Faith is a tool to be used each day to face anything that might come against us. Here are a couple more ways to use our faith:
Develop a lifestyle of speaking God’s Word. The words used by the invalid beside the pool of Bethesda were negative—not faith-filled—words. The opposite can be found in the woman with the issue of blood.
Mark 5:25-34 says that for 12 years this woman had gone to many doctors for relief from the constant bleeding, but no one could help her. She’d heard about Jesus and His healing power. She kept saying, If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health (v. 28 AMP). She kept say-ing…she kept saying…she spoke out her faith in Jesus’ miracle-working power. She wasn’t in denial of her problem, she just began saying words of faith, and those words of faith be-came her lifestyle.
This woman shows us how to live a lifestyle of speaking God’s Word: stand on His Word, believe His prom-ises, and speak it forth. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but God’s Word is forever” (Luke 21:33).
Focus on the promise, not the prob-lem. Each one of us has a promise from God, and every promise from Him is yes and Amen (II Corinthians 1:20). God promised to make Abra-ham a father of many nations. Abra-ham didn’t stagger at the problem—he and Sarah were way past the age of becoming parents—he set his gaze on God’s promise (Genesis 15:5-6).
When problems surround you and your faith seems to be growing weak, re-mind God of His promises, and then turn your focus to the promise, not the problem.
“In a country where more than a million people are unemployed, living in slums, and going hungry due to famine and drought, desperate people are crying out for help. Will YOU join with us to answer their call?”
Around 3 million people live in Nairobi, Kenya. And at least one half of them 1.5 million people live in the city’s slums, their one-room homes precariously built on mounds of garbage. The residents are regularly exposed to lung-damaging soot, dangerous pollutants, and raw sewage. They suffer illnesses resulting from poor nutrition, the lack of sanitation, and exposure to HIV/AIDS.
Most of these people have no means of escape from their poverty. And due to the worst drought in Kenya in many years, crops have been ruined, and countless individuals are literally wondering where their next meal will come from. The people of Nairobi need help desperately.
We’re Answering the Call! In January, the Oral Roberts Ministries and Hunger Needs a Voice will hold healing rallies, medical clinics, and food distributions for the people of Kenya. We are believing God for hundreds of thousands of people to be impacted, and a mighty explosion of supernatural miracles to take place and we encourage you to partner with us to bring the life and light of God to the precious people of Nairobi!
If someone asked you who you are, you’d probably have a ready answer right on the tip of your tongue. You might mention where you came from and what you do for a living. Or you might describe your family and heritage. For instance, I’d say, “My name is Richard Roberts. I’m a healing evangelist. My wife’s name is Lindsay. We have three daughters: Jordan, Olivia, and Chloe…” And all of those things are true.But as born-again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, you and I are so much more than that! Over the years, I’ve learned that my very life depends not on knowing who I am in the natural realm, but knowing who I am in Christ. That means knowing who God says I am, according to His Word.
It’s crucial for us to understand and put our faith in our identity in Christ, because we live in a world where trouble and trials abound. Sometimes it seems like the devil pulls out all the stops in his efforts to destroy Christians.We see this all the time through the prayer requests that come in to the Abundant Life Prayer Group. So many people contact us to pray for the desperate needs in their lives…needs for healing, deliverance, and restoration.
They face all kinds of trials…cancer, family problems, bankruptcy, job loss, confusion, despair…you name it. In the face of such troubles, faith in God and His promises to us in Christ can be the difference between success and failure.Let me share with you just a little about who the Bible says we really are in Christ. Then I challenge you to study God’s Word for yourself and learn more about the life-changing promises God has made to you as His beloved child. When we apply His Word to our lives, we can walk in the victory He has waiting for us in 2009—the year of His more-than-enough blessing—and every year from now on!
Your True Identity as a born-again believer, you are now in Christ. That means you’re an overcomer (Romans 8:37). You are the head instead of the tail (Deuteronomy 28:13). You can enjoy the fat (the best) of the land (Genesis 45:18). You are a joint heir with Jesus Christ Himself (Romans 8:17) of all that is in the earth and all that is stored up for you in heaven. Because you are in Christ, you are a child of God (John 1:12) and Jesus’ friend (John 15:15). You are a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20), seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6). You are God’s temple (1 Corinthians 3:16), God’s co-worker (1 Corinthians 3:9), and God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10). You have been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:19–20), redeemed and forgiven (Colossians 1:14), and set apart for God (Ephesians 1:1). You are forever free from condemnation (Romans 8:1–2), established, anointed, and sealed by God (2 Corinthians 1:21–22).
