Spirit wills! @od alwa"s wills throu*h His $ord! So learn
how to use "our faith on the little issues of life! But do not
impose "our faith on "our famil", "our wife or "our
children, Eust ecause "ou want to elie(e @od! @i(e them
the enefit of makin* that decision! And if so, fine! But if
the" need medicine then *i(e it to them! If m" kids, or m"
wife wants some medication, I=ll u" it for them and I Eust
praise @od that I am in a position where I can afford to
u" it now, if I need it! I am not *oin* to e so foolish as to
think that satan doesn=t tr" to put that stuff on me, ecause
he does! And I ne(er know when m" wife ma" decide that
she doesn=t want to fi*ht it an"more! She ma" sa", C@i(e
me a shot, and let me *o to ed for a few da"s and for*et
it! I don=t want to stand in faith!C It is work to stand in
faith! It is *oin* to cost "ou somethin* to stand a*ainst the
enem"! He will rin* the stuff on "our od" and put
thou*hts in "our mind to make "ou think that "ou are
*oin* to die! He will tr" to run "ou scared! It is a constant
attle! And sometimes people don=t want to fi*ht
an"more!
If "ou ha(e a famil", "ou ha(e a responsiilit" to them!
It is not a sin to use medication! 7ike I said, it is not in
opposition to di(ine healin*! ;edicine is tr"in* to make
"ou well, ut it is Eust on a lower le(el! If "ou will learn
how to use "our faith on the little issues that are not
terminal, "ou can *row to the point where "ou won=t need
an" medicine!
I ha(en=t taken an" medicine in se(en "ears, and I
don=t plan to do so! I can sa" that for m"self, ecause I can
decide what I do! But I can=t sa" that for m" wife! I trust
that she will elie(e like I do! I trust that m" kids will also!
I ha(e seen this too often! Some children, e(en thou*h
the" *row up around the faith messa*e, and e(en thou*h
the" see )ad operate in it, it is Ga lot of timesH Eust a little
easier to let )ad do itB Operate on the parents= faith! It is
easier to let someod" else do it! But oh, what a Eo" it is to
learn how to do it for "ourself! $hat a Eo" to learn how to
stand on @od=s $ord for "ourself! So don=t let medication
e the thin* that decides whether "ou are operatin* in
faith or not, and don=t let the lack of medication e the
determinin* factor! &our faith is ased on @od=s $ord!
&ou stand on the $ord of @od! If "ou need a crutch or
somethin* to help "ou alon*, then praise @od, hole
alon* until "ou *et "our faith mo(in* to the point where
"ou don=t need the crutch!
&#T THAT FAITH *#'#L"P#* FI%ST
)on=t put "ourself in onda*e, and don=t open the
door for the enem" to kill "ou, when "our faith is not
sufficientl" de(eloped to handle the situations that come
a*ainst "ou! )on=t Eust sit there and sa", C$ell, I=m Eust
*oin* to tou*h it out!C ;a"e "ou can, ut "ou had etter
know that "ou can! &ou had etter know "our own
commitments! &ou had etter know that "ou are not *oin*
to *et scared, half,wa" throu*h, and let the de(il scare "ou
off!
7ike some s"mptoms, the" won=t look so *ood, and
"ou need to e careful! Someod" will sa", CI don=t need
that!C $ell, praise the 7ord, it ma" not e for "ou! But it is
for some, ecause I run into this prolem o(er and o(er
a*ain! %eople are asin* their faith on not takin*
medication! 9he" are not asin* their faith on the $ord of
@od! Basin* "our faith on not takin* medication is not a
*ood enou*h place to put "our faith!
%ut "our faith on the $ord of @od! )e(elop "our faith!
Use "our faith, and then "ou won=t need the medication!
&ou won=t need the insurance! &ou won=t need the other
thin*s! But don=t let the fact that "ou use those thin*s or
don=t use them, e the determinant as to whether "ou are
operatin* in faith, or not! It ma" not e faith! #or "ou, it
ma" e foolishness at that time, ecause if "our faith is not
sufficientl" de(eloped it=s not *oin* to work!
I ha(e watched people die, and m" heart went out to
them, ut their faith was not de(eloped, and it couldn=t
rin* the healin* to pass, and the" died! It wasn=t the will
of @od that the" die, ut their faith wasn=t sufficientl"
de(eloped! Because the" didn=t know aout it, or the"
didn=t take the time to de(elop their faith on the little
issues of life when the" had the opportunit"! 9he" wanted
to e like so and so! CI=m not *oin* to do this! I=m not *oin*
to take an" medication! I=m not *oin* to ha(e an"
insurance, and I=m not *oin* to do this, that, or the other!C
And I ha(e watched people *et wiped out on that!
Start out little, and *row, and *row, and *row, and
*row, and when "ou *rowFpraise @od? it will e well
worth it!
?
8 Family %elationships
Sometimes, 'hristians hear the $ord of @od,
concernin* faith, and the" deal with the Hol" @host, and
the" actuall" ecome so Csuper,scriptural,C that the"
ne*lect the famil" relationships! 9he" ne*lect the
responsiilities of the home! So, we want to find out is this
Faith) or is it Foo*ishness) or is it Presum"tion+
%aul sa"s in Ephesians 8B32D C#or this cause shall a man
lea(e his father and mother, and shall e Eoined unto his
wife, and the" two shall e one flesh!C And they sha** be one
,*esh. In other words, in the si*ht of @od the" ecome one.
9herefore, if the" are one) the" each must ha(e the same
care, one for the other! 9he" should e seein* each other
as one6as a unit! 9oo often 'hristians who *et so Csuper,
spiritual,C think that the" are operatin* in ,aith) and
suddenl", the" do not ha(e time for the common thin*s,
like cleanin* up the house, washin* dishes, or mowin* the
lawn, takin* out the trash, or fi6in* a roken screen, or
somethin* like that! 9he" don=t ha(e timeB the" sa", CI
ha(e to stud" the $ord! I ha(e to e in pra"er! I ha(e to
*et alone with the 7ord!C Is that Faith) Foo*ishness) $r
Presum"tion+
I don=t know wh", ut it seems to me that there are
more women than men who elie(e that the" are so su"er1
s"iritua* that the" are too ho*y for se6! 9he" sa", C9hat is
mundane! 9hat is Eust ordinar"! I ha(e to e more
spiritual! I ha(e to pra" in the spirit !!!!C 9his is one of the
thin*s that reall" causes a disaster in the home! Because
these 'hristian women come into the knowled*e of @od,
and *et Spirit,filled, and their husands are not "et sa(ed!
And the" treat their husands like do*s!
Now 7ad", he ma" e a do*, ut "ou shouldn=t treat
him like a do*! It is unfortunate that some husands are
do*sB the" do act like do*s! But "ou are *oin* to ha(e to
learn that "ou can=t win him " treatin* him like a do*!
&ou are *oin* to ha(e to win him " treatin* him like he
is someod", ecause to @odFhe is someod"! He is
worth enou*h that @od permitted the lood of His onl"
Son to e shed to redeem that manD so he must e worth
somethin*! He is worth sa(in* if he was worth Iesus
d"in* for him! If @od sees somethin* in him, then "ou had
etter start seein* somethin* in him! And perhaps "ou
will ha(e a little more (ictor" in winnin* him to 'hrist if
"ou start treatin* him as thou*h he were worth
somethin*, instead of lookin* down "our nose at him, as
thou*h "ou were so su"er1s"iritua*.
In counselin* with people, I run into this area where
the wife doesn=t want to e a wife in the area of se6 an"
more! She is out on the street casting out demons. I am not
as much aware of so man" men in this same situation, ut
I do know of some of them too! 9he" *et so su"er1s"iritua*
that the" Eust *o to work, come home, *et their Biles, *o
lock themsel(es up in the car, or *ara*e, or somewhere,
and the" Eust sta" out there all ni*ht, listenin* to tapes,
and readin* the $ord and pra"in*! And the poor wife has
een waitin* for him all da" lon*, ut he does not ha(e
time for her, ecause he is so su"er1s"iritua*. He doesn=t
ha(e time for such common thin*s as husand,wife
relationships! He doesn=t realiJe that he is openin* the
door for the enem" to come in and mess up his home!
@od ne(er intended for "ou to ecome so su"er1
s"iritua* that "ou cannot take care of famil" relationships!
$hen "ou ne*lect that, without realiJin* it, "ou are *i(in*
the enem" an ad(anta*e o(er "ou! &ou should not *et that
hol"! &ou should not think that se6 is unhol"! $hen it is
done in the proper conte6t of the marria*e relationship, it
is the most eautiful ph"sical relationship that "ou will
e(er e6perience! If it is not eautiful with "ou, then "ou
are missin* somethin*!
9his is where we li(e, and one of the *reatest prolems
that I run into in counselin* people is this usiness of
se6ual relationships etween a husand and wife! Some of
them ha(e ecome so su"er1s"iritua* that the" Eust don=t
ha(e time for that! Some men are mistreatin* their wi(es,
and the wi(es are mistreatin* their husands, and the"
are not allowin* proper time for that! 9here is plent" of
time! 9here are /1 hours in a da"? &ou can squeeJe in a
little time, and "ou are *oin* to ha(e to do it, if "ou want
the relationship to work ri*ht, ecause that is a part of the
marria*e relationship!
L#A%( T" %#&I)#(T !"$% TI)#
Some people sa", C$ell, I ha(e to *et alone with the
7ord, and I don=t ha(e time for that!C I want to show "ou
that the Bile does not tell "ou that! In fact, the Bile tells
"ou Eust the opposite! $hat "ou ha(e to do is learn to
re*iment "our timeD learn how to discipline "ourself, as
far as time is concerned! $hen "ou do, I=ll *uarantee "ou
that "ou will find plent" of time to do all the thin*s that
need to e done, and do them in st"le! Somehow, we ha(e
*otten the idea that to e spiritual means that "ou ha(e to
di(orce "ourself from all the natural thin*s in life! No!
9his is where we li(e! &ou sa", CI can=t write an" checks
and pa" an" ills! I ha(e to *et alone with the 7ord!
;owin* the lawn is unspiritual!C No, it is all a part and
parcel of the whole packa*e of life, and "ou need to learn
how to relate it to the $ord of @od!
$e read in Ephesians 8B32 where C!!! the" shall e one
flesh!C 7et us look at another Scripture that *oes ri*ht
alon* with this husand and wife usiness of ecomin* so
su"er1s"iritua* that the" ne*lect their famil" oli*ations! In
2 'orinthians, chapter 0, we e*in with (erse /, and read,
CNe(ertheless, to a(oid fornication, let e(er" man ha(e his
own wife, and let e(er" woman ha(e her own husand!C
Now, "ou know as well as I do, or if "ou don=t know, "ou
need to find out, that fornication has to do with se6ual
intercourse, usuall" etween people that are not married!
9hat shows "ou ri*ht there that @od is not opposed to
se6ual intercourse, ecause if He were opposed to se6ual
intercourse, He would ha(e made no contin*encies for
"ou to perform it! He is tellin* "ou that when "ou do it
outside of the conte6t of marria*e, "ou are in sin! But He is
*oin* to show "ou how "ou can e a part of that, and ha(e
it in its proper conte6tD in marria*e! Notice, He said,
CNe(ertheless, to a(oid fornication, let e(er" man ha(e his
own wife, and let e(er" woman ha(e her own husand!C
HusandsD wi(es, that is *odl"! 9hat is the will of @od,
that there e husands and wi(es! He *oes on to sa", C7et
the husand render unto the wife due ene(olenceD and
likewise also the wife unto the husand! 9he wife hath not
power of her own od", ut the husandB and likewise
also the husand hath not power of his own od", ut the
wife!C
9here is a teachin* that is pre(alent in this 'harismatic
renewal aout the usiness of sumission! Some men
want to use this a*ainst their wi(es and the" sa", C$ell,
"ou are supposed to sumit!C $hat the" fail to realiJe is
that in man" instances the" ha(e taken the word submit
and ha(e *i(en it the same meanin* as the word
domination. !ubmission does not mean domination. 9he
word submit) literall", in the @reek, means C"ield unto the
other!C It means to C"ield to the other person!C
And the Bile does not Eust sa" for wi(es to sumit to
the husands, ut it sa"s that oth the husand and the
wife should sumit one to the other on an equalit"!
!ubmission simpl" means C"ieldin* to the other person!C In
other words, "ou seek to make the other person happ"
instead of "ourself!
