A Completed Work

God says in His Word that He has given each of us a measure of faith (Romans 12:3).  That faith is directly correlated to belief.  Jesus said that if we have faith that measures the size of mustard seed we can say to a mountain “move”, and it will move (Matthew 17:20).  How does that happen?  It happens when we believe.  We must not believe that it can happen or even that it will happen. We must believe that it has already happened.

Before Jesus was even born as a man, before His ministry, before His death and before His resurrection, the prophet Isaiah said, “by His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).  Isaiah did not speak in a future tense even though he was prophesying about something that had not yet happened in the earth realm  We are healed.  It has already happened in the realm that God lives in.

God lives in realm that is devoid of time.  Everything in the realm God lives in is a completed work.  Jesus said in His prayer “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).  In the beginning God “created” the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).  When we as humans think of creating something we think of making something out some materials that already exists to “create” this a new thing.  For example a painting - we take a canvas and paint to bring forth a vision or image that is in our head.  We create a painting.  That’s not how God created the world in the beginning. He spoke and it was.  That is because in the realm that God lives in the heavens and earth already existed.  His words pulled the world out of the heavenly realm into the earthly realm. 

Jesus said ask anything in my name, believing you will receive it (John 14:13).  The key is belief.  Jesus said ask anything.  He didn’t say ask for some things or most things.  He said ask for anything and when you believe you will receive it.  The things that we ask for, whatever it is, is completed in heaven.  Our belief that it is, pulls it out of the heavenly realm (out of eternity) into the earthly realm (time), and we see it manifested or materialized. 

Faith and belief are the foundation of our relationship with God.  The word says believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and though shalt be saved (Acts 16:31).  We can’t receive salvation without believing.  We receive salvation, and then walk with an unseen God by faith to make the unseen seen.  I have heard several times of testimonies where people say they have seen visions of a storeroom of sorts in heaven that has human limbs and organs.  For the person with a heart condition, praying for healing that new heart already exists in heaven.  When they pray, believing in faith, that thing which already exists in heaven becomes a real heart on earth.

Belief is a principle that transcends Christianity.  How many times has a successful person responded when asked how they became successful, “I believed in myself”.  We can even trick ourselves into believing negative things and they become reality.  That is why it is so important that we believe in Jesus to access the Father because His ways and thoughts are perfect.  Also his power, ability and domain far exceed anything that exists period.  I’d rather plug into Him as my source and get the optimal power because anything or anyone else pales in comparison. 

God has given each of us a measure of faith.  That faith allows us to speak to the mountains in our lives, but when we speak to the mountain we must believe that what we are saying is already done.  Then we will see our faith, our belief and our words make our reality.

A New Thing

“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”  Isaiah 43:19

Eleven years ago today, God did a new thing in my life.  At that time I had been unemployed for about eighteen months.  My father was supporting me while I looked for a job.  I strongly believed that God had called me to live in the city where I was living, but I could not find employment in the city He had called me to.  My dad told me that he would not be able to support me anymore and asked that I return home.  I went home, as he asked, but inside I had no intention of staying.  I knew that my Heavenly Father would take care of me.  This did not stop the fear or anxiety of the whole situation, yet I remained with my faith firmly, staunchly, almost stubbornly, on the word the Lord had given me about where I should be.

While at home with my parents I received an email from a young lady that attended my church about a part time  position at her mother’s company.  I didn't ask her any questions about her mom, her mom’s job or the position because I was sure that this was the door that God had opened for me.  Now how was I going to get back?  It wasn't like I could walk there.  I needed plane ticket, but I had no money. I could not dare ask my parents.  I had already spoken with the young lady’s mother and had already made an appointment for an interview on Friday, August 8^th.  I needed to get back.  Within a day two friends came to me and each gave me $100.  I did not solicit this money from them.  One of them actually said to me that I needed to get back soon. She had no idea about the job interview.  With $200 I had just enough money to purchase a plane ticket, but my God is not a God of just enough.  He is a God of more than enough. 

Later that same day my mother came to me and asked me a very simple question.  Although a simple question, my answer was one of those answers that became a defining moment in my life.  She asked me why was I so adamant about this.  I answered because God said so.  She said that was the answer she needed to hear.  She then told me that she would buy my plane ticket.  She also had no clue about the job interview I had set up.

At the time I had no car so I had to catch the bus to my 7:00 am job interview.  Well, I lived quite a ways from the company location.  It would take me two buses to get there, and I would have to be at the bus stop at 5:00 am to get there by 7:00 am.  I was not deterred.  I had to get there, and I was going to get there.  When I arrived at the building at 7:00 am it was locked.  No one was there.  I would wait.  At 8:00 am a young lady arrived and opened the building door.  I told her who I was there for.  Obviously since the door was locked, the person had not arrived yet.  She was an hour late.  That’s okay.  I waited.

