Tag Archives: God

FAITH QUOTES

[These quotes are from various preachers and teachers from the “2022 Southwest Believers’ Convention.” From Aug 4-6, 2022, from the Kenneth Copeland twitter page.]

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer,
believe that you have received it, and it will be yours
– Matthew 11:24

If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts,
ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.
-John 15:7 (AMPC)

“The destroyer is rebuked for our sake and His weapon of sickness and disease cannot prosper against us.”
– Kenneth Copeland

“We resist sin…we resist sickness and disease.”
– Kenneth Copeland

“When you can’t recognize yourself, doubting likely has become a habit in your life.”
@jesse_duplantis

“God never anointed Jesus to go about putting sickness on anybody.”
@terripearsons

“Fear is not okay.”
– Kenneth Copeland

“You are supposed to be healed today!”
-Kenneth Copeland

“Jesus paid the bill for our healing with His own blood.”
-Kenneth Copeland

“Doubt will steal your face, because it has no face. It’s an identity thief.
@jesse_duplantis

“An unlimited God can be limited by His own people!”
@jerrysavellemin

“You start acknowledging God over all the good things that happen to you and more good things will happen to you.”
@jerrysavellemin

“The battle may not be your choice, but the outcome is.”
@jesse_duplantis

“We can limit God through small thinking and negative talking.”
@jerrysavellemin

“God’s warehouses are full! All He wants to do is Bless His kids!”
@jesse_duplantis

“Faith brings our hopes into reality.”
@jerrysavellemin

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
– Hebrews 11:1

“Faith knows ahead of time what God will do.”
– Keith Moore

“When God tells you that He wants you to do something, and you have an assignment, you can get bold — Nothing can stop you, nobody bigger than Him.”
-Keith Moore

“Get out of the boat of religion and start walking on the water because Jesus is not in the boat He’s on the water.”
@jesse_duplantis

“You’re moving from Victory to Victory. Your Victory is already done!”
@Creflo_Dollar

“Now is the time to know that without Him you can do nothing.”
@Creflo_Dollar

“The very law of mankind should be total dependence on God.”
@Creflo_Dollar

Declare it until you believe it: “I am the righteousness of God.”
@Creflo_Dollar

“The thing that gives you eternal value is that God Himself chose you and paid the highest price for you.”
Keith Moore

“We’re not righteous in God’s eyes because we do right. We’re righteous because of Jesus.”
@Creflo_Dollar

“Righteousness is your stance and position with God. It’s the ability to stand in the presence of the Father with no fear, shame, guilt, inferiority, or condemnation.”
Creflo Dollar

“There’s absolutely nothing that God’s favor can’t accomplish.”
@jerrysavellemin

“The favor of God changes rules, regulations and policies in your behalf.”
@jerrysavellemin

“Start putting your faith in what Jesus has already finished.”
@Creflo_Dollar

“You don’t have to talk God into it. He wants to do it, He desires to do it, He gets great pleasure out of it.”
@jerrysavellemin

“Zero + Zero is Zero. Zero + Faith is plenty!”
-Kenneth Copeland

“I depend on favor every day of my life.”
@jerrysavellemin

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
– Hebrews 11:6

“I’m righteous because of Jesus. As long as Jesus is alright, I’m alright.”
@Creflo_Dollar

“You can’t leave up to God, what God has left up to you.”
– Keith Moore

“Victory is a finished deal.”
@Creflo_Dollar

“God wants you to depend on Him so He can show you His commitment to take care of you.”
@Creflo_Dollar

“Doubt makes you the center of your belief.”
@jesse_duplantis

“When the disciples obeyed Jesus, their boats were so full they began to sink.” Kenneth Copeland

“Grace is God speaking to you, faith is you speaking to Him.”
@JeremyPearsons

“Religion makes beggars out of men and women.”
-Keith Moore

“The household of faith is faith in the morning, faith in the noontime, faith when the sun goes down.”
@JeremyPearsons

“There’s always somebody telling you you can’t, God says you can. Who’s lying?”
jesse_duplantis

“Jesus did everything by faith in His Father, and it’s the same Father dwelling in you and me, and it’s the same faith.”
Kenneth Copeland

“We are the body of Christ, in this hour — we are the transition piece.”
@terripearsons

“Doubt is an unconscious atheism.”
@jesse_duplantis

“You can’t come to Him in faith and not have something happen!”
@terripearsons

“People who know how to use their faith are operating on a different level.” @terripearsons

“Don’t talk the world. Talk The WORD.”
@jerrysavellemin

“Divine moments change your entire existence!”
-Kenneth Copeland

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.
– Matthew 21:22

Judgment OR Salvation

In the scripture the terms “salvation” and “deliverance” have similar meanings, but not the same. Deliverance usually is in the context of judging an enemy to rescue someone out of slavery and trouble. This is seen in Israel crossing the Red Sea and the Egyptians were drowned in it. Salvation includes this, but it also means more (Heb. 9:28). On this judgement aspect the two terms are interchangeable.

