Does it ever seem to you that sometimes your faith to believe for what you need is not working or is dead? You know faith works, but you seem to come up lacking. If you are endeavoring to believe God for healing or any other manifestation of the good provisions of God (wisdom, prospering, peace) you know that faith is essential. Faith is given to us by the Holy Spirit of Christ. It is very powerful. Faith works miracles. Faith works.
But there is a aspect of faith working that we often overlook and therefore do not activate. Two things we know:
1. Faith without works is dead (lifeless)
2. Faith works by love
The "works" that activate faith are these:
1. Forgiving, forgiving, forgiving
Forgiving is a work of faith that SHOWS you believe the complete work of Calvary. You believe that Christ, the Savior of all mankind, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world has truly paid in full for every sin done by you or done to you. For that reason, you can accept the grace of being forever and completely forgiven AND you can give the grace of forgiveness to others (especially those who have offended you, transgressed against you or even despitefully abused you).
The despiteful abuse you've suffered and the process you've gone through to get rid of it brings us to the next truth that will set us free and the next "work" faith...
2. Pray FOR those who despitefully abuse you
It is hard to pray for an abuser. We can pray about them and tell God about all the bad they've done and how we feel about it, but that is only the FIRST step of getting out from under that burden baggage. Often, after we have stirred ourselves up by remembering and reporting on the offenses, we feel hatred and not faith. Sometimes we even pray against that person. We want God to give them a taste of their own medicine or some other curse. Those kind of prayers do not work out the way we think they should - they actually work against us!
Why?
The principal of God that rules in this scenario is this:
"Give and it shall be given to you"[Luke 6:38]
What is the "it" referenced above?
"It" is whatever you yourself has given. If you have given the abuser curses, hatred and fear - that is what will show up on your doorstep. Better to pray for them rather than against them because the "measure you mete (give out to others), shall be measured back to you".[Mark 4:24] Also, "whatever you sow, you reap". [Gal 6:7] Plus, the Golden Rule is "do unto others what you would have done to you." That is why you are instructed to pray FOR those who despitefully abuse you. This truth sets you free from oppression and bitterness, fear and other snares of the enemy. When you obey Christ's instruction to pray for and to bless and curse not, you are utilizing
The Way of Escape...the Way of Triumph
that God provides in every trial. Your enemy desires to oppress you, depress you, rule over you, harass you, incapacitate you so you won't use the power and authority you have been given over all the power of the enemy [Luke 10:19]. Conversely, your Savior desires you to believe Him, obey His Spirit's prompting, value and do His Word (which is to pray for).
He said to to pray for one another so that you may be healed.
How much more light do you need? He is shining the light on your situation so you can take the faith He has given you by these simple works of love and put them in to practice to overcome the evil of that despiteful abuse with the good of forgiving, praying for and blessing.
These are our weapons of warfare that defeat the kingdom of darkness who desires us to be imprisoned by that despiteful abuse or transgression or offense. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood. The human is not the culprit or the problem. The enemy BEHIND the actions or the words are the culprit. Defeat the enemy by forgiving the offender. Defeat darkness by praying for. Defeat Satan by blessing and cursing not.
All of these actions are putting into practice the good word of God to overcome the evil works of the devil.
So how do you pray for?
First pray for them to come out from under the oppression and vexation of the enemy so they no longer further the enemy's work via offense and abuse. Pray Romans 5:17 over them because when the offender receives God's grace and gift of righteousness, they reign in life by the One, Christ Jesus rather than the evil reigning over them. Pray Eph 3:16-20 so the eyes of their understanding may be enlightened so they can receive God's love. Remember the second half of Luke 6:38 that what you give comes back to you pressed down, shaken together and running over. What you are praying for them, you are receiving multiplied back to you so pray for the things you hope will show up on your doorstep.
All of these works of faith remove the impediments to the blessings of God flowing to you and being received by you by faith.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Ruling from a Resting position
Last week, Liz Sutter taught on ruling from a resting position. This is one of those "things" in life that you want to have in your arsenal so when life rages around, you can pull out the most powerful weapon - resting in Christ's finished work so you rule over your enemies. Enjoy!
