OH NO HE

DIDN’T

BY ROBERT BATCHELOR

ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDCopyright @ 2015 by Robert BatchelorAll scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. 1971 Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.ISBN-13: 978-1511840217 ISBN-10: 15118740218

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction Chapter 1: God Causes All Things To Work Together For

Our Good . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Chapter 2: God Sends Tests and Trials to Teach Us . . . 9Chapter 3: Healing Has Passed Away. . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Chapter 4: It Doesn’t Matter What I Say Because

“Whatever Will Be Will Be” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Chapter 5: Some Fear Is Good For You . . . . . . . . . . . 29Chapter 6: God Took My Baby Because He Needed

Another Angel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Chapter 7: I’m Just A Sinner Saved By Grace . . . . . . 43Chapter 8: Money Is the Root of All Evil . . . . . . . . . . . 51Chapter 9: God Doesn’t Want You to Have Riches and Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 About Robert Batchelor Ministries Prayer of Salvation

This book is lovingly dedicated to my wife, Janiene, my daughters and sons-in-law and my Overcoming Faith

family.

INTRODUCTION

Over the past twenty plus years, the LORD has revealed to me many revelations concerning His Word. These revelations have revolutionized my life and what I believe. The LORD instructed me to write some of these down and share, to help you see His Word in a different light.

Several years ago, there was a popular phrase that was used when someone would share gossip. People’s response would be, “Oh no she didn’t.” The LORD said that people are saying things about Me that I didn’t say. Tell them “Oh no HE didn’t.” Therefore, I found several “religious” beliefs that have been adopted as “truth,” that God’s Word does not reveal.

In “Oh No He Didn’t” you will read...

Three things that are working together for your good. God is not using test and trials to teach you. Healing has not passed away. It does matter what you say. Fear not. Humans do not become angels when they die. You are no longer a sinner saved by Grace. Money is NOT the root of all evil. Twelve principles that create success

Begin your journey today. When you believe right, you’ll receive right.

Chapter One

God Causes All Things to Work Together For Our Good

his is probably one of the most misunderstood teachings about God, within the Body of Christ today. Religion has taught us that situations like

car wrecks, sickness and disease are sent or allowed by God, in order for Him to show His love to us by working these things for our good. This simply is not true!

TThe misunderstanding is formed by taking a verse

out of its context. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” In order to understand what is taking place, we have to put verse 28 with 26 and 27 which says, “And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

In the English language, we do not start a new thought with “and in the same way…” (verse 26). In the preceding verses, Paul speaks of the creation groaning and suffering the pains of childbirth to be set free from its slavery to corruption. Over recent years, there have been more and more catastrophic events in

Oh No He Didn’t

the earth that has caused much destruction and taken many lives. That is what this verse is speaking of. Verse 26 is saying, that in the same way the earth is groaning, the Holy Spirit is helping us with our weaknesses. We don’t know how to pray, but the Spirit of God prays through us, through tongues to intercede and pray the perfect will of God. Verse 27 tells us that the Holy Spirit knows the mind of the Spirit and the will of God for the saints and intercedes on their behalf. Then verse 28 states that God causes all things to work together. Now, once again, we must understand that this is not a new thought, but a continuation of verses 26 and 27. What are the “things” that He is talking about? In verses 27 and 28, we find three main thoughts: mind, will and purpose. The word “mind” in the King James translation is used differently than the way we understand it to be. The early Englishmen would have a “mind” (plan) to do something. “I have a mind to go to the store.” In other words, it was their plan. So in verse 27, God’s plan for your life is being prayed by the Spirit of God through your spirit when you pray in tongues. He goes on to say that this intercession for your plan is according to the will of God, which is revealed by the Spirit of God as you pray. Verse 28 continues then to add that God is causing these things (the plan and the will) to work together for your good according to His purpose.

So we see within this context that the plan of God, the will of God, and the purpose of God is being worked together as we pray in the Spirit. We are allowing the Spirit of God to pray through us the plan, will and purpose of God for our lives. Of course, we know that praying in tongues also includes intercession for others. But many times, we forget that God, through tongues, is praying His plan, will and purpose for us. I am glad that He is always working these things for my good!

We must recognize that the enemy always wants to stop us. It is not God causing or allowing horrible

events in our lives in order to bring about good from it. We know from the parable of the sower, (Mark chapter 4) that Satan comes immediately to steal the Word from us. He does this through affliction or persecution, worries of the world, deceitfulness of riches or the desires for other things. When these things enter in, it chokes the Word. The problems that we face from day to day are not coming from God. They are coming from Satan or our flesh. God has set in place, through His Word, faith that overcomes every obstacle we may encounter in this earthly realm. We have the authority and power over every circumstance if we use our faith and waver not. God knew that we would face these circumstances and that is why Jesus died on the cross for us. His finished work provides an avenue of escape from every tragedy that Satan can throw at us. Yes, God’s provision does turn bad around into good, but He is not working all these bad things together for our good. What He is working together for our good is His plan, His will and His purpose for us!

How can I become this strong faith believer? Mark 4:15-20 explains how. Verse 15 says, “And these are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.” How many times have we all been guilty of this? We hear a great sermon or experience a wonderful move of the Holy Spirit. We walk out our church doors only to find that we have a flat tire or someone pulls out in front of us, as we leave the church parking lot. The children begin to argue in the back seat on the way home from church. On and on we could go with scenarios to describe what you face every time you hear the Word of God and Satan is trying to get you to let it go through your frustrations. We must know his schemes and come back to the Word in order to keep our peace and joy.

Verses 16 and 17 states, “And in a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on

the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have not root in themselves, but are temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.” These are believers who hear the Word and faith arises within their spirits and they have hope that things are going to get better for them and will turn around soon. Then trouble comes and they may fight with their faith for a moment and then persecution comes from family or coworkers and discouragement begins to mount and before long, they have let go of their faith and the Word that they heard. They become defeated and discouraged and feel like God didn’t want them to have the victory just yet.

Verses 18 and 19 goes on to say, “And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, and the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful.” These verses speak of believers that are going to church and hearing the Word preached and they desire to grow in God and do great things for Him. Satan knows that a little trouble won’t get them so discouraged to drop their faith, so he has to resort to the next level of trouble. He begins to apply pressure from different areas in your life, such as paying bills, getting a good paying job, taking care of the children or your older parents, deadlines, etc. If you are strong and can overcome that pressure, then he begins to try to deceive you into thinking that riches will make you happier. You need more education to get a better job so you work all day and go to school at night. You begin to burn the candle at both ends trying to get more stuff, attempting to satisfy your desire for riches and a better life. His plan is to wear you down and cause you to grow weary and stop speaking the Word over your life.

Finally, verse 20 proclaims, “And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it, and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” The believers who are considered to be good soil are those that hear the Word, accept it and bear fruit. These are those who don’t give in to the afflictions or persecutions that come their way. They are reminded what the Word says and they begin to speak their faith concerning that situation. “Good soil” believers are those that when the worries of this world begin to weigh heavy on their minds, they look to the Word and begin to proclaim what God has said concerning their needs. They begin to thank Him for the answer and that He has it taken care of. These believers know that it’s the love of money that is the root of all evil, not money itself. They know that God wants to give them the desire of their hearts. They in turn want their desires to line up with His Word. They are rooted and grounded, and the deceitfulness of riches and the lust of other things do not override the fact that they know that God’s provision is more than enough.

So we see that God does turn horrific events around for our good, but He’s not the author of them. He doesn’t bring or allow tragedy in order to work it for your good. He has set in motion spiritual law, which is activated by His Word, to turn circumstances around for your good. We see another example of this in Proverbs 4:20-22 which says, “My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart, For they are life to those who find, and health to all their whole body.” If we will set our eyes and ears upon God’s Word and not let His Word come and go but remain steady and stable upon it, we will give the Word an opportunity to bring life and health to us. True total prosperity is available to us by meditation upon His Word and obedience to it.

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Verses 25 through 27 tell us, “Let your eyes look directly ahead, and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you, Watch the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil.” Many believers think that God allows bad things to happen to them so that He can turn it around for their good. God wants you to get in agreement with Him to overcome every bad thing that tries to enter into your life. He admonishes you to keep your eyes directly ahead. Keep them focused on what He has said in His Word concerning your situation. He tells you plainly to turn your foot from evil. The majority of the time, it is not the devil that caused you to be in the predicament that you are in. It was your own flesh that took your eyes off the Word of God and your focus to turn toward your problems instead of your solution. When that happened, you strayed off course because you lost your focus. Thank God for grace. You can pick yourself up and get back on the Word of God and begin to declare what He says concerning you. Begin to see the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God in manifestation in your life.

I know that you have been told in the past that God is bringing all this tragedy upon you to show that He desires to turn everything bad around for your good. But be reminded that what He is working together for your good is His plan, His will and His purpose for your life. I encourage you to begin to spend time praying in the Spirit. Allow Him to reveal to you the plan, the will for your life, and your purpose that you’ve prayed. Begin to seek Him and see these things working together to bring about your destiny in God. Don’t let the circumstances of this life pull you away from the revelation of His Word. Allow faith to arise from the Word and begin to be that “good soil” believer that knows that if God be for me, who can be against me!

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Chapter Two

God Sends Test and Trials to Teach Us

ames 1:13 tells us, “Let no one say when he is tempted (tested or tried), ‘I am being tempted (tested or tried) by God’; for God cannot be

tempted (tested or tried) by evil, and He Himself does not tempt (test or try) anyone.” It is amazing how doctrine can get twisted over the years. Believers want to justify and have an answer for every situation in their lives. It is as if they need a reason as to why they do not succeed. We have to come to grips with the fact that we may not have been consistent in our confession and stable in our faith. And if that is the case, the Word gives us an answer for it - renew your mind by the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The end result of inconsistency in our faith walk is the curse, not THE BLESSING. That is why we see glimpses of God’s glory. We tap into the faith realm, usually by mistake, and manifest a small miracle and never understand how to produce THE BLESSING on a consistent level. Once we understand how faith works, then we can walk in the lifestyle of faith that continues

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Oh No He Didn’t

to develop and mature to a great faith, that in which you speak the word and it is done.

Verses 2 and 3 states, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials (temptations), knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance (patience)….” Since we know from James chapter 1, verse 13, that the trial or temptation does not come from God, then we can know that it has to come from the devil or the lust of our flesh. We are to count it all joy when our faith is tested because it is during this time of testing that will produce patience. Now Biblical patience is not just sitting around waiting for something to happen or going a long period of time before becoming angry. Patience is constancy, which is a steadfastness of mind under duress. It is consistency. God knew that we were going to face test and trials in the earth. Therefore, He created a spiritual law in which every time we were tested, tempted or tried, that as we went to the Word, it would produce faith. In the testing of that faith, patience (steadfastness, consistency) would be the end result. That’s the reason we need to have faith. If we never faced circumstances or situations that challenged us, then we would never have to overcome anything. God didn’t send the test or trial but has already provided a way of escape by the spiritual law that goes into motion the moment that a test arises against you. Verse 4 says, “And let endurance (patience) have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing.” The word “perfect” means developing and maturing. Once my faith has produced patience, then I begin to develop a mature walk in faith that allows this consistency of speaking the Word over my circumstances to manifest and this manifestation will cause me to lack in nothing. At no time in my life will I lack because my faith will

produce what I need at the time I need it. In the natural, it may appear that I lack in certain areas, but I know,

according to this scripture, that if I become developed in patience (constancy), then it will change the lack that I see in the natural to lacking in nothing. We must not judge what we have by what we see in the natural. God has promised us everything that we need. We must walk by faith and increase our capacity to receive from Him that which He has already provided. This sets God’s spiritual law in motion. Lacking in nothing is God’s overall plan for His children. The development of patience will produce the desired result because the patience was manifested by my faith which came from hearing and hearing was made possible by the Word.

