HOME Life Lights
What are Life Lights? They are those nuggets of information that seem small when you first hear them, and then, when you need them most they pop back into your mind and bring "light" to your life situation.If you have an uplifting "Life Light" you would like to share with us please feel free to send it this way. Let your light shine!
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2/15/2012
I’m sharing this week from Kenneth & Gloria Copeland’s Daily Devotional Pursuit of His Presence.
“Is any among you afflicted [or in trouble]? Let him pray.” James 5:13
He Wants to Hear You! By Gloria Copeland
It’s wonderful to have a good pastor, and it’s wonderful to know people who can pray with power – and I certainly do ask for pray from others occasionally – but it’s a believer’s own prayers that are most important.
James 5:13 doesn’t say, “If anyone is in trouble, he should ask his pastor to pray.” No, it says if there is trouble in your life, you need to pray.
That’s because prayer is more than just asking for something. When you pray, you fellowship with your Father. You talk to Him. He talks to you. That interaction strengthens you.
I was reminded of that at a family gathering once. One of our family members had gone to be with the Lord unexpectedly and it was a challenging time. After we had shared together and praised the Lord, one of my cousins said, “It just strengthens my faith to be around this family.”
I knew exactly what she meant. I know people who are more mature in faith, and have been walking with the Lord longer than I have. And when I fellowship with those people, it makes me stronger too.
As I thought about that, it struck me. If a person who is full of faith can strengthen me, how much more does it strengthen me to fellowship with God Himself every day in prayer? Think about that!
You have the privilege any time, day or night, to draw near to God and come into His presence. You can keep a running dialogue going with the Lord all day long. You can continually be drawing strength from the Author and Finisher of your faith.
He is always ready to listen and respond to you. It’s perfectly fine to have your pastor or other mature believers pray. But it’s more important that you pray…that you have the intimate fellowship with your Father. Call on Him. He is always available and He’s waiting to hear from you!
Speak the Word : When I am afflicted or in trouble, I pray. The Lord delivers me out of all my afflictions.
James 5:13, Psalms 34:19
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2/8/2011
This week I will be sharing from Kenneth & Gloria Copeland book Your 10-Day Spiritual Action Plan for Complete Financial Breakthrough Chapter 6 part 2.
The Secret of Receiving From God by Kenneth Copeland
Would it be possible for someone to starve right in the middle of a supermarket? Certainly it would. It would be absurd and unnecessary, but it could be done. A person could be wasting away from hunger, lying in the middle of the produce department floor with people offering him food left and right. But if he refused to receive it, he would eventually be as dead as can be. I can just hear you. “That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard. It would never happen!” Naturally speaking, you’re probably right. But in the realm of the spirit, things like that happen every day. Take prosperity, for example. Second Corinthians 9:8 says, “God is able to make all grace abound toward you; may abound to every good work.” Yet, how many believers do you know who are enjoying “all sufficiency in all things?” Not many, I’d guess.
If you’ve made Jesus the Lord of your life, you’re rich. You’re rich in every way – in health, in wisdom, in deliverance, in finances – because God has provided you “all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him” ( 2 Peter 1:3) But no matter how much God has made available to you, if you don’t receive it, none of it will do you any good. You may have a million dollars in the bank. But if you never draw out any of it, you’ll be as destitute as the poorest man in town.
Believe and Receive
The fact is, you can’t receive what you don’t believe! Imagine getting a letter in the mail that says you’ve inherited a great sum of money. If you don’t believe it, how much good is that money going to do you? None at all. That’s why it’s impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). His pleasure is to prosper His servants (Psalms 35:27). And He can’t get that prosperity to you if you don’t have faith! You must believe what He says! Hebrews 10:35-36 says, “Cast not away therefore your confidence [or faith], which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” Faith and receiving are intimately connected. “Don’t throw away your faith,” God says, “or you won’t receive the promise.” Then, in verse 38, He goes on to tell you what happens if you do throw away your faith: “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” Why doesn’t God have any pleasure in those who throw down their connection to Him and He can’t get through to them with His provision. And let me assure you, even if you’ve put your faith into practice, but not yet seen results, God hasn’t shortchanged you. You have everything it takes to live by faith! The Word says, “God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Romans 12:3). That means He deposited the same measure of faith inside you that He deposited in me – and in every believer on earth. It’s a substance inside your spirit that’s just as much a part of you as the juices in your stomach that digest your food. It’s as real inside your spirit as your brain is inside your head. Everybody’s spirit has faith in it. And everybody’s faith responds to the Word of God.
A Formula for Success
As a guide for you to use in receiving from your giving in any area, let me share this formula. It has worked consistently for us and will work for you if you commit yourself to it.
1. Decide on the amount you need. Be careful not to cheat yourself. God is a giver. Determine the amount you need and then be single-minded. A double-minded man can’t receive anything from the Lord (James 1:7-8)
2. Get in agreement according to Matthew 18:19. This is very important. The best and most powerful situation on earth is a husband and wife who can agree together in these areas. If this isn’t possible in your particular case, then get together with another believer and have them join you.
3. Lay hold on it by faith. Use the principles set out in Mark 11:23-24. Believe it in your heart and confess it with your mouth.
4. Bind the devil and his forces in the Name of Jesus. You have the authority in Jesus’ Name to order Satan out of your financial affairs. This is your responsibility. Don’t ask God to do it. You do it in Jesus’ Name. Mark 16:17, James 4:7 and Ephesians 6 tell you to resist the devil.
