Winter 2007

Appropriating the Goodness of God

In the last newsletter, I talked about the word “walk.” Anytime you see “walk” mentioned in the Bible it is talking about a decision. To walk anywhere it requires a decision and then it requires action! Throughout the Bible we see the goodness of God, but His goodness does not just fall on us because we are “Born Again” or “Filled with Holy Ghost.”

When we first went to Bible School, I remember how shocked we were to see some fellow students drinking, smoking and talking nasty. After Beverly and I were “Filled with the Spirit” our lives changed and we went in a 180 degree different direction. We thought it was because Jesus had baptized us with the Holy Spirit. Now don’t get me wrong, that did have a major influence on us going in a different direction, but first we had to make a decision to want to change. That is true repentance! True repentance is not just saying the right words or crying and pleading for Father God to do something.

True repentance is wanting to change and then changing!

Notice in John 16:13, Jesus said, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” It does not say, “He will make you!” Again, it is a decision on our part. Once we make the decision, then we have to act upon that decision. This is where you separate the religious from the relationship. Religious people say, “If God wants me to have it, He will make it happen!” Then why did he tell us in James that we must be “Doers of the Word and not just hearers?” Jesus used the word “GUIDE!” A guide, by definition is, “Something that provides a person with guiding information.”

In Acts 1:8 from the Amplified, it says, “But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth.” Once we receive the baptism of Jesus with the Holy Ghost, we have the ability, efficiency, and might for what purpose - to be My witnesses. A witness by definition is “One who has personal knowledge or experience of something.” Hearsay evidence is never admissible in court. We can only be a witness to what we have experienced! What are we to be witnesses of? The power of God in our lives! When we make the decision to be a “Doer of the Word,” the power of the Holy Ghost will be there to make sure we are victorious in every part of our lives. The world will see it and want what we have! When that is working for us, we can truly be the soul winners that Jesus would have us to be.

I believe Psalm 91 is the best example of what I am talking about. Verse 1 says, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Again, we see a decision is required! Then we see the action, look at verses 2 – 8, “I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust. Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. “A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. 8 Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked.”

Now look at verse 9 – 13, “Because you have made the LORD (another decision), who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place,10 No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.  You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.” Again, look at the benefits, verses 14 – 16, "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation." NKJV

If we want to walk in the GOODNES of GOD, we will make the decision to do it His way. Then He will show us His way (which is higher than the natural ways of man) and as we walk it out in Faith, His Blessing will be poured out unto us!

- Pastor Larry