Andrew Wommack's Blog, page 23

A Great Adventure Awaits

Saddle up your horses, we’ve got a trail to blaze
Through the wild blue yonder of God’s amazing grace
Let’s follow our Leader into the glorious unknown
This is a life like no other…this is the great adventure

I remember listening to those words back in the 1990s. They’re from the song The Great Adventure by Steven Curtis Chapman. As a fairly new single parent at the time, I wouldn't have used the word “adventure” to describe my life. Spending too much time working and not enough time at my kids’ baseball games, the days—and years—went by in a blur.

Even so, there were things to be thankful for. My kids were awesome. I had a good church family and some really good friends, and my mom and dad were never more than a phone call away.

But in my heart, I knew there was more.

True, my church was great. We believed in the gifts of the Spirit and in the power of God. But as I sat there one day, I couldn’t help thinking, Is this really all there is to this Christian life? Where are the signs, wonders, and miracles that I read about all through the Bible? If God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, why are we not doing what those New Testament believers did?

If you had asked me at that time, I would have told you that I was a disciple of Jesus Christ. But back in Jesus’ day, it was understood that disciples were supposed to be able to do what their rabbi did. So, if I was truly a disciple, why was my life void of the obvious supernatural life of the God who lived inside me? Why was my life so...natural?

From that moment, I began a quest—which is still ongoing—prompted by a holy dissatisfaction with the status quo. To date, my quest has involved two relocations to different areas of the country, new church families, a career change, and three years at Charis Bible College. I’m following my Leader into the great unknown. I may not know where I’m going, but I know He does.

I am reminded of something one of the instructors is fond of saying: “There’s something about life that’s so daily.”

If “daily” describes your life and you’re looking for an adventure in God, break away from the familiar and head to the Summer Family Bible Conference in Woodland Park, Colorado, from July 3-7. The week will be chock-full of powerful praise and worship, teaching tailored to each member of your family, and plenty of time for you to explore The Sanctuary campus and the picturesque Woodland Park area.

The bottom line? I think Steven Curtis Chapman says it best:

So, come on, get ready for the ride of your life
Gonna leave long-faced religion in a cloud of dust behind
And discover all the new horizons waiting to be explored
This is what we were created for

Give Where You’re Going

What are you believing God for in your life? Is it to own your own home? To get married? To have children? Maybe you know what God has called you to do, but it’s a matter of…well…getting there. While there is a place for waiting on God and His timing and direction, there is something you can do. One way you can see doors open for you is by giving where you want to go. Opened doors are one of the many benefits of becoming a financial partner with a ministry that you trust. You can exercise your faith for direction and open doors through the giving of your finances. Matthew 9:29 says, “According to your faith be it unto you.”

In Andrew’s teaching series Financial Stewardship, one of his messages, “Your Partnership in the Kingdom,” speaks directly to this:

“If you really want to prosper, here’s one way to do it: Find a ministry that is doing something big…bigger than [you]. They’re reaching out. They’re touching other people. This could be a church. It could be a television ministry. It could be a missionary. It could be anything. But [find] somebody who has a big vision that’s going to take a lot of money, and you become a partner with them. And you know how God gets that money to that minister? He sends it to his partners. He sends it to people. So, if you want to prosper, find a ministry that needs a lot of money [and] become a partner with them. God will send that money to you to get it through you to them, and He will prosper you supernaturally.”

What if it’s hard for you to trust God with your finances? I get it! It’s your time and effort wrapped up in a single paycheck. But Luke 16:10 says, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.” So, what this means is that your finances are actually considered a small thing—“that which is least” (emphasis mine). If you’re not where you want to be, don’t stop until you get to God’s perfect will. Jesus has a knack for increasing what you give to Him.

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

Luke 6:38

In a way, you’re actually giving yourself to God when you give financially, and this makes a way for Him to multiply you.

So, prayerfully consider becoming a financial partner with a ministry, mission, or person going in the direction you feel a pull toward. Also, if you want to hear more about your partnership in the kingdom, get Andrew’s Financial Stewardship series.

Where do you want to go?

Please post a comment below if this has encouraged you.

Look Higher!

Recently I was watching the Praise show on the Trinity Broadcasting Network with Andrew Wommack as a guest. One of the first things he said got
my attention:

“Most people aren’t even believing for God’s best.”