When Jesus mentions in John 16 that the Holy Spirit “correct the world about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged,” this is what we mean by deliverance. Judgement is referring to all aspects of power and command that belongs to a ruling king. Salvation is this and the addition of His positive works of righteousness freely given (Romans 5) and positive blessings given to us by His Contract in blood (Hebrews 8).

Jesus executes judgement on Satan by binding him up and blundering his house.

“But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house. “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters,” (Matthew 12:28-30 NIV). (see Acts 10:38, Heb. 2:10-14, Colossians 2:15)

Jesus is the caption of salvation for His chosen ones. Satan is the chief enemy against Jesus’ kingdom, and thus, the King must deal with Satan to show His power. Jesus does this. Jesus removes the dominion of Satan and replaces it with His dominion. This is Jesus’ judgment and deliverance. The Holy Spirit corrects the souls of men about this, because they have sided with Satan against the Kingdom of God. Satan is defeated; his kingdom is weakening. Soon he, and all who align with his rule, will be thrown into hell. But Jesus’ kingdom will last forever and ever, amen.

In Satan’s dominion, his law was a law of accusation, bondage, and fear. Jesus defeated this. He obtains His Kingdom by war and conquest. Jesus bound, plundered, and casts out Satan; He neutered his power and accusations against His chosen ones. Jesus came to earth and by His power, even power showed in sacrifice, defeated Satan in battle. Jesus is a mighty warrior. The devil defied the saints of God. Jesus with one stone, killed Satan and cut off his head. In Jesus’ atonement and resurrection, it was 100 times truer, “Today the whole world will know there is a God in Israel.”

“Now is the time for judgment on this world;
now the prince of this world will be driven out.”
John 12:31

In Jesus’ dominion, He rules with the law of unmerited favor and sonship. The Father has transferred us from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 2:13). These additional super blessings of being sons of God, even co-heirs with Jesus and being highly favored by God and not merely forgiven and in a neutral standing with God, is the fuller meaning of “salvation.” The word salvation can mean just judgement or the fuller meaning depending on context. David often used salvation as God both delivering him, and setting his feet in a good and prosperous place. Jesus does this for all His saints through His atonement.

The substitutionary atonement of Jesus is both a deliverance in power and a substitutionary exchange were Jesus gives us His righteousness and highly favored status. Thus, the finished atonement of Jesus is the fuller meaning of salvation.

Substitutionary Atonement: Curses For Miracles

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corin.5:21 LEB).
“Though (Jesus) was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.” (2 Corin. 8:9 NLT)
“Surely He has borne our sickness, And carried our pains… And by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4-5 LEB).

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,” in order that the [gospel] might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the [gospel]
of the Spirit [ & miracles, – verse 5,8] through faith,”
(Galatians 3:13-14 LEB).

Sin for righteousness.

Poverty for prosperity.

Sickness for health.

Curses for Spirit and Miracles.

Interestingly, the reverse for curses is the baptism of the Spirit and miracles. Tradition the rejects these things as a common experience for the believers and so put themselves under a curse, by doctrine and practice. If you are not under miracles, then by Paul’s argument you are still under a curse.

Paul argues in the beginning of chapter 3 that by faith they were filled with the Spirit and miracles, and not by doing the law. Thus, Spirit and Miracles are put together by Paul. Next, Paul says this is the blessing of Abraham that God promised, and this promise is also for gentiles who have faith. Then Paul says, the Scripture preached this blessing as the “gospel” to Abraham.

Two important notes in how Paul is using terms. Paul uses the terms “God” and “Scripture” as interchangeable, and terms “blessing to Abraham” and “gospel” as interchangeable.

Thus, when verse 14 says that we might receive the Spirit, it has already been defined by Paul along side with “miracles,” and that they are together defined with the interchangeable terms, “blessing and gospel.” By defining the gospel as the Spirit and miracles Paul is defining the gospel or blessing by important specific effects, and not defining it in its broadest meaning. Therefore, in Paul’ argument it is not a straight “curses for blessings” conclusion, the way it might mirror, sins for righteousness. Paul is going straight to the effects. Curses for the Spirit and miracles.

This should not be a surprise if you consider the origin of this gospel, which is Abraham. God’s blessing to him equated in an onslaught of miracles after miracles. Physical miracles of his and his wife’s bodies, prosperity, favor, military victories over multiple kingdoms, the King of Salem giving him bread and wine and talking with God face to face (etc.). Thus, when we are grafted into this blessing by the atonement of Jesus and faith in Him, we are grated into an onslaught of miracles.

Paul’s argument is that through Jesus by faith, we have the same gospel that was promised to Abraham is given to us. Simple and beautiful.

Thus, even after the death and resurrection of Jesus, Paul’s argument is the gospel of Abraham is the foundation for the abundant miracles and Spirit of power being demonstrated in the Galatian church. The church receives this freely in faith and not by works of the law. Thus, the foundation for the current New Testament church dispensation is the ongoing gospel of Abraham. Therefore, any argument about miracles ending with the apostles, is stupid, anti-scripture and anti-gospel.