5. Loose the forces of heaven. Hebrews 1:14 refers to the angels as ministering spirits “sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.” The Bible also says that angels hearken to the Word of God (Psalms 103:20), so when you speak the Word, in the Name of Jesus, they are obligated to follow your command.
6. Praise God for the answer. Praise keeps the door of abundance wide open. The channel between you and God is clear so you can receive from Him.
Here is an example of prayer based on these six steps:
“Father, in the Name of Jesus, we ask You for $_________. We have this money in our heavenly account and we are withdrawing this amount now. We believe we receive $___________ .
As in Mark 11:23-24, we believe it in our hearts and confess now that it is ours in the Name of Jesus.
We agree that we have $___________ according to Matthew 18:19. From this day forward, we roll the care of this over on You and thank You for it.
“Satan, in the Name of Jesus, we take authority over you; we bind your operation now and render you helpless.
“Ministering spirits, we charge you to go forth and cause this amount to come to us according to Hebrews 1:14.
“Father, we praise Your Name for meeting our needs according to Your riches in glory by Christ Jesus and for multiplying our seed for sowing. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.”
Now, get ready to receive…because your victory is closer than you can imagine!
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2/1/2012
Your 10-Day Spiritual Action Plan – Complete Financial Breakthrough by : Kenneth and Gloria Copeland
Chapter 6 part 1
Looking for a Receiver by Gloria Copeland
I’m not much of a football fan, but in January 2000, when I was watching the Super Bowl, the Lord used one particular play in that game to illustrate His goodness to me. St. Louis was playing, and at a critical point in the game, I watched as Kurt Warner drew his arm back to throw a pass. Looking down the field for someone to catch that pass, he found Isaac Bruce in position, ready and able to receive. He threw the ball. The pass was completed, and they won the Super Bowl! Since then, I’ve thought about that moment again and again. God has used it to illustrate that He is always looking for a receiver, just like Kurt Warner was that day. And 1 Corinthians 2:9 tells us of the blessings God has in hand that He is looking to pass to us – blessings beyond our comprehension: “What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that ] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed] ( The Amplified Bible). God has spiritual victories He wants us to win. He has rewards and trophies He wants us to enjoy. These wonderful things are ready when we are ready. So what is He waiting for? He’s waiting for someone to receive! Of course I didn’t just learn about receiving from a football game. I learned it from the Bible. Second Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.” The word translated perfect there actually means “devoted, faithful, dedicated and consecrated.” So this verse tells us that God is constantly searching for people whose hearts are devoted to Him so He can demonstrate His kindness and power in their lives. He is continually looking for a receiver.
Good Plans
No matter who you are, no matter how closely you’ve walked with god or how far you’ve run from Him, God has a plan for you. It’s a good plan, too. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (New International Version). God’s plan for you is far above anything you could dream up on your own. I can vouch for that personally. Forty years ago, I could not have imagined the goodness of God that I’m enjoying now. When I was a young girl, I wanted to be an airline stewardess. I heard they made $90 a week. That seemed like a lot of money to me and the idea of going somewhere beyond Arkansas was very exciting. Thank God, He had a higher plan for me than that. He’s literally done for me what Ephesians 3:20 says, “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” Yet even so, I know that if Jesus tarries, 10 years from now His plan will take me even higher and I’ll be enjoying things that right now are beyond my ability to imagine. There’s no limit to the greatness of His plan. Once you are walking in God’s will and living in His plan for your life, you’ll find He also has a life of good things for you. Tradition teaches that things are of the devil. But the Bible teaches that God gives us richly all things to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17). He loves for us to have wonderful things. He just doesn’t want those things to have us.
Put Yourself in Position
Like a quarterback in the Super Bowl, God has his mighty arm drawn back, eager to hurl His blessings into your life. But He can’t unless you are in position to receive. So how do you put yourself in that position? Think about Isaac Bruce during the Super Bowl. Isaac wasn’t distracted. He wasn’t looking up in the stands to see who was watching. And he wasn’t standing around with his hands in his pockets wishing he had a hamburger. Instead Isaac was on fire to win that football game. Waiting to receive the pass, he kept his eye on the quarterback. He wasn’t preoccupied with something else. He was right where he was supposed to be, intensely interested in what he was doing. He was single-minded – Isaac was ready! So just like Isaac, in order to receive, you must be single-minded. And that means first and foremost, you seek God. You do what Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides” (The Amplified Bible). First is the key word here! There is nothing before first. First makes everything else fall into place. And the word seek in the Hebrew means “to tread frequently.” Seek is a diligent word. It means “to make something your main concern, your primary pursuit.” Proverbs says if you seek gold, you’ll find it. So when we go after God and make Him our primary pursuit, we’ll begin to receive. God has never been stingy toward His people. He has always wanted them to have the best of everything. But for us to receive the best, we have to put Him first. That’s His simple formula for success. We don’t seek after things. We’re not money-minded -- We’re God minded. When you just go after God’s blessings, you miss the Father behind those blessings…… and He is the only One who makes life worth living. A good career doesn’t make life worth living. The peace and joy that come from the presence of the Lord in your life – that’s what makes it all worthwhile.
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1/27/2011
I’m sharing from Kenneth Hagin’s book again, then next week I will be sharing from Kenneth & Gloria Copeland’s 10 –day Spiritual action plan for Complete Financial Breakthrough – about how to be a receiver. But this week I’m going to finish from Chapter 3 What Faith Is – Part 1 by Kenneth Hagin.
