God will bring His Word to pass.

Hello, my friends, I hope you have all been well.  Let me start by saying that if any of you listen to this (or any of my teachings) and you ever want to talk about it, please know that I’m here for you and I would love to hear from you.  Also, if this blesses you or encourages you, please share it, leave a comment or review, like, subscribe, follow, etc.

I know that it has been a while since my last message and I’m sorry about that.  I hope you are all having a nice summer.  We have had a lot going on at our house, but I’m going to start getting back into the messages on a more regular basis. 

Another thing I wanted to mention to you is that some friends and I have started a new Christian fellowship in Tampa.  We are calling it Equipped and Empowered and we have had three meetings so far and it’s going really well.  We are focusing on the Holy Spirit, the Spiritual Gifts, praying for each other, and some of the deeper aspects of Christianity that you won’t always hear about in a regular Sunday service.  We have a time of worship, a short teaching, and then a response time of prayer and activity with the Holy Spirit.  We are meeting once a month at MorningStar Church in Tampa.  So if you want to hear more about that please let me know.  But God is really moving in these meetings, I can’t tell you how excited I am about them, and I encourage you to check it out.

Today we are going to talk about God’s Word coming to pass in our lives, which, as I’m sure you can imagine, is an extremely important subject.

As you go through your life you are going to encounter God’s Word in several ways.  Of course, you will read the Bible.  You will also hear the Bible as you go to church and listen to Bible teachers.  You should also hear God speak through prophets from time to time.  I know a lot of the church world doesn’t believe in prophets or the prophetic ministry these days, but they are wrong and the ministry of the prophet is alive and well today.  And in addition to all of those, you should hear God speak to you directly.

It’s fascinating to consider all the ways that God will bring us His Word, but it’s no surprise when we consider the importance of God’s Word.  If you have spent any time in the Bible or in church you know that God’s Word is extremely important.  You understand that, according to Hebrews 11:3, everything in existence was made by God’s Word.  You also understand that, according to John Chapter 1, Jesus is God’s Word made flesh.  I’m not suggesting I fully understand that truth, I just know that it’s an important truth.  Hopefully, you also understand the importance of studying God’s Word and living by God’s Word.

The question then becomes how are you going to personally interact with God’s Word.  Now most people outside the Jewish and Christian worlds don’t interact with it at all.  They don’t read it, don’t think about it, and don’t bring it into their lives.  There are also academics, both in the faith and outside the faith, who study the Bible like a textbook, believing some of its points, discounting others, and studying it intellectually.  I would agree that studying the Bible intellectually is better than not studying it at all, but that’s not what you want to do.

Then there are those of us who accept the Bible as the Word of God.  We accept the Bible as truth and reality.  We accept the Bible as the primary source of guidance for our lives.  We also understand that God’s Word is, in a very real sense, a manifestation of God Himself, and we love His Word, honor His Word, and obey His Word, as we do Him.  My friends, that’s where you want to be.  However God brings His Word to you, His Word, in all its forms, should be the foundation and guiding light of your life. 

And let me just reiterate, while those points are largely about God’s written Word, we must honor and submit to God’s spoken Word and other communication methods just the same.  That’s where you will get Gods’ specific and personal direction.  That’s where you will receive the Holy Spirit showing you things to come.  That’s where God tells you what He will do in your life.

I’ve lived for God for about 22 years now.  In all that time I would say that God’s Word has been paramount in my life.  But I realize now that there is another approach to God’s Word that I haven’t taken.  There is another level of response to God’s Word that I haven’t engaged.  Even as I write these words I wonder how this could be true, after all this time, but I know it is true.  And this is probably just a me problem.  I hope that you will hear these words today and marvel at my immaturity.  I hope you are all far beyond me in this area, but I’ve got to talk about it.  In short, my relationship with God’s Word has been lacking, and if I’m going to see God’s will for my life come to pass, I need to correct this.

Lately, I have been reading through 1 and 2 Samuel again.  Also, Andrew Wommack, on his podcast, has been doing a major study of David’s life.  So I’ve really been enjoying these parts of God’s Word again.  What I’m talking about today first came to me as I read through 1 Samuel Chapter 28.

Just to recap briefly, Saul is the king at this time and he knows that he has a hard battle coming up with the Philistines.  God is not speaking to him and so he goes to a witch and asks her to bring the prophet Samuel up from the dead to talk to him.  Now people have a lot of thoughts about their conversation, but in general Andrew Wommack believes, with some good reason, that this actually was Samuel, and not some demonic spirit, so for the purpose of our discussion today we will just take their conversation at face value.  Here is the pertinent part.

(1 Samuel 28:15-17 NKJV) “Now Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" And Saul answered, "I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do." Then Samuel said: "So why do you ask me, seeing the LORD has departed from you and has become your enemy? And the LORD has done for Himself as He spoke by me. For the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David.””

