Servias Ministries Blog

Love precedes hope and hope precedes faith.

Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in 1^st Corinthians chapter 13:

12   For now we see but a faint reflection of riddles and mysteries as though reflected in a mirror, but one day we will see face-to-face. My understanding is incomplete now, but one day I will understand everything, just as everything about me has been fully understood.

13 Until then, there are three things that remain: faith, hope, and Love—yet Love surpasses them all. So above all else, let Love be the beautiful prize for which you run.

As we pursue the fullness of Love, we will develop hope through the promises in The Word.  Hope given to us in The Word is then the basis for bringing forth faith.

It is written by The Holy Spirit in Hebrews 11:

1   Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen.

2   This testimony of faith is what previous generations were commended for. 3 Faith empowers us to see that the universe was created and beautifully coordinated by the power of God’s Words! HE spoke and the invisible realm gave birth to all that is seen.

The faith movement downplayed hope and only focused on faith.  Yet hope is the basis of faith and the basis of hope is The Word of GOD.  Hope and imagination are effectively the same for unless we can personally imagine ourselves being able to receive the promises of health, healing, blessing, and prosperity, we will be unable to walk in faith for those realities.

Unworthiness keeps believers from activating hope in their lives.  Jesus’ Blood made a worthy and once we received salvation, behold all things are new.  Our spirits are perfect, wanting nothing.  We must then focus on renewing our minds.

Every aspect of unworthiness was dealt with when Jesus died for our sins.  If you are feeling unworthy, repent, accept the work of Jesus at the cross, and move on.  Begin renewing your mind to the promises given to us and appropriate the anointing deposited inside of you so that you can walk as an overcomer in all areas.

Wisdom recorded in Proverbs 13:

12  When hope’s dream seems to drag on and on, the delay can be depressing. But when at last your dream comes true, life’s sweetness (the tree of life) will satisfy your soul.

Adam and Eve were meant to eat of the tree of life in the Garden.  We too are to eat of the Tree of Life and walk in total abundance in all areas.

The Word of Love produces hope which produces faith which produces manifestation.  If you do not allow your imagination to image what The Word says about you, you stop the process.  Don’t allow any aspect of this Truth to be cut off.

Mature Sons and Daughters know who they are and they expect full and complete manifestation of the promises contained in The Word to manifest in their lives.

You give birth to miracles, you conceive them.

Miracles are based on reality, not fantasy.  Imagination is based on your ability to see something that is in your heart.  It may not have physically manifested.  In order to see it, you must conceive it.  Fantasying is not the intended use of our imagination so we should not allow ourselves to pursue fantasies.  

How does conception work?  There must be a seed.  The Word is the seed which must be planted in the heart so conception will occur.  Your heart is as a womb and you must protect that seed until it fully develops and physically manifests.  We must not abort the Seed by allowing the adversary to steal, kill, and destroy.  Our imagination will suffer.

It is written by THE SPIRIT in Genesis chapter 6:

5   The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.

Men will be judged by not only their actions but their thoughts and imaginations as well.  Thankfully, Jesus cleansed you and me of our imaginations of the past.

We must resist vain imaginations!  Imaginations can result in a self-fulfilling prophecy.  If you imagine, think, and speak scarcity then you will move toward scarcity.  The reverse is true as well.

It is also true of the people who are close to you on a day to day basis.  If you are constantly surrounded by negative people, you will tend towards negativity.  You become like the company you keep.

Let us not limit FATHER by unwillingness to imagine or think less than what HE promised and committed HIMSELF to do on our behalf.

As Jesus expressed in Mark chapter 11:

22   Jesus replied, “Let the faith of God be in you! 23 Listen to the Truth I speak to you: If someone says to this mountain with great faith and having no doubt, ‘Mountain, be lifted up and thrown into the midst of the sea,’ and believes that what he says will happen, it will be done. 24 This is the reason I urge you to boldly believe for whatever you ask for in prayer—believe that you have received it and it will be yours.

