Are You One of God's Elect?

Can you remember the last time you prayed? This seems like a silly question to some people, however it is a question many have to stop and think about. I haven't had a long life of prayer, however it did not take long to understand the power of prayer. Just from my experiences I have learned that like any thing else, the more you do something, the better you get at doing what ever it is your doing. Yeah but do you really believe that prayer really works? I mean God is in control so what ever happens He has already made the plan and predestined us so what is the point? After all you just never know what is going to happen. But if you do pray, make sure you pray if it be thy will and not your will. Does any of this sound familiar? So many people I talk to have this mentality, but how did they arrive to this way of thinking? The Bible is full of prayer, so right there we know that it is important. Jesus the Son of God was always praying to the Father. Since the whole purpose for disciples is to become like the Master, should we be more like the Master?
Prayer is important and prayer does work, but there is a time to pray and a time to act. As followers of Jesus we need to know when it is time for prayer and a time to act. So the only way to find out is to look at the Bible and at the Holy scriptures. So lets look at some of those wonderful words. Turn to Mark 11:22-24. 22 Jesus says, "Have faith in God". Glory to God!! That has to get your blood flowing! Now look at 23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says." Praise the Lord!!!! This is truth! Let me paraphrase what the Master says to do in this verse. I tell you the truth all kidding aside, if anyone has problems in their life keeping them from glorifying the Father, tell it to be gone leave your your path in the name of Jesus, and you must truly believe in your heart that this is God's will is for you, it will happen. This is not prayer, this is acting or speaking to the mountain. Some believers do not believe in this, but who's words are they choosing not to believe? Do not be mislead thinking that through the power of the Holy spirit this is only possible. Jesus was telling this to His disciples, so the Holy Spirit hasn't arrived yet. This has to do with your faith in God. You see God wants you to know that He is a good God, but you have to show your faith in Him by your works. What I mean is, God said if you love me you will keep my commandments. In other words if you love me show me don't just tell me. If you choose not to believe the words of Jesus, then you have no faith in God. The mountain could be anything: cancer, high blood pressure, AIDS, debt, coughs, colds, running nose, H1N1, all things that are not of God. Moving on to verse 24 "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." There it is folks, When you pray believe you receive and you will have it. Is that what Jesus says? Why is it then people don't believe? No faith in God. What Jesus says in this verse is when you pray for what you desire believe that you have received it, and it will be given to you. What ever you desire pray that you have received. If you are sick your desire could be healing, if you're in debt your desire would be money, if you are in bondage to drugs or alcohol you desire freedom from addiction. These are what He told you to believe you have received. When something is keeping you from the will of God you speak to it and believe it is being removed. When you pray for your desires believe that they are on the way to you. You see these things were already bought and paid for. The authority in Christ Jesus has been given to us when we accepted Him as our Lord. We were born again, born in to Christ. No longer are we bound by sickness and disease, that is brought along from sin and we are no longer sinners. The Bible says in Romans 8:32-33, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies." If then we are God's elect, it is about time we start acting like it? These things that Jesus said in the scriptures have not been practiced in the churches like He told us. We should be walking around here laughing at sickness and disease ruling and reigning in life through Christ Jesus. Not scared out of our minds about pestilences. When you are walking in Christ Jesus those have no authority over you or your family anymore, but you need to recieeve that. "In all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Romans 8:37. That doesn't sound like someone who should be walking around scared. Do not set your mind on the things of the flesh for that would make you carnally minded. "To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Romans 8:6.
Saints, if we are truly God's elect, we need to be walking this earth boasting God's glory which is in His Son Jesus. If you are not receiving some kind of persecution from the world, then you are too much like the world. God's elect are nothing like the world. Jesus said in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Lets reform our beliefs, clear out all the traditions of man, and corruption of religion, and get back to the word of God. Let's shift our thinking to God's truth, not man's.

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox

Scripture to meditate on: NLT Romans 8:14-17

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.