DEEPER LIFE BIBLE CHURCH WORLDWIDE.
MONDAY BIBLE STUDY.
DATE:!18/12/2023
MESSAGE ANCHORED BY THE GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT.
TOPIC: STARVING YOUR DOUBTS AND FEEDING YOUR FAITH.
TEXTS: JAMES 1:5-8; MATTHEW 21:21-22.
We are talking about faith. We are talking about unbelief. Faith is very important and very essential. As you look at the people that walked with God and worked for God and achieved something in the Kingdom, what helped them, what encouraged them to go on and on until they reach the peak of their calling is faith in God. In James 1:5-8, the word of God says, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.
1:8. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. Everything we need to make life and ministry successful, we can ask from God. We serve a God who gives everything we need liberally. He does not push us back, He does not deny us, He does not rebuke us. We have that assurance today that as we are asking power, as we are asking vision, mission, courage from God and we are asking for abundance grace to succeed in ministry, we have this assurance that He shall give us. When you pray, when you ask, ask in Faith, many people ask in emotion, they ask in fervency, but what gets answers from God is faith. Don't shout on the outside and doubting on the inside. The word of God says that a double minded man is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:8). A double minded church goer, a double minded leader is indecisive, he's positive and negative, he's up and down, and such cannot receive from God, when we ask any thing from God, He wants us to have faith, not unbelief. Ask in Faith. It shall be done. Pray in faith, demand in faith, and it shall be done. What operates in our lives throughout life is either faith or doubt. Because of unbelief, thousands of the children of Israel that left Egypt couldn't get to Canaan. Because of unbelief, many of the children of Israel were not able to get to the promised land. Christ was walking on the water, and he came to His own disciples, they were surprised, they were afraid, and then Peter went ahead to do the unthinkable, faith does not need many words, just one word come, Peter came out of the boat and he walked on the water, he was not actually walking on water, he was walking on the word of Christ come. When you walk on the word of Christ, it will be like you're walking on the water and fire. The circumstances will not matter if you have the word of Christ come. That's the reason it's important to have faith in God. To operate in faith, live by faith, and move with faith. Don't consider any lion, the lion is like a doubt will crush your life, cage the lion, starve the lion of doubt, whatever is like doubt in your life, cage the doubt, cage the unbelief and starve it. When you starve the lion in the cage, that lion will die. That's what you should do to your doubt, don't let it spread, don't give it attention and affirmation, no attraction to your doubt. Through JESUS, you have the life, while you starve the lion, feed the lamb. That's the secret of faith. Identify those things that you don't want, cage them, and starve them. Anything invaluable, starve it, feed your love, feed that which has eternal value in your life.
POINT 1. DEFEATING THE DOUBTING THOMAS.
JOHN 20:24-29.
Everybody has doubting Thomas in him. Many people believe that with God, all things are possible. It is not every part of the message that ministers to everybody. Some people feels they want to relax when the message is going on, and they lost the message, just to relax, while they are out, a particular key that God has for them, they misses that. Thomas was not there when Christ came, the people who take time off when the message is going on, the key of resurrection power that is available for everyone, they misses it. The absent man will miss the key of resurrection like Thomas. That's what we need to defeat in our lives. Many people do not believe God can make them Holy. That's what you need to defeat today. You are in the place where Christ will come and meet you. Wherever Thomas is, Christ will not go there. Whatever association you have with Thomas, Christ will not go there. Some people don't believe it because they didn't see Christ because they were not in the place where He came, and their heart is not in the right position. Faithlessness is tragic. It will make you miss the call you have and the reason for the call you have. Many people go down because they are washed by the water of circumstances in life. If there's anything you want to do, it's defeating the doubting Thomas living inside.
I. The inexcusable doubts of Thomas.
Luke 24:44; John 20:24-25; Matthew 28:5-6; John 10:17.
The doubts of Thomas are inexcusable because Jesus said He will die and rise up on the third day. It was written, and he knew Jesus is the truth personify. When you doubt that, that doubt is inexcusable.
