THE LANGUAGE OF FAITH VS THE LANGUAGE OF FEAR
Obinna Michael
Pastor-In-Charge
Faith is a Spirit as fear is a spirit.
There is the Spirit of faith and the spirit of fear. Paul the apostle wrote about the Spirit of faith in 2 Corinthians 4:13 KJV: “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;”
And the Apostle John wrote about fear and its torment in 1 John 4: 18 KJV. It says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”
Whatever carries torment must have a spirit attached to it. There are also the principles or laws of faith – fear also has its own laws. If we have shown and seen that both are spirits, then they must each have a language.
Language is a means of communication through sounds or symbols. If FAITH is a Spirit, it must have communication means. If fear is a spirit, it must also have a means of communication or a symbol used to communicate.
WHAT ARE THESE LANGUAGES?
This is what I intend to share with us because many believers yield or respond to these languages without knowing. As a result of being taught incorrectly, many believers press this button or respond incorrectly in ignorance.
“That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.”
Philemon 1:6 KJV
This is revealing one of the languages of Faith to us – ACKNOWLEDGING EVERY GOOD THING which is in you in Christ Jesus. What do you see when you look at yourself and your life? Some see a weak, sickly, dying, poor, broke believer. If this is what you see, that is the language of fear and not faith. God wants you to recognize and acknowledge every good thing in you in Christ Jesus.
You may ask, what are these good things? Because you can’t see them. But you have the Holy Spirit in you. This is having God in you. This is carrying the One who created the universe in you.
He says that you have overcome them because greater is He who is in you than He that is in the world.” [1 John 4:4]
How can you fail when He lives in you? Say it loudly with your mouth: “I can’t fail, I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me” [Philippians 4:13]. This was the Spirit in David and this is the same Spirit we have now. This is the language of our Faith.
Luke 8: 41-42 tells of a man who sought Jesus because his daughter was sick. Jesus volunteered to go with him but on their way, He was interrupted by a woman. While Jesus ministered to the woman, some men told the man his daughter was dead. Jesus heard it and said to him, “Fear not.” [Luke 8:49-50]
The language of fear here is doubt and unbelief- the thought that God can’t. But I tell you today that GOD CAN. Only believe and you will see. Hallelujah!
We Have Escaped The Corruption In The World
“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
2 Peter 1:4 KJV.
I would like to share a thought with you: information from the throne room of Grace. It is what Apostle Peter in our theme scripture shares with us. It is true that we are living in the end times. A lot is happening in the world right now. People are now discovering that the world is not safe, that it is decaying and all that is in it. We are now discovering that the earth is corrupt. When the Bible speaks of the corruption that is in the world, a lot of believers do not understand it but I will share it with you.
When Peter the Apostle spoke about the corruption of the earth, he was talking about the world decaying, that is, the world perishing. It is more than the sexual immorality you see or hear around you. It goes beyond the bribery and corruption you hear and see everywhere, even the killings. All these things are the results of the main corruption of the earth. This corruption is the decaying of the systems: it is the spirit of the antichrist or the devil himself set up in the world to destroy the righteous. But the good news for those who believe in Christ is THAT WE HAVE ESCAPED THIS CORRUPTION.
You may ask: “But why escape?”
Psalm 34:19 KJV says: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: But the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” The word “delivereth” is from the Hebrew word “natsal” and it means among many things “to escape.”
You must believe the Word for you and your household that the corruption working in the world through the open door of lust will have nothing to do with you.
Believe that you have escaped this corruption of untimely death, strange losses, strange illnesses, undetermined poverty, failure, and decay of any form. You must also confess daily that you and your household have escaped.
Hear what David said in Psalm 16:10 KJV: “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; Neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” This we must confess daily.
Psalm 49:9 KJV also says, “That he should still live for ever, And not see corruption.”
This will be your portion from today. And I pray for you that the protection of the Holy One is upon you and your household this year in Jesus name. That which concerns you will not experience this corruption in Jesus name.
Shalom!
THE SURE FOUNDATION
“The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.”
Isaiah 33:5-6 KJV.
Foundations are very important in everything in life. Builders know this truth – they know that a faulty foundation is a huge problem that can only be corrected after a complete demolition. To get it right you must start afresh.
This is why the Psalmist tells us in Psalm 11:3 KJV: “If the foundations be destroyed, What can the righteous do?” Absolutely nothing! The Lord Jesus was trying to help His hearers and He shared something powerful in Matthew 7:24-27 KJV:
“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”
This saying was speaking to those who built on the right foundation and also to those who built on the wrong foundation.
In life, the same challenges and troubles will hit every man who sets out to build anything in this life, but the strength of your life is known by your foundation. Your foundation will be the reason behind your standing or falling in life – the same with your Christian walk.
What is a sure foundation?
A sure foundation is not the one built on stone, iron or sand. It is the foundation built on a Person and His name is JESUS. Our true and sure foundation as a believer is a Person and not a thing and that is the man JESUS. 1 Corinthians 3:11 KJV says, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
When Christ becomes your foundation, fear is gone completely. Make Him your sure foundation today!
Rest
Greetings in the mighty name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that grace and peace be multiplied to you.
Matthew 11:28 KJV says: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
We talk a lot about the promises of God. A lot of preachers and teachers of the word teach a lot on the promises of God. But we haven’t taken time to also look at the PROMISES OF CHRIST.
Concerning the promises that God Almighty made in Christ Jesus, hear what Paul the Apostle has to say in 2 Corinthians 1:20 KJV: “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”
One of such promises is what we read in Matthew 11:28 – the promise is REST. He said thatbif you will come to Him with all your troubles, He will give you REST. Rest is what He promises.
What does this mean?
The Amplified Translation puts it this way:
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]”
These are the things He seeks to give to you when He promised you rest – He will ease, relieve and refresh your soul. But from what exactly? From all the troubles you face and also from the law.
A good example is found in the writings of David in Psalm 23 :1-2 KJV: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.”
The picture David painted for us here is the picture of one who is in REST and he shows us how TO REST because many of us do not know the HOW.
Because the Lord is involved, “HE MAKETH ME TO LIE Down.” This is a picture of REST. He does this for you in green pastures, that is, where there are opportunities – He brings them your way and asks you to rest.
HE LEADETH ME BESIDES THE STILL WATER. Why should both you and Him lead? He has chosen to lead so you REST and allow Him to do His job.
Child of God, take this instruction from Paul found in Hebrews 4:1-3. Verse 3 says, “For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, If they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”
Do you believe? Then you have entered ‘His rest’. Start acting and praying like one in rest – Shalom!