Hope: A Good Waiter, but a Poor Receiver
Friends, hope is a good waiter, but a poor receiver. Too many times when it comes to prayer, folks say, “Well, I’m a-hoping-and-a-praying. I’m praying and hoping.” Did you ever hear that? Do you say that? Correct yourself if you do! Next time you say it, correct yourself, and say, “Stop that.” Because that’s not faith! You also hear folks say, “Well, all we can do is pray and hope.” If that’s all are doing, you’re defeated already. I remember several years ago I was preaching for a pastor in the state of Texas, and was staying in the parsonage with him and his wife. I believe that pastor was the world’s worst to say, “I’m hoping and praying.” He’d say that to me a half dozen or a dozen times a day. “I’m hoping and praying,” or “I’m praying and hoping.” What astounded me was that he sat in every service where I taught on the difference between hope and faith, and it just ran off him like water off a duck’s back. It was amazing! That’s the reason I know you have to just keep going over and over these things, because for example, this man sat right there in the service and didn’t get it. One day I was with him alone, and he said, “Brother Hagin, I want you to pray with me about something, please.” I said, “All right, what is it?” He said, “There’s a Christian business man here who wants to give me the equity in a cabin on a lake, along with a few acres of land. He only owes $900 on it and he said I could pay that monthly, or he’d pay it off and I could pay him back without interest. However, his wife had objected a little, and he asked me to give him thirty days to work that out.” This pastor wanted me to pray with him that everything would work out with this businessman. The pastor said, “I’m just hoping and praying that it’ll work out.” I had already preached meetings for this particular minister, and he still hadn’t gotten the difference between hope and faith. When he said, “I’m just hoping and praying,” I spoke up and said, “Well, Brother if that’s all you’re doing, you’re wasting your time.” I didn’t say this to be smart about it, and for a minute there didn’t know what he was going to do. We were traveling in his car when I said that. He batted his eyes, and I thought for a minute he was going to drive us off the road! Then he said, “You know, that’s right!” He added, “Yes, that’s right.” Then he said, “I had started to say, I’m wasting my time and God’s too.’ But actually I’m not wasting God’s time because He didn’t even hear me to begin with. I’m just wasting my own time!” To make a long story short, this pastor changed his hope to faith. And in the end, he received the acreage and the cabin because he quit hoping and started believing! You see, it’s faith that gets the job done! And faith is now. The Bible says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for….” (Heb. 11:1). Hope is a good waiter, but a poor receiver. Hope won’t get the job done, but faith will! By faith you can receive whatever God has promised to you in His Word, whether it is salvation, healing, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, or whatever it is you need from God.
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1/19/2012
This week and next week I will be sharing again from Kenneth Hagin’s book: Bible Faith Study Course- Chapter 3 -Part 1.
Changing My Hope to Faith
That’s the lesson I learned on the bed of sickness many years ago. I had lain upon that bed for sixteen long months before I was healed. In fact, I’d been sick all my life and never had a normal childhood. I never ran and played like other children and at fifteen years of age I became totally bedfast. Five doctors, one of whom had practiced at the great Mayo Clinic, said that as far as medical science knew or had any record of, no one in my condition had ever lived past the age of sixteen. I became totally bedfast just a few months before I was sixteen years of age, and I remained bedfast until I was almost seventeen years of age. I went through everything everyone does when they desperately want to be healed. Thank God for all the good books today on the subject of faith and healing, but there weren’t many in those days. If there were, I didn’t know about them, and didn’t get ahold of them. I was just a denominational boy reading Grandma’s Bible, but thank god, it reads just like my Full Gospel Bible does because it’s the same Bible. When I was trying to get healed, I cried and prayed, and said, “Dear Lord, please heal me.” I begged Him to heal me, and prayed all night several nights and nearly all night several other nights. When you are bedfast twenty-four hours a day, you can do a lot of praying! I prayed many hours a day, day after day, week after week, and month after month. I was born again – but I wasn’t getting any results as far as obtaining my healing. I’d pray and was sure God had heard me and had healed me because I sort of had the feeling that He had. I don’t mean I felt it physically, because I didn’t feel any different. But I just felt like He had heard me. I can’t say that physically I felt that God heard me; but I’m talking about a spiritual sense of some kind. When I would pray for healing, I would sense, This is it; my prayer has been answered.
But then I’d feel my heart. It was still not beating right. Then I would look at my lower limbs and they were still paralyzed. My legs were just bones with a little skin stretched over them – there was no meat or muscle in the thighs or calves. Then I’d start crying and say, “Lord, I thought You were going to heal me. I just felt like You did. I just knew it, but You didn’t.” I couldn’t understand it, and for about a month or so I just as well give up on my prayer as a bad job. Then I’d start slipping away. I’d go right down to death’s door, right down in the throes of death. I held onto the head of the bed to try to keep from going. You could see where I held on to the bed, till all the varnish was worn off that headboard. I’d fight death with every fiber of my being. As a young person I wanted to live so badly, so from the natural standpoint I fought death. But I couldn’t see where I was missing it spiritually. I would try to act upon God’s Word. And I’d get some results and recover from the attacks, but I still didn’t receive my healing.
Finally, on the second Tuesday of August 1934, after lying on the bed of sickness for sixteen months, I said to the Lord, “Dear Lord Jesus, when You were here on earth You said in Mark 11:24, ‘….What things so ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.’ I have prayed. You said, ‘Believe.’ I have believed.” I continued, “ Dear Lord Jesus, if You stood here by my bedside in the flesh and I could see You with my physical eyes, and I could reach my physical hand out and lay my hands on Yours, if You were to say to me, ‘Son, the trouble with you is you’re not believing,’ I would have to say to you, “Dear Lord Jesus, You’re lying about it! I do believe.’” (I said this in kindness and sincerity, not in tones of arrogance.)
