BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

B V O V : 2 9 whether we had to go in rain, ice or snow, we went because we wanted to have faith and we knew that faith came from hearing the Word. We still keep a steady stream of God's Word fl owing into our hearts. If I'm going to live every day by faith, I need to be strong in the Word every day. If I'm not, my faith will dwindle and I can't aŸ ord that. I can't aŸ ord to be a lazy Christian because the devil is out there waiting to get a shot at me. He's looking for an opportunity to steal away the blessings Jesus bought for me and I don't want to give it to him. When the Devil Puts the Squeeze on You Actually, if it weren't for the devil, living by faith would be a cakewalk. There would be hardly any eŸ ort to it at all. God's Word about everything He's done for us through Christ Jesus is so wonderful that it's easy to agree with. The fi rst time we hear it, we're usually so happy about it that we want to shout all the way home from church. But after a few days have passed and the devil starts pressuring us with symptoms, circumstances and discouraging lies, we fi nd that some eŸ ort is required to continue to believe God. That's why it's so vital for us to keep our hearts full of God's Word. By keeping it before our eyes and going in our ears, it will be in our hearts in abundance and come out of our mouths in faith. Because when pressure comes, what comes out of us will be what is in us in greatest abundance. As Jesus said, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overfl ow of his heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45, New International Version-84). If God's Word about healing is abundantly stored in your heart, then when symptoms of sickness come, you'll begin resisting those symptoms and speaking faith. Almost without thinking about it, you'll say, "Oh, no you don't, devil. You're not putting that sickness on me. I'm the healed of the Lord. Jesus paid the price for me to be well and I intend to be well, so you just take your symptoms and get out of here!" However, if you've spent more time thinking about natural things than you have the Word, it will be a diŸ erent story. You'll probably just lie down and take it when the devil uses sickness to put the squeeze on you. You'll say, "Oh, dear. I feel terrible. I believe I'm getting sick. I'd better go to bed." Like it or not, that kind of pressure comes to every Christian because—for the time being—the devil is still operating in the earth. He is a thief and a liar who comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). He wants to rob us of the abundant life that Jesus has provided for us and he does it by challenging our faith. How should we respond to that challenge? By holding fast to the Word of God and absolutely, positively refusing to give up until we see His promises manifested in our lives. Know Within Yourself There are no two ways about it, sometimes that can be pretty tough. Not because the devil is so strong and powerful—he's not. The Bible says he's already been disarmed. He has been brought to nothing! Even so, he is still a very good liar. He can really paint a bleak picture. He can whisper negative thoughts in your ear and make your situation look so bad that you may fi nd yourself wanting to quit. When that happens, we must follow the instructions given to the early Church when they were facing great persecution for their faith. Unbelievers were literally plundering their houses and stealing their possessions in an attempt to get them to renounce Jesus. Yet the writer of Hebrews says to them: Ye…took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confi dence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul (Hebrews 10:34-39). According to these verses, in order to receive what God has promised us—whether that be healing or any other scriptural blessing—we must know within no you don't, devil. You're not putting that sickness on me. I'm the healed of the Lord. Jesus paid the price for me to be well and I intend to be well, so him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul (Hebrews 10:34-39). Change someone's life by the work you do. Use Your Talents for the Kingdom! Visit kcm.org /careers

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