PSALM 23:5
{Thou preparest} {a table}
before {me in the presence of
mine enemies} : {thou anoints} {my
head} {with oil:} { my cup}
{runneth over.}
STUDY
First phrase: Thou
prepares: Hebrew arak: to arrange
wood upon the alter; loaves upon the holy tablea table for a meal; arms for a battle; to set in order, a cause
in a court of justice;to set or put or lay in order; to furnish; to set forth a
legal case; set in place
Second phrase: a
table: Hebrew shulcan: Kings
table; Extended/spread out, The table of
shew bread; Table of Jehovah, the alter: Root is verb: shalach: to send away; to cast out ; to dismiss; to be
divorced, to cast, to throw as arrows into fire(into a city); to cast
down; to be expelled; set free
Third Phrase: me in the presence of mine enemies: Hebrew
tsarar: to bind, be narrow;
cause distress to besiege, be bound, tied up, shut up, cramped, to be in
straits, to press hard upon, to show hostility toward; treat with enmity, vex, harass, to press, compress, to be wrapped up ina cloth
or bundle, to lay hold of, persecute, to afflict,
Forth Phrase: thou anoints}
Hebrew dashen: become/grow fat, prosperous , to take away ashes from
alter, to fatten oneself of Jehovahs sword, good tidings make the bones fat,
fills them with marrow, imparts strength, sending fire down from heaven, to
clear from ashes, to be anointed with
fatness to be smeared
Fifth phrase: my head:
Hebrew ro’sh: Head, upper part, total, sum, top ; chief of
a family, the high priest,
Sixth Phrase: with oil: Hebrew shemem: fatness; feast of fat things; ‘yoke of Isreal is broken
because fatness/ taken from a fat bull that casts off and breaks the yoke;
fruitfulness of the earth, very fertile valley; dew of heaven; Root: verb shaman; to grow or become fat: to be
covered with fat…to produce it from oneself;sympbol of plenty, sign of luxery,
royal treasure, as medicine, as a shield
Seventh Phrase: my cup:
Hebrew kowc: a vessel, a receptacle
Eight Phrase: runneth
over: Hebrew revayah: saturation,
abundance,Root verb: ravah:
to be satiated or have ones fill, to drench, water abundantly, intoxicated,
soaked, to satiate anyone with fat,
drench, bathed, a place of relief
INSIGHT
God prepared for us Jesus (a meal) shown forth on this
table. The King's table of displaying the benefits of the finished work, this
table of Victory and Freedom in which we
can feast upon. A table which we can eat
and receive nourishment in our weakness and frailities…that we can gain
strength and power to overcome. We have every spiritual blessing that Christ
has for us from his finished work(Eph 1:3).
It brings to remembrance the Lords table with bread and
wine..symbolizing the exchange.. His love and Victory for us. A table speaks of the posture of sitting down (at
rest). While we rest we receive of the blessings in Gods Kingdom at the
table. A place of rest before our
enemies. Where we don’t wok/fight the
enemy..but our fight is the fight of faith..fight to believe what God has given
us we have. We receive of Gods
provision through His meal, through communion, through the finished work.
A table spread out ..by implication is a meal..A meal that
has already been prepared..When a meal is prepared and on the table/the work
has already been done..so we enjoy and eat!! All the while our audience..our
enemies are confronting us.
I believe Gods rest is our promise land. So when we rest and
receive at the table we have entered our promised land. When I can, in the face
of fear, enter into peace...I am experiencing triumph over this giant. In the
face of disease, I can say with confidence that healing is at the table. I am the
healed of the Lord - I have my inheritance.
In the face of hardship, confusion, darkness, and pain(our enemies) I
can say God's provision is mine. Because I am receiving His meal, I am
victorious.
Then the scripture follows that we enter into the
anointing so we grow fat from the table and receive strength totally to overcome. Even as the fat bull
pulls away and breaks the yoke of bondage that has overcome it, he breaks free
from what has laid hold of him. Then we
experience, as the scripture says, our cup overflows and we are saturated - we are
soaked with the anointing oil because we have received of His table and have
overcome (WOW!).
STUDY: Psm: 110:1-4
Vs. 1: The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand,
until I make thine enemies they footstool.
The Lord shall send { the rod}
{of thy strength} (out ot Zion} :({ Rule} thou in the midst of thine enemies.
First phrase vs. 2 the
rod: Hebrew matteh: branch(of
vine), , a scepter, to cast
down(enemies)
Second phrase : of
they strength; Hebrew ‘oz: might;power, the strong hero; fortified tower,
defense, refuge protection, splendor, majesty, glory, praise, victory ,
Third phrase: out of
Zion: Hebrew TSiyown: Jerusalem; a sunny mountain, city of David, to show
the way, place of worship, to lead in music/song,
Fourth prhase: Rule:
Hebrew radah: to tread down, have dominion, subjugate, to
tread-winepress, to subdue, to take possession of
INSIGHT
When we are at rest, who is ruling us? Jesus is ruling our
emotions, our mind, our body. He has the control. So when we allow Jesus to
rule our emotions and mindsets, we are then ruling our enemies by allowing His
Lordship over us. We are possessing that land of peace, possessing joy,
healing, deliverance from dark mindsets. We are treading our enemies,
prevailing over them by submitting to His Lordship. As Christ is now sitting at
the right hand of God, He is at rest and even as Christ is in this world so
are we. Christ rules in a position of
rest, He rules His enemies remaining at Rest. The Psalms states “out to Zion, Rule.” Out of the place of
worship and rest at His table, Christ is Lord, and we have His victory over
every enemy! He has made the way in his finished work for us to overcome every
obstacle! He is so good!!
