How can we talk about Christmas and not talk about giving? It’s impossible. Even the world that doesn’t know God or love Jesus understands that Christmas is about giving. Tonight I want to remind you of how Christmas began, what was given to us and why.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  [17]  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  [18]  “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:16-18

That name is Jesus.

Jesus did not come to condemn the world—let’s face it—it was already in a condemned state. By condemned I mean this: marked for destruction. When a building is condemned it is not immediately destroyed, but it is marked for destruction. No, Jesus did not condemn the world. Just like a Navy Seal covert operation dropping men in behind enemy lines to save hostages, Jesus slipped into this world into enemy occupied territory on a rescue mission.

…our Lord Jesus Christ…gave Himself for our sins, that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, [Galatians 1:3-4]

God gave Jesus to the world. Jesus gave Himself. But like any gift, it is not yours unless it is received.

But as many as RECEIVED Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: [John 1:12]

By and large, the world has ignored the gift of God called Jesus. Some of you present have done the same thing. You hear a message like this one, and you CHOOSE to ignore the call of God to rescue you—to redeem your life from destruction. You can’t save yourself. Stop running from God. Stop resisting Jesus. Sometime, before this night, December 15, 2011 is through, respond to God. Tell Him, Lord I yield my life to you, save me, rescue me, redeem me. I need you, Lord Jesus.

Salvation starts with believing and receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior. But it does not end there. It continues with receiving His Spirit—the Holy Spirit—and being led by His Spirt.

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.  [12]  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors–not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.  [13]  For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  [14]  For AS MANY AS ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, THESE ARE SONS OF GOD. [Romans 8:11-14]

I want to remind you that the Holy Spirit is as much a gift from God as Jesus is.

And just as the world has ignored the gift of Jesus, many in the church have ignored the gift of God called the Holy Spirit.

If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?  [12]  Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? [Luke 11:11-12]

OF COURSE NOT! Even though we pale in comparison to God’s goodness, we still know how to give good and appropriate gifts to our children. How much more, then, does God?

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit TO THOSE WHO ASK HIM!” [Luke 11:13]

A gift. Not a prize to be earned, but a gift, simply for the asking. I want to remind you—to encourage you—to ask for this gift of His Spirit.

Jesus said to His disciples

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.  [16]  And I will pray the Father, and HE WILL GIVE YOU ANOTHER HELPER, that He may abide with you forever–  [17]  THE SPIRIT of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.  [18]  I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. [John 14:15-23]

After Jesus ascended to Heaven, He fulfilled His promise. On the day of Pentecost, the Spirit was given in full measure.

Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. [Acts 2:33]

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”  [37]  Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”  [38]  Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and YOU SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. [Acts 2:36-38]

Now, listen to this: The very first gospel presentation ever preached after the resurrection of Jesus, and Peter did NOT say, “and you shall receive the gift of eternal life.” He said you would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus met a woman at a well and asked her for a drink.

Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew THE GIFT OF GOD, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you LIVING WATER.”  [11]  The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that LIVING WATER?  [12]  Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”  [13]  Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,  [14]  but whoever drinks of THE WATER THAT I SHALL GIVE him will never thirst. But THE WATER THAT I SHALL GIVE him will become in him a fountain of WATER SPRINGING UP INTO EVERLASTING LIFE. [John 4:10-14]

The gift of God is the water—the living water. Another way of saying it is “the life-giving water”. So, what is this water Jesus is speaking of? Later we read…

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  [38]  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of LIVING WATER.”  [39]  But this He spoke concerning THE SPIRIT, whom those believing in Him would receive; for THE HOLY SPIRIT was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. [John 7:37-40]

Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as living water. His promise is “whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst”. The Holy Spirit is the gift. But Jesus made it clear that we should drink of that water. And when we do, that living water springs up into everlasting life—eternal life.

We have been living as though the primary gift is that of eternal life and the Holy Spirit is some kind of secondary gift.  But the reality is, the primary gift IS THE SPIRIT—whose presence yields a BYPRODUCT that is eternal life. Jesus said the water He gives—the Holy Spirt—will spring up into everlasting life.

We need the Spirit of God for our salvation every bit as much as we need air, water and food for our bodies! And not just for our own salvation, but the salvation of the world around us.

Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”  [22]  And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT.” [John 20:21-22]

As the Father sent Jesus into this world—anointed by the Holy Spirit, so does Jesus send us into this world: empowered by the Holy Spirit. We are sent for the same purpose as well: draw men and women to the Father.

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” [Acts 1:8]

We struggle to witness for Jesus in the flesh, but empowered by the Holy Spirit, it comes naturally, it becomes second nature—actually, primary nature.

Long before Jesus ever told anyone to receive the Holy Spirit, His own mother was told essentially the same thing: receive the Holy Spirit and His power will work in you. Before there ever was a Christmas, there was the Spirit of Christmas.

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,  [27]  to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.  [28]  And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”  [29]  But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.  [30]  Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  [31]  And behold, YOU WILL CONCEIVE IN YOUR WOMB AND BRING FORTH A SON, AND SHALL CALL HIS NAME JESUS.  [32]  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  [33]  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”  [34]  Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”  [35]  And the angel answered and said to her, “THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL COME UPON YOU, AND THE POWER OF THE HIGHEST WILL OVERSHADOW YOU; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. [Luke 1:26-37]

What was Mary’s assignment? Conceive in your womb and bring forth a son called Jesus. Mary asked how in the world could that happen? The answer? The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the highest will overshadow you. The Lord Himself would put His seed in her—not the fallen, corrupted seed of man, but the perfect, incorruptible seed of God.

Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be born of a virgin, eight hundred years prior to the birth of Messiah. And He was.

The Bible tells us that Mary was a virgin. She was pure, blessed, and highly favored.

When you repent of your sins and cry out to God for forgiveness, you’re sins are remitted in the name of Jesus Christ. You are washed white as snow, and you are more pure than any virgin that ever lived.

Mary was pure, blessed and highly favored. The angel said so. But even so, THAT WASN’T ENOUGH for God’s will to be done! There still remained one more ingredient. The angel, Gabriel did not depart until something else happened.

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! LET IT BE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD.” And the angel departed from her. [Luke 1:38]

What if Mary had said “no?” Do you think for a minute God would have overtaken her and forced His will on her? God is no rapist. That is not how He operates. He does not force his way on us against our will. If He did, all men would be saved. The Holy Spirit operates in the same way.

In Genesis 1, we see the Holy Spirit hovering over the darkness. What is He waiting for? He’s waiting for God to speak:

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. [Genesis 1:3]

In Luke 1, we see the Holy Spirit waiting to overshadow Mary. What is He waiting for? He’s waiting for her to speak:

Let it be to me according to your word. [Luke 1:38]

Today, I believe the Holy Spirit wants to overshadow you. What is He waiting for? He’s waiting for you to speak the word.

Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.  [18]  And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT [Ephesians 5:17-18]

So speak the word! “Lord, Your will be done. Fill me with Your Spirit! Let it be to me according to Your word. According to Your will.”

Mary’s assignment was this: conceive in your womb—and bring forth a son, and His name will be Jesus.

Your assignment? Absolutely no different! Allow the Holy Spirit to overshadow you and form Christ in you.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [John 1:1]

We know that Jesus existed ages before His birth in the manger. However, He still had to be formed in Mary. And He still has to be formed in us.

My little children, for whom I labor in birth again UNTIL CHRIST IS FORMED IN YOU, [Galatians 4:19]

That is the goal. So allow Him to do that.

being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; [Philippians 1:6]

As you know, there are indeed women who marry men for their money or assets with no intent on ever having their children. They marry only for what they can get. More than a few Christians have been guilty of marrying God in the same way! We want everything that God has to give us. But we are unwilling to give Him the one thing He asks of us: allow my Son to be formed in you.

“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. [Acts 7:51]

Well, it’s time for that to change! So here is what I am calling you to do. Yield to God and say, have Your way with me. Your will be done. I want You to form Christ in me.

This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. [Matthew 1:18]

That is the same way it will happen for you—if you will allow Him. Now, as you become more pregnant with God’s child, there are some things you should know:

• As Christ begins to grow in you, you will no longer be a secret Christian.
  • Pregnant people stick out.
  • Pregnant people get noticed.
  • Pregnant people draw attention.

• Be careful. The pregnant woman needs to make healthy choices. If she smokes or drinks, she will have to stop bringing that poison in, because she knows that her diet will affect the one that is growing within her. When you live with the understanding that “greater is He who is in you”, you will want to stop poisoning your temple with the things of this world.
  

  Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  [17]  If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. [1 Corinthians 3:16]

• When someone is pregnant we say that they are expecting.
  • When you ask God to fill you with His Spirit for the purpose of forming Christ in you, expect great things to happen to you, around you and through you! Expect it!
    

    Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKS IN US [Ephesians 3:20]

    So, let His power work mightily in you!

  • Pregnant people talk about what they expect. Don’t be surprised that you are talking about Jesus more.
• Pregnant people are radiant; they glow. If you are pregnant with Jesus, you are going to glow and be radiant. If Moses shone because he was in God’s presence, how much more should we shine because CHRIST IS IN US!

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. [Colossians 1:27]

So, when did Christmas begin? At the manger? When angels spoke to Shepherd’s? No, I believe it began when Mary said YES, LORD, LET IT BE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD. Now she could have said No. God would have been grieved, but He would have found another willing vessel to use.

Are you a willing vessel? God’s desire is to form Christ in you.

And like Mary, you have the option to say No, but I pray that tonight, like Mary, you will say Yes.

You see, as powerful as the Holy Spirit is, there is something more powerful than the Holy Spirit, and that is your ability to quench Him.

You can say no, and grieve the Holy Spirit. Jesus, speaking to His very own church said in

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. [Revelation 3:20]

To His own church, Jesus stood on the OUTSIDE waiting and wanting to come in. He will not kick the door down. He could, but the fact is He won’t. He is not an intruder. He longs to be in fellowship with those who call themselves His.

I pray that you open that door tonight if you have not, and if you have, to keep it open. You can do both of those things right now by repeating this prayer after me:

Father, God, I thank you for the gift of Jesus. I thank you for rescuing me from this evil age. Thank you for redeeming my soul.

Father, I thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. I desire to do Your will. You said Your will was for me to be filled with Your Spirit, so in obedience I ask You, Father to fill me with Your Holy Spirit.

Father, I ask you to form Christ in me. I open the door to you. Have your way with me.

Now, how do you think God sees you?