As a follower of Christ, you are the salt and light of the earth (Matthew 5:13–14), you have constant access to God through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:18), and you are His ministers of reconciliation on this earth (2 Corinthians 5:17–21). Philippians 4:13 tells us that you and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, and Romans 8:37 reminds us that we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. In Christ, you and I have all we need to live a victorious life and all we need to live in a godly manner (2 Peter 1:3). I believe that if we really want to live in the victory God promises us in His Word, we need to renew our commitment to believing and living out who we are in Christ. “Remind Them Who They Are” Recently, I was reading prayer requests our ministry had received. People were expressing their desperate needs and challenges. I prayed, “Lord, I know You are all powerful. You are the God of healing, the God of restoration, the God Who provides more than enough. Lord, give me the words to encourage those who are discouraged and to declare Your greatness over their lives.”
As I was waiting upon the Lord for His answer, I kept hearing the words, “Remind them who they are. Remind them what is theirs. Remind them that I am here, and that there is more than enough in My storehouse to meet and exceed their every need. Tell all who will listen that when I have met every need of every person who is called by My name, the river of My blessings will still flow because there is an endless supply!
Tell them to leave the shore and step into My flow!
I tell you, on the authority of God’s Word, that our God is the God of more than enough! He is not the God of just getting by, or the God of minimums. In His presence, there is healing for our physical bodies, and restoration for our relationships, finances, and more. He has more than enough power and supply to meet every need.
And why do we need more than enough? It’s because God intends to do more than simply meet our own personal needs (although, of course, God cares about our needs). But an exciting joy of the Christian life is found in becoming a “pipeline” for the endless flow of God’s blessings to other people—so that all people might come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior!
Step Into the Flow of God’s Victory
No matter what you’re facing, you can live fully in Christ—starting today! Remember, we always have a choice. We can believe and act on the power of who we are in Christ, trusting in the God Who is more than enough. Or we can forever walk in uncertainty, not trusting in our position in Christ, trading away our authority in exchange for the devil’s doubts and discouragement.
If you’re ready to make the commitment to believe and act on your identity in Christ, I encourage you to spend some time with God. Ask Him to point out those areas where you can move more fully into who you are in Him. Give the Holy Spirit permission to help you grow in those areas. Then, take action in response to what God shows you. Begin to see yourself as He sees you, do what He tells you, and allow miracles to become the norm for you as you walk in the understanding of your identity in Christ.
Never forget—regardless of where you are right now, God’s Word says He has more than enough for you. When you remember who you are in Christ and put action with your faith, you can confidently watch His good plan for your life unfold.
The bookstores of America are filled with books dealing with leadership, yet I believe we have fewer true leaders right now than at any time in our history. If God is calling you to be a leader, there are important character traits to develop.
I went to a leadership clinic not long ago, and the question was proposed, “What is a leader?”
One man said, “A leader is someone who can articulate his vision powerfully and forcefully.”
I said, “What about Moses? Moses was a man of such poor speech that God gave him somebody to talk for him.”
Another man said, “He’s a man of purity. He’s a man of holiness.”
I replied, “What about David? He was convicted of conspiracy
to commit murder, and he was an adulterer.”
I just wasn’t satisfied with those definitions of leadership. My definition of a leader is simple: someone who can get somebody else to follow him or her.
Now, there are righteous leaders, as in the case of Moses, and there are unrighteous leaders, as in the case of Hitler. Both were powerful leaders, one for the Prince of Light, and the other for the prince of darkness. But I believe there are specific traits a godly leader should possess in order to lead others in this end-time spiritual battle.
Focuses on one purpose
St. Paul said, This one thing I do…I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God (Philippians 3:13-14 KJV). Jesus said, “I only do the will of My Father” (John 8:28).
Godly leaders don’t try to do everything. They know that all they need to do is one thing—what God has called them to do—and do it well. God’s call is specific, and as we walk in it, He empowers us with His supernatural authority.
Endures the heat
The three Hebrew young men were told to bow before a statue of Nebuchadnezzar or be thrown in the fiery furnace. They refused, saying, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace” (Daniel 3:17 KJV).
At some point in our lives, God may allow us to be put in a furnace—a trial by fire—to see what we’re made of. If we have any quit in us, that’s when it will come out. But if we have the ability to endure the heat, as the Hebrew young men did, I believe God can use us in ways we never dreamed.
Responds with the mind of God
I believe God wants His leaders to be able to function under fire, and to be rooted in the Word of God to such a degree that even in the worst of times, the mind of God will be their first response.
When Moses and his people were escaping Egyptian slavery, Moses didn’t have time to call a committee meeting. Even as Pharaoh and his chariots were racing to kill them, Moses stood firm on the bank of the Red Sea and said, “Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord” (Exodus 14:13 KJV).
Moses had the ability, under fire, to see the mind of God for his people, and through his faith, God worked a miracle that allowed them to cross to the other side.
Leaves the past in the past
Paul said, “Forgetting those things which are behind me, I reach ahead” (Philippians 3:13). Paul had a lot to forget: he had sent Christians to prison, many of whom were later killed. In fact, he personally supervised the murder of Stephen, the first martyr.
