How Far Can I Go in Faith?

I was thinking the other day, “I wonder how far I can go in faith?  I wonder what the ultimate life is that I could expect while still here on earth for a person that was walking with God exactly the way God intends for us?”  And God showed me that even if I didn’t know anyone personally that was pushing the boundaries (and I do) I had the life of Jesus as my example. 

You might have heard me say before, but it bears repeating, that there are three levels of spiritual maturity I see when it comes to reading the Gospels.  Level one is you read about all the miracles God did – walking on water, calming storms, multiplying the bread and fishes, raising the dead, opening deaf ears – and you think, “Wow, isn't my God awesome and powerful!”  Level two is you read those same miracles and you think, “If God did it for those people He’ll do it for me.  If God healed them, He’ll heal me.  If God provided food for them, He’ll do it for me.”  Level three is you read the same miracles and you say if Jesus healed the sick, I can heal the sick in Jesus’ name.  If Jesus calmed a storm, I can speak to this hurricane and tell it to be still.”  After all, Jesus said greater works than these would we do (John 14:12).

So, looking at the life of Jesus and saying that is the goal I’m going to reach towards is totally biblical and doable.  Many times we think, “But Jesus was the Son of God, that is why He could do that.”  Guess what?  You also are now a son or daughter of God if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord (1 John 3:2).  Jesus was the first-born of many and we are supposed to be conformed to His image or become like Him. Romans 8:29 "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."

Anyone with me on wanting to see how far we can go with God while still here on earth?  I’ve determined to live full out for God.  To leave nothing on the table of what could have been.  To not get to heaven and wish I would have been more radical for Jesus now that I see Him face-to-face and my faith is sight.  In fact, I kind of hope Jesus never reveals Himself as a bodily form to me while I’m here on earth.  I want to get to heaven and be able to say I believed you when I had nothing to see, just because you are awesome and worthy of my life as a living sacrifice.

That kind of life doesn’t happen by living a cluttered, carnal life.  Carnal just means "of the flesh."  A carnal life is one in which it is all about what your flesh can hear, see, smell, touch, and taste.  Our cluttered lives make us overwhelmed by the cares of this world.  It ties us down too much to this world.  Because we live in a body, we can’t be 100% spiritual all the time.  Our bodies need fed and washed.  We need sleep.  We have laundry to do.  But when we clutter our lives with too much carnal stuff we won’t be in a position to hear the voice of God.

Psalm 35:27 “Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.”  A few thing we see in this verse are:

1) Those who favour God’s righteous cause and those who hear and obey. 

2) They say continually, let the Lord be magnified.  This person is looking at God continually and making Him bigger in their lives than their problems. They don't just think it either, they say it.  Your words will bring heaven to earth.

3) The end result is prosperity.  That is God’s blessing in every area of our lives, not just finances, but yes, it includes that too.  If God takes pleasure in prospering His servants, how much more you and I, His children?  Prosperity is a life in abundance, to the full, till it overflows type of living.  

I recommend you spend some time in quiet with God every day in addition to other prayer or Bible reading time.  Spend 5 minutes minimum in silence.  When everything is quiet, it is natural for your spirit to want to talk or commune with God through prayer and/or worship.  Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God.”  Quiet your soul.  Practice His presence.  He’s not a far-off God in the heavens.  He is in you.  You are in Him.  You have become one.  You are laminated with Him.  You are saturated with Him.  Feast on His presence – feed your spirit with His presence. 

You can’t push boundaries with a complacent, casual walk with God.  To have breakthroughs and supernatural provision on a consistent basis will take being totally sold out.  One foot in the world and one foot in God’s kingdom results in defeat and confusion - a stressed life.

You must disconnect from the world’s system.  You don't disconnect with the world by going to live in a shack in the woods someplace and never mingle with others.  But you disconnect from their way of doing things.  You can’t combine the two ways (the world's and God's) and try to have the best of both worlds.  You end up not developing yourself in either world and end up doing nothing significant with your life. 

When you throw yourself totally into walking with God, you’ll finally have purpose and meaning in your life and you’ll experience a life that is light and free.   Stress, worry and fear will no longer enslave you.  What a way to live!  Who is with me?!