I cringe when I hear prayers like this: “O, Lord, we aren’t worthy…” Or “God, we are just unworthy sinners saved by grace…” Now some people really mean this when they pray it, but many others are just trying to make an attempt at humility. I think both are wrong. Perhaps you once saw yourself as an unworthy sinner. If you have come to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, guess what? Your sins have been forgiven–you are no longer a sinner, so, stop seeing yourself that way!

such were some of you

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. [1 Cor 6:9-11]

And such were some of you. Were. WERE. BUT now you have been …washed, …sanctified, …justified. What has been washed we call clean. You are clean. Those who have been sanctified are called saints. You are a saint. If you were justified, then you are justified. If you were washed, you are clean. If you were sanctified, then you are sanctified.

It’s not boasting in anything you have done or are. But it is boasting in what He has done. Stop withholding your praise. Give God some credit for what He has done and is doing in you and for you.

The prodigal son tried this “I’m not worthy” approach once.

“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ [Luke 15:21]

Oh, the first part was true to be sure, but the second part of that statement was false, and the Father would NOT have it! Listen…

“But the father said…BUT the father said…to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. [Luke 15:22-24]

If you are still praying this way (“Oh God, I’m not worthy…”) in an attempt of humility, then instead of saying “I’m worth nothing and You are worth everything”, why not agree with God and say “I’m worth something, but You are worth infinitely more” or “thank you Lord I have worth, but only because You have given it to me!”

If you still speak of yourself as unworthy, then complete the sentence: I am unworthy of _________? What? His love? His forgiveness? His salvation? His tender mercies? Being called His son? Unworthy of what exactly, then? You can’t just say “I’m unworthy.” Fill in the blank, and then see what God’s Word has to say about whether it is true or not.

The word unworthy appears a handful of times in the New Testament, and always in a negative connotation. That is, it is used in a way which you would not want said of you.

Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said (speaking to the Jews), “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.[Acts 13:46]

Some people reject the gospel and judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life? Did YOU reject the gospel? Are YOU worthy of everlasting life? If you received the gospel of Jesus Christ YOU ARE WORTHY. Say it: I believe Jesus, my Lord and Savior, the Son of the one true living God, died a substitutionary death for me and became sin on my behalf, and rose again; therefore, I am worthy of everlasting life!

Maybe you struggle with this seemingly humble approach of calling yourself “unworthy” because of the passage in Luke 17:7-10. Many Christians feel they are commanded to speak this way of themselves because of this passage. I want to show you 3 reasons this passage should not be thought of as instructing in that regard.

1. The word unworthy–as appears in some translations–is NOT the proper word, so we would be wrong to use it.
2. Jesus was not speaking to His disciples on this point, but the pharisees.
3. This teaching (only found here, if it were true) would contradict the numerous passages which instruct us otherwise.

Okay, now that you see where we are headed, here is the verse:

“Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down to eat’? But will he not say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’? He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’” [Luke 17:7-10 NAS]

The NLT version reads this way:

In the same way, when you obey Me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’” [Luke 17:10 NLT]

Just for the record, the word “Me” is not in the Greek text! Reading the NLT, you couldn’t help but come to the conclusion that Jesus is telling His followers (those who obey Him) to say this sort of thing as they obey Him. Jesus is not talking about obedience to Him, but keeping the law. This becomes apparent once you see that Jesus is addressing the Pharisees, and what other scriptures say happens to men who wear the label “unworthy slave/servant.”

The NAS translation of the Bible uses the phrase “unworthy slave”, and similarly, the ESV and NIV use the term “unworthy servant.” However, the KJ, NKJ, and Young’s translations have “unprofitable servant” there.   The Greek text says “achreios doulos.” The Greek text will support the proper rendering of unprofitable here vs. unworthy or worthless. Had the Greek said “anaxios doulos” then it would have said unworthy or worthless. Acts 13:46 (above) does use the word anaxios, for example.

Why does this matter? There is a difference between unworthy and unprofitable. Something can not profit but still be of worth, to profit means to increase over the original value invested. Think about it, if you paid 2 bucks for a dollar coin, you were unprofitable, but you still have something of worth.

Terms aside, was Jesus instructing the disciples to make this confession?

• First note there is a larger audience than just the apostles for this passage. This address of Jesus spans chapters 15, 16 and 17
• The various references to pharisees, disciples, and apostles is just to record who was asking the questions. Jesus often addressed the entire group with His answers (example: Luke 16:1 and 14), and probably with some pointing fingers to identify the particular sub-group He had in mind.
• Because of v5, the assumption is that v6-10 are responding to them, but there is no need to draw that conclusion. The reply in verse 6 relates to it, but verses 7-10 can hardly be said to answer the request to increase their faith, so why should it be assumed that the audience is limited to the apostles?
• One more thing to note here: did the apostles lead life-styles that had them with servants at their disposal? Unlikely. Probably the pharisees were the target of this passage.

When it comes right down to it, whether the phrase is rendered unprofitable servant or worthless slave, is almost beside the point. The real matter is are believers to identifiy themselves with this kind of person? I believe not for reasons already cited, but more so because of this: that same word pair appears only one other place.

You DO NOT want to be considered by God to be a worthless slave or unprofitable servant! But don’t take my word for it, consider the parable of the talents–the only other place Jesus uses the term “worthless slave” or “unprofitable servant”

“Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [Matthew 25:30 NAS]

From the parable of the talents, it is clearly expected that Christians are to increase in net worth: talents, gifts, kingdom increases, etc. That is to say, at the very least we are not to be considered unprofitable servants, and much more so, unworthy servants. In other words, unprofitable is bad, but unworthy is worse!

