PASTOR DARRYL BAKER

Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

The word for law here means “rule”. Before Christ we were under the rule of sin and death (separated from the God-kind of life). But in Christ Jesus we are now under the rule of the Spirit of life, which is translated as a life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, and blessed. The old nature of sin leading to death has been removed. As you receive a new spirit within you, your spirit now has residing in it the Spirit of God Himself. His Spirit is where this “Zoe” life comes from.

To walk in this new Zoe life within us we must as Paul states a few verses after this, get our mind focused on the spirit man, and not on the flesh. Simply put, we must renew our mind to see ourselves through our new spirit, the new nature within. You renew your mind to this new you by looking at the in Him, in Christ, in Whom scriptures in the New Testament that reveal this new you. If we will start getting this new view on life from the spirit man within, and we follow the leading of the inward man, we will experience the freedom we have been given from the rule of sin and death.

When we follow the leading of our spirit, we are being led by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit man. We need to listen to what our heart is leading us to do. Our conscience is the voice of our new spirit. When you have an inward peace within you are in agreement with God, but when you have an agitation within your spirit, you are not following after God. Follow this inward witness and start seeing yourself for who you really are, a spirit man, a new creation. As you do you will experience the rule of the Spirit of life over you, free from the rule of sin and death.

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Christian Faith Fellowship – Ponder Texas

Romans 3:27
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.

Faith is a spiritual law. The reference in the above verse to the word “law” means that which is established. For example, there is the law of lift, which was established by God and has always been in existence here on earth. Man did not invent it, so he cannot take credit for the law of lift. God created this law. Once man began to understand this law and how it works, he was able to make use of this law to our advantage.

To try and explain this law in simple terms, when an “airfoil” (wing of a plane) goes through the “air” it redirects and “forces” the air to follow a path that goes downward. This change in direction causes a downward force applied to the air. This results in the air causing an upward force on the airfoil (wing), and that creates lift. It works whenever these elements are applied. So it is with faith. Faith is a spiritual law and therefore it always works. It is not something we take credit for because we did not create it, God did. Our part, like the law of lift, is to figure out what it takes to see this law work.

Faith has three elements that when combined works, just like the air, airfoil, and the force created causes lift. Faith believes in the heart, not the head, faith speaks in line with that belief, and then faith acts upon that belief. When applied faith always works, for it is a spiritual law. We never boast about faith, because we did not create the law of faith, God did. Our part is to believe in the heart, which comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God; to speak in line with that belief, and then to act upon what we are fully convinced of in our heart, turning our faith loose. When we do, just like the law of lift, we will see faith work.

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Christian Faith Fellowship – Ponder Texas

Romans 8:1
THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.

Once you are born again there is no condemnation for the believer who does not denounce Jesus Christ. The word condemnation is defined as a damnatory sentence or judgement of guilt. The reason we are free from condemnation is because the old sinful man within has been done away with and we are made new. Jesus on the cross not only bore our sin, but He also bore the punishment our sin deserved.

This is why in Isaiah’s prophecy about Jesus he said that Jesus was stricken and smitten of God. Jesus after His death on the cross went into hell itself paying the full price for our sin, and the judgement that is to come for the sin of man. So, the damnation (separation from God) that man deserved has been taken away for those who receive Christ as their Savior, as long as they do not lose their confidence steadfast to the end as revealed in Hebrews 3:14.

If we still focus on and see ourselves through the old fleshly man on the outside, we will feel condemned. But if we see what God sees, our new spirit man on the inside, and we choose to not live according to the flesh but live in accordance with this new nature within us, we will not feel condemned for we will see our new nature. Become spirit conscious and spirit led, governed by your new nature, and you will not fall prey to feeling condemned.

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Christian Faith Fellowship – Ponder Texas

Malachi 3:6
“For I am the LORD, I do not change;”

In this day in which we live we have certainly seen things change very quickly in our world today. I have seen things happen I never thought I would see in my lifetime. In the midst of this ever-changing world, there is one thing we can secure ourselves to that never changes, our God. Here in Malachi God stated the fact that He does not change. In Hebrews 13:8 we are told Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Let me share a couple of powerful truths about our never changing God.