You Cannot Believe Beyond Actual Knowledge
Now Jesus does not speak to a person physically, like someone else might speak to you. He’s not here in the flesh, but the Holy Spirit is here. And Jesus said about the Holy Spirit, “…..He[the Holy Spirit] shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak …” (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit spoke to my spirit on the inside of me: “Yes, you believe, all right, as far as you know.” (A person can’t believe beyond actual knowledge. It just can’t be done. That’s where many. They don’t really know what the Word says.) The Lord said, “You believe, all right, as far as you know. But that last clause goes with that verse of scripture, ‘….and ye shall have them.’ It says, ‘….believe that ye RECEIVE them, and ye shall HAVE them’ “ (Mark 11:24)
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1/12/2012
So I will be sharing from Kenneth Hagin’s – Bible Faith Study Course- Chapter 3 What Faith is Part 1. To follow up from last week.
Hope is Future Tense
Thank God we do have a Blessed Hope. The Blessed Hope of the Church is the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the saved dead, the rapture of the living saints, the hope of heaven, and the hope of seeing our loved ones and friends. Thank God for that hope. We rejoice in that hope, but that’s all future tense. Jesus is coming again, whether we believe it or not. He is coming because the Word says so. My faith is not going to bring Jesus back. In other words, I can’t believe that He will come at a particular time and have my faith bring Him back. If that were true, then the Church could believe and could bring Jesus back by their believing. Jesus is coming, however. But, you see, that’s all future tense because we don’t know when that will happen, but we do know it will happen. And we do know it is a blessed Hope. And we know it is a purifying hope, for First John 3:3 says, “And every man that has this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” This Blessed Hope is future tense. I do believe Jesus is coming, but He’s coming back regardless of whether or not I believe it. Looking for Jesus’ return and waiting for that Blessed Hope is a combination of simply believing what the Word says and having hope in what the Word says. It is future tense. But if I say, “I believe I’m going to get my healing sometime,” that’s not believing at all. It’s hope, not faith, and hope won’t bring healing to you. I’ve seen good people who were sick , yet died saying that. They were wonderful people who were sick, yet died saying that. They were wonderful people who are now in heaven, and I would not speak disparagingly of them at all because they were wonderful Christians. They just didn’t know what faith is. Someone said, “I believe God is going to heal me.” But that isn’t faith. That’s hope. Anything that points to the future or looks to the future is hope. It is not faith because faith is now: “Now faith is…..” (Heb. 11:1)
Faith says, “It is mine. I have it now.” Hope says, I’ll get it sometime.” But as long as you are in hope and not faith, whatever it is you are desiring will never materialize – it will never come into being. But the moment you start believing and acting like God’s Word is so, your faith will work for you.
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1/5/2012
This week I’m going to be sharing from Kenneth Hagin’s Bible Faith Study Course- workbook.
From Chapter 3 What Faith is – Part 1 I’m just going to share the first part of this chapter for now.
This is a great book to get, if you do not have it or have never read it. It is available on Kenneth Hagin’s website (RHEMA) or from Christianbooks.com. If you will read it and put it into practice, it will help a great deal.
Chapter 3 –What Faith Is- Part 1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
Moffatt’s translation of this verse reads: “Now faith means that we are confident of what we hope for, convinced of what we do not see.” One modern translation of Hebrews 11:1 reads: “Faith is giving substance….to things hoped for.”
The Difference Between Faith and Hope
What God is simply telling us is that faith is laying hold of the unseen realm of hope and bringing it into the realm of reality. Too many times when it comes to receiving the Holy Spirit or healing or an answer to prayer, many people are just simply hoping they will receive.
Faith is Present Tense
But it’s not hoping that gets the job done; it’s believing. The Bible says, “Now faith is…” (Hebrews11:1)
If it’s not now, it’s not faith. Someone said, “Well, I believe I’ll get the Holy Ghost sometime.” That’s not faith, that’s hope, because hope is always future tense or pointing to the future. But faith is now. Faith says, “I’ll receive right now; I believe I have my petition now when I pray” (Mark 11:24). We need to realize this when it comes to receiving from God. I speak along this line because the same principles are true concerning receiving the Holy Spirit, healing, or an answer to prayer. The principles of faith are the same in any area, whether it be finances, the baptism of the Holy Ghost, divine healing, or whatever the petition is. And if you can learn the principles of faith, then it is easy to receive whatever it is you are seeking or whatever you desire from God that is in line with His Word. I know from experience through the years in dealing with so many people that when it comes to receiving the Holy Spirit and healing, as well as to receiving an answer to prayer, many are just simply hoping that God hears them when they pray, or they are hoping that they will receive an answer. I remember I was conducting a tent meeting in Waco, Texas, years ago. We started the revival on Sunday night. I preached an evangelistic-type message, and the next night I preached on faith. The next night we had our first healing service. I always put folks in the same line to receive healing or to receive the Holy Ghost. I preached on the laying on of hands, and then after giving the invitation for the lost, I laid hands on the sick to be healed and laid hands on believers to receive the Holy Ghost. The very first man in line came to receive the Holy Ghost. I said to him, “Will you be filled with the Holy Ghost now as I lay hands on you and pray?” “Brother Hagin,” he said, “I sure hope I will.” I said, “Well, then, you won’t be.” That sort of made him angry. I meant that to help him, not to anger him, so I immediately said to him, “You don’t receive anything from God through hope. It’s by faith that you receive.” He said, “But I don’t know whether I’m going to receive or not, so I’m not going to say I am” I said, “If I offered you a dollar bill, would you say, ‘I don’t know whether I can receive that or not’?” he said. “Well,” I said, “God offers you a gift that is just as easy to receive as it to receive a dollar.” He said, “Yes, but I’ve been seeking a mighty long time. In fact, I’ve been seeking about thirteen years, and I haven’t received yet. So I don’t know whether I’m going to receive now or not.” He became quite upset about it, so I just reached out and put my arms around him and hugged his neck. I said, “Now, Brother, I’m here to help you. But under the circumstances, I could lay my hands on your head until I wore every hair off the top of your head, and you wouldn’t get anything. So I just suggest that you go sit down on the front row and listen and watch, and see what’s going on. Then you’ll see the difference between believing and doubting, and between faith and hope.”
