FAITH GLORY
Preached by: Carolyn Sissom
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Today I want to honor Oral Roberts. I believe that through Faith he has obtained a good report in Heaven. I believe Christian history will recognize that he was used by the Lord to break forth the Charismatic Revival that permeated every denomination and every nation.
That movement of the Lord was birthed through Faith of believing and obeying the Lord. His revelation of “seed faith” is now part of the foundation and doctrine of the Christian Faith. Yes, seed faith has been greatly abused by many. The abuses of the Charismatic Renewal have been judged by the fire of the Lord and the fruit still remains in the church of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, Gifts of the Spirit, Faith for miracles and healings, and seed faith for provision.
When I have a need, the sowing of a seed is as natural as breathing. I understand the prosperity of the Lord through this key to miracles. We will never out give the Lord. To withhold giving based on our need is fear. Faith is the opposite of fear. Where there is Faith in the Lord, we will have no fear as we face life’s challenges.
Just as you and I respect those who are “stand-up” people, not whiners, complainers, people who rehearse their troubles over and over; the Lord honors “stand-up” Faith where we declare that, “He will supply all of our need according to His riches in Glory.” “Without faith it is impossible to please God; for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. This means that no matter what we face in life, we wake up in the morning in the joy of the Lord that whatever the outcome, it will be for our good because the Lord loves us. Hebrews 11:1-2: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”
By Faith we see the outcome before the victory appears in the natural. Otherwise, it would not be a walk of Faith. I do not listen to negative voices of discouragement or criticism. This is never the voice of the Lord. His voice is the voice of Faith by which those who walk in it subdue kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtain promises, stop the mouths of lions, quench the violence of fire, escape the edge of the sword, out of weakness are made strong, wax valiant in fight, turn to flight the armies of aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again; and others were tortured refusing deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection. Others had trials of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment."
Oral Roberts suffered the cruel mockings of shame by the national media. The same media that raised him to fame is the same media that tried to destroy him. Some say the University will be his legacy. I pray it continues through many generations. However, I believe his legacy will be the Charismatic renewal with the restoration of Faith for miracles and healing to the Body of Christ.
True prophets of the Lord are not honored until after their death. Oral Roberts came to fame as did others in the great of cloud of Faith witnesses. However, like the heroes of Faith in the Holy Bible, he suffered pain and tribulation in his family and was scorned and mocked by the world. Many in the Pentecostal community were jealous of his calling and that he was chosen by the Lord to be the vessel of light to bring the baptism of the Holy Spirit to the world through television.
Over a decade ago, I was at a prayer meeting at Jimmy Swaggert’s. Brother Swaggert was interceding. The Holy Spirit spoke to me that Jimmy Swaggert came in to His Glory through intercession. There is more than one gate into the glory of the Temple. I believe Oral Roberts came into the glory through Faith.
I prayed to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit through watching Oral Roberts on T.V. His ministry is part of my testimony. Through reading and applying his book, Seed Faith, I overcame a spirit of poverty. I received the Gift of Faith somewhere on my Faith journey. Last week I was tested in this Gift. It was very subtle and I could have fallen from looking to the Lord as the source of my total provision and turned my faith toward people. The attack was for me to fall from my Peace. Many great men and women of Faith whom I know personally once walked with the Lord in Faith have fallen the same way. The devil is subtle.
I am going to use an excerpt from Oral Roberts’ book, “Better Health and Miracle Living” as he brings to light the relationship with the Lord as our total source of supply in the Walk of Faith:
“I’ve had to get myself by the boot-straps a few times and do something inside myself to get out of my own deadly negative emotions. And that’s another one of God’s instruments for healing---me improving my relationship with myself. Can you imagine how I stood up and nearly shouted out loud when for the first time I really understood something Jesus said a long time ago…I’ve been reading it for years…I’ve preached on it…but now listen to it! “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27) I’ve always thought of that as the love commandment, or “Golden Rule.” It hadn’t really dawned on me what He was saying until now. He’s telling you and me to get our relationships right:
- Our relationship with God.
- Our relationships with other people.
- Our relationships with ourselves.
