This last Saturday, the Lord gave me a Word picture that has helped me overcome. Each of us have a picture of the three crosses on Calvary in our minds. I saw the silhouette of the hill and the three crosses on top of the hill. Those three crosses help me remember the three "T's" of Triumph.
Because of what Christ has done on Calvary - the complete, finished total work, we can
Tread on serpents
Trample on scorpions
Take up serpents
The first two "T's" are from Luke 10:19 where our Savior reminds us He has gives us power and authority to tread on and trample serpents and scorpions and NOTHING shall by any means harm us. Every time you take a thought captive to Christ's obedience, you are trampling on scorpions - those unclean thoughts from the kingdom of darkness are like scorpions. When you bring the thoughts captive to Christ, you are NOT being taken captive.
Every time you choose to believe Christ and His report rather than your enemy's recommendation on how to handle the situations of life, you triumph AND you are treading on serpents. The promise to Joshua, "everywhere your foot treads, I will give you that land" is also a promise to you. Every time you tread on a serpent, you get to have that land. Whether it's peace, prospering of your soul, financial provision, relationship unity or any other provision from God, you get to have it and enjoy it when you don't cooperate with your enemy - you overcome him instead.
The third "T" comes from Mark 16:17, "These signs shall follow them that have believed in MY NAME." They will:
-cast out demons (you are doing this everyday when you are praying for other humans, meditating on the Word, speaking life - all of these are powers against demons and that kingdom of darkness)
-speak with new tongues (praying in tongues, Praying in the Spirit is how you "hear" the voice of Christ telling you what to do, telling you of His love, telling you how to overcome even if you don't understand the words. Praying in tongues bypasses your own understanding so you won't lean on your own understanding, but wholly depend on the leading of the Holy Spirit. Let Him do the majority of the talking by praying in the Spirit during prayer as opposed to you monopolizing the time. You will be amazed at the understanding and wisdom that will come to you from this very important practice of praying in tongues.)
-take up serpents (The Greek word "airo" that we translate "take up" means to remove, to take up, to cast away. See further explanation below)
-no harm from drinking any deadly thing (when my son was very young, he managed to get a bottle of Triaminic that had been left in the car and drank the entire thing. While rushing him to the hospital, I kept saying this portion out loud over him. When we arrived at the ER and the doctors examined him, he had NO SIGN of drinking anything harmful. Not even dialated eyes or racing heartbeat - no adverse effects at all!)
-lay hands on the sick and they will recover (When you pray the prayer of faith over someone and lay hands on them, know that they will recover. See them in your mind's eye recovering. See them whole by the stripes of Christ that purchased healing for them. These signs "follow" so don't be discouraged if its not immediate. Recovery often takes time.
When you see enemy activity (serpent / scorpion activity) against a fellow human remember 1 John 5:16 says, "If you see your brother sinning a sin not unto death, you shall ask (prayer) and God WILL for you give life to the one who is sinning." Notice; you ask, He gives and the human gets life even while sinning. That life will get them out of that sin trap.
Also, in Galatians 6:1,"Whoever sees a brother caught in a trespass or sin, you who are spiritual RESTORE such a one." In this passage, the Greek word restore has the threads of meaning of fresh, daily bread. The picture here is you have a fresh, full loaf of children's bread (Christ Himself - the bread of Life) and you go to the one who is caught and you take a hunk of your bread and give it to them. This bread brings them life and strength and power to GET OUT of that sin.
As Christians, we are not judgers of humans, we are restorers. When we see their sin, we do not judge - we pray FOR (not gossip about). Our enemy always desires us to judge, criticize, condemn the humans we see sinning, but Christ calls us to a higher way of dealing with the humans which is to love, pray for and do good to them.
Our enemy's tactics will result in us being taken captive along with the one we are judging, but Christ's ways result in freedom for us and the one trapped in sin. So remember our three "T's" of Triumph are to Tread, Trample and Take up. Use these Three "T's" to overcome your enemy.
You have been given His power and authority to do so by the complete work of Calvary.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Faith v.s. Circumstance
In everything give thanks...when our enemy drops a circumstance in front of us and says,"What are you going to do about it?!?!?". Of course, his words are spoken in a taunting, teasing, condemning and accusing way.
Perhaps the circumstance is presented in such a way as to try and scare you off of The Triumph. Perhaps it is an attempt to try and "reason" you out of The Victory. Maybe it is the umpteenth try at wearying you or dis-couraging you (trying to diminish your courage supply from Christ).
But no matter how or why or in what way he bring the fight, remember - it is a fight of faith! So, pick up your first Smooth Stone and begin The Triumph! Begin The Victory parade with giving thanks. Thanking God is your first steps to Triumph. The Lord ALWAYS leads you in His triumph. Thanks be to God who always leads us in His triumph. 1 Cor 15:57.