Some Christians get bogged down because of the following passage:

Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” [Luke 18:9-14]

Confessing your sins to God is the way to obtain forgiveness. That is why the man went home justified. If you have sinned and have yet to repent or confess it to God, then you are a sinner who needs to get right with God. Once you have done that you are no longer a sinner! But asking God to have mercy because you have sinned is not the same as saying I’m unworthy!

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [Romans 5:8]

Did you catch that? Were.

Here’s another angle. If Christians are truly to beat their chests and claim unworthiness like some say the tax collector was doing here (again, he wasn’t), then should that apply to only the bad Christians or even the best ones? Did you know there were people in the church at Sardis who could say “We are worthy”? As a matter of fact, had this group of believers said “We are unworthy”, not only would they have been lying, but they would have made Jesus out to be a liar! See for yourself, and remember this is Jesus Himself speaking:

You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. [Revelations 3:4,5]

Listen to these:

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called [Eph 4:1]

that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing [Him], being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; [Colossians 1:10]

that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. [1 Thessalonians 2:12]

How can you walk worthy if you are not worthy? You can’t. But He wants you to walk worthy, so what is going on? You are worthy, but you have a choice: see yourself that way and walk that way–or not.

As a man thinketh, so is he. [Proverbs 23:7 KJV]

Definitions for unworthy: Insufficient in worth; undeserving. Lacking value or merit; worthless. Not suiting or befitting.

Are you worthless? I wouldn’t spend one dime for something that was worthless, but for something of value I might part with a few bucks or maybe even thousands.

for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. [Luke 19:10]

Why? Because it was of value to Him. You, every one of you, are of value to Him!

“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” [Mat 6:26-30

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. [Matthew 13:45-46]

Could it be that God sees YOU as a pearl of great price? Did Jesus not go and sell all that he had to purchase you?

For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. [1 Corinthians 6:20]

You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. [1 Corinthians 7:23]

You were bought at a price. The King of Kings poured out His blood to purchase you. Tell me you are unworthy. No, it is not true. You were created in His image and bought with His blood. You are redeemed. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so! Say it: I am redeemed. I’ve been bought, therefore I am worthy!

Peter and John were arrested for healing a cripple outside of the temple gate. The Jewish leaders of the community threatened and beat them telling them to stop preaching The Way of Jesus.

So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. [Acts 5:41]

Oh, surely you want Him to see YOU as worthy, don’t you?? I know I do! Then we ought to walk that way.

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; [Psalm 139:16-18]

That’s right. God is thinking of you. A lot. You are worthy of His thoughts. See yourself worthy and live in a proper response.

If you are a believer, YOU ARE WORTHY! God is wearing a shirt with YOUR name on it. Next time you’re praying to Him or thinking about Him, try to picture it.

“Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come immediately and [fn] sit down to eat’?
	Luk 17:8	“But will he not say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, and properly [fn] clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and [fn] afterward you [fn] may eat and drink’?
	Luk 17:9	“He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he?
	Luk 17:10	“So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’”

What would you do? Would you bow and then later, in your own private corner, ask God to forgive you? Could you say that you were willing to die for what you believe in? Would you stand up for the One who took your place?

Plenty to think about, but you should decide now what you would do, long before you ever find yourself in that kind of a decision.

The all-too familiar teaching about the third chapter of the Book of Daniel portrays it as an account of 3 young men who were willing to die for the God they served. People tell us that it is a story about loyalty to God unto the point of death. Teachers would have us believe that this story is about men’s faithfulness to God.

I am here to tell you that it is the opposite: This is a story about God’s faithfulness to men! This is a story of uncompromised faith in God that He will do what He has promised to do. Get ready to see this story in a new light.

Now before I proceed, I want it clearly stated: Every Christian should be ready to lay down his/her life rather than deny God. We should be so committed to following Him, that the threat of death to do otherwise should in no way sway us.

“And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! [Luke 12:4-5]

Do you fear God? Or do you fear man? The fear of man will cause you to be far less than God has called you to be. Fearing God alone will free you up to live your life to its fullest potential.

The story starts out with a new law requiring all to worship something less than God, and a death penalty was established for those in violation.

You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. [Daniel 3:10-11]

I am compelled to add, at this point, that the final book of the Bible, The Book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ, foretells of a day (in the not too distant future, I believe), that Christians will again be put in the position of “bow down to a tyrant and do what he says” or die. That tyrant will be no less than the anti-christ.

He [the beast] was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. [Revelation 13:15-17]

You will get no second chance here if you decide to bow down and “play the game”! There will be hell to pay if you do. Ironically, our King also threatens with a burning fiery furnace.

Do not take the mark of the beast!

Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” [Revelation 14:9-11]

Okay, back to our story:

There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.”  Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. [Daniel 3:12-13]

Notice here, that the king is furious and raging.

Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up?  [Daniel 3:14]

On a positive note, see that the king does the right thing by not taking someone else’s word on a matter, and gives them an opportunity to defend themselves. Perhaps because he is so fond of Daniel, he is willing to give his friends a second chance.

Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. [Daniel 3:15]

He sets forth this case: When you hear the music, if you bow and worship as commanded, all will be well. But if you hear the music and don’t worship, you’ll be thrown into the fire. He then asks them

And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”  [Daniel 3:15]

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.  [Daniel 3:16, KJV]

Note their boldness before their executioner! They are basically telling him, “we are not afraid of you.” Now here it comes…

Our God is able and He will deliver us

If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.  [Daniel 3:17]

Here is one of the greatest statements of faith in the entire Bible! Most Christians can say in almost any dire situation, that God is able to deliver them from it. But who can take the next step of faith and say God will deliver me? Sadly, there are few believers that would dare make such a bold statement. Worse yet, is that the vast majority of believers upon hearing such a claim would accuse that person of being presumptuous or even arrogant. They think, “Who are you to say what God will do? After all, God is sovereign.”

