Community Church of Gods Word

Information may not be reliable

Welcome to Community Church of God's Word. We are a contemporary, non-denominational
Christian church. We invite you to check out our website and join us on Sundays for a fun,
Spirit-filled, Word-filled service that will assist you in fulfilling the destiny God has for your life.
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

Written by Pastor Mike Alcorn
The Lord tells us in His Word that it is His will and desire that we “prosper in all things and be in
health, just as our soul prospers” (3 John 1:2). As your soul prospers, it affects your physical body
with healing and health and it even affects your financial affairs.

A prosperous soul is one that believes God over everything else. Most Christians say they believe
God, but the fruit of a prosperous soul isn't manifesting in their lives.

That puzzled me, so I sought God about it and He reminded me that the traditions of men make the
Word of God of no effect (Matthew 15:3-6). That’s a pretty powerful statement. God’s Word, which
is alive and powerful, can be made ineffectual by us!

The dictionary defines tradition this way: “to give up; surrender or betrayal; the handing down of
beliefs and customs by word of mouth or example without written instructions; an inherited pattern
of thought or action.”

There are family, cultural, national, and religious traditions. Traditions that are in conflict with the
written Word of God stop countless people in the body of Christ from receiving God’s promised
blessings. And until the traditions are recognized, those people will remain trapped and feeling
helpless. Jesus called this condition double-mindedness (James 1:8) and Paul called it a
stronghold of the mind (II Corinthians 10:4-5).

Let’s look at just a few ungodly traditions…

One prevalent religious tradition is that poverty is an indicator of spirituality. For someone who holds that tradition, it would be hard, if not impossible, to receive financial blessingsfrom God. In fact, they would be very likely to abandon the things of God and turn to theworld’s system to get wealth.A common cultural tradition is a belief is that there is a separation between the races. This way of thinking will cause division in the body of Christ. The Word of God says that there isnow no difference between Jew and Greek, neither bond nor free, nor male nor female(Romans 10:12; Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11). As Christians we should only see twokinds of people; those who are saved and those who need salvation.A family tradition that makes the Word of no effect is worry. It is seen as caring and loving, but in actuality, it is an affront to God. He tells us to be anxious for nothing and to cast allour cares on Him (Philippians 4:6; I Peter 5:7). Worry is sin because it is not faith, andtherefore, it is displeasing to God.

When a brother or sister in the Lord brings up a tradition that you hold, you may feel attacked and
find yourself becoming defensive. But remember that your tradition makes the Word of God of no
effect in your life. It is a stronghold—a fortress in your mind with high walls where you are being
held prisoner. The Word of God comes to set you free, but the fortress of your mind sees the Word
(and the messenger who’s delivering it) as trying to steal your identity, which tempts you to
separate yourself even more.

I know that as God’s child, you want to obey Him. Well, when it comes to overcoming traditions,
you need to do five things: 1. Recognize, 2. Repent, 3. Receive, 4. Redefine and 5. Replace.

Sit down and take an inventory of those traditions, strongholds and beliefs that cause the
promises of God not to manifest in your life. The easiest way to do this is to write down the
scriptural promise of God that you desire to come to pass in your life. Next, write down the
thoughts you have that tell you why you cannot receive that promise. Don’t edit. Just write down
whatever comes to mind.

After you have recognized your beliefs, repent for any sin, disobedience or past behaviors that your
beliefs were based on. Receive forgiveness from God. Then redefine yourself, by making “I am”
statements to describe yourself based on the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. Next, start
replacing those old thoughts and traditions by meditating on the original promise from God. And if
those old thoughts of doubt and unbelief try to creep in, cast them down in Jesus’ name and
remind yourself (and the enemy) that you are free because the Lord has made you free indeed!

COMMUNITY CHURCH OF GOD'S WORD 9879 HIBERT STREET, SUITE C SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA 92131 858.549.8868