Living Abundantly
According to God's Word
The Word of God Prevails
Read Time: 13 Minutes
You and I will live our lives according to the Word of God to the extent that
His Word lives and prevails in us. When the Word of God has preeminence in our
lives we will see the mighty works of God that He has promised in His
Word. This same Word of God, which was spoken in the first century church,
will have the same results today that it did 2000 years ago. This same Word of
God is just as powerful today, just as effectual today and just as
necessary today as it was yesterday. The Word of God prevails in our lives and
communities and countries to the extent that it lives and abides in us.
Why would we see the power of God manifested when we believe and speak His
Word? God's Word makes known God unto us, God's Word is His Will and God's Word
declares Him.
John 1
:1 In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
:3 All things were made by him;
and without him was not any thing made that was made.
We will know God to the extent that we know His Word. God is Spirit. We
cannot see, hear, smell, taste, or touch spirit. He has to communicate with us
some how. He has chosen words. God is represented to us via His Word which
Holy Men of God spoke as they were moved or inspired by the holy spirit, the
spirit of God that He had placed in them. God says in Genesis that "In the
beginning God . . ." The Word did not come into concretion
until Holy Men wrote it down so how was it with God? In His
foreknowledge.
There are two Greek words that merit further definition, logos and pros.
Logos is the word "Word" and pros is the word
"with." Logos means to declare, to make known. God's Word makes
Him known. Pros means together with yet distinctly independent of. My
words are me, what I say or write about myself is how you are going to know me.
They are me to the extent that they make me known to others yet they are
independent of me. God's logos makes Him known. God's logos was
with, pros, Him, together with yet distinctly independent of Him.
God's Word is God's Will. God is making a point here, that to know Him you must know
His Word, it manifests Him.
Jesus Christ is also referred to as the Word, the Word in the flesh,
because he came to make known his Father. Jesus Christ is spoken of as the
Word in person, he came to make know God. Jesus Christ was also in God's
foreknowledge. He knew man would blow it and need a saviour. How? God has
foreknowledge.
Ephesians 1
:4 According as he [God] hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the
world. . .
We were not physically there to be chosen, God knew we were going to believe
His Word and He chose us because God has foreknowledge.
Jesus Christ was not physically there with God in the beginning, he was
conceived in Mary as a result of God placing his seed in Mary. Nine months later
Jesus was born. When he was 30 years old he was baptized by John and at that
time the spirit
from God
descended on him as a dove. And God said, "This is my beloved son, in whom
I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17).
God's Word is powerful.
Hebrews 4
:12 For the word of God is quick,
and powerful,
and sharper than any twoedged
sword,
piercing even
to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit,
and of the
joints and marrow,
and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart.
In Acts 19 we will see the results of the power of the spoken Word on lips of
Believers. Paul was in Ephesus speaking God's Word after Jesus Christ
confronted him (Acts 8) and he had spent three years in Arabia and Damascus
learning what having Jesus Christ as his saviour really meant (Galatians
1:11-18).
When Paul arrived in Ephesus he met with the believers there and they had
only known the baptism of John. Paul baptized them in the name of Jesus Christ
and the twelve believed and received the gift from God, holy spirit (Acts
19:1-7).
Acts 19
:8 And he [Paul] went into the synagogue,
and spake boldly for the space of three months,
disputing and persuading the things
concerning the kingdom of God..
:9 But when divers were hardened,
and believed not,
but spake evil of that way before the
multitude,
he departed from them,
and separated the disciples,
disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.
Paul came and taught the Word of God that he had received from Jesus Christ
for three months in the synagogue. Unfortunately there were some that refused to
believe. Because of their unbelief, Paul and the Believers left and resumed
teaching and learning in the school of Tyrannus. Paul didn't split the church,
God didn't split the church it was unbelief that split the church. Paul's
mission was to teach the Word; it is the responsibility of us to believe it. When
we don't believe the rightly divided Word we, the Body of Christ, are divided.
Paul didn't let the unbelief phase him, he just took those who wanted to know
the truth and moved to the school of Tyrannus. Paul and his 12 disciples spoke
the Word of God, that which makes known God, for two years with fantastic
results.
:10 And this continued by the space of two years;
so that all they which dwelt in Asia [our Asia Minor] heard
the word of the Lord Jesus,
both Jews
and Greeks.