I took a seat in the lobby.  I picked up the July issue of Black Enterprise Magazine.  There was an interesting article in the magazine about a black female general contractor.  The article talked about her role in the construction industry and also her interest in teaching youth about investing.  Her teenage daughter appeared to be an investing guru.  As I was reading the article, someone walked in so I looked up, and to my surprise and astonishment it was the lady from the article standing right in front of me. 

She was the person I was interviewing with.  It was a construction company. I had so many questions for God.  I followed her upstairs to the office where she had me complete an application, after which the interview began.  She asked me if I had read the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. Thanks to my mother I was “tricked” into reading this book while I was in high school.  So my answer was yes.  We talked a little bit about the book and then she said, “Okay, when can you start?”  No questions about my experience or about my education or about anything other than that book.  Strange. 
“Today,” I said.   She sat me at a desk and then said that she had to leave for a meeting.  I didn't know anything about anything. I remember someone called and asked for the fax number, which I didn't know, but thank God for quick thinking.  It had to be on the business card right? And I had the business card so I was able to give them the fax number. 
From that day to this I have been there.  The journey has not been easy.  At times, it continues to have some rough terrain, but I am so thankful and grateful to God for positioning me at this place.  I have learned a lot about the industry, but I have learned so much more about life.  At times, most times, I do not understand my boss. To say that she is unorthodox is a tremendous understatement, but she is so wise in so many ways.  The greatest lessons that I have learned on my job, of course, have nothing to do with work.  Learning about the Mastermind principles from Think and Grow Rich, and living them out to help me set and achieve goals is probably one of the greatest life lessons I have learnt.  There are many more, though, and they are too many to list.
I've learnt a lot and I continue to learn, but now that I have been poured into, for the last couple of years it’s been about pouring into the others, who just like I did, come in for an interview.  I ask them the same question about what books do they read.  I find myself telling them the same things, and just like I didn't get it, they don’t get it, but they will get it one day. 

You just never know what God has for you.  It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but it was what I needed.  It was an unusual opportunity.  I wasn't going to blog this.  I was just writing because I like to write and today is 8/8 again so I needed to journal about my “anniversary”, but I feel that God wants me to share this testimony because He has an unusual opportunity for someone reading this.  It may not look like what you want, but it is what you need.  Look for His signs. He’ll show you them.  Eleven years ago, which was 8/8 and in the Bible the number eight is symbolic of new beginnings, He was doing a new thing with me.  Be encouraged He wants to do a new thing with you.

God's House

In Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth he says, "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" (I Corinthians 6:19 KJV) In Acts chapter seven Stephen quotes the prophet Isaiah saying, "However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.  What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord.  Or where will my resting place be?  Has not my hand made all these things?" (Acts 7:48-50 NIV)

As Stephen said God does not live in houses made by human hands.  He lives in each believer in the person of His Holy Spirit. What?  Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost?  God asks in Isaiah 66:1-2, "What kind of house will you build for me?"  If our bodies are the temple of Holy Ghost what kind of house (temple) are we building for God?  Is it a house built on the foundation of the word of God?  Is it a house where love lives? Is it a house where compassion lives?  Is it a house where grace lives?  Is it a house where mercy lives?  What lives in our temple?

What foundation is your temple built on?  Jesus gave a parable about a wise man who built his house on the rock.  When the storm came his house withstood the storm because its foundation was the rock.  Jesus is the rock.  Jesus said to Peter that on this rock (revelation that Jesus is our savior) I will build my church (that's you and me) and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).  The foolish man, however, built his house on the sand, and when the storm came his house was destroyed.  If we build our houses on any foundation other than who Jesus is when the storms of life come our houses will crumble.  

What's inside our temple? If there is doubt in our temples, God cannot live there.  If there is mistrust in our temples, God cannot live there.  If there is hate in our temples, God cannot live there.  God allowed the Babylonians to destroy the temple that King Solomon had built because the children of Israel chose to worship other gods.  The very first commandment that God gave Moses on Mt. Sinai was "thou shalt have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3).  Whether we realize it or not, anything in our lives that overshadows who God is we have made a god in our lives.  It could be hate, resentment, unforgiveness or fear.  When we let those things take up residence in our houses, God's temple, we are destroying the house.  
In Isaiah 66:2 it says that the ones that God favors are those who are humble and contrite in spirit and who tremble at His word.  God is seeking those who reverence Him with humility.  Who ask Him to help them build His house. It is no coincidence that Jesus was a carpenter while He was here on earth. He is the master builder, and He will help us build a temple that is pleasing to the Father where His presence lives always.