The reason people say such things, is because they are men who are focused on men, albite good men, but men nonetheless. They love men, love the praise of men and will do anything to side with men. God is just an afterthought and decoration. As demonic as it is, God is used as an exegesis principle to help them focus on men.

The Scripture is focused on God. God and His swearing by His name to bless Abraham with unending miracles in the foundation. All those who turn to this God and His gospel of miracles, will not be put to shame.

The important point is that the “age of miracles” is interchangeable with the “age of the gospel of Abraham.” If this gospel stands, it is an age of miracles and the Spirit. The only 2 ways for abundant miracles to stop is (1) God stops being faithful to His promise to Abraham (which He swore by His Name to do, Heb. 6:13-14) or (2) people do not believe in God’s gospel promise (Rom. 10:16).

Many men have conspired with demons to say it was the first reason and not their lack of faith that explains the lack of the effects of the gospel, which is miracles and the Spirit in their life. They have their reward.

But for us, let us partake of the Lord’s Supper and remember the sufferings of Jesus that exchanged our sin for His righteousness, our sickness for His Health, our poverty for His wealth, and ours curses for His miraculous power. Let us be Christians and live the gospel of Abraham that Jesus made ours by being literally nailed to our curses on that tree. God wanted this. Just as God wanted Abraham to be blessed with a life of miracles, He wants you to be.

YOU Have The Ability, If YOU Believe

“If I can?” Jesus asked.
“Anything is possible if you have faith.” TLB

“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked.
“Anything is possible if a person believes.” NLT

The word for “can” or “able” means ability or power to do something. The word for possible also has a similar meaning of having a powerful ability to make something happen. It appears Jesus is making a play on words. Jesus is in effect saying, “If I have the ability? No, you have it mixed up. You have the ability, if you believe.”

Jesus is doing a play on words in that, one, Jesus is showing that He is offended at the question. “If I am able. Of course, I am able.” The grammar shows Jesus with emotion, “IF I CAN!” The point is that Jesus expects the presupposition that a person coming to Him for help believes He is able.

The second aspect is how Jesus takes what the father says, and uses or puts it back on the father. The father was asking about Jesus’ ability, and Jesus turns around and says there is ability to heal here; however, it lies with you and your faith.

Context. Think about the desperate father wanting his child healed. This is a public place with a crowed watching. What does Jesus do? Does he take the father aside to a private place and correct him privately? No. In front other others, during ministry time, Jesus corrects this emotionally desperate father about a theological mistake.

If someone needs a healing, and there is a theological issue stopping it, then the most loving thing you can do is to correct the mistake, even publicly so that they can correct themselves and receive the healing they so desperately need. If you are easily offended, then do not expect to get healed, for Jesus corrects those He loves. Our heavenly Father disciplines (not condemns) those He loves. Why? Because God wants you healed, prosperous and matured more than you want it.

About the second point, it is important to see how the man tried to put the responsibility on Jesus but Jesus takes the responsibility off of Himself and puts it on the desperate father. Even though the father did not have full confidence in Jesus that He had the ability, yet, it is enough the he thought it possible for Jesus to have the ability. If Jesus has the ability, and a desperate father is asking for help (how does not have the ability) then the accountability is on Jesus to heal. However, Jesus switches this around. He says the father, through faith, can heal his child, and thus, the accountability lies with the desperate father to heal his child, because God desires mercy more than sacrifice. Jesus showed neighbor love helps those in need (the beaten man on the road) and makes the need go away.

The father accepts this accountability and responds in an appropriate manner. If the responsibly is the father’s, because by faith he has the ability, then the father needs faith. Therefore, the father says he has faith, but it is imperfect and so asks Jesus to help his unbelief. This is good theology. This is how to correctly respond with the accountability God as placed on us. Jesus healed the child.

Many in my day, do not follow this scriptural example. They take the (we will call it a hat) the hat of ability and responsibility and put it on Jesus’ head, saying, “if you will, then you can heal me.” But Jesus’ takes this hat off his head and puts it back on their head saying, “you can heal yourself, by faith in My promise. The responsibility of this healing is on your shoulders, not mine.” Instead of responding to Jesus like the desperate father, they take the hat of responsibility that Jesus put on their head, and they throw it down at Jesus’ feet saying, “I will suffer for the glory of God, by the will of God. We will not have you rule over us, by telling us what we are responsible for. We will decide this ourselves.”

God is the one who decides what man is responsible for, not man. That what it means to be God and in all authority.

Jesus tells us what He will do with people who will not accept His authority to rule over them. Jesus says these predestined reprobates will be slaughtered at His feet. “But these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and slaughter them in my presence!’” Luke 19:27 LEB

The good news is that we are children of God; we are so superior, so loved and so close to God as insiders, we can heal, cast out demons and throw mountains into the sea. Angels and all other created beings do not have this special insider status that the children of God do. Jesus has removed all our sins from us. He has cleansed us and made accepted as beloved in the Father’s sight. He bore all our sins, our sickness and curses. He gave us His righteousness, health and blessings. God has reconciled us to Himself and adopted us into the very family of God. Jesus’ finished atonement has given us the right to wield the authority and power of God so that we can heal, cast out and bless. God wanted this. It was His idea to do this. He wants it. You are not fighting against God to wield this type of power. If you resist this, it is then you will be fighting against God.

