Believe God’s Prophet’s And Prosper! :By James Lantz
God has always protected and prospered those who place their trust in Him and delight in the keeping of His commandments. David the psalmists writes these anointed words, I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. The Lord is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed! David also prophesied that he did not lack for any good thing because the Lord was his shepherd. David spoke of the Lord’s provision, His guidance, and the restoring of his soul. He prophesied about God providing a feast for him right here in this curse filled earth where the devil is the god of this world. David spoke of God’s anointing and the over flow and future blessings for all those who believe. Ps. 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. God has not changed in His desire to prosper and to heal all who set their love on Him, as evidenced by the writings of the elder John. 3 John 2 ASV Beloved, I pray that in all things thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. The apostle John reveals God’s great desire and ability to prosper His precious children and keep them in good health as they keep their minds stayed on Him.
You have probably heard someone say, I just can’t believe that, but it would have been more accurate for them to have said, I choose not to believe that. Each of us are to discern and believe the truth, which is the word of God, and refuse to believe the lies of the enemy. All of us have erred in believing something untrue at one time or another but just believing something doesn’t make it true.
The Very Nature Of Faith Is Believing Before Seeing!
Faith, by its very nature, believes before seeing, feeling or experiencing that thing which is expected! Heb. 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Jesus said that we are to have the faith of God. Mark 11:22 YLT And Jesus answering saith to them, `Have faith of God; The faith of God believes in the heart and speaks forth from the mouth! The faith that comes from God comes by hearing what God says or what He has already said in His word. Faith to receive eternal life comes by hearing words from God! Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Faith to receive healing comes by hearing what God said about your healing! 1 Pet. 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. Peter is not making these words up, but rather speaking by the inspiration of the Spirit of God of that which God has accomplished through Jesus suffering with our sins and our sicknesses, so that we can walk uprightly with God and be well. We take the healing that Jesus purchased for us the same way that we took our salvation, by believing in our heart and confessing with our mouth. Mark 11:24 . . . What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
God knows the end from the beginning! He chose us in Christ before He created the world for us to live in and care for! Eph. 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: God restored the dominion and authority that the first Adam lost, through Christ, the second Adam, and rules through us. Rom. 5:17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. God does nothing in the earth without revealing it to His prophets first! Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. God has His prophets announce what He is about to do and also warn of coming judgement. Noah warned the people about the great flood that was coming and acted in faith to save his family by building the ark. Abraham believed God to receive his promised son and through covenant with the Almighty God made the blessing available to every family in the earth! Moses was raised up to deliver God’s people from Egyptian bondage! Enoch prophesied about the last day, referred to as the day of the Lord, or the day of God’s wrath when Jesus will return to put God’s enemies under His feet. Jude 1:14&15 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. The Almighty knows how people are going to respond thousands of years before they are born and He has foreseen this coming day of a people who will refuse to repent.
King Jehoshaphat almost lost his life, because he joined himself to help wicked King Ahab in a battle. Jehoshaphat allowed the four hundred lying prophets to influence his decision while spurning the true word of the Lord through Micaiah. God sent another prophet to bring a word of correction to Jehoshaphat as he returned home from the battle. 2 Chron. 19:2 And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD. Jehoshaphat then prepared his heart to seek God and worked to bring the people of Judah back to the Lord God of their fathers. After this, a great multitude of an army came against Judah to destroy them but this time King Jehoshaphat looks to the Lord. 2 Chron. 20:3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 2 Chron. 20:4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
Fear Not, Nor Be Dismayed, For The Lord Is With You!
Jehoshaphat stood before the congregation that gathered there and besought God’s help to deliver them from this great multitude that was coming against them. Jehoshaphat acknowledged in his prayer that God was a powerful God who ruled over the kingdoms of the heathen and that none could withstand Him. He reminded God that that this multitude coming against them were a people that their forefathers had shown mercy to in obedience to His instructions. 2 Chronicles 20:12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee. After Jehoshaphat prayed the Spirit of the Lord came on the prophet Jahaziel in their midst. 2 Chron. 20:15-17 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.
2 Chron. 20:20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
Their responsibility was to believe and to set themselves for battle and watch. They put the singers in front of their soldiers to praise the beauty of His holiness and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. As they began to sing and to praise, God caused the enemy army to fight against each other until they were all destroyed. Believing, praising, and thanking God go together!
2 Chron. 20:20 . . . Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
War A Good Warfare Through The Prophecies Gone Before Us!
1 Timothy 1:18&19 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