And the really exciting part of this is that it is powerful Seed-Faith working for my total healing and well-being. For example: When I know God as the Source of my total supply and look to Him for all my needs, I’ve finally gotten into a right relationship with Him. When I’m reaching out to people and helping them find answers, and giving for the needs of others and learning to receive from God through others---that’s the planting of precious seed to grow in the miracles I need. And my relationship is right with others (my neighbor). When I get things straightened out inside me…when I’m confident and full of faith the way God told me to be and I’m expecting and receiving the miracles that are coming my way every day, I’ve gotten into a right relationship with myself. Can you imagine how excited I am about this? God is my Source---I look to Him.I’ll plant a seed---I reach out to others.I’ll expect a miracle---I’m getting what I need. That’s really how I got into Seed-Faith, to move my own mountain of need. I had to plant a seed out of that need---a seed to match my need.
Then God said, “If you’re really looking to Me as your source, don’t worry about mountains. Just be sure to plant the seed and I’ll move the mountain”. The seed will have in it the nature of an expanding force that breaks the mountain up and reduces it to a size you can deal with. Talk about mountains being moved! It also included the hills that stood before me! I found I could face seriously ill people and give them a hope for God’s healing. I found I could build a university, starting with nothing, even when the experts said it could not be done and I did it anyway, through God. I have found I could go on nationwide television in prime time at a time when I was at the lowest of finances and when I thought my ministry was coming to a close. What else would I find?” I found we were getting through to people. I found I could deal with a person with the most terrible problems you can imagine: sickness, spiritual, material, family, mental---you name it---and bring them into a position to receive a miracle. I found I could combine God’s healing instruments of prayer and medicine when everyone said it was not possible.
I was even able to build a medical school that turns out not only skilled physicians, but also physicians who are filled with God’s love for people. What else have I found? I have found I could face the stress and the anxiety of doing all these things and at the same time live in better health. I have even received a major healing within my own body by applying the principles of Seed-Faith---that is, giving and giving first. Next, I found I couldn’t wait to share these things with you. I wanted to put my arms around you and say, “You can have better health. You can have success, and you can have it now.” God inside me is saying to you, “I know that I know that I know that I know that you can get your mountains to move. You can have success and get into miracle-living...”
Page 117-118: “However, I must admit that even now I often find I don’t like having to trust God as my Source. My humanness wants to see where everything is coming from. I don’t want to launch out in faith alone. I want all that security people talk about. I have searched the Scripture. I have prayed to God, I have tried other ways and I am completely convinced that Seed-Faith is God’s way and it is the only way. First, God’s way is for us to make Him the source of our total supply. Second, God’s way for me---for you---is to start everything we do by first seeding for a miracle. Third, it is God’s way to expect it to happen from His hand. And it does happen in God’s own time and way. Every seed we plant has its own “due season” and that why we must expect it. (Galatians 6:9)…And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Many times I have said that I may not convince anyone else on seeding for miracles but Oral Roberts is convinced. The beautiful thing is that being convinced in my own heart and sincerely trying to obey God in Seed-Faith. I am seeing it open the minds of thousands to a new possibility. It is causing them to understand they can make it through their own Seed-Faithing to God. It never fails. The way you Seed-Faith to God for you needs may take different forms since your needs may be different from mine. But the Seed-Faith principle is the same. It will never fail you because it is the eternal principle of God. It goes all the way back to the first book in the bible, to Genesis 8:22. “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest…shall not cease.” Across the centuries and in all situations people who have believed in seedtime and harvest and practiced it, have found God to be faithful to His own divine commitment to us.” (End of quotes by Oral Roberts from Better Health and Miracle Living.)
This is not a traditional Christmas message. However, I believe it is the message of the season. “The New Testament begins with the birth of a Baby and the promise of life---abundant life.” (O.R.) Matthew 1:21: “You shall call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins. John 10:10: I am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” Jesus is not only a Savior from sin but also a Savior of persons. The word saved comes from the same root word for “heal”. So this verse really means” “You shall call His name Jesus for he shall heal persons. He shall heal them from their sins, their shortcomings, their failures, and the disharmony in their nature. He shall heal their bodies, their minds---their whole beings. He shall give them abundant life. How does Jesus do this? He begins in the Spirit. You see, Jesus the Man, had to be born and it was the Holy Spirit who conceived Him. Jesus said, “You must be born again. Except a man be born…of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. (John 3: 5-7).
This is a message given to Oral Roberts. I wish to honor him as an elder who has received a good report. Whatever our mission is for the Lord, let us pray we will fulfill it and receive a good report. May you be blessed this Christmas with the abundance of all heavenly and earthly blessings.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
www.eastgateministries.com
We stream our messages weekly.Scripture is from K.J.V. and text is from “Better health and Miracle Living by Oral Roberts.
Comments and conclusions are my own.