So we prayed for several people for healing, and then we came to a young woman who wanted to receive the Holy Ghost. I said, “Are you a Christian?” “Well,” she said, “I’m a member of a church.”
I said, “You understand that you could be a member of any church and not be Christian. Salvation is not a matter of being a member of a church, it’s a matter of being born again.” “Yes,” she said, “I know that, and I’ve been born again.” “I accept you testimony,” I said. “Don’t let the devil talk you out of it.” Then I asked her, “Now then, do you believe in the Holy Ghost?” (Having come out of the same denomination myself, I knew everyone in that denomination didn’t believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit.) “Do you believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking with tongues?” “I certainly do,” she answered. “It is in the Bible. It’s in the Word. Then I asked, “Will you receive the Holy Ghost now when I lay my hands on your head and pray?” She said, “I certainly will.” She had her Bible in her hand, and she said, “You know, I sat there tonight and followed every scripture you gave as you preached, and it’s all in the Word. And I certainly will receive.” I saw she was ready because I saw her faith in operation. So I just reached my hand out to lay on her forehead, and before I even touched her _ I just barely brushed my fingers on her forehead – she threw up both hands and started speaking in tongues instantly. I said to this older gentleman who was sitting on the front row, “Do you see the difference between just hoping you’ll receive the Holy Ghost and really believing you’ll receive?” “Yes,” he said, “I do.” On Friday night he came back, and he was the very person in the line. “Well,” I said to him, “I see you’re back.” “Yes,” he said, “I’m back, and I’ll tell you something else. I’ve changed my hope to faith. Just put your hands on me, and I’ll be filled with the Holy Ghost right now.” I reached out to lay hands on him, and I had barely touched him, when he lifted both hands and began speaking with other tongues! Oh, it makes such a difference when you really believe God instead of just hoping you’ll receive your petition from Him – whether it’s receiving the Holy Ghost, healing, or any answer to prayer. That man said he’d been seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit for thirteen years, but really he had just simply been hoping that he would get the Holy Ghost. And you just don’t receive anything from God by hope. You receive from God by faith.
Hope vs. Faith in The Prayer of Agreement
I remember on another occasion at the close of one service, a woman said to me, “Brother Hagin, I wish you would agree with me. In your message, you used the scripture in Matthew 18:19 where Jesus said, ‘….If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” I said, “All right, Sister. What do you want me to agree with you about?” She said, “Do I have to tell you?” “Certainly,” I said, “I can’t agree about something when I don’t know what we are agreeing about.” She said, “This is a financial need.” I said, “All right, how much do you need?”
She said, “Well, my husband has a job and makes so much money, but an emergency has arisen. We need an extra $100. I just don’t know where it’s coming from. But I know God can help us and show us.” “He certainly can!” I said to her. “Then you want me to agree with you that God will provide and extra $100 this month.” “Yes,” she answered, “that’s right.” I said, “All right, let’s agree. I’m going to pray, and you listen while I pray. You agree with what I pray because if we both pray at once, you may go one direction and I may go another. Let’s agree. You just agree in your spirit right now.” So I prayed and reminded the Father that we were agreeing according to His Word. I said, “We’re on the earth, and You said if two of you on earth shall agree as touching anything that they shall ask, You would do it for us.” I said, “We agree as touching this extra $100 that this woman needs this month. We thank You, Father, because we agree it is done. Thank You for it. Amen.” I said, “Is it done, Sister?” Immediately (I’m not making fun of her. I’m merely stating facts.), she tuned up and began to cry, and said, “Brother Hagin, I sure hope it is. I hope so.” I replied, “Well, then, it’s not. It isn’t! Because we didn’t agree. You are hoping and I am believing. There is no agreement there!” this is exactly why some of our prayers don’t work for us. Certainly, it isn’t God’s fault that prayer doesn’t work. If our prayers don’t work, it isn’t God’s fault because God never fails. If our prayers don’t work, it is not Jesus’ fault, because Jesus never fails. God doesn’t change, and prayer doesn’t change God. He is just the same before you pray, when you pray, and after you pray. Prayer doesn’t change God. Prayer changes circumstances, but prayer doesn’t change God. He is always the same and that means He is always faithful to His Word (Heb. 10:23; 13:8; Rom. 4:20,21 ).
