Tag Archives: solution

Can God provide in our time the same way He did in the past?

Can God provide in our time in the same way, I mean the supernatural way, as He did in the past?

The answer is, yes, He can provide in the same supernatural way as He did in the past, and the biblical basis for this assurance is found, in principle, in the words of the writer to the Hebrews:

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Jesus is God, the declaration of the apostle John leaves it fully established: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;[1]  and since there is only one true God,[2] we proclaim with certainty of faith, that God is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

For his part, the apostle James also states in his apostolic writings that in God there is no shadow of turning,

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

So, based on these two pillars of faith and divine operation, we loudly proclaim that yes, God can provide today in the same supernatural way as He did in the past.

The problem we face in the present times, however, is not because God does not want to provide, or because God acts with those of this time in a different way from those of the past, or worse, because God acts towards Israel in one way and towards the Gentiles in another, explanations that the reader will surely have heard from more than one preacher as an explanation (excuse) of why we do not see the same supernaturality of God in the present.

The problem is the arrogance of the people of faith not to be willing to go to the ultimate consequences to see God act, but to immediately seek solutions that shorten the waiting time and thus abort any possibility of God intervening in the midst of crisis situations.

The people of faith suffer from a problem of unbelief, which although it highlights the fact that God has a “purpose” with the presence of the tests of faith, at the same time there is no certainty that the provision will come directly from the Lord.

It is convenient, then, that we establish several guiding postulates that help us understand how God provides, and above all, to help us change our paradigms of operation as men/women of faith.

  • God’s provision is available to all who believe, and who are operating within the purposes of the Kingdom of God.

God’s provision is linked to the purposes that God has established for the person and/or for the region. Let’s look at it in more detail. The doctrine of Jesus states that the man/woman of faith is assured of God’s provision without the need for him/her to demand it in prayer:

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Mathew 6:25-26

In the teaching that Jesus presented to His disciples, He explained that the anguish of not having provision is not the fruit of the Kingdom of Heaven;

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. Mathew 6:31-32

He further explained that the provision for the man/woman of faith is linked to God’s purposes with the person, and/or with the inhabitants of the region,

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Mathew 6:33-34

So, we conclude, God’s provision is linked to God’s purposes with the person, which means that, first of all, the first thing we must review in our life of faith is God’s purpose, particularly if we are within the revealed purposes for that moment, because even if there is no sin involved, it could be that someone is walking outside of the revealed purposes, and persists in moving on actions and/or decisions that have already expired.

We all know that the purposes of God are developed in function of the operations of the Spirit,[3] not all the time we keep developing the same actions, there are different demands from God as we develop and grow ministerially; in fact, the Revelation that God gives is also in function of the operations of the Spirit to which we are called.

The reader can see briefly how Paul’s ministry transcended from a function as a teacher of the Word,[4] until he became an apostle of the faith;[5] in the development of his ministerial trajectory he was operated by the Spirit in other functions according to the operation of the Spirit for the place, he confesses that the Spirit made him a “preacher” (κηρυξ),[6] which shows his function as a “settler” of the Kingdom of God; in another of his writings he recognizes having received such a Word of authority, capable of establishing among men the ministry of reconciliation (καταλλαγης).[7]

The reader should not see these titles as different ways of identifying the same person, in this case, Paul, but should see, the description of operations of the Spirit according to the purpose that the apostle fulfilled in the regions he visited; so for example, a preacher is not the one who preaches the word, although it may seem so at present, but the one who establishes the Kingdom, and not every ministry has the capacity to do so; likewise, not every ministry has the spiritual capacity to establish reconciliation among the inhabitants of a place.

So, we conclude that God’s provision is dispensed according to the operation of the Spirit, and according to God’s purpose with the person and/or with the place. It’s not just a matter of praying, but of finding out what purpose you are fulfilling in your moment, on God’s behalf.

  • God’s provision is tied to a particular person; it is he or she who holds the key to delivering it.

Don’t find it strange what we have just affirmed, as part of the operations of the Spirit, and as part of the functions of the members in the Body of Christ, God determines that specific persons are in charge of “opening” God’s provision for others. It is not for everyone.

Joseph son of Jacob was chosen by God from among his brothers to “open up” God’s provision of life for a whole people, the Egyptians, and for his brothers:

39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 40 thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. 41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. 42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 43 and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. 44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. Genesis 41:39-44

In general terms, the person who “opens” the provision, man or woman, is because of the “virtue” he or she has received from God for that purpose; the book of Proverbs identifies the case of a woman whom it calls “a virtuous woman”:

10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. 11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. 12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. Proverbs 31:10-12

In the doctrine of Jesus it is established that there are people in charge of “opening” God’s provision in their time:

Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Matthew 24:45

In the ministry of Jesus there were people in particular charged with providing specific provisions for the operations of Jesus; we have the case of the one who provided the colt in which Jesus entered Jerusalem in fulfillment of the prophetic Word of Zechariah,

and saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. Mark 11:2 (Zachariah 9:9)

We also have the case of the one who provided the space where Jesus celebrated the Passover on the night He was betrayed,

And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples. Matthew 26:18

The book of Acts of the Apostles describes seven servants full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, who were placed to “distribute” God’s provision for the Jerusalem community, particularly among the widows, and as a result the Word of the Gospel grew extraordinarily:

And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. Acts 6:7

God operates in this way so that communities of faith learn to interact and depend on each other. In our time there are many ministers who shun the idea of receiving instructions from others, because ministerial independence is nourished.