That is extraordinary. All Asia heard the Word of God in two years and three
months. We have not duplicated that today in our time with our TVs, radios,
newspapers, periodicals and books. We have never reached all of Asia Minor in
one generation let alone two years and three months. Why? These men, Paul and
the twelve disciples, had received holy spirit, learned the Word of God,
believed the Word of God and spoke the Word of God with boldness. When the Word
of God is believed mighty things happen. The Word of God prevails and:
:11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:
:12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs
or
aprons,
and the diseases departed from them,
and the evil spirits went out of them.
When the light of God's Word enters a community the darkness of the devil,
the sickness, diseases, oppression and possession, have to leave. When the Word
of God is received and believed God's power is manifested.
:13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews,
exorcists,
took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the
name of the Lord Jesus, saying,
We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul
preacheth.
:14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva,
a Jew, and chief of the
priests,
which did so.
These Jews were the sevens sons of Sceva, the chief of the priests. They were
exorcists. Do you really know what an exorcists is? He/she is one that exercises
devil spirits. They call them and let them have free reign over their bodies and
do and say what the devil spirit wants. They were trying to capitalize on Paul's
popularity by using devil spirits to cast out other devil spirits. It happens
today. If people are doing healings without the Word of God it is run by devil
spirits. This is the Word of God, this is truth. These seven sons were using
devil spirits to cast out other spirits. This can happen because in the spirit
realm their hierarchy is set up like the military. A captain can tell a private to
jump and the private doesn't say, "how high" he just jumps.
Now let's read on:
:15 And the evil spirit answered and said,
Jesus I know,
and Paul I know;
but who are ye?
This man in whom there is a devil spirit that they are trying to cast out has
a pretty high ranking devil and he doesn't have to do anything these lowly
spirits are trying to tell him to do.
:16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, [the seven
sons]
and overcame them,
and prevailed against them,
so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
What a sight that was. This one man's devil spirit beat up on the seven and
they escaped with only their birthday suit on.
:17 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at
Ephesus;
and fear fell on them all,
and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
:18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.
The counterfeit was exposed and people's eyes were enlightened by this
display.
This may be quite disturbing to some of you but we have the upper-hand and we
must believe it. The devil has no right to bother us, he has been defeated.
I John 4
:4 Ye are of God, little children,
and have overcome them:
because greater is he that is in you,
than he that is in the world.
Romans 8
:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that
loved us.
Ephesians 6
:10 Finally, my brethren,
be strong in the Lord,
and in the power of his might.
:11 Put on the whole armour of God,
that ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.
:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities,
against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness
of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in
high places.
:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God,
that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day,
and having done all, to stand.
Read on in Ephesians. God has given us all the tools to live victoriously in
this life. We are his children, He is intensely interested in taking care of us.
We are more than conquerors, we have the victory, walk like it.
:19 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books
together,
and burned them before all men:
and they counted the price of them,
and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
Do you know what the curious arts are? Ouija boards, tarot cards and black
magic, that is what curious arts are. People think these things are innocent
toys, others know there is something behind them but they are driven by devil
spirits that possess and take over the person's free will. They are not from the true
God. Only the true God gives you free will, eternal life and a
more-than-abundant life.
Paul preached the Word of God effectually. He spoke the accuracy of the Word
and people believed. People got delivered because they cleaned out their house
and their lives and turned to the one true God.
Then:
:20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
The Word of God grew mightily and prevailed over all Asia Minor because
born-again holy spirit-filled men and women spoke the powerful Word of God on
lips of believing and it was received with conviction and many saw deliverance.
When we understand the fullness of the Word of God in our lives we will see it
grow and prevail, we will see miracles, signs and wonders and we will see God
work in our lives and in the lives of those in our fellowships. God meant for
His Word to prevail and deliver people from darkness and ignorance. When
people find out that salvation is by grace and God's gift of holy spirit resides
within them giving them power, the Word of God can prevail.
How are we and our neighbors going to know God's Word?
Romans 10
:17 So then faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God.
We will not know God's Will unless we go to His Word. We will not see the
power of God work in our lives unless we believe what He has promised us. We
will not know what God has promised us unless we know the accuracy of His Word.
God is faithful to His Word and what He has promised He is able to perform. When
we believe it and speak it we will see results. When the Word of God starts to
unfold for people they are thrilled. God's Word makes us wise unto salvation
(Acts 17:11) and reveals mysteries (Romans 16:25, 26).
Acts 17
:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica,
in that they received the word with all readiness of
mind,
and searched the scriptures daily,
whether those things were so.
Receive the Word with readiness of mind and search the scriptures daily. Let
the Word of God prevail in our lives and see His power in manifestation.
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