Jesus said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests” (v. 14). The problem with what Jesus told them to do was that they couldn’t go to the priests. They were unclean. The only time a leper could go to a priest was if the leper had been cleansed. Then the priest would declare him cleansed and welcome him back into the community.
So what was Jesus doing? He was speaking the end result. The 10 lepers obeyed Jesus, and the Bible tells us that they were cleansed as they went. They took their faith as far as they could in the natural; then God added His “super” to it.
If we want to see the supernatural favor of God manifest in our lives, we’ve got to be completely honest with ourselves, because the one thing we lack may be the one thing we do not want to hear.
IF WE WANT TO SEE THE SUPERNATURAL FAVOR OF GOD MANIFEST IN OUR LIVES, WE’VE GOT TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST WITH OURSELVES, BECAUSE THE ONE THING WE LACK MAY BE THE ONE THING WE DO NOT WANT TO HEAR.
We also need to quit giving God excuses as to what we can’t do and what we don’t have. When God called Moses to lead His people out of bondage in Egypt, Moses felt inadequate. In essence, he told God that the task was too big; he had nothing going for him other than a stick in his hand. But God told Moses He could use that stick if Moses would take the situation as far as he could in the natural—and we know that when God added His “super” to that natural stick, the supernatural favor of God manifested time and time again.
The supernatural favor of God will manifest in our lives, too, if we are willing to take our faith as far as we can in the natural.
We Are More than Conquerors
In his letter to the Romans, Paul asked, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Rom. 8:35). Paul then went on to say, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (v. 37).
Without exception, Paul’s generation and every generation since have experienced their share of tribulation. But as we discussed in the previous chapter, the events that we are experiencing in this present day meet the criteria for what Jesus described as the last days. When Jesus’ disciples asked Him to show them the signs of the last days, Jesus talked about all kinds of calamities and chaos, such as wars, famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various places. He went on to say that there were two things believers must do to take their faith as far as they could in the natural:
And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet” (Matt. 24:4-6).
In order to take our faith as far as we can in the natural, so that God can add His “super” to it, we must first “take heed that no one deceives [us],” and second, “see that [we] are not troubled.” Jesus instructs believers to live in a troubled world without being troubled by it. How can we do this? How can we keep what is affecting the world from affecting us? By not being deceived. To avoid becoming deceived, we must refuse to allow the world’s word to supersede God’s Word.
When we say something like, “I know what the Word says, but …” we open the door to deception. “I know that the Bible says God will supply all my needs, but …” Get ready; you’re about to be deceived.
If we want to prevent ourselves from being deceived, we must get to the place where the Word of God is the final authority in our lives. When I first received the revelation about the authority of God’s Word more than 40 years ago, I didn’t know where to begin. But I determined that I was going to make the Word of God the final authority in my life, no matter what the world said, no matter what my circumstances said, and no matter what some Christians might even have to say. When I stopped conforming to the world’s norm, the troubles of the world had less and less effect on me, and the supernatural favor of God began manifesting in my life.
Jesus asserted that, in the last days, some terrible things would happen. All we have to do is watch the opening segment of a news report or pick up a newspaper to see that this world in which we live is indeed a troubled place. I am not denying that fact. I am not denying that you and I will come under attack or that we will have our challenges. I am not denying that we will from time to time experience the onslaughts of the enemy. What I am denying is the right of these troubles and attacks to affect me the way they affect those who are in the world.
Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18-19).
To be “chosen” means to be “set apart”—but not necessarily removed. Notice that Jesus didn’t ask His Father to take His disciples out of the world. Instead, He asked that they be kept from the evil one (see John 17:15).
TO BE “CHOSEN” MEANS TO BE “SET APART”—BUT NOT NECESSARILY REMOVED.
We should not have an escape mentality that says, Oh, God, take us out of this mess. A supernatural mentality says, I’m going to live right in the middle of this trouble and not be troubled by it. We can do just that because we are in the designated season when the supernatural favor of God is being poured out in abundance.
When Jesus says that He has chosen us out of the world, another meaning of “chosen” is “to be made distinct.” God has chosen us, set us apart, and made us distinct. I like to say that I’m a marked man. THE MESSAGE translation of Psalm 67:6-7 says, “You mark us with blessing, O God, our God.” We are marked for blessing. We are not to be like the rest of the world. There’s something distinctive about you and me, and that’s because Jesus is our Lord. His supernatural favor and blessing on us separate us from the rest of the world.
When I read my Bible through from the beginning, I’m constantly amazed at how God has always wanted a people whom He could hold up to the rest of the world like a trophy and say, “Look at them. This is what happens when I’m your God.” Israel is our biblical example of a distinctive people. God wanted other nations to look at the Israelites and say, “Their God is bigger and greater than our god.”