First of all because God never changes, we don’t have to keep buying a new and different Bible to try and figure out how God does things. All we have to do is go to His Word, learn of God and His ways, and adapt our life to Him, and see our lives change for the better. Many times people say certain things that happen are from God or are His doing, but once you get in the Word and learn of Him, you can know what is of God and what is not of God. Many are deceived because they have not come to know Him through His Word.

Another powerful truth about our unchanging God as stated in 2 Corinthians 1:20 is that every promise He has provided in Christ is available to us. Some still do not know that all the promises of God are for everyone, to which we are to exercise our faith to receive. We simply have to believe in what Jesus has already done for us. He does not change His mind about any of His promises. So, in this ever-changing world choose to look to and walk with our unchanging God, who never changes. You will be glad you did.

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Christian Faith Fellowship – Ponder Texas

John 14:13-14
13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

In the verse right before this Jesus had declared that those who believe in Him could do what He Himself had done. In these above two verses many think this is referring to making a request to God, but in fact that is not what these verses actually say. The word “ask” here in the original Greek language means to make a demand. In John 16:23-24 Jesus teaches us about asking the Father in prayer for answers we need. Here in John 14, He is revealing how we can do what Jesus did.

We are not making a demand of Jesus nor the Father for anything, as these scriptures do not say anything about directing this demand to them. When you look at Jesus’ example of what He did, He never prayed to the Father when dealing with the works of satan. Jesus simply used His authority and demanded change. He demanded sickness and disease to go. He demanded demons to leave. When it comes to dealing with the works of satan you don’t pray to the Father, you use your God-given authority and demand it to go.

We do this by using the name of Jesus. Notice Jesus said whatever you ask (demand) in my name, I will do it. When you use the name of Jesus and demand the works of our enemy to go, it’s the same as if Jesus is right there Himself, and therefore it will be done. What God has already done for us through Christ we don’t ask Him to do. We go and enforce His victory by demanding the works of satan to go in Jesus name, for His name is above every name.

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Christian Faith Fellowship – Ponder Texas

Hebrews 10:24-25
24 And let us keep paying attention to one another, in order to spur each other on to love and good deeds,
25 not neglecting our own congregational meetings, as some have made a practice of doing, but, rather, encouraging each other.
And let us do this all the more as you see the Day approaching.

As we look to what is happening in Israel, and what we see going on throughout the world, we can clearly see the “Day” approaching. This Day is referring to the return of Jesus Christ. We as believers are not to neglect our coming together as a body with our pastor, and with the body of believers we are to be a part of. Notice we are to do this all the more not less as we see this Day drawing near. What is often overlooked in these verses is the purpose of us not neglecting coming together in God’s house.

Many who do go to God’s house are doing so only thinking about what they can get for themselves. But that is clearly not what our focus is to be on. Verse 24 tells us we are to “pay attention” to one another, in order to spur each other on in love and good deeds. Then in verse 25 we are told to encourage one another as we come together to worship our God. Imagine how different the body of Christ would be if we lived out these two verses every time we come to church, joining together more not less.

When believers make the choice to not neglect gathering as a church, and we focus our attention on each other, the church will not only experience the love of God, they will become united as one. Unity not only makes the body stronger, but more powerful as well. In 1 Corinthians 14:3 we are told that we can all proclaim words of exhortation, edification, and comfort to men. Make the choice to not neglect going to God’s house, and to focus on encouraging others every time you go. The whole body of Christ will benefit and will have a greater impact on the world around us.

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Hebrews 11:1
Faith assures us of things we expect and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see.

Have you ever heard the term “blind faith”? There are some who think faith is blind in the sense that we have to sit back, do nothing, and just believe somehow God will make everything right, and therefore I just need to walk in blind faith. But faith is far from blind. In fact, the above scripture clearly states that faith convinces us of the existence of things that are not yet seen by the natural eye. If they exist there is a way to see those things. You do so with the eye of faith.

We know faith is based on one thing — what God has said. When God told Abraham he was a father of a multitude he was told to look at the stars of heaven and the sand beneath his feet, and in doing so he could see with the eye of faith what God had said He had already made him, a father of a many nations. Romans 4:19 tells us that he was not weak in faith, not considering (looking at) his natural body, but instead focusing on what God had said was already his.