Some men ha(e the idea that sumission means that
the" can *i(e orders to their wi(es, and the" tell them
what to do, and run them around like roots! 9hat is not
accordin* to the Bile! 9hat is not submission= that is
domination. @od does not intend for an" man to dominate
another man! &ou are not to e dominated " "our
husand, or dominated " "our wife! C7et the husand
render unto the wife due ene(olenceB and likewise also
the wife unto the husandC G(! 3H! He tells us in (! 1D C9he
wife hath not power of her own od", ut the husandB
and likewise also the husand hath not power of his own
od", ut the wife!C $hat is he sa"in*< He is sa"in* that it
should e a mutuall" a*reed situation! It should either e
mutuall" a*reed to do or not to do, ut it should not e
one person tellin* the other person that this is the wa" it
has to e! 9here ou*ht to e an a*reement etween the
two! And unless there is an a*reement etween them, it is
not reall" *oin* to work out ri*ht! I ha(e sat across the
desk from man" people o(er the "ears, and that is one of
the areas where the" are reall" messed upFut *ood! One
thinks that he is supposed to tell the other what to do,
when it should e a mutuall" a*reed situation!
Aerse 8 sa"s, C)efraud "e not one the other, e6cept it
e with consent for a time, that "e ma" *i(e "oursel(es to
fastin* and pra"erD and come to*ether a*ain, that satan
tempt "ou not for "ou incontinenc"!C -ncontinency) in the
@reek, literall" means Clack of control, or lack of control
o(er "ourself!C All ri*ht, he said, C)efraud "e not one the
other, e6cept it e with consent !!!!C If the husand is *oin*
to den" his wife her husandl" affection and attention,
and the wife likewise, it should onl" e done when the
two of them a*ree to it! One does not ha(e an" ri*ht to Eust
*o off somewhere alone, lock himself, or herself, up with
the $ord, and den" the wife, or husand! It should e a
mutuall" a*reed situation, where the" a*ree, C$e will do
it for this period of time!C 9hen he sa"s, C!!! come ack
to*ether so "ou won=t e tempted " the enem",C ecause
temptation is *oin* to come in that area if "ou are not
careful! He is *i(in* "ou a wa" that "ou can ward o,, that
prolem! $hen "ou *et to the point where "ou are so
su"er1s"iritua* that "ou don=t ha(e time for famil"
relationships, e careful!
!"$% CHIL*%#( %#-$I%#
ATT#(TI"(
Another prolem area is where parents *et so spiritual
that the" don=t ha(e time for their children! I ha(e seen
man" "oun* people, and a lot of children who are (er"
u"tight in certain situations! Because the mother and father
are so us" doin* the other thin*s that the" ne(er ha(e
an" time for the children! 'hildren are a part of the famil"
relationship, and it is not unhol" or unspiritual! NoB it is
(er" spiritual! &ou can rin* "our children, "our famil"
into that same relationship, and there can e a sharin*
to*ether! And there had etter e a sharin* to*ether, or
"ou are *oin* to ha(e troule in "our home!
9hat is reall" not ,aith when "ou sa", CI am Eust *oin*
to pra" and read the BileF28 chapters a da", and I=m
*oin* to spend 8 hours in pra"er e(er" da"!C $ell, that is
*reat, if "ou are sin*le! But "ou can=t alwa"s do that when
"ou=(e *ot a wife and kids! &ou ha(e to *i(e them some
attention and some time! If "ou don=t, satan will *et in
throu*h that area and cause confusion within the home! It
is not unspiritual and unscriptural to e in lo(e with "our
wife, or in lo(e with "our husand, or in lo(e with "our
children and ha(e some time of fellowship with them!
He said in the ao(e Scripture (erse, C)efraud "e not
one the other, e6cept it e with consent!C 9hat means that
the two of "ou ou*ht to a*ree on it, and "ou ou*ht to work
out "our schedule to where that is included in it, Eust like
athin*, rushin* "our teeth, or *oin* to work is included!
9hat ou*ht to e a (er" precious part of the relationship!
And that is not Faith; that is Foo*ishness when "ou ne*lect
these thin*s!
A "%* T" TH# IS#1111
9he wise man takes care of the home, and that means
the wise woman too! I would to @od that some women
would stop runnin* around to e(er" pra"er ser(iceB *oin*
to meetin*s here, and meetin*s there, and all the time the"
are lea(in* their husands and children at home!
9he husand has to come home from work and cook
his own dinner ecause the wife is out Ccastin* out
demons!C I elie(e in castin* out demons, ut I also
elie(e in takin* care of the home! @et "our home
strai*htened out and "ou will e ale to cast out demons!
Amen?
&ou need to watch it there! Is that Faith) Foo*ishness) $r
Presum"tion+ It is Foo*ishness in man" cases, and it also
orders on Presum"tion) ecause %aul said, the onl" reason
we ou*ht to defraud each other Gden" each otherH would
e when we do it " consent, to *i(e oursel(es to pra"er
and fastin*! SoFif "ou are not fastin* and pra"in*, *et it
to*ether! It is not necessaril" #aith ecause "ou are
readin* the Bile! &ou could e operatin* in Foo*ishness or
Presum"tion. &ou ou*ht to *et it to*ether and "ou will find
that "ou will ha(e a (er" sweet relationship at home, and
e(en spiritual thin*s will operate a lot etter!
SH"$L* H$S2A(*S A(* I'#S
ALA!S ST$*! TH# "%*
T"&#TH#%
9he idea that husands and wi(es ha(e to pra" and
read the Bile to*ether is another area that causes
prolems! It is not necessar" to pra" to*ether?
COh<C
No! 9he old ada*e, C9he famil" that pra"s to*ether
sta"s to*ether,C is not necessaril" true! 9here is more to it
than Eust pra"in* to*ether to keep the famil" to*ether! &ou
ma" ha(e different wa"s of doin* it!
Now, with m" wife and I, there are times when we
pra" to*ether when we are a*reein* on somethin*! But in
terms of our dail" pra"er time, we rarel" pra" to*ether!
Our pra"in* haits are different! She does not pra" like I
pra"! I pra" at a certain time, and she pra"s at a certain
time! $e do not read the Bile to*ether, and I elie(e that
we ha(e a eautiful relationship! 9here is nothin* wron*
with our relationship Eust ecause we don=t pra" and read
the Bile to*ether! Now, it is fine if "ou want to do it
to*ether, and if "ou can work it out! But "ou should not
reak up or EeopardiJe the relationship Eust ecause "ou
don=t! 9hinkin* that "ou are actin* in Faith Eust ecause
"ou pra" to*ether does not necessaril" mean that it is in
Faith. &ou ha(e to learn what works est for "ou and then
do that! It is not an automatic rule that "ou ha(e to alwa"s
pra" to*ether, or tr" to ha(e a famil" altar Gkids and
e(er"od"H! Sometimes the wife has thin*s to do, or the
husand has thin*s to do, and the children ha(e thin*s to
do! It is Eust not alwa"s con(enient or appropriate! &ears
a*o, the" could do it! 9he" had no where to *oB the wife
was not workin*, and there wasn=t much else to do, ut
pra" to*ether! 9he kids didn=t ha(e too much to do e6cept
sta" home, and the man was the onl" one who was
workin*!
9oda", there are man" thin*s in our societ" that are
different! If "ou can mana*e this, wonderful? But don=t
think that Eust ecause "ou do, that that means it is a Faith
situation, Eust ecause "ou do pra" to*ether! &ou could *o
throu*h some prescried pattern Eust as a ritual and still
*ain nothin* from it! 7earn what works est for "ou!
;" wife has to ha(e her cup of coffee in the mornin*s!
In fact, it takes her a little while to wake up! $hat I mean
" that is, she will e up and mo(in*, ut she is not reall"
awake "et! It takes a little time efore all of her faculties
are functionin* properl"! She likes to *o into the kitchen
and turn on the coffee pot, sit down, ha(e a cup of coffee,
and then she is read" to *o! She is read" to read the BileD
she=s read" to pra"! But as soon as m" e"es pop open and
m" feet hit the floor, I am awake, instantaneousl"! I am
read" to pra", and I am *oin* to pra" then! Because if I
don=t pra" then, I won=t pra"! )o "ou know wh"< %eople
will see to it that I don=t pra"! 9he" will e callin* me on
the telephone all da", and all ni*ht! I won=t *et to pra" if I
don=t do it first! 9hat=s ri*ht! And sometimes, if I ha(e to, I
take the telephone off the hook! I am not *oin* to e
distured while I am pra"in*! I pra" earl" in the mornin*!
9hat=s the first thin* that I do! Of course, I ha(e to ha(e
m" oran*e Euice first! But I don=t need that to wake up!
9hat is Eust the wa" I start puttin* a little somethin* in m"
stomach! I *et a *lass of oran*e Euice and I come ack and
*et in the ed, under the co(ers, where it is warm and
pra"! 9hat=s ri*ht!
COh, Brother %rice, "ou ha(e to e on "our knees to
pra"!C
$ho sa"s so< #ind me a chapter and (erse where it
sa"s that "ou ha(e to e on "our knees to pra"! &ou don=t
e(en ha(e to ha(e "our e"es closed to pra"! Read the 22th
chapter of the @ospel of Iohn! 9he Bile sa"s, CIesus lifted
up His e"es to hea(en and said, #ather, I thank thee that
thou hast heard me! And thou hearest me alwa"s, and for
the enefit of those who stand around, I said it! 7aJarus,
come out of there?C GAuthor=s translationH! %raise @od? and
He raised 7aJarus from the dead! 9he onl" reason that
"ou ha(e "our e"es closed is to keep "ourself from ein*
distracted " what is *oin* on around "ou! &our e"es
ein* open or closed has nothin* to do with it! $hat is the
lind man *oin* to do< He can=t see! It is not the posture
of pra"erB whether "ou are on "our knees, l"in* on "our
ack, standin* on "our head, or doin* a hand stand
a*ainst the wallD it doesn=t make an" difference! I ha(e
done that! I ha(e *otten up at 8B++ a!m!, *ettin* down on
m" hands and knees, and freeJin* m" tail off, and all the
time, I was thinkin* aout when I could *et up and *et
warm! I didn=t ha(e m" mind on pra"in*, so I now pra" in
ed! 9here is no point in freeJin*, and I lie under the
co(ers and pra"! @od hears me!
@od does not hear "ou ecause "ou are on "our knees!
He hears "ou ecause "ou are comin* in faith! He hears
"ou ecause "ou come accordin* to His $ord!
@od hears me Eust as quickl" when I ha(e on m"
paEamas as He does when I am wearin* a suit! He hears
me Eust as quickl" when I am on m" knees, standin* up, or
ridin* in the car, or runnin* and Eumpin*Fwhate(er I am
doin*!
#ind out what works est for "ou and operate in that!
)on=t think that it is an act of faith simpl" ecause "ou
pra" with "our husand or wife! If it works out that wa",
wonderful! 9hat is *reat to do it that wa"! But that is not a
necessit" to make it work, and it does not mean that it=s
not faith ecause "ou don=t do that!
)on=t put an" undue stress or urden upon "our wife
or husand " thinkin* that ecause the" don=t pra" with
"ou, or read the Bile with "ou, that the" are unspiritual!
It doesn=t make an" difference! #ind out what works est
for the two of "ou!
;" wife reads while drinkin* a cup of coffee! She likes
to read at the tale! ;" haits are different than hers! So
we hardl" e(er read or pra" to*ether! I can=t rememer the
last time we pra"ed to*ether in a *eneral wa"B e6cept
when we were pra"in* to a*ree on somethin*! It has een
"ears since we ha(e read the Bile to*ether onl" ecause
our readin* haits are different! But she is not an" less
spiritual than I am, Eust ecause we don=t read the Bile
to*ether! If "ou will find out what works est for "ou, and
then do that, "ou will *ain the enefit from it!
S$P#%@SPI%IT$AL SL"PP! %A&
*"LLS "P#( TH# *""% T" TH#
#(#)!
7ad", or @entleman, if "ou are so su"er1s"iritua*) super,
hol", that "ou are too hol" for se6ual relationships, or the
ph"sical aspect of "our marria*e relationship, "ou are
openin* the door for the enem" to *et in! And I ma" as
well sa" this while I am at it, I notice sometimes that
women will *et real spiritual, and then the" start lookin*
like slopp" ra* dolls, and the" are too hol" to com their
hair now! 9he" are too su"er1s"iritua* to *o to ed with
their hair in rollers!