II. The indisputable declarations of testifiers.
John 20:16-18; 20:19-25; Luke 24:32-35; 1 Corinthians 15:4-8.
Thomas was not a stranger to Peter and John. He was not a stranger to the women who went to the grave and testified. His excuse became inexcusable. Do you hear of anybody that was healed, and you know he's a realistic man and he will not tell you lie, when you have the declaration of that testifier, that is indisputable and indispensable declaration. Thomas knew those people that testified, he heard their declaration, there's no room for any doubt anymore.
III. The irrefutable decree for our triumph.
John 20:26-29; 1 Peter 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:7; 4:18.
After Thomas expressed his doubt, he believed Jesus and then JESUS made a declaration for him. Be not faithless but believing. Here comes now the decree of our triumph, Jesus said, blessed are they that have not seen Christ with the physical eyes but they recollect the word of JESUS and they believe beyond their physical eye sight, they are blessed. That's the decree that comes for your triumph. They exalt the spoken word that Christ has spoken. They believe beyond what they have seen because they operate in the spiritual realm. The people that exalt the word above human senses, those are the people that have triumph. The written word of Christ is, whatsoever we ask in His Name He will do it, and whatever we bind on earth is bind in heaven and whatever we loose on earth is loosed in heaven, if you believe and exalt the word of Christ above your feeling, you will have triumph. Exalt the word of Christ above your thinking, exalt the word of Christ above the sensation. After you've prayed in the Name of Jesus for salvation, exalt the word of Christ above a flash of light. It's what the word says that gives you assurance for salvation and assurance for victory.
POINT 2. DEVELOPING THE DYNAMIC TRUST OF YOUTHFULNESS.
2 CORINTHIANS 4:13; ACTS 27:25.
As you're growing older and older, you want to remain dynamic. All you need is fresh faith every moment in every situation. Man has an outward and inward expression. As the outward man is decaying, you'll see the wrinkle. But the inner man, the spirit, and the soul are getting stronger. As we go through life, the condition, the situation weaken our outward man, unfortunately, we also allow the attitude and action and statement to affect our inner man, and the world weakens our outward man and inner man. But JESUS wants us to maintain and retain the youthfulness, the dynamism, the faith, the excitement, the trust of a inner man, that no matter what is happening to the outward man, the inner man is waxing strong. Ensue you develop the inner man youthfulness. Moses at 80 years of faith, having the spirit of faith. And whatever age you are that makes your outward man weaker, you don't have the Spirit of faith. We don't speak our doubt. We starve the doubt, and we cage the doubt. We believe that God can do all things, we believe that Jesus paid the whole price, and the promises of Christ are yes and Amen in our lives. We don't speak what we don't believe. To remain young in an inner man, you must believe. That's how to remain the dynamic trust of youthfulness. Don't believe the storm, believe the Saviour. Believe God, don't believe the sailor. Don't believe in fear. Believe God. When you identify yourself from the people who believe the storms, you will have triumph in every situation in your life. If you don't harbour doubt in your heart, and you go into life on the basis of faith, you will have triumph in life. Don't let your life depend on circumstances but on the written word of God.
I. The expressed faith of Thomas.
John 20:27-29; Exodus 14:31; John 2:23; 20:6-9.
The thing we said in the time of unbelief, we find it unnecessary again like Thomas did. Jesus proved Himself to Thomas, and he expressed his faith. All we said in the time of unbelief is insignificant now. Now, we can express our faith like that of Thomas. Express your faith like that of Thomas, put the personal pronoun "My God." Etc.
II. The evangelistic faith of Timothy.
2 Timothy 3:14-15; 4:5; 1:5; Acts 16:1-4.
Continue in that which you have learned. Faith comes by hearing, faith continues by hearing, faith confirms what we have heard. We don't leave that word on the bench in the church, take it with you, and continue in the things you have learnt. Whatever the threats of people, continue in the things you have learnt. If people are going to challenge you, continue in the things which you've learnt. People can cry in unbelief, continue in the things which you have learnt.