Verse 5 goes on to say, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” In order to walk in the level of faith that verses 2 through 4 speak of, it will take the wisdom of God to do so. So when we lack wisdom, we can ask God for it and He has promised to generously give it to us without rebuke or disapproval. He’s not going to start naming all the reasons why you don’t deserve His wisdom. He’s not counting your sins against you.

Verses 6 through 8 continue, “But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” In order to receive God’s wisdom after we ask, we must remain in faith concerning our request. We continue to thank God that we have His wisdom. Whether or not you hear any instructions within your spirit, you speak as though you have received God’s wisdom. That’s how faith works and keeps you from being a doubter, a double-minded man, unstable in all your ways.

Verse 12 states, “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

The phrase “has been approved” translates to “pass the tests.” God does not send test, trials and tribulations our way in order to teach us or get our attention. He has given us spiritual laws that will cause us to escape every trial that we may face in this natural realm. The word “life” in Greek is “zoe” and it is the God-kind of life. “Blessed” means “empowered to prosper.” So, I am empowered to prosper (by God) when I persevere a trial. When I face a circumstance that is contrary to what the Word proclaims, if I will apply faith and patience and not be double-minded, I will then see THE BLESSING at work in my situation. Manifestation will happen. Answered prayer will be the result. I will receive and experience the God-kind of life in this present world which God has promised me. His Word proclaims that it is through faith and patience that we inherit the promises. Therefore, no weapon that the enemy or even the lust of my flesh can stop the manifestations of LIFE that God has promised if I will persevere. If we remain faithful to His Word, He has promised us that we will prosper in everything that He has for us and that we will experience LIFE everlasting now!

Verse 17 says, “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.” God is good. He possesses nothing but goodness. Everything that is good comes from Him. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He never changes. According to religion, God is striking us down to teach us. Even if that were true, every time He reached out to strike us down, goodness would come out of Him. Therefore, He cannot be the author of test and trials. My friend, He is the solution to your test and trials. He is the answer to every question that you have. He is Love and He desires to consume you with His Love. All God has is good. When test and trials come, and they will, He is waiting on you to speak faith concerning your situation and He is ready and able to move accordingly to what you have

spoken in line with His Word. God will never answer any prayer that isn’t in line with His Word. He has bound Himself to His Word and to His Word only. His promises are yes and amen. So when you pray according to His Word, you know He will answer. This is a God who is for us and not against us. He is our Father, Advocate and Strong Tower. He is our strength, our peace, our joy. Psalms 50:15 tells us to, “…call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you…” Psalms 68:35 states, “…The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people.” Psalms 89:34 proclaims, “My covenant I will not violate…”

God is living in you and desires to bless you with everything He has. When you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, THE BLESSING came to live inside of you. Every good and perfect gift is inside of you right now. When you open up your mouth and begin to speak the Word of God, THE BLESSING goes into effect to change your situation and circumstance and begins to bring to manifestation that which you desire from God. Romans 8:31 tells us, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” These verses are telling us that God is not sending all these problems and circumstances your way. The Word is saying that HE is the solution. HE is the answer. HE is the Truth and the Way. HE knew that we would face opposition in this earthly realm. HE has already set in motion spiritual law that will automatically respond when you put it into action. You put it into action by the words of your mouth. If you will say what God says, and not waver, you will have what God has!

Remember this, God is not testing you. He is bringing you out. He is crossing you over to the other side. He is living inside of you, speaking to you, guiding you into all truth. Just trust Him at His Word. Follow His still small voice and you will see that God is truly your covenant Friend!

Chapter Three

Healing Has Passed Away

any denominations have taught that healing has passed away with the last apostle. Let’s look at the Word to see what God has said He would do

concerning healing. Isaiah 53:4-5 tells us, “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted but He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities, the chastening of our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.”

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The word “griefs” can be translated sicknesses and pains. The word “bore” refers to the Levitical Law where the blood was placed on the scapegoat and sent out never to return. When Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice on the altar, he knew that God would provide a scapegoat, a sacrificial lamb to take his place. That is why he told the group of men at the bottom of the

Oh No He Didn’t

mountain that he and the lad would return. It was a type and shadow of what God would offer mankind through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

He was “pierced” or “wounded” and in the cross reference of the King James translation it says “tormented” for our transgressions. We know that Jesus was our Substitute on the cross to pay for our sins and we identify with Him. But why are we still tormented with sickness and disease? Let’s see where torment originates from. Look at 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” The KJV says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” So torment originates in fear. If I can get rid of the fear, I can get rid of the torment. Sounds simple enough, but evidently not, because fear is rampant in their lives. Many believe that it’s healthy to have a little fear. We see in these verses that fear is not in line with God’s Word. When Jesus died on the cross, He was wounded, pierced and tormented. Now you do not have to experience the torment that the devil would try to put upon your life through the cares of this world, including sickness and disease.

Perfected love cast out fear. “Perfected” refers to growing, developing, and maturing. It is allowed to run its full course. How do I activate this kind of “love casting out fear” in my life? 1 John 2:5 tells us that, “…whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected.” So obedience to His Word causes love to be growing in me. While His love is growing and maturing me, fear is cast out or flushed out by my obedience to His Word. If fear is flushed out, then there is no more torment in my life because torment is found in fear. Jesus paid the price of torment for me on the cross. Through His substitution and my identification with what He did for me, I no longer have to live in the

torment or fear. He has paid the price already. Therefore, I don’t have to suffer through sickness and disease, pain and suffering because Jesus was tormented, faced the fear, paid the ransom and defeated it at Calvary. I don’t have to cast fear out of me. I just need to speak to it. Because of Jesus, I have authority and dominion over it. Because of the stripes of Jesus, I am healed. I am not trying to receive my healing or get healed. I am the healed and the devil is trying to steal my health. Symptoms are the devil’s vehicle to try to get you to speak contrary to your faith (God’s Word). If you begin to speak unbelief, then you are not in obedience to the Word and not developed in love. When you are not developed in love, fear can enter in. Within that fear is the torment. You may have heard people say, “What if God doesn’t want to heal me? I’m trying to forgive everybody that I can think of to receive my healing. I’m confessing every healing scripture in the Bible every day.”

These confessions are well and good but not the source of walking in health. You must know and be fully assured that if you will develop the love walk in your life, then the weapons that the enemy will try to send against you will not be able to prosper. You will have the power to condemn them in your life. You can speak life over you and the end result will be life and health.

I am reminded of the time when my mother was experiencing health issues. We had just started the ministry a few years before and were learning about faith. Her skin began turning yellow and we ran test for Hepatitis which came back negative. Eventually she had exploratory surgery and was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I remember when the surgeon came out of the operating room and told my brother and I the news, I could feel the weight of his words upon me. I knew what we would be facing in the weeks and months to come and that the enemy was coming to destroy our faith. It was not until my mother was out of recovery and in her hospital room that I came face to face with fear. The

surgeon was making his rounds and was well known for not holding back any information. As I sat on my mother’s bedside holding her hand, I felt her grip when he told us that she had three months to live. I couldn’t breathe, but I knew I had to be strong for my mother. You could hear a pin drop in the room. I heard every footstep of the surgeon and his assistant as they walked out of the room. Fear had filled the room to capacity. But thank God for the Word. I began to speak over my mother what the Word of God said about her. We cried and we prayed. Then I asked her what she wanted to do. I knew she could stay and fight to live or she could just release her spirit and go to heaven. She told me that she wanted to live and not die. We began over the next few months to dig into God’s Word concerning healing. As I look back over that time, God’s love and peace rested on us. Through that journey with my mother, I experienced how God deals with His children. If we will develop the love walk in our lives, then it will flush out fear and the torment will not be able to touch us.

My mother went on to live another year before she grew weary in well doing and chose to go on to heaven. She told me that she wished she had known about the revelation of God’s Word sooner than she did. My mother believed that if she had grown her faith stronger sooner, she would have been able to receive her healing. But even in her young faith, she saw God heal and strengthen her, expressing His love towards her during that year that she battled with this disease.

My friend, the only way Satan can kill you with sickness and disease is to get you to fear the disease. If he can get you off God’s Word and get you to confess fear, then he knows that ultimately he will be able to kill you. We must recognize that we are already the healed and Satan is trying to steal our health. God is in the healing business, but He has bound Himself by His Word. Throughout the Bible we find the phrase, “be it done according to your faith.” In Mark 5:25-34 we find

the story of the woman with the issue of blood. Verse 27 tells, “after hearing about Jesus….” How does faith come? It comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Not only did she just hear that Jesus was making His way through the streets of her city, but she had been hearing about the miracles that Jesus had performed in other cities. It dropped inside of her thinking and eventually into her knowing that if she could just touch the hem of His garment, she would be made whole. According to verse 28, she kept saying and kept saying, “If I just touch His garments, I shall get well.” Jesus told her, in verse 34, “Daughter, your faith has made you well, go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” You see, everyone today wants to touch a garment. This was one of many methods that Jesus used to heal people. He listened to what they said and then He did what they asked Him to do. It was done according to their faith, not His. If she had been taught that she could just speak the Word only, she would not have needed to go out into the thronging crowd and touch His garment. She could have spoken her faith and believed Him at His Word (the sayings He had preached in the other cities that she had heard about) and received her healing in the comfort of her home. But she said, and she repeatedly said, that if I touch the hem of His garment, I will be made whole. God will meet you where you are at. If you need hands laid on you as a point of contact, then when hands are laid upon you, your faith goes into agreement with His Word at that level and you receive your healing. If you say that you believe the surgeon will be able to remove the cancer and after radiation and chemotherapy you will be healed, then God will meet you at that level. You can learn to walk with God and learn how to walk in His Love to the degree that it flushes out fear. When you do that, torment has no hold on your life. The enemy has no opening to attach sickness or disease upon your body and your life. It’s time for the Body of Christ to learn how to walk in a

higher level of faith. Not to just talk about it, but to manifest it. The Spirit of God is available to us to confirm the Word with signs following. In order to see mighty miracles of God, we must have mighty warriors speaking the Word in and out of season.

Proverbs 18:20-21 tells us the importance of our words. It says, “With the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied; He will be satisfied with the product of his lips. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” I expound on this subject of framing your world with your words in the next chapter.