Sovereign? Yes. Promise breaker? No.

Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”  [Psalms 50:15]

“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? [Numbers 23:19]

Daniel’s friends did the very thing that so many would frown upon, discourage, or flat out prohibit: they stated that God not only could, but that God would! And they fully believed it.

Did they put God on the spot? Did they put him in an awkward position? Or were they just absolutely certain that He would do this? And if so, how could they be so certain?

If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. [Daniel 3:17]

But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”  [Daniel 3:18]

Many incorrectly read verses 17 & 18 as saying, “Our God can and Our God will, but if He doesn’t…”. That is not what the scriptures say! Yes, I am aware that some, like the NLT, have brought that unsupported bias into their translation. That is unfortunate.

Verse 18 is not adding to the statement of whether or not God will. In fact, if verse 18 was to be added to the “He will deliver us” in verse 17, as many suggest, it would instead subtract from that awesome testimony of faith! It changes the dialog into something like this:  “If you try to kill us, our God will deliver us, but, you know, he might not, and um, well just in case he doesn’t, then we still won’t bow down.” That is called wavering or doubting, and the Bible has something to say about that.

For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. [James 1:6-8]

Verse 17 begins with “If that is the case”, while verse 18 begins with “but if not”. Verse 18 is the opposite case. You must connect the IF NOT with the IF that precedes it!

These men were not saying give us liberty or give us death. Neither did they say they would rather die than bow to him and his idols. Nor were they saying “if God allows us to die” (in other words, God doesn’t deliver us). Look hard and you will not find this in their reply: the word death or any hint of it! Their response wasn’t about death, because they had the faith that said “Our God will deliver us”.

Notice that verses 17 and 18 are talking about the future: “If you do this, then here are the possible outcomes.” Proponents of the usual interpretation of this passage must see verse 18 as really saying “if God doesn’t show up for us in the fire, then we will not worship you.”  Then we will not. Do they really make a point by saying if God does not deliver us, then we will not worship or bow down to your gods? After all, if God did not deliver them, they would, in fact, be ashes. And we know dead men don’t worship!

So what is happening here? Verse 17 says “if that is the case”, and verse 18 is finishing that condition with “but if that is not the case”. So what is the case referenced here? It is the case that Nebuchadnezzar put before them in verse 16: “If you bow down, all will be well. If you don’t, you’ll be thrown in the fire.” The king gave them only 2 possible outcomes. Burn or bow. The possibility of burning, they refute in verse 17. The alternative case of bowing was refuted in verse 18!

In essence, what is being said is this: If it is the case that when we don’t bow down, you throw us in the fire, then know that our God will deliver us. But if that is not the case (in other words, if you decide not to throw us in the fire or even do something else), know that we will still not bow down.

The dialog goes generally like this:

Nebuchadnezzar: You will bow or you will burn.

Shadrach/Meshach/Abednego: We will neither burn NOR bow!

This is the response that sent the king from rage and fury (remember verse 13?) to an even higher state of anger and distress.

Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.  [Daniel 3:19]

Think about it. The face of an already angry man has the expression on his face changed! What does that even look like? What caused this explosion of further indignation in him? It was their bold confidence that declared “Our God will deliver us!” I believe their bold response caused him to wonder: maybe my fire is not hot enough. They were not the ones to doubt–the king was! So, he further intensified the heat to see that there would be no way to escape it.

The wishy-washy, namby-pamby “maybe He will save us, maybe He won’t” response does not enrage anyone! If anything, that would cause the captors to mock their God!

And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” [Daniel 3:20-25]

God showed up for those men in no small way! Even the guys throwing them into the fire were burned up! Note how detailed the Bible is about how flammable those men were. And their garments weren’t even touched. They didn’t even smell like smoke! Nebuchadnezzar not only intensified the heat, he multiplied the magnitude of the miracle!

Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. [Daniel 3:26-27]

God literally showed up, too. But why? Because they were full of faith that He would! Not just the outward appearance of faith or a great positive mental outlook, but faith that said “I believe God’s word enough to declare it.” Where did this faith come from? They had access to God’s word. Daniel speaks of reading the scriptures and the Book of Jeremiah in Chapter 9. Before Jeremiah’s book was Isaiah’s book and the Psalms. They had access to the scriptures, therefore they knew the testimonies of God’s great works and His promises to the children of men.

Some believe that God just shows up every now and then. “The ways of God are mysterious”, they say. Or “Who can know what God will do?” Let me tell you, God is not random. Neither is He unpredictable–especially if He has made a promise to show up! People think you can’t predict what God will do. We don’t have to–he predicts Himself! Predict means to say beforehand what will happen. That is how we can know what God will do, because He has already told us!

You see, around 100 years prior to this, Isaiah had already written these words:

When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you

But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. [Isaiah 43:1-2]

I firmly believe that these men not only knew those words, but believed them! As Isaiah inspired faith in them, they inspired faith in Daniel about whom it was written:

because he believed in his God

Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God. [Daniel 6:23]

I said earlier that God came through for Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego because of their faith. It was not a random act of kindness, it was a deliberate, predictable, response by God to their faith! How can we be sure? Hebrews 11 is called by many the faith chapter of the bible. It is a hall of fame of sorts of those who believed God. You can see Daniel and his friend’s faith commended here:

who through faith…quenched the violence of fire

…who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. [Hebrews 11:33-34]

How confident are you that God would pull you out of the fire or a lion’s den? Are you still stuck with only the thought that God can, but struggle to say that God will? Friend, everyone knows God can. That is practically the definition of being God. Common sense says “God can.” But faith–real faith–goes further. Real faith says God will. And it is not arrogance, but bold confidence in His word–the kind that pleases God.

