Let's Have Church #2

Dear friends,

Lately, the Lord has been speaking to me about the danger of the children of God slipping backwards in their faith walk when everything is on the move. Right now God is moving everywhere. Lives are being changed, strong holds of darkness are being broken off peoples lives, again. The excitement is back in our meetings and many people are coming to Jesus.

When that happened in the 70's and early 80's we all had the time of our lives. But when it came time to grow in faith, stand our ground, take our cities for Jesus, and fight the good fight of faith, too many Christians slipped backwards into living defeated lives.

Why? Because they were riding the tide of blessing instead of digging deeper into what God had for them. We are now coming to that place again where the Word of God is so sweet that we can't get enough of it. Where our meetings are greater than ever and where Christian fellowship is the greatest thing going. Let's just don't ride the tide of blessing, let us seize this precious time to become strong in the Word, and a threat to the kingdom of darkness.

A lot of people that are trying to receive from God, fall into a condition called "Mental Faith"

Mental Faith - Mental faith works in the head, it believes every part of the Bible, past present and future, as well as all the truths of the blessing of God. But it does not act upon the Word of God! Mental faith says, "Yes, its the truth, because it's the Bible." BUT, is it truth , in your life? If your answer is "Well, no it really isn't true in me", then the Word is not yet in your spirit (heart). If you have the faith of God in you it will produce the reality of that thing. But it has to be in your spirit (heart).

Thousands of sinners and Christians have mental faith in God and the Bible but they keep neglecting the definite action of obeying truth.

Mental faith, or passive faith, is one of the most dangerous enemies of true faith in God. It claims all the faith in the world and is satisfied easily with either anything of nothing from God. It may maintain belief in every truth and in every part of God's program, and it may even claim to be contending for certain benefits; yet it does not act upon the promises of God.

James 1:18-20 says, "Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" As long as faith is purely mental and passive no action will be taken to obey truth, therefore we have to do what the Word says before we get results.

Act Out What You Believe In Faith - In Numbers 13:27-33, Moses sent twelve spies out to spy out the land of Jericho. Caleb and Joshua said, "Let us go at once, and posses the land, for we are well able to overcome it" But the other ten spies said, "We are not able to go up against the people for the are stronger than we." And God said the ten spies brought back an EVIL report. Why? Because it was a report of unbelief and negativism, and they slipped backwards in their faith walk when everything was on the move. All twelve spies knew that God said (recorded in Num. 13:2) "I have given you the promised land", the ten spies refused to act on the Word of God when they saw the giants and great walls in the land.

You can know the Word of God and still not believe it. If the ten spies really believed what they knew, they would have acted out their beliefs.

You will always act out what you believe, either in faith or unbelief. If you really have faith in something you will put action to it, and not lean to your own understanding and slip backwards.

James 2:17 says, "Faith without corresponding action is dead." Corresponding action refers to behavior that correlates or corresponds with what a person says or believes. A train needs two rails in order to reach its destination. Remove one rail, and it won't go. Spiritually speaking, you have two rails; (1.) rail of belief or faith in God. (2.) rail of action or doing what the Word says. One without the other is a NO GO!

Faith is the key that sets in motion the power of God in your life, when you act upon it.

When you operate like a believer you will receive a believers reward and possess the land.

When you Act Like A Believer You Will Receive a Believer's Reward - There are only two reasons found in the Word of God, why a person does not receive the blessing and provision God made available for them. Lack of knowledge - because of lack of knowledge of the Word, a person can't believe in something he hasn't learned. Unbelief - a person has received the truth of the Word, but , as an act of their own freewill, has decided not to believe it.

Romans 4:20 "He (Abraham) staggered not at the promise if God through unbelief, but was strong in faith giving glory to God."

"His soul was full of confidence that the Word of God bound Him (God) to fulfill what He had promised!! Faith is seeing in the Spirit what the Word promises when it is not yet manifest in the natural realm.