It is also written by The Holy Spirit in Psalm 78:

41   Again and again they limited God, preventing HIM from blessing them. Continually they turned back from him and provoked the Holy One of Israel!

42 They forgot HIS great Love, how HE took them by HIS Hand, and with redemption’s kiss HE delivered them from their enemies.

43 They disregarded all the epic signs and marvels they saw when they escaped from Egypt’s bondage. They forgot the judgment of the plagues that set them free.

As you and I gain a greater revelation of FATHER’S unconditional Love, our imaginations will flourish and our limitations will cease.  Nothing we imagine in righteousness and contained in HIS Word, whether written or spoken, will be withheld from us and we will establish HIS Kingdom on this earth.

God often asks us to do impossible things. He’s not setting us up for failure; He’s laying the groundwork for a life of radical faith. When we are aware of our inability, it causes us to depend on Him. He is the God of more than enough. He is the One who works through us to do what we cannot do on our own.

Jesus loves to turn inadequacy into abundance. Our obedience and willingness pave the way for miracles. When we’re aware of our insufficiency but choose to partner with the all-sufficient One, our faith becomes a magnet for miracles. When the Lord asks us to do something impossible, it isn’t to deter us. It’s so that when He comes through, we’ll know exactly who deserves the glory.

You must allow your imagination to line up with your prayers.  If you can’t see yourself healed, how do you expect to be healed?

Faith is the substance of things hoped for (imagined), the evidence of things not yet seen.  FATHER imagined the earth before HE formed it.  HE imaged it.

Ultimately, you value what you focus on and this includes what you imagine.

It is written by THE SPIRIT in Isaiah chapter 26:

3   Perfect, absolute peace surrounds those whose imaginations (H3336) are consumed with YOU; they confidently trust in YOU.

4  Yes, trust in the Lord Yahweh forever and ever! For Yah, the Lord God, is your Rock of Ages!

The Hebrew (H3336) word “yetser” is translated imagination.  It means: conception; to form, fashion, frame; to be predetermined, be pre-ordained.

We cannot imagine healing or prosperity without valuing what Jesus has done for all of us.  We must be able to conceive, imagine, and expect our healing to come forth specifically because of the stripes of Jesus.  He willingly accepted those stripes for us 2,000 years ago.  He willingly went to the cross for our consistent prosperity because His Blood eliminated the temporary nature of atonement once and for all.  Full restoration to FATHER was attained.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 2^nd Corinthians 8:

9 For you have experienced the extravagant grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although He was infinitely rich, he impoverished Himself for our sake, so that by His poverty, we could become rich beyond measure.

Your life is directed by your tongue which expresses your dominant thoughts.  If you are focused and speak about scarcity, then you will ultimately experience scarcity.  The same is true if you consistently think on blessing, healing, and prosperity, and your words line up with your thoughts, you will experience them.  I am a living testimony of this Truth.  There is power in the tongue.

James wrote by The Holy Spirit in chapter 3:

2   We all fail in many areas, but especially with our words. Yet if we’re able to bridle the words we say we are powerful enough to control ourselves in every way, and that means our character is mature and fully developed.

3 Horses have bits and bridles in their mouths so that we can control and guide their large body. 4 And the same with mighty ships, though they are massive and driven by fierce winds, yet they are steered by a tiny rudder at the direction of the person at the helm. 5 And so the tongue is a small part of the body yet it carries great power! Just think of how a small flame can set a huge forest ablaze.

6 And the tongue is a fire! It can be compared to the sum total of wickedness and is the most dangerous part of our human body. It corrupts the entire body and is a hellish flame! It releases a fire that can burn throughout the course of human existence. 7 For every wild animal on earth including birds, creeping reptiles, and creatures of the sea and land have all been overpowered and tamed by humans, 8 but the tongue is not able to be tamed. It’s a fickle, unrestrained evil that spews out words full of toxic poison!

9 We use our tongue to praise God our Father and then turn around and curse a person who was made in HIS very image! 10 Out of the same mouth we pour out words of praise one minute and curses the next. My brothers and sister, this should never be!

