“CALLING THE LITTLE RED SPORTSCARS THAT BE NOT AS THOUGH THEY WERE…”

   This scripture has somehow been used to promote the act of “claiming” what we think we need from scriptures in the bible:

(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.   Romans 4:17

   The scripture is a reference to when God told Abraham that he would be a father of many nations before Abraham had any children, and Abraham was very old and his wife past the age of childbearing. However Abraham got into trouble by taking it upon himself to fulfill this word from God on his own.

   It seems that the church often is trying to take what they want or have been promised by God in the bible in their own power also. If God said He would do it, we are supposed to wait for Him to do it, not go about by quoting scriptures and “claiming” it. Claiming what we want from God is not the same as fervent prayer. Abraham did go about attaining God’s promise on his own and he did have a child, but it was not God’s promised child and created alot of problems for Abraham. People can tell you this will work for you, and often it will, but not like when God fulfills a promise to you. If we spend our time trying to acquire things or health or happiness in this way we should know that we are spending time on things when the Lord may be having us wait to receive our promise and He would have us doing other things in the meantime. We often seek after stuff instead of seeing what Jesus wants to do today instead.

  It can become a habit also. In Deut.28:3-5,it says that God will bless us in our cities and fields, our flocks, our baskets and stores. To spend our time seeking these blessings is doing the opposite of what Jesus said:
Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?  And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.  For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.  But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.   Luke 12:27-31

   It really used to irritate me when every single day at 4:35pm my young children would come into the kitchen asking if I had started making dinner yet, “did you forget dinner mom? where is it? what is it?” I, being their mom and knowing that they are going to be hungry at this time of day, would reply, of course not honey, how could I forget your dinner?, its in the oven, it will be ready soon. I wonder if God sometimes gets tired of us doing the same thing. What if my children came into the kitchen repeating over and over again, the bible says I am promised dinner, the bible says I am promised dinner, I will keep saying it till it appears! I am standing on your word! I am promised dinner! And then they get tired of that and think where is it? and they say, Oh devil get thee behind me, you cant steal the blessing I am due, get off my dinner, devil! Wouldn’t that be ridiculous? and all the time God has been making dinner, ( or has a check in the mail for us, or is sending help, or just wants to see what we will do if he says no, or wait.)

For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.  But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.    Luke 12:30-31

King David wrote:
Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.    Psalms 131:2

King David also said:
Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.    Psalms 27:14

Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it…    Psalms 127:1

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.    Matt 6:7-8

The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:   Heb 9:8

the devil may indeed try to steal your dinner, but the battle is not yours, but the Lords,
…Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.    Zech 4:6

If Jesus asks you to use the sword of the Lord, then do, but are we sure that every time something takes longer than we want or we don’t have what we want, that it is the devil? or a lack of faith?

And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.  And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.    Deut 8:2-3
He humbled them, He suffered them to hunger.

  and as the apostle Paul said:
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.  I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.   Phil 4:11-13

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.  Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.  Luke 6:20-21

  I have never tuned into the pastor on tv saying he was claiming poverty as a blessing from the Lord, or walking around calling hunger that is not as though it was. Are we selfish spoiled children? besides all this, when we preach that all should have prosperity we unwittingly become a ministry of condemnation. I have heard preachers say “if you had faith you wouldn’t be in need, just pray harder, claim the scriptures more.” That always leads to condemnation, and besides if it was all dependent on how hard we pray or how many scriptures we could memorize then why would Jesus have had to die on the cross?

  Jesus told a story of Lazarus the beggar in heaven and a rich man in hell  (Luke 16:19-31) Jesus never said the beggar Lazarus ever got healed or blessed, he said the dogs licked his sores, he did say he got a great reward in heaven and the rich man who didn’t care for him got hell. What if we are preaching and there is a Lazarus in our church and we have destroyed what faith in Jesus he did have by telling him that if he worked at it harder and had more faith he would be wealthy as he ought to be? what if we have spent our life pursuing possessions and we are supposed to be more like Lazarus ourselves, that we might be blessed indeed? what if our possessions are the only thing that keeps us from eternal life in heaven? I certainly hope not and i would not wish poverty on anyone, but what if? Would you condemn Jesus for being out of bread and having to take a boys food to multiply it for the multitude? (John 6:9) That day Jesus didn’t have any bread or food, what if He had stopped by your church on His way to His next appointment and asked you for some food, and you told Him that if He had more faith He wouldn’t have to borrow bread? What if instead you just gave a hungry Man some bread without a lecture and He went out and multiplied it for thousands? Your name would have been written in the book of life instead of that kids. Jesus said when we care for the least of His brethren we are caring for Him.

   What if God sent that poor man last week to your church that you judged as unfaithful because he had a need? What if we stopped all this seeking of what we can get from God and instead went about seeing what we could give to Jesus?
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? When  saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.  Matt 25:35-40

In the book of acts Jesus tells the apostle paul (saul) that he will go before kings and princes for His names sake. i would have thought, “awesome! i get to have lunch with the king and queen! I am going to be important and of great stature!” it turned out though was that Paul was brought before the king in chains as a prisoner.

It is hard to be around people that have the worlds goods and you lack, and they give you a lecture about why aren’t you claiming scriptures, or they say that you must not be a good steward of what God has blessed you with or you wouldn’t need anything, so they don’t help you “for your own good.” Jesus asked Mathew to quit his job essentially when He said come follow me… he left all and followed Jesus. What if God wants you to help that old lady in your church, or that young man instead of giving them a lecture on how you through your righteousness and discipline have attained much self sufficiency and they should do the same. We frequently hear: “well I don’t want to enable people, I must be a good steward of what the Lord has given me, I cant waste it on people like that…”     You’re supposed to ‘waste’ it though, even on non believers.