Today we have God’s Word that we can look to and therefore see with our own eyes what God has said we already have, based on what Jesus has done for us. We then focus on what we can see, the Word of God, and then like Abraham and God, we begin to call those things which do not yet exist in the natural as though they did (Rom. 4:17), for what God has said is the evidence of what already exists. With faith in our God through relationship with Him we base our faith on what He has said, convinced in our heart that it is already so.

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Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.

One of the most important keys to life is in finding God’s purpose, what is His ultimate plan for our life, for when we do, and if we then follow that plan, we will see God accomplish with our lives what He wants in and through us. What gets in the way of that god-given purpose is the many plans or ideas of what we want to do. Man’s plans will not fully accomplish what God wants to see happen through us.

I remember when I first started my walk with God. I was chasing a dream that I thought was a good plan for my life, and I believed God would use me to reach others through my rodeo career. God did use me during that time in many ways, but I had never taken the time to really seek God for His ultimate purpose in my life. God used other godly leaders around me to begin to lead me into the plan of God. Becoming a pastor was one of the last things I would have ever chosen to do.

God’s plan for my life became clear as I got connected with the pastor and the church body God had for me. I began to grow spiritually, and I began to serve in my church. My focus turned away from me to God. When this happened I began to see and hear in my spirit what God had intended for my life. Get your focus off of you and on God. Find your pastor and become a part of that church body. In giving yourself completely to Jesus, the purpose He has for your life will become clear, and you can know God’s plan for your life will prevail.

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Hebrews 5:13-14
13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

One of the most important truths in the life of a believer is to fully understand the gift of righteousness, which means you have been made right with God, and therefore have rights as a child of God. Anyone who teaches that a believer is not righteous is not teaching you the Truth of God’s Word. A vital key to understanding this truth is found in the above verses of scripture. If you live on the milk of the Word only, you will lack understanding of this powerful truth.

The milk of the Word is needed in our life, and in fact we are told as a newborn baby would desire milk, so we are to desire the pure milk of God’s Word (1 Peter 2:2). The milk of the Word is sitting under the teaching of the Word of God. But for us to take the milk and see it become solid food, we must become a doer of what it says we now have and can do as a new creation in Christ.

Notice in verse 14 above solid food belongs to those who through practice of God’s Word mature as a believer, dominated by their spirit man. When this happens you will walk in a clear understanding of what is good and what is evil, knowing the deceptive lies of satan. So, make sure you have a pastor teaching you the pure milk of God’s Word, revealing who you now are in Christ, and act upon that Word, putting those truths into practice in your life. As you do, you will clearly see the lies of the enemy and can walk in the freedom you have already been given.

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Christian Faith Fellowship – Ponder Texas

Matthew 2:1-2
1 Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea when Herod was king. After Jesus’ birth wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem.
2 They asked, “Where is the one who was born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star rising and have come to worship him.”

The wise men who came to worship Jesus had known of the prophecy in Numbers 24:17, that a Star would appear and lead them to this King of the Jews. Upon arriving in Jerusalem, they asked where He was to be born. Herod called the chief priests and scribes together to find out, for they were experts of the Old Testament scriptures, and would therefore know where His birthplace would be. They told Herod He was to be born in Bethlehem.

You would think those priests and scribes hearing from the wise men that the King, the Messiah had been born, would have wanted to go and see the One for whom they had waited for. But they did not go to see if this was the Messiah, and they showed little to no interest in finding out. Why? Because they were more interested in knowing about Him, rather than knowing Him. Sad to say many believers today are content with just knowing about Him and not really making the effort to know Him personally. They are to busy with other things.

The wise men were different. When they got to Bethlehem and found the King of kings, they worshiped Him and gave offerings unto Him. The word worship means to adore, and to bow down in reverence to one who is superior. Don’t forget why He came. It was so we could get to know Him and our Heavenly Father, not just to know about Him. Make knowing Him your priority in life, for those who are wise still seek Him today.

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Christian Faith Fellowship – Ponder Texas