11 Would you look for olives hanging on a fig tree or go to pick figs from a grapevine? Is it possible that fresh and bitter water can flow out of the same spring? So neither can a bitter spring produce fresh water.

What we say, think, and imagine impacts our walk.  This is all done in the soul realm and we must not allow the adversary to rule us in any aspect of our lives.  We alone establish and control our focus.

As Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Philippians chapter 4:

8   So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising Him always.

Are you spiritually hungry or thirsty? Glorify GOD… magnify HIM rather than magnifying the negative: people, events, criticisms, news, etc.!

Are you abounding in faith with thanksgiving? (Colossians 2:7) 

Ultimately, you value what you focus on.

Jesus spoke in John chapter 6:

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life. Come every day to Me and you will never be hungry. Believe in Me and you will never be thirsty.

36 Yet I’ve told you that even though you’ve seen Me, you still don’t believe in Me.

37 But everyone my Father has given to Me, they will come. And all who come to Me, I will embrace and will never turn them away.

38 And I have come out of Heaven not for My own desires, but for the satisfaction of My Father who sent Me.

39 My Father who sent Me has determined that I will not lose even one of those He has given to Me, and I will raise them up in the last day.

40 For the longing of My Father is that everyone who embraces the Son and believes in Him will experience Eternal life and I will raise them up in the last day!”

As Jesus said in the translated Aramaic, go to Him every day and we will never be hungry or thirsty because if you truly believe in Him, you won’t hesitate to drink from that Eternal well.  FATHER wants us to fully embrace His Son so that we “image” Him in our walk on this earth.  This is what establishes the Kingdom on earth.  After all, we were made in His Image just as Adam and Eve were.  We are meant to be enveloped in glory just as they were before their fall.

Jesus spoke in Luke chapter 17:

11  Jesus traveled on toward Jerusalem and passed through the border region between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As He entered one village, ten men approached Him, but they kept their distance, for they were lepers.

13 They shouted to Him, “Mighty Lord, our wonderful Master! Won’t You have mercy on us and heal us?”

14 When Jesus stopped to look at them, He spoke these words: “Go to be examined by the Jewish priests.” They set off, and they were healed while walking along the way. 15 One of them, a foreigner from Samaria, when he discovered that he was completely healed, turned back to find Jesus, shouting out joyous praises and glorifying God.

16 When he found Jesus, he fell down at his feet and thanked Him over and over, saying to Him, “You are the Messiah.” This man was a Samaritan. [17] “So where are the other nine?” Jesus asked. “Weren’t there ten who were healed? 18 They all refused to return to give thanks and give glory to God except you, a foreigner from Samaria?”

19 Then Jesus said to the healed man lying at his feet, “Arise and go. It was your faith that brought you salvation and healing.”

Only one leper received full salvation, the Greek word being sozo.

This word goes beyond healing for it includes being made whole without anything lacking.  Praise and worship leads us to completeness in our faith.  The one leper received complete health rather than just healing of his leprous sores.

You and I are meant to walk in Divine health and our faith will take us there as we glorify and magnify Our Lord… everyday.

Are you focused on what you need or what you already have?

It is recorded by The Holy Spirit in Psalm 150:

1   Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Praise God in His Holy sanctuary! Praise Him in his stronghold in the sky!

2   Praise Him for his miracles of might! Praise Him for His magnificent greatness!

3   Praise Him with the trumpets blasting! Praise Him with piano and guitar!

4-5   Praise Him with drums and dancing! Praise Him with the loud, resounding clash of cymbals! Praise Him with every instrument you can find!

6   Let everyone everywhere join in the crescendo of ecstatic praise to Yahweh! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

True praise exalts The FATHER, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.  Songs that focus on us are not true praise and worship.  Consider the words when you hear a Christian song and see where the focus is.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Philippians chapter 4:

6   Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude (and thanksgiving). Tell Him every detail of your life,

7   then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ.