Therefore, thanking Him is beginning our walk of overcoming. Begin immediately to gain advantage over your enemy and the circumstance he brought. You enemy means it for defeat and mocking you and your God; but your Savior will turn it into...
stepping stones of Triumph
"treading on serpent" stone of Victory
"trampling on scorpion" stones
These cause you to experience the "more than conquering" power to overcome evil! Fling those Thank Stones with the sling of your own mouth saying The Victory Truth.
Victory Truths:
I AM more than a conqueror
I AM an overcomer
I AM strong in the Lord
I AM the righteousness of God in Christ
I AM the victor, not the victim
These sayings are true regardless of the circumstances because of Christ's finished, complete work on Calvary! Praise the Lord!
Perhaps the circumstance is presented in such a way as to try and scare you off of The Triumph. Perhaps it is an attempt to try and "reason" you out of The Victory. Maybe it is the umpteenth try at wearying you or dis-couraging you (trying to diminish your courage supply from Christ).
But no matter how or why or in what way he bring the fight, remember - it is a fight of faith! So, pick up your first Smooth Stone and begin The Triumph! Begin The Victory parade with giving thanks. Thanking God is your first steps to Triumph. The Lord ALWAYS leads you in His triumph. Thanks be to God who always leads us in His triumph. 1 Cor 15:57.
Therefore, thanking Him is beginning our walk of overcoming. Begin immediately to gain advantage over your enemy and the circumstance he brought. You enemy means it for defeat and mocking you and your God; but your Savior will turn it into...
stepping stones of Triumph
"treading on serpent" stone of Victory
"trampling on scorpion" stones
These cause you to experience the "more than conquering" power to overcome evil! Fling those Thank Stones with the sling of your own mouth saying The Victory Truth.
Victory Truths:
I AM more than a conqueror
I AM an overcomer
I AM strong in the Lord
I AM the righteousness of God in Christ
I AM the victor, not the victim
These sayings are true regardless of the circumstances because of Christ's finished, complete work on Calvary! Praise the Lord!
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Faith thanks BEFORE it sees the results
Let me tell you about this past Sunday in church. We saw the heart of God to heal. As we sang the praises of God and the Truth in the song “Healing is Here", Pastor Scott called the people who needed to receive healing to come down to the altar. He reminded us of the purpose of Christ taking the stripes on His own back to purchase healing for us His people. Pastor encouraged us to believe God & receive what Christ has already purchased.
Sometimes receiving is difficult. Our flesh wants to receive and then believe. Our enemy wants us to doubt and do without. But our Savior tells us to have faith in God (Mark11:22). Faith is what enables us to receive - literally the Greek word means “to lay hold of so as to utilize it”. Healing has already been provided, but we need “to lay hold of it so as to utilize it” in our everyday life, and faith is like the “swipe card” that allows us to access what Christ has already put in our account.
Faith brings God’s provision that we don’t yet “feel” or “see”. Faith IS the evidence of things NOT SEEN (Hebrews 11:2). When Christ was faced with the dilemma of feeding 5,000 men and their families and only “saw” the provision of the 5 loaves and 2 fishes, he could have complained to Father God that the need was greater than the provision or that the provision was too small to be the answer to his dilemma. Yet, he didn’t complain. Instead, He did a very faith –filled action …He gave thanks! (John 6:11)
When you give thanks in the face of a seemingly “too big” problem or when looking at a seemingly “too small” remedy, your thankful words are faith- FILLED words also! Your words of thanks ARE words of faith in God! You are not saying what you “see”; you are saying what you “believe”. Oftentimes giving thanks is the way through to the remedy, the way to receive the “more than adequate” provision of your faithful Father!
Faith thanks BEFORE it “sees” the results! Faith thanks BEFORE it “feels” healed. Follow Christ’s example and give thanks BEFORE! Remember, when Christ gave thanks, the multitude was fed and there were 12 baskets of leftovers! Gratitude brings abundant blessings into your life.
Grate-full = Faith-full
Don’t forget we have an enemy that is working overtime to belittle what Christ has done on our behalf: the stripes Christ took to heal us, the Blood to remit our sin, grace to forgive all, the LOVE of God given through Christ. Our enemy magnifies the problem and belittles the remedy; and he tries to get you to do the same.
The way you magnify the problem is by complaining. The way you magnify the remedy is by thanking. (Ps 69:30)
Use the POWER of giving thanks to subdue & overcome! Giving thanks enables you to receive from your Savior and overcome evil with good - “It is GOOD to give thanks unto the Lord". (Ps92:1)
Giving thanks utilizes the POWER of faith to receive what Christ has already provided.
Start thanking and you will start receiving! Keep thanking and you will keep on receiving!