C;" @od? 9hat=s not (er" spiritual, Brother %rice!C
And so, "ou are in such a hurr" to *o out and cast out
demons that "ou start wearin* wi*s all the time! Now,
wi*s are all ri*htD I=m not knockin* wi*s, ut I want "ou to
know that "our husand wants to see the real "ou! He
wants to see "ou, and he knew what "our hair was like
when he married "ou, unless "ou had a wi* on at the
weddin*! #i6 "ourself up! Be presentale to "our husand!
Husand, "ou e presentale to "our wife! 7ook like who
"ou reall" are, one of the C5in*=s 5ids!C 9ake care of
"ourself! 'om "our hair! $ash "our face and rush "our
teeth! If "ou need a little Scope, use it! 9hat=s ri*ht? %eople
think that ecause "ou *et spiritual and "ou start walkin*
in faith, "ou don=t ha(e time to com "our hair, "ou don=t
ha(e time to athe, "ou don=t ha(e to use deodorant, and
"ou don=t ha(e time to dress up! 9hat is not Faith) that is
Foo*ishness.
If "ou sa", CI wonder wh" m" wife GhusandH doesn=t
respond to me like she used to<C "ou are proal" not
treatin* her like "ou used to! She could not *ra the door
handle efore "ou were out of "our side, locked the door,
ran around the car, opened the door for her, threw "our
coat down so she could walk on it and not *et her daint"
little feet wet walkin* across the street! NowF"ou Eust *et
out of the car, close the door, don=t e(en look ack to see if
she *ot out of the car! She ma" e locked in the car and
can=t *et out, and "ou are *one? And "ou wonder wh" she
doesn=t respond! &ou used to come o(er to her house and
efore "ou would *et to the door and knock on the door,
"ou would reach into "our pocket and pull out "our
Banaca Blast Gspra"H! Now, "ou don=t e(en rush "our
teeth, and "ou wonder wh" she doesn=t want to kiss "ou!
Ask me? I=ll tell "ou wh"! It ma" sound funn", ut it=s not!
9hese are areas where we li(e, and "ou should learn that
"ou cannot disassociate "our spiritualit" with common
decenc" and common sense, in relationships one with the
other! All of these thin*s *o to to*ether!
$ifeB $hen "ou were *oin* with CHim?C "ou wanted
to win him! I mean "ou watched "our diet! &ou were
*oin* to e sure "ou were a certain siJe and "ou weren=t
*oin* to *et an" i**er! &ou were *oin* to look *ood for
"our man, and "ou ou*ht the est dresses, and the stuff
that made "ou look "our est! Now that "ou ha(e arri(ed
at super,spiritualit", "ou don=t care how "ou look! #at,
slopp", and o(erwei*htB eatin* those on,ons, and
chocolate cand"! 9hat=s ri*ht? &ou were a petite siJe ., and
now "ou ha(e *one to a siJe 2-, and wonder how come he
is not turned on an"more!
C$ell, I=m spiritual, I pra" in ton*ues!C
7ose some wei*ht?
7et=s *et ack to the men! 9he same thin* *oes for
some of those pot,ellied rascals! 9hat=s ri*ht? 9he" Gfat,
out of shape rascalsH wonder wh" she doesn=t fall into a
swoon when the" come home! 9he" come in with a i* fat
ell" stickin* out? And "ou ma" lau*h at this, ut I see
this happenin* in people=s li(es! Somehow, the" think that
Eust ecause the" *et filled with the Spirit, the" are
supposed to e operatin* in faith, and these other thin*s
do not matter? ;an" times people are not ale to e6press
these thin*s and the" Eust put up with them, and the" *o
on and on, and on! And satan uses that like a festerin*
sore, and it rin*s on a ad situation wa" down the line,
whereas if "ou will deal with it now, it will e a most
eautiful relationship!
All of these thin*s *o to*ether, #riend! Because "ou
*et o(er into the realm of faith doesn=t mean that "ou
lea(e the realm of realit"! Spiritual and material realit" *o
hand in hand! If "ou are a little too spiritual for "our
husand, or wife, "ou had etter reappraise the situation,
or "ou are *oin* to find "ourself at home without a
husand, or wife, ecause satan has someod" out there
who will steal him, or her! ;en, "ou ha(e a *ood
in(estment there! @ood women are hard to find! And men
are e(en harder to find! ;an" times when "ou look o(er
the fence, and the *rass looks *reener o(er there,
rememer "ou ha(e spent 28 "ears with this rascal! &ou
Eust now ha(e him trained, and "ou are *oin* to start o(er
with another one< &ou are *oin* to ha(e the same
prolems "ou had efore! %rotect the in(estment "ou ha(e
now! &ou ha(e in(ested a lot in that marria*e! A;EN?
9his is where "ou li(e! Is it Faith) Foo*ishness) $r
Presum"tion+ $hen "ou *et so spiritual that "ou don=t
ha(e time for famil" responsiilities, that=s not Faith.
Sometimes it is aEect Foo*ishness) and sometimes it e(en
orders on Presum"tion.
*#"*"%A(T? T" $S# "% ("T T"
$S#?
Someod" sa"s, C$ell, I=m not *oin* to athe or use
deodorant! I=m *oin* to elie(e that I=m not *oin* to
smell!C 9here are some people who reall" elie(e that! &ou
can tell? &ou see, that=s what=s wron*! Nood" wants to
talk aout realit"! 9he" sa", C$ell, "ou shouldn=t talk
aout!!!!C $h" not< 9hat=s where people li(e! If people had
een properl" instructed "ou wouldn=t find an"od"
smellin*! Nood" wants to e delieratel" offensi(e!
Because nood" has taken the time in lo(in*,kindness to
tell them aout it, the" ha(e done their own thin*! $ell, if
"ou don=t athe, and if "ou don=t use deodorant, "ou are
*oin* to smell! If "ou want to smell nice, "ou are *oin* to
ha(e to use somethin* nice! &ou are *oin* to ha(e to take
some precaution and take care of "ourself!
;an" of "ou 'hristians need to learn to take care of
"oursel(es! &ou *et so super,spiritual and "ou sa", C$hat
can I do to win m" husandFto win m" wife<C &ou can e
the sweetest, nicest, most eautiful thin* that he e(er saw
in his life, and "ou can e the trimmest, most lo(in* hunk
of man she e(er saw! 9hat will help! At least it won=t turn
them off! Sometimes the reason the" don=t come more
quickl" is ecause "ou ha(e not done too much to
encoura*e them to come! &ou na* and whine after them,
ut "ou are not takin* care of the thin*s that "ou ou*ht to
take care of, and it can e a stumlin* lock!
It is not #aith, Eust ecause "ou sa" that somethin* is
not *oin* to happen when "ou are doin* e(er"thin* in the
world to produce that result! &ou are *oin* to reap what
"ou sow! And "ou know as well as I, that if "ou don=t
athe, "ou are *oin* to sweat and "ou are *oin* to smell
ad, if "ou don=t use some deodorant!
9hat is not Faith; that is Foo*ishness.
A
9 Casting "ut Calories.
As we continue our discussion of Is It Faith)
Foo*ishness) $r Presum"tion+ concernin* famil"
relationships, we will look at the situation of o(ereatin*!
Someod" told me a stor" one time that fits ri*ht in with
this situation! Some people were sittin* around the tale
and one person pra"ed this pra"erB CI ind all of the
calories in the food, and cast them out in Iesus= name! And
I elie(e that I can eat this food and not *et fat!C
9he other person said, C9his kind GfatH comes out onl"
throu*h pra"er and fastin*?C Of course "ou know that
fastin* is not eatin*?
A lot of people ha(e the sill" idea that the" can o(ereat
and not *et fat! ;" wife and I were in a certain place one
time, and we were ha(in* dinner with some people! $e
could look at one *irl, and tell that she was o(erwei*ht!
$hen she pra"ed o(er the food, she cast out the calories?
Some people sa", C;ark 22B/1 sa"s, =$hat thin*s
soe(er "e desire when "e pra", elie(e that "e recei(e
them, and "e shall ha(e them!= I elie(e that I can eat as
much of this cherr" pie as I want and it is not *oin* to
make me fat!C
9hat is not the meanin* of ;ark 22B/1! 9hat is not
Faith= that is asolute Foo*ishness> If "ou eat fattenin* food,
"ou are *oin* to *et fat, and "ou mi*ht as well *et read"
for it!
7et=s find out what the Bile sa"s aout this situation! I
hear these thin*s with m" own ears! C'astin* out
calories?C 9he" ha(e taken the Scriptures and ha(e
misappropriated and misapplied them, where Iesus said,
C$hate(er "ou ind on earth is ound in hea(en!
$hate(er "ou loose on earth is loosed in hea(en, and in
m" name "ou shall cast out demons!C So the" la" hands on
the food when the" *et read" to eat, and the" are *oin* to
C'ast out the calories, and eat all the" want and not *et
fat!C 9hat is not Faith= that is Foo*ishness) and if "ou keep on
eatin*, "ou are *oin* to *et fatter and fatter!
It sa"s in %ro(ers /3B/, C%ut a knife to th" throat, if
thou e a man *i(en to appetite!C &eah, if "ou want to
know what to do aout that o(ereatin*, do what the Bile
sa"s! And when it sa"s Cman,C it also speaks of women!
@od is sa"in* to "ou, if "ou ha(e an appetite and "ou can=t
control it, then "ou had etter *et a knife and put it to
"our throat! $hen "ou sit down and start *luttoniJin*
"ourself, "ou will think twice aout that third piece of
apple pie! It is #oolishness if "ou think "ou are *oin* to
eat, eat, eat, and not *et fat! &ou are *oin* to *et fat!
C$ell, I=(e alwa"s een ale to eat a lot, and I ne(er
*ain wei*ht!C
&ou keep on li(in*! &ou ma" not *et as i* as some,
ut if "ou keep on li(in*, "ou are *oin* to *et a pot,ell"!
&ou ma" e thin, ut if "ou keep on stuffin* "ourself, "ou
are *oin* to *et a ell"!
I used to e that wa"! I could eat all I wanted! I used to
eat 2/ hot cakes at one time, three hamur*ers and a malt,
when I was *oin* to hi*h school! I pla"ed hard and fastD
so I urned up the calories! I can=t eat like that now! If I do,
it turns to fat, Ba", #,A,9Ffat!
Now here, the Bile sa"s, C%ut a knife to "our throat if
"ou e a man or a woman *i(en to appetite!C If "our
appetite has a hold on "ou, "ou had etter *et a hold on it,
or it will ruin "ou!
%ra"in* o(er "our food, CIn the name of Iesus, I cast
these calories out! 'ome out in Iesus= nameBC is not Faith. It
is Foo*ishness. &ou need to rin* "our od" under! It=s not
Faith to think "ou can pra" and eat whate(er "ou want!
9hese people who sa", CI don=t eat (er" much,C are
reall" foolin* themsel(es and satan is *oin* to keep that
thin* on them! &ou see a lot of st"les of clothes that "ou
would like to wear, and "ou can=t wear them ecause "ou
look like a limp in them! &ou don=t e(en like "ourself!
$hen "ou *et out of shape, "ou don=t look *ood in "our
clothes!
I like to *o shoppin* with m" wife, ecause nood"
knows how she looks etter than I do! I alwa"s *o
shoppin* with her! In fact most of the time I pick out her
clothes! 9hose sales people will sa", C)arlin*, it looks Eust
fine! It=s Eust made for "ou, )arlin*B it=s eautiful!C
But I don=t like it, and the sales people can=t
understand wh" I don=t like it! I sa", CI said, I don=t like it!
I=m pa"in*, and I *et what I like!C
Sometimes while m" wife is in the dressin* room, I see
some of these ladies come in the store, and m" heart *oes
out to them! I can see them Eust droolin*! 9he" look at
certain siJes and certain desi*ns of dresses, and I know
that the" would like to wear them, ut then the" look at
themsel(es in the mirror, and the" ha(e to *o o(er to the
fat *irl=s siJes, and there is not much to choose from! 9he"
reall" don=t want to e fat, ut the" ha(e ne(er learned to
put the knife to their throats! 9he" ha(e ne(er learned to
control their appetites! I am not talkin* aout women of
the world! I am talkin* aout 'hristian women!