8   So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising Him always.

Paul also wrote by The Holy Spirit in Colossians chapter 2:

6  As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

If you aren’t thankful, you aren’t abounding in faith.

FATHER knows the problem thus we do not need to remind HIM of it.  Instead, we need to focus on the solution which comes from HIM.  HE will lead us and guide us through the problems, issues, and challenges of life.

If you are not grateful for what you have, then your prayer life will suffer.  There is always something to be grateful for no matter what your situation.  FATHER’S Love for you far exceeds any problem you have so don’t think HE is not sensitive to your situation.  I can assure you the issue keeping us from a solution is not HIM, it is us!

The more you praise HIM and recall past deliverances, the greater your faith and the less your fear, uncertainty, and doubt. 

These are perilous times as Paul described in the following.  However, FATHER placed us on this earth and was aware of what we would face so HE imparted the necessary gifts in us to deal with whatever we would confront.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit In 2^nd Timothy chapter 3:

2   People will be self-centered lovers of themselves and obsessed with money. They will boast of great things as they strut around in their arrogant pride and mock all that is right. They will ignore their own families. They will be ungrateful and ungodly.

3 They will become addicted to hateful and malicious slander. Slaves to their desires, they will be ferocious, belligerent haters of what is good and right.

4 With brutal treachery, they will act without restraint, bigoted and wrapped in clouds of their conceit. They will find their delight in the pleasures of this world more than the pleasures of the loving God.

5 They may pretend to have a respect for God, but in reality they want nothing to do with God’s power. Stay away from people like these!

6 For they are the ones who worm their way into the hearts of vulnerable women, spending the night with those who are captured by their lusts and steeped in sin.

7 They are always learning but never discover the revelation-knowledge of truth.

There is no question that everything Paul has listed is found all around us today.  The adversary has deceived the masses with his agenda and they are following along without even realizing it.  They are moving toward further darkness in their blindness to the Truth.  It is up to us to be the light of the Gospel which will always overpower the darkness.  Are we being persecuted?  Of course, but we are not to cower down to those who think they have the upper hand.  As we are led by The Holy Spirit, we will respond accordingly and thwart their attempts to silence us.  Good works trump evil works!

12   For all who choose to live passionately and faithfully as worshipers of Jesus, the Anointed One, will also experience persecution.

13   But the evil men and sorcerers will progress from bad to worse, deceived and deceiving, as they lead people further from the truth.

14   Yet you must continue to advance in strength with the Truth wrapped around your heart, being assured by God that He’s the One who has truly taught you all these things.

15   Remember what you were taught from your childhood from the Holy Scrolls which can impart to you wisdom to experience everlasting life through the faith of Jesus, the Anointed One!

16   Every Scripture has been written by the Holy Spirit, the breath of God. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of Godliness.

17   Then you will be God’s servant, fully mature and perfectly prepared to fulfill any assignment God gives you.

We all have assignments to fulfill.  You have a unique calling as I do.  Let us fulfill our callings with thanksgiving and gratitude, glorifying Jesus Christ in everything we say and do.  Jesus was not intimidated when He was persecuted, neither should we.

Paul also wrote by The Holy Spirit in Romans chapter 1:

18   For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the Truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

21  because, although they knew God,

1. they did not glorify Him as God,
2. nor were thankful,
3. but became futile in their thoughts,
4. and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Are you glorifying FATHER on a daily basis?

Are you speaking thankful words or are you complaining?

Are you speaking futile words in your prayer?

Our prayers should be with thanksgiving.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Philippians chapter 4:

4   Be cheerful with joyous celebration in every season of life. Let joy overflow, for you are united with the Anointed One!  5 Let gentleness be seen in every relationship, for our Lord is ever near. 6 Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell Him every detail of your life, 7 then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ. 8 So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising Him always. 9 Follow the example of all that we have imparted to you and the God of peace will be with you in all things.

The dark is getter darker.  However, our lights are growing brighter.  Remember, FATHER always has the last move(s).  We will overpower the darkness. Love never fails!

