Part 6 (2/2)
If you haven't already, why not come into His presence, let Him love you, and just start praising Him for Who He is right now? You're His child and He loves you - no matter what has gone on since your last prayer time!
Conclusion .
What I've presented is really very simple and every Christian deserves to know it. It is sad to say, but I think not more than one out of a thousand Christians has this accurate concept of the nature of G.o.d.
Most of us approached G.o.d without recognizing our redemption and what Jesus really did for us. We were in a constant mode of trying to perform. And as soon as Satan pointed out something we did wrong, we started condemning ourselves and saying, ”G.o.d, I know why it wasn't working.” We've been putting faith in what we did instead of putting faith in what Jesus did.
Do you know why it was so easy for you to get born again? Because you were told that it was totally based on what Jesus had done for you - it wasn't your goodness, Bible study, prayer, church attendance, or t.i.thes that qualified you to receive salvation. It was totally based on what Jesus did, on His merits and His goodness alone. So you were able to put your faith in Jesus, regardless of how bad you were, and receive the greatest miracle that could ever happen.
But when it comes to healing, prosperity, or deliverance, we tend to look at what we've done and say, ”G.o.d, I've been doing the best I can, is it enough?” No, it's not enough and it never will be!
We have been studying the Word, praying in tongues, and doing all kinds of spiritual things we ought to do. But we need to do them to build ourselves ourselves up and know Him better, not to try to make Him want to bless us or to give Him a better impression of us. We should do these things to stay strong and finish strong in this spiritual race. The reason I confess the Word of G.o.d or pray in tongues is not to move G.o.d, up and know Him better, not to try to make Him want to bless us or to give Him a better impression of us. We should do these things to stay strong and finish strong in this spiritual race. The reason I confess the Word of G.o.d or pray in tongues is not to move G.o.d, but to move myself closer to Him. but to move myself closer to Him. Holiness doesn't change G.o.d's att.i.tude towards me, but it changes my att.i.tude towards Him. Holiness doesn't change G.o.d's att.i.tude towards me, but it changes my att.i.tude towards Him.
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.Revelation 12:11 I overcome the devil by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of my testimony (or profession of faith in that blood). I don't overcome the devil because I have impressed G.o.d with my works. I'm not twisting G.o.d's arm with my prayers and G.o.d is not impressed with my great ability to confess His Word. I've known some people who didn't even know how to confess the Word of G.o.d but they saw miracles happen because their hearts were right. Receiving from G.o.d will work better if your heart is right and and you confess the Word of G.o.d, but G.o.d looks on the heart. you confess the Word of G.o.d, but G.o.d looks on the heart.
The reason people are able to receive things from G.o.d at salvation so easily is because their faith is totally in Jesus. But after we are born again, we tend to start trusting ourselves, and that's bondage. I'm convinced that even though people have committed their lives to the Lord, are born again, and know G.o.d loves them, they aren't experiencing that love because they are walking in what they have done instead of walking in G.o.d's love towards them.
Does that describe you? Do you see Jesus loving you unconditionally? Or, do you feel Jesus loves you in proportion to what you ”deserve”? If you feel you don't deserve much, then you won't open yourself up to let G.o.d really love you.
G.o.d wants to call us into a secret place of close, intimate communion with Him. He longs for it. G.o.d longs for you, but perhaps you haven't allowed yourself to approach G.o.d because you don't feel worthy. You may believe if you really got that close, you would be like a hypocrite coming before Him and He would chastise you, scold you, and say, ”How dare you think you have the right to enter into My presence, you sorry worm?”
You may not put it in exactly those words, but perhaps that is your concept. Hear this: G.o.d is looking on your heart. G.o.d is looking on your spirit man within you. And in your spirit man, you are righteous, holy, and pure! You can come and prop your feet up before G.o.d and say, ”Papa, Father” or ”Abba, Father.” You can relate to Him in an intimate, personal way.
G.o.d loves you, and many of us have been kept out of that intimate relations.h.i.+p because of a sin-consciousness - our conscience has been remembering and is obsessed with our sin. We've been looking at ourselves as sinners when the Bible makes it clear that if we really understood redemption, we should have no more consciousness of sin.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne ofgrace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace tohelp in time of need.Hebrews 4:16 You can come boldly before the throne of grace to obtain mercy and help in your time of need, not just when you're perfect and everything's going right, but even in the time when you've blown it and you're in trouble. It's the throne of grace, grace, not the throne of not the throne of works works or the throne of or the throne of perfect performance. perfect performance. You can do that right now and let G.o.d begin to love you. You can do that right now and let G.o.d begin to love you.