Dr. Lilian B. Yeomans said something that I read years ago and have never forgotten. It has been a great blessing to me through the years. She said, “If I pray for any one thing or pray just one time for anything, and don’t get it, I start changing. I start changing because if I pray and that prayer isn’t answered, there will have to be a change on my part before the answer comes. I know there can’t be any changing on God’s part, because He never changes. So if there has to be any change, it has to be on my end of the line. So if I pray and do not receive, then I start changing.” I’ve followed that policy through the years and found out that it always works one hundred percent of the time. We need to realize that we cannot substitute hope for faith and get answers from God. Now don’t misunderstand me. If you keep hope in the right place, it is a most blessed and wonderful reality to you. Paul said in First Corinthians 13:13, “And now abideth faith, hope, charity [love], these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” Paul didn’t say faith and hope aren’t important; he said just the greatest of the three is love. But each one of them has its place. For example, you can’t substitute love for hope, and you can’t substitute hope for faith. And yet, in dealing with many thousands of people throughout the years, I know that most people are trying to receive healing, the baptism of the Holy Ghost, or answer to prayer based on hope instead of on faith. I know they are substituting hope for faith because of what they say to me. Many of them say to me, “If you take my hope away from me, I don’t have anything left.” I respond, “No, I’m not taking your hope away from you. I’m just showing you that you have your hope misplaced; you are trying to make hope do what only faith can do – and that’s receive from God.”
I will share a little from this same chapter next week and then move on. Blessings.
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12/22/2011
So I am going to share the rest of Chapter 13 CHILDHOOD from Kenneth Hagin’s book Growing up Spiritually
1. Evil speaking – talking about and discussing the faults and failures of people not present.
(We’ll soon get through with this negative side of growing up and get on to the positive side. But this needs to be dealt with, too.) I was holding a meeting in Oklahoma when my son was about twelve. He had a four-day weekend holiday so I drove down to Texas and brought him back to spend a few days with me. I was gone all the time and didn’t get to be with him much. We stayed in the parsonage with the pastor and his wife. One day at the table, the pastor got to talking about some of the church members, airing some of their faults and failures. I noticed my boy just kept looking at him. Finally I said to him, right at his own table, “Brother, I wish you wouldn’t talk that way in front of my boy.” He looked at me rather startled. I said, “I would rather you’d curse in front of him. That wouldn’t register on him. He wouldn’t pay any attention to that. But for the twelve years I pastored, he always thought every member we ever had was an angel.” They weren’t – any more than all his members were. But Ken thought all of them were sprouting wings – he didn’t know that was just their shoulders blades sticking out. He never heard his parents say one word about any deacon, Sunday School teacher, superintendent, or church member. You need to be careful what you say around children and other people as well. I remember one dear soul. Bless her heart. Every time we took prayer requests she would say, “Pray for So and so,” and she’d call her husband’s name. He came with her every once in a while and even if he was there she’d never stop to think about it; but would get up and call his name.” He rather liked me and I’d go visit him. We’d talk about the Bible. To tell you the real truth about it, he knew more about the Bible than she did. And in talking to him, I learned some things. I learned where she missing it. I tried to talk to her about, but it didn’t help. So one Wednesday night when there wasn’t anyone there but us; when she said, “Pray for So and so,” I said, “Sister, we’re not going to do it.Don’t turn in another prayer request for him. We’ve prayed and prayed, but you undo all our prayers. You run home from church every single time some woman in the church looks a little hatefully at you – you think – and you tell your husband what an awful person she is. And if the preacher doesn’t just preach to suit you, you run home and tell him what an awful person the preacher is. I know. I’ve talked to him. He couldn’t have known it unless you told him. He knows more about what’s going on down at this church than anyone in the church. You run home and tell him everything that is – and a lot of things that ain’t. You rehash everybody’s faults, failures, and short comings. And as long as you’re going to do that, you’re going to undermine the effects of our prayers.” I learned to appreciate that dear soul. She had enough sense to listen and she straightened up. She became a splendid Christian. And he got saved. I dealt what seemed like severely with her, but she took it. She wasn’t an ignoramus. People who do have a little something upstairs are able to know when you are telling them the truth. Some folks would never know and you just have to help them the best you can
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2. Vain speaking – always talking about themselves. Sometimes I almost get sickened when I go to
church. All the singing is about what I did, what I felt, and what happened. We scarcely worship the Lord. It’s no wonder to me that God doesn’t move any more than He does in our midst. The Bible said in the 13th chapter of Acts concerning this group down at Antioch, “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said,…” (verse 2) They were ministering to one another. If we can be humble enough and yielded enough God can use us. I just don’t like the idea of leaving the impression we are something big and something great. It’s all right to talk about how God uses people and rejoice about what God is doing. But I’ve been in some meetings where those in charge bragged on each other from the natural standpoint until it was simply nauseating. Thank God for His blessings. And let’s be careful that we are not taken up with vain talking.
3.Foolish speaking- It’s all right to be friendly. And it’s all right to tell something funny sometimes – but it is possible to spend too much of your time doing that. The Bible even says something about jesting and joking that are not convenient. It doesn’t say they are sin necessarily, but it says they are not convenient.
Ephesians 5:4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving thanks.
I was holding a meeting one time for a fellow, a fine fellow. I think a lot of him. He’s changed considerably. But I never saw a fellow as full of jokes as he was then. We had two services a day, and every time I saw him he’d tell me a new joke. I don’t see how in the world he could remember them. He’d tell me at least three a day which were brand new. Morning service, evening service, and when we’d go out for a bite to eat after church he’d have another one for me; sometimes several. I usually quote my scriptures as I preach and once when we were out eating he said, “I wish I could remember scriptures like you do.” I said, “You could if you’d spend as much time on them as you do on jokes. How do you remember jokes? I can’t remember them. I go to tell some of them and get them all messed up.” The thing about it was I wasn’t interested in them. Now don’t go off and say I said it was wrong to tell something funny. I didn’t say that at all. I said it is wrong to put that first and just blab, blab, blab, blab, and leave God out. I’m talking about things that will hinder out spiritual growth. We are never going to grow spiritually and just feed and talk on those kinds of things.
