The Christian Center

As a born again believer, you and I have become part of a new family. We have also entered into a new relationship with God, which has allowed Him to become our Father. As you read this, I believe you will see God the Father in a new light, but you will also be able to see yourself as God the Father sees you.

Faith - God is a God of faith, and faith always sees the end result. In Romans 4:17 we read,

“(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.”

God sees us through eyes of faith. He calls us complete, He calls us perfect, He calls us finished; because He sees us through the finished work of Jesus. We tend to look at our past and short comings which causes us many times to miss out on God’s best. We need to see ourselves through God’s eyes, so we can receive His best for our lives.

Acceptance - God accepts us in spite of how we are. God doesn’t base our life on what we do; He bases it on what Jesus did, and when we accept Jesus, He now accepts us. In Romans 5:8 we read;

“But God commendeth His love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

We need to be free from trying to do things to gain God’s favor, and simply receive His love; and allow Him to live through us. When we base God’s acceptance for us on whether we pray enough, read our Bible enough, or go to church enough, we aren’t able to receive God’s best; because we can’t be good enough in ourselves. Don’t misunderstand me, we do need to pray, read our Bible, and go to church, but do it out of love for God and not out of duty.

Trust - God is a Father in Whom we can trust. He is faithful and will do that which He has promised. Numbers 23:19 says,

“God is not a man that He should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent. Hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?”

As children of God, we can put our trust in Him and see His promises come to pass in our lives, if we don’t give up and quit.

Hope - God has restored hope back to us. When things look like they’re not going to work out, God has given us hope through His faithfulness. In Romans 4:18 we read;

“Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be.”

People who are hopeless, become helpless; and we are not hopeless or helpless, because God is our Father and He is on our side.

Excellence - God is a Father of excellence, there is none greater nor more perfect. In Hebrews 8:6 we read;

“But now hath He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.”

The finished work of Jesus is excellent; and you and I, as children of God, can live in those promises now in this earth, because God is our Father.

Refuge - In Psalms 91:2 we read,

“I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in Him will I trust.”

As our Father, God has given us a hiding place, a place of protection; and it is in Him and His Word. As satan comes seeking whom he may devour, he passes right by us because our Father God has given us His Word; and it becomes a place of refuge, a safe place of protection.

I just want to encourage you to see God as a Father Who is perfect and good- a Father Who loves you more than you can imagine, a Father Who accepts you as you are, a Father Who wants you to have the best, and a Father Who will always be there for you. Quit looking at who you used to be, and see yourself as you are in Christ Jesus. A finished work that pleases God your Father.

Over the last several decades, God has been able to get the attention of His people to teach us faith. Although we’ve learned a lot, there’s much to be understood about the subject of faith. We receive from God by faith not by works or any other way. If we would align our lives with the laws that govern the Kingdom of God, blessings would flow. In II Corinthians 5:7, the Apostle Paul says,

Paul says walking by faith is how he lived his life. The word walk defines the way a person habitually, consistently, day in and day out orders their life. Paul made this statement in light of having experienced great persecution and affliction, but this did not detour him from his pursuit. Walking by faith is living in the light of the revealed will of God for our lives. We should not change from the course of action, regardless of what happens around us. Faith is the law that aligns our lives with the Kingdom of God and it’s operations. Kingdom provisions are transported into our lives by living the faith life.

When Paul references "sight" in the context of scripture above, he’s saying our sensory perception is unable to order our steps of faith. Walking by faith is not dependent upon our senses, but solely upon the word of God. Our senses gather information from this material world, and we learn how to function within it. As we live in this world, there will always be information presented to us that’s contrary to the truth. I’ll give an example that we’ve all been faced with. I Peter 2:24 says,

“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

Everyone has dealt with sickness attacking their bodies, but the truth is we were healed according to the truth. The symptoms of sickness talk to our five senses, preaching a message of sickness to our heart. It’s a fact that sickness is present, but the truth is we were healed by the stripes of Jesus. The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart some time ago this truth. I am the healed walking in health and not the sick in need of healing, because by the stripes of Jesus I’ve been healed. Since He spoke this to my heart, I have been attacked with sickness; but the sickness does not change the truth. We get into trouble when we change from the truth and walk by our senses and not by faith. Psalms 119:89 says,

The word of God is a forever settled issue, and it’s not going to change; and neither should we. Walking by faith is not something we try, but the life that we live. We’ll never be satisfied as a Christian or be pleasing to God apart from living by faith. We’re commanded as a born-again believer not to walk according to the course of this world. The world does not live by faith but are governed by their senses and influenced by the one who has orchestrated this worldly system. This worldly system has been designed by Satan for the purpose of appealing to the human senses. Conducting our lives according to the senses is a direct violation of the commandment of love. We are commanded to love God, others, and ourselves; and this is impossible apart from faith. Hebrews 11:6 says faith pleases God. Loving God and pleasing Him are inseparable. No matter what is going on around you, strive to walk by faith and not by sight; and see that big smile on Daddy God’s face, knowing it pleases Him.

Weekly Bread