Read what it sa"s in 2 'orinthians .B/0B CBut I keep
under m" od", and rin* it into suEectionB lest that "
an" means, when I ha(e preached to others, I m"self
should e a castawa"!C 9his is the *reat Apostle %aul
talkin*! He sa"s, CBut I keep under m" od", and rin* it
into suEection !!!!C meanin* that if I don=t put some
controls on m" flesh, it is *oin* to *et out of control! It is
m" responsiilit" to control m"self, to control m" od"!
No, that=s not Faith when "ou pra" o(er food and
command the calories to lea(e! 9hat=s not Faith) that is
Foo*ishness.
&ou need to learn how to take control of "our od",
and I=ll *uarantee "ou one thin*, if "ou stop eatin*, "ou
will start losin* wei*ht! Non,eatin* will produce
nonwei*ht! 9here is onl" one thin* that produces wei*ht,
unless "ou ha(e some kind of *landular prolem, ut that
is eas" to deal with! &ou can *et healed! If "ou ha(e
*lands that are runnin* wild, "ou can pra" o(er that and
*et healedB there is no prolem there! But if "ou are
o(erwei*ht, "ou Eust keep on *ainin* wei*ht, and "ou sa"
that "ou are not eatin*, "ou are reall" conning "ourself!
An automoile runs on *asoline, that is the fuel! Ha(e
"ou e(er noticed that little *au*e on "our dash oard that
reads ,u** and em"ty+ Ha(e "ou e(er noticed how the
*asoline *oes from ,u** to em"ty. It is not ecause there is a
hole in "our *as tank! It is ecause that monster runs on
*asoline! It eats it as fuel! 9hat is how it *ets its power! It
urns the fuel! 9hat is the wa" "our od" uses "our food
that "ou eat! #ood is fuel for "our od"! If "ou put into
"our od", Eust enou*h fuel for it to run on, then "our
od" will urn it up and there won=t e an" increase in
wei*ht!
On the other hand, if "ou cram more in than "our
od" needs to run on, it will store the e6cess as fat! &ou
can pra" all "ou want to, ut "ou will *et fat if "ou don=t
put a knife to "our throat! &ou will ha(e to learn how to
put "our od" under and keep it under, and control it, or
else it will control "ou!
&ou sa", CI=m Eust *oin* to pra" o(er the food, and in
Iesus= name, I=m *oin* to cast out those calories!C 9hat
won=t work! &ou can pra" all "ou want! &ou can claim
;ark 22B/1 all "ou want, ut if "ou keep on eatin*, "ou
are *oin* to keep on *ettin* i**er and i**er! 9hat is not
Faith) that is Foo*ishness.
I=m not that i*, ut I ha(e to control m" diet! ;" wife
and I control our calorie intake! $e watch our diet! I=m not
(er" lar*e, ut I can *et a pot,ell" (er" quickl"! $hen I
was "oun*er, m" stomach was like a washoard, hard as a
rock! I=m *ettin* it like that a*ain! But for awhile it was
*ettin* ridiculous! I could not *et m" pants on
comfortal"! I would hold m" reath and put on m"
pants! I had a particular pair of pants, and one da", I
noticed that those pants were so ti*ht, and I said, C$hat in
the world is this<C I looked in the mirror sidewa"s and I
did not like what I sawB a fat, slopp" preacher! I don=t like
fat, slopp" preachers? And I=m not *oin* to e one!
$e started cuttin* down on our food intake, and
*oin* eas" on thin*s like rice and potatoes, which we
reall" like!
&ou ha(e to keep "our od" under, or it will *et out of
control! &ou can pra" and ha(e all the people in the world
a*reein* that "ou won=t *et fat, ut that is not faith! 9here
is onl" one wa" "ou are *oin* to stop *ettin* fat, and that
is " cuttin* down on "our food intake! 'ur "our dietB
cur "our intake! 9ake control of that od" and don=t let it
dominate "ou!
9hat is ri*htB *et "ourself to*ether! It will take
discipline! And ladies, "ou Eust look etter in a siJe 2+ than
"ou do in a siJe 2-! I don=t care what an"od" sa"s!
So it is not Faith Eust to sa" "ou are *oin* to sit down at
the tale and eat all "ou want and sa", CIn Iesus= name, I
command the calories to lea(e!C 9hat is Foo*ishness) and it
is not *oin* to work! &ou cannot keep eatin* and not *et
fat! &ou will *et fatter and fatter if "ou keep on eatin*
fattenin* foods! &ou are *oin* to ha(e to discipline
"ourself and rin* "our od" under! 9hink aout what
"ou are doin* to "our od"! 9hat od" does not elon* to
"ou! It is @od=s house! 9hat od" is the real temple of @od!
Not the rick and mortar that we call Cthe church!C &ou
need to e careful what "ou do to "our od"!
1B
10 2elie<ing &od (ot To Ha<e 2abies
Here is another area where a lot of "oun* 'hristians
make a mistake! 9he" think that the" are *oin* to ha(e
se6ual intercourse, and not ha(e an" aies! 9hat is
Foo*ishness. @alatians >B0 sa"s, CBe not decei(edD @od is not
mockedB for whatsoe(er a man soweth, that shall he also
reap!C 9hat means if "ou do the thin* that produces
aies, unless "ou do somethin* to interrupt it, "ou are
*oin* to ha(e aies! I ha(e known of some who ha(e
pra"ed that the" would not ha(e an" aies! 9he" didn=t
take an" precautionar" measures and the" had aies, and
wondered wh"! 9he" ha(e said, C9he 7ord *a(e me this
a"?C
9he 7ord didn=t *i(e "ou that a"! &ou *ot that a"
"ourself! &ou do the thin* that produces aies, and "ou
are *oin* to ha(e aies! Ha(e "ou e(er seen a farmer *o
out and plant corn and reap a whole field of watermelons<
No? &ou are *oin* to reap what "ou sow? If "ou sow
aies, "ou are *oin* to ha(e a a" har(est! 9hat=s ri*ht!
&ou can pra" all "ou want, and sa", CI=m *oin* to pra" in
Iesus= name?C 9hat=s not Faith) that=s Foo*ishness.
Now there are wa"s to do it that would e consistent
with the $ord of @od! 9here are also some wa"s that I
don=t particularl" elie(e are consistent with @od=s $ord,
ut "ou are *oin* to ha(e to use some discretion! If "ou
think that "ou are *oin* to do "our thin* and Eust pra" it
awa", that won=t work! 9here are man" I know of, who
ha(e aies ri*ht now ecause of that kind of foolish
thinkin*! CI ain=t *onna use nothin*? I ain=t *onna use
precautions! I=m Eust *onna elie(e @od?C
&eah? &ou=d etter start elie(in* @od for the milk to
feed those aies "ou are *oin* to ha(e! 9hat is not *oin*
to work! &ou reap what "ou sow! $hen sperm and e**s
*et to*ether, "ou are *oin* to ha(e another "ou! ;ale or
femaleF"ou are *oin* to ha(e another "ou? 9hat=s ri*ht?
Some "oun* men and women who are Eust recentl"
married and comin* into contact with the faith messa*e,
think that "ou are *oin* to elie(e @od and not ha(e
aies!
HE&???? HE&???? HE&???? &ou had etter do somethin*,
or "ou are *oin* to ha(e aies! 9hat is Foo*ishness) that=s
not Faith. &ou keep sowin* and "ou are *oin* to reap! It=s
not Faith to *o ahead and do what "ou want to do and
pra", CShe won=t *et pre*nant?C It is like plantin* corn and
sa"in*, C%raise the 7ord? ;ark 22B/1 sa"s, =$hat thin*s
soe(er "e desire !!!!= I desire watermelons! I elie(e this is
*oin* to e watermelons!C No, it=s not? &ou are *oin* to
reap what "ou sow! &ou sow corn, "ou are *oin* to *et
corn! &ou want watermelons, "ou are *oin* to ha(e to
plant watermelons! 9hat=s the wa" it works!
HAT *" I *"?
9here are man" thin*s *oin* around in our societ"
toda", that a person could Eustifial" sa", C$hat do I do<C
9here are (arious methods to use to keep from ha(in*
aies! I will not ar*ue aout this, ut personall", I elie(e
that it takes a sperm and an e**, and fertiliJation of that
e** for conception to take place and a human life to come
forth! Before that sperm and e** e(er come to*ether, there
is no life as such! Because if there were, the" would not
ha(e to come to*ether, to produce a man! So, apparentl",
there is no life GmanH until the sperm and the e** come
to*ether! $hen the" *et to*ether, conception takes place!
9hen "ou ha(e human life on "our hands! &es, that is a
life! A fetus, if "ou would, and if "ou interfere with that
life at that point, "ou can elie(e what "ou want, ut in
m" humle opinion, "ou ha(e committed murder!
9he fetus is not full" de(eloped, no question aout
that, ut now life is there, and to interrupt that life now, is
to kill!
9here are man" thin*s "ou can use! &ou can use the
rh"thm method! &ou can use certain kinds of irth control
pills! &ou can use the diaphram! 9here are (arious
methods that are a(ailale to keep that sperm and that e**
from comin* to*ether, ut all of this should e done in the
conte6t of marria*e! I cannot tell "ou what to do, ut I
think that we do need to think aout this!
RememerB I am not @od, and the est I can do is to
share with "ou what I ha(e seen in the $ord of @od! But
"ou will ha(e to e con(inced in "our own mind and in
"our heart aout it! )on=t do it ecause I said do it! )on=t
refrain from doin* it Eust ecause I said it! Be con(inced in
"our own heart, ecause "ou are the person who will ha(e
to answer to @od for it! 9he Bile tells us in 2 'orinthians,
that our odies are the temples of the Hol" Spirit, and that
we are not our own! 9hat means that IFthe real me, the
man on the inside is the custodian of this ph"sical od"
that has een redeemed " the lood of 'hrist, and that I
now elon* to Iesus! If m" od" is a temple, then an"thin*
that I delieratel" do to this od" to hurt it, or to harm it,
or to impair its operation in an" wa", form, or fashion, is
tamperin* with somethin* that does not elon* to me! #or
instance, if I were to ha(e an operation in some wa" to
keep from ha(in* a a", then I am doin* somethin* to
@od=s propert"! I am takin* @od=s propert" and I am
interferin* with its ailit" to function or operate in the
wa" that it ou*ht to operate! &ou know, "ou can *et "our
tues tied! &ou can *et a (asectom"! 9here are se(eral
thin*s that "ou can do! &ou could also use irth control
pills of (arious kinds! I=m not *oin* to tell "ou what to doB
I cannot tell "ou that! But there are wa"s to control the
situation without doin* an" harm to "our ph"sical od"!
&ou are *oin* to ha(e to make up "our mind what "ou
should do, ut I think that "ou need to e (er" careful! I
think that "ou should e6amine the situation and e
con(inced in "our own mind, e(en aout usin* the pill!
;an" people use the pill ecause it is eas"!
I ha(e heard some people sa", C$ell, I can=t use this
method, and I don=t want to use that method! I want to
take the pill, ecause it is easier! After all, we mi*ht decide
to do our thin*, and if we use these other thin*s, we ha(e
to take time to *et oursel(es prepared!C
$hat an e6cuse! &ou shouldn=t e that *reed" and
lustful an"how! &ou ou*ht to ha(e a little more control!
&ou can take a few minutes! ;" *racious, if "ou are in that
bad1a1sha"e that "ou can=t e(en take a few minutes to *et
"ourself prepared, "ou do ha(e a prolem! &ou mean that
"ou can=t wait another three minutes<
$hen "ou deal with some of those pills, the" are
makin* "our od" act anormall"! 9he" create a false
pre*nanc"! 9he" make the od" think that it is pre*nant!
9he" are l"in* to "our od", " makin* it think that it is
pre*nant, so "ou don=t concei(e!
I don=t elie(e that "our od" is meant to sta" in that
state! I am persuaded, "ou watch it, "ou mark it down that
Brother %rice said itB COne of these da"s, and it won=t e
lon*, the" are *oin* to come out with one of those =after
the fact reports,= sa"in*, =After 28 "ears, we ha(e
disco(ered that there are some dan*erous side effects
from a constant use of this or that t"pe of pill!= C And it is
*oin* to e too late for "ou that ha(e een usin* them for
those 28 "ears! An"thin* that is so potent that it can make
"our od" operate like it does not normall" operate, and
keep it in that condition for protracted periods of time has
to e doin* somethin* chemicall" to "our od"! And I
don=t think that the" reall" know all of the side effects!