Look, even Paul had that kind of confidence:

the Lord will deliver me from every evil work

And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!  [2 Timothy 4:18]

Did you see it? The Lord will deliver me. Where did he get that bold confidence? From the same scriptures Daniel and his friends had access to: the Psalms, Isaiah and Jeremiah!

Look what God has promised to us…

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.  [Psalms 34:17]

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.  [Psalms 34:19]

Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”  [Psalms 50:15]

He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.  [Psalms 91:15]

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’  [Isaiah 41:10]

Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.”  [Jeremiah 1:12]

God clearly says He will come to our aid. Do you believe it?

In addition, Paul was far enough along in his walk to know by experience, that same delivering, rescuing, saving power!

out of them all the Lord delivered me

But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.  [2 Timothy 3:10-11]

No wonder Paul had that kind of confidence. And you can, too!

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I BELIEVED AND THEREFORE I SPOKE,” we also believe and therefore speak [2 Corinthians 4:13]

If God says He will, then you can say He will!

It really is that simple.

The world around us longs to see Him and know His power, but they don’t know how to go about it. They look at most churches and conclude God has no power or, worse, is not real. The reason is because many churches do not teach the truths in the books below, much less practice or encourage them.

But look out once you get a hold of the truth and The Truth gets a hold of you!

All the books below have impacted our lives greatly and helped us to realize that God desires all of His people to be ministers for Him.

Each of the titles below is a link to the book on Amazon where you can purchase or get more details, and possibly take a peek into some of the books. Links will open in a new page.

HEALING

You need to get a hold of this idea: God wants you whole–spirit, soul AND body!

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
[3 John 1:2]

Until you grasp that, you will struggle with your own sickness and totally miss the fact that God desires to use you to minister to others! These books do a great job of teaching what the Bible says about healing. Don’t let what you’ve been taught stand in the way of victorious living. Learn what God has to say about the subject.

Healing the Sick: A Living Classic
T L Osborn
This was our first purchase of a book regarding healing. It was an awesome eye opener for us and a real faith builder. Teaches many of the promises of God and how to pray them. I had never even heard of T L Osborn until this book. There is a section in this book that will help erase doubt that God wants to heal as much as He wants to save.

How To Heal The Sick
Charles & Frances Hunter
Kind of a “how to” book. Lots of great encouraging testimonies of the power of God and different approaches to getting healed or getting others healed. Your faith cannot help but go up when you read this.

Christ the Healer
F F Bosworth
A demonstration that it IS God’s will to heal and how healing is provided for as much as salvation is provided for in the atonement (Isaiah 53). Addresses some of the “what about this or that?” kind of questions such as the common belief that Paul was sick and God did not heal him.

Divine Healing: A Scriptural Approach to Sickness, Faith and Healing
Andrew Murray
This book is about a hundred years old–which goes to show you that healing is not some modern-day movement. If you really think about it, the bible has been saying this for thousands of years already! Explores the biblical connections between sin and sickness.

Doing What Jesus Did
John and Sonja Decker
I love this book! This book is based on John 14:12.

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

It teaches ministry in very practical ways. It also centers on how all believers of Jesus should be continuing His ministry the same way He did: by relying on the Holy Spirit.

HOLY SPIRIT

I first want to say that most of the catholic and protestant churches I attended did little to teach me about the Holy Spirit.  As a matter of fact, they did a pretty good job of convincing me that if anything supernatural happens in the world around us it is probably the devil–as if God were not supernatural! The first two books were written by pastors who attended Dallas Theological Seminary and pretty much held the position I just described. But each of them had a wake up call of sorts. Great introductory books on the 3rd person of the trinity, and how reliance on Him will transform your life.

If you are reluctant to buy these books, it is because there is a war on for your mind. But if you don’t read these, at least respond to God’s own word on the subject.  And don’t stop asking until the day you die.

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! [Luke 11:13]

Experiencing the Spirit: Developing a Living Relationship With the Holy Spirit
Robert Heidler

Surprised by the Power of the Spirit
Jack Deere

Handbook On Holy Spirit Baptism
Don Basham
Great job on answering common questions.

FAITH

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
[Romans 10:17]

Faith also comes from hearing testimonies of others who have trusted God. Couple that with the fact that God is no respector of persons, and you will move from “Will God answer me?” to “If God did it for that person, surely He will do it for me!”

Greater Works
Smith Wigglesworth
Awesome testimonies of the power of God and the power of walking in faith. This large book is really 4 books in one, and it is chock full of Smith’s experiences and shows what a man wholly submitted to and having simplistic faith in the promises of God can accomplish for Him and by His Spirit. This is the kind of book I kept on my night stand and read a little bit at a time. I usually was reading this one nightly for some time, while I was going through other books.

Like a Mighty Wind
Mel Tari
Stories from a revival in Indonesia back in the 1970s. These stories are awesome miracles and read just like the book of Acts or like stuff Jesus and the apostles did. It will challenge you to dream and believe and expect great things.