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Defending your cause, victory and plunder...all in a day's rest
Below is the full transcript from a teaching Elizabeth Sutter shared in Bible study a few weeks ago. This is something to read and re-read as it is RICH and contains keys to walking in Christ's finished work. Be prepared - it's not just a steak - it's a side of beef so grab your fork and dig in!
2 Chronicles 20
Understanding the passage from vs. 1, there are a multitude of enemies advancing against Jehosaphat which cause him and his people Great fear and trouble.
From s. 1 to 11 we see the people positioned to seek help from the Lord..in the manner of prayer and fasting.
I first wanted to study the word Jehosaphat: Meaning in Hebrew : “ Jehovah has judged” Jehosaphat has the word "God" inherent in his name, “has judged” means whose cause he (God) pleads, place of ultimate judgment/vindication. To defend any ones cause esp. of poor and oppressed, defend cause of orphan, and to deliver him from the power of his enemies.
Used of Leaders who delivered their people from the oppression of neighboring nations and then who governed them with Peace!!
What is our ultimate vindication and judgement(of our enemies)? Where God has delivered us from the power of our enemies and now governs us with peace…this is pointing to THE FINISHED WORK…Praise God!
That in the place where the battle rages for us. God has made a way , a way of victory through the cross. In this passage, I believe Jehosphats name is significant. His name points to the cross and to the grace and peace we now have as believers in the new covenant. We don’t have to consider our enemies(the vast multitude against us). We can rest in the finished work!
I have picked it up in vs. 11 where it states,"Here (they) are rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit."
Word studies from King James states, "Behold I say how they reward us …(to come)….( to cast us out)… (of they possession)’…( which thou has given us to inherit)."
First Phrase {..us to come}: reveals: Hebrew word: bow’ :Enter in, to come, to bring against, to come upon as attack of enemy, as in those who enter the gate of a city. To enter into ones body..as in the spirit entered into me,….to be acquainted with a secret counsel…to enter into Hades(death)…to fall upon any one esp. suddenly, used of an enemy….used of calamity…to bring into a house…to bring to judgement…Used in the sense of a military leader to bring them into war, ….to insert(the writings refer to intercourse)….to bring an evil report concerning them…to bring upon anyone evil, or anything hurtful.
Second Phrase {to cast us out): Hebrew word: garish: To drive out, to divorce or put away, to thrust out, trouble, agitate, to be tossed, to expel from a land, used in the of the wicked are like the troubled sea which cannot rest..whose waters cast forth mire. To plunder or spoil the land, to drive out with an accusation of a person, …to be carried off by the violence of water, to be driven, agitated by the sea.
Third Phrase { of thy possession} Hebrew word: yerushah: Our inheritance, to take possession, seize, (dispossess, impoverish, ruin in regards to the enemy)disinherit (enemy) To occupy esp. by force, catching new wine, …to take possession of ones goods, …to drive him out from the possession, to succeed in his place as in the sense of the Lord will destroy those nations before thee and thou shalt occupy their possession,…in the sense of possessing the land: spoken of which had been promised of old to the Israelites and was regarded as the highest happiness of life.
Used in the sense of Gen:15:3-4 where the son of the bond woman shall not inherit with my son(Issac), to occupy, i.e. the land as in a city or mountain land.
As in Job20:15, God shall drive them out from his belly..to blot out, to destroy.
INSIGHT
The depth of these word phrases in this passage are great..as liked to diamonds..you can look at them in the Hebrew from so many different sides…giving us insight into the devices of the enemy and all confirming and establishing our riches in Christ through the finished work… The enemy would see to attack us, to come against us in war, bringing us into death at the gate of our house, our city, bringing judgement and evil. Seeking to cause us trouble, agitation, unrest, plunder our rightful goods as the accuser and Liar. ..but we have an inheritance that we have the authority to occupy by force and disable and blot out the enemy's influence and place in our land. This is the joy of our inheritance...as Israel that in taking possession was the highest of happiness in life.
Picking it up again in vs. 17, "You will not need to fight in this {battle, position}…{yourselves, stand} …{still and see} the salvation of the Lord who is with you O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed, tomorrow go out against them for the Lord is with you."
I only studied a few phrases that are just the tip of the iceberg.
First Phrase: battle, set: Hebrew word: Yatsab: station oneself, stand with someone, to minister to Him(God), to stand firm before anyone, as a victor before an enemy.
Second Phrase: yourselves stand: Hebrew word: ‘amad: a verb, to be in a standing attitude, to stop moving, or cease from doing, abide, hold ones ground, to rise up or against, to serve or minister before a king, to stand firm in battle, to resist, to persevere, to stand still as opposed to going ones own way, becoming tranquil(at rest) , to remain.