9he" ha(e pro(en that to me o(er and o(er a*ain, "
continuin* to come out with new reports on thin*s that
the" thou*ht were ri*ht! 9hen the" used it ecause it was
so (er" con(enient! 7et=s face itB it is con(enient to Eust
drop a pill in "our mouth!
I A; NO9 SA&IN@ for "ou to use pills, or for "ou to
not use the pills! I am Eust makin* some oser(ations, and
as a person of #aith, and a person who operates in the
$ord of @od, I am challen*in* "ou to seek @od=s
*uidance to find out what would e est for "ou to do!
!"$% 2"*! IS TH# T#)PL# "F &"*
5eep this in mindB "our od" is the temple of @od!
And that od" does not elon* to "ou! 9here are wa"s,
and "ou need to find the wa" that is *oin* to work for
"ou, and "etFis *oin* to e consistent with the $ord of
@od, in that it does not do an" ph"sical dama*e to "our
od"!
Someod" sa"s, CI don=t a*ree with "ou?C
9hat=s fine with me! I told "ou that in the first place! I
A; NO9 9E77IN@ &OU $HA9 9O )O, OR $HA9
NO9 9O )O? But I will tell "ou one thin*B If "ou think that
"ou can do the thin* that produces aies, and pra" and
elie(e that "ou are not *oin* to *et pre*nant, that is not
Faith= that is Foo*ishness; "ou are *oin* to *et pre*nant!
I *a(e "ou the illustration of the farmer plantin* corn
and thinkin* and elie(in* to *et wheat! 9hat won=t work!
&ou plant corn, "ou reap cornB e(er"thin* produces after
its kind!
9he Bile sa"s in @alatians >B0D CBe not decei(edD @od
is not mockedB for whatsoe(er a man soweth, that shall he
also reap!C If "ou sow sperm, "ou are *oin* to reap aies!
&ou need to think aout these thin*s ecause this is where
"ou li(e! Some people ha(e the idea that the Bile is for
church, and when "ou lea(e the uildin*, "ou lea(e the
Bile there, and *o on and do it "our wa"! 9hat is the
reason that so man" people are messed u"= doin* it their
wa"! )o it @od=s wa" and "ou will come out on top! So
use some wisdom and keep these thin*s in mind and I
elie(e "ou will e ale to li(e a happ", (ictorious and
producti(e life! )on=t *et in onda*e, the whole idea is to
set "ou free! All I am sa"in* is to think aout what "ou are
doin* to "our od", ecause this od" does not elon* to
"ou! It is @od=s house! 9his od" is the real temple of @odB
not the rick and mortar that we call the church! $e need
to e careful aout what we do with and to this od"!
If "ou ha(e se6ual intercourse, and "ou are not doin*
an"thin* to pre(ent aies, "ou are *oin* to ha(e aies,
unless there is somethin* wron* with "ouB unless "ou are
sterile, or somethin* like that! But all thin*s ein* equal,
"ou will ha(e aies!
11
11 Claiming a Parti5ular Husband,
"r ife
;ark 22B/1 sa"s, C9herefore I sa" unto "ou! $hat
thin*s soe(er "e desire, when "e pra", elie(e that "e
recei(e them, and "e shall ha(e them!C
Some will read the ao(e Scripture and sa", C9hat=s it?
Brother %rice? 9he Bile sa"s, $hat thin*s soe(er 2
desire !!!!= and I desire that this man e m" husand!C Or CI
desire that woman to e m" wife!C 9hat is not what that
Scripture (erse is sa"in* at all! Nowhere in the Bile does
@od e(er *i(e "ou authorit" o(er someod" else=s will!
&ou ma" want her, ut she ma" not want "ou!
9here was a situation in 'renshaw 'hristian 'enter,
that I know of (er" well! A woman walked up to a man
and said, CI claim "ou as m" husand! &ou are *oin* to e
m" husand, and there ain=t nothin* "ou can do aout it!C
9hat is not Faith= that=s Presum"tion. ;ost women want a
husand, and most men want a wife, and that is scriptural,
and ri*ht! But "ou cannot claim a particular person per se!
9he other person=s will is in(ol(ed! 9hat is Foo*ishness) and
Presum"tion= it will not work!
$hen Iesus said, C$hat thin*s soe(er "e desireO that
ne(er includes, nor does it refer to somethin* that will
o(erride someod" else=s will! He or she ma" not want
"ou! 9he" ma" not e(en want to e married, and @od is
not *oin* to force that person=s will Eust ecause "ou
desire that! 9hat=s not Faith= it=s Foo*ishness to tr" that!
Besides that, "ou ma" *et somethin* that "ou do not want!
TH#%# IS A %I&HT A! T" CLAI) A
H$S2A(*, "% IF#
If I could ask some of the readers of this ookB C&ou
rememer when "ou thou*ht that "ou could not li(e
without him, or her, and now "ou wish that "ou had
ne(er seen the one to whom "ou are married<C
&ou would answer that "ou wish "ou had ne(er seen
that rascal? 9hat is ri*ht! &ou would sa", CNo, if I had to do
it a*ain, I wouldn=t e(en attempt to look, ecause looks are
decei(in*!C
All "ou see is the outward e6terior an"wa"! @od
knows what is in their hearts, and He knows what is
inside of "ou!
If "ou are *oin* to claim a husand or wife, I would
ad(ise "ou to do thisB Sa", C7ord, I want a wife GhusandH
that will fulfill all m" spiritual and ph"sical needs! I
elie(e that I recei(e accordin* to ;ark 22B/1!C 9hen I
would e*in to thank @od for it and trust @od to rin*
that person into m" life! And I would know it when she
GheH came!
In the natural, all "ou can do is look on the outside
an"wa"! And "ou know that e(er"thin* that *litters is not
*old! I ha(e seen (er" eautiful women, in terms of
ph"sical eaut", Eust nice to look at, ut somethin* else to
li(e with! Oooooh? Awful? Horrile, terrile wi(es! 9he"
couldn=t cookD couldn=t do an"thin*! And I ha(e seen some
who didn=t look so eautiful outwardl", ut the" Eust
made faulous wi(es! Beaut" is Eust skin deep an"wa"!
9he real eaut" is the eaut" that comes from within and
shines throu*h to the outside!
Now, I am not sa"in* that "ou shouldn=t ha(e a prett"
wife, or a handsome husandB "ou can ha(e that too! But
let @od rin* that person into "our life! He knows what
will fit "ou etter! If "ou Eust *o around asin* e(er"thin*
on what "ou seeD sa"in*, CI claim him! I claim herBC that is
Foo*ishness) ecause someone else=s will is in(ol(ed!
$hen Iesus sa"s, C9herefore I sa" unto "ouD $hat
thin*s soe(er "e desire !!!,C "ou can desire a husand, or a
wife, ut "ou cannot desire that man particularl", or that
woman, ecause He does not *i(e "ou authorit" o(er
someod" else=s will! 9hat is Foo*ishness and Presum"tion.
It Eust won=t work! If "ou want a husand, or if "ou want a
wife, and "ou want to use "our faith to elie(e for it "ou
can use ;ark 22B/1, ut not to o(erride another person=s
will!
)on=t sa", CI claim ;ar" Iane as m" wife!C ;ar" Iane
ma" not want "ou as her husand!
&ou elie(e for the husand or the wifeD put "our
order in, then lea(e it to @od to rin* that person across
"our path! 9hen "ou will *et the ri*ht one! &ou won=t ha(e
to pla" ?ussian ?ou*ette like some folks I know! 9hat is not
#aith when "ou sa", C&ou are *oin* to e m" wife! I claim
"ou in the name of Iesus! And there is nothin* that "ou
can do aout it?C 9hat is Foo*ishness; that is Presum"tion)
that is not Faith.
)"%# ")#( *" THIS THA( )#(
As a pastor, I ha(e found that women seem to e the
ones to do this more than men! I *et more feedack from
women makin* that kind of statement! 7adies, that is not
Faith) and it won=t work! &ou will come up with the short
end of the stick! &ou had etter put "our order in, and Eust
claim "our husand in the name of Iesus! And then
elie(e @od that "ou recei(e him, and stop lookin*! Stop
huntin* around! Iust *o ahead and seek first the kin*dom
of @od! And the 7ord will rin* the ri*ht person across
"our path! Alwa"s rememer thisB "ou ma" not e read"
for that man of "our dreams! 9here ma" e a little fi6in*
up that has to *o on inside of "ou so that "ou will e read"
for him!
TH#( ITH TH# )#(.
It seems like the men alwa"s want to marr" the
(ir*ins! $hen it comes to *ettin* married, the" want the
untouched, unspotted, (ir*in!
Ha(e "ou e(er stopped to think that ma"e she wants
a (ir*in too< )oesn=t she deser(e a (ir*in too< $hat
makes "ou think that she wants a used model< She wants
a rand new showroom,fresh,model, Eust like "ou do! It
isn=t fair for "ou to e6pect that on her end, and "ou are not
*i(in* it "ourself! A;EN?
;ark 22B/1 is sa"in*, CSure, "ou can ha(e the thin*s
that "ou desire, ut ne(er at the e6pense of someod"
else=s will!C @od is not *oin* to let "ou e6ercise authorit"
o(er an"od" else=s will! So when it comes to this usiness
of claimin* husands and wi(es, "ou should not claim
some specific indi(idual! &ou should claim that husand
or wifeB put "our order in, and elie(e @od that "ou ha(e
recei(ed it! )on=t sa", CI want this one, that one, or the
other,C ecause that ma" not e the est one for "ou, and
esides that, he or she ma" not want "ou! And if that
person doesn=t want "ou, @od is not *oin* to chan*e his,
or her will, Eust to accommodate "ou! 9hat is a misuse of
Scripture, and it is *ettin* o(er into the realm of
Presum"tion. 9hat is not Faith) and it will not work! @od is
not *oin* to honor thatD so "ou had etter chan*e "our
pra"in* if that is what "ou are doin*!
Stop sa"in*, CI ha(e m" e"e on him!C Or CI ha(e m"
e"e on her!C If that is what "ou are doin*, "ou had etter
*et "our e"e off them and on the $ord of @od! Seek "e
first the kin*dom of @od!!!!!and use "our faith properl",
ecause that is not Faith) that is Presum"tion) and it will not
work!
I HA'# CLAI)#* A H$S2A(* CIF#D
2$T I HA'# ("T %#C#I'#*
9here is another aspect to this usiness of husand
and wife claimin*, that I need to address m"self to! Some
ha(e een claimin* husands and wi(es for a lon* time,
and the" ha(en=t recei(ed "et! 9he" are wonderin* what is
wron*! I think that the Bile *i(es us a little clarification
here, and we need to e6amine this, ecause it is (er"
important to us!
In Iames 1B2,3, we readD C#rom whence come wars and
fi*htin*s amon* "ou< come the" not hence, e(en of "our
lusts that war in "our memers< &e lust, and ha(e notB "e
kill, and desire to ha(e, and cannot otainB "e fi*ht and
war, "et "e ha(e not, ecause "e ask not! &e ask, and
recei(e not, ecause "e ask amiss, that "e ma" consume it
upon "our lusts!C 9here is such a thin* as askin* for
somethin* and ha(in* the wron* moti(e! &ou can e
doin* the ri*ht thin*, ut ha(e the wron* moti(e! 9o
claim a husand or a wife for the wron* moti(e is reall"
not ri*ht! He said, C&ou ask and recei(e not ecause "ou
ask amiss!C In other words, "our moti(e is not ri*ht! C&ou
ask amiss that "ou ma" consume it upon "our lust!C
Now, when I sa" that "ou can put "our order in for a
husand or wife, what "ou reall" ou*ht to do is to claim a
husand, or wife, and then lea(e it up to @od! &ou ha(e
claimed the husand! &ou ha(e claimed the wifeB now
lea(e it up to @od to rin* that person into "our life! Some
ha(e *one off the deep end, and the" are claimin*D CI want
her to e 3.,/1,3-,C or whate(er, and the" are reall" not
operatin* in Faith. 9he" are operatin* out of *ust. $hat
does the siJe of a woman=s reasts ha(e to do with the
happiness of marria*e< $e ha(e *ot lust on our minds!