DELIVERANCE

The disciples wanted Jesus to teach them to pray. Luke 11 is His answer. Part of the Lord’s prayer (what some refer to as the “Our Father”) says to “Deliver us from the evil one”. Ephesians 4:27 tells us we can give place to the devil. These books are all  about reclaiming that ground, and moving on to help others achieve freedom from destructive patterns in their lives. One of the main ideas is to understand that ALL believers and followers of Jesus have authority in His name over the enemy.

And, yes, there really is an enemy.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  [Ephesians 6:12]

They Shall Expel Demons: What You Need to Know about Demons – Your Invisible Enemies
Derek Prince
This man has many good books out there on numerous topics. He was a solid preacher of God’s word. This book helped us get freedom in some areas of our lives.

Pigs in the Parlor: A Practical Guide to Deliverance
Frank Hammond
Quick and easy read. This book is referenced by no less than 27 other books on the subject!

The Bondage Breaker®: Overcoming *Negative Thoughts *Irrational Feelings *Habitual Sins
Neil T Anderson
How doors are opened to the enemy and practical steps to closing them. Disclaimer: I haven’t read this one, but my wife said it was good. However, I have read the workbook that you can get that goes with this: Steps to Freedom in Christ: Booklet by Neil T. Anderson

When Pigs Move In: How To Sweep Clean the Demonic Influences Impacting Your Life and the Lives of Others
Don Dickerman
This gentleman started out in prison ministry with just basic gospel presentation and discipleship teaching. Nothing wrong with that, but then he started experiencing the Holy Spirit and next thing you know is praying for healing and getting results and then setting people free from demonic oppression. Numerous testimonies used to support the teachings. He still does prison ministry.

1. Plymouth Voyager or its equivalent, Dodge Caravan
2. Extended model (Grand)
3. Dual air conditioning
4. Under 65,000 miles
5. 4 years old or less
6. Tinted windows
7. Be in our price range
8. Maroon (hey, we’re Aggies…)

I kept looking at the classifieds for Bryan/College Station and Houston. I finally found something, but it was none of the above–except for being a Caravan. When I showed Donna, she said “That’s not the answer to my prayer.” I said “How do you know?” She said “That’s not what I prayed for.”

This van was in Houston, so we drove to go get it and spent the night with my folks on the other side of Houston in La Marque, Texas. We spent $5,400 on this van. It was brown and quite unattractive to both of us. The next day, we saw that it was leaking transmission fluid. I also saw that the agreement I signed was “As Is”. We took it to a shop where they informed us it would cost over $2,000 to repair/replace the transmission. That morning I was very disappointed with what happened, especially with regards to Donna and her knowing it wasn’t the right one in the first place. I imagined she was thinking it, but she never did say “I told you so.” Meanwhile, my bad decision was about to get even worse.

We headed back to Bryan that afternoon in our “new” van. We were driving on Highway 290, a divided highway just west of Houston. Although the speed limit was 65mph, there were still a few intersections with traffic lights. We had the green light going through one of them, but another driver came barreling through that intersection at 45mph–never stopping for their red light. We met corner to corner and both vehicles were totalled. The collision caused us to veer to the left 90 degrees, where we just barely squeezed in between a utility box and the traffic light pole. Our van would have ended up in the east bound traffic on Highway 290 were it not for the sheer width of this huge grassy median between east and west bound traffic (and, of course, God’s grace).

Our insurance provider would only reimburse us for $4,800, so now I was out of the problem of having a van that needed $2,000 in repairs, but I had lost $600 in the process, but that was nothing compared to all the pain, stress and suffering I had brought upon my family. We cried out to God for help, and He directed us to a lawyer since we were incurring medical expenses.

This lawyer was successful in getting us remedy for the medical expenses. He also negotiated the insurance provider to reimburse us $8,000 for the van! Now we were up $2,600 which meant we could increase the price range for our van search.

A few weeks passed and I found another ad for a van, again in Houston. This time it met maybe 2 or 3 of the criteria, and again Donna reminded me that it was not the answer to her prayer. I countered that with the fact that this time I would pay for a mechanic to do a proper inspection on the vehicle and would not purchase it if it didn’t pass muster. She again submitted, but not gladly since she did not have peace about this van, either. When we got to Houston, we found out that the advertised van was lacking the dual air. I probably would have bought it anyway were it not for the mechanic insisting we not buy this van.

As we took the van for a test drive, the mechanic found out we were Christians who home-schooled, and he told us he was a pastor! The mechanic job was just a part-time thing for him. He pointed out several problems with the van including a cracked engine block and an odometer that had signs of tampering. When I originally scheduled this inspection, I was told the inspection would cost $125. This pastor told us that since we were not buying this vehicle he did not want to charge us, but just wanted to bless us. He refused to accept any money for his time and effort! He only asked that if we ended up finding another vehicle in Houston, that we would use his services again. We agreed and thanked him.

Well, a short time later, we found another van. Again it was in Houston, so we arranged an inspection with this same gentleman. He ran the vehicle through all the checklist items, and it passed with flying colors. He was actually amazed at what great shape it was in. Now, I was ready to pay the $125 inspection fee, when he told me that since we were “repeat” customers we qualified for a discount and only had to pay $75! Wow, God is good.

In August of 1994, we bought a 1990 model Plymouth Grand Voyager. This van had dual air conditioning, tinted windows, less than 65,000 miles on it, and was well enough into our price range, that we were even able to afford an extended warranty on it that was available because of the stellar inspection.