Chapter Four

It Doesn’t Matter What I Say Because “Whatever Will Be, Will Be”

roverbs chapter 4, verses 23 and 24 states, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away

from you a deceitful mouth, and put devious lips far from you.” From within our spirits, God has placed the very issues of life. He warns us to watch what we say because we bring into existence that which we confess. Confession brings possession. Therefore, put away speech that is contrary to His Word. That is how we bring destruction into our lives. It’s not God trying to

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knock us down in order for us to look up. We are knocked down because of our disobedience to His Word. What we have now is a result of what we have been speaking. Our words have framed our world. If you want your world to be framed with life and health, you must meditate and obey the Word of God and as you do, life will be the force that comes out of your spirit. Your confession of life will hold back the enemy’s attacks from having a lasting impact upon your life. He may attempt it, but won’t be able to complete it!

Proverbs is filled with exaltations that tell us about the fruit of our lips. Chapter 12:14 – “A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his words.” Verse 18 adds, “…the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverbs 13:3 states, “The one who guards his mouth preserves his life…” Finally, Proverbs 18:20 and 21 says, “With the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied; He will be satisfied with the product of his lips. Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Your world is framed by your words. It does matter what you say. You can determine the course of your life and how much of your destiny you fulfill by the words that you choose to speak. There are many phrases that believers say without thinking anything about it. “That scared me to death.” “I’m just dying to tell somebody.” “I’m on my way home to crash.” “I’m afraid I can’t go.” “I’m just thrilled to death.” “I’m thrilled to pieces.” “The older I get, the more I fall apart…..ha ha ha ha.” or “That just blows my mind.”

Forgive me for not listing your favorite phrase. The list could go on and on for many more pages. The key to victory in this area is to put your faith in developing a desire to speak how God speaks. We know what He says by His Word. If you want to be successful, then you have to speak your way out of your present situation and into your destiny which lies before you.

According to Proverbs 19:1, “a poor man is better off than the fool who is perverse in speech.” Having a perverted mouth means more than lying and using profanity. It means having a disobedient mouth. It means saying things that are out of line with the Word of God. For example, to say that you are sick is not in line with what God says about you. His Word says that you are healed. Your body may feel like it is sick, but faith-filled believers do not go by what they see, taste or feel, but live by the Word of God. They speak health. You may get a notice from your bank that you are overdrawn. Instead of speaking poverty and lack, you frame your world of prosperity by saying what the Word of God says about your situation. You proclaim that you are the head and not the tail. You are blessed coming in and blessed going out. God supplies your every need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

I remember a time in our ministry when we were desperate financially and I wasn’t sure how much longer we could keep the doors open. No matter how loud my mind was screaming, “What are you going to do about it ‘Faith Preacher’, or what are people going to think?” I continued to speak the Word and thank God for the need being met according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. It was the middle of summer and attendance was down and hope was at its lowest point as far as it appeared in the natural. I remember the service clearly today even though it’s been many years ago because it was a defining moment when I saw my faith manifest. A member who had been away but came to church that morning wrote a check that covered the need. I didn’t tell her anything was wrong. I never said that we were in need. No sad stories about if you don’t give we will have to close the doors of the church. In fact, the check was written during praise and worship and given to my wife. I preached as always in faith not knowing that the need had been met. I didn’t see the check until after the service. Yes, I rejoiced about it but probably not to the degree that people would have

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expected. Why? Because I had continually thanked Him that the need was met, so I wasn’t surprised when it happened.

What you choose to say determines what the outcome will be. It may take some time, but eventually, the natural realm will reflect what is in the spiritual realm. It doesn’t matter how long something may take, as long as it takes! Train your mouth to be obedient to His Word. Then, when you need it most, you'll find that Word dwelling richly in you.

When you begin to really believe this truth, you will experience depths that the Holy Spirit will show you to set up your destiny. This will be in line with the path that He desires to lead you through. Over ten years ago, during one of our Saturday night prayer times, I found myself praying this particular prayer over the seats in our auditorium. “Father, I thank You that these chairs are filled with people who are hungering and thirsting after righteousness and are sitting on the edges of their seats, taking in the Word of God and the move of the Holy Spirit like a sponge. I call people from the north, south, east and west to come to Overcoming Faith in Jesus Name.” On the surface, it sounds like a great prayer. When I took God at His Word and understood how powerful my words really were, then this prayer took on a whole new meaning. As time passed, I was frustrated with the fact that people would visit the church and say that they loved the service and felt at home, but they would not come back. I kept self-evaluating what was the problem, but never could come up with a clear answer. I heard many excuses and reasons, but they were a smoke-screen. It wasn’t until one night at prayer, one of our faithful members made a quick observation about this particular question that I had about visitors not coming back. She said, “Pastor, those people don’t qualify to sit in the chairs. According to your prayer, only those who are thirsting and hungering after righteousness and desiring to see the revelation of the Word of God and the move of the Holy

Spirit can remain in the chairs.” The Holy Spirit carefully chooses His words to be prayed and spoken into the earth realm through us. If it is important to Him, shouldn’t it be important to you? I think so.

To operate in THE BLESSING, you must speak The WORD. Say what God says. Then, just go about your business and expect those things to come to pass. Many believers today have a grasp of what it means to speak faith. But where most believers falter is in the consistency of faith speaking. They can say that they are healed by the stripes of Jesus, but when they do not see any instant results, they begin to say things like, “You know, it’s all in His timing.” “God will do what He wants to do.” “It must not be the will of God to heal me right now.” If we need a financial miracle we may say things like “God must know that too much money will ruin me.” “He doesn’t want me to take my eyes off Him, so He keeps me broke so I’ll rely on Him.” It is these kinds of perverted words that cause us to miss out on THE BLESSING that we received when we were born-again.

To understand how important words are to God, we must look at how faith works. It works by speaking. In the first chapter of Genesis, we see repeatedly that God said what He desired to create. Then at the end of the chapter, it doesn’t say that God said, but rather that God saw all that He had made and it was very good. If God used words to frame creation, then you must use words to frame your world. The life you are living right now is a direct result of the words that you have been speaking. Even if you don’t like your life right now, this is good news because you are in control of your future. Change the way you speak and align your words with the Word of God and begin to be consistent in your speech, and your life will begin to improve. You will begin to see the favor of God operate in your life. Your countenance will change. Your attitude will change. Your outlook on life will change. All because of a simple step. Change the way you speak.

Hebrews 11:3 says, “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.” We see once again that God framed His world by His words. We are doing the same thing whether we understand it or not. It is a spiritual law that is set in motion. We are created in God’s image to live like Him. That’s why you may see that your body is broken and sick, but by faith, your words aligned with the Word of God can produce health for your body, even when you don’t see it or feel it. That’s how powerful words are.

God’s Word is anointed to remove every burden and destroy every yoke of bondage. The Bible can be open to a scripture about salvation and someone can walk by and read it and receive their salvation without any assistance from anyone. That’s how powerful the Word is. His Word lives inside of you. As you release His Word out of your mouth, it will not return to Him void. The Word works if you will work it. How do you do that? By speaking it consistently. There is never a time that you should speak anything else. It is your life. It is your lifestyle. It is the way you live now. No more roller coaster rides in faith. Make a quality decision today that you are going to speak words of life and remove from your speech anything that would be contrary to it. It may be a battle at first, but the reward is great. Your destiny and the fulfillment thereof is worth the dedication and steadfastness to obtain the God-kind of life. A life filled with faith each and every day.

Lastly, let’s look at Mark 11:22 through 24. “And Jesus answered saying to them, Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you.”

We now have to add one more element to our faith. It’s not just speaking words to frame our world, but we must believe that what we speak shall come to pass. How does this happen? Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the Word of God. Hearing is not just sitting in a service and you hear with your natural ears. Hearing happens when the Word of God is presented and the Spirit of God drops down into your spirit man the revelation of what is being taught. All of a sudden, you see it and understand that scripture and its context. You now know what it means and how to apply it. That’s when faith arises. You’ve heard and now you speak in faith what you know God has said concerning your situation. When you have heard it long enough, it is easy to believe, know and be fully assured that what God has said He will do!

Begin to frame your world today. Make a change. Don’t just talk about how you wish things would be. Make a difference. Insanity is doing the same thing but expecting different results. Begin to make those adjustments in your speaking. As you work on it day in and day out, you will become stronger in faith. Then you will begin to realize that you do believe God will perform His Word and do it for you. Be reminded that He has you on His mind!

Chapter Five

Some Fear Is Good For You

ark 5:21-24 says, “And when Jesus had crossed over again in the boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered about

Him; and He stayed by the seashore. And one of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up,

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Oh No He Didn’t

and upon seeing Him, fell at His feet, and entreated Him earnestly, saying, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, that she may get well and live.’ And He went off with him; and a great multitude was following Him and pressing in on Him.” Jairus was a man with authority and knew that Jesus walked in authority concerning miracles, signs and wonders. He proclaimed his faith by stating what Jesus could do, which was lay His hands on his daughter and she would live. Jesus is moved by our faith. Even though He had the anointing to speak the Word and Jairus’ daughter would be healed, Jesus always acted upon the believer’s faith. So, in accordance to what Jairus spoke, Jesus and His entourage headed to Jairus’ house to minister to his daughter.

Along the way, a woman with the issue of blood enters the street and touches the hem of Jesus’ garment. She was made whole based upon her faith. Unfortunately for Jairus, it delayed Jesus getting to his house to minister to his daughter. We pick the story back up in verses 35 and 36. “While He was still speaking, they came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, ‘Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?’ But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, ‘Do not be afraid, only believe.’”

Jesus was telling Jairus to keep believing. Don’t be discouraged by the news that you’ve just heard. Don’t let go of your faith. You’ve invested too much time and effort to just let it go because you think that I (Jesus) can heal, but I (Jesus) can’t raise your daughter from the dead. Jesus knew that His ability to minister in the earthly realm was dependent upon Jairus’ faith. He would and could only do what Jairus’ faith would allow Him to do. God will never override His Word. He has given us a free will to operate in as much of THE BLESSING as we desire. Our faith cannot change certain

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aspects of God’s sovereignty, but when it comes to our lives, He has given us the ability to appropriate what we desire to have, contrary to what religion teaches us.

Jairus had to be battling the thoughts in his mind throughout this span of time. His daughter was ill and as a father, he was concerned about her. He found Jesus and with all boldness that his faith could muster, made a request for Jesus to change whatever plans He had and come to his house and minister to his daughter. He was elated that Jesus responded positively to his request. He knew that everything was going to be alright. Jesus was coming to his house to lay hands on his daughter and HE KNEW that she would live. Peace flooded his soul (his mind, will and emotions). And then the unthinkable happened.

A woman, with an issue of blood, who was not suppose to be out in public, came running out into the street and touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. The crowd and Jesus came to a halt. Jesus began to ask questions about who touched Him. His disciples answered Him with questions. Jairus, thinking to himself, that time was of the essence. It looked as if everything was going just as he planned and then these distractions and circumstances got in the way. Jairus didn’t have time for this. He wasn’t thinking about how wonderful that someone just received their healing. He was concerned about his daughter’s healing!