Third Phrase: ye still, and see..Hebrew word: ra’ah: a verb: to see, to consider, to have vision/perceive, to learn about, observe, to distinguish , to gaze,.., to behold, look intently at, …to see the face of a king, ..is said of ministers who are received in his presence, is used for to Enjoy Life, to live fully, to see Jehovah in the land of the living, to behold with purpose, as the eye lingers on an object of pleasure…to feast our eyes upon, often used as joy felt at the destruction of eenemies, from Gods perspective(to look at an affliction in order to remove it/ to see about anything, to provide or care for it) used in the sense from Gods perspective..the keeper of the prison cared for nothing which was delivered to Joseph, God will provide for himself a lamb for a burnt offering, and Abraham called the name of that place Moriah, ….to look to one as expecting aid, , used of (the Hebrews and Greeks) as a verb of seeing those things which are not perceived by the eyes, but by other senses,i.e..hearing, touch, feeling, to perceive things based on the mind or heart, to to know of things which we learn by the experience of life…To be provided or cared for, Mount Moriah ..God shall provide for men, and give them aid, as he did to Abraham,..to cause one to see with pleasure.
Enjoying Life..…where we minister to the face of our King and we cease from our works/resting to let God do the work, he has already finished. In that place of resting knowing that even if we cannot with our eyes(yet) see the deliverance/ the manifestation of Victory..we know it by our mind/and heart, we know it based upon the things God has done, the finished work. Rejoicing with the Father that he has destroyed our enemies!!
STUDY
Vs. 20: So they rose early in the morning and went out { into the Wilderness} { of Tekoa}, and as they went out Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear Me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: {Believe} in the Lord your God and { you shall be established} , {believe} His prophets, and {you shall prosper”}
First Phrase: into the Wilderness: Hebrew word: midbar: meaning uninhabited land, and meaning mouth(an organ of speech). Root word of mouth(dabar) a verb/ to speak, declare / command, to sing, to lead the way..to rule, to direct a people, to bring into order, to speak by subduing, in the sense of “speak unto Pharaoh(enemy) all the things which I speak unto thee” ..it is used of the things which are spoken follow,…used of God..to make something known by revelation..use of when God speaks or promises to any one, ..to utter a song/sing…..also used of speaking to oneself..in 1 Sam 1:13 with Hannah..she was speaking in her heart:..used of God: “he has spoken good things, he has promished” to decree,
To pronounce sentence, by which a penalty is declared..against our enemy..to speak against him, to lay snares (against him)…to plot against, to destroy…in the sense …as she talked with them/made war upon them/pronounce ssentence upon them..
Second Phrase: of Tekoa: Hebrew word: teqowa: "stockaid”….a hill(mountainous) country near Judah/wilderness..fortified town on the borders of a great desert..root word (taqa’)..to thrust/a blast..to drive in as a nail..as nails fixed into the ground…to thrust a spear/sword/to cast into the sea, To sound an alarm/to blow…to strike/clap hands.
Third Phrase: Believe: Hebrew word: ‘aman: as with a mother..to nurse/ as a pillar…supporters of the door, to uphold, …to be firm, to be unshaken, to be faithful…to trust, be secure…to support to bear in the arms as children..a firm place where a nail is driven..
Fourth Phrase: so shall ye be established: Hebrew word: ‘aman: Same meaning as above
Fifth Phrase: Believe: again Hebrew word: 'aman: Same as above
Sixth Phrase: so shall ye prosper: Hebrew word: tsalach: Advance, make progress, succeed, to flourish…to finish well…one who is successful in all things…to flow, to be poured out as water.
There are some rich truths here..
Some thoughts are that in our own places of “wilderness” places of barrenness/or places of lack, remembrance of the curse..that we get to, with our mouth, speak the promises of God with authority/declaring, commanding ordering and subduing the darkness in those places and
Realize that those places are becoming the places of his super abounding grace!!
In Isa. 43:19 “See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up..do you not perceive it..I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland...because I (God) provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland.
To give drink(to water the land) for my people, my chosen and the people I formed that they may proclaim my praise in the places of great strongholds, fortified/built up cities (mindsets) things that are exalting themselves above God(hill or mountainous regions) those places that are fixed as nails.
Those places of deep wounds as with thrusting spears, places of great fears(alarms) and hard blows/or strikes. We can with Christs authority make progress in these areas, flourish in these places ..because we can believe. In that place of believing we make progress, even as a child nurses from his mother and gains strength and life so can we from our source…the place of utter dependence upon Jesus!
So practically as we see our own places of lack/barrenness, places of even wanting. I believe God is there with His abundant Grace that is ours to receive, ours to own, ours to celebrate. We walk through those places of strongholds speaking His Promises,His words...sowing a great seed of Life and watching it grow and produce Harvest!
The Battle is the Lords(the work has been finished). We are not the instruments (doing it in our own strength) but the Lord has done the work for us!! We are the joyful spectators of the total defeat of our enemies. Jehosphat gave thanks for a promise not yet preformed. Knowing Gods words are as ready
Cash. As we know, Faith says "Thank you!" before the deliverance. When you believe his words and what He says then we are connected to His Victory. We have the Victory!
Jehosphat triumphed BEFORE the battle. He encouraged the people to just believe in the words of God(Believe and you shall succeed/flourish). The mindset of the culture is to thank God when something you want happens, not necessarily before. It takes faith to do it before...contrasting…waiting to see the manifestation. That mindset / actions promotes an attitude of unbelief.
