Life Stategy

You lose many battles by failing to prepare, and being ready for the attack.  

1 Corinthians 10:12-13  (NKJV)

12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 

13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

If it shows up in your life, it's not too big for you. 

Hebrews 3:7-11 (NKJV)

7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:

“Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.
10 Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they have not known My ways.’
11 So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”

The Children of Israel were supposed to go into the promised land, but they did not.  Although it was the will of God for them to do it.

Hebrews 3:12 (NKJV)

12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 

They refused to believe God and His promises.  This upset God, and He withdrew the opportunity.

Hebrews 3:13  (NKJV)

13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

We need to build relationships with people of faith whose faith is greater than ours to encourage our faith.

Hebrews 3:14-15  (NKJV)

14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said:

“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

People become hardened by ignoring what God has told them to do. What causes you not to be able to hear from God?  It is a heart which is not willing to obey.

God is always speaking.  The problem is in our hearing.  If we are willing, we'll hear him. 

Hebrews 3:16-17 (NKJV)

16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?  

Our covenant did change with God in the New Testament; however, faith did not.  We must identify what happened to the Children of Israel, so we can avoid it. 

Hebrews 3:18-19 (NKJV)

18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 

19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

The giants didn't keep them out, but their unbelief did.  It robbed them of a life time of enjoying the promised land.

Hebrews 4:11  (NKJV)

Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.

This is a historical example of how to receive a promise of God.

Hebrews 4:9-10 (NKJV)

9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 

10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

We rest when we depend upon Jesus for our salvation instead of our own good works.  We must depend upon the finished work of Jesus on the cross to rest.

No word of God is devoid of power; however, it's not automatically released.  Your faith in God releases it's power to you. 

Hebrews 4:2  (NKJV)

2 For indeed the gospel (of God's promises) was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 

That's why the devil fights so hard to keep you from mixing your faith with God's promises.

If God could get His people out of bondage in Egypt, He surely could get them into the land that He had promised. 

Just because it is God's will does not mean that it's going to automatically happen.  He won't override your will.

You must choose to surrender your will to Christ and believe in Him.

James 4:7 (NKJV)

 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

God will not do what He has told you to do.  He won't resist the devil for you.  It's up to you.  

Mark 11:24 (NKJV)

Jesus speaking Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

God's part is to give you the opportunity.  It's your part to take it. You couldn't receive it if God hadn't provided it. God will not force you.

Receiving from God involves a fight with the devil. You've got to be aggressive in your faith.  You've got to get serious with God and face your fears.

1 Timothy 6:12 (NKJV)

12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life,

The Children of Israel's failure occurred when it came time to take it.  We can't be wimps.  We've got to do our part in taking God's promises by faith in Him.

What I'm talking about is God giving you an opportunity to take Him at His word.  God requires something of you. 

Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)

12 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.

It's not all God.  It's not up to God.  Hold on tight to God's promises or Satan will steal them from you. 

We're not fighting God. We're not fighting people.  We are fighting Satan's kingdom who is trying to take God's promises from us. Faith is like a hand that takes and lays hold of God's promises tightly. 

Hebrews 4:12-13  (NKJV)

12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

This is our offensive weapon in the fight.  Fill your mouth and your mind with God's promise to you in the Bible.  Here is the promise that starts your journey. 

John 3:16-17 (NKJV)

Jesus speaking: 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.

Romans 10:13 (NKJV)

13 “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Keith Moore, Faith Life Church