Then the news that takes the breath of every father. Some people from Jairus’ house came and with the news that there was no need to trouble the Teacher (Master) because his daughter had died. Jesus overheard (cross reference says ignored) the news. The commotion that had to be going on at the time had to be loud. The crowd pressed against Him. The woman with the issue of blood had to be praising Him for her healing at the top of her lungs. When there was turmoil and noise in the physical realm, faith and action caused God to hear in the spirit realm. This is why developing our faith and renewing our minds through the Word of

God is so important. Jesus knew that He had to keep Jairus engaged in his faith in order to accomplish what they set out to do and that was to see Jairus’ daughter healed and now raised from the dead.

So Jesus told Jairus, “Fear not (don’t be afraid), only believe (keep believing).” Jesus was telling Jairus not to be moved by the commotion of events that happened throughout the journey. Jairus set forth his faith and made it come alive through his actions to get Jesus to come to his house and minister to his daughter. Just because distractions come and delay your answer, don’t drop your faith by changing your words. Keep believing. Fear not, only believe. Don’t be afraid. Keep believing.

Jesus then dismissed the crowd including his entourage except for Peter, James and John. This was significant. When it comes to certain manifestations that you desire to see, it’s going to take agreement in faith with like-minded people. Jesus knew that Jairus’ daughter had died. He chose to surround Himself with people of great faith. Even in Jesus’ group, there were those who were not developed in great faith. Just because you go to a faith church doesn’t mean that you are a faith giant. Much in the same way, I may own many cookbooks, but it doesn’t make me a cook. We have to study, meditate and apply the knowledge that we gather. Knowledge in and of itself is not enough. It has to be acted upon in order to be powerful.

They traveled to Jairus’ house only to find people loudly weeping and wailing. Jesus entered and said to them in verse 39, “Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep.” We know that Jesus’ faith is well developed. So for Him to say that she is not dead but asleep, indicates that Jairus was still believing because Jesus could only go as far as Jairus would allow Him. The people in the house saw death. Jesus saw life. There is life in the Word. For the believer, death is not the end. Throughout the Word, we see references to death as those who are asleep. Your

spirit lives on and your body will awaken out of its sleep in the rapture!

The wailers in the house laughed at Jesus and what He said. He then put them all out. So who got the last laugh! Many people will criticize you for radical beliefs but it’s those who choose to follow the Teacher (Master) that has THE BLESSING manifesting in their lives on a daily basis. Jesus took Jairus, his wife, Peter, James and John and they entered Jairus’ daughter’s room. Jesus took her hand and in verse 41 he said to her, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” She immediately arose and to everyone’s astonishment, began to walk.

The fact that they were astonished that she walked, shows that the group still had some room to develop their faith. But it should encourage you today to know that God will meet you where you are at. He will do what you allow Him to do. He told Jairus to not be moved by the commotion of life and the distractions that come. Fear not, only believe. Don’t be afraid, keep believing. There should be no room for fear at any level in our lives. Fear is not what protects or guides us. It never does. Only faith can produce the manifestations that we desire as believers.

My wife and I learned this lesson early in our parenting years. We chose how we explained to our children why they shouldn’t or couldn’t do something. We didn’t want to instill fear in them in order to manipulate them to do what we wanted them to do, which was ultimately to protect them from harm. For instance, when a child wants to run out into the street after a ball, don’t become hysterical, screaming at the top of your lungs, “Don’t you ever do that again! Don’t you know that a car will run you over and kill you instantly? Then your dad and I will be crying and sad the rest of our lives. Your brother or sister will never be happy again. Now get in that yard and stay in that yard!”

We think that we are doing a great job of parenting by using manipulation and fear to get the end result, which is safety for our children. But we do not recognize the fact that we, as parents, are speaking fear into their lives and painting pictures of failure that will infiltrate other areas of their lives as they grow up. We must explain the consequences of bad choices, which in this case, would be running into the street. Don’t assume your children will make mature decisions because you put fear inside of them. They will still make poor choices and as they grow into adulthood, will display a hesitancy to chase their dreams because they are afraid of what might happen.

Unless we are aware of the importance of getting rid of fear in our lives, we won’t notice the number of times throughout one day we have opportunities to fear. And when we take hold of it, fear begins to be a part of our lives. I remember when my mother had passed away and my family and I were leaving the graveside and driving home. Within minutes, I could sense this overwhelming sense of hopelessness and despair. My breathing became labored. It was as if someone had their hands around my throat. Thoughts were rushing through my mind about my mother. Thoughts of never seeing her again and being able to speak to her. Fortunately, I had begun to receive revelation about sorrow and fear. I didn’t have to cast the fear out. I just began to speak to it. I began to thank God that I would see her again. I began to express my gratitude for my mother and the legacy that she had left me. I knew the Word had declared that I would see her again. I rested in that hope. Suddenly, the fear lifted and I could breathe again. Fear no longer had a grip on me. I now knew the importance of being free from fear. I knew that this was a powerful revelation that I needed to operate in my life. Ever since that day, fear has not been able to get a hold of me. Hallelujah!

So I admonish you today. Don’t buy into society’s belief system that a little fear is good for you. If you

want to live in great faith and have astonishing manifestations in your daily life, fear not – only believe!

Chapter Six

God Took My Baby Because He Needed Another Angel

Oh No He Didn’t

he subject of death is one of the most difficult emotions that we as humans have to wrestle with. During death, we find ourselves making

statements about God that are not true and not in line with His Word. As difficult as it is, we must face the truth in God’s Word, in order to be able to grow in faith through some of the darkest hours of our lives.

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that a loving God would allow a child to die. That’s where the idea of God needing another angel came from. A desperate cry of hope to understand how such a tragedy could happen and happen to such wonderful parents. There are many areas of discussion here, but let’s just deal with angels.

Psalms 8:4-6 tells us, “What is man, that Thou dost take thought of him? And the son of man, that Thou dost care for him? Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than God, and dost crown him with glory and majesty! Thou dost make him to rule over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet…” In these verses we see that the angels are questioning who this man (mankind) is that God has created. This lets us know that there is a distinction between angels and mankind. Angels cannot become a man and man cannot become an angel. When God creates or makes something, it is and remains as He created it. When you were born, you were born mankind – a male or a female. That’s what you were made. You cannot become anything else but a human (mankind). When you die, your spirit and soul will depart from your body and go to be with the Lord, if you have made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life. Your body will remain in the earth until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

If we understood the role and purpose of angels, we would not make statements like “God needed another angel.” What is the role of the angels? They were a great hosts that were created by God in the beginning. Two-thirds remained with God and one-third

fell with Satan. We refer to them as demons. No more angels are being created. God’s angelic hosts outnumber Satan’s demons (his angelic host). Hebrews 1:14 says, “Are they (angels) not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” It is good to know that as a born-again believer and child of the Most High God, that angels are sent out for my service. They are literally life savers!

We see an example of that in the lives of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They were brought before the king because they refused to bow down before his golden image and were sentenced to die in the fiery furnace. When told of their death sentence, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego said, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18). Whenever angels delivered people in the Bible, they were people of great faith. When Nebuchadnezzar turned the heat up because of their faith declaration, he noticed not three men but a fourth and he had the appearance “like a son of the gods!” Even Nebuchadnezzar realized that God had sent an angel to protect His faithful servants.

Another example in the Bible is Daniel. The king had been trapped by wicked men into sentencing Daniel to death. The only crime that Daniel committed was prayer and the king was grieved by this. We see from this story the illustration of Daniel asleep and the lions asleep at his feet. Daniel slept better in the lion’s den than the king did in the palace. Why was this? An angel kept Daniel from harm and he was at peace.

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Elisha experienced the same kind of protection. Second Kings 6 speaks of a time when he and his servant were surrounded by the Syrian army. His servant was fearful but Elisha could see in the spirit. “Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:17). Not only did Elisha see in the natural, he could see the angelic host that surrounded them. The angels were ready to bring deliverance that Elisha needed.

The angels were at work in the New Testament also. Acts 12:7 tells us about Peter in prison. James had been killed and Herod was planning to kill Peter the next day. “And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and roused him, saying, ‘Get up quickly.’ And his chains fell off his hands.” (Verse 7). The fact that Peter was asleep, knowing that he would be beheaded the next day, was a good sign of a man of faith. In fact, he slept so soundly the angel had to hit him to wake him up. “And when they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street; and immediately the angel departed from him.” (Verse 10). When you have angelic help, natural hindrances are not a problem. The chains fell off of Peter. The outer gate opened of its own accord. Peter runs to the prayer meeting and the believers are so shocked to see him that they failed to open the gate and let him in. It was easier for Peter to get out of prison than it was to get into the prayer meeting!

Psalms 103:20 tells us that angels are “mighty in strength, who perform His word, obeying the voice of His word!” This is how you get angels to work for you. They hearken to the voice of God’s Word

and they hear it from your mouth. When you speak the Word of God on deliverance, the angels assigned to you go to work to bring that Word to pass. How are we to deal with angels? Exodus 23:21-23 gives us clear instructions. “Be on your guard before him and obey his voice; do not be rebellious toward him, for he will not pardon your transgression, since My name is in him. But if you will truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. For My angel will go before you and bring you in to the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will completely destroy them.” Do not be rebellious. How are we rebellious? By speaking things that are not in line with the Word of God. By saying things like, “I’m afraid…I can’t…I’m sick…I’m scared…You’re killing me…” When you speak your defeat instead of your victory, you tie your angel’s hands. Angels do not have the authority to override doubt and unbelief in order to get victory, even though the believer meant well. Psalms 103:20 told us that angels obey the voice of God’s Word. Your words empower the angels to go get what you need or your words force them to stand aside while the devil harasses you.

As with anything that pertains to the spiritual realm, it takes faith to activate our angels. This means that you are going to have to trust in something you cannot see. However, your trust will release your angels to work on your behalf with confidence. Psalms 34:7 says, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.” You must then believe God will protect you and angels will hearken to your command according to Matthew 18:10, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you, that their angels in heaven continually behold the face of My Father who is in heaven.”

Psalms 91:11 says, “For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.” Your service to God provokes angelic protection. According to Matthew 26:51-53, God would have sent twelve legions of angels to Jesus’ rescue had He prayed for them. Prayer releases angels on your behalf. Also, calling on the name of Jesus gets the attention of all the angels of God. They will come to your rescue.

We learned from Psalms 103:20 that you have to command your angels and assign them before they can work for you. You command them when you speak the Word of God. Isn’t it wonderful to know that you don’t have to protect yourself through your own ability?

If you are not seeing your faith manifesting in the natural realm, you should begin to evaluate the way you speak. Begin to listen to your conversations and see how you react and respond when faced with circumstances throughout the day. You cannot put the blame on anyone else. By listening to what you are saying, you sharpen your ability to cause the angels to heed to your every word. There is no shortage of angelic power. There are trillions of angels. If there’s a shortage, it’s in your Word power. Thank God you have the ability to change that.