When they rested in Who God was by praising him, ambushes were set/snares were set for the enemies destruction! God did the work of delivering them! The prophet encouraged the people not to be afraid or dismayed(fearful, dreadful, terrified,..or broken to pieces, or shattered, or confused, )at the sight of their enemies. Not to be fearful and what they saw(their circumstances), but to remain confident in God, with assurance that he had a miraculous victory of deliverance in store for them…without them “doing” anything! That is amazing Grace!!
To be in an attitude of singing as if returning from a joyful triumph over their enemies! This is an attitude that comes from the tree of Life..in any situation God says He is the God of Hope and fills us with joy and peace..so that we may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit..Rom 15:13. So what are we listening to in our place of lack/desert or barrenness??? God wants us to listen to Life. His life that is there for us and will manifest to us when we remain in the place of believing. Faith moves mountains(Mark 11:24).
Not only do we get to remain in the place of rest in the mist of our enemies(He prepares a table {in the Hebrew a table means..place of freedom} before us in the mist of our enemies - Ps 23), we get to receive the blessings/spoils after the victory (v. 25)! Jehosphat and his army welcomed an abundance of riches/jewels(wealth) - more than they could take away for themselves and God gave so much plunder that it took three days to collect it all. (Three is the number of completeness/perfection).
He can do exceeding, abundantly, more than we could ever ask or think! Believe it!!!
Friday, May 10, 2013
Short leash eh?
When Christians experience a reoccurring difficulty they often say, "Well - God's got me on a short leash." That is NOT true. God doesn't treat you that way. He draws you with cords of love NOT leashes of financial duress, sickness, fear or condemnation. The short leash is from your enemy NOT your God. Don't confuse the two.
We are to submit to God and resist the enemy. You need to know for yourself that God is ALL good towards you - the yuck is from your enemy. If you think the short leash is from God, you will never resist it.
Under the law, punishment would come if a person disobeyed or strayed from God. Thank you Lord that we are now under the covenant of grace where punishment for ALL our sins fell on Jesus at the cross. He was made to be "sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (1 Cor 5:21) Christ fulfilled the law and gave us His righteousness so when God looks at you, He sees you as righteous - not deserving of punishment BECAUSE you have accepted His Son's gift of righteousness.
Stay with me here - in the natural world, if someone is domineering and uses force or manipulates things such that a person has to stay with them for fear of harm, that is considered abuse. There are criminal consequences and special places for people who act in abusive ways. True love "loves" with an open hand, where one voluntarily places their hand in the other persons hand. God is that way - He gently offers His perfect love and grace to you NOT a short leash, jerking a chain to keep you close to Him.
Submit to God's good will towards you and resist the enemy's tactics of lack, sickness, fear, etc. The short leash is from the enemy NOT from God. That short leash is to keep you from experiencing the abundant life Christ came to bring. God draws you with cords of love (Hosea 11:4). It's His kindness that leads you to changing your mind about a situation NOT a short leash (Romans 2:4). The scripture reads, "...the kindness of God leads you to repentance." Repentance is the Greek word metanoia and it means to have a change of mind - to think differently.
The way God helps us to think differently about a situation or our attitude is by His kindness. The way He draws us close to Him is by love. Recognize who clipped that short leash to you and UNCLIP it by changing your mind regarding what you think about God. He loves you with an everlasting, unconditional love. Think correctly about God and correctly of your enemy. God IS good and kind.
NO MORE short leashes...live in a leash-free zone!
We are to submit to God and resist the enemy. You need to know for yourself that God is ALL good towards you - the yuck is from your enemy. If you think the short leash is from God, you will never resist it.
Under the law, punishment would come if a person disobeyed or strayed from God. Thank you Lord that we are now under the covenant of grace where punishment for ALL our sins fell on Jesus at the cross. He was made to be "sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (1 Cor 5:21) Christ fulfilled the law and gave us His righteousness so when God looks at you, He sees you as righteous - not deserving of punishment BECAUSE you have accepted His Son's gift of righteousness.
Stay with me here - in the natural world, if someone is domineering and uses force or manipulates things such that a person has to stay with them for fear of harm, that is considered abuse. There are criminal consequences and special places for people who act in abusive ways. True love "loves" with an open hand, where one voluntarily places their hand in the other persons hand. God is that way - He gently offers His perfect love and grace to you NOT a short leash, jerking a chain to keep you close to Him.
Submit to God's good will towards you and resist the enemy's tactics of lack, sickness, fear, etc. The short leash is from the enemy NOT from God. That short leash is to keep you from experiencing the abundant life Christ came to bring. God draws you with cords of love (Hosea 11:4). It's His kindness that leads you to changing your mind about a situation NOT a short leash (Romans 2:4). The scripture reads, "...the kindness of God leads you to repentance." Repentance is the Greek word metanoia and it means to have a change of mind - to think differently.