  • Many of our acts establish shortages

It is a reality in many of our faith communities, there are even ministers who contribute to it with their preaching.

The spiritual principle of this evil is found in the book of Proverbs:

Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment. Proverbs 13:23

These are actions that are done in violation of God’s Word. We will cite several cases.

  • Standing up against a covenant establishes a shortage of provision even if you have the resources to acquire it.

The case that best exemplifies this is the case of Saul in relation to the Gibeonites. The Gibeonites were a people who managed to make an alliance with the Hebrews in Joshua’s time, although by deception, the Gibeonites managed to get Joshua and the elders of the time to commit to them that their people would not be destroyed,

And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them. Joshua 9:15

Saul did not consider the spiritual value of the word of an anointed of God, and he ignored the covenant that Joshua and the elders of the people made, and attacked the Gibeonites, the result of which brought three years of famine upon the land:

Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites. 2 Samuel 21:1

Many people of faith attract scarcity to their respective homes, and even to their own communities of faith, because they have risen against covenants that God has established within their communities, and/or within their own homes.

Many have brought scarcity into their homes by opposing God-established ministries, by rising up against them in gossip and slander, and by distorting their work. Personal scarcity also comes from divorces not authorized by God (there are divorces authorized by God). These shortages are accentuated in times of national crisis.

  • To do God’s instructions half-heartedly, or to alter them, attracts scarcity.

Saul’s case of altering God’s instruction to destroy the Amalekites, including their cattle, meant for Saul the destitution of the kingdom, bringing to his house scarcity and extermination.

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king. 1 Samuel 15:23

God demands the literal fulfillment of His Word and the instructions He gives, and anyone who violates them violates God’s provision for his house. The foundation of this instruction is found in Abraham’s obedience;

And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. Genesis 22:12

Not knowing the results of meeting God’s demand to sacrifice his son, Isaac, Abraham himself established as the law of the kingdom, that on the mountain of the Lord it shall be provided.

Hence, the Bible requires that the man/woman of faith who has failed to comply with the literal execution of the Lord’s Word, should be accounted for as soon as possible,

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18

This is the teaching established in the doctrine of Jesus,

leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Matthew 5:24

It is the demand according to the Law of the Spirit of Life:

Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. Job 22:27

Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: Psalm 50:14

  • Resistance to moving in the direction the Spirit points out attracts scarcity.

God asks men/women of faith to move in one direction, and gives instructions for it, the example we have in the instructions God gave to Moses in his journey through the desert,

The Lord our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount: Deuteronomy 1:6

The resistance that the man/woman of faith presents to God’s instruction to move in the direction that the Spirit of God points out to him/her brings shortages to his/her house, and even to his/her community of faith. Jesus presented this in the form of a parable:

20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: 21 for I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow….    24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. Luke 19:20-24

And then, He added:

For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. Luke 19:26

As you can see, scarcity comes from the reluctance of men/women of faith to move in the direction the Spirit is leading them, and they attract scarcity to their lives, ministries, and even their congregations. The apostle James presented this in the following words:

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. James 4:17

In conclusion, as we have seen, God provides, and does so abundantly, that is His nature; the Psalmist David sums it up in the following words,

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Psalm 23:5

The apostle Paul presents this way of being of God as one of his attributes,

15 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. Colossians 1:15-17

God can provide in the same supernatural way as He did in the past, the problem of the lack of supernatural provision for our time is not in Him, it is in His people, in the people who confess His name, because they do not know Him, because their leaders preach skepticism, and they do not succeed in establishing faith among their communities, because they do not know the Word of the Lord.

The time is right for correction, for correction in Truth and Righteousness. Only those who are willing to reach the ultimate consequences, and humble themselves by correcting and admitting their faults before their community, will obtain Mercy and the appropriate help.

Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. Isaiah 5:13

The biblical quotations are taken from the Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)

Pastor Pedro Montoya

WhatsApp 1 (407) 764-2699

Follow us on Twitter: @pastormontoya

https://earthenwarevessels.com/

[1]         John 1:1

[2]         Deuteronomy 6:4: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:

[3] 1st. Corinthians 12:6

[4] Acts 13:1

[5] Romans 1:1; 1st. Corinthians 1:1; 15:9

[6] 1st. Timothy 2:7; 2nd. Timothy 1:11

[7] 2nd. Corinthians 5:18-19

Can God help in time of crisis? And if He helps, how does He do it?

That we may walk in faith according to the Gospel of Grace we have accepted, which we proclaim as the Gospel of timely relief

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10

Surely we are all familiar with the evangelizing slogan that many Pentecostal-type churches have used in the past to show how God intervenes in each person’s personal situation, I mean the expression: God is the answer!