What holds you back from believing for God’s best? For many, I’d say it’s some kind of feeling of unworthiness; that is, they think it would be presumptuous or selfish to want more than what they need. But did you know that it’s actually selfish to think only about your needs? Why? Because you can’t be a blessing to others if only your needs are met (2 Cor. 8:12)! God’s best is for you to have a surplus of prosperity. That’s exactly what He
told Abram:

“I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.”

Genesis 12:2, New King James Version

I believe God was trying to set Abram’s sights higher. He wants to do the same thing for you. You’ve got to believe that God is on your side and that He wants the very best for you. That’s His heart. He’s into “much fruit”
(John 15:8).

In my life, I haven’t gotten very far when I’ve entertained the thought that God would abandon me when I needed Him most. That kind of thinking is based on a lie, because God said,“I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5, NKJV, emphasis mine).

There’s no way I’ll receive God’s very best if I’m not fully convinced that He is with me. And guess what? That’s part of faith, which is what Andrew goes on to say during the program:

“So, the first step is, people have to begin to start believing for God’s best.”

As Christians, we can live by playing too much defense. But that’s not who we are. It’s not how God sees us. If we’re going to receive His best, we need to be on the offense. What does that look like? We’ve got to have a sense of identity that we won’t accept anything less than what God has promised us. It’s our right! As Andrew told the hosts, “People have to kind of be given a holy dissatisfaction with being like everybody else, and we need to start living up to God’s standards.”

So, if God came to you and asked what you wanted of Him, would you ask for His very best? If you truly want to be a blessing to others, you should. God is on your side. If you sometimes have trouble seeing that, watch the hourlong interview with Andrew on TBN. He discusses his new book, Living in God’s Best, which you can order from Amazon. Renewing your mind is a process, and what Andrew says in this teaching will really help!

Also, please comment below about how you’re going to start seeing that God is for you and wants you blessed.

Worth the Wait

But, certain that I had heard from the Lord, I decided to attend Campus Days 2009. From start to finish, it was amazing—from the worship, to the teaching, to the tour of the college, to the first-year student named Rhonda who “adopted” me for the duration of the three-day event. Taking me and a few others under her wing, she went out of her way to make us feel welcome and comfortable. Before we all left to return home, one of the other “adoptees” paid my application fee so I could enroll in the college! I returned home with high hopes, even though I had no idea how God was going to work
everything out.

Four years later, I was still in my home state of Florida, and I didn’t seem any closer to making it to Charis Colorado than I did when I left Campus Days.

Growing frustrated and even a little anxious, I decided to visit one of the Charis campuses in my state. Perhaps the Lord wanted me to attend a local campus so I could stay close to family. Brimming with anticipation, I visited Charis Jacksonville. But as wonderful as it was, I didn’t receive any confirmation from the Spirit that I was supposed to attend there. I headed home in tears.

Fast forward one year. After I sold my home and put my stuff in storage, I packed my car and headed for Colorado with my first year’s tuition in hand. My time had come.

Finally!

But you know what? It was worth the wait. And as I stood in line the day I registered for classes, something amazing happened. Standing in front of me was Rhonda, that same first-year student I’d met more than five years earlier! She had taken a break after graduating from second year and was returning for Third Year.

Has God whispered “Charis” in your ear? Have you felt Him tugging at your heart? It’s not too late to make plans to attend Campus Days 2017, April 20-22 in Woodland Park, Colorado. There you’ll experience firsthand Charis’s culture of love, transparency, and excellence. Attendees will meet and mingle with Andrew and other Charis instructors, sit in on classes, tour the campus, learn about the local community, and receive practical relocation information. You can register for this three-day event at CampusDays.org. If you’re not able to make the trip to Colorado, you don’t have to miss out! Tune in via our
live stream.

I’m just finishing up Third-Year Ministry School at Charis, and for the first time in my life, I feel like I’m finally beginning to tap into what God’s plan has been all along. I don’t have all the answers yet, but one thing I know for sure—the best is yet to come!

Blessed to Be a Blessing

Chances are, at some point or another, you’ve heard the question: “If there’s a God, why is there so much evil and injustice in the world?” I found myself in such a conversation with someone not long ago. As is common, the person I was speaking to pointed to world poverty and asked why God doesn’t do something to help the poor.

Although I didn’t say it aloud, I wondered, What does this person expect God to do—rain money down from the clouds? God is a good, loving God. It’s certainly not His will for people to live in poverty and go without having their basic needs met. And, because He’s God and has thought of everything, He already has a plan for meeting the world’s needs. It’s found in Deuteronomy 8:18: “It is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant” (New King James Version). 