The way God helps us to think differently about a situation or our attitude is by His kindness. The way He draws us close to Him is by love. Recognize who clipped that short leash to you and UNCLIP it by changing your mind regarding what you think about God. He loves you with an everlasting, unconditional love. Think correctly about God and correctly of your enemy. God IS good and kind.
NO MORE short leashes...live in a leash-free zone!
Monday, April 15, 2013
So Jesus dances a jig...
"Seek first His kingdom and all these things will be added to you." We've heard this passage before and our take on it has been to do God's work first and He will take care of the things that concern us. Yes, but there's a deeper meaning - a more powerful meaning - a perspective-altering meaning.
Gotta go back to go forward - stick with me here. In Luke 10, we read that Jesus had given power and authority to 72 disciples (this would be the second "mission" for the 12 disciples) to heal the sick, cast out devils and tell the people that the kingdom of God had come upon them. When they came back exhilarated, it says Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit (vs 21). The Greek word there is agalliao which means "to exult, leap for joy, show one's joy by leaping and skipping, denoting EXCESSIVE or ecstatic joy and delight."
Picture that - Christ jumping and leaping EXCESSIVELY when the disciples used the authority He gave them to triumph over the kingdom of darkness and show the world His kingdom. Think about it from a parent's perspective. When your child has been afraid of the dark and you've told them again and again that there is nothing to to be afraid of - still they're afraid. Then one day, they believe your report - they take you at your word - they overcome fear - they believe. How excited would you be? How thrilled would you be that they finally see what has been true ALL ALONG? You'd be ecstatic and you would know their quality of life just got better. The child finally understood the truth you've been trying to tell them.
It's the same way with us. God is excessively joyful when we believe Him. When we use the authority He gave us. When we stand in faith on the authority He gave us. When we enforce Christ's triumph over the kingdom of darkness - remember He leads us in His triumph over the kingdom of darkness (same Greek word in 2 Cor 2:14 and Col 2:15 only used in NT these 2 times).
So what does seeking His kingdom first have to do with any of this? EVERYTHING! Remember in Luke 10 Jesus was jumping for joy over the disciples using the authority He gave them...a few chapters later (apparently a matter of days) in Luke 12, Jesus is telling the disciples not to be concerned about what they will eat or wear, etc. He tells them is verse 31 to seek His kingdom and all these things will be added to them.
Here's the meat of it. The Greek word for kingdom is basileia which means "royal power, kingship, dominion, rule - not to be confused with an actual kingdom, but rather the RIGHT to rule over a kingdom - the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah." The other important word is seek which means "to seek in order to find out by thinking, meditating, reasoning, to inquire into, to crave, to demand something from someone."
Jesus Christ is saying to us to spend time understanding, meditating, pondering, exercising and USING the dominion - the rule - the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant (over the kingdom of darkness) Messiah. And when we do - He rejoices EXCESSIVELY!!! Imagine Him turning backflips when you tell sickness NO! Imagine Him spinning about when you tell bitterness NO! Imagine Him hopping up and down in glee when you recognize "the facts" as the plot of the enemy and stand in faith speaking, believing HIS WORD (the truth) instead of what your eyes see.
No - it's not easy - that's why it's called a FIGHT of faith. That's why Jesus said to Jairus in the face of fact, "Do not fear, only believe." Believe His Word that says,"Behold, I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions and physical and mental strength and ability over all the power that the enemy possesses and NOTHING shall in any way harm you." (Luke 10:19 AMP).
Jesus himself dances a jig when you and I get this - when we know it in our knower - when we exercise the authority over the kingdom of darkness and enforce His triumph over EVERY work of darkness. All I can see in my head right now is a dance off with Jesus and Michael Flately from Riverdance - ha!
The next verse (Luke 12:32) says,"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is well pleased to give you the kingdom."(same Greek word - basileia). Your Father is well pleased to give you that royal power, kingship, dominion, rule. When you seek it - He is happy to give it to you. Happy enough to dance a jig.
Guest blog by Arin Rentz.
Gotta go back to go forward - stick with me here. In Luke 10, we read that Jesus had given power and authority to 72 disciples (this would be the second "mission" for the 12 disciples) to heal the sick, cast out devils and tell the people that the kingdom of God had come upon them. When they came back exhilarated, it says Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit (vs 21). The Greek word there is agalliao which means "to exult, leap for joy, show one's joy by leaping and skipping, denoting EXCESSIVE or ecstatic joy and delight."
Picture that - Christ jumping and leaping EXCESSIVELY when the disciples used the authority He gave them to triumph over the kingdom of darkness and show the world His kingdom. Think about it from a parent's perspective. When your child has been afraid of the dark and you've told them again and again that there is nothing to to be afraid of - still they're afraid. Then one day, they believe your report - they take you at your word - they overcome fear - they believe. How excited would you be? How thrilled would you be that they finally see what has been true ALL ALONG? You'd be ecstatic and you would know their quality of life just got better. The child finally understood the truth you've been trying to tell them.
