Everything We Need for Life and Godliness

In Hebrews 11 faith is defined as "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." The Strong's concordance defines substance as "that which has actual existence". So just like we would expect it is something real...we maybe can't touch it right this second but just like the sands of Hawaii --it is real. The word *things* is the word pragma which means " that which has been done, a deed, an accomplished fact". And lastly the word evidence is just like we would expect that it could be used as proof in a court of law. Three pretty strong words: substance, things and evidence. I like it when there is no room left for doubt and God makes it so clear to understand FAITH.

All of us operate in faith on a day-to-day basis. We sit on a chair and expect it to hold us up. We know the earth makes it's 24 hour revolution expecting the sun will appear to rise in the East at about the same time every day. I have also experienced my faith in the negative sense. I used to expect sickness at certain times of the year or expected to catch a virus if it was going through my family. Not any more. Now I expect to stay well and NO UNCLEAN thing can come near my dwelling place. I have accepted the fact that by His stripes I AM healed. And if something does attack my body, I use my authority in Jesus' Name to tell it to leave.

A very practical example of faith is if I go to the store and purchase eggs and milk and put them away in the refrigerator, I can picture those items and when I need them I go open the refrigerator and take them out and use them. I put them inside the refrigerator and certainly I'm going to have faith that they will be there when I want them. Those eggs have substance and I am in hope of using them in a practical sense even if I'm not looking at them with my natural eyes. I am seeing them with my imagination and know they will be there when I want them.

Well, our Heavenly Father has placed things in the spiritual realm for us too. All the promises of God are in Him (Christ) yes, and amen. (2Cor 1:20) But some of us act like "some of the promises are yes, and some are maybe someday..." I'm doing my best to shake off an unhealthy religious mindset that tells me that most or many of the things mentioned in God's Word are things for the next life. Let us strip off and throw aside every unnecessary weight and that sin which clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12)

What are some unnecessary weights?
*Low self-esteem---we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus--so throw it off.
*Unhealthy relationships--ask the Lord who you should be close friends with and to whom should be an acquaintance.
*Religious baggage-- what does the Word of God really say? A lot of stuff we adhere to is man's opinions of God's Word and I choose to cast that away.
*Fear of failure or fear of causing Father God to reject you-- that's a very heavy and unnecessary load and you need to pray to get delivered from that mindset. You are 100% accepted by God because Christ sacrifice.
*Chasing the carrot on the stick--Jesus said repent (or change the way you are thinking) for the Kingdom of God is at hand--the promises are YES AND AMEN!

These are just a few possible unhealthy mindsets or wineskins (see Luke 5:33-39) that will cause you to lack faith in what God has already provided for your sake. The Bible says you have THE FAITH of Christ but our old, unproductive mindsets (wineskins) won't hold the substance of things hoped for. The wine is fresh and the wineskin breaks open and the fresh wine just spills on the ground. But if we cry out "OPEN the eyes of my understanding" then we can have a new wineskin and the fresh wine stays put on the inside of us.

Get it?
New wine--living active life from God's heart.
wineskin--our mindset--way we believe--must be of faith(being able to see it in our mind and know it is real).

Oh and don't bother trying to put a new patch on a basically old wineskin-- the newer patch will just break away from the old and the wine escapes. It's like believing that you are saved by grace and but then working really hard to keep God's grace by doing good works. Yes, that was my life and yes, the wine never stayed in the old wine skin. (mixing grace and law)

What are some hindrances that you have been dragging with you in the life? Hard to run a race if we are weighed down by so much stuff. My load is getting lighter. How about you?

Jesus said if you are yoked up with him that his burden is light. When I was a child I had no clue of a yoke. I heard yolk --like the yellow part of an egg but that made no sense. I had it explained as I grew up that the farmers put two oxen together. One was an experienced and very strong and one was just learning. The strong ox pulled the majority of the load while the less experienced animal just walked along until it learned to pull the plow. I suppose if a young animal were expected to pull a plow alone it would not get much accomplished. "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." (2Peter 1:3)

EVERYTHING we need for life and godliness THROUGH our KNOWLEDGE of HIM!!!! Wow! That's an exciting statement. Chew on that for a few days and see if your wineskin can hold that fresh wine.