I am reminded of a time in the early days of our ministry when we held our worship services in an elementary school. We met in the kindergarten pod which was a small open area in the center of the building with the classrooms located around the outer edges. We were worshipping God and were caught up in the Spirit. I will never forget seeing two angelic host at the back of the building. They were very large and stood still. Their presence brought an overwhelming peace. I knew that our church was covered. Even though we didn’t have a sanctuary and were a young congregation finding our way, God allowed me to see that the Word that we were preaching brought protection and covering for us. I knew that we were

headed in the right direction and that God wanted us to plow this new ground. He had a plan and vision for us to accomplish and the Word that we spoke brought the delivering power of the angelic host to go get everything that we would need to reach our destiny.

He will do the same for you. Begin right now to be determined in your speech to align your words with the Word of God. Know that when you do, the angels will beckon to your every word. They will bring forth all the things that are good that come from the Word of God. Keep your angels empowered. Keep speaking the Word. Confess it. Pray it. Shout it. Sing it. Begin to then see the marvelous works that can be manifested when we live a life filled with His Word.

Chapter Seven

Oh No He Didn’t

I’m Just a Sinner Saved by Grace.

his is a phrase that is used by countless born-again believers today. In fact, it has become a doctrine that has been passed down to many

generations. It sounds spiritual and correct, but it isn’t. Here’s why. Yes, I was a sinner and when I asked Jesus to come into my heart and save me, I became the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I was a sinner and because of grace, I am now righteous. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” The King James Version translations says the last part of the verse this way, “…that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

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We were once sinners in a lost and dying world, but because we met Jesus and because of His grace, we were saved. We are no longer of this world, but citizens of a Heavenly Kingdom. We were sinners, but we are now the righteous. God, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, has made it possible for us to have a right-standing with Him. We can come boldly to His throne and ask what we need and He will hear us.

1 John 5:18 says, “We know that no one who is born of God sins…” So what do we do now? What happens when we are born again? We become a new creation. In the Greek, it says that we become a new species of being. We are no longer considered who we were before we met Jesus. Once we are saved, we are MADE the righteousness of God. You WERE a sinner and now you ARE the righteousness of God. You are a new species of being. You are no longer a sinner. When you received salvation, you became the righteousness of God. So who are you? You are NOT a sinner saved by grace. You ARE the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

We are a tri-fold being. We are a spirit, we have a soul and we live in a body. Our soul consists of our mind, will, emotions, and reasoning. Our spirit is in tune with the Holy Spirit, Who comes to live within us when we make Jesus the Lord of our lives. Our spirit man cannot sin. It was created in the likeness of God. However, our soul must be renewed by the Word of God. It must be reprogrammed. Once you become a Christian, you must begin to change the way you think. The problem is, many believers prayed the prayer of salvation, but never made any effort to grow in the Word of God. Therefore, they are trying to live for God with “thinking” that is still in the world. This is where the mentality of being a sinner saved by grace comes from.

If our soul is not renewed to the Word, then our flesh is going to follow the direction of a non-renewed mind. Therefore, the end result will be sin. It we have a sin consciousness, we will surely sin. But if we have a righteousness conscious, we will live a holy life and sin falls away. It’s all in how we think. Wrong thinking will always produce wrong results. Insanity is to keep doing the same thing and expect different results.

The beautiful thing about God is that He knows us very well. He knew that we could not do this on our own. So He did something truly amazing. Instead of a gradual transformation and metamorphosis into this perfect being, He MADE us to be righteous. If you are MADE to be something, then you are. You are not becoming it. You are it. In this case, you are righteous. You are not becoming righteous. You already are righteous if you have made Jesus the Lord of your life. So why do I commit sin? You sin because you have an unrenewed mind. The Word tells us that we are walking by the Spirit if we are obedient to His Word. And if we are walking by the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. So as we study God’s Word and make a quality decision to obey what the Word teaches us, then we will

not fulfill the lust of the flesh. You will become righteousness-minded instead of sin-minded.

You will no longer think about falling short of His glory, but will revel in His grace that says He has paid the price. Your forgiveness is based on what He has done, not what you have done. You no longer live under the Law, you live under grace. What about 1 John 1:9 which says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”? The first chapter of first John was not written to believers, but to the nonbelievers. He begins to address the believers in the next chapter. God is a God of once and for all. He died on the cross of Calvary for our salvation which included soundness, wholeness, deliverance, healing, and prosperity. We don’t have to pray for forgiveness. Instead, because of His righteousness, we are already forgiven and cleansed. The accuser of the brethren, the devil, is always trying to get us to condemn ourselves and to feel unworthy. But thank God for His grace. Grace is based upon the finished work of Jesus, not the law. The law couldn’t set you free but grace and truth (one in the same) did. When you believe right, you’ll live right.

So what are the benefits of our righteousness? Here are a few scriptures that describe the righteous:Psalms 5:12 – For it is Thou who dost bless the

righteous man, O Lord…Psalms 14:5 - For God is with the righteous

generation.Psalms 34:17 – The righteous cry and the Lord hears

and delivers them out of all their troubles.Psalms 37:17 – The Lord sustains the righteous.Psalms 37:29 – The righteous will inherit the land and

dwell in it forever.

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Psalms 55:22 – He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

Psalms 92:12 – The righteous man will flourish…Psalms 112:6 – The righteous will be remembered

forever.Psalms 146:8 – The Lord loves the righteous.Proverbs 3:33 – He blesses the dwelling of the righteous.Proverbs 10:3 – The Lord will not allow the righteous to hunger.Proverbs 10:7 – The memory of the righteous is

blessed.Proverbs 10:16 – The wages of the righteous is life.Proverbs 10:24 – The desire of the righteous will be

granted.Proverbs 10:25 – The righteous has an everlasting

foundation.Proverbs 10:30 – The righteous will never be shaken.Proverbs 10:31 – The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom.Proverbs 11:8 – The righteous is delivered from trouble.Proverbs 11:21 – The descendants of the

righteous will be delivered.Proverbs 12:21 – No harm befalls the righteous.Proverbs 13:22 – The wealth of the sinner is stored up

for the righteous. After you have made Jesus the Lord of your life, the key to living a faith-filled life is to continue to grow

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in the Word. The blood of Jesus has cleansed you and He is no longer holding your sins against you. Your sins were remitted, not covered. Remitted means, “as if they never existed.” So when you cry to God about what a terrible person you are because you keep sinning and letting Him down, He doesn’t see what you see and feel. He sees you through the blood of Jesus Christ. He sees you as whole, clean and pure because of what Jesus has done for you. The reason you are tormented and feel unworthy is because of your sin-consciousness. Become righteousness-conscious by thanking Him every day for what He has done for you. You are righteous.

It has been preached for so long that God is distancing Himself from us based upon our behavior. If we sin, or continue to make bad choices, He will remove Himself from us. We must remember that Hebrews 13:5 says, “...I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you...” Romans 6:14 tells us, “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.” You are not a sinner because of your sin. Sin came into the world because of Adam. Likewise, you are not righteous because of your behavior. You are righteous because of Jesus Christ.

Do you remember the story of the woman at the well in Samaria? Jesus told His disciples that He “must needs” go to Samaria. It was the custom of the Jews of that day to avoid any contact with the Samaritans. Jesus had a divine appointment with this Samaritan woman. In spite of all of her shortcomings, Jesus sought her out. He is still doing the same thing today. You may have missed the mark over and over again (sin), but He is not condemning you. Psalms 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” The word “removed” indicates that it cannot be measured. You can’t find it. He took care of your sin problem once and for all! The problem is that you believe the lies of the accuser that God is mad at you. That He is always one step away from thrusting a lightning bolt out of the sky to strike

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you down because of your behavior. I’m glad to know that grace is not based upon my behavior, but on His behavior, the finished work of the Cross!

John 1:17 states, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” The KJV says that “grace and truth came...” Grace and truth are considered one and the same because the Greek verb that follows was used in the singular. Grace and truth are one in the same. The law was given, but grace and truth came. How? Through Jesus Christ. Therefore, grace and truth is the person of Jesus. John 8:32 says, “and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Grace is the truth that has the power to set you free. It’s the truth of grace and not of the law that brings you true freedom.

Right believing will result in right living. You must begin to believe that you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and say it out loud. When the enemy comes to try to condemn you with thoughts of being unworthy, begin to confess that you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I have been made righteous. It’s not my behavior, but His finished work of the Cross.

Remember that you are no longer a sinner saved by grace, but you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. And because of that, you are entitled to a life of deliverance, protection and provision.

Oh No He Didn’t

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Chapter Eight

Money is the Root of All Evil

hen believers and nonbelievers find themselves in financial lack, they try to sound spiritual by quoting 1 Timothy 6:10. It says, “For the love

of money is a root of all sorts of evil…” Unfortunately, they misquote it. Money is not the root of all evil. It is the love of money that is the root of all evil. You can be guilty of this without having money.

WVerses 9-10 are a good picture of what Paul was

writing about to Timothy. He said, “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many griefs.” Notice that Paul didn’t say that all men fell into destruction. He said that some wandered away from the faith, but not all. In verses 11-12 Paul goes on to say, “But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called…”

Paul, in writing to Timothy, who was a pastor, wasn’t warning Timothy about being rich. He was warning him about placing the wrong emphasis on money. Whenever we get pressed for finances, naturally our mind begins to think about money. Our thoughts are flooded with the fact that we do not have enough. We begin to think of how to get more money. Our mindset becomes consumed with money and without realizing it,

we become infatuated with it. We begin to talk with family and friends about how we need a second job to make ends meet. We begin to complain about how we don’t get paid enough on our present job. We dream about winning the lottery and hitting the jackpot at the casino. We make sure to let everyone know that we would give some of our winnings to the church. However, the truth is, if we won’t give out of our lack, we won’t give out of our abundance.

Believers have fallen in love with money and have very little. This is where Satan snares them into accepting the fact that God doesn’t bless them financially because it would ruin them. Unfortunately, they don’t know that it isn’t God who is withholding riches from them. It is their lack of faith to receive what He has already provided through the cross of Calvary and the bloodshed of Jesus Christ. If believers don’t know what the Bible says about prosperity, then their circumstances will always tell them that God must not want them to have anything. Why? Because they cannot just sit around and do nothing and expect riches and supply to come

flooding in. Even nonbelievers know that hard work and effort will always produce some level of success. But when you have a believer who knows the will of God concerning money, and knows how to use their faith to increase their capacity to receive from God, you have someone who is flowing in riches. Money no longer is the issue, but hearing from God as to where the money should be planted is. At that moment, your needs are swallowed up with the increase and overflow of finances. You become a warehouse for the Kingdom of God.