Now, I find it necessary to write precisely not about such a slogan, but rather about the word of trust that a son or daughter of faith has in the help that Jesus offers in the midst of times of crisis.

Can God help in time of crisis? Yes, God definitely intervenes, and helps in the midst of times of crisis, and He does so literally. It is enough to open any book of the Bible where the suffering, individual or collective, of one who has willingly believed in Him is narrated, as to realize the miraculous and supernatural way that God uses to “save” those who invoke Him. The Bible also tells us that God is the same for all centuries,[1] that in Him there is no shadow of variation;[2] this, for those who can argue that such supernatural intervention was a thing of the past, and that in the present He does so only through the scientific resources that man has developed.

God helps, and spares no effort or resource in doing so; this foundation of faith is laid down by David in his Psalms, when he acknowledges that God does not abandon those who wait upon Him,

I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. Psalm 37:25

So we have two strong strengths of faith to which we can turn to sustain our confidence that He will do, and not leave us ashamed; the testimony of what God did in the past, and the testimony of a man – David – who saw how God brought him out from behind his father’s sheep to place him as king of Israel.

How does God help? This is the part that we need to understand, because in many cases we pretend to see the solution, or we ask for the solution to come as we ask for it; and unfortunately, we do not manage to see the help that God gave us, and how He saved us in the middle of the crisis.

The first thing we need to understand, and establish as a foundation of faith, is that crises confront all inhabitants of the earth, believers or unbelievers. This is necessary to establish properly, because unfortunately a religious philosophy has been inserted into the Gospel that seeks to establish “immunity” from crises to one who has believed in the Lord.

There is no biblical basis that we can cite to say that a son/daughter of the faith is exempt from crises; even if we see the reference in Psalm 91: A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee, we shall see that in that psalm no immunity is proclaimed, but rather protection when things for the time being have been raging against us; the conclusion of the same psalm explains it better: I will be with him in trouble: I will deliver him, and honour him.

We will be confronted by crises on more than one occasion, by natural situations in the regions where we live, as the psalmist well warns in another of his psalms,

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

Or, simply, because spiritually we have been chosen as a target by the darkness of the place,

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: Luke 22:31 (see also the case of Job: Job 1:8-12)

In any case, when God allows us to go through such critical experiences, He does so to strengthen our faith, as the apostle Peter explains,

that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 1st. Peter 1:7

Or, to establish a testimony before those who know us, of faith in His name.

Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed. Psalm 79:10

Trust in God is measured not by how well people think of you as a man/woman of God, but by how they see you reacting in the midst of difficulties.

Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? Psalm 115:2

The apostle Peter explains that critical times establish the best way to witness to faith in Jesus,

but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 1st. Peter 3:15

The second thing that we need to understand is the way God helps, and to do this we must bear in mind that God does not solve the difficulties, nor does He give us the solution in the terms that we ask Him, it is not the way to operate in God, nor the way to help His saints; in other words, God is not a problem solver. God makes us go through the events without suffering the same damage as the one who does not have his trust in the Lord, this is the way God helps. The explanation is presented by the Lord Jesus Himself, when He said

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

In other of His teachings, Jesus explained that the way to remain unaffected by critical situations is to embrace the Peace that He gives to those who understand how He operates,

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27

The help that God gives does not consist in the solution of the conflict or the crisis, in the style of how we ask Him, that is an unbiblical argument, it is a philosophical and religious argument; the help that God gives consists in not letting us suffer the same damage that affected the one who did not trust in the Lord. The psalmist David states that God sends angels to watch over and deliver from danger,

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. Psalm 91:11

The psalmist David also states that God delivers his people from being convicted of infamy,

He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth. Psalm 57:3

And save also the unrighteous who rise up to smite the righteous,

The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Psalm 110:2

The third thing we must understand is about the joy we must show in the midst of critical times. Jesus established in his doctrine that the life of faith does not consist in the things you have, but in the joy and rejoicing in the things you have, even if they are few,

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Matthew 6:25

And He added, that in this consists the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven,

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33

The apostle Paul, for his part, stated in his epistle to the Thessalonians that a son/daughter of faith must be content with everything that happens to him:

In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1st. Thessalonians 5:18

In another of his epistles, Paul states that the measure of faith is based on the contentment that the man/woman of faith develops for the things they have, as sufficient things, without desiring others:

I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Philippians 4:12

In another of his teachings, Paul stated that the life of faith is strengthened in the satisfaction of seeing oneself not as one who needs material things to be satisfied with life,

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; Romans 5:3

All this, so that we may eventually become guides to those who embraced faith in Jesus, and help them reach that for which they were also reached,

who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 2nd. Corinthians 1:4

Peace that surpasses all understanding be with you.

The biblical quotations are taken from the Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)

Pastor Pedro Montoya

WhatsApp 1 (407) 764-2699

Follow us on Twitter: @pastormontoya

https://earthenwarevessels.com/

[1] Hebrews 13:8

[2] James 1:7