When a man uses His own faith in God and His Word properly he makes contact with God in a supernatural way and becomes a partaker of the divine nature, and the fruit of the Spirit will naturally be manifest in his life.

Strong Faith - Strong Faith - the kind that refuses to be defeated. It refuses to take "No", for an answer. It laughs at circumstances, symptoms, all outward appearances, what it's seen, heard or felt. And it aggressively holds to the fact that what has been asked of God, is granted.

Romans (Amp.) 4:20 "No belief of distrust made him waver or doubtingly question, concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God."

(ASV) He never staggered in doubt at the promise of God, But waxed strong in faith. (Taylor) "And he praised God for his blessing before it ever happened."

And Abraham believed God, and he received a believers reward. Romans 4:3 says, "And it was counted unto him for righteousness."

-by Evangelist Jimmy Dickens

We want to thank you partners, churches, pastors, evangelists, laymen, church members, youth groups, praise teams, psalmists, musicians, sound technicians, radio & T.V. stations, newspapers and any other of God's servants, that have assisted our ministry in conducting successful meetings, for all that you've done! We know great is your reward for your labor of love.

This ministry is committed to reaching the lost and hurting as well as building the body of Christ. By communicating the Word of God verbally, through music and all other means that God makes available to us, wherever the Lord directs us.

We have committed our lives to accomplish God's call on our family. We invite you to participate in this endeavor with your prayers and financial support. I need you to become a partner with us. A partner is a sharer and associate in the same venture. When you are a partner with this ministry you are share holder of what the Spirit of the Lord is doing in the changed lives of men and women in the a United States and other countries. As a partner, you would be making a sincere commitment to two things;

Number One - To pray for us and our ministry as often as the Holy Spirit reminds and leads you.

Number Two - As God enables you, you will do your best to support us with a regular monthly gift. Today I'm simply extending the invitation and allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart. Would you please consider becoming a covenant partner with us in this ministry? BUT also, I believe you need the blessing that only God can bring on your seed sown, and reaching out to the lost in this way. Planting faith seeds in the Kingdom of God opens you up to new levels of blessing, anointing and miracles more than you've ever known before. All gifts are tax deductible.

May God's Best Be Yours Today!

Jimmy Dickens Family Ministries, Inc. Fall - Newsletter 1997

If you would like to receive a copy of the printed newsletter, please e-mail us your name and address, and we will be glad to mail you one.

Rt.1 Box 246H Cedar Bluff, Va. 24609
Phone (540) 988-9632 Fax (540) 988-4478
E-mail Address - dickens@netscope.net

New Bristol Office Location
King Pharmaceuticals Benevolent Fund Building
1119 Commonwealth Ave. Bristol, Va. 24201

A Dozen Ways To Be Miserable

Therefore I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul." - Job 7:11

There are some people who need no help at all when it comes to being miserable. For them, it comes naturally. But in case you're looking for a few suggestions on how to be more miserable, take this advice:

Worry every single day about something. It won't add a cubit to your stature, but it will give you plenty to think about. Count your troubles. Do it at the breakfast table, preferably, so that you can make everyone else miserable, too. Pity yourself. Do this especially if no one else is pitying you.

Don't be compassionate. Don't dare get involved in the lives of people who spill their troubles all over you. If you do, you may end up neglecting your own troubles and that would be a waste. Don't let Bible reading and prayer get in the way of what's really relevant. After all, focusing your sights on things unseen is too eternal; rather, be relevant and get caught up in the here and now.

Finally, devise skillful ways to serve both God and the world. Show everyone that Christians can be in the world and of the world.

There are people around you for whom misery is a way of life. The world has enough misery of its own without Christians adding to it. We are to be in this world, not of it.

Do you know someone for whom misery comes naturally? Lift his/her sights, jar his/her thinking, give him/her hope beyond his/her misery by showing him/her at least a dozen ways to trust in the Lord of joy.

-This devotional is from "Diamonds in the Dust" by Joni Eareckson Tada

© 1997 mcpumpkin@geocities.com

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