The covenant that God extended to the world isn’t only spiritual; it also includes material wealth, health, peace, and everything else He has to give. Of all the ways God could “establish His covenant” on the earth, He opted to use us—the body of Christ! What a privilege—and responsibility—we have to partner with Him in ministering to the world’s spiritual and material needs.

In Financial Stewardship, Andrew explains that “prosperity really isn’t for us. It’s so that we can be a blessing. It enables us to bless others.” The problem is that religion has taught the church that prosperity is evil and selfish and that we should avoid it at all costs if we want to be godly. This mindset accepts that poverty equals humility and godliness.

Those who believe this only want enough of God’s blessings to get by. They’re fine with just a little because they don’t want to be selfish. But 2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” God wants us to abound to every good work. We can’t abound in helping others if we’re broke ourselves!

Viewing prosperity from a true biblical perspective, we’re selfish if we’re not abounding, because that means we aren’t able to give to others. According to Andrew’s teaching in Financial Stewardship, we need to start prospering so we can abound to every good work. This is why God wants us to prosper. He wants to bless us so that He can make us a blessing. We can’t bless others if we aren’t blessed.

If every Christian had the right attitude toward prosperity—understanding that prosperity isn’t selfish, but a blessing that God wants to get to us—I believe we could eradicate world hunger and poverty and send the Gospel around the globe. God’s not going to rain money down on people. He’s waiting for us to believe Him for prosperity so we, “having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”

Please share a comment below if this has ministered to you!

His Sacrifice Was Enough

Easter is the time of year when we celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Some Easter celebrations are simple, like flying kites or eating hot cross buns or lighting bonfires. Others, however, are more on the extreme side.

Some cultures celebrate by wearing bizarre costumes or staging a fireworks battle. Others burn effigies of Judas Iscariot. In some places, animal sacrifice is a common practice. Elsewhere, self-flagellation—whipping oneself—is not unheard of. People will carry heavy religious objects to show their devotion. During some reenactments of Jesus’ crucifixion, the actors playing Jesus will wear genuine crowns of thorns and carry weighty crosses.

Why do people do such things? It may be because they want others to understand what Jesus experienced. But most do these things in the name of penance. They are trying to atone for the wrong they have done, and they’re using religious means to do it.

While the Scriptures do tell us that we are crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20), that’s not meant in a literal sense. We don’t have to be physically crucified like Jesus was. His sacrifice was enough. And that’s what a lot of people
miss—His sacrifice was enough.

Our acts of penance, or self-punishment, for our sins are unnecessary. In fact, they’re as much an offense to God as sin is. We cannot atone for ourselves. We cannot appease God’s wrath. The whole first part of Hebrews 10 talks about how the sacrifices made in the Old Testament times weren’t enough to save people.

For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take
away sins.

Hebrews 10:4

But that same chapter also tells us that “by one offering he [Jesus] hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Heb. 10:14, brackets added). The repeated offerings of bulls and goats couldn’t remove sin, but one offering by Jesus was more than enough.

Something else these people are missing is the understanding that what Jesus did more than satisfied the debt. Nothing can be added to His sacrifice. It can’t be improved upon. So, if He paid it all, there’s nothing left for us to pay. Acts of penance are pointless. All they do is say that what Jesus did wasn’t enough.

The cross wasn’t a down payment on the sin debt and now we have to make monthly payments on the balance. No! There’s no debt left! And the sooner we realize that and start living our lives based on that knowledge, the better off we’ll be.

We can’t live our New Testament lives with an Old Testament mindset. All those sacrifices in the Old Testament kept people aware of their sins. But praise God that we have been set free. We have been translated into a new kingdom (Col. 1:13) where God no longer remembers our sins (Heb. 10:17). But we have to choose if we’re going to live by works or by the grace Jesus has provided (Rom. 11:6). Of course, we know that works won’t achieve salvation. This is a multiple-choice question, and we already have the answer to it.

Our trying to add to Jesus’ accomplished work is like finger-painting on the Mona Lisa—we’re just ruining a masterpiece. We need to step back into God’s way of doing things and trust in His plan.

To find out more about what the cross means to us as believers, check out Andrew’s The Power of the Cross teaching.

Hearing God in the Secret Place

The pain had awakened me again. I sat up in my bed, tears slowly slipping down my cheeks, and put my hands to my ears. I had been suffering with pain in my sinuses and ears for several weeks by this point, with no clear reason as to why. Not only was I in pain, but I was also losing my hearing and getting sicker by the day. Where once I could hear the softest sounds, now I could barely hear my alarm clock blaring in the morning, telling me to get up.