Here is the key part I want you to notice, Samuel says, “the Lord has done for Himself as He spoke by me.”  What a fascinating, fascinating statement.  In earlier chapters God spoke through Samuel that the kingdom would be taken from Saul and given to David.  And now what do we read here, Samuel telling us, in no uncertain terms, that God has now arranged circumstances in the earth to bring about the physical manifestation of that which He spoke.  Samuel says, God spoke something, and now God has gone into the world and done for Himself according to His Word.

I know it’s probably not hitting you just yet, so let’s keep going.  That reminded me of something else in the Bible just a few chapters before.  In 1 Samuel Chapter 25 David meets a woman named Abigail, who later becomes his wife.  But at first she is married to a jerk named Nabal, who later dies.  But at this time Nabal has angered David, and David is ready to destroy Nabal’s house.  Abigail, a wise woman, rushes to meet David and prevent the slaughter.  Let’s read part of what she says. 

(1 Samuel 25:30-31 NKJV) “And it shall come to pass, when the LORD has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you ruler over Israel, that this will be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. But when the LORD has dealt well with my lord, then remember your maidservant."

Notice the same idea here.  Abigail notes all the good words that God spoke concerning David, and she then basically says, the Lord is going to do for you everything He spoke.  God is going to do what He has spoken.  God is going to do what He has spoken.

Let’s see this concept in another place.  Remember in the book of Joshua we read about the Israelites taking the Promised Land and winning many battles.  At the end of the book we read about the end of Joshua’s life and some of his last words to the Israelites.

(Joshua 23:14 NKJV) "Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed.”

What a powerful, powerful statement from one of the greatest leaders in the Bible, the man who took over for Moses and led God’s people in the greatest military campaign the world has ever seen, to take the best land in the world from the mightiest armies in the world.  He says none of God’s Words failed to come to pass, not one Word failed.

Let’s now remember what the angel said to Mary when he announced to her the coming birth of Jesus.

(Luke 1:37) “For with God nothing will be impossible.”

My friends, while that is a wonderful statement, and one we all know, I submit to you that’s it’s a terrible translation from the Greek.  Here is the translation from the Amplified Version and I think this does a better job.

“For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.” 

Let me explain the difference and offer a third rendition.

First of all, the word translated “nothing” is actually a combination of three Greek words and this combination is not used anywhere else in the Bible.  What that combination really says is, “not a single one out of every Word God has spoken.”  Let me repeat that, “Not a single one out of every Word God has spoken.”  Wow.

Now let’s look at the word translated “impossible.”  That particular word is only used twice in the Bible, and the only other place it’s used is in Matthew 17, when Jesus says we can speak to see mountains move and nothing will be impossible for us.  The word translated “impossible” literally means “without power” or “without ability.” 

So a better translation of Luke 1:37 might be, “For with God, not a single Word out of all the Words He has spoken is without power to come to pass.” 

And I know some of you are now thinking about Isaiah 55, God’s Word that He has spoken will not return void, but it will accomplish what He said.

My friends, we must believe and expect that God’s Word will come to pass.  No matter how crazy, no matter how impossible, no matter what contrary circumstances stand in the way, God’s Word will come to pass. 

God’s Word has power in itself to come to pass.  And if we believe God’s Word then it will come to pass in our lives.  I know that.  I believe that.  I live that.  If you read my book on The Parable of The Sower, you will see that I teach all about that. 

But what I have failed to remember is that God is with me, and God is also watching over His Word to make sure it comes to pass.  It’s not just about me and my faith and whether I can operate these faith principles correctly.  Yes, those are required and important, but I cannot forget God’s agency and activity in this process.  I’m going to believe.  The Word is going to work.  But whatever needs to happen, whatever needs to be done, whatever needs to change, God is ready to do it to make sure that His Word comes to pass how He has spoken it to me.  And if that’s true for me, then it’s true for you.

What has God spoken to you that you still haven’t seen come to pass?  I’ve got a list for myself.  But why haven’t I seen these words come to pass?  I’ve got two reasons for you. 

First, it’s not time yet for some of them.  That’s just a simple truth.  When it comes to some of what God speaks for your life, it’s for the future.  There might be years before God’s timing comes in for some of what He has spoken to you.  Now that’s not the answer for everything, but it is the answer for some things.  God’s timing is most related to God’s specific plans for your life, some specific good works He wants you to do, some specific fruit that God wants you to bear, and some specific relationships He has for you.  God has a lifetime of plans for you, and He gives you glimpses and guidance early to get you on the path that will get you there days, weeks, months, years and even decades from now.  Everything is not for today, and you must remember that as you start hearing God.

Let me just briefly point out that God’s timing for some of His specific plans for your life is not the same as God’s timing for many of God’s promises that apply to all of His children.  God’s promises are God’s will for your life now.  God’s promises are your inheritance now.  God wants you healed now, God wants you financially stable now, God wants your marriages and relationships with your children restored now.  There are many, many of God’s promises that God wants to see in your life now, and God will help you as you receive and stand in faith for these promises.  It’s really the difference between a promise that is available to all God’s children – good relationships, health, financial stability, etc. and a promise that is related to God’s specific plans for your life.  The first kind are all available to all of God’s people at all times, the second kind have a timeline attached. 

