Faith Roots with Pastor Willie George

The first and most important benefit of worshipping God is the forgiveness of iniquity. All the other blessings and benefits spring from this one. It is always first among the many blessings of reconciliation.

There is a way to enjoy all of God's benefits without losing sight of His person. It is by being grateful!

King David understood the importance of speaking the scriptures to himself. “O my soul” is not merely an expression - it is a revelation of the threefold nature of man. There is a part of us that is even deeper than the soul, and it is the seat of government in the human. It is the spirit.

Paul experienced amazing miracles whenever he went, but especially so when he ministered among the Gentiles. But Paul’s first action was always the preaching of the Gospel. The miracles followed the preaching, just as they did with the ministry of Jesus. So, the preaching of the Gospel came first… or did it?

Faith in God’s Word permits us to see glimpses of the spiritual world where God’s power comes from. We learn not the limit Him to the restraints of natural circumstances. And most importantly, we realize that our destinies are tied to that spiritual world where He can be seen and known. We are pilgrims on this earth.

God has always revealed His plans carefully, and in bits and pieces. The prophecies about the birth, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus are scattered throughout the Old Testament. God’s plan of salvation was a mystery that only came to light after it was finished.

God uses the foolish things in the world to confound the wise. Goliath could never have believed he would die by the hand of a teenage Israeli shepherd boy who had never been in a fight. The shock of seeing a red-haired, freckled kid standing over the unbeatable Philistine champion sent thousands of soldiers fleeing to their cities. God loves to use the unexpected thing to accomplish His purpose.

Only truly spiritual people can discern the plans and purposes of God. One of the greatest hindrances to true spirituality is human pride. Pride blinds us to the greatest opportunities. It almost kept me from discovering the purpose of God for my life. 

Learning from past mistakes is only one aspect of looking backward. We can see the good that God wants to do for us in the present by considering the good that He did in bygone days. By observing prophetic patterns in the conquest of Canaan, David was able to understand how God would deliver him from Goliath.

The ten unbelieving spies who went to search the land of Canaan did not realize that God had given them a step-by-step plan to conquer the land. God’s plan reveals that every negative element of the conquest was actually a positive in disguise.

Without the eye-opening help of the Holy Spirit, we cannot imagine the things that God wants to do for us. The Holy Spirit works inwardly, convincing us of God’s willingness to bless, and coaching us as to how the blessing will come. The “how” of God’s blessing is not our concern until God gives us the first step in obtaining what He has promised. We take small steps of faith to cooperate with God...

Faith enables us to receive things from God that are not yet manifested to us in this physical, material world. If I were to give you a $100 bill, you would not need faith for it. You do not need faith for things that are already in your hands. Faith enables you to grasp the things that you cannot see, touch, feel, taste, or smell.

The Old Testament Bible stories have been given to us as symbols for the spiritual struggles we face daily in our walk with God. We do not fight spiritual battles with natural weapons, but we do face intense spiritual struggles nonetheless. The natural battles that Israel fought can help us understand our own battles more perfectly.

I have found that you can accomplish anything if you are willing to take steps. You might not get to your destination as quickly as you would like, but you will get there with honor and integrity, and in good condition. God delights in the steps that He sets out for us.

The Holy Spirit does not speak to us of His own accord. He speaks only what He hears the Father say, or only what Jesus says. Fortunately, the words of both the Father and the Son that we need to hear are written down. We call those writings, “The Bible.”

God reveals His will to us through spiritual communication channels. When we hear the teaching of God’s Word, the Holy Spirit works it so as to enlighten our minds. Christ taught that there is a powerful spiritual component to His teaching.

David could never have overcome Goliath without the power of the covenant that God made with Abraham 800 years before. The entire purpose of the Covenant was to create a supernatural people through which the Savior of the world would come.

David was just a teenager when he faced Goliath, but he had to become a SPIRITUAL man. The spiritual person does not limit himself or herself by the natural circumstances that are set against him. The spiritual person does not deny the existence of negative circumstances, but focuses on the higher truth of God’s Word, knowing that He can change the circumstances. God’s Word reveals His will for us...

The challenges to God’s promises come in the form of giants. We face problems that appear to be insurmountable and beyond our abilities to solve them. Instead of grieving over the fight, we must remind ourselves of what God has promised.

We have a particular saying in our culture—“Seeing is believing!” I have to admit that I myself rest easier when I see one of God’s promises fully manifested before my eyes; but, my seeing the answer has nothing to do with the giving of that answer. The scripture says, “For with the heart man believes.” Faith is a force of the heart—not of the natural mind. Since faith comes by hearing the Word of...