Bishop's Corner

"Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6

Faith is real and genuine and will work on your behalf if you operate in it.  Once you understand that truth, and believe it, all things will become possible for you.  As believers, we have to grab ahold of faith.  Faith will come.  It comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17).  Once you hear the Word of God, that is when faith shows up.  Jesus said in Mark 9:23, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Jesus taught about faith and operated and moved by faith; and He rebuked unbelief.  According to the scriptures in Galatians 4:4-7, when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son Jesus into the world to redeem us to God.  He came to fulfill the law and operate at a higher lever – the supernatural level (by faith).  Jesus then said that greater works you and I would do (John 14:12).  Anyone who operates in faith operates on a higher level.  As a matter of fact, the greatest lifestyle to live is by faith.  God never intended for us to live outside of the supernatural way.  He never intended for us to allow our flesh to have rule or dominion over us.  Our five senses are limited to the natural realm; that's why He has called us to live beyond the natural – at a higher level.  But to live at that higher level is to totally trust God.

Peter stepped out of the boat (his safety zone) when his faith went to a higher level.  If you are going to live the God life, it must be by faith and will take you out of your comfort zone.  When Peter was told to let down his nets for a catch it took him out of his comfort zone because he was a professional in his field; a pro at fishing.  Fishing during the daytime was not the way things were done.  If you want the supernatural to occur in your life, you must prepare for it.  If you don't prepare for the supernatural it will never happen for you.  Fishing in the daytime was not the normal way to fish, but Jesus said, 'let down your nets for a catch."  You have to be able to step out of the norm and have a renewed mind to do things outside of what you are used to doing.  If faith comes by hearing the Word of God, then we must increase our knowledge of the Word.  Jesus said in Isaiah 55:8, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways…for as the Heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."  For example, while you are trying to get two eggs and bacon, He's trying to give you the restaurant; or while you are trying to get a seat on the plane, He is trying to bless you with the entire airline.

During basic training after joining the military, they work on training and changing your civilian mindset, so that once you arrive at your permanent duty station, your mindset has transformed; including your lingo.  It's the same way with being a child of God; our mindsets must change.  The old way of thinking and acting will not fit into the Kingdom of God, because we are trying to put carnal things into a Spiritual world.  Even when in another country (i.e., Germany) if you are going to survive, you must learn the culture and language in order to make it.  The Word of God says to seek the Kingdom first (God's way) and then everything else will be added to us (Matthew 6:33).  In other words, we must take the time to learn the Kingdom in order to function in it.  There needs to be more teaching on the supernatural or Spirit realm – on how things function supernaturally.  God says that His people perish because they lack knowledge (Hosea 4:6).  Because we have little knowledge we don't know how to function in the Spirit realm.  It is important that we enhance our lifestyles (i.e., education), but God gave us His Spirit, so we could function on another lever; a higher level – yet we don't take time to learn, and so we don't know how to function in the Kingdom we have been reborn into.  When I was in Germany, once I was able to understand things, and took time to learn the language and customs of that country, I was able to function in it.  If you are going to enjoy Kingdom things you will have to take the time to learn about the Kingdom and how it operates.  In Romans 12:2 God tells us to not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  In other words, don't merge with or blend in with this world, or with the ways of the world.  You see, we become so familiar with the ways of the world that we begin to conform to it.  But there has to be a transformation into the mindset of the Kingdom of God; God's way of thinking and doing things.  Transformation takes place by the renewing (reprogramming) of our minds.  We have to reboot our minds, upgrade our mindsets.  It takes time, but it is important that you take the time to renew your thinking, and how you look at yourself.  When you renew your mindset according to what God says about you, things that used to bother you won't bother you anymore. 

God is trying to get the church to a higher level in the Spirit realm.  Once your mind is renewed, you just know that when you pray He will answer.  You know that the trying of your faith works patience (James 1:3).  The first thing attacked when Adam and Eve were in the garden was their faith (Did God say?)  Paul said in 1 Tim 6:12, "…fight the good fight of faith..."  The devil is a master deceiver, always making you doubt the Word of God or question your faith.  The church is in a faith fight, that's why many are beginning to compromise; because they are under attack.  The church is not popular in these times, but God has not given us a spirit of fear.  Keep speaking faith.  Keep believing God.  It is time for the church to decide to be fully persuaded that God will do what He said.    

"Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6

Faith is real and genuine and will work on your behalf if you operate in it.  Once you understand that truth, and believe it, all things will become possible for you.  As believers, we have to grab ahold of faith.  Faith will come.  It comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17).  Once you hear the Word of God, that is when faith shows up.  Jesus said in Mark 9:23, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Jesus taught about faith and operated and moved by faith; and He rebuked unbelief.  According to the scriptures in Galatians 4:4-7, when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son Jesus into the world to redeem us to God.  He came to fulfill the law and operate at a higher lever – the supernatural level (by faith).  Jesus then said that greater works you and I would do (John 14:12).  Anyone who operates in faith operates on a higher level.  As a matter of fact, the greatest lifestyle to live is by faith.  God never intended for us to live outside of the supernatural way.  He never intended for us to allow our flesh to have rule or dominion over us.  Our five senses are limited to the natural realm; that's why He has called us to live beyond the natural – at a higher level.  But to live at that higher level is to totally trust God.

Peter stepped out of the boat (his safety zone) when his faith went to a higher level.  If you are going to live the God life, it must be by faith and will take you out of your comfort zone.  When Peter was told to let down his nets for a catch it took him out of his comfort zone because he was a professional in his field; a pro at fishing.  Fishing during the daytime was not the way things were done.  If you want the supernatural to occur in your life, you must prepare for it.  If you don't prepare for the supernatural it will never happen for you.  Fishing in the daytime was not the normal way to fish, but Jesus said, 'let down your nets for a catch."  You have to be able to step out of the norm and have a renewed mind to do things outside of what you are used to doing.  If faith comes by hearing the Word of God, then we must increase our knowledge of the Word.  Jesus said in Isaiah 55:8, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways…for as the Heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."  For example, while you are trying to get two eggs and bacon, He's trying to give you the restaurant; or while you are trying to get a seat on the plane, He is trying to bless you with the entire airline.

During basic training after joining the military, they work on training and changing your civilian mindset, so that once you arrive at your permanent duty station, your mindset has transformed; including your lingo.  It's the same way with being a child of God; our mindsets must change.  The old way of thinking and acting will not fit into the Kingdom of God, because we are trying to put carnal things into a Spiritual world.  Even when in another country (i.e., Germany) if you are going to survive, you must learn the culture and language in order to make it.  The Word of God says to seek the Kingdom first (God's way) and then everything else will be added to us (Matthew 6:33).  In other words, we must take the time to learn the Kingdom in order to function in it.  There needs to be more teaching on the supernatural or Spirit realm – on how things function supernaturally.  God says that His people perish because they lack knowledge (Hosea 4:6).  Because we have little knowledge we don't know how to function in the Spirit realm.  It is important that we enhance our lifestyles (i.e., education), but God gave us His Spirit, so we could function on another lever; a higher level – yet we don't take time to learn, and so we don't know how to function in the Kingdom we have been reborn into.  When I was in Germany, once I was able to understand things, and took time to learn the language and customs of that country, I was able to function in it.  If you are going to enjoy Kingdom things you will have to take the time to learn about the Kingdom and how it operates.  In Romans 12:2 God tells us to not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  In other words, don't merge with or blend in with this world, or with the ways of the world.  You see, we become so familiar with the ways of the world that we begin to conform to it.  But there has to be a transformation into the mindset of the Kingdom of God; God's way of thinking and doing things.  Transformation takes place by the renewing (reprogramming) of our minds.  We have to reboot our minds, upgrade our mindsets.  It takes time, but it is important that you take the time to renew your thinking, and how you look at yourself.  When you renew your mindset according to what God says about you, things that used to bother you won't bother you anymore. 

God is trying to get the church to a higher level in the Spirit realm.  Once your mind is renewed, you just know that when you pray He will answer.  You know that the trying of your faith works patience (James 1:3).  The first thing attacked when Adam and Eve were in the garden was their faith (Did God say?)  Paul said in 1 Tim 6:12, "…fight the good fight of faith..."  The devil is a master deceiver, always making you doubt the Word of God or question your faith.  The church is in a faith fight, that's why many are beginning to compromise; because they are under attack.  The church is not popular in these times, but God has not given us a spirit of fear.  Keep speaking faith.  Keep believing God.  It is time for the church to decide to be fully persuaded that God will do what He said.