The pain woke me up every night for nearly two months. During those times of sleeplessness and pain, all I could do was cry and pray. I knew God hadn’t left me. I knew healing was mine. But I wasn’t seeing the manifestation.

On this night in particular, I woke up at around two in the morning, crying and wishing for the pain and pressure to leave. Slowly a melody came to my mind. A few words then followed:

Those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty…

It was a song from a musical produced by Charis Bible College, God with Us, which I had been a part of for the last few years. I couldn’t get the song out of my head—and I didn’t want to—so I put the DVD in and found the scene with this song. With the pain still throbbing in my ears, I pressed the button and just let the words play.

Almighty God, You reign on high.

You are my fortress, my deliverer, my light.

Even though I was barely able to hear the music, the words brought peace to my heart. These truths about God reminded me to stay strong and hope in the Lord even when things looked bleak.

God with Us is a powerful story that many people can relate to at different times in their lives. Although I’ve been in multiple performances now, I feel that I get something new out of it each time. People who’ve come to see the show have been healed right where they sat. God’s power and love are alive and evident through every song.

That night in my dark living room is one I will never forget. Every time I woke up in the night or became frustrated because I couldn’t hear, I remembered what God showed me through that music: God was, and is, truly with me.

Although it’s been a process, my sinuses have cleared up, and I’ve regained most of my hearing. I’m still on the journey, but God has been with me through it all!

And God is with you, too, no matter what kind of hardship you might be facing. God with Us is a special story that will help you remember that. I believe your life will be deeply affected and changed when you listen to the songs and hear God speaking to your heart. Don’t miss out!

There are three ways you can experience this powerful musical. If you’re in the Colorado Springs area, come watch it live at the Pikes Peak Center on April 7 and 8. If you are outside Colorado, you can join a host site and watch the livecast. And to experience the musical again and again, order the DVD. You can buy tickets, find a host site, and purchase the DVD all in one place: www.GodWithUsMusical.com. 

And if you look closely, you might be able to see me somewhere in the mix. I hope to see you too!

Token of My Trust

Another year of giving, another year of bumping along in my finances. That pretty much summed up my story when it came to money. Have you been there before?

All my Christian life, I believed what Malachi 3:10 said:

“‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.’”

New King James Version

According to this, all I had to do was tithe—give just 10 percent of my income—to get that abundant blessing. Sign me up! Who wouldn’t want that? But after I tithed, there was only one problem: I continued to struggle in
my finances.

I basically was at the place of having my needs met, but nothing more. What was I doing wrong? Since I didn’t know the answer, I stopped tithing.  

If you had asked me, I still would have told you that I trusted God as my source. But I didn’t understand why it wasn’t working. In his Financial Stewardship teaching, Andrew provides commentary on my situation and what I needed:

“The first step to walking in prosperity is to recognize God as your source, and you’re just a steward.”

So, it’s just a matter of recognition?

“The Lord established it that He will supernaturally provide for you if you go to trusting Him in your finances.”

Okay, I’d been doing that. So far, so good.

“[God] wants you to trust Him, and that’s, I believe, the reason that He told us to give a portion. [It] is because this trusts Him. It’s putting first the kingdom of God and His righteousness [Matt. 6:33], and when we do that, everything else is added unto us.”

Ding, ding, ding, ding!

Now, this concept rang my bell! See, when I tithed, I had been trusting my money to bring me more money. When I stopped tithing, I still thought of God as my source, but then there was no proof. Both were wrong. I needed to make God the source of my money by trusting Him with it! As James talks about, “By works faith was made perfect” (James 2:22, NKJV).

Concerning finances, giving literally became the token of my trust in God. Before I would give, I would hold my money in my hand, look at it, and pray, “This money is not my source. God, You’re my source [Matt. 6:24].” Since then, I have prospered just like Andrew said I would. It’s been awesome!

I want to encourage you to make God the source of your finances by trusting Him in your giving. That’s what being a steward is all about. Once God is your source, you will prosper!

Andrew’s Financial Stewardship teaching is available in the new Financial Growth Package. Hear more of God’s Word regarding your finances through this valuable package.

If this article has blessed you today, please leave a comment.

An Open Invitation

“I don’t want to hear it…. I said no! I’m with my grandkids right now,” an older lady snapped at my friend. It was an unusually angry response to my friend’s cheerful greeting. But as we walked away, we both knew something more was going on.

“I was raised Baptist, but I stopped going to church a long time ago. Christians are hypocrites.”