God’s plan has never changed. He is still looking for those whom He can hold up today, so He can say, “Look at the outpouring of supernatural favor that happens when I’m your God.” But as I said before, in order for God to add His “super” to our natural, we must first take our faith as far as it can go.
The Bible says, “For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it” (Heb. 4:2). This tells me that we can sit in the presence of the Word of God and hear the promises of God proclaimed, but—even though it is God’s intent to fulfill those promises in the lives of every person who will believe them—there are some who will not see them fulfilled.
This doesn’t mean that God is a respecter of persons, because the Bible makes it clear that He’s not. It simply means that some people will take the Word of God and mix it with their faith, taking their faith as far as it will go in the natural, and others will not. If we want God to add His “super” to our natural, we have to take hold of His Word and become aggressive with it. We can’t just hear it on Sunday and then not think about it again until the following Sunday. We have to confess God’s Word every day of the week, and we have to confess God’s favor every day of the week.
The devil is aggressive. He doesn’t just attack on Sunday; he attacks 24/7. He’s out to kill, steal and destroy. He doesn’t want us to experience the supernatural favor of God. He wants us to suffer. He wants us to come up short. He wants us to experience lack, to be sick, and to lose our jobs and everything else we have. He’s got one thing on his mind, and that’s making our lives miserable. But we don’t have to just sit back and take it.
&nb
sp; First Peter 5:8 says that the devil comes “like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” The Word doesn’t say the devil is a lion; it just says he’s trying to act like one. He will devour us—but only if we let him. If we understand our covenant with God and the authority we’ve been given over all the power of the enemy, instead of being devoured by trials, tribulations and troubles, we will have the supernatural favor of God to see us through them.
Peter said, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice” (1 Pet. 4:12-13). In other words, we shouldn’t be shocked when we go through trials and tribulations. It’s a part of life. Everybody experiences them. But notice that Peter says we are to rejoice. Why? Because we’ve come to understand and expect that we walk in a supernatural flow of the favor of God. And supernatural things happen when people expect the supernatural.
God is not holding anything back from us. He wants us to experience the supernatural, and He wants His Church to be the recipient of miracles in every encounter we have with Him. But we have to take our faith as far as it can go by expecting supernatural, miraculous encounters with God. So let’s determine not to settle for anything less than God’s best.
The time has come for us to move to a higher level of favor in God. I consider myself to have come a long way, but I know there is always a higher level to attain where God’s favor is concerned.
Won’t you join me now in answering His call to come up higher?
APPENDIX
TRUE STORIES OF THE FAVOR OF GOD
In this book, I have shared examples of how the favor of God has manifested in powerful ways in my life, and I hope that my stories will encourage you to seek God’s favor for yourself. But I don’t want you to rely on my testimony alone. During my years in ministry, I have had the privilege of speaking to countless brothers and sisters on this topic—and I have had the joy of seeing many of them apply the principles of God’s favor with amazing results.
Here are just a few testimonies of how God has worked supernaturally in His children’s lives as they have declared and depended on His favor in the face of different types of trials and needs. I have edited them from letters I have received over the years, but have kept them in first-person, as they are the stories of real people who have experienced the favor of God. As you read these accounts, I trust that you will be inspired to declare God’s favor in your own life, and I look forward to someday hearing you share how He responded by exercising His abundant grace and favor in your behalf.
Favor in the Midst of Collapse
Since learning about the favor of God, my wife, Linda, and I have been experiencing the promise of Deuteronomy 28:2, which says, “All these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God.”
I can actually look back and take inventory of the occurrences of God’s favor manifesting in many areas of our life. It has happened so many times that I now expect that favor to show up in my behalf.
Owning a real estate corporation in California has provided me with an excellent proving ground for a lifestyle of walking in faith. In a typical real estate transaction, there are many opportunities for problems to arise. I’ve found that difficulties often bring out either the worst or the best in those involved in the transaction, including buyers, sellers, lenders, agents, appraisers and inspectors. Regardless of the situation, I know that God is my source of supply, and that His favor surrounds me as a shield.
Before the housing market collapsed, our small firm was targeted by a worldwide real estate franchise whose profits were being impacted by our success. Not only did they court our employees, but they also threatened a lawsuit, claiming that the color we used on a portion of our yard sign violated their copyrighted signs. The favor of God delivered us from that situation, and the company that had come against us ended up closing their office in our area.
In 2006, we opened a second office, and the favor of God not only brought us $45,000 worth of new office furniture and equipment, but also enabled us to move in with very little start-up cost. When the market collapsed, and many of our agents had to find employment outside the real estate industry, we decided to close that office. But God’s favor provided us with a tenant that took over the lease and even paid us a commission for our services.