$hat difference does it make if she is 3. inches or 30< Is
two inches *oin* to make "ou happ"< Is that what makes
a *ood marria*e< Some ha(e said, CHe has to ha(e /8 inch
thi*hs, and 28 inch cal(es!C
9he siJe of the or*ans, whate(er or*ans we are talkin*
aout, does not determine the happiness of marria*e! And
when "ou are reall" that concerned aout whether it is 3+
or 3. inches, "ou are not operatin* out of a desire, Eust to
ha(e a wife, "ou are operatin* out of a desire to ha(e
some kind of ph"sical pla" to"! &our marria*e is alread"
doomed to destruction, ecause "our moti(e is not ri*ht in
the first place! She has to e a certain color, and ha(e a
certain kind of hair, and e a certain hei*ht! Hair has
nothin* to do with "ou ein* happ", I know some people
who ha(e the prettiest hair that "ou would e(er want to
seeB the most eautiful people, "et the" ha(e the worst
marria*e in the world! I also know some folks, on the
other hand who are ald,headed and ha(e the most
eautiful marria*e *oin*! 9he" don=t ha(e an" hair? )on=t
"ou think that @od knows that "ou don=t want some u*l"
worn out somethin*, e it male or female< )on=t "ou think
that @od has enou*h sense to know that< &ou trusted Him
with "our sal(ation! &ou trusted Him to write "our name
down in the 7am=s Book of 7ife, wh" can=t "ou trust Him
for a husand, or wife<
$h" does she ha(e to e 3- or whate(er<
CIf it ain=t that, I don=t want it!C &ou can see ri*ht there
"ou are in lust! &ou don=t desire a husand, or wifeB "ou
are lookin* for some kind of flesh to" to pla" with!
#riend, what "ou look like outwardl", whether "our
hair is lon*, short, napp", kink", strai*ht, lond, lack,
runette, or "ou ha(e no hair at allB whether "ou are tall,
or shortB whether "ou are // or 3. inches in the chest, none
of that automaticall" is *oin* to make a happ" marria*e! If
"ou don=t *et e"ond that, "ou are doomed alread", e(en
efore "ou start, ecause marria*e is ased on more than
se6!
In our societ", we low se6 so much out of proportion
that we think that it is the *reat determinin* factor! She
thinks she is *oin* to e happ" ecause he has a certain
siJe thi*h, or a certain siJe this or that! How do "ou know
that that is *oin* to make "ou happ"< Besides, what
*uarantee do "ou ha(e that after "ou marr" him, that he is
*oin* to sta" the same siJe an"how< I know a person in
the church that I pastor, that I went to hi*h school with! A
eautiful "oun* lad", ph"sicall"B short, slim, and trim! 9he
person is still a (er" eautiful person to me, ut she hasF
o(er the "ears, ecause of man" different circumstances
permitted herself to *et fi(e siJes i**er than she was
then! And now, she doesn=t look as *ood in her clothes!
Iust ecause he is that siJe now, does not mean that he
is *oin* to sta" that wa"! And Eust ecause she is that siJe
now, doesn=t mean that she is *oin* to sta" that wa"! So
what are "ou *oin* to do after she has "our third kid<
Before she had all those aies she ma" ha(e een
standin* out there nice and firm at 3- inches! But after
those aies, she ma"! not ha(e that nice shape!
It=s true! &ou know! 9his is where we li(e! If someod"
had talked to "ou aout this efore "ou married, "ou
mi*ht not e in the prolems that "ou are now in! 9his is
lifeD we need to face the facts and the realities of life!
;arria*e should not e ased on ph"sical dimensions!
&our happiness is not *uaranteed ecause of ph"sical
dimensionsB that is Foo*ishness= that is not trustin* @od!
L#A%( T" T%$ST !"$% H#A'#(L!
FATH#%
&ou are *oin* to ha(e to learn to trust "our hea(enl"
#ather, and *et "our mind off of ph"sical dimensions, and
looks, and start seekin* the kin*dom of @od first! %ut "our
order in, ut not that sill" stuffB talkin* aout, CHe has to
ha(e an ear loe so much hi*her than his cheekones, and
his hair has to e this, and he has to ha(e a mustacheD he
has to e so much across the shoulders etc!, etc!, etc?C @et
off that? Sa", C#ather @od, I want a husand, and &ou
know that I want one who looks nice! &ou know I don=t
want to marr" 5in* 5on*, and I don=t want @odJilla
either! But I am *oin* to trust &ou, 7ord! And I claim a
husand GwifeH in the name of Iesus, and I elie(e that I
recei(e accordin* to ;ark 22B/1!C 9hen lea(e it up to @od
to rin* the man or woman into "our life, ecause,
rememerB "ou are the result of a certain set of
circumstances! &ou ha(e "our own peculiar ps"cholo*ical
make upB "ou are the product of a particular en(ironment,
and histor", and tradition, and of famil" relationships!
;an" times, "ou think that "ou want this, ut would "ou
fit with him or her< )oesn=t he or she ha(e somethin* to
sa" aout it<
;a"e "ou are a siJe /1, lookin* like a Cwho=d,a,
thou*ht,it,C and "ou put in an order for a Ctall, dark, and
handsome!C $hat makes "ou think he wants "ou<
&ou don=t e(en think aout that! CI want! I want?C $hat
aout "ou< ;a"e "ou are not fi6ed up for that kind of
man! ;a"e that is wh" "our pra"ers ha(e not een
answered! &ou want Ctall, dark, and handsome,C ut "ou
are Cshort, fat, and u*l"!C I=m not callin* names! I am
simpl" tr"in* to *et "ou to see the truth! $e need to e
careful aout this! $hat makes "ou think that he or she
wants "ou, an"how<
9hat ma" e wh" "ou are ha(in* such a hard time
*ettin* a husand, or wife! &ou ma" e askin* foolishl"!
Iust put "our order in and claim a husand, or wife! 9hat
wa", "ou won=t ha(e to look for one an" more! 'laim it in
the name of Iesus and elie(e that "ou ha(e recei(ed!
7ea(e it up to "our hea(enl" #ather!
I )A*# $P )! )I(*, 2$T &"* 7(#
TH# 7I(* "F &I%L I (##*#*
I did that? I had m" mind G9his was efore I e(en
knew aout faith, or claimin* an"thin*, e(en efore I was
a 'hristian!H all made up as to the kind of *irl I was *oin*
to marr", ifFin fact, I e(er *ot married! In realit",
marria*e was the furthest thin* from m" mind, ut I did
ha(e some remote thou*hts aout it! 9here was no point
in *ettin* married when I could pla"! 9hat was m"
attitude! 9hat was the wa" I felt, and man, I was pla"in*? I
was ha(in* a *ood time! I had no immediate plans to
marr"! No? I was foot,loose and fanc",free? And when I
did start thinkin* seriousl" aout *ettin* married, I had it
all in m" mind the kind of *irl I was *oin* to marr", and
Eust what she was *oin* to look like! She had to e a
certain color, she had to ha(e a certain te6ture of hair! I
had made up m" mind! I did not know that @od would
ha(e an"thin* to do with it, ut that is what I had in m"
mind! I thou*ht that that was *oin* to make me happ"!
;" wife had pra"ed, after a fashion, and the 7ord
worked the thin* out as far as the ph"sical thin*s were
concerned, e(en thou*h the" didn=t work out e6actl" as I
had en(isioned them! But I wouldn=t trade the woman the
7ord *a(e me for a million dollars! I thou*ht she had to e
a certain comple6ion, she had to e a certain color, and
that would insure happiness! I still *ot the est and I tell
her that! I wouldn=t trade m" famil" for a million dollars!
;" wife is not the color I thou*ht I wanted in a wife, ut
let me tell "ou, I ha(e a happ", happ" marria*e! And I
wouldn=t trade that woman for an"thin*? I am not
kiddin*? @ood lookin*? And she can cook? She can put the
pots onF"es? I am tr"in* to show "ou that the comple6ion
of one=s skin doesn=t make a happ" marria*e! 9hat is
Foo*ishness) not Faith.
7et me sa" this, ecause I run into this situation quite
often! 9here are some lack women, and this *oes for men
also, that think that the onl" man that can make them
happ" is a white man! 9hat is Foo*ishness>
&ou won=t ha(e a happ" marria*e Eust ecause his skin
is white, and "ou don=t ha(e to ha(e a ad marria*e
ecause his skin is lack! 9he color of "our skin does not
ha(e a thin* in the world to do with "ou ha(in* a happ"
marria*e! I ha(e seen some miserale folks that were
whiteB I ha(e seen some miserale folks that were lackB I
ha(e seen some miserale folks that were OrientalB and I
ha(e seen some miserale folks that were Spanish! I ha(e
seen some miserale people period? 9he color of "our skin
does not *uarantee "ou happiness! I want "ou to
understand that!
It is etter for "ou if "ou want the man GwomanH that
@od knows is est for "ou! I am not sa"in* that I elie(e
that @od has a *reat i* chart up in hea(en with all the
males listed, and all the females listed, and @od alread"F
efore we e(er came into ein* had matched them up as
to which ones were *oin* to e with whom! I don=t elie(e
that, ut I do elie(e that @od knows the est person for
"ou! 9hat is what I am sa"in*! I elie(e that @od knows
est, the person with the kind of qualities that will match
"ours so that "ou will flow to*ether and not e uttin*
heads! I don=t elie(e that @od has a man and a woman
picked out for e(er"od", without "ou ha(in* an"thin* to
do with it! But I do elie(e that @od knows what is est
for "ou! He knows what will work est with "ou! If "ou
will Eust claim the husand GwifeH, and lea(e the statistics
to @od, that will release "our faith, and open the door for
@od to rin* the person into "our life! And when He
rin*s that person into "our life, that person is *oin* to fit
"ou like a tailor,made suit!
It is Foo*ishness to sa", C'hild, I am *oin* to ha(e him!
And he is *oin* to e white! He is *oin* to ha(e freckles!C
Or CHe is *oin* to ha(e short hair!C Or Clon* hair! He is
*oin* to e this siJe, that siJe, or the other!C 9hat is
Foo*ishness. And it could e that "ou want to consume it on
"our lust, as we read in Iames! 9hat ma" e wh" "ou ha(e
not recei(ed! It is not Faith) Eust ecause "ou *o out and
claim someod"! &ou should let @od rin* the person to
"ou!
A*A) *I*(,T C")PLAI( A2"$T
TH# IF# THAT &"* &A'# HI)
$e read in @enesis /B/2,/8, CAnd the 7ord @od caused
a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he sleptD and he took
one of his ris, and closed up the flesh instead thereofD
And the ri, which the 7ord @od had taken from man,
made he a woman, and rou*ht her unto the man! And
Adam said, 9his is now one of m" ones, and flesh of m"
fleshB she shall e called $oman, ecause she was taken
out of ;an! 9herefore, shall a man lea(e his father and his
mother, and shall clea(e unto his wifeB and the" shall e
one flesh! And the" were oth naked, the man and his
wife, and were not ashamed!C
Now, the point that I want to rin* out is thisB "ou
noticed that Adam did not complain aout what @od had
made him! $e ha(e no indications at all that Adam was
unhapp" or dissatisfied with what @od had created for
him! All I am sa"in* is that if Adam could ha(e that much
confidence in @od, "ou can ha(e that much confidence in
@od, and elie(e that He is *oin* to rin* the kind of
person into "our life, male or female, that is *oin* to e
est suited for "ou, and who "ou will e est suited for!
And therefore, will produce for "ou a most happ"
marria*e, and a most eautiful lessed relationship!
So I don=t elie(e necessaril" that it is Faith when "ou
*o out and Eust claim a person! CI claim him! He has to e
this siJe !!!!C 9hat is Foo*ishness. $hen I sa", put in a claim,
I mean, tell @od what "ou want! If "ou want a husand,
tell Him "ou want a husand, ut I reall" elie(e that "ou
ou*ht to ack off of the statistics ecause "ou think that is
what is *oin* to make "ou happ", ut "ou ha(e no
*uarantee that once "ou marr", "ou won=t ha(e a prolem
on "our hands! A lot of times the thin*s "ou think will
make "ou happ", don=t reall" make "ou happ" at all!
&ou can trust "our #ather @od! After all, He sa(ed
"ouB He filled "ou with the Hol" @hostB He has "our name
written down in the 7am=s Book of 7ifeB He is lessin*
"ou as "ou are operatin* in His $ord, and I think it
would e est Eust to claim the husand, or wife in the
name of Iesus, and lea(e the rest to @od! He knows "ou
don=t want to marr" 5in* 5on* or @odJilla, and I think
there are plent" of people to *o around for e(er"od"!