Think about how much God loves you. He puts His power in your right hand, and His authority in your left. He wants you to overcome this world, because Jesus your forerunner overcame it. He wants you to be self-aware that you are a child of God, and a co-heir with Jesus Christ. He wants you to look down and see you are wearing sandals and He wants you to feel that are clothed in the best robe from the Father’s wardrobe. God wants you to be aware you are wearing His signet ring on your right hand. He wants you to lift your right with the ring and to order the servants, because you are His child and heir.

If you want to see how much of an insider status you have as a child of God, then consider the viewpoint of an angel. God commands one to go and they go, he tells another to come and they do. They are servants of God. As God’s creation, we will always be bondservants of God, but we also have the addition of being children of God. Imagine an angel seeing Jacob wrestling God for a blessing, when God has commanded Jacob to release Him? No angel would dare to disobey a direct word of God. But as children, God’s first doctrine for us is faith, and no other doctrine after this can contradict it. It is the first primordial doctrine for God’s children.[1] It is their insider status. Imagine an angel looking at Moses standing in front of God, after God said He would wipe out Israel, and say, “Don’t you do it.” No angel would dream to do such a thing, and those who did are now demons. Imagine an angel looking at the gentile woman hijacking Jesus’ analogy, for her own desire, after Jesus told Her it was not her time and it was morally wrong to give what belongs to Israel and give it to her. No angel would do such a thing. However, for God’s children, their insider status (faith), gives them the privilege to do this. Act like the children of God. God wants you to act like children of God, because God re-created you as children of God. He wants this.

You must start somewhere. Today is a good day. Ask for Jesus to help your imperfect faith. Run to win the race. Jesus is the author of our faith. Look to Him, and He will make you a hero of faith. He will strengthen you. Remember faith is not how much you love God, but how much God loves you and has reconciled you to Himself.

This is mature doctrine. Oh Lord, let those who have ears, hear.

ENDNOTES———-

[1] These last few statements were influenced by Vincent Cheung’s essay, “Faith Override.”

100 Times More

“Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, 30 will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.

(Mark 10:29-30).

I was re-watching Narnia yesterday, and the last scene reminded of Jesus’ words. At the beginning, Edmond was tempted to betray his family for the promise of being a prince in her cold harsh kingdom. We know the story of his betrayal and how Aslan saved him. However at the end, Edmond received what the witch promised but 100 times more in property, authority, friends and happiness. He became a king of Narnia.

This is a great reminder. The promises of God yield so much more prosperity, property, friends and blessings than the deceptive lie of sin. Rather than trying to receive blessings by stealing them by an illegitimate way and by your own small effort , receive them in faith and watch the powerful effort of God’s love make that part of your life a king of Narnia.

Submit To Being A Sinner, Or to God’s Command?

“If God be our sovereign, we ought to subscribe to his afflicting will without debates. . . . It is God’s part to inflict, and the creature’s part to submit. . . . It is an unreasonable thing not to leave God to the exercise of his own dominion.”
— Stephen Charnock

I saw this quote on social media, and will assume it is correctly attributed and quoted.

Let me see here. The argument being presented here is God’s causality (afflicting), which is the major premise, and the conclusion is an ethic (man submitting). I have already written at length about this issue of making a category fallacy with ontology (God causing) to ethics (what man ought to do). You cannot go from God causing in the premise, to concluding ethics in the conclusion, without human delusion and superstition. The bible does not do this, and the bible does not violate the laws of logic.[1]

Therefore, leaving this broad issue, I want to just show the superstition of this statement by using this statement against itself. We will use the same category of God causing something, and then concluding with another type of ethic.

“If God be our sovereign, we ought to subscribe to his afflicting will without debates. . . . It is God’s part to inflict all mankind with being born sinners, and the creature’s part to submit to this; or that is, to be sinners. It is unreasonable to fight God’s sovereignty. If God sovereignly afflicted you to be a sinner you ought to resign yourself to this and be one. If God wills, then maybe one day God will remove this from you, until then be the sinner God caused you to be.”

The problem is obvious. Christian ethics, “what we ought to do,” is based on God’s commandments, not on divining the stars and His causality. It is true God has sovereignly afflicted all mankind to be born with Adam’s sinful record and even with a sinful nature (Romans 5). However, what we “ought” to do about this is not divined from human speculation like voodoo; rather, it comes from what God has commanded us to do in this situation. Pagan superstition will take metaphysics and ontology and conclude an ethics with it. However, it is logically invalid to conclude in a category that is not part of the premises. This logical fallacy is best termed as superstition. A pagan witch doctor will look at reality and causality and superstitiously conclude an ethic. Example: the stars are in this position, an albino animal was seen doing this or that, therefore, we “ought” to do this x or y.