Sometimes receiving is difficult. Our flesh wants to receive and then believe. Our enemy wants us to doubt and do without. But our Savior tells us to have faith in God (Mark11:22). Faith is what enables us to receive - literally the Greek word means “to lay hold of so as to utilize it”. Healing has already been provided, but we need “to lay hold of it so as to utilize it” in our everyday life, and faith is like the “swipe card” that allows us to access what Christ has already put in our account.
Faith brings God’s provision that we don’t yet “feel” or “see”. Faith IS the evidence of things NOT SEEN (Hebrews 11:2). When Christ was faced with the dilemma of feeding 5,000 men and their families and only “saw” the provision of the 5 loaves and 2 fishes, he could have complained to Father God that the need was greater than the provision or that the provision was too small to be the answer to his dilemma. Yet, he didn’t complain. Instead, He did a very faith –filled action …He gave thanks! (John 6:11)
When you give thanks in the face of a seemingly “too big” problem or when looking at a seemingly “too small” remedy, your thankful words are faith- FILLED words also! Your words of thanks ARE words of faith in God! You are not saying what you “see”; you are saying what you “believe”. Oftentimes giving thanks is the way through to the remedy, the way to receive the “more than adequate” provision of your faithful Father!
Faith thanks BEFORE it “sees” the results! Faith thanks BEFORE it “feels” healed. Follow Christ’s example and give thanks BEFORE! Remember, when Christ gave thanks, the multitude was fed and there were 12 baskets of leftovers! Gratitude brings abundant blessings into your life.
Grate-full = Faith-full
Don’t forget we have an enemy that is working overtime to belittle what Christ has done on our behalf: the stripes Christ took to heal us, the Blood to remit our sin, grace to forgive all, the LOVE of God given through Christ. Our enemy magnifies the problem and belittles the remedy; and he tries to get you to do the same.
The way you magnify the problem is by complaining. The way you magnify the remedy is by thanking. (Ps 69:30)
Use the POWER of giving thanks to subdue & overcome! Giving thanks enables you to receive from your Savior and overcome evil with good - “It is GOOD to give thanks unto the Lord". (Ps92:1)
Giving thanks utilizes the POWER of faith to receive what Christ has already provided.
Start thanking and you will start receiving! Keep thanking and you will keep on receiving!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Victor, No Longer the Victim
We all know the verse, "The wages of sin is death." Rom 6:23. We are certainly aware that many "sins" will eventually result in death, such as smoking, promiscuity, robbing banks, etc. We are also cognizant of a more subtle truth that other kinds of sin result in some form of death, for example selfishness has brought death to many relationships, lust has caused the demise of countless marriages, envy rots the bones, greed and avarice often bring death to financial prosperity after they first kill contentment and appreciation.
But a greater, deeper, more profound and revealing truth is also in those same words. Sin is not simply human bad behavior. If you simply capitalize the "s" in Sin so it is a proper noun rather than a verb, and if you recognize it as a name, you will see the dawning of that profound truth. Why would we capitalize the "s" in Sin? Because, Sin is an entity. Sin is the name of an entity, a personage that belongs in amongst the "principalities, powers, rulers of this present darkness." [Eph 6:12]
When humans sin, they are behaving, thinking and talking like that personage, Sin. Sin is also a principality. When we say the adage,"We are all born with a sin nature", we are certainly accurate. We are born into this world with the nature of Sin. Parents, have you ever had to teach your child to lie, be selfish or rebel? No! Rather, you have to work hard to train them to say "no" to that lower nature.
When we look at the behavior of humans when they are sinning, we can get a view of the nature, character and "fingerprints" of that entity, Sin. Sin is a liar, a cheater, rebellious, demanding, demeaning, selfish, unkind, a trafficker in guile and trickery, deceit, doubt, accusation, guilt, blame and rejection.
Sin pays humans "wages" for acting like him and doing his dirty work. You may think you are acting on your own volition when you accuse, blame, withhold forgiveness or find fault, but, the truth is, you are being influenced by Sin and the many underlings that answer to him in that kingdom of darkness. They are endeavoring to train you to think like them, talk like them, react like them and, most of all, to adopt their attitudes and emotions.
Perhaps you "feel" an overwhelming urge to lie or blurt out hurtful remarks, or maybe negative thoughts have been bombarding you. It is NOT YOU - it is a device being used against you and has been initiated by that kingdom of darkness. The origin of condemning, judging, criticizing, accusing, and negative thoughts are ALL coming from that kingdom of darkness, meaning those very qualities, characteristics and behavior patterns originate from him, Sin. When humans act in those ways, they are simply following Sin's lead. They are obeying him.
Why is this important? Because of this important principle- "To Whomever you yield your members, his slave you become to Whomever you obey." [Rom 6:16] This word "members" includes your tongue, mind, will and emotions.
