position – ThrivingBranch

If you’ve spent any time in the more charismatic sections of Christianity, you’ve likely heard about the promises of God. The promises are something that Christians often meditate on, recite, and think about. There are books and devotionals dedicated to the promises, and they can give a lot of comfort. But what exactly is a promise in the biblical aspect? By asking this question, I’m aiming primarily at the time-frame in view. When we typically think of a promise, we envision something that is going to happen, but hasn’t happened yet. The time-frame may seem like a small detail, but it can have large implications. Today we will explore what it means to have a biblical promise versus a biblical fact, and how a seemingly subtle difference can significantly influence our perspective of what we have in Christ.

by Jim Travis

March 1, 2020

Your Healing is Unstoppable! (part 2)

Welcome back to the second part of our series looking at the truth of your healing, and the biblical reality that because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the truth that your healing is unstoppable. Last week we took an honest look at the “sin problem”, and we answered the question of whether sinful deeds could actually impede or stop your healing… and I would encourage everyone to view that study if they have any doubts regarding healing and sin. Today we are going to continue this theme, and look at a related argument regarding healing, which is healing is not guaranteed, and sickness is inevitable, because we live in a sinful world. Much like what we looked at last week regarding sinful deeds stopping healing, this idea about a sinful world stopping healing is just as common – and just as crippling when it comes to healing, and so we will be examining it today in this study.

by Jim Travis

June 16, 2019

Know That You Are Completely Clean Forever

One of the biggest hindrances (if not the only hindrance) to intimacy with God, is sin. Almost every single believer, and even most non-believers know this to be true. With that said, what is to be done about it? This is where most people tend to branch-off into different directions regarding the solution to the sin problem. Some people set-out on a grand life-long quest to try and rid-themselves of wrong behaviors, wrong thoughts, and to “clean themselves” up, always reaching but never truly attaining perfection. Others become so confused and intimidated by the whole problem that they become discouraged and defeated and just shut-down on the whole thing. Still others accept their sin and decide that since they can’t do anything about it anyway, they might as well indulge it all the way. But are any of these ways correct? Must we live a defeated and striving life here on this earth dominated by sin and beaten-down with sin-consciousness? Today in this study, we are going to answer that question, and through the finished work of Jesus Christ and His New Covenant of Grace, you will be able to have assurance, and confidence in your position from this day onward.

by Jim Travis

October 1, 2017

The Generosity of God Revealed

God is generous. I know by making this one statement, I’ve probably managed to offend someone. The idea of a truly generous God is not very popular today. Many people will say that they believe in a giving and generous God, but when you dig a little deeper, you will find that those same people only have a superficial belief in the generosity of God – which is to say that they don’t really believe that He is generous at all. I have encountered quite a number of people who feel that they must beg God to give them things and barely scrape by in life, and even some who think that the more needy and poor they are, the more it gives God glory and keeps them holy and humble. On the other side, I have encountered people who say that God could not possibly be generous, because He wants to “test and try us” or “teach us lessons”, and then there are those think that God would just be some kind of magical genie, and so they oppose His generosity on those grounds. So what I want to share with you today, what the scriptures say about God’s generosity, and what He says about Himself.

by Jim Travis

April 9, 2017

Jesus Is Your Answer

It’s considered cliché these days to say Jesus is the answer. People upon hearing the phrase will typically react with an eye-roll, or say “Yeah, I know, but...” – as if to admit that they do not really believe that He is the answer at all. Believers continue to search for new truths, new ideas, new philosophies and theologies every day because they are still searching for answers. They are searching for something more, as if Jesus was not enough, and in the eyes of many, He secretly isn’t enough. Now it’s okay to admit feeling that way. It’s okay to admit thinking that… because the honest admission that sometimes we feel or think that Jesus isn’t enough is a starting-point upon which to build the true Gospel foundation of Jesus Christ. I’ve watched many professing believers over the years, who were too afraid to make that admission, live their entire lives searching for answers, going from this thing to that thing, attending every conference they come across, reading every book, laboring in all kinds of works – so busy, yet still not finding their answer, because in all of their busy-ness, they have missed Jesus… never even truly realizing that He is the One and Only Answer that they need. Today, we will be taking a look at how Jesus is our true answer, and saying that will no longer be an empty cliché.

by Jim Travis

August 21, 2016

You Have A Different Spirit

Ask a typical Christian to describe themselves, and you will likely hear one of a few answers, ranging from “sinner”, to “sheep”, to the more esoteric “nothing”. Likewise, if you ask them to describe their position, status or power, they will often tell you that they have none. Most believers think that they are utterly helpless and totally powerless today, due to a lack of understanding of what the Bible teaches regarding such things. While it is true that we have no power, authority or position of ourselves, it is also true that we have great power, authority and position in Christ Jesus. The scriptures go into wonderful detail when explaining who we are in Christ and what we have in Him as well. This is what we will be studying today: the realities of the Holy Spirit of God on the inside of us, and what this has made us in Christ.

by Jim Travis

August 23, 2015

In Christ There is No Cause For a Curse

What is a curse? I am not referring to filthy or coarse language as the modern culture defines “cursing”. The Biblical definition of a curse is to “speak down” about a thing or person, and also the Biblical definition of bless is to “speak well” about a thing or person. So with this understanding of what it means to bless and to curse, we realize that most people invoke curses far more often than what is generally thought. Now we have been studying this month about the authority of the believer in Christ and also about the power of the words that we speak. Today we are going to move beyond our own words and we are going to examine what the Bible says concerning the words that others – including the enemy – tries to speak into our lives, and how in Christ Jesus, we are safe and secure from such attacks.

by Jim Travis

July 5, 2015

The Enemy is Not What He Used to Be

Have you ever listened to people in church during a casual conversation? Many times what I have heard is not them talking about the victories that they are having in Christ, but instead they are talking about what the devil is doing in their lives. I often hear things such as “Oh, that old devil, he's just having a hey-day in my life.”, “he's just sifting me as he sifted Job.”, or “I guess I'm just his target this week.” These are not statements of victory, and they are not even truly scriptural for the kind of life that we as believers should be living in Christ Jesus today. That's why in this study, we will be examining what the Bible says regarding our reality today in Christ, and the truth of the defeated status of the enemy. By exposing the common lies being propagated among believers and shining the light of Christ on how utterly beaten the enemy truly is, we will be able to have confidence against the devil, instead of fear.

by Jim Travis

May 31, 2015

Discover Your Inheritance in Christ

This week I was watching a Television show about the rich and famous. It showed the homes and property of the super-wealthy. A comment was made that it would be nice to be a part of that family just for the inheritance. That comment got me thinking, that we as believers are also part of a wealthy family, but many believers are still living far below their means. Today we will be studying the inheritance that we have in Christ, specifically for the here and now. You see, we all know that we will receive a divine inheritance up in Heaven, but very few recognize that there are benefits on this earth as well, and so this is what we will be studying today.

Posts in position

Did God Give You Promises or Facts?

Your Healing is Unstoppable! (part 2)

Know That You Are Completely Clean Forever

The Generosity of God Revealed

Jesus Is Your Answer

You Have A Different Spirit

In Christ There is No Cause For a Curse

The Enemy is Not What He Used to Be

Discover Your Inheritance in Christ