Prior to the collapse of the real estate market, I had negotiated to represent the developer of a housing tract slated to contain 28 homes, some of which were already under construction. When the market collapsed, the builder lost his funding, leaving 12 empty houses and an unfinished tract of land. For the next two years, I regularly drove through that tract, confessing that the favor of God would enable me to sell those homes. One day, I got a call from a construction company that had purchased the site and was going to complete the homes. A broker whom I had never met had given the new owners my name and told them to call me because I was a nice guy. The favor of God overtook me and made it possible for me to list and sell all 12 of the finished homes.
We have experienced God’s favor in receiving many listings from REO banks, and we have assisted countless buyers to secure homes. Every car we have owned since we first began to declare the favor of God has been paid off in less than a year. Our business remains profitable, and we have been able to help our children with their college and living expenses. The favor of God has given us vacations, parking spots, shopping deals and hotel rooms. In every type of situation, God always finds a way to make sure we are favored.
After having experienced the favor of God and an unending source of supply for so many years, Linda and I heard the Lord speak in 2010, saying that we needed to finish our commitments, sell our home, and be willing to move as He would direct us into ministry. We have been blessed to live in one of the nicest homes in our area, but the Lord told us that He has prepared a home that is much better for us. Although He said that we would not be able to understand until we see it, I believe Him, because He always favors us. As we prepare for the move, I declare daily that we will leave this place the same way the children of Israel left Egypt—with gold in our pockets.
I do not always know when, where or how it will happen, but the favor of God always shows up to bless me, my family, our business and our ministry. —Bill and Linda Sue
A Home of Their Own
For most of our married life, my wife and I have rented a house. We went through a bad buying-selling experience early in our marriage, and we did not want to go through that again. But as we started to learn about the favor of God, we realized that to experience God’s best, we needed to find out His will for us in various situations. So, we determined to do this in regard to owning a house.
After a season of listening to God, we began to feel that we should move to the Fort Worth, Texas, area. We spent many Sunday afternoons driving around Fort Worth, declaring the favor of God as we searched for just the right house. Two Scripture verses spoke powerfully to us during this time: “And I will provide a place for my people … so that they can have a home of their own” (2 Sam. 7:10, NIV), and “GOD himself will build you a house!” (2 Sam. 7:11, THE MESSAGE).
One Sunday evening, as we were driving past the community of Stephenville, located just southeast of Fort Worth, its lights seemed to beckon to us. We turned to each other and said, “This is home!” We realized that although we had been searching for a home in the right general area, we had not been looking in quite the right place. Stephenville was where God wanted us to be, and we believed that His favor would lead us to the right house there.
God confirmed His direction a short time later, when we ran into two friends at a restaurant where we were dining. One was a realtor who said that he’d just told his wife, “I need to get Jim and Margie a house.” Imagine his surprise when we told him that we agreed with him. We found favor with our bank, and we were quickly pre-approved for a loan. Now we just had to find our new home.
We looked at house a
fter house, but none of them seemed just right. When we found one that we thought we could make do, we put in an offer. But it already had an offer pending, so we kept looking. We found a neighborhood that we really liked, but we felt certain that the houses were out of our price range. To our surprise, our realtor told us that the properties in this neighborhood were in fact within our range, and we found one on a corner lot that really appealed to us. Unfortunately, it had a “sale pending” sign in the front yard.
We were becoming discouraged, yet we kept declaring the favor of God where our new house was concerned. One day, as we were driving around the neighborhood, collecting sales brochures, we noticed that the “sale pending” sign on the corner house was gone, and a “for sale” sign was up in its place. We contacted our agent and made an appointment to see the house that same day. Our realtor told us that the potential purchaser’s loan had fallen through only that morning. The minute we stepped inside that house, we knew that it was home. We wrote an offer, which was accepted immediately, and six weeks later we closed on our new house. God not only provided the down payment and closing costs, but He also provided money to buy new furniture for the house, which was twice the size of our rental.
When a friend came to visit us in our new home for the first time, she said, “I need to tell you one thing about your new house. I saw the one you moved from, and I know that most people would go one step up in size from that house, and then in time would take another step up into a house like this. But the two of you have gone from there to here in just one step.”
Margie turned to her and said, “That is the favor of God; we are blessed with His favor.” Other friends have also seen the favor of God upon our lives. Some do not know what it is, but we do—and we give Him all the glory and praise. As the prophet Isaiah writes, “All who see them [in their prosperity] will recognize and acknowledge that they are the people whom the Lord has blessed” (Isa. 61:9, AMP). —Jim and Margie
The Favor of God Page 16