Obedience is what the enemy is after. Your obedience to him is what matters because he knows these principles. Your obedience to him results in Sin being the ruler over you and you being enslaved to repeat the very thing you don't want to do. The enemy knows how this works and wants to use it against you, but, today, you are going to learn how to NOT allow Sin to rule over you. "For Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law, but under grace."[Rom 6:14]
God's grace is what defeated that dark kingdom and gave you the delegated power and authority over the "principalities, powers, rulers of this present darkness." [Eph 6:12] "Behold I give you power and authority over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means harm you" [Luke 10:19]
We've seen how the enemy intended this principle for harm, but, now, I want you to see how God intended this principle for your good.
Stay with me here for a minute. Sin is a personage vying for your attention and obedience so he can enslave you. But, Righteousness is also a personage! Jesus Christ IS Righteousness. He, too, is vying for your attention and obedience; but, His intent is ALWAYS to bring you freedom. Jesus Christ is the One who sets humans free. "Whom the Son sets free is free indeed." [John 8:36]
Just like Sin pays you wages for your cooperation, so does Christ. Jesus Christ is called
"The Righteous". So, capitalize the "r" in Righteous and you will see Christ. Also, notice what happens to you when cooperate with Him...you get life.
See it clearly in the Word:
Both Sin & Jesus are vying for your obedience, but for very different reasons. Think about it- Who would you rather work for? Who would you rather have ruling over you? The one who enslaves or the One who sets free? The one who pays out death or the One who gives life and that more abundantly? "I have come that you may have life and that more abundantly." [John 10:10]
You get to choose who will rule over you. Religion tells you that God is punishing you for your sins, but, the truth is, He has personally taken away your sin and paid for every one of your sins (past, present and future) by Himself. The one who is making you miserable is Sin and his minions who are paying you for your obedience to them.
When you sin, you are following the enemy's lead - obeying him. Remember, Christ's victory was over the entire kingdom of darkness and He has defeated Sin already. The enemy cannot MAKE you do his work. You have to cooperate with him. [Col 2:13-15] In fact, Christ has given you the victory over that kingdom of darkness and the authority and power to trample on serpents and scorpions and NOTHING shall by any means harm you. [Luke 10:19]
Christ's obedience on the cross is what bought you freedom from the rulership darkness. Every time they "introduce" or "plant" a thought, you can "bring it captive to the obedience of Christ." [2 Cor 10:5] and thereby avoid becoming a captive yourself!
"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous." [Rom. 5:19]
Christ's obedience paid for your disobedience. You are made righteous by the obedience of Jesus Christ. He fulfilled the requirements of the law and gave you the benefit of His obedience. Christ has given you the gift of His righteousness - "and those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by the One Christ Jesus." [Rom 5:17]. Start reigning over Sin, "Fear" and "Envy" and any other principality in that kingdom of darkness. Stop allowing Sin, Fear and Envy to rule over you. Overcome them! More than conquer them! Enforce the victory Christ won on your behalf. You are not the victim, you are the victor through Christ Jesus. Now that's good news!
But a greater, deeper, more profound and revealing truth is also in those same words. Sin is not simply human bad behavior. If you simply capitalize the "s" in Sin so it is a proper noun rather than a verb, and if you recognize it as a name, you will see the dawning of that profound truth. Why would we capitalize the "s" in Sin? Because, Sin is an entity. Sin is the name of an entity, a personage that belongs in amongst the "principalities, powers, rulers of this present darkness." [Eph 6:12]
When humans sin, they are behaving, thinking and talking like that personage, Sin. Sin is also a principality. When we say the adage,"We are all born with a sin nature", we are certainly accurate. We are born into this world with the nature of Sin. Parents, have you ever had to teach your child to lie, be selfish or rebel? No! Rather, you have to work hard to train them to say "no" to that lower nature.
When we look at the behavior of humans when they are sinning, we can get a view of the nature, character and "fingerprints" of that entity, Sin. Sin is a liar, a cheater, rebellious, demanding, demeaning, selfish, unkind, a trafficker in guile and trickery, deceit, doubt, accusation, guilt, blame and rejection.
Sin pays humans "wages" for acting like him and doing his dirty work. You may think you are acting on your own volition when you accuse, blame, withhold forgiveness or find fault, but, the truth is, you are being influenced by Sin and the many underlings that answer to him in that kingdom of darkness. They are endeavoring to train you to think like them, talk like them, react like them and, most of all, to adopt their attitudes and emotions.
Perhaps you "feel" an overwhelming urge to lie or blurt out hurtful remarks, or maybe negative thoughts have been bombarding you. It is NOT YOU - it is a device being used against you and has been initiated by that kingdom of darkness. The origin of condemning, judging, criticizing, accusing, and negative thoughts are ALL coming from that kingdom of darkness, meaning those very qualities, characteristics and behavior patterns originate from him, Sin. When humans act in those ways, they are simply following Sin's lead. They are obeying him.