And you better believe this, too: It was maroon!

I am grateful to God for His patience with me, and I vow to be patient with Him and trust Him to do what He has promised. These days, I know His promises and expect nothing less!

Did you know you could be so specific when you prayed? Back then, I had no clue. I am getting one, now, however. He means what He says.

And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [John 14:13]

Glory to God.

Click any title below to listen immediately online. You can also save the MP3 file to your computer by right-clicking the link and choosing Save (Target/Link) As…  For iPhone, press the link and hold for a second, then let go and open in a new page.

Thurman Scrivner (visit website)

• God’s Power                                                                    .
  Testimony of faith in the face of adversity. If this story does not increase your faith in God and His promises, then chances are nothing will.
• How to Get a Lost Person Saved                                 .
  You’ve tried everything else…or maybe you haven’t.
• If you listened to God’s Power, and learned anything, you can find more enlightening messages here.

Bill Johnson (visit website)

• Looking For One Person                                               .
• Demonstrating His Power                                             .
• Seeing Through Kingdom Eyes                                   .

Bill Wiese (visit website)

• 23 Minutes In Hell                                                          .
  One man’s life-changing exposure to the realms of hell. This is the author of the book by the same name

Other

• Margy  Mayfield                                                              .
  Her testimony of being abducted by a serial killer/rapist in a K-Mart parking lot in San Antonio, TX. How she overcame the threat, and how her response transformed the man’s eternal destiny.

And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” [Luke 17:5]

Why ask for this? Does it really matter if faith is increased? What does it mean for faith to be increased? Why should it matter that faith be increased?

It could be because of statements Jesus makes like this:

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” [Mark 9:23]

Which earned this response…

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” [Mark 9:24]

The apostles’ request is not that different from what the father of the demonized boy said. Both groups claimed a level of faith, but both also acknowledged a deficiency. The first step of resolving a problem is recognizing that one exists.

More importantly, both sets of people recognized Jesus as being the One capable of rectifying the problem.

Before we talk about how Jesus responded, I want to first discuss what He didn’t do.

• He didn’t . . . dismiss the idea as not important,
• He didn’t . . . say their faith was already sufficient,
• He didn’t . . . put them in a 12-step program,
• He didn’t . . . perform more miracles for them,
• He didn’t . . . review His own high-light reel,
• He didn’t . . . lay hands on them,
• He didn’t . . . drop them into a situation that required “exercising” their faith,
• He didn’t . . . even  pray for them.

So what did He do to address the apostles’ request to increase their faith?

Please get this: He gave them another promise! To their request Jesus replies:

So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. [Luke 17:6]

If it hasn’t occurred to you yet, it is essential to understand this: Without a promise, there can be no faith.

Consider Abraham.

And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.  He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,  and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.  And therefore “IT WAS ACCOUNTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”  [Romans 4:19-22]

The bible says that Abraham saw himself “as good as dead” when God told him he would be a father. Regardless of the circumstances, he believed God. He had confidence that God would do as He had said.

He had a choice: believe or doubt. There is no middle ground with faith. It is belief or unbelief.

Look back at that passage about Abraham. It said he was fully convinced. You cannot believe a promise of God partially. You can’t say I half-believe or even I believe 99.9%.  God does not round up as mathematicians might. To say you believe God or His Word 99% is to say you doubt it 1%.

LET NOT THAT MAN SUPPOSE THAT HE WILL RECEIVE ANYTHING

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;  [James 1:6-7]

Anything. Let that sink in: ANYTHING.

Here’s the deal. Pick a promise of God. Any one of them. You either believe it or you don’t. If you don’t, you need help believing it. “Help my unbelief” the man said to Jesus.

Let’s say my wife wanted me to go to the store for her and pick up some items on my way home and never told me, and I never said anything about going to the store either.  She can cross her fingers and see if I do it, she can hope that I do it, or worry about it, but she cannot have faith for me to do it. However, if she calls me at work and tells me her need, I could then tell her that I will stop at the store and get those things. Now she can begin to have faith. She can believe that I will do what I have told her I will do. Based on my track-record, she may find it easy or difficult to believe I will keep this promise.

For any given promise of God, faith can increase from not having it to having it. If you already believe a promise, does it profit you to believe it more?

See, Jesus made it perfectly clear that quantity is not the issue. It is not an issue of size or magnitude. That is why he chose the mustard seed. It demonstrates His point. You don’t need a truckload or even a bushel of it. You need a grain. The smallest quantity of mustard is still mustard. So it is with faith.

The issue is quality. And it is like this. A woman nine seconds after conceiving a child is no less pregnant than one nine months along. Ask either woman if she is pregnant. The answer is: both are. To the rest of us, it is more obvious that one is, but the fact is both are.  It makes no sense to ask a woman if she is a little bit pregnant. She is or she isn’t pregnant.

Likewise, you either believe or you don’t believe God’s promises.

I think this is what Jesus was doing for His disciples. You see, the bible says

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. [Romans 10:17]

When God says I will do this or I will do that, and you have never heard of it, you cannot have faith for it. Nothing has been proclaimed to you. Once you are made aware of the promise, a seed of faith is planted. For faith to increase, your awareness of His promises must increase. That means you must grow in your knowledge of what He has promised.

But not all of God’s promises are that He will do something. Many of His promises are that WE can do something. This still requires faith, because we are more challenged to believe those kinds of things.  It still requires us to believe the One who promised.

The promise that Jesus gave was one of those kind of promises.

Believe it or not.