Some people don=t want to marr"! But if "ou do desire to
marr", I think that if "ou are *oin* to use "our faith in the
area of claimin* a husand or wife, then "ou should Eust
claim the husand or the wife and lea(e the statistics up to
@od! 9rust Him! If "ou are *oin* to trust Him with "our
eternal sal(ation, "ou ou*ht to e ale to trust Him for a
husand or wife! &ou should Eust elie(e that "ou ha(e
recei(ed, and stop lookin* or shoppin* around! Because if
"ou elie(e that "ou ha(e recei(ed, "ou don=t need to
shop! 9here is no point in lookin* now, ecause @od will
rin* the person to "ou, and "ou will know it when this
happens!
$hen "ou start actin* on or claimin* a certain person,
"ou are *ettin* into Foo*ishness and Presum"tion and "ou
are *ettin* read" to *et "our head cut off, ecause "ou are
*oin* to *et somethin* that "ou don=t want!
;an" times, I ha(e sat across the desk and heard the
words, CI wish I had ne(er seen that woman? She is
dri(in* me craJ"!C But he thou*ht that he couldn=t li(e
without her, the same as she thou*ht that she couldn=t li(e
without him! And now he has found out that he can=t li(e
with her!
9he point is this! Seek first the kin*dom of @od, and
put "our claim in for a husand or wife! Belie(e that "ou
ha(e recei(ed accordin* to ;ark 22B/1, and lea(e the siJe,
color, dimensions, and statistics to "our hea(enl" #ather!
1/
12 Finan5es In The Home Situation
$hat aout writin* checks when "ou ha(e no mone"
in the ank to co(er them, and elie(in* that @od will
supernaturall" put the mone" there< Is that Faith)
Foo*ishness) or Presum"tion+
I know a man who is a minister of the @ospel, and he
is out in the teachin* ministr"! He teaches around the
countr", Eust as I do, and he is a (er" prominent man in
the ministr" of the $ord toda"! I heard a (ideo tape of his
some "ears a*o, and he was sa"in* that when he first *ot
hold of the faith messa*e, he had acted (er" foolishl"
concernin* finances! He had a lot of ills and he was
*oin* to use his faith and claim that he could write checks
and send them in, and elie(e that @od was *oin* to
supernaturall" put the mone" in the ank to co(er the
checks! $ell, "ou know what happened! E(er" one of
them ounced? 9hat is not Faith.
If someone writes "ou a check and doesn=t ha(e an"
mone" to co(er it, that is dishonest! &ou could not do that
as an e6ercise of "our faith and e6pect @od to honor it! )o
"ou know wh"< Because it is dishonest, unless "ou post
date a check and tell the person that "ou *i(e the check to
that it will not e *ood until this date! If "ou write a check
and *i(e it to someone efore "ou ha(e the mone" in the
ank to co(er it, "ou are asolutel" ein* dishonest
ecause when "ou *i(e a person a check, "ou are sa"in*
that there is mone" in the ank to co(er it! Isn=t that what
a check is for< It takes the place of mone"! So if "ou write a
check and hand it to a person, that person assumes, unless
"ou tell him otherwise, that there is mone" in the ank to
co(er that check!
9hat is not Faith. 9hat is Presum"tion and Foo*ishness.
9hat will not work, and "ou will *et into serious troule!
&ou are *oin* to ruin "our own *ood credit, and "our
own *ood name, and "ou will rin* dishonor to the
kin*dom of @od, if "ou do this! 9hat is not Faith. &ou
shouldn=t write an" checks until "ou ha(e the mone" in
the ank to co(er them!
9his usiness aout writin* a check and *ettin* to the
ank efore the check clears to put the mone" in, is ein*
dishonest! $hen "ou write that check and hand it to a
person, "ou are sa"in* to that person, CI ha(e mone" in
the ank to co(er this check!C And if "ou don=t ha(e
mone" in the ank to co(er it, I don=t care what "ou plan
to ha(e in the ank G$hat happens if the" ha(e a fire in
the compan" where "ou work and the thin* urns
down<H, if "ou don=t *et that mone" in there, "ou will e
messed up! And "ou lied to the man, ecause the mone"
was not in the ank! If "ou don=t ha(e an" mone" in the
ank, "ou don=t ha(e an" usiness writin* a check!
Someod" *a(e me a check one da"! $e were in Santa
%aula, 'alifornia, and this man said, CI want to u" a
couple of "our ooks, ut I don=t ha(e an" mone" in the
ankB I am *oin* to post date this check! )on=t put it in the
ank until then!C
#ine, wonderful! I could recei(e that! I could a*ree
with that! But if I had put it in the ank efore he
deposited some mone" in the ank, it would ha(e
ounced! 9here would not ha(e een an" mone" in there
to co(er the amount of the check!
If "ou think that "ou are usin* Faith and "ou Eust *o
out and write a unch of checks, and send them in, and
there is no mone" in the ank to co(er them, that is not
Faith= that=s Foo*ishness. @od is not *oin* to supernaturall"
drop some mone" in the ank! 9he onl" wa" that mone"
is *oin* to *et into the ank is when "ou make a deposit,
or someod" else makes a deposit to "our account! Is that
Faith) Foo*ishness) Or Presum"tion+ &ou tell me?
Is it Faith) the fact that I am *oin* to elie(e @od to
pa" all m" ills off, and I *o out and write all of those
checks efore I put the mone" in the ank< 9hat is not
Faith= that is Foo*ishness.
A A! T" $S# !"$% FAITH
I do know of a situation where a man used his faith
this wa"! He sat down and wrote out all of the checks to
co(er his ills, and claimed the mone" to co(er them! He
wrote his checks out, ut did not date them, nor send
them out, until the mone" came in to co(er each check!
$hen the mone" came in, he put the dates on the checks
and sent them out! 9hat is all ri*ht! &ou can do that! But
when "ou write a check to someone and "ou hand it to
them, "ou are sa"in* that the mone" is in the ank to
co(er that check! And if it isn=t in the ank, that is not
Faith= that is Foo*ishness and Presum"tion) and it is a
downri*ht lie! &ou need to *et it to*ether and all thin*s
ein* equal, "ou should know how much mone" "ou ha(e
in "our checkin* account!
Now, I realiJe a human error can happen occasionall",
ut "ou ha(e to admit that anks reall" don=t make that
man" mistakes on "our personal checkin* account! I ha(e
een doin* usiness with the same ank for man" "ears,
and I do not rememer them ha(in* e(er made a mistake
on m" checkin* account! $eek after week after week, "ou
*o to the ank, and it is (er" seldom that the" e(er make a
mistake with "our account! &ou multipl" that "
thousands of other accounts, and I think that is a prett"
*ood record!
If the" should make a mistake, "ou will ha(e to admit
that it is not that often! Usuall", when that check comes
ack marked P>F-nsu,,icient ,unds) 0it is ecause there
were insufficient funds!
)on=t think it=s Faith Eust ecause "ou write a check
and "ou are *oin* to elie(e @od to put the mone" in the
ank supernaturall"! 9hat is ridiculous! 9hat is not *oin*
to work! 9hat is not Faith= that is Presum"tion) and
Foo*ishness.
HOUSEHO7) ;ONE& AN) 9I9HE %A&IN@
Another aspect that we need to consider is whether or
not wi(es or husands should take household mone" and
pa" tithes when the husand or wife oEects to it! I ha(e
heard people sa", C$ell, this is my money) and this is her
money.0 9here is no such thin* as my money) or her money=
it is our mone"! If "ou are married, and "ou are husand
and wife, and "ou are talkin* aout Cm" mone",C it should
e Cour mone"!C
C&es, ut I=m the one who is workin*!C
'ome on! 9he Bile sa"s that "ou are Cone!C $hen a
man and woman lea(e their father and mother and the
two Eoin themsel(es to*ether, the" are one in the si*ht of
@od, and if onl" one of them is workin*, e(er" nickel,
quarter, or dime that that workin* person rin*s home is
for oth! 9hat mone" is as much hers as it is his, and it is
as much his as it is hers! 9alkin* aout "our mone" as
"our mone"? 9he onl" mone" that is "our mone" is the
mone" that the two of "ou a*ree to take out of the pa"
check each week to e "our spendin* mone"! 9hat is your
money and her money. But when the check comes in, that
mone" elon*s to the household, and "ou are *ettin* a
rotten deal if that man isn=t rin*in* that mone" home,
Sister! &ou are *ettin* a rotten deal! Unfortunatel", I find
that to e true too often! ;en do their wi(es that wa", and
that is reall" dirt" or rotten to treat "our wife like that!
Some women don=t e(en know where their husands
work? And the" don=t e(en know how much mone" the
rascal makes! 9he" ne(er e(en see one of the pa" checks!
Bo", that reall" *i(es her a C*reat sense of securit"!C 9hat
reall" *i(es her a Cfeelin* of elon*in*!C 9hat is a bum dea*)
if "ou ask me! 9hat=s what it is?
&ou ma" e a 'hristian woman and "ou sa", CI am
*oin* to act in faith! I want to tithe!C
)on=t take the *rocer" mone" and tithe out of it! If he
is a non,elie(er, that is one of the est wa"s to keep him
from ecomin* a elie(er! #oolin* with his mone",
Hone"! 9hat is not the wa" to do it! )on=t "ou think that
@od knows that he is a non,elie(er< )on=t "ou think that
@od knows that he is a*ainst tithin*< &ou don=t pro(e
an"thin* " takin* the *rocer" mone" and tithin*, or
*i(in* it in offerin*s instead of usin* the mone" for what
the man *a(e it to "ou for! 9hat is not Faith; that is
Foo*ishness and Presum"tion.
CBut the Bile sa"s I ou*ht to tithe!C 9hat is if "ou are
workin* or ha(e some mone" of "our own! But the
*rocer" mone" is not "our income! 9hat mone" is to e
used for runnin* the household, and "ou will make that
non,elie(in* husand madder than a hornet quicker than
an"thin* " takin* the mone" out and spendin* it on
somethin* else!
;" wife and I were in another cit", and this little *irl
wanted to talk to m" wife after the ser(ice was o(er! She
was in tears, and ha(in* a fit! ;" wife couldn=t talk to her
until she wrote out a check and *a(e it to her! %oor sill"
child! She thou*ht that she was e6ercisin* her faith "
takin* the *rocer" mone" and puttin* it in church! 9hat is
not Faith. Now, if he *i(es "ou a weekl" allowance and
"ou want to tithe out of that, that is perfectl" proper! But
"ou should not take household mone"B mone" to e used
to pa" the rent, the ills, and to u" the *roceries,
whate(er it is, and take that and put it in the church! @od
does not e6pect "ou to do that! And if "ou do so, that is
not *oin* to make "our marria*e situation a happ" one! It
is not *oin* to cause that man to come to 'hrist! 9hat is
not Faith when "ou sa", C;" husand does not elie(e in
tithin*, ut I am *oin* to use the *rocer" mone" and tithe
an"how? I want to tithe!C )on=t "ou think that @od knows
that! He will *i(e "ou credit for it, e(en thou*h "ou do not
tithe! )o not take the household mone" and *i(e it
an"wa", when "ou know that "our husand doesn=t like
it! He is alread" talkin* aout the preacher for *ettin* all
the mone", and he is alread" mad aout that! 9hat is not
the ri*ht thin* to do! @od doesn=t e6pect "ou to do that! If
"ou ha(e a non,elie(in* husand, "ou will ne(er win
him " takin* that man=s mone" and puttin* it into the
church! Satan is *oin* to use that to make him that much
an*rier a*ainst the church! Use some wisdom! 9hat is not
Faith. @od knows "our circumstances! He knows "ou
cannot tithe, and He does not e6pect "ou to do so! &ou are
not workin* in that senseB "ou are a housewife! &ou do
what "ou are supposed to do at home! 7i(e the 'hristian
life efore "our husand! 9hat will do more to win him
than an"thin* else! If he *i(es "ou some e6tra mone", or
somethin* like that, "ou can *o ahead and *i(e it to the
7ord!
@od does not e6pect "ou to tithe if "our husand is not
in a*reement with it! In fact, if two people who are
'hristians do not a*ree to tithe, "ou shouldn=t do itB not
a*ainst the other=s will! &ou should come to some kind of
compromise on what "ou do to*ether and then what
elon*s to "ou, that part that is "ours, "ou can do with it
what "ou want to do! It is not Faith) Eust to *o on and *i(e
that mone" in spite of "our spouse=s feelin*s on the
suEect! &ou will *et "ourself into a lot of troule! &ou will
mess up "our home situation and that is not usin*
wisdomB that is not Faith= that is Foo*ishness.