Why is this important? Because of this important principle- "To Whomever you yield your members, his slave you become to Whomever you obey." [Rom 6:16] This word "members" includes your tongue, mind, will and emotions.
Obedience is what the enemy is after. Your obedience to him is what matters because he knows these principles. Your obedience to him results in Sin being the ruler over you and you being enslaved to repeat the very thing you don't want to do. The enemy knows how this works and wants to use it against you, but, today, you are going to learn how to NOT allow Sin to rule over you. "For Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law, but under grace."[Rom 6:14]
God's grace is what defeated that dark kingdom and gave you the delegated power and authority over the "principalities, powers, rulers of this present darkness." [Eph 6:12] "Behold I give you power and authority over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means harm you" [Luke 10:19]
We've seen how the enemy intended this principle for harm, but, now, I want you to see how God intended this principle for your good.
"To Whomever you yield your members his slave you become to Whomever you obey, whether of Sin unto death
OR
obedience unto Righteousness." [Rom 6:16]
Stay with me here for a minute. Sin is a personage vying for your attention and obedience so he can enslave you. But, Righteousness is also a personage! Jesus Christ IS Righteousness. He, too, is vying for your attention and obedience; but, His intent is ALWAYS to bring you freedom. Jesus Christ is the One who sets humans free. "Whom the Son sets free is free indeed." [John 8:36]
Just like Sin pays you wages for your cooperation, so does Christ. Jesus Christ is called
"The Righteous". So, capitalize the "r" in Righteous and you will see Christ. Also, notice what happens to you when cooperate with Him...you get life.
See it clearly in the Word:
"The wages of Sin is death." [Rom 6:23]
"The wages of the Righteous is life." [Prov 10:16a]
Both Sin & Jesus are vying for your obedience, but for very different reasons. Think about it- Who would you rather work for? Who would you rather have ruling over you? The one who enslaves or the One who sets free? The one who pays out death or the One who gives life and that more abundantly? "I have come that you may have life and that more abundantly." [John 10:10]
You get to choose who will rule over you. Religion tells you that God is punishing you for your sins, but, the truth is, He has personally taken away your sin and paid for every one of your sins (past, present and future) by Himself. The one who is making you miserable is Sin and his minions who are paying you for your obedience to them.
When you sin, you are following the enemy's lead - obeying him. Remember, Christ's victory was over the entire kingdom of darkness and He has defeated Sin already. The enemy cannot MAKE you do his work. You have to cooperate with him. [Col 2:13-15] In fact, Christ has given you the victory over that kingdom of darkness and the authority and power to trample on serpents and scorpions and NOTHING shall by any means harm you. [Luke 10:19]
Christ's obedience on the cross is what bought you freedom from the rulership darkness. Every time they "introduce" or "plant" a thought, you can "bring it captive to the obedience of Christ." [2 Cor 10:5] and thereby avoid becoming a captive yourself!
"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous." [Rom. 5:19]
Christ's obedience paid for your disobedience. You are made righteous by the obedience of Jesus Christ. He fulfilled the requirements of the law and gave you the benefit of His obedience. Christ has given you the gift of His righteousness - "and those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by the One Christ Jesus." [Rom 5:17]. Start reigning over Sin, "Fear" and "Envy" and any other principality in that kingdom of darkness. Stop allowing Sin, Fear and Envy to rule over you. Overcome them! More than conquer them! Enforce the victory Christ won on your behalf. You are not the victim, you are the victor through Christ Jesus. Now that's good news!
Healing Promises Victory Story
We visited our family in Florida this past May. My husband's sister asked us to pray for a dear friend, Sandra, who had been battling cancer for 32 years. Sandra had gone through oodles of treatment options and was facing a dismal prognosis. We met with her and gave her "Healing Promises" along with "Your Miracle is in Your Mouth" by Joseph Prince. My youngest daughter had just purchased these books to read on the trip and felt impressed to give them to this lady.
We taught Sandra the power of communion, giving thanks to God and people, praising God and bringing to remembrance the complete work of Christ on Calvary. We heard from Sandra about seven months later...
https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Place-of-Grace-for-You/150877131635688
We taught Sandra the power of communion, giving thanks to God and people, praising God and bringing to remembrance the complete work of Christ on Calvary. We heard from Sandra about seven months later...
"All tumors are gone...leukemia is in remission...praise the Lord!".We were ELATED to see the benefit of taking God at His Word, believing Him and speaking out what He says is true. "Healing Promises" contains the promises of God that are "yes and amen" in Christ Jesus. Christ purchased these benefits for you. Don't let your enemy or religion talk you out of these benefits. They're bought and paid for and they belong to you. Use this book to start receiving them. We are thrilled to be giving away a copy of "Healing Promises" via our Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Place-of-Grace-for-You/150877131635688
Monday, October 22, 2012
Burdened? Want freedom instead?