Christianity is not superstition; it starts with God’s revelation and concludes using God’s logic. So what, if God caused you to be born a sinner? There is no promise or command in such a statement about reality, and thus, there is no conclusion for what you ought to do. What has God commanded and promised? God has commanded all to repent and to believe in His Son Jesus Christ for salvation. Even though God caused us to be sinners, He has commanded us to stop being sinners by believing in His Son.

Another problem with the above, is that it disrespects God, by shoving His commands aside. It abuses God’s sovereignty to remove the responsibility of obeying God’s command. This will not work.

The same problems as the above are true, when we apply God’s sovereignty to God inflicting us with sickness and everyday troubles. On the relative level, or from our perspective, Satan causes much or all sickness (Acts10:38). However, on the ultimate level, God causes all things. Even though it was the evil spirit that deceived the false prophets and Ahab, God manipulated it, sent it and even controls its mind.

Thus, God sovereignty afflicts with sickness and troubles, if we are talking about the only real level of causality, which we are because God causes all to be born with Adam’s sinful record and to be sinful in nature.

Back to sickness.

“If God be our sovereign, we ought to subscribe to his afflicting will without debates. . . . It is God’s part to inflict all mankind with sickness, and the creature’s part to submit to this, as their ethic; that is, to be sick, until God’s does something different about it…”

Again, this abuses God’s sovereignty to remove the responsibility to obey God’s command. God commands repeatedly in the scripture to get healed. James says if you’re sick, you are to give a prayer of faith, (along with the elders) and God will heal you. And if you have sinned, God will also forgive you. James is not telling you to merely pray about your sickness, but is commanding you to pray and get healed. It is not a suggestion. It is not a suggestion to praise God, when God has done good things for you. God promises to heal when we ask in faith. This is Christian ethics. God’s promises are the new creation, the new identity of the Christian in Christ. It is not optional to get healed, because it is not optional to disobey God, and not optional to operate in your new identity in Christ. It is your responsibility to use your own faith and be healed.

Jacob wrestling God, even when God told him to let Him go, was accepted because God always accepts faith. The lepers and blind men were not healed because God’s sovereignty saved them, but because their faith saved them. This is how Jesus, the most God-centered man who ever lived, framed the issue. Therefore, this is how we will frame the issue. Healing and victory over the troubles of life, are the will of man, not God. This is how God wants you to see it. The blind and lepers did not go to Jesus because God sovereignly healed them first, and thus, conclude from this it is ethical for them to submit to health because God sovereignly caused it. No. They heard the promise of God, which is true Christian ethics, and had faith to obey God. Faith is super high-level obedience to God. Without it, you cannot please God, because without it you are disobeying Him.

Abusing God’s sovereignty to cast aside these commands is of no use. All will be held accountable to submit to them.

The quote talked about “submitting” and “pledging” yourself to what God causes. Why not submit yourself to God’s commands and obey them? Why not resign yourself to obey God’s promises, without debates. How unreasonable would it be to not let the Sovereign Creator command His subjects and expect them to obey Him? Human tradition will use all sorts of biblical language (particularly about God’s sovereignty) to try and remove their accountability from obeying God’s commands. This is a demonic abuse of God’s sovereignty.

Jesus and the apostles repeatedly said we ought to “submit” to obeying God’s commandments. We love God by obeying Him. No amount of abusing God’s sovereignty can remove this accountability off your shoulders. Sure, there is some broad ideas of God’s providence we need to keep in mind, knowing He will work all things and troubles of life to our good. This should give us, not only longsuffering, but also meekness and faith to acquire the promises of God for victory. But even if we are under our Father’s discipline, we are commanded to submit to this by submitting to His commands to repent, overcome and then be blessed. But if you ignore God’s commands that tell you what to do in specific troubles, and you cast them aside like a common thing, then have no confidence God will work all things for the good, for a reprobate like you.

Here is a pro tip. If you are talking about ethics, go to God’s commands and promises and obey them. If a person is talking about submitting to God’s sovereignty, but not His promises, avoid them as if they were dipped in a vat of deadly plague. They have no clue what they are talking about. They stand in the town square calling out to the simple minded. They have perfumed their books and studies with spices, but under the covers of their books they are filled with witchcraft and superstition. The stairs of their houses lead to hell, and their churches to hades. Flee spiritual immorality.

ENDNOTES

[1] For clarity I am referring to deductive logic and basic laws of logic (which is how God’s mind is structured). Deductive logic starts with God revealing, or a God starting point for knowledge. I am not referring to inductive logic, which presupposes a human starting point. Some use the term “human logic,” as including all logic, but that is blaspheme, because God is Logic itself. However, inductive logic (including the scientific method that uses the fallacy of affirming the consequent) presupposes a human starting point of knowledge. Thus, in this sense, inductive logic can be termed “human logic.” Likewise, the laws of logic and deductive logic, because it presupposes a God starting point for knowledge, can be called God’s logic.