III. The exemplary faith of Titus.
Titus 2:7-8, 13-14; 1:2; 3:5-8; 1:9.
Some people divides their lives between sacred and sacrilege, they have faith on Sunday, when it comes to the week, week days for them are weakened days, they don't take the faith on Sunday into the week, the extraordinary faith of Titus is all days, everytime and everytime, show yourself a pattern of good works. Doubt corrupts your doctrine, the declaration. It is faith in God that keeps the doctrine and keeps the deeds pure without corruption. Unbelief makes you light, and unbelief makes you drag down. It's the faith that makes your personality weighty and gives you authority that is weighty.
POINT 3. DEMONSTRATING DESTINY DEFINING TRIUMPH THROUGHOUT OUR YEARS.
HEBREWS 11:27-30,33-34.
Every action of everyday defines you and makes you go forward in your destiny. The people you touch define destiny in your life. The people you associate, the person you marry, and his destiny define your personality. And everyday, every action, every association is a defined destiny in your life. You need to always think about destiny and what defines that destiny. All the decisions you've taken in life determine where you are now. If you go through life with unbelief, all those things are tied cords on your way, pulling you down. Feed that faith, starve that doubt, you will soon be on top. In life, you have to demonstrate, some people demonstrate how weak they are, others demonstrate how undependable and fascinating they are, they float like feathers, when you live by the word, heaven's word is in your soul. Throughout your years on earth, demonstrate destiny defining triumph. Pharaoh is visible, the children of Israel see that, they see the tumult, they they see Balaam visible, they see the chariots coming from behind, and is the visible things we see that defeats us in life. But Moses sees the God invincible. That's what determines our destiny and confidence and our stability and steadfastness. That's what determines our progress in life and ministry. We see God as invisible.
I. Praying everywhere, every time without doubting.
1 Timothy 2:8; James 1:5-8; Mark 11:22-24; 1 Kings 17:1,16,24.
Those who get angry see too much of what is visible. If you are so disciplined, you will concentrate. The things all around you matters not to you. We don't get angry because the driver drives, because the fish swims, that's the nature, that's the life, that's all they are living for, no anger because they act according to their nature. And when we pray, whatever people have done to us, we lift up holy hands without wrath, without doubting, every time without doubting and more of your prayer will be answered.
II. Preaching every word, every truth without debate.
Mark 16:20; Jonah 3:1-10; Acts 8:4-8; 2 Timothy 4:1-5.
When you are preaching about heaven, if you have debate in heart, your heart is divided. If you're preaching about hell, if you have debate in your heart, your heart is divided. Whatever you're preaching about, if you have debate in your heart, your heart is divided. If you're preaching, don't have debate, doubt, and deliberations in your heart. Let there be no disputation in your heart. That's how the Lord works with you
III. Pursuing every work, every task without discouragement.
Discouragement is a tool that the devil uses for many people. God knows the result of what you have done and leaves it in the sight of God. Moses became discourage, Elijah stood before all the prophets and he demonstrated power, fire came down and the drought ended, but he was discouraged by the words of Jezebel, we don't walk by what we see, we look at the invincible, what you see will deceive you, what you hear will jolt you, when you forget the God of power and revival, and you look at the hidden Jezebel somewhere, and you consult all the prophets that have magic, that's not reasonable. Elijah became discouraged, and he ran away. If all the prophets ran away, how will people be saved. No discouragement today in your heart, and now God Himself defends Elijah with a word, and He breathed on Elijah, and Elijah went with that food for fourry days. Jezebel does not have the final word, Jehovah has the final word. Where you're running from, run back there if Jehovah has spoken to you, looked up, and let courage replace discouragement in your life. Discouragement wants to make you desire death more than life. Wipe out all that dropping attitude of I want to die. This is not a time of death. This is the time to prepare for the rapture. This is not the time to die. Elijah went to heaven triumphantly. Your time has come, no doubt, no debate, no discouragement. The Lord will empower you, He will do great things through you, the Lord will affect His words in your life.
