Dr. Jim Richards

Since everything in life stems from what happens in our hearts, the beliefs we form about God ultimately determine the sum total of our life experience. God's covenant with Jesus is a covenant of the heart—upheld by His Name and His Word, establishing what we can expect from Him. Until we’re fully persuaded by who He is and what He’s said, we’ll struggle to make the covenant work. But the real struggle isn’t to make it work; it's to persuade our hearts to believe that the covenant is as good as God says it is because He’s as good as He says He is! To the degree we persuade our hearts in the promises of the Kingdom determines the degree of life that we experience (Mk 4:24). The more you establish your heart in who God really is, the more you’ll experience the promise of a life that’s “easy and light” (Mt 11:3).

Have you ever considered how you formed your beliefs about God? How did you come to believe what you do? While we may be truly passionate to serve Him, many believers don’t know who God really is. In ancient times, a name revealed the character and identity of a person. This is why God put such emphasis on all of His names. In His first introduction to Moses, He said, “I AM WHO I AM,” indicating that He never changes. Just like His Father, Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Everything Jesus did and taught was in harmony with the Names of God. God also revealed Himself through His Covenant and His Word which are always connected to and congruent with His Names. What makes this so remarkable is that our actions can’t change who God is! Jesus had an unwavering trust in His Father because He understood that God never violates His Names, His Covenant, or His Word! As He was and is to Jesus is exactly how God wants to be to you!

God is a Covenant Keeping God… what does that mean for you? In business transactions, contracts are created so there are no misunderstandings: everyone knows their terms and benefits. In a simple contract you are never left to guess at what you are getting; and you never have to presume what is required of you. A covenant is a contract. God is a covenant keeping God. Why? He wants it to be clear what He is providing and how you can participate. With God you never have to be in dark; you’re never left guessing what His will is, in a given situation… unless you haven’t read or don’t trust the person who wrote the contract! There is much confusion in the body of Christ concerning God’s current contract with humanity. Much of what is taught about faith, prayer and even righteousness is based more on the Old Covenant than the New Covenant! Jesus has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises, Heb 8:6. To operate under any part

We either relate to God based on faith or religion (formulas and ceremonies). Faith is relational, trusting in God, and believing we are created in His likeness and image and have authority on Planet Earth. Formulas are like incantations used to bring about results in a magical manner. For example, tacking the name of Jesus at the end of prayer should force God to do what we asked Him to do. We create a world in harmony with our image. Decide with God in prayer that you will only accept God's testimony of Himself.

A Nobel prize winner once said that man thinks he is merely observing the world, but the truth is we are in an interplay with it, and it is becoming what we perceive or believe it to be. The fact that I am looking at the world around me the way I am (opinions in my mind and beliefs in my heart) is shaping the world in which I live. That lines up with the whole concept that we have authority and influence, and become co-creators with God in this world because we are made in His likeness and image. You have an opportunity to harmonize your life with God and say, "This is what my world is going to become."

We have become dependent on the five senses, but the only way we can perceive the unseen is with the eyes of the heart. We try to make everything the Bible teaches about God to fit into our carnal minds based on these five senses, and we lose touch with the eternal things of God and the miraculous. In God’s realm there is only “right now” for He has declared the end from the beginning as the only reality. Am I looking at the promises of God thru these natural senses that limit God to time and space and matter, or as the Creator who exists in this other realm who says it is already done?

God’s desire is for us to succeed, but first, our heart must be fully committed to God’s process. If we don’t change the beliefs of our hearts that cause us to cycle through the same mistakes, we will either destroy the successes we make or destroy ourselves so we can no longer have those successes. Jesus taught us how to establish new beliefs in our hearts in a godly way. Once you learn His process and invest in your heart, you will always be in rest as you journey toward your goals.

Making miracles is not so much about having more faith than anyone else as it is in having faith in what God says instead of religion. Instead of looking to how God created the world, we become very subjective and come up with Luciferian concepts of why our faith does or does not work that have nothing to do with God. Do I believe I am created in the likeness and the image of God? Do I believe I can speak to mountains and circumstances that need to move? If God’s will is going to happen on Planet Earth, it will happen because human beings believe and choose it and speak it into being. God is not in control of it – we are, and He can only do what He wants through people who trust Him.

Most people have not heard how faith actually operates, but this series will show you how to move in faith with confidence. Faith is where something comes alive and moves from “this is going to happen” to “this is already done.” My confidence is not in using my faith to get something – it is in Jesus who already used HIS faith to get it. Through the resurrection of Jesus, we move from the realm of possibility to probability where faith is no longer in hope but is absolute.