FATHER’S faithfulness and grace will limit the severity of every test and prevent you from being tested beyond your ability to cope. Unlimited grace is available for every believer who faces hardship, temptations, and seasons of difficulty.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit In 1^st Corinthians chapter 10:

13   We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being. But God will be faithful to you. HE will screen and filter the severity, nature, and timing of every test or trial you face so that you can bear it. And each test is an opportunity to trust HIM more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape that will bring you out of it victoriously.

We live in a broken world and we all need help to overcome all the various challenges confronting us.  How do I respond to seemingly overcoming challenges?  I speak out to FATHER, “Help me FATHER, give me Wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and skill to overcome this obstacle!”

Sometimes HE will instruct me to do nothing.  Other times HE will have me do something which is counterintuitive to what a person in the world does.  We must learn to be obedient to that Still Small Voice in our spirit.  The Holy Spirit expresses Love to us every time He speaks.  FATHER wants us to learn to trust HIM in every situation, no matter how intense.

It is vital that we develop our ability to discern.

It is written by The Holy Spirit in Hebrews chapter 5:

8   But even though Jesus was a wonderful Son, He learned to listen and obey through all His sufferings. 9 And after being proven perfect in this way He has now become the source of eternal salvation to all those who listen to Him and obey.

10    For God has designated Him as the King-Priest who is over the priestly order of Melchizedek. 11 We have much to say about this topic although it is difficult to explain, because you have become too dull and sluggish to understand. 12 For you should already be professors instructing others by now; but instead, you need to be taught from the beginning the basics of God’s prophetic oracles! You’re like children still needing milk and not yet ready to digest solid food. [13] For every spiritual infant who lives on milk is not yet pierced by the revelation of righteousness.

14 But solid food is for the mature, whose Spiritual senses perceive Heavenly matters. And they have been adequately trained by what they’ve experienced to emerge with understanding of the difference (discern) between what is truly excellent and what is evil and harmful.

Age does not guarantee Spiritual maturity.  Inexperience does indicate immaturity.  A significant problem with each generation is that they either do not learn from the previous generation’s experience or they think they are simply smarter.  Wisdom from Above is enduring and the younger should seek out the Wisdom given to those who are Spiritual mature.  Sadly in most cases, they don’t.

I have had my share of challenges in all areas and I give FATHER all the credit for delivering me out of them all.  There were times I tried to “fix” the problem on my own and at best only achieved partial success.  Full success comes when we listen and are led by The Holy Spirit.  For consistency in this respect, we must renew our minds daily, not weekly, monthly, or yearly. 

Memorizing a passage does not guarantee success either.  I know a man who can recite a multitude of Scriptures yet he has notable health issues.  Revelation and application of that revelation is key… and only The Holy Spirit can provide the appropriate response to any situation we face.  The most important thing that I can do daily is to spend time renewing my mind, praying in THE SPIRIT, and being quiet before THE LORD.  As I do, HE will direct my steps as I navigate through or around the challenges of the day.  HIS grace is more than sufficient!

We will return this weekend and the blogs will start up as The Holy Spirit directs. It has been a nice “reset”.

Jesus spoke in Revelation chapter:

1Write the following to the messenger of the congregation in Sardis,  for these are the words of the one who holds the seven Spirits of God  and the seven stars:I know all that you do and I know that you have a reputation for being really “alive,” but you’re actually dead! 

2Wake up and strengthen all that remains before it dies, for I haven’t found your works to be perfect in the sight of my God. 3So remember all the things you’ve received and heard, then turn back to God and obey them. For if you continue to slumber, I will come to you like a thief, and you’ll have no idea at what hour I will come. 

4Yet there are still a few in Sardis who have remained pure,  and they will walk in fellowship with me in brilliant light,  for they are worthy. 5And the one who experiences victory will be dressed in white robes and I will never, no never erase your name from the Book of Life. I will acknowledge your name before my Father and his angels. 6So the one whose heart is open let him listen carefully to what the Spirit is now saying to all the churches.