In Joshua chapter one, God speaks to Joshua about leading Israel after the death of Moses. He tells him to “be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be

strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success” (Joshua 1:6-8). Notice that the Lord told Joshua several times to be strong and courageous. This lets us know that on our journey to success, there will be resistance along the way. He continues to tell Joshua to be careful to do what Moses had written down in the law and if he did so, he would have success wherever he went. During this time, they were operating under the Old Covenant. They had to sacrifice animals in order to cover their sins. Thank God that you and I are under grace, which the Bibles states is a better covenant than the first! We still have a command to be obedient to the Word, but because of Jesus Christ and His death, burial and resurrection, our sins are not just covered, but remitted. This means it is as if we had never sinned. Oh what a covenant we enjoy. Our prosperity is based upon this covenant of grace which comes from our relationship with Jesus. We depend on His ability, not our own. Our faith is what gives us access to this grace. There’s freedom in Christ and within that freedom comes great success.

Verse 8 gives us a blueprint for prosperity, according to the Word. It says that the Word should not depart from your mouth. You should meditate on it day and night. You must do what it says to do. And if you do these things, you will make your way prosperous and then you will have success. We find that Joseph did this during his life. In Genesis 39:2 it says, “And the Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man.” Your success and prosperity is not based upon what you have, but Who you know. In verses 3 and 4, the Bible states, “Now his master saw that the Lord

was with him and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight…” In order for his master to recognize that the Lord was with Joseph, he had to produce in the natural realm results that caused his master to draw this conclusion. Joseph had a Godly character. His work ethic demonstrated his relationship with God. He was producing results that caused his master to see that every job that was given to him turned out to be a success. Because he could see results within Joseph’s life, he entrusted his possessions to him. This came about because of Joseph’s love for God and that God was with him. Joseph knew right from wrong before the law. In this, we see that God also gave Joseph wisdom.

This is what is available to us as grace covenant believers, but on a deeper level. I say that because we have the Spirit of God living inside of us, whereas Joseph could only experience God on the outside. God was with him, but not in him. We have God’s Spirit living in us. He is guiding us into all wisdom. That wisdom includes great success and prosperity. God has a master plan for you to experience great wealth within your household. You have to enlarge your capacity to receive it by changing the way you think. Honestly, if you were thinking about your prosperity correctly, wouldn’t it have already arrived? But the good news is that you can do something about it.

Let’s be reminded what the Lord told Joshua. He said for him to be careful to do everything in the Word. We must be doers of the Word and not hearers only. Matthew 6:33 tells us, “but seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” If we focus on Jesus and pursue the kingdom of God, which is Jesus’ peace, righteousness and joy (Romans 14:17), then all the things that we need concerning clothes, food, etc. will be added to us. We often get things out of order. We begin to seek after things instead of seeking God. We must keep our priorities in line. Grace-based prosperity is all about

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depending on God and giving Him the glory for our success. Our abilities have nothing to do with it. It is about an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

So how do I know that I have an intimate relationship with Jesus? It would be the same as if you wanted to get to know someone in the natural. You would spend time with them. You wouldn’t be able to get your mind off of them. So how do I go about getting to know God? The first place to go is His Word. Begin to read the Bible. Listen to men and women of God tell of the revelation of scripture that God has given to them. Become a student of His Word. Not just read it, but begin to meditate on it. Remember what God told Joshua. Meditate on My Word day and night. Thirdly, you can get to know God through praise and worship. Begin to tell Him what He means to you and worship Him for Who He is. Also, when you quote scripture, you are putting your angels to work on your behalf.

Any relationship that is strong includes gratitude. When we are grateful for another person, it causes them to want to be near us. The same is true with God. He inhabits the praises of His people. When we show forth a grateful heart, God invades our very being. And naturally after having a grateful heart, we become more aware of Him in all that we do. Recognize Him and give Him the honor that is due Him. These are things that we can do on a daily basis that will cause us to be engaged with God’s presence.

The final piece of the puzzle for receiving God’s prosperity is entering into the rest. The Amplified Version says, “Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still holds and is offered [today]…” This doesn’t mean that we don’t work anymore. Entering the rest is knowing that we can’t do this in and of ourselves. We no longer trust our abilities to get the job done. Instead, we trust His ability. We do this by faith. But as we continue to grow in His Word concerning prosperity, we then enlarge our capacity to

receive all the riches that He has in store for us to complete our destiny and purpose here on the earth.

Chapter Nine

God Doesn’t Want You To Have Riches And Success Because It Replaces Him.

12 PRINCIPLES THAT CREATE SUCCESS

Principle #1 – VISION

hat do I mean by vision? What are the things that you have dreamed about doing in your life? What are the things you think about most

of the time? This would be your vision. You may not be doing it at the present moment, but you would rather be doing that than where you are right now. The obstacle is getting out of our comfort zone and into our passion for life.

W“Then the Lord answered me and said,

‘Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run’” (Habakkuk 2:2). The dictionary definition of vision is the act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be.

When it comes to health, wealth and success, we usually think about houses, cars, vacations, helping family members, paying off debts and giving to charity organizations. In other words, we think of our success not only helping ourselves live better, but helping others as well.

Oh No He Didn’t

We should find what we love to do and find a way to get paid for it. When you have a passion for something, then you will see to it that you do everything within your power to bring it about. This is vision. Without vision, you will never begin. Without it, you will perish in sickness, poverty and defeat instead of health, wealth and success. Dreams without goals remain dreams and ultimately fuel disappointment. I can recall that no matter what job I was working, I was never fulfilled and satisfied as far as my career was concerned. It wasn’t just about money. It was about purpose and fulfilling my purpose. When you begin to help others, your needs and wants get swallowed up in the process. Although money can be a driving force to get us out of our comfort zone, if we don’t have a vision, our future won’t change. It was that stirring in my heart that caused me to not be satisfied. I would not take “no” for an answer. I kept looking. I kept asking. I kept searching. Even when it seemed like I would never make any progress, I kept the vision in front of me. I thought about it constantly. I spoke about it. When you continue to put that vision in front of you, doors will begin to open. You have to be ready to step through those open doors. Vision is only the beginning. But you cannot start without it. I encourage you right now to begin to rekindle the fire in those dreams you may have had for many years. People throughout the years may have dampened your spirit and enthusiasm, but it’s time to pick yourself up and begin to dream again. You can do it. The dream never left you. You just laid it aside because of different reasons. Often people cannot get behind someone else’s dream because it’s not their dream. They can’t see the possibility of it coming to pass. They are well-meaning in their efforts to keep you from becoming

discouraged but do not realize that they are killing your dream. Only you know what lies within you. You toss and turn at night thinking about the possibilities. You soon realize that if you don’t get up and begin to do something towards that dream, you will regret not going for it when you get to the end of your life. That’s where I found myself several years ago. For the past 25 years I started several new projects. Some have succeeded and some have flopped. But in every situation, I learned more about myself and how to tap into success. Once vision is set inside of you, you are then the one who is responsible for bringing it into existence. It has been given to you as a gift to bring increase into your life. Many dreams go unfulfilled because the individual didn’t believe they could accomplish such a large task. But if they only had the right instruction and support, they could make it manifest. Throughout the years, I have learned to keep the vision before me. Always reminding myself of why I do what I do. If I ever forget the vision, I will forget my purpose. If I forget my purpose, then I don’t have any reason to press forward. While I am striving to accomplish my vision, I am also helping others reach their vision. If you do not have vision, then you will perish. But if your vision is clear and plain, you will know you are heading in the right direction and when you have arrived to your destination. You will have full confidence that everything you are presently doing is adding to your ability to achieve the completion of your vision.

Principle #2 - MINDSET

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The dictionary defines mindset as an attitude, disposition, or mood. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks within himself, so he is.” The way you look at things should align with the Word of God. The creator of the universe resides on the inside of you. You have the mind of Christ. His thoughts are higher than yours, so begin to think like God thinks and speak like God speaks and act like God acts. If you do, you will have the same results that God has.

I remember years ago when I taught school, my mindset was that I had a secure job because you will always have children to teach. The problem was that there was never enough money. I loved what I was doing, but my mindset was that this was all I could do. This was how it was going to be and I just had to accept it. I was going to be broke all of my life and I needed to find some way to be happy and positive in my brokenness.

I found out that there was a better way. The first step to my success was not in the ABC’s of opening a business, but it was in improving me as a person. I want to help prepare you to move into your vision. First, I had to change the way that I thought. I began to believe that I could do something else besides teaching in the public schools. The alternative was to be just like everybody else and I didn’t want to turn out that way.

My vision was to teach people the Word of God. My first step toward this vision was to secure a facility for the ministry. I had enlarged my thinking to get me to this place and I got comfortable in that level of success. But when you have vision you won’t be satisfied until you have attained the fulfillment of that vision. I soon realized that even though I was happy with the construction of the building, I was responsible

for the maintenance of that building and property. I didn’t have the money to do so. Therefore, I had to change my thinking again. I quit my teaching job and began a home school ministry through the church. You take what skills you have and you begin to grow from that. I taught home school for several years, but then things began to shift and dry up. So I began once again to enlarge my thinking. I went into real estate investing and began rehabbing houses while I was still teaching in the home school. Throughout the six years of rehabbing homes, I constantly used my faith to open doors of wealth in order to finance the ministry. When people ask me, “Does this prosperity message work?” I can tell you from personal experience that it absolutely does. The Word of God and the confession of faith brought me to a financial resource of $1.2 million dollars!! You have to change your mindset to realize that even though you may not have the money, there are people who do and they want to invest in your vision. I went on to obtain my real estate license and have plans to get my broker’s license in the near future and have agents working under me. Vision sees farther than your eyes can see.

It is very simple. Find a need and then create a way to meet that need. That’s a mindset that cannot be stopped. Once you hit a barrier, begin to automatically declare, “I need to increase my thinking about this.” To begin to change your thinking, you begin to say, “I can do all things through Christ.” You have to be positive. Remaining positive is key. Always talk the solution not the problem. Do what’s right, because it’s right. Then do it right. You take action. You keep moving. If you don’t believe you can, then you won’t take action. You won’t provide a way for your vision to grow. As a man thinks, so is he.

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If you don’t like what you have, begin to change the way you think about things. Begin to frame your world with words of faith and what you desire to see come to pass. Then you will begin to attract people into your inner circle who can help you to accomplish your vision.

Principle #3 - VALUE

If you increase your skill, you will increase your income. Learn how to become an expert at what you do. You are an expert when you have experience in it. If you’re a banker, you can talk about credit and loans. You can talk about interest rates and how to improve your credit score. These are things that you deal with everyday, but to those who are not in the banking business, they are unaware of how things work. They need your expertise. The same could be said of the education field. You know how to best reach a child. You are aware of what skills your students need to know in order to pass the mandated state tests. These are things that you deal with everyday, but to someone outside of the education field, they are at a loss as far as helping their children. Leaders cannot lead if they can’t see the potential that is inside of them. Great leaders take a personal inventory of their gifts and create a self-image that changes their results.

No matter what level of income you are at, you will always need the expertise of other people. All of us have value. Leaders recognize their value. Think about doctors. A surgeon makes more money than a family practitioner. Why? Because they are specialized in what they do. In order to make more money, you have to be an expert in your field. When you are, you will have authority and people will listen to what you have to say.