Do you trust God to meet the need in your life or do you feel He will let you down? Lack is a feeling of desperation that leads us to seek an alternative source or not trust God to meet the need in our lives. When we come to God from the perspective that He will let us down, we have moved from lack to limits. Then, even though He floods our heart with His goodness, we judge God as being unfaithful. The only two battles of faith you will ever fight in your whole life are: is God who He says He is and am I who God says I am?

Do you believe the miracle you need is simply possible, or highly probable? What moves something from simply being possible to probable is the fact that God proactively initiated the end from the beginning. Jesus’s part is finished. We believe that and receive that. The probability for health, or finances, or whatever you need already exists and you don’t need to get God to do it. It is a matter of removing the limits of doubt and unbelief from your heart and starting to conceive it in your heart.

Take steps to a powerful and steadfast heart which does not waver at the promises of God! The core lie at the root of all religious theology and deception relating to God is this: God is in control of everything; therefore, the horrible condition of the world is the proof that God is not really good and He can't be trusted. Like the children of Israel, when we don’t take steps to experience the power of a fixed heart and immovable trust, we put God on trial and judge Him guilty. But when your heart is persuaded of God’s goodness and trustworthiness, your focus and trust will always be on God and His resources and not on the problem and your own resources.

How do I know when my heart is fixed? Please watch this video as we learn the answer. We can know that our heart is fixed when we do not waver, regardless of the bad report that comes. Why? We remain steadfast on the promises of God. We empty our heart of all personal opinions, are humble and open, and build our lives on the foundation of Jesus’ teaching. If the most valuable thing in your life is your relationship with the Lord and you are anchored in Him, your heart will hold firm in the storms of life.

Where are you, God? Why am I not seeing the results that God has promised? There is something limiting God in our life situation. When we are not seeing results, we need to sort out what is really going on. Approaching God from a perspective that says we’re not sure if this is true or not, is to put Him on trial. Most of the time when we put God on trial, we have already decided He is not true. Every limitation in our lives is a limitation we unknowingly place upon God. Ask yourself: am I able to find fault in my own life without condemnation, creating excuses, feeling inadequate, or needing someone else to blame?

The number one limitation we place on God is that we don’t believe how good He is. Living our dreams is not just about getting God to hand us something; He wants us to be the person that can live the kind of life we want. That starts in the heart through biblical transformation. Our life should be about BEING and HAVING, not becoming and getting, which is the ultimate limiting factor. God rules in our lives only to the degree that we allow Him to express Himself. Ask yourself: Do I believe in a God who is better than I ever imagined and has a life for me that is better than anything I have ever imagined?

A fake religious question asks whether something is God's will. If we don’t know something is God’s will, we can’t be in faith. Most of the time when we are asking if something is God’s will, we are creating a smokescreen. We make resolutions to live a better quality of life but we don’t remove from ourselves those beliefs and destructive behaviors that keep limiting God in our lives. God has already given us everything we need pertaining to life and godliness, so our faith is about the willingness to stop doing the things that limit us. If you know the promises, have the tools to influence your heart, and are willing to follow God, your life will get better.

Everything God has ever said can either give us life or destroy us, depending on the beliefs of the heart and how bad we want it. “The sun that melts butter is the same sun that hardens the clay” is a saying relevant to our lives. People who value their relationship with God more than the promises are not destroyed in their pursuit. If we trust in something else more than we seek God, we won’t hear God’s leadership taking us down the path to get to the very thing we want. Ask yourself: Is there anything in my life that I am afraid to give up in exchange for what God is offering me, or am I going to let go of it and seek God with all my heart?

God’s desire is for us to succeed, but first, our heart must be fully committed to God’s process. If we don’t change the beliefs of our hearts that cause us to cycle through the same mistakes, we will either destroy the successes we make or destroy ourselves so we can no longer have those successes. Jesus taught us how to establish new beliefs in our hearts in a godly way. Once you learn His process and invest in your heart, you will always be in rest as you journey toward your goals.

Do you want 20/20 vision before making a resolution this year? Consider using the biblical tools and resources in this series that will help you see through God’s perspective. Deciding to do something differently brings us to a crossroads, which is a form of repentance. The biblical concept of repentance means turning to God to make the right decisions because you are the one who determines what path you will take to reach your goal. I want to help you choose the way that connects you with God and gives you the inner power to see it through all the way to the end. God always brings us to success and fulfillment doing it His way AND there is never any trouble that comes with it.

Are you ready to make a New Year’s resolution and see it through when you do it God’s way? We did not stick with most of the resolutions we made in the past because we didn’t follow the way God created us to govern our own lives. When we quit before seeing that resolution through, it leads to loss of self-confidence and some form of self-destruction. If you have made a resolution this year but don’t want to face another failure; listen to this series before you put your emphasis on making it happen. Go on a biblical transformation journey with me so that when you make your decision or resolution, you will be empowered to be the person who can live that dream.