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12/15/2011
I said I would be sharing from two books for a couple of months. But I'm not going to be doing that at this time. I need to think of a different way to share from those books :) So I'm going to share from a different Kenneth Hagin book this week. GROWING UP SPIRITUALLY.
Chapter 3 CHILDHOOD
“That we henceforth be no more children…” Ephesians 4:14
Paul is talking about spiritual children here. He wrote this letter to the church at Ephesus and we know they had at least twelve men in that church. Acts 19:7 tells us about twelve men and I’m sure they had more. When Paul said “that we henceforth be no more children” he was talking about that they would be no longer spiritual children but would grow up spiritually. Characteristics of the childhood stage of spiritual development are similar to the physical.
Unsteadiness
When my son was a boy of thirteen or fourteen, I told him to mow the yard. The way he grabbed that lawn mower and lit out you’d have thought he would have had it mowed in thirty minutes. Back then we had a push mower, the yard wasn’t too big, and he could have had it mowed in forty-five if he’d kept at it. I had to go to town to attend to some business. When I came back after about an hour and a half, there sat the mower in the middle of the yard. He’d made about two strips after I’d left. I began to look for him. I asked my wife where he was. “I don’t know,” she said. “Didn’t he go with you?” “No,” I said. And I looked to see if I could find some boys playing ball on the corner. I knew if they were, that’s where he would be. They were. And he was. He was unsteady. You couldn’t depend on him. As has been said many times, you can’t put a grown head on a child. You can’t. The same thing is true spiritually A mother tells her young daughter, “I want you to do the dishes and sweep the kitchen. I’m going next door for a little bit.” The daughter starts out all right, but when the mother returns the dishes are unwashed or half done and she can’t find Mary anywhere. She goes outside and begins to call her. After a while she goes to the neighbors on the other side and Mary is there playing dolls with Susie. Children in the natural are unsteady…unreliable…impressionable…spasmodic. Spiritual children are the same way. When a new pastor comes to a church everyone comes. I’ve gone to pastor a church and people would gather around, pat me on the back, shake my hand, and say, “Brother Hagin, I want you to know I’m with you. I’m with you one hundred percent. I’m behind you.” Six months went by and I didn’t see them. I thought, “Well now they’re behind me; they said they were.” The trouble was they were so far behind me I never could reach them. They were too far behind to do any good. Then as an evangelist I went from church to church holding meetings for several years. The first service or two some people would get right in and shake my hand and hug my neck and tell me, “Bless God, I’m with you. I believe this is it. We’re going to have a meeting.” Then we’d run two or three weeks without seeing them again. The last Sunday night when the pastor would announce we were closing I’ve had them run up to me, look at the pastor like he didn’t know what was going on and say, “He’s not going to close this meeting, is he?” As far as they were concerned it had been closed all the time
Curiosity
Children are full of curiosity. Just as sure as you’d come in with a sack and set it down on the kitchen table, our second granddaughter, about eight at the time, would be in that sack. She was so full of curiosity. She wanted to know what was in there. Some of these spiritual children that have never really grown up spiritually – though they’ve had time and opportunity – as sure as they can catch a little bit of gossip going want to know, “Who? Who? “They are full of curiosity. Curiosity is the characteristic of a child. If you tell a child not to look in a closet, he is going to get in it as sure as the world. Curious. Spiritual children are the same way. They’re always poking their noses in the other fellow’s business. The Word of God teaches us to tend to our own business. God doesn’t want you poking your nose into other fellow’s business. I was pastoring a church when one fellow wanted to know what all I was doing with my money. I said, “What are you doing with yours?” He said, “That isn’t any of your business.” I said, “I don’t consider it any of your business what I’m doing with mine.” He got the point. You know, it is no more the church member’s business what the pastor is doing with his money than it is the pastor’s business what the church member is doing with his. Curiosity is a characteristic of a child.
Talkativeness
Children have never learned the value of silence. They are talkative. And you will find folks in childhood stage of spiritual growth are nearly always talking. Did you know the Word of God has something to say along this line? It tells us, “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin…” (Proverbs 10:19) And, “..a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words” (Ecclesiastes 5:3) We need to learn to be quiet. A child doesn’t know any better so he’s always blabbing.
There was a fellow called Father Nash who used to go along ahead of Charles Finney and get a few folks together to pray for the revival. Someone once asked Finney, “Do you know a little preacher by the name of Father Nash?” Finney said, “Yes sir, He goes along ahead of time and prays for the revival. I don’t have him hired. He just took it upon himself to do it.” “What kind of fellow is he?” this person asked. “Well,” Finney said, “he’s just like any other fellow who prays – he is a fellow of few words.” Folks who are talking all the time are usually guilty of at least three signs. They are often guilty of evil speaking – talking about and discussing the faults and failures of people not present. They are often guilty of vain speaking – always talking about themselves: what I’ve done; what I’m going to do; where I’ve been. And they are often guilty of foolish speaking – jesting, joking, and things that are unprofitable.
I will finish up with this next time these 3, evil speaking, vain speaking, and foolish speaking.
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11/29/2011
I’m going to start something new. I’m going to be sharing from two books for the next couple of months. I’m going to share from Kenneth Copeland’s book; Walking in the Realm of the Miraculous. This is the one of the best books I’ve ever written about love, Gods Love. The other one is by Kenneth Hagin and its called Bible Faith-study course. I have learned so much from these two books. This week I will be sharing from Kenneth Copeland’s book chapter 1.