Gaining more knowledge in your field is very important. When I began in real estate investing, I had no prior experience. I wasn’t much of a handyman but I could design and create the finished product for my contractors to copy. For five years, I had on the job training where I learned the do’s and don’ts of real estate. I invested in some real estate education programs, but didn’t gain much knowledge. I eventually found a program that was well worth my investment. It gave me the knowledge and confidence to acquire $1.2 million in funds for real estate investments. This investment also brought value to what I do and the success that I have experienced.

Just over forty years ago, the Golden Buddha sat in the middle of Bangkok, Thailand. This was a huge concrete statue that people put trash in. A Buddhist priest wanted it moved to his temple. While the statue was being moved, some pieces began to crumble. The priest noticed something inside the statue. They found the world’s largest sculptured gold that stood eight feet high!

For years, that gold was there. No one realized the value that the concrete statue contained. You are a lot like this statue. You might not know what is lying within you. Your real value is inside, if only you could find it.

In my years of being in business, I have noticed that you cannot consistently perform in a manner that is inconsistent with the way you see yourself. You can miss your potential, if you only think you are average.

Value has to do with productivity. Once you produce at the level that you are presently at, people will see value in what you do. It is in that production that propels you to the next level.

We all have different gifts – use it and share it.

Principle #4 - PLANT AND HARVEST

You may recognize this principle as sowing and reaping. We derive the Golden Rule from this principle. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. What goes around will come around. Even though these sayings may have been around for a long time, their truth hasn’t changed. In order for you to have health, wealth and success, this principle has to be in the forefront of your mind.

Luke 6:38 says, “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over.” This principle is important because it demands sacrifice on our part. Very few believers understand the power of their giving. Planting a seed and expecting a harvest is a principle and law that God has set in motion to open the windows of heaven over us.

Whatever you sow, you will reap. If you sow kindness, you’ll reap kindness. If you sow bitterness, then bitterness will come back to you. We’ve lost the concept of what it means to serve others. This comes about due to a selfish mentality. For example, it’s amazing how many workers are on their cell phones during work hours and feel that it is acceptable. I have also had to stand and wait before I could give my order so that the worker could finish their conversation with a coworker. When we take on a “I have a right” mentality, we lose the effectiveness of success in our lives because we don’t see the needs of other people. Yes, you may have a right, but that doesn’t make it right.

I realized many years ago, if I was going to succeed and be financially sound, I was going to have to speak and act differently. I began to watch what I said. I wanted to speak life and not death. Health and not sickness. Wealth and not poverty. I realized there was power in my words. I was framing my world by the way I spoke. Therefore, I was the only one to blame for the lack in my life. It wasn’t my parents fault. It wasn’t my upbringing. It had nothing to do with all the people who had hurt me along the way in my life. It was up to me. I could set the bar as high as I wanted to. I was the prophet over my own life.

When I understood the seedtime and harvest principle, I found myself unable to sell items to people initially because I knew if I gave the small item to them for free (a seed), that ultimately I was going to sell a larger product to them in the future (a harvest). The larger payday is always greater than the small investment upfront.

This is definitely good news. No one can stop you from reaching your destiny. No one can keep your health, wealth and success from you. You have the power within your tongue to change the course of your life today. Choose life!

Principle #5 - DESIRE

There is an innate hunger within every creature on earth to succeed. It is the weight of the world and the everyday pressures that beat us down. We start out wanting the world and end up just trying to survive another day. I urge you to find that desire once again. It’s in you. It may be buried deep and surrounded by

resentment and discouragement, but it’s there. It never left you. You just let the cares of this life come rushing in and overtake you. You no longer dreamed, but became weighted down with the cares of this life. You no longer felt like you had the time or energy to get back to the dream. At this point, many people feel like it just wasn’t meant to be, so they give up their dream and become content with what they have.

Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” God actively pursues us to give us blessings that we cannot contain. His hand is full of goodness. Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father. Throughout the Word of God, we see how much God loves us and desires for us to live in health, wealth and success. We just have to program our thinking to think like He does.

Our minds work like sophisticated computers. They only spit out what they have been fed. Leaders desire to invest in their minds and hearts. You must desire to be disciplined in what you invest in your mind. Avoid the wrong material so what comes out is right. Eventually you act on the things that fill your mind.

Great leaders are disciplined to fill their laptop with great data, so they can avoid making bad decisions. You must desire to listen to positive input so you can avoid things that will prevent you from moving forward.

I have experienced many ups and downs in my entrepreneurial journey. Many times, in the midst of discouragement, I had to remember why I was risking everything to go after my vision. Desire was my driving force. I wanted better for my family. For me, it was never about competition with others. It was never about

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being famous. As a husband and father, I wanted to bless my family with the best. In the midst of that desire, I continued to work on improving myself as a person. I endeavored to instill values within my children.

Money cannot solve all problems. If you have the right perspective, the right attitude and the right heart, you can make progress. It happened for me. Because I treated people right, many doors of opportunities opened for me. It was after I walked through those doors that I would have to get more education. I refused to allow money to be the ultimate goal. How much is enough? At what price are you willing to pay to attain it? Those were questions that I had to confront in my journey. I found out that it wasn’t about how much I made, but what a difference I made in the lives of people I came across. I found out that no matter how much I earned, there were people who always made more and people who made less. So that aspect of business never changed. I always brought everything into perspective through desire. What did I desire for my family and I? When I was reminded of that, I could get myself back on course and press toward the goal that was before me.

It’s time to get back to the things you desire in your life. Desire is not selfish. It’s part of what has been instilled in us as humans to give us fulfillment. When we set a goal, which can be considered a desire, and we reach that goal, there is a sense of accomplishment and worth. We begin to gain confidence in what we have done. Desire is a driving force that will help you to keep pressing forward when people or circumstances try to hold you back.

Principle #6 - TEACHABILITY

Teachable people are hungry. If you knew what to do to produce health, wealth and success, you would have already done it. No one knows everything. We are constantly learning. We should be students for the rest of our lives. We learn from others. We learn from our successes and our mistakes.

Knowledge isn’t free. It always cost us something. It may be money, time, effort, etc. But it always has a price tag. Most people believe that everything should be free. They take on the attitude that it’s the responsibility of others to take care of their needs. But that’s not the way to success. Success takes time, effort and hard work. There are sacrifices and risks involved. Unfortunately, many want to complain about their present status, but they don’t want to do what is necessary to obtain the knowledge that will propel them beyond their present state.

Imagine you were five years old and your parents surprised you with a twelve-gage shotgun and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle! As a five-year-old, you have no use for these gifts.

This is a picture of many talented people today. As successful business people, they must always remain teachable and open to learn in all areas of their lives. If your inner life is left underdeveloped due to the spotlight on the outer life, then your character becomes minimized. Your inward character is the infrastructure of your life. The greater the gift, the more time you must dedicate to developing character.

  Over the years I have invested in many programs and gained knowledge from them. I watched many free videos online, but I knew I would have to invest in

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greater resources in order to move to the next level in my career. That is why in real estate they ask for a down payment. They don’t want you to walk away from the loan so quickly because you have some of your money invested in it. This works the same way with cars or any other items that you may purchase on credit. They want you to have some vested interest in the loan. Naturally, you get what you pay for. I had to get to the place where I was willing to spend thousands of dollars to propel me to the million dollar level of productivity.

What are you willing to do today? Don’t think that you’ll be able to build a million dollar business on free videos. Begin to invest in yourself by obtaining knowledge from those who are producing in the fields that you desire to grow in. Always remember to invest in yourself. You can know the “nuts and bolts” of a business, but being a well-rounded person and keeping balance in your life is important too. You don’t have to buy everything that is out there at one time. Just take it in small increments. Your income will increase as you gain knowledge. Within that increase, you can purchase greater education. If you will invest your money correctly within your business and in yourself, then the phrase “money attracts money” will be true for you.

I heard a great story where a millionaire asked a builder to construct a house. He gave him the blueprints and a huge amount of money. The millionaire told the builder, “You probably won’t need all of this money, but I want you to have plenty to build a solid house. You can keep whatever money you have left over.”

The builder thought he could build the house for a fraction of the money and pocket most of the money for himself. He put fire studs five feet apart, he pounded only one nail per board; he slapped on one thin coat of

paint. He threw the shingles together and barely covered the roof of the house. Later, when he finished, he knew the house wasn’t solid, but it looked good and he had lots of money left over. He returned to the millionaire and said, “Here’s the key to your house.” In that moment, the millionaire smiled and responded, “Oh, I forgot to tell you...the house is yours.”

That builder had no idea he was building his own house! Does this sound familiar? You can take shortcuts, but you will only hurt yourself. You can misuse your talents and try to project an image for your peers—but eventually, the truth will come out. Stay open and teachable so that your gift has room to grow with your character.

Principle #7 - FORGIVENESS

Forgiveness is one of the greatest tools that has been given to you. It keeps you from moving into a place of bitterness in your life. I learned a long time ago that “hurt” people….hurt people. When someone does something against you and causes you hurt, remember that it comes from a “hurt” place in their own lives. And really, you have to be careful that you are not prideful in the fact that you are so important and always on the mind of others. If you learn to walk in forgiveness, you will enjoy the fruits of true freedom. You will be able to use self-control and not be moved by what others say or think.

Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

Forgiveness is an act of grace that we extend to others on purpose. It will not automatically happen. In fact, everything within you will resist it. You have to purpose in your heart that the root of bitterness is not going to rob you of your health, your wealth (having so many physical illnesses due to it) or your success. Doors open to those who are considerate and well-meaning toward others. People want to do business with others who possess Godly character.

People will often let you down. Not everyone is as passionate as you are about your vision. You may offer them a wonderful opportunity for advancement, but they don’t buy into it. You have to learn to let it go and sometimes let them go. Many times I have invested in people to help them get to a higher level in their business and their personal life.

It’s amazing to me how many people allow their circumstances to beat them down to a place of not caring. They have talked themselves into believing that this is their lot in life and it’s not going to get any better. You can encourage people, but you will begin to see signs that they are not willing to step out of their comfort zone. You may have invested time and money into them, but they let you down. Forgiveness will enable you to continue to move forward and not dwell on the past hurts. Forgiveness will allow you to not give up on the next person that comes to work for you. Keep the root of bitterness out of your life entirely. It has no place in you and your business. Take on the attitude that they may not want it, but I do! Remember to keep your vision before you and allow your desire to succeed override disappointments that people may bring. Forgiving and moving forward will keep you balanced. It will also keep your mind alert to the things around you

and therefore, protect you from those who would rather take from you than add to you.

Don’t become consumed with getting even or trying to correct someone. You know your motives and what you have said and done. Continue to move forward. Remember to keep your vision and goals ahead of you and don’t let any distractions pull you off the path to your destiny and success!