Forgiveness - "forgiveness" in the Strong's Concordance (#859) is "aphesis" which means 1. release from bondage or imprisonment, 2. forgiveness or pardon of sins.
Definition #1 - release from bondage or imprisonment - most people unwittingly allow the enemy to put THEM in bondage or imprisonment because they refuse to forgive someone who has transgressed against them. When you forgive, YOU GET RELEASED FROM BONDAGE AND IMPRISONMENT. When you don't forgive, it's not the unforgiven that get imprisoned, but the unforgiver!
In John 20:23 Jesus said, "Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted (remitted means sent far from you, removed). Whosoever sins ye retain, their sins are retained." The question is...who is carrying the load - the weight - the burden of the unforgiven sin? It is the unforgiver; because Christ ALREADY paid with His blood to take away that very sin the enemy is trying to get you offended over. Better to remit the sin (send it far from you) by forgiving the human rather than to retain the person's sin and bear the weight of the offense.
The enemy tries to weigh you down with the care, the weight, the sting of that other person's sin. The enemy tries to get you to pick up the offense and carry the burden. However, we are admonished to lay aside EVERY weight and the sin that does so easily beset us (Heb 12:1). The sin of unforgiveness is a heavier weight than the offense / transgression that the person did against you in the first place. Simply because unforgiveness is resisting / frustrating the grace of God who is The Forgiver. It flies in the face of the grace Christ extended by laying down His life to pay the penalty for that person's sin against you. Christ Himself bears the burden of that person's sin so you don't have to.
Let Christ's payment be enough and don't try to exact payment on your own. If you do, you will be the one that ends up in debt, burdened, weighted down. A wise person once said that unforgiveness and the resulting bitterness is like drinking poison yourself and expecting the other person to die.
It is a case of "give and it shall be given unto you". The verse goes on to say"pressed down, shaken together and running over"(Luke 6:38). What you give to others will come back to you like a boomerang, but multiplied as it comes back pressed down, shaken together and running over.
GIVE FORGIVENESS - that is what grace is for..."for"-giving!
You will see that as you forgive, you will be the one "released from bondage or imprisonment".
Next blog to find out how to forgive from your heart all who have offended you.
Definition #1 - release from bondage or imprisonment - most people unwittingly allow the enemy to put THEM in bondage or imprisonment because they refuse to forgive someone who has transgressed against them. When you forgive, YOU GET RELEASED FROM BONDAGE AND IMPRISONMENT. When you don't forgive, it's not the unforgiven that get imprisoned, but the unforgiver!
In John 20:23 Jesus said, "Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted (remitted means sent far from you, removed). Whosoever sins ye retain, their sins are retained." The question is...who is carrying the load - the weight - the burden of the unforgiven sin? It is the unforgiver; because Christ ALREADY paid with His blood to take away that very sin the enemy is trying to get you offended over. Better to remit the sin (send it far from you) by forgiving the human rather than to retain the person's sin and bear the weight of the offense.
The enemy tries to weigh you down with the care, the weight, the sting of that other person's sin. The enemy tries to get you to pick up the offense and carry the burden. However, we are admonished to lay aside EVERY weight and the sin that does so easily beset us (Heb 12:1). The sin of unforgiveness is a heavier weight than the offense / transgression that the person did against you in the first place. Simply because unforgiveness is resisting / frustrating the grace of God who is The Forgiver. It flies in the face of the grace Christ extended by laying down His life to pay the penalty for that person's sin against you. Christ Himself bears the burden of that person's sin so you don't have to.
Let Christ's payment be enough and don't try to exact payment on your own. If you do, you will be the one that ends up in debt, burdened, weighted down. A wise person once said that unforgiveness and the resulting bitterness is like drinking poison yourself and expecting the other person to die.
It is a case of "give and it shall be given unto you". The verse goes on to say"pressed down, shaken together and running over"(Luke 6:38). What you give to others will come back to you like a boomerang, but multiplied as it comes back pressed down, shaken together and running over.
GIVE FORGIVENESS - that is what grace is for..."for"-giving!
You will see that as you forgive, you will be the one "released from bondage or imprisonment".
Next blog to find out how to forgive from your heart all who have offended you.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Live-in help
Which one of us would not opt for a live-in housekeeper or live-in nanny or administrative assistant? We have something even better! Each of us has been given a live-in Source of life and help called the Holy Spirit of Christ. The Holy Spirit is with you, in you and flows through you to get life help and help to you.