It's the same way with us. God is excessively joyful when we believe Him. When we use the authority He gave us. When we stand in faith on the authority He gave us. When we enforce Christ's triumph over the kingdom of darkness - remember He leads us in His triumph over the kingdom of darkness (same Greek word in 2 Cor 2:14 and Col 2:15 only used in NT these 2 times).
So what does seeking His kingdom first have to do with any of this? EVERYTHING! Remember in Luke 10 Jesus was jumping for joy over the disciples using the authority He gave them...a few chapters later (apparently a matter of days) in Luke 12, Jesus is telling the disciples not to be concerned about what they will eat or wear, etc. He tells them is verse 31 to seek His kingdom and all these things will be added to them.
Here's the meat of it. The Greek word for kingdom is basileia which means "royal power, kingship, dominion, rule - not to be confused with an actual kingdom, but rather the RIGHT to rule over a kingdom - the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah." The other important word is seek which means "to seek in order to find out by thinking, meditating, reasoning, to inquire into, to crave, to demand something from someone."
Jesus Christ is saying to us to spend time understanding, meditating, pondering, exercising and USING the dominion - the rule - the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant (over the kingdom of darkness) Messiah. And when we do - He rejoices EXCESSIVELY!!! Imagine Him turning backflips when you tell sickness NO! Imagine Him spinning about when you tell bitterness NO! Imagine Him hopping up and down in glee when you recognize "the facts" as the plot of the enemy and stand in faith speaking, believing HIS WORD (the truth) instead of what your eyes see.
No - it's not easy - that's why it's called a FIGHT of faith. That's why Jesus said to Jairus in the face of fact, "Do not fear, only believe." Believe His Word that says,"Behold, I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions and physical and mental strength and ability over all the power that the enemy possesses and NOTHING shall in any way harm you." (Luke 10:19 AMP).
Jesus himself dances a jig when you and I get this - when we know it in our knower - when we exercise the authority over the kingdom of darkness and enforce His triumph over EVERY work of darkness. All I can see in my head right now is a dance off with Jesus and Michael Flately from Riverdance - ha!
The next verse (Luke 12:32) says,"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is well pleased to give you the kingdom."(same Greek word - basileia). Your Father is well pleased to give you that royal power, kingship, dominion, rule. When you seek it - He is happy to give it to you. Happy enough to dance a jig.
Guest blog by Arin Rentz.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Your Sins Are Not Being Recorded
Hebrews 8:12
"12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
I once read a comic book which showed how a man lusted after a woman, then died of a heart attack and went to heaven. In heaven, he saw a big screen showing everyone present a recording of all the sins which he had committed while on earth, including the last one. How embarrassing!
Don’t worry, that is not going to happen to you in heaven. There is no big screen with front-row and circle seats for everyone to sit and watch your past sins. There is no video recorder in heaven recording your sins right now. Because your lifetime of sins has already been punished in the body of Jesus, God declares to you, “Your sins and lawless deeds, I will by no means ever remember!”
This is true even for the Old Testament heroes of faith such as Abraham, Moses and David. If you read Hebrews 11, which was written after the cross of Jesus, you will notice that there is no record of their sins or failures. Yet, their life stories tell us that they were far from perfect.
Abraham lied twice about his wife Sarah. He told Pharaoh, and later, King Abimelech, that she was his sister to protect his own life. Moses killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew, and hid the body in the sand. David committed adultery with Bathsheba and later arranged for her husband to be killed in battle. Yet, their sins were not recorded in Hebrews 11, only their deeds done in faith!
God is showing you that He does not record your sins or failures today. Instead, He records your faith confessions and deeds done in response to what His Son has done for you. Every time you sin, every time you waver in your faith, God does not record it. But every time you believe Him and respond in faith, He records it! That should not make you want to sin more. It should free you to love God more!
So don’t be conscious of your failures. If God Himself does not remember them, who are you to remember them? Be conscious instead of your righteousness in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21), and you will reign in life! (Romans 5:17)
From Joseph Prince - Daily Grace Inspiration for March 27th
www.josephprince.org
"12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
I once read a comic book which showed how a man lusted after a woman, then died of a heart attack and went to heaven. In heaven, he saw a big screen showing everyone present a recording of all the sins which he had committed while on earth, including the last one. How embarrassing!
Don’t worry, that is not going to happen to you in heaven. There is no big screen with front-row and circle seats for everyone to sit and watch your past sins. There is no video recorder in heaven recording your sins right now. Because your lifetime of sins has already been punished in the body of Jesus, God declares to you, “Your sins and lawless deeds, I will by no means ever remember!”
This is true even for the Old Testament heroes of faith such as Abraham, Moses and David. If you read Hebrews 11, which was written after the cross of Jesus, you will notice that there is no record of their sins or failures. Yet, their life stories tell us that they were far from perfect.
