The Bible says that God has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2Pet. 1: 2-3), and that God would give to us the desires of our hearts as we delight ourselves in Him (Ps 37). It also admonishes us, when we ask for something of God, to believe that we have already received it, and we shall have it (Mark 11). This may sound like circuitous thinking, and it is definitely not the way of the world. Rather, it is the fundamental principle of faith on which the Kingdom of God
We can do that because all things have been created already and, as far as we are concerned, they fit into three categories:
- Things created and already given to us in this life: those that pertain to life and godliness
- Things already created and that will be given to us in this life: the desires of our heart, receipt of which is conditional upon our delighting ourselves in Him
- Things already created that will be given to us in eternity: these things do not pertain to life and godliness on this plane, but are only pertinent to life after physical death and resurrection. They include a new, immortal body, heavenly mansions, and other things that pertain to living on a new plane.
We can assume that everything in the third category is already created, because (a) according to Genesis, God has completed His creational works and (b) Jesus said He was going to “prepare” a place for us, not to create it (from scratch).
But where are and how do we “receive” those things that have been already given and that will be given to us in this life? And if they are or will be given, by what route will they take to get to us physically? What tools, techniques, concepts and approaches can we effectively and consistently apply to improve the “efficiency” by which we regularly receive and manifest these things?
Two revelations address this set of questions. First, God is Spirit and He deals with us by and through our spirits, which reflect His image. Second, God works through the “seed principle” – or the Law of Seeds by which we understand that everything physical emanated from a seed (which, at the most rudimentary level, is a thought or idea expressed, typically in word form) and that seeds reproduce after their own kind, following a period of planting/sowing, germination/gestation/growing, and harvesting. Thus, God provides to us all things in the form of “spiritual seed” within our spirits which we are responsible for perceiving, planting, growing and harvesting.
The nature of “spirit,” relative to the physical universe, is unlimited, immeasurable, omni-present, whereas all things in the physical universe are marked by the nature of being limited, measurable and positioned according to “locational coordinates.” Further, science believes that the physical universe continues to expand in all directions at the speed of light. This is substantiated Biblically in that the Bible only records God as commanding light (physical or enlightenment or both?) to “be” or to “be let” (e.g., let out of Himself) into physical manifestation. I like to imagine that, at the time of that command, physical light exploded on the scene from the “seed of His Words,” originating from a single point, penetrating the darkness in all (3 dimensional) directions, and has continued in the same manner since then, since the Bible does not suggest that God ever said “Ok, that’s far enough!” Thus, the physical universe, while pretty big, is finite and expanding, but still and will forever remain finite but growing, as compared to our spirits which are infinite, in the image of God Himself.
Since our spirits are “bigger” than the physical universe, I imagine that, spiritually (and mentally, since there is no limit to our imaginations), we can “escape” the confines of the physical universe to the point that we can see the universal, creational light expanding like a 3-dimensional ball of light. In this vein, one of my favorite relaxation meditations is to “collapse” the physical universe down to the size of a grain of sand, and see it resting safely in the Hands of God, with me either right beside Him or inside (co-existing in the same non-physical space with) Him. Can you grasp this incredible picture?
Somehow, this meditative picture helps to “shrink” the size of whatever problems confronting me at the time, and assures me not only that God has all things under His control, but also that, in Him, I am bigger than any problem that comes against me, physically or spiritually. Further, seeing the universe from this perspective, and then reentering it “en route” back to my physical location (and seeing the grandeur of the universe on the way!) is a healthy reminder that “all this grew or manifested from God’s faith in His spoken Word, and that He has given to me “a measure of that same faith” (Romans 12:3) and both a command and promise that “the just/righteous person shall live by His faith!” (Habakkuk 2:4)
Have you noticed that God has made us so that we think in pictures. Since we are made in His image, I presume that He also may think in pictures. The Bible is chock full of incredible word pictures that produce faith or fear!
God commands us to live by faith and to believe we have already received what we need and ask for in faith. Since we think in pictures, we must receive by faith by effectively sharpening in our minds the “word pictures” of what we need or desire to the point that, somehow, these pictures become “more real” than the current, temporary reality – or actuality -- in which we exist. When activated by our corresponding faith-filled actions, God transforms into physical matter our “words and word picture seeds,” planted into the “soil of faith,” into the physical substance of our needs and desires.