I believe our success or failure in reaching the destiny God has for us is often based on our capacity to forget the past and to move confidently forward. God said, “Your sin and iniquity I will remember no more” (Hebrews 8:12). If God can forget our past, we can forget it too.
God is looking for leaders, young and old, who can lead others
in the good fight of faith. I believe as we develop the traits of a godly leader that God’s Word reveals, God will go before us and make the impossible possible in Him.
“This was a trip to remember.” That’s how Richard Roberts described his recent ministry trip to El Salvador. The trip began with an invitation from Antonio Saca, president of El Salvador. And from the moment Richard stepped off the plane, he was hard at work, spreading the Gospel. His feet had barely hit the ground when he was whisked away to TV and radio stations and from there to a national press conference.
“We started off in an absolute whirlwind,” said Roberts. “I was interviewed on two major Christian stations in the country. Then we went on national radio. Seems like we just ran from one place to another.”
During the television appearances, the Lord gave Richard several words of knowledge regarding specific miracles that were happening as he spoke. Excitement was in the air at each station as Richard saturated the airwaves with the Good News of the Gospel. In fact, when he spoke about bringing food to the hungry, one local pastor drove to the radio station to thank Richard personally. Tears rolled down the pastor’s cheeks as he explained how serious the physical needs of his people were and expressed his gratitude for all the ministry was doing.
All the love and aid that was given to El Salvador was given as a seed. “I came to give myself to the nation,” Roberts said. “I paid my own way here. I’ll pay my own way home. I came with my Bible, and I’ll go home with my Bible.”
Touching Pastors with Prayer
Much of El Salvador is a paradise—ancient palm trees, lush vegetation, mountains peeking through clouds, crystal blue waters. But when you take a closer look, the great needs of the people are all too apparent. Still recovering from 12 years of civil war, many people don’t have enough to eat. They don’t have clean water, proper sanitation, or access to healthcare. The Oral Roberts Ministries team came prepared to give aid and encouragement to this beautiful country with its precious people.
With help of our faithful Partners, Richard and his daughter Jordan brought food, doctors, medicine, and the life-changing message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jordan, Director of Hunger Needs a Voice®, the humanitarian outreach of the ministry, took 500,000 meals to hungry El Salvadoran families. Along with team leader Adrian Compton, Jordan also visited two orphanages and brought gifts of washing machines, pillows, and sheets to orphans in need.
Before the crusades began, Richard met with local pastors. The meeting was packed; 450 pastors were expected, but 750 came, hungry for the power of God. Richard shared with these men and women of God some of the spiritual wisdom that had been imparted to him through his father Oral Roberts. As the service ended, Richard personally prayed for each pastor.
Setting the Stage for Miracles
God is such a good God, and He showed Himself alive in El Salvador each night of the healing rally. The ORM team worked side-by-side with local pastors and prayer counselors. Dove Award Nominated Spanish Language of the Year Artist Julisa ministered in song before the healing rallies began. Jordan Roberts and the ORM singers also blessed the crowds of about ten thousand people each night with praise songs sung in Spanish.
Richard set the stage for the rallies when on the first night he echoed the words of the Apostle Paul, “I did not come with the enticing words of men, but I came in power and with demonstration of the mighty acts of God” (I Corinthians 2:4). And the people weren’t disappointed. God showed His power each night through miracles, signs, and wonders.
Changing Lives Forever
Seeing a miracle firsthand can change your life forever. After each night’s message, people rushed to the stage to testify to God’s miracle-working power.
A little girl of about eight who had never spoken uttered her first word. Another girl with a deformed ear heard for the first time. Even Dr. Jose Coto, El Salvadoran physician and head of the medical outreach teams, was amazed as two of his patients came to share their healing miracles:
A woman with a “dead” retina could see. A man with a serious shoulder problem could raise up his arm.
People were drawn to the miracle power of God, and thousands came forward when Richard gave the invitation to receive Jesus Christ as Savior. In fact, one broken young man came down and wept near the altar even before the invitation was given.
Making a Difference
The impact Richard, Jordan, Oral Roberts Ministries and its Partners made on El Salvador is clear; Richard Roberts has already been invited to return. Adrian Compton, ORM team leader, noted that a frequent comment he heard among the pastors, leaders, and radio and TV personnel in El Salvador was, ‘This ministry has come with a heart of love for our people.’”
Not only has Richard received invitations to return to El Salvador, but he’s also received invitations from the Evangelical Alliance in Nicaragua and from pastors in Guatemala who heard about what happened in El Salvador.
Every person who sowed a seed of finances or prayer helped with this El Salvador trip. It could not have happened without the generous gifts of our Partners. According to Proverbs 28:27, the person who gives to the poor will suffer no lack. God will multiply the seeds sown back to him or her good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. There are people whose lives have been changed forever through ORM’s outreach to El Salvador. “I know that I will never be the same again,” said Richard. “Our team members will never be the same, and I believe El Salvador will never be the same.”