“We have to get going. Sorry.”

“My kids…”

These were all things my friend and I encountered at the mall as we were street evangelizing. We would start off each conversation by asking people if they knew how much God loved them, if they knew He had a wonderful plan for their lives. Many times we were met with openness. Other people were shy or surprised. Sometimes the stark contrast in responses was interesting: from a smile of familiarity to an outburst of anger. It reminded me of the parable in the Gospels about the great supper.

Jesus said in Luke 14:16-20:

“Then He said to him, ‘A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, [17] and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, “Come, for all things are now ready.” [18] But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, “I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.” [19] And another said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.” [20] Still another said, “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.”’”  

New King James Version

During our time at the mall, more people were receptive to accepting Jesus than not. But it’s not fun being yelled at, especially when you know you’re offering someone the best gift in the universe.

In his Christian Survival Kit series, Andrew teaches about this very thing in a message called “How to Handle Persecution.” In it, he explains what’s really going on when you’re being persecuted. He says,

“People hated Jesus. If they hated Jesus, then if you are a true representative of Jesus, then they’re going to hate you. Not everybody, but certain people are…. If you are ministering effectively, the Holy Spirit is going to use your life and/or testimony to try [to] pressure a person to change, and if the person is receptive to God, then they’ll love you…. They’ll embrace you. They’ll look at you as a mentor, and they’ll receive you. And it will be a positive thing. But if the person is rejecting God, well, then they’ve got to reject you. Most people aren’t spiritual enough to be able to distinguish between [you and] the conviction they’re feeling come through you and…the power that’s behind you…. They’re just carnal. They’re looking at it as this is you that’s making them feel this way.”

Invitations for that great supper are still being sent out, and it’s for anybody who will accept it. “Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled’” (Luke 14:23, NKJV). As long as you are being kind and respectful, don’t take it personally if your “supper” invitation is rejected. It’s like what Andrew says: “Persecution is a backhanded compliment.” God wants to have a full house, so make sure you bring your friends!

To hear more about what Andrew has to say on persecution, you can get his individual teaching titled “How to Handle Persecution.” You can also get the complete Christian Survival Kit series.

Share a comment below if you can relate to this.

You Are What You Speak

Have you ever been around people who just love to talk? They are sometimes known as extroverts, and they typically have a lot to say! And then there are introverts like me, who’d rather spend an hour in a dentist’s chair than be forced to converse. Whether you’re an extrovert or an introvert, neither personality is better or worse than the other, but all of us can learn from Scripture about the power of our words.

I used to read James 3 and think about the loquacious members among us and how challenged they must be to always have to watch their words: “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature…. [8] But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:6 and 8).

I would thank God that He made me the way He did. After all, most people have heard, or have even had it said to them, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all!” It was easy for me to choose the latter option and stay silent. But I later realized that just because I refrained from speaking negative or hurtful things didn’t mean I was necessarily doing what God wanted—or even required—me to do.

In his teaching The Power of Faith-Filled Words, Andrew encourages us not to speak our fears, doubts, unbelief, or anything that we don’t want to happen to us. As he likes to say, based on Proverbs 6:2, “We are hung by our tongues.” However, we should speak what we do want to happen. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit…” (Prov. 18:21). There are two sides to this verse: Words can produce death, which is why it’s sometimes best to stay silent. But they can also produce life. Good and bad fruit are produced when we speak.

Throughout Genesis 1, God created our world by speaking it into existence. He didn’t snap His fingers, clap His hands, or simply think it into being. He used words. Therefore, we also must use words to create what we desire—whether it’s healing, prosperity, peace, or anything else God wants us
to have.

In The Power of Faith-Filled Words, Andrew stresses the importance of watching our words during times of crisis. This doesn’t mean simply not speaking out our fears; it also means to speak words of faith that align with Scripture. We have the power to literally speak God’s will into our circumstances. Jesus said in Mark 11:23, “Whosoever shall say unto this mountain…he shall have whatsoever he saith.” We have to actually say, not just think or even pray.

The Power of Faith-Filled Words is one of the teachings included in Andrew’s Christian Survival Kit package, a Word-filled collection of Andrew’s best that will help you survive and overcome crises that come your way. Check out our store to see what this package includes.

So, extroverts, keep on talking! But think before you speak, and align your words with God’s. And introverts, let’s make our voices heard so we can “have whatsoever [we] saith” (brackets mine)!

Extroverts, we know you likely have a comment. Introverts, do you want to give it a try? You are all welcome to comment below if this has blessed you.