Oddly enough, many of us hardly allows Him to speak. We fill the airwaves with our own words, our own worries, our unbelief, our complaining or murmuring. We all know the truth that says,"Life and death are in the power of the tongue" (Prov. 18:21) and most of us are trying to speak positively and nicely. But, there is a greater truth in this scripture. The Holy Spirit, who has been given to you by our Father, was given to us for purpose.
What purpose?
First, to speak LIFE to us and through us. The Holy Spirit NEVER speaks death. He has only life to impart...and life more abundantly than what you are experiencing now. Think about it, you've been doing most of the talking and how's that been working for you?!?!?
Chances are you've been pleading, begging, cajoling - nearly standing on your head trying to get God to move on your behalf when all along you've had HIS VERY PRESENCE with you and in you. Instead of asking Him to provide something He has already done, let Him pray through you.
We don't know how to pray as we ought, but the Holy Spirit does!
Let Him! Let, allow, permit Him, through your earthen vessel, using your tongue, to speak life into your situation. You provide the tongue, He provides the utterance. Praying in tongues allows the Holy Spirit to pray the good, acceptable and perfect will of God on your behalf. He knows what to say - He knows your need and what's more - He knows God's supply. The Holy Spirit also knows your enemy's tactics and plans AND He knows how to overcome that evil with the good God has already provided for you.
The Holy spirit is well versed with the mighty weapons of your warfare and He knows how to lead you in the triumph. He knows how to win the battle and give you the victory. The Holy Spirit, that SAME Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead, dwells in your earthen vessel. The Scriptures say that the excellent power is from Him, but it is in our earthen vessel (2 Cor 4:7). When we pray in tongues, we are allowing that excellent power to flow, unhindered, by our thinking or our unbelief. Plus, our enemy cannot gainsay or comprehend what the Holy Spirit is saying and, therefore, cannot devise a tactic or a rebuttal.
Praying in tongues is WIN - WIN situation for you and the kingdom of God, but a LOSE - LOSE situation for our enemy and the kingdom of darkness. Are you aware that praying in tongues is an act of your will, not solely His? The apostle Paul said,"I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you all" (2Cor 4:18) and Paul also said these telling words..."I will pray in the Spirit and I will pray with understanding."(1 Cor 14:15). Notice the presence of the word "will". You choose to pray in tongues. You choose to yield your member, your tongue - to the Holy Spirit and He prays through you.
Notice also that it's first praying in the Spirit and THEN follows praying with understanding. That is because when you pray in tongues first, understanding comes to you so you will pray with understanding. The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Understanding so when you let Him pray, understanding will dawn on you. Then you will pray with understanding.
The Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Wisdom. You are all familiar with the passage that reads," If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally." (James 1:5) One of the quickest and most sure ways of getting wisdom to you is by letting the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom, pray through you and wisdom will manifest.
The Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Might so when you need strength, pray in tongues and you will receive strength. The Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Knowledge. Let Him give you a word of knowledge. Pray in tongues and receive the knowledge that you need.
The Holy Spirit is also the Spirit of Council. He is YOUR wonderful counselor and He does not charge you anything for His council. It is free for the taking by simply by-passing your natural understanding and your many, many words and praying in tongues. You might wonder where I am getting all of this about the Holy Spirit. It is found in Isaiah 11:2, "And the spirit of the Lord will rest upon Him, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Council and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and Reverence (fear of the Lord)."
This last attribute of reverence / fear of the Lord is SO pivotal in all of our lives just like it was in Jesus' life when HE walked on this planet. Remember when Moses struck the rock the second time after God had instructed him to speak to the Rock instead - Moses had struck the rock in his anger towards the people's behavior. God did not reprimand him for being angry, but told Moses that he did not REVERE God as holy.(Num 20:12) It was so important to God that Moses carry out the typology of speaking to the Rock that had already been struck BECAUSE striking the Rock was the picture of the cross. It was imperative that the Rock not be repeatedly struck, but simply spoken to because it is speaking to the Rock that causes that river of living water to flow to our earthen vessels today.
Speaking in tongues is that river of living water unleashed to flow into your soul, your situations, your needs and on behalf of others. This is the day that we speak to the Rock, Christ Jesus, by asking Him for the gift of His Holy Spirit in our earthen vessel. If you have not asked Him yet to immerse you in His Holy Spirit, ask Him right now. Jesus told the woman at the well,"If you knew the Gift of God (the Holy Spirit) and Who is speaking to you, you would have asked and He would give you living water!!!". Dear ones - the Gift of God is the Holy Spirit. The One speaking to you today is Jesus Christ, the Rock of Salvation. Ask Him for that precious gift. Freely receive what He has freely given.
Your life will never be the same. You have that live-in help that is so necessary to overcome and more than conquer. It is the joy of the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom, understanding, council, might, knowledge and reverence for our Father God who loves you dearly.