Everlasting Love, A Simple Deduction

From afar Yahweh appeared to me, saying,
“I have loved you with an everlasting love.
Therefore I have drawn you with loyal love,” Jeremiah 31:3 LEB

Let us look at the beauty of this basic deduction.

To have a good deduction you need exact definitions that do not change. This meaning of the “everlasting love,” is both simple and at the same time I could easily do a small book to cover all the systematic depth behind this definition. For simplistic sake we define it as God favoring His elect from the very beginning of His decrees about them. Relating to time, from the very moment of God forming the elect in the womb, God’s plan was to favor them.

The application (or in technical terms, ‘logical inference,’ or ‘deduction’) that God tells Israel is that God will therefore draw them to Himself in the Promise Land with a loyal love.

B.1. All [those God loves with an everlasting love] are [those God draws to Himself in a faithful love].
B.2. All [Israel] is [he who God loves with an everlasting love].
B.3. Therefore, [Israel] is [he who God draws to Himself with a faithful love].

Or to put this into a more readable propositional modus ponens.

C.1. If God loves ‘x’ with an everlasting love, then God loves ‘x’ with a faithful love.
C.2. God loves ‘x’ with an everlasting love.
C.3. Therefore, God loves ‘x’ with a faithful love.

This is a simple example of the unending logical inferences God makes in the Scripture concerning His chosen ones. Because God is the LOGOS or LOGIC itself, He uses logic with absolute perfection, and when the content is about His chosen ones, it is both perfect and filled with hope and love.

When God thinks about anything in reality, it is a logical deduction, and so the Bible, which is the public portion of God’s mind revealed to man, is a rigorous structure of deduction. However, like the above, the logic most of the time is simple and easy to follow. With basic reading comprehension skills and basic logic, the vast majority of the Scripture can be understood by anyone with faith to believe. It is not that books about biblical exegesis and hermeneutics are bad, but they are often overkill.

Once we read that God is absolutely and directly the cause of all things, then the syllogism is so simple that a 2 grader can do it. Therefore, God directly and absolutely causes evil and sin.

The issue is not that the application (i.e. deduction) of God’s truth is inaccessible; rather, faith is inaccessible for most men, and without faith, one cannot see, accept or want to accept the basic premises and application of God’s Word. However, with faith, then not only is forgiveness of sin accessible, and all doctrines and their application, but the power to move mountains becomes available, along with all the good promises of God including healing, miracles and material blessings.

Empowered by the Spirit to Shine God’s Salvation to THE END OF THE EARTH

“And he says,
“It is trivial for you to be a servant for me,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel.
I will give you as a light to the nations,
to be my salvation to the end of the earth.””
(Isaiah 49:6 LEB)

Notice the last phrase, “THE END OF THE EARTH.”

This passage is directly about Jesus, God’s servant who would redeem and save His people. However, take special notice how both the apostle Paul and Jesus Christ use this passage of Scripture. They both quote it in the book of Acts, and both use it to refer to the church and not merely about Jesus. That is, Jesus through His redeemed church, will shine the Father’s salvation to the end of the earth.

First Paul.

“For so the Lord has commanded us,

‘I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles,
That You may bring salvation to THE END OF THE EARTH.’”
(Acts 13: 47 LSB)

Paul says that God commanded him and his ministry team, on the basis of Isaiah 49:6 to preach the gospel to all who will listen. How can this be, if the passage was about Jesus. The church is one body with Jesus. Jesus prays in John 17, in more than one way, that as the Father and Jesus is one, that the church be made one in Jesus. Jesus working through the Church, is Jesus working.

Next, we will see how Jesus command this passage for all disciples, and then ‘how’ this will happen.

“But [Jesus] said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set by His own authority;
but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to THE END OF THE EARTH.”
(Acts 1:7-8 LSB)

Jesus say it is by the baptism of the Holy Spirit that his followers will fulfill His command to expand His light to the end of the earth. In the next chapter, when the Baptism of the Spirit arrived, the Apostles only made up a small percentage. Thus, we are shown His baptism and command extends to all Jesus followers.

Three things. One, this gives proof that baptism of the Spirit is for all, for Jesus connects TO THE END OF THE EARTH kingdom expansion to the baptism of the Spirit.

Second, as long as this command stands, to obey God by expanding His salvation to the ends of the earth, the baptism of the Spirit still stands.

Third, without the baptism of the Spirit, one cannot obey this command to shine God’s salvation to THE END OF THE EARTH.

Matthew 4 shows something similar. Isaiah 9 is quoted about a light shining in Capernaum. Well, what happened in Matthew 4 and in Capernaum? Jesus is led by the Spirit to be tempted and filled by the Spirit for ministry. Jesus started His ministry only after He was empowered by the Spirit. Jesus said that He cast out demons by the “power of the Spirit” and not merely by His Son of God authority. After this anointing of the Spirit for ministry, Jesus goes to Capernaum to (1) preach repentance and to (2) heal the sick. It is in this context that Isaiah is quoted by saying a “Great Light has Dawned.”