And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.  And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.  Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.  Matt 5:40-42

Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.    Luke 6:30

And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.  But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.  Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.    Luke 6:34-36

  Jesus knew that judas was a thief and that he kept the money bag, Jesus never took it away from him… Judas had the money bag in the earlier part of Jesus ministry, and at the end still.

Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,  Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?  he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.      John 12:4-6

Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.  And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.  Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.  For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.    John 13:26-29

when you see someone in need, please lay aside your initial judgements and seek the will of the Lord…

  There is the parable about the men that had been given talents in matthew 25:14-29 and the first man made a profit with that which the lord had given them, but the last one did not:
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:  And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.  lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:  Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.  Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.  For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.     Matt 25:14-29

This is about stewardship but do we not know that when He returns here again, Jesus will not be coming for His money in our checking accounts? What if the man that dies with the most money in his account is the biggest loser? What if the Lord asks him why he died with money in his account while the poor widow next door or down the street wasted away of malnutrition? The parable is about stewardship of money but so much more than that also.

But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 1 John 3:17

  Often I think some christians forget who they are, and that we are all the body of Christ. To the weaker members or members that say the Lord told them to give up their jobs and follow Him, they say things like, “If you believed and acted on your faith more you would not be in the situation you are in”. too often what they are saying really is:
And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.  also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,  He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.  He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.    Matt 27:40-43

They did not know that Jesus could have indeed have come down off that cross when they said that, but it was His love for you and me and them that kept Him up there. That brother that you judge could probably indeed go and get a better job and earn perhaps more money even than you do, but it may be his love of Christ that keeps him where he is for a season. Jesus will indeed exalt him in due season, but if that be in this life or the one to come, it is up to Jesus, not you or I.

  Paul said if any man will not work let him not eat, I am not talking about slothful people, busybodies that do not follow Jesus but rather people that are following Jesus but seem like they should be getting a higher paying job or should stop volunteering to help the poor and work more hours etc. If we judge our brothers we had better do it by the Spirit of Jesus, not based on where we think they should be or what we think they should be doing. Lord help us to not do that.
Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.   Romans 14:4

I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord.     Zeph 3:12

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted…   Isaiah 53:7

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.    2 Cor 8:9

For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.   Phil 3:3

And I will strengthen them in the Lord; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the Lord.    Zech 10:12

Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.    John 17:24

  What if we have become a generation of children that are never content with what we have and spend all our prayers and positive confessions and energy on attaining what God never intended for us personally? Or what if He wants us to wait? What if He wants us to wait years? One fruit of the Spirit is longsuffering, does anyone want any of that?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.   Gal 5:22-24

King david had to wait a long long time before he actually became king. Joseph had the dreams from the Lord and ended up in a well, followed by being sold as a slave, followed by being put in jail, being falsely accused,and more, before he became a ruler and the word of the Lord was fulfilled. How do we view the Josephs we meet when we meet them as slaves or inmates?

Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.   Acts 14:22

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.   Romans 8:17

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; Heb 5:8
For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;   Phil 1:29

For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.   Jer 8:11

If we follow Jesus we should not be surprised if we live like Paul lived. Lots of people have misconstrued that to mean we will have a great big mega church and millions of followers and live in a mansion, but that was never Paul’s life….

…in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.    2 Cor 11:23

Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.    2 Cor 11:24

Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;    2 Cor 11:25

In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;     2 Cor 11:26

In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.    2 Cor 11:27

For who hath stood in the counsel of the Lord, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?    Jer 23:18

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.    John 16:33

Every promise in the bible is mine:
For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.            2 Cor 1:20

I am a child of a Great King who is very wealthy But what if, like the father in the story of the prodigal son (luke 15:11), my Father gives me my inheritance now and lets me spend it any way I want to. Do I really want to leave my fathers house? Do I really want to walk the rest of my time on this earth apart from Him who loves me so greatly? Or can I be content to live at His house and enjoy the blessings when He decides, even though that means I will suffer at times also. What if in these last days the prodigal doesn’t have time to return to His Fathers house.

I think when satan made that offer to Jesus…
Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.  Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.   Matt 4:8-10

… Jesus knew in His heart that He was going to inherit all that and more by following His Father anyway, it was just a matter of how he would get it. He chose to get it by following His Fathers will even though it meant:

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor…    2 Cor 8:9

For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.  He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.  And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.            Isaiah 53:2-9

they lied about him:
Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;  But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,    Matt 26:59-60

Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,  Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?            Matt 26:67-68

they were filled so full of envy as to have him put to death:
For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.    Matt 27:18

And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.  And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!  And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.  And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.    Matt 27:28-31

And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,   Matt 27:39

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.   Phil 2:8

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.    1 John 2:15

There is only one way i know to endure the hardships of this life:
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.    Eph 3:19

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.   1 John 2:16

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.     2 Cor 4:18

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.    1 John 2:17

Jesus showed us what happens when we seek and attain the riches of this life:
But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?    Luke 12:20

And He told us:
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.    Matt 6:19-21

i like scriptures about true faith that comes from hearing the Word of God, But its different than memorizing some scriptures and thinking we are going to get whatever we want whenever we want.

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:  (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)    Eph 5:8-9

I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.    1 John 2:21

Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:     1 Tim 1:5

“faith unfeigned” is not found by claiming some things, “faith unfeigned” is found when we hear Jesus speak to us.
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.   John 5:39

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.      Rev 19:11-13