Oddly enough, many of us hardly allows Him to speak. We fill the airwaves with our own words, our own worries, our unbelief, our complaining or murmuring. We all know the truth that says,"Life and death are in the power of the tongue" (Prov. 18:21) and most of us are trying to speak positively and nicely. But, there is a greater truth in this scripture. The Holy Spirit, who has been given to you by our Father, was given to us for purpose.
What purpose?
First, to speak LIFE to us and through us. The Holy Spirit NEVER speaks death. He has only life to impart...and life more abundantly than what you are experiencing now. Think about it, you've been doing most of the talking and how's that been working for you?!?!?
Chances are you've been pleading, begging, cajoling - nearly standing on your head trying to get God to move on your behalf when all along you've had HIS VERY PRESENCE with you and in you. Instead of asking Him to provide something He has already done, let Him pray through you.
We don't know how to pray as we ought, but the Holy Spirit does!
Let Him! Let, allow, permit Him, through your earthen vessel, using your tongue, to speak life into your situation. You provide the tongue, He provides the utterance. Praying in tongues allows the Holy Spirit to pray the good, acceptable and perfect will of God on your behalf. He knows what to say - He knows your need and what's more - He knows God's supply. The Holy Spirit also knows your enemy's tactics and plans AND He knows how to overcome that evil with the good God has already provided for you.
The Holy spirit is well versed with the mighty weapons of your warfare and He knows how to lead you in the triumph. He knows how to win the battle and give you the victory. The Holy Spirit, that SAME Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead, dwells in your earthen vessel. The Scriptures say that the excellent power is from Him, but it is in our earthen vessel (2 Cor 4:7). When we pray in tongues, we are allowing that excellent power to flow, unhindered, by our thinking or our unbelief. Plus, our enemy cannot gainsay or comprehend what the Holy Spirit is saying and, therefore, cannot devise a tactic or a rebuttal.
Praying in tongues is WIN - WIN situation for you and the kingdom of God, but a LOSE - LOSE situation for our enemy and the kingdom of darkness. Are you aware that praying in tongues is an act of your will, not solely His? The apostle Paul said,"I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you all" (2Cor 4:18) and Paul also said these telling words..."I will pray in the Spirit and I will pray with understanding."(1 Cor 14:15). Notice the presence of the word "will". You choose to pray in tongues. You choose to yield your member, your tongue - to the Holy Spirit and He prays through you.
Notice also that it's first praying in the Spirit and THEN follows praying with understanding. That is because when you pray in tongues first, understanding comes to you so you will pray with understanding. The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Understanding so when you let Him pray, understanding will dawn on you. Then you will pray with understanding.
The Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Wisdom. You are all familiar with the passage that reads," If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally." (James 1:5) One of the quickest and most sure ways of getting wisdom to you is by letting the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom, pray through you and wisdom will manifest.
The Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Might so when you need strength, pray in tongues and you will receive strength. The Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Knowledge. Let Him give you a word of knowledge. Pray in tongues and receive the knowledge that you need.
The Holy Spirit is also the Spirit of Council. He is YOUR wonderful counselor and He does not charge you anything for His council. It is free for the taking by simply by-passing your natural understanding and your many, many words and praying in tongues. You might wonder where I am getting all of this about the Holy Spirit. It is found in Isaiah 11:2, "And the spirit of the Lord will rest upon Him, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Council and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and Reverence (fear of the Lord)."
This last attribute of reverence / fear of the Lord is SO pivotal in all of our lives just like it was in Jesus' life when HE walked on this planet. Remember when Moses struck the rock the second time after God had instructed him to speak to the Rock instead - Moses had struck the rock in his anger towards the people's behavior. God did not reprimand him for being angry, but told Moses that he did not REVERE God as holy.(Num 20:12) It was so important to God that Moses carry out the typology of speaking to the Rock that had already been struck BECAUSE striking the Rock was the picture of the cross. It was imperative that the Rock not be repeatedly struck, but simply spoken to because it is speaking to the Rock that causes that river of living water to flow to our earthen vessels today.
Speaking in tongues is that river of living water unleashed to flow into your soul, your situations, your needs and on behalf of others. This is the day that we speak to the Rock, Christ Jesus, by asking Him for the gift of His Holy Spirit in our earthen vessel. If you have not asked Him yet to immerse you in His Holy Spirit, ask Him right now. Jesus told the woman at the well,"If you knew the Gift of God (the Holy Spirit) and Who is speaking to you, you would have asked and He would give you living water!!!". Dear ones - the Gift of God is the Holy Spirit. The One speaking to you today is Jesus Christ, the Rock of Salvation. Ask Him for that precious gift. Freely receive what He has freely given.
Your life will never be the same. You have that live-in help that is so necessary to overcome and more than conquer. It is the joy of the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom, understanding, council, might, knowledge and reverence for our Father God who loves you dearly.
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