Thus, Jesus Christ “great light shining” is summed up with being empowered by the Spirit, preaching and healing the sick. Jesus’ command for His redeemed followers is the exact same thing. They are commanded to be baptized in the power of the Spirit, to preach and heal the sick.

The same thing He did, and the same way He did it.

Scripture: Sufficient to Condemn John MacArthur & Justin Peters

Justin Peters recently had an interview with John MacArthur. They touched on the subject of faith and miracles.

The first thing MacArthur says about the Charismatics is that their miracle-seeking is “doubt looking for proof” and “looking for a sign to validate it.”

This is calling good evil, and evil good. It’s saying black is white and white is black—like a magician’s sleight of hand, but without the applause. This is a sleight-of-hand fallacy to shift blame from oneself to something else. In the Bible, it wasn’t those doing miracles and seeking to do more miracles that Jesus said, “an evil generation seeks a sign” about; it was said against those who did not believe or do miracles and were asking Jesus and His followers to perform more signs for them.

MacArthur and Peters are the same Pharisees today. They do not believe, and they are the ones who keep asking for a sign (which is empirical evidence) to give proof if a doctrine is true or false. The Charismatics already believe; they do not seek signs, just as much as Jesus and the New Testament church did not seek signs, because they already believed. Paul said that Jesus was raised not on empirical evidence, but because the Scriptures say so. Empirical evidence can never give proof if any biblical doctrine is true or false; it cannot make a truth claim about any aspect of reality. People who ask for a sign not only show themselves to be spiritual perverts and unbelieving, but it also reveals they commit spiritual harlotry with empiricism as a starting point of knowledge over Scripture. Thus, when they say “sola scriptura,” what they really mean is “sola empiricism,” or “sola David Hume”—because nothing says “Bible alone” like outsourcing your epistemology to an 18th-century skeptic.

I would recommend these essays by Vincent Cheung for more reading on this issue of who is really seeking a sign, and who is not. (I am not affiliated with Cheung, only recommending his material). The Reformed have it in reverse order. Their doctrine is a 180-degree contradiction to scriptural doctrine—like trying to drive a car backward and calling it progress.

The Sign of Jonah

Signs of an Apostle

The Miracle Majority

Behold, I Give You Power

Another issue brought up was the sufficiency of Scripture. I agree it is an important issue, but for the opposite reason they state. Peters said, “A growing battle today is not inerrancy of the Bible but the sufficiency of the Bible.” MacArthur then responds, “The Bible gives you everything.” Other things don’t give you this, such as “philosophy or politics, or waiting around for a prophecy.”

Interestingly, considering how sufficient the Bible is, the remark is then given by Peters: “The charismatic prophets do not have a good track record.” Yet, this is an appeal to a human starting point (empiricism) and the fallacy of attacking the person, not the argument. What it is not is an appeal to the “sufficiency of Bible” and the Bible as their epistemology. Like I said before, “sola scriptura” really means “sola empiricism.” It is a natural reflex for them to be stupid and sinful by appealing to empiricism rather than the Scripture, because they are reprobates. This is who they really are: men centered on men, like a bad selfie that forgets the landscape.

With straight faces, similar people have asked me, “Why do we not see so many miracles today, unless God does not want it?” They are like the people from Jesus’ hometown who said, “This is Joseph’s and Mary’s son,” and then in unbelief demand He prove by miracles who He claims to be. But their unbelief made that impossible. These people did not start with God’s revelation; rather, their starting point for knowledge was their human observations. Scripture records it was due to their lack of faith, and not the lack of Jesus being willing and able to heal. With such people, I am asking myself, what happened to starting with God’s revelation for knowledge? Where did God go? Why is it so automatic for them to start with a “human” speculation and “human” superstition—like defaulting to GPS when you’ve got a perfectly good map from the Creator Himself?

If they only mean to do a personal attack (a logical fallacy) by saying, “Oshea (or Johnny), how many miracles have you done,” then why do they default to argumentation that politicians use? Is it because politicians are such shining examples for how to argue for truth? (Spoiler: They’re not; they’re more like debate club dropouts.)

They are like the religious leaders who slapped Jesus and demanded He prove His claim as God by prophesying. They harlot themselves with David Hume’s empiricism in the open streets, and then march back into their pulpits, and after wiping off their sweaty faces, they say with a straight face, “sola scriptura.” Maybe if they could stop humping on empiricism for just a few seconds, they might wake up and realize the disgrace they are committing against their own souls—and against those who hear them, who deserve better than this philosophical slapstick.

For a detailed explanation of how Scripture is sufficient to condemn Peters and MacArthur, read the following essays:

Scripture: Sufficient Against Cessationism

Prehistoric Orthodoxy

Lastly, MacArthur responds with this,

“If God gave miraculous gifts, why would He give it to people with such bad theology?”

I remember a quote from Vincent Cheung that gives a reason why God does such things.