You may need to humble yourself before G.o.d, saying something like, ”Father, I'm sorry. I have done everything in my own effort. I've misunderstood You. I thought I had to earn Your blessings. I've been trying to perform. I thought You only gave me things I deserved and I haven't been depending on Jesus. I've been trying to approach You on my own merit.”
Confess it to G.o.d, fall before Him, and repent, saying, ”Father, I'm sorry.” Start speaking what G.o.d's Word says to yourself. ”Father, I thank You that You do love me, that You see me clean, pure, and holy.”
Sometimes I look in a mirror, eyeball to eyeball with myself, and I point to myself and say, ”Andrew, G.o.d loves you. You're holy. You're pure, just as if you never sinned.” It's possible that when you first say that, the hair will stand up on the back of your neck because you're thinking, ”Oh, G.o.d, don't strike me dead for saying this.” But after awhile, as you keep saying it by faith, knowing it's G.o.d's Word, it will minister to you and you will begin to believe it. You'll begin to believe G.o.d really loves you and you'll get to the point where you can't wait to go right into His throne room!
If an angel stood in your way and said, ”What makes you think you're worthy to come in here?” You could rebuke him and tell him, ”Get out of my way! Through the blood of Jesus I'm righteous, I'm holy, and I'm pure, and I'm G.o.d's child. You have no right to stop me.”
When you come into the presence of G.o.d, thank Him that you are who He says you are. Focus on Him and let Him minister to you. Then you'll begin to be like Him and have no desire to live in sin. You'll start reflecting holiness and end up living closer to Him.
Suddenly, instead of it being drudgery to try to separate yourself from the TV TV to spend time with G.o.d, you'll say, ”Who needs the to spend time with G.o.d, you'll say, ”Who needs the TV?” TV?” You'll find those carnal things will just fall by the wayside. You'll find it won't be hard to spend time studying the Word and praying, because you are spending time with Him. You'll find those carnal things will just fall by the wayside. You'll find it won't be hard to spend time studying the Word and praying, because you are spending time with Him.
I read a story about an older man who lived in the 1800s. He told his servant to come get him in fifteen minutes when supper was going to be ready. The older man said, ”I'm going to be praying in the parlor, so come get me when fifteen minutes is up.”
Three and a half hours later, the servant finally forced himself to go in and interrupt this man. The food had been ready for hours, but the man was praying so intensely on his knees, with his hands up wors.h.i.+pping G.o.d, that the servant felt it would be a mockery to interrupt him.
Finally, the servant went in and tapped the older man on the shoulder. The man turned around and said, ”Oh, is fifteen minutes up? My, time goes so fast when you're in the presence of G.o.d.”
For most of us, however, praying fifteen minutes can seem like three and a half hours! It is because we haven't really tapped into the love of G.o.d. Our wrong thinking about G.o.d has kept us from understanding His love, and our religious traditions and incorrect concepts of G.o.d have kept us at arm's length from Him.
If you understand what I have presented in this book, it will help you to enter boldly into the Holy of Holies by a new and living way G.o.d provided for us through Jesus. It will give you boldness. And as you begin to pray and fellows.h.i.+p with G.o.d, you'll find that praising G.o.d for an hour or more is not a drudgery, but a pleasure. It's a pleasure because you know what G.o.d has done for you. I know G.o.d wants to draw you unto Himself right now as you are reading these words.
We have been learning about having a relations.h.i.+p with G.o.d, abiding in Him, and coming to really know Him. I may have approached it in a way that seemed strange to you, but I firmly believe when you really know what G.o.d is like - His nature, character, and person - you will love Him.
I believe the only reason you or I haven't loved Him more is because G.o.d has been misrepresented and we have misunderstood Him. Because of that, we haven't entered into that loving, close relations.h.i.+p He desires to have with us. If we can receive what is presented in this book, I know it will set us free to enjoy a fulfilling and totally satisfying relations.h.i.+p with our Father G.o.d.
About the Author.
Andrew Wommack was brought up in a Christian home in Arlington, Texas, and made a total commitment of his life to the Lord at a very early age. But it was not until he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a teenager that he began to experience the power of G.o.d in his life. Wommack was brought up in a Christian home in Arlington, Texas, and made a total commitment of his life to the Lord at a very early age. But it was not until he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a teenager that he began to experience the power of G.o.d in his life.
Since that time, he has served as pastor of three churches in progressive steps to the ministry G.o.d has called him to fulfill: teaching the entire body of Christ the good news of our New Testament relations.h.i.+p with Jesus Christ.
Andrew is fulfilling this calling as he travels throughout the world sharing the simple truths of G.o.d's Word with people of various backgrounds. He is heard on radio stations across America and has distributed over 2,500,000 ca.s.sette tapes free of charge.
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