14
13 Faith 's1 Fear
As we come to the final chapter of this ook, I elie(e
that we ha(e thorou*hl" co(ered man" aspects that
'hristians face in their dail" li(es! Is it Faith) Foo*ishness)
$r Presum"tion+ I elie(e that we ha(e adequatel" shown
that when the Scripture sa"s, COwe no man an"thin*
e6cept to lo(e him !!!C GSee Romans 23B-H it does not
necessaril" mean that "ou cannot u" an"thin* on time
and make monthl" pa"ments! &ou don=t look to that as a
wa" of *ettin* thin*s for the rest of "our life, ut "ou use
it as a steppin* stone! 9he faith life is a pro*ressi(e
de(elopment! Nood" is orn a full *rown ph"sical adult,
and neither is a new orn a*ain 'hristian full" de(eloped
in his faith walk! Spiritual aies ha(e to *row up!
$e ha(e also talked aout whether or not it is Faith)
Foo*ishness) $r Presum"tion to not ha(e insurance! And "ou
ha(e to rememer that "ou li(e in an imperfect world!
Insurance is a means of pre(entin* the enem" from
wipin* "ou out financiall"! Iust as health insurance won=t
pre(ent "ou from *ettin* sick or d"in*, neither does
automoile insurance pre(ent "ou from ha(in* wrecks!
E(er" one is at different le(els of faith! And e(er"od"
has to choose for himself or herself! All insurance does is
help "ou keep from *i(in* place to the de(il! $e ha(e
talked aout man" thin*sB aout husands and wi(es=
relationships! E(en whether to claim or not to claim a
husand or wife! A lot of this *oes on under the *uise of
Faith) when in fact, it is reall" Foo*ishness) and in some
1!0 Faith, Foolishness, or Presumption?
instances, Presum"tion. $e ha(e talked aout eatin* and
castin* out the calories, and that is Foo*ishness) ecause
"ou cannot keep eatin* and not *et fat! &ou will *et fatter
and fatter and fatter if "ou keep on eatin* fattenin* foods!
&ou are *oin* to ha(e to discipline "ourself and rin*
"our od" under!
9here is one aspect that we ha(e not talked aout! And
that is the suEect of ,ear. Fear is one of the *reatest thin*s
that hinders man" 'hristian=s faith! Fear of the do*B ,ear of
the darkB ,ear of the catB ,ear of this and that! Fear keeps
people in onda*e! / 9imoth" 2B0 sa"s, C#or @od hath not
*i(en us the spirit of fearD ut of power, and of lo(e, and
of a sound mind!C Now that is the $ord of @od! &ou do
not ha(e the s"irit o, ,ear. &ou can permit or allow the
s"irit o, ,ear to dominate "ou if "ou want to! But fear has no
le*al ri*ht to make "ou afraid! &ou can e afraid if "ou
choose to e afraid, ut "ou do not ha(e to e afraid!
$hen ,ear rears its u*l" head, "ou ha(e the ri*ht and
authorit" in the name of Iesus to point the fin*er of @od at
,ear and sa", CIn the name of Iesus, I refuse to e afraid?C
And until "ou start doin* that, ,ear is *oin* to dominate
"ou! Because satan knows he has "ou runnin*, and he will
keep on harassin* "ou in that area!
9he Bile sa"s that we ha(e not een *i(en the spirit
of fear, so we don=t ha(e to e afraid!
!"$ HA'# T" *#AL ITH THAT
F#A%
#or instance, if a wife has a husand who works at
ni*ht and she is afraid of the dark, she does not want to
sta" at home " herself! So she pra"s and elie(es that her
husand will *et a da"time Eo! 9hat won=t work ecause
Laying The Foundation 1!1
"ou see, "ou are not dealin* with the ,ear. &ou are tr"in*
to chan*e the circumstances, so that he works in the
da"time when "ou are not afraid, instead of at ni*ht! &ou
need to stop and realiJe that "ou ha(e not dealt with the
,ear. &ou still ha(e the same ,ear) and that ,ear is still
dominatin* "ou!
An" time "ou pra" in contradiction to the $ord of
@od, it will not work! 9hat is not Faith. 9hat is Foo*ishness.
&ea, e(en Presum"tion.
&ou can learn to o(ercome fear! &ou can use the $ord
of @od to o(ercome it! It is not #aith to pra" that the" put
"our husand on a da"time Eo so that he won=t ha(e to e
awa" at ni*ht! If this were true, in our relationship, I
would not e(en *o an"where in the ministr"!
)! IF# HA* A F#A% "F TH# *A%7
I did not e(en know itD she kept it to herself, ut m"
wife had a fear of the dark! She was afraid to *et out of the
ed and *o to the toilet in the middle of the ni*ht! 9hat is
how fearful she was! She would ne(er sleep, an" time
when I was awa" from home! If I didn=t *et home until
/B++ a!m!, she would not *o to sleep until then! And if I did
not come home that ni*ht, if I was out of town preachin*,
althou*h she did not tell me, she would sta" awake the
whole ni*htB ne(er closin* her e"es! Fear had her. She
would hear sounds or noises, and she would think that
someod" was *oin* to reak into the house on her!
Fear is dominatin*! $ell, she did not pra" that @od
would stop sendin* me awa" to preach! She did not pra"
that @od would stop causin* in(itations to come to me
that would keep me out somewhere ministerin* the $ord
of @od!
1!2 Faith, Foolishness, or Presumption?
She found out that the Bile is true! She found out that
she had not been gi%en the s"irit o , ,ear) but o , "ower) and o ,
*o%e) and o , a sound mind. She found out that Iesus Himself
said, in 7uke 2+B2.B CBehold, I *i(e unto "ou power to
tread on serpents and scorpions, and o(er all the power of
the enem"B and nothin* shall " an" means hurt "ou!C She
found out that the $ord of @od said that whate%er we bind
on earth) is bound in hea%en) and whate%er we *oose on earth is
*oosed in hea%en. She found out in the name of Iesus, "ou
can cast these spirits out! And she e*an to use her faith!
She e*an to take authorit" o(er ,ear. She e*an to sa", CI
will not e afraid! I will not sta" awake all ni*ht! I will not
e afraidD nood" can reak in on me ecause the an*els
of the 7ord are encamped around and aout me! @reater
is He that is in me, than he that is in the world, and I don=t
ha(e to e afraid!C She took authorit" o(er that thin*! She
did not pra" that @od would stop sendin* me out at ni*ht
to preach the $ord of @odB that is Presum"tion and
Foo*ishness. 9hat is not Faith.
If "ou ha(e that kind of ,ear) "ou can o(ercome it! But
"ou are *oin* to ha(e to learn how to stand a*ainst it with
the $ord of @od! She o(ercame that ,ear. She is afraid of
nothin* now! She *ets in that ed, and in fact, if I don=t *et
to her quickl", she will e asleep! She took the $ord of
@od and o(ercame the ,ear.
It is Foo*ishness to pra", C7ord, put him on a da" time
Eo!C &ou ha(e not dealt with the ,ear. If "ou sa", C7ord,
send me " us instead of " airplane! I=m scared to fl"!C
&ou are still lettin* ,ear dominate "ou! 9hat is not Faith)
that is Foo*ishness) and Presum"tion. 7earn to take the $ord
of @od and learn to rise ao(e these situations! We ha%e
not been gi%en the s"irit o, ,ear) but o , *o%e) and o , "ower) and
Laying The Foundation 1!3
o , a sound mind. &ou don=t ha(e to e afraid of an"thin*B
not a do*, a fro*, a toad, an ant, a person, a demon, satan,
or an"od" else! &ou do not ha(e to e afraid! 9here is no
,ear for the man who knows how to walk in line with
@od=s $ord!
FAITH, F""LISH(#SS, "%
P%#S$)PTI"(? !"$ 2# TH# :$*&#.
Words of Faith
!o then ,aith cometh by hearing) and hearing by the
word o, /od.
?omans &'=&@
For e%er) $ Aord) thy word is sett*ed in hea%en.
Psa*m &&#=B#
!o sha** my word be that goeth ,orth out o, my
mouth= it sha** not return unto me %oid) but it sha**
accom"*ish that which - "*ease) and it sha** "ros"er in
the thing whereto - sent it.
-saiah ((=&&
Then said the Aord unto me) Thou hast we** seen=
,or - wi** hasten my word to "er,orm it.
Jeremiah &=&9
- wi** worshi" toward thy ho*y tem"*e) and "raise
thy name ,or thy *o%ingkindness and ,or thy truth= ,or
thou hast magni,ied thy word abo%e a** thy name.
Psa*m &CB=9
Dut without ,aith it is im"ossib*e to "*ease him= ,or
he that cometh to /od must be*ie%e that he is) and that
he is a rewarder o, them that di*igent*y seek him.
:ebrews &&=E
For by grace are ye sa%ed through ,aith; and that
not o, yourse*%es= it is the gi,t o, /od= not o, works) *est
any man shou*d boast.
7"hesians 9=B)#
2nd Jesus answering saith unto them) :a%e ,aith in
/od. For %eri*y - say unto you) that whosoe%er sha** say
unto this mountain) De thou remo%ed) and be thou cast
into the sea; and sha** not doubt in his heart) but sha**
be*ie%e that those things which he saith sha** come to
"ass; he sha** ha%e whatsoe%er he saith.
There,ore - say unto you) What things soe%er ye
desire) when ye "ray) be*ie%e that ye recei%e them) and
ye sha** ha%e them.
ark &&=9919F
There,ore being .usti,ied by ,aith) we ha%e "eace
with /od through our Aord Jesus Christ= by whom a*so
we ha%e access by ,aith into his grace wherein we stand)
and re.oice in ho"e o , the g*ory o , /od.
?omans (=&)9
For though - be absent in the ,*esh) yet am - with
you in the s"irit) .oying and beho*ding your order) and
the sted,astness o , your ,aith in Christ. 2s ye ha%e
there,ore recei%ed Christ Jesus the Aord) so wa*k ye in
him= rooted and bui*t u" in him) and stab*ished in the
,aith) as ye ha%e been taught) abounding therein with
thanksgi%ing.
Co*ossians 9=(1@
Aet us draw near with a true heart in ,u** assurance
o , ,aith) ha%ing our hearts s"rink*ed ,rom an e%i*
conscience) and our bodies washed with "ure water. Aet
us ho*d ,ast the "ro,ession o , our ,aith without
wa%ering; G,or he is ,aith,u* that "romised;5 Now the
.ust sha** *i%e by ,aith= but i , any man draw back) my
sou* sha** ha%e no "*easure in him.
:ebrews &'=99)9C)CB
Aooking unto Jesus the author and ,inisher o , our
,aith; who ,or the .oy that was set be,ore him endured
the cross) des"ising the shame) and is set down at the
right hand o , the throne o , /od.
For consider him that endured such contradiction o ,
sinners against himse*,) *est ye be wearied and ,aint in
your minds. 3e ha%e not yet resisted unto b*ood)
stri%ing against sin.
:ebrews &9=91F
Knowing this) that the trying o , your ,aith worketh
"atience.
James &=C
Dut ye) be*o%ed) bui*ding u" yourse*%es on your
most ho*y ,aith) "raying in the :o*y /host) kee"
yourse*%es in the *o%e o , /od) *ooking ,or the mercy o ,
our Aord Jesus Christ unto eterna* *i,e.
Jude 9')9&
2nd being not weak in ,aith) he G2braham5
considered not his own body now dead) when he was
about an hundred years o*d) neither yet the deadness o ,
!arah's womb=
:e staggered not at the "romise o , /od through
unbe*ie,; but was strong in ,aith) gi%ing g*ory to /od;
and being ,u**y "ersuaded that) what he had "romised)
he was ab*e a*so to "er,orm.
?omans F=&#19&
2bo%e a**) taking the shie*d o , ,aith) wherewith ye
sha** be ab*e to <uench a** the ,iery darts o , the wicked.
7"hesians E=&E
Jesus said unto him) - , thou canst be*ie%e) a** things
are "ossib*e to him that be*ie%eth.
ark #=9C
#or a complete list of tapes and ooks " #red %rice,
or to recei(e his pulication, 7%er -ncreasing Faith
essenger) writeB
#red %rice
'renshaw 'hristian 'enter
%! O! Bo6 .++++
7os An*eles, 'A .+++.
Fee* ,ree to inc*ude your "rayer re<uests
and comments when you write.

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