This point is hinted and vividly demonstrated in Christ’s words, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” (Matt. 5:35) So we see that we do indeed have spiritual (unseen) “treasures” in our hearts, as stated above!! So now that the location of the treasures is re-confirmed, what exactly is the treasure and how do we excavate it? The next two verses in Jesus’ discourse reveals the answer: “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matt. 5:36-37) So this clearly confirms that the treasures within our hearts are both revealed and brought forth by the words of our mouths – words spoken in full belief or faith, be they good or evil. Words are the spiritual seeds to our physical reality.
What’s really real anyway? What we call “reality” is constantly changing and evolving, so doesn’t that make it somewhat “less real?” What you knew as reality yesterday is no longer real today. In effect, the Christian will know that the only solid, unchangeable reality is the Word of God. God, therefore, represents “the multi-dimensional base coordinates” from which all temporal reality – or actuality -- is established.
So we see that God has already created and given to us whatever we need, and promises to give more (our desires) on a conditional basis of our delighting ourselves in Him. (Psalms 37:4) He has given us these things in our spirits – spiritual seeds. The thoughts of our minds (which the Words says He establishes as we commit our way unto the Lord – Proverbs 16:3), the desires of our regenerated hearts (which conform to His Will), and the unctions or notions of our spirits (which are likely His ploddings) are simply His way of nudging us to focus in on and crystallize the word pictures to start the transformation process. In this regard, the word, “desire” can be broken down into “de” (of) and “sire” (father).
Like dipping punch, we use the “ladle” of our tongues (words) and corresponding actions, in faith, to dip deeply into our spirits and commence the process of transforming the spiritual “seed of our needs/desires” into physical substance. Clearly then, faith IS the spiritual substance (spiritual seed) of physical things hoped for, and the evidence of physical things not yet manifested on this plane.
Our limited minds tend to focus only on one or a few things at a time, as we strain like a severely constipated person or birthing mother to “birth forth” the idea or thing that we need or desire from within our spirits. How inefficient, limiting and sad. Rather, God would prefer us to embrace life as a whole in the abundance in which He has already provided, and simply consider that “all things have:
§ already been given: by God to us as spiritual seed matter
§ already been received: by us within our spirits, and
§ already been done: as we, in faith, see them as “done,” i.e., transformed from spiritual seed into physical matter in the form of our needs and desires
As we embrace this construct, we embrace God’s abundant life for us, rather than struggling with trying to get one thing at a time from God. We struggle and typically fall short on the third point of being able to focus clearly and crystallize the word pictures in our minds to the point that they are more real than the temporary reality in which we live.
For those of you struggling with this, Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:15, “That which is has already been, and what is to be has already been, and God requires an account of what is past.” (NKJ) This suggests the existence of a form of spiritual “déjà vu.” Those who embrace it will have little difficulty believing and creatively envisioning that we already have what we ask and desire.
In fact, Hollywood, which seemingly gets many of its movie ideas from Biblical principles (e.g., Star Wars), has created several excellent aids to facilitate our imaging job, namely several outstanding movies based on the déjà vu (time travel) principle (e.g., Back to the Future, Déjà Vu, Star Trek and many others). Hey, if it works to make beau coup money in Hollywood
One of my favorite Hollywood imaginations, which is, in fact, based on clear Bible principles, is the concept of your “future self” leaving a critical message for “your past or current self” as when Captain Kirk of the star ship, Enterprise, would travel backwards or forwards in the not-to-distant past or future to leave a message for his past or current self about avoiding a critical, erroneous decision he’s about the make. This tidbit of information is just what is needed to save the day and the current or future mission.
Similarly, God reveals that, in Him, the past, present and future are all NOW – simultaneously. There is no time, space or distance in the world of spirit. God says believers who live by faith already have the victory in Him, and are already “seated with Him in heavenly places.” In effect, your “current self” needs only to realize that your “future self” is already there, and that you are merely walking a path of which the details have already been walked…by you! The needs and desires of your life have already been met, and your future self, standing there at God’s finish line, already knows this! Instinctively, you should, too!
Profession: I have the “all things” kind of power. If it’s a “thing,” I can do it; I can call it; and I have dominion over it! In Faith which works by Love, I call things that are not as though they are and they BECOME. All things are mine in service to others and in satisfaction of my needs and desires because I seek first God’s Kingdom and my right-standing with Him, and ALL THINGS follow and fall in their places.