“Christian ministers who teach this are often far from perfect, and subject to many criticisms, but this does not invalidate the point. Why do you think God allows many of these teachers to be so flawed and unrefined? He places a stumbling block to trip up those who walk in religious pride, who thumb their noses at those who do not present the promises of God in the way they like. God will put his blessings right in front of them, and they will fail to receive. This is his way to withhold the gospel from the unbelieving and hard-hearted.”[1]

——END NOTES——-

[1] Vincent Cheung. “God’s Extravagant Blessings.” Fulcrum. 2017 pg.33

Think On These Things: Think on Healing & Miracles

“Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are pleasing, whatever things are commendable, if there is any excellence of character and if anything, praiseworthy, think about these things. And the things which you have learned and received and heard about and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you,”
Philippians 4:8-9 LEB.

Thoughts of sickness are a lie against the promise of God; thoughts of sickness are not honorable, not right and they are not pure of heart. Thoughts of sickness are not pleasing, and not commendable. They are not excellence of character and or praiseworthy.

Thoughts of Healing are an agreement that the promises of God are true. They are honorable. Thoughts of healing are right, are pure and pleasing. Thoughts of healing are commendable, and they are excellence of character. Thoughts of healing are praiseworthy.

Does this sound strange to you? If it does you are out of touch with reality; you do not know God, the gospel or scripture.

Healing is part of the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ, (Isaiah 53:4, Matthew 8:17); it is by biblical definition part of the gospel. The gospel is good, it is trustworthy, praiseworthy, excellent, and so forth.

Sin is not good, not praiseworthy, not excellent and so forth. For a Christian forgiveness of all their sins by Jesus’ finished work is a stepping stone; a doorway into the next life. To stay at this doorway, means you do not believe you are forgiven, which is why you never enter into or believe the gospel. The only correct way for a Christian to think of sin, is being already judged and buried in Jesus’ death. Sin, death and judgment are behind the Christian. Value, unmerited favor and joy is before the Christian. Hebrews 10:2-3 says that the Old Testament yearly sacrifices reminded the minds and thoughts of the practitioners of their sin. The writer of Hebrews says this was not a good thing for the mind to be reminded of our sins. To be reminded of ones sins, if you are indeed forgiven, is not excellent or praiseworthy. They were reminded of their sins, because Christ had not yet come. Hebrews later states that Jesus once and for all removes our sins from us. The pragmatic implication is that our minds and thoughts are not reminded about or sins; rather, we are reminded of our new identity in Christ. We are the righteousness of God and co-heirs with Jesus. By His great love we are children of God. Thus, it is not a good thing to be mindful and dwell on your sins. You are to be renewed by thinking about Jesus, and who are “presently” in Him. This is praiseworthy and excellent.

Paul says in Romans 6 we are to assent that we were buried in Jesus’ death. Our sin, by His atonement, was dealt with and buried. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5, that we at one time knew Jesus from a human point of view, but we do NOT know Him this way any longer. He is on the throne, ruling and pouring out the baptism of the Spirit. Our thoughts are to be on this present reality of Jesus. Paul extends this to us. The old man is gone, with all our sin and judgment for that sin. Our new creation is our present reality, and this is where our thoughts ought to be. Thus to “think on these things,” is not thinking about our sin, but how righteous God sees us as. God interacts with us, as the righteousness of God.

The pragmatic application is if your circumstances or Satan tries to remind you of your sins, you are not indulge this temptation by thinking about your sins; rather, you are put off this old-man way of thinking, and put on the new-man, who thinks about how completely forgiven he is and how boldly he can march into the throne room of God and ask and receive.

The same is true for healing and sickness. Sickness is part of curses of Adam and of the Law (Deut. 28). Jesus, by substitutionary atonement, became our curses. Jesus was nailed to our curses of sickness. Even when leapers who needed to be healed, under the Law, a blood sacrifice was given. Healing is shown under the Law, that a substitutionary sacrifice is needed. Jesus was our substitutionary sacrifice to redeem us from all sickness. Isaiah 53:4 says Jesus “bore” (same word for the substitution atonement for the escape goat in Lev. 16) sickness and pains.[1]

Curses are not honorable, excellence, praiseworthy, etc. And yet, sickness is a curse.

Sickness is a curse; it is not excellent. Sickness is a curse; it is not praiseworthy. Sickness is a curse; it is not honorable. Sickness is a curse; it is not “true” regarding what God has promised.

When tempted by circumstances and the devil to keep rehearsing your sickness over and over in your mind, do not sin by doing this; rather, be obedient and put on the new-man who thinks on the finished work of Jesus who bore all your sickness and pains, who was nailed to your sickness and how these died with Him, on His body, so that you are freed and released from all of them. God is for your body, so much so, He made it part of the gospel. He is the God who heals you.

To indulge on thoughts of your sins or sickness is in direct disobedience of the Scripture commanding us to “think on these things.” Rejoice! You are commanded to think on righteousness, healing, blessings, miracles, peace with God, Joy and unending unmerited favor upon you. Rejoice.

[1] For more see, Christ our Healer. FF Bosworth.

Oshea Davis

Systematic Theology. Logic. Faith. Healing. Power.