Abraham lied twice about his wife Sarah. He told Pharaoh, and later, King Abimelech, that she was his sister to protect his own life. Moses killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew, and hid the body in the sand. David committed adultery with Bathsheba and later arranged for her husband to be killed in battle. Yet, their sins were not recorded in Hebrews 11, only their deeds done in faith!
God is showing you that He does not record your sins or failures today. Instead, He records your faith confessions and deeds done in response to what His Son has done for you. Every time you sin, every time you waver in your faith, God does not record it. But every time you believe Him and respond in faith, He records it! That should not make you want to sin more. It should free you to love God more!
So don’t be conscious of your failures. If God Himself does not remember them, who are you to remember them? Be conscious instead of your righteousness in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21), and you will reign in life! (Romans 5:17)
From Joseph Prince - Daily Grace Inspiration for March 27th
www.josephprince.org
Monday, March 18, 2013
How to STAY FREE of the prison of bitterness
Here's what to do when the official Replay - Rehash - Rehearse Theater of your mind beckons you to a "Revisit the Offense" movie night.
When you forgive, you are yielding to your Savior - The FORGIVER. When you harbor the offense, you are allowing the Adversary to rule over you. Wouldn't it be better for you to let Peace rule your heart instead? The Prince of Peace, Christ Himself, ruling your heart is beneficial to your body, soul and spirit. Peace is GOOD! Peace is good for you. The scriptures tell us to" hold fast to that which is good". To hold fast to Peace, you are going to have to let go of the offense. Offense is BAD. Holding onto the offense - nursing the grudge - it's detrimental for you. Let go of the offense.
You are probably saying, "I would LOVE to be free of the burden of this offense! I've tried to forget it, I've tried to forgive it. I've even tried to ignore it, but it keeps resurfacing". Today, you are going to learn how to make the offense LET YOU GO FREE.
Do a simple thing that is quite easy (as in it is not hard like climbing a mountain or doing 20 push-ups).
Lay it at the cross where Christ paid in full for that very offense.
Declare along with Christ, "It is finished!" Jesus taught us to pray, "Forgive us our debts in the same way and to the same degree that we forgive our debtors". When you hold on to a person's debt against you, the effects on your body and soul and spirit man are exactly what the devil intends (steal, kill, destroy, devour).
INSTEAD - accept Christ's payment for the debt that person owes you. Christ paid in full for that transgression so you do not have to carry the burden of it - the anger of it - the care of it - the fear of it. He took it in His own body so that offense could not open the door to sickness.
When the enemy brings the offense up fresh in your mind to bait you with it - turn the trap on him by saying, "Thank you Jesus, I am free!". Matthew 18:35 holds a key to forgiving from your heart and you can say, "I forgive from my heart all who have offended me." The enemy wants you to meditate on the offense and the feelings it invokes so it will provoke you to a wrong action or allow him a place in your life.
Meditate on what is good - let the good come out of your mouth instead of repeating and rehearsing the offense.
Jesus paid so you could be free from the burden of offense and every yuck that comes with it. Thank you Jesus, I AM FREE!
When you forgive, you are yielding to your Savior - The FORGIVER. When you harbor the offense, you are allowing the Adversary to rule over you. Wouldn't it be better for you to let Peace rule your heart instead? The Prince of Peace, Christ Himself, ruling your heart is beneficial to your body, soul and spirit. Peace is GOOD! Peace is good for you. The scriptures tell us to" hold fast to that which is good". To hold fast to Peace, you are going to have to let go of the offense. Offense is BAD. Holding onto the offense - nursing the grudge - it's detrimental for you. Let go of the offense.
You are probably saying, "I would LOVE to be free of the burden of this offense! I've tried to forget it, I've tried to forgive it. I've even tried to ignore it, but it keeps resurfacing". Today, you are going to learn how to make the offense LET YOU GO FREE.
Do a simple thing that is quite easy (as in it is not hard like climbing a mountain or doing 20 push-ups).
Lay it at the cross where Christ paid in full for that very offense.
Declare along with Christ, "It is finished!" Jesus taught us to pray, "Forgive us our debts in the same way and to the same degree that we forgive our debtors". When you hold on to a person's debt against you, the effects on your body and soul and spirit man are exactly what the devil intends (steal, kill, destroy, devour).
INSTEAD - accept Christ's payment for the debt that person owes you. Christ paid in full for that transgression so you do not have to carry the burden of it - the anger of it - the care of it - the fear of it. He took it in His own body so that offense could not open the door to sickness.
When the enemy brings the offense up fresh in your mind to bait you with it - turn the trap on him by saying, "Thank you Jesus, I am free!". Matthew 18:35 holds a key to forgiving from your heart and you can say, "I forgive from my heart all who have offended me." The enemy wants you to meditate on the offense and the feelings it invokes so it will provoke you to a wrong action or allow him a place in your life.
Meditate on what is good - let the good come out of your mouth instead of repeating and rehearsing the offense.
Jesus paid so you could be free from the burden of offense and every yuck that comes with it. Thank you Jesus, I AM FREE!
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