Principle # 8 - PROMOTION

Promotion comes about because you have shown productivity where you are at now. Success attracts money. You may not have any experience in the business that you want to establish, but are you successful where you are now? Are you an asset to your company? Or do you complain about not making enough money? Do you stay on facebook or on your phone checking personal messages? How good of an employee are you? Would you hire yourself? In order to achieve your dreams, you must help others to achieve theirs.

Psalms 75:6-7 says, “For not from the east, nor from the west, nor from the desert comes exaltation; but God is the Judge; He puts down one, and exalts another.” Promotion truly comes from God. As we place Him first in our lives, He will open doors and remove obstacles in our way in order to get THE BLESSING flowing in our lives. As you continue to praise Him and allow Him to order your steps, promotion is inevitable.

Throughout your life, you will have character tests at each stage of growth. Leaders should always know

that after a promotion, there will always be a test. If you try to promote yourself instead of allowing your gift and character to make room for itself, you will ultimately fail.

In your journey, you will encounter many tests in order to reach the next level. Some of these tests are:

THE TEST OF SMALL THINGS: This comes when we are asked to do something beneath our potential. It proves that we are faithful to commitments.

THE MOTIVE CHECK: This comes to the one who is doing what is right to reveal their true motive. Why we do something will ultimately determine what we do.

THE CREDIBILITY CHECK: This comes to demonstrate our ability to get the job done. It reveals whether we’re willing to compromise ethics under pressure.

THE AUTHORITY CHECK: This comes to reveal our attitude and submission to authority, even when we disagree. Before we can be a good leader, we must learn to be a good follower.

Over the years, I have experienced each of these tests. How I responded in those times either became a tombstone or a stepping stone for my growth.

  When I had an opportunity to meet an investor who was interested in the type of real estate investing that I did, he knew that I had been rehabbing houses for six years. When I met with the investor, I had six years of successful business practices to share with him. This gave the investor confidence in my ability to produce. I also showed him how investing in me would also profit him. As a result, he loaned me $1.2 million toward real estate investments. His investment gave me the ability

to purchase and sell at a greater volume. I would call that a promotion.

Principle #9 - FOCUS

You will succeed at whatever you put your attention to. Whatever you continually look at and listen to will deposit into your “well” of knowledge. When you need answers, your mind will pull knowledge from this “well” in order to find a solution for your present circumstance. If all you have looked at and listened to for the majority of the time is not positive reinforcement, then you may not like what is coming out of the well.

Hebrews 11:2-3 states, “…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith…”

You must run this race with blinders. This will keep you looking forward and ahead. Don’t look to the left or to the right. Definitely don’t look behind you. Keep looking to the prize before you. Your dream and vision awaits you. The more focused you become, the harder it is for distractions to pull you away. If you are not sold out for the cause, then the smallest objection or hurdle will cause you to fall away.

There have been many times when things have not turned out like I thought they would. On paper and in theory it was a homerun. But in reality, it turned out

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to be a single. But that’s okay. A single was more than what I had when I was at home plate. This is what I mean about focus. You know within your heart that everything you are doing is taking you to your ultimate goal of success. The very fact that you are doing something is more than the majority of people around you.

I have noticed in my life that discipline is like a bridge that crosses from where you are to where you want to be. It gets you where you want to go. It takes time and effort to build a bridge, but once it’s in place, it actually makes the journey easy.

Discipline is a bridge, not a burden. Real discipline will get you from desire to reality. It’s a long bridge and you won’t get there overnight.

Distractions are coming at us all the time. This is why focus is so important. Otherwise, you can look up one day and wonder where the time went and then discover that you haven’t made much progress toward accomplishing your vision. You must know what you want and go about obtaining it. Keep your eye on the prize and don’t let anyone or anything deter you. This is focus!

Principle #10 - HONOR

Ephesians 6:2-3 says, “Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.” As children, you have heard your parents use these verses often. This spiritual law works when you give honor to not only your parents, but to everyone that you come into contact

with. So few people know how to honor others. When you show honor, favor comes back to you in people wanting to do business with you.

Honoring people by giving them our attention is a powerful tool to successful relationships. As a minister, the best way to honor me is to take what I have taught and put it into practice. When I see people grow spiritually, it brings worth to what I do. That is honor.

Honor in the dictionary is defined as high respect, worth, merit, or rank. Matthew 15:8 says, “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me.” Honor goes beyond just mere words. It is truly seen in your actions. People watch your life more than the words you say. Granted, both are important. But if you are going to honor someone, you will do it by your actions. When you give your attention to someone, you are bringing honor to them because you believe they are worthy of your time.

The illustration of the iceberg is a great picture of leadership because so much of our influence comes from qualities we can’t see on the outside. Most of an iceberg is below the surface of the water. The 10% that is above the water is your skill. The 90% below the water is your character.

Our character is the sum total of our:

* self discipline - the ability to do what’s right even if you don’t feel like it.

* core values - principles you live by that enable you to make a moral stand.

* sense of identity - a realistic self-image based on who God made you to be.

* emotional security - the capacity to be emotionally stable and consistent.

Your skill may get you to the top—but it’s your character that will keep you there. History states that Adolf Hitler was a great leader, but we know he wasn’t. He failed to use his influence well. He had skill and charisma but lacked character. Weak character will eventually damage your ability to lead.

Principle #11 - DECISION

Everything in life comes about because of decisions we have made previously. I call it “framing your world.” Years ago, there was a comedian named Flip Wilson and in his comedy sketch, he would do something silly and then make the comment, “the devil made me do it.” Everyone would laugh but because the phrase became iconic, people began to truly believe that the devil was causing them to do terrible things. No one can make you do anything that you don’t want to do. The devil can try to lure you, seduce you, trick you, but he cannot ultimately make you do anything. It is your choice. The key to success in your life is making quality decisions.

Quality decisions cause you to make up your mind that whatever it takes to get to the goal, you will do. You won’t allow circumstances or setbacks make you rethink your decision. You are committed to making it work. I’ve always said, “It doesn’t matter how long it takes, as long as it takes!”

If you have any hope of being a successful person, much less an effective leader, you must stay committed. You cannot be involved in something without being committed. What’s the difference between involvement and commitment? Just ask a pig

and a chicken, after eating a ham and egg breakfast. The chicken was involved. The pig was committed.

In order to truly make the best decisions, you must act on your commitments and stay with it. Do not keep your options open because you think a better opportunity may arise. You may want to do it all, but great leaders can’t do everything. Have a narrow focus to the commitment to your cause. The moment you make a quality decision, you will find unlimited wisdom, energy and resources. This opens up the floodgates to the resources you need.

  In order to have health, wealth and success, you can’t make excuses. We sometimes call them reasons about why we are not moving forward. There is no doubt that people have terrible things happen to them. There is no denying that. But you can’t afford to allow these events in your life to control you and keep you from your destiny. You are in control of where you are headed and have the power within to change the course of your life. You do that with the power of your words. Begin to say what you want to see instead of what you already see or have seen. Your words will pull together other principles such as vision, mindset, desire, forgiveness, promotion, focus and honor. When these principles line up, you begin to change the course of your life and move toward your ultimate destiny.

Today is the day to begin to change your world. Make a quality decision to change your words and you will change your life.

Principle #12 - ACTION

In order for any of these principles to work in your life, this last step is so important. It is action. There are many people who sit in coffee shops all over the world talking about dreams and what they wish they could do, but never get beyond that place because they lack action.

James 1:22 says, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” Hearers only become frustrated believers. They begin to contaminate their faith because they do not see results. Faith without works is dead. There has to be a corresponding action to bring to pass what is being said.

I remember when I wanted to start investing in real estate and rehabbing properties, I received countless numbers of “no’s” or “we don’t lend money in your state.” I always seemed to hit a dead end street. I knew I had to figure out how people who were rehabbing houses found the money to do it. If they could live their dream, why couldn’t I? I did internet searches. I asked local banks. I spoke with realtors. I just kept asking and looking. All the while, my words were framing my success. I continued in my frustration to speak my vision and desire and what I wanted to accomplish.

My brother and I inherited a small house when my parents passed away. I didn’t realize that I had money available in this property. After asking around and finding the right person, I was able to pull the equity out of the home and therefore had money to rehab my first property. I have been doing that for six years now and never have looked back.

I could not have been in a position to receive this increase in my life if I had not taken any action. There are some risks. There will be emotional highs and lows. But for those who are striving for more, it is worth the journey. Not only in having nice things, but realizing that in your quest to achieve more, your character has grown. That in itself is priceless.

When life gets difficult, people tend to blame someone else for their problems. They act like passengers in a car. As a passenger, you can allow your mind to wander, change the radio station, sing, shout, laugh and get distracted. Why? Because you are just along for the ride.

As a driver, things are different. The steering wheel is in your hands and so are the rest of the passengers in that car. Leaders understand some things do go wrong. However, they determine to remain drivers. They take responsibility for their attitude and their actions. People expect leaders to be “drivers,” not passengers.

 You must have discipline and consistency in your life in order to achieve your goals. Some level of success can be achieved simply by hard work and effort. It’s never about how much you have. It’s what you do with what you do have that counts.

Decide today that you will no longer just talk about what you want to do. Begin to put forth a corresponding action to what you are saying. If you don’t know what that is, your corresponding action is to begin to search and find out. If you want others to respond to you, you first have to be a person of action. Today is the day.

12 Principles That Create Success

1. Vision2. Mindset3. Value4. Plant and Harvest5. Desire6. Teachability7. Forgiveness8. Promotion9. Focus10. Honor11. Decision12. Action

ABOUT ROBERT BATCHELOR

Robert Batchelor has been preaching the Word of God for the past twenty plus years. He ministered as a music worship leader before beginning Overcoming Faith Ministries in August of 1991. Since that time, the ministry has become a national outreach. Through crusades, local outreaches, internet and the local church, Pastor Batchelor, Overcoming Faith Ministries and its' Faith Partners are carrying out the vision of "Going Forth in Great Faith."  As a Pastor and teacher, Robert Batchelor has dedicated his life to teaching the Body of Christ how to manifest their faith and to live an overcoming life.  (I John 5:4) Through the anointing of wisdom, knowledge and understanding, Pastor Batchelor expounds on the Word of God bringing clarity and making God's Word applicable to the hearer.

Connect with us at the following:

www.facebook.com/robertbministries

www.ofcministries.com

Twitter @batch1222

Instagram @robert_batchelor

PRAYER OF SALVATION

If you do not know Jesus as your Savior and Lord, simply pray the following prayer in faith, and Jesus will be your

Lord!

Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. Your Word says, "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts 2:21). I am calling on You. I pray and ask Jesus to come into my heart and be Lord over my life according to Romans 10:9-10: "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." I do that now. I confess that Jesus is Lord, and I believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead.

PRAYER FOR INFILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

I am now reborn! I am a Christian—a child of Almighty God! I am saved! You also said in Your Word, "If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: HOW MUCH MORE shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (Luke 11:13). I’m also asking You to fill me with the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, rise up within me as I praise God. I fully expect to speak with other tongues as You give me the utterance (Acts 2:4). In Jesus’ Name. Amen.