The second reason we aren’t seeing what God has spoken is because of our lack of faith in those Words.  My friends, please hear me.  I can admit it for myself first.  I have not been in faith for many of God’s promises and for many of the Words God has spoken to me.  I admit it.  I own up to it.  And I’m not attacking you for suggesting you may have the same problem.  I am trying to help you.  So don’t be offended, just listen.

We must remember that (1) according to Hebrews 4:2 if we don’t mix our faith with God’s Word then it won’t profit us, (2) according to Hebrews 4:6 if we have unbelief we won’t enter into God’s promises, (3) according to Hebrews 11:6 without faith it’s impossible to please God, and (4) according to James 1:6-7 without faith we won’t receive anything from God.

What did Jesus tell Jairus? “Fear not, only believe.”  We must believe.  We must believe.  We must believe.

How many times has God spoken something to me and I’ve thought, “that’s nice” or “that’s great” or “I would love to see that come to pass.”  Far too many, for that’s not how you accept the Word-Seed into your heart.  That’s not how you mix your faith with it.  That’s not the correct way to handle God’s Word.

What did Mary say, “Be it unto me according to Thy Word Lord.”  Do you see the difference?  God, I hear your Word.  I receive it now.  I accept it now.  I take it now.  I believe it now.  Be it unto me according to Thy Word Lord. 

I have been hearing God for over 20 years.  I know that I’ve dismissed so many of His Words.   I know that I’ve neglected so much of what He’s spoken over me.  And even for the ones I do remember, I liked them, I wanted them, I even hoped for them, but I didn’t mix my faith with them.  I didn’t believe I received them the moment they were spoken.  I haven’t been standing in confidence in His Word, knowing that they will surely come to pass for me.  I haven’t remembered that He will do whatever it takes to bring His Word to pass in my life. 

My friends, we can’t go through the faith teachings here today, but please look at some of my other episodes so you can really get a grasp on what faith means.  But to put it simply, faith means perfect, doubtless belief in God’s Word, that it’s your reality now.  I am healed now according to 1 Peter 2:24.  Great is the peace of my children now according to Isaiah 54:13.  God supplies all of my needs now according to Philippians 4:19.  God’s Word is my reality now.  That’s how you do it for God’s promises, and that’s how you need to do it for the future God has shown you, the destiny He has revealed to you, the path He has laid you for you.  God, I believe I receive it right now.

I can believe God’s Word because every single one of them has the power in Itself to come to pass.  Remember, they all have power.  They all have the ability to come to pass.  But also, and this is the part I haven’t remembered nearly enough, I can believe God’s Word because He is going to bring it to pass.  Remember what He told Jeremiah in Jeremiah Chapter 1, He is going to perform His Word.  My friends, we must remember this and trust God. 

I am going to do my part.  I’m going to believe.  I’m going to trust God and I’m going to do anything He tells me to do.  And He is going to do everything else.  He is going to intervene in all of reality, He is going to get involved everywhere necessary, and He is going to do it for Himself.  He wants His Word to come to pass in my life more than I do, and He is ready to make it happen. 

And yes, some of what He has told me seems totally impossible, like, no way it could ever happen.  That’s probably true for you too.  That’s when it’s time to remember Moses’ conversation with God in Numbers 11.  Here is the pertinent part.

(Numbers 11:21-23 NKJV)  “And Moses said, "The people whom I am among are six hundred thousand men on foot; yet You have said, 'I will give them meat, that they may eat for a whole month.' Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to provide enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to provide enough for them?" And the LORD said to Moses, "Has the LORD's arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not."”

God’s arm has never shortened.  God has never lacked the power to bring His Word to pass.  I’ve missed God.  I’ve failed.  I’ve messed up my part.  But God has never failed, and God has never been incapable of doing what He wants in my life.  We must believe.

I remember some of His promises to me, things He’s spoken to me, even years ago.  And the way I’ve neglected some of them takes my breath away.  But I will trust God’s Word, I will trust God’s ability, and I will trust God’s timing.  Not one Word of all the good Words God has spoken over me will fail to come to pass.  And I will believe the same for you and your family.

So go to God, ask for His help to remember His Words to you, and make a list.  Consider everything He has spoken to you, in all of the different ways He speaks.  And if you have trouble hearing from God directly, then read my book Hearing God Clearly and Regularly, which is on Amazon.  Write down all of the promises that you want to see in your life.  Write down all of the prophetic Words and visions that God has given you for your future.  Write them all down, speak them all out, and believe.  Plant them in your heart like a seed, and know that God will do whatever is necessary to see them come to pass in your life.

God knows what He has spoken to you.  God’s Word is settled forever in Heaven.  Mix your faith with it and God will bring it to pass in your life.

My friends, thank you for spending this time with me.  If this message blessed or encouraged you please like, subscribe, follow, etc.  Leave a review or share this with a friend.  Thank you again.  I love you, God bless you, and we’ll talk again soon.