Chapter 1: FAITH IN GOD’S LOVE
When you receive a revelation of the love of God, you will have insight into something that does not fail. Think about that. In this world where nothing is failure-proof, we have been given complete access to God’s love. Love is the cardinal law of God – and it never fails. Put the love of God into operation and you will succeed (1 Cor. 13:8). It is a must that you learn how to operate in God’s love. To do that requires faith. You have to develop your faith in His love to the point that it governs your thinking, your speech, and your actions. You must have your mind so renewed that you function entirely according to God’s love rather than the methods and systems of the world. The world’s systems and ideas are accepted as the norm, but they are not. God’s Word is the norm and the standard of life we are to maintain in this life. Man was created to function on God’s level. Adam walked on that level in the Garden of Eden; but when he disobeyed God, he fell from his position of fellowship and oneness with God. It took Jesus coming to earth as a man to reclaim the authority that Adam gave over to Satan. Today, every born-again believer can live on that supernatural level through the power of the Holy Spirit. John 16:13 says the Holy Spirit was sent to lead and guide us into all truth. As a born – again believer, you have same spiritual capacity that Jesus has. If you spend time studying and meditating in God’s Word and living in the Word the way Jesus did, then you can have every ounce of faith, wisdom, and understanding operating in you that Jesus had during His earthly ministry. It is available to you because the Holy Spirit is available to you. Not only do you have the same capacity for faith as Jesus, you also have the same capacity for love. This can be proven very easily through God’s Word. Romans 5:5 says, The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Jesus said to the Father while praying, And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them (John 17:26). Notice He said the same love that the Father loves Him with is in us! That is hard to accept, but you know Jesus didn’t pray something that wasn’t true, nor did He pray something that wasn’t answered. You have the very love of God Himself in your heart – not just part of it, all of it. Praise God! You need to allow a revelation of that truth to grow in your consciousness to the place where you fully realize that God Almighty lives in you!
This is a truth that has never been fully received in the body of Christ. Through religious traditions, we have belittled ourselves by not knowing who we are in Christ Jesus and not understanding the fullness of God that is in us through Him. Ignorance has robbed us of God’s best and kept us below the standard of life God desires for us to have. Your spirit is just as big as God’s because you are born of Him. My son has the same capacity for strength that I have. He has just as many muscles in his body as I have in mine; but at his present age he is not as strong as I am. Why? Because his muscles are not fully developed. He is still growing. He has all the physical components of a full-grown man – bones, muscles, organs, etc. – but he is not yet a man. How his muscles develop depends on how he treats his body. He can nourish it properly or he can destroy it. He can build it up or tear it down. He is a human being with the right and privilege to choose his own way. There are two factors involved here: capacity and choice. There is no way to have one without the other. However, with the choice comes responsibility. You are responsible for what you do with and to your physical body. In the same way, you are responsible for your spirit. When you were born again you spirit was completely made new – with great capacity for faith and hope and love. If you waste your spirit, you will pay the consequences.
“HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER”
Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord, because he cometh to judge the earth. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. 1 Chronicles 16:33-34
The word “mercy” is the same word translated “compassion” and “love”. Many times the translators of the New Testament used the word “charity.” They were trying to convey the giving aspect of love. It is not possessive and selfish; it is a giver.
It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God. . 2 Chronicles5:13-14
When you talk about moving, you are talking about God moving. God is Love! ( 1 John 4:8). His mercy endureth forever! Let’s look at the 7th chapter of 2 Chronicles, beginning with verse one: Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifice; and the glory of the Lord filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Now look at the 20th chapter, verse 20,21:
And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Enemy armies had invaded Israel and Jehoshaphat proclaimed to the people that he would send out praisers to go before the army. Put yourself in that situation. How would you react if you had been picked as one of the praisers? You were going to go out ahead of your army and face a few thousand enemy soldiers! That was quite assignment.
When they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another. And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and , behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped. 2 Chronicles 20:22-24
God moved when those people operated in the love of God rather than in the power of military might. The result was total defeat of the enemy.
And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was much. 2 Chronicles 20:25
These were armies – trained troops. God didn’t send His power to kill those people. They killed themselves. They could have gone to Israel and said, “We bring offerings unto the most high God. We bring our jewels and our goods. We want to join with you. We want to serve God with you.” Israel would have answered, “Come on in and let’s worship and praise the most high God, for His mercy endureth forever.” Those singers and praisers were obeying God and giving witness to God’s love and mercy. This is a beautiful illustration of faith in the love of God. However, we must remember this: to fight against love is to fight against God; and God (love) never fails. So who will fail?
You have a choice. If you don’t choose the path of love, then Satan will try to take advantage of you at every turn. He will come against you every chance he gets. God’s love sent Jesus to the cross for us. We were not worthy, but God did it anyway! His mercy endures forever! Hallelujah!
FAITH WORKS BY LOVE
For an in-depth study of the love of God, the place to start is the epistle of John. John is called the apostle of love. In the first chapter he explained why he wrote it: so that we could fellowship together with God the Father and with His son Jesus Christ. Without a revelation of the love of God, you will never have close fellowship and communion with Him. There will always be an unwarranted fear of God if you don’t know god loves you. Let’s look at 1 John 4:15-16: Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him. Here is the answer to the prayer that Jesus prayed in John, Chapter 17.
He prayed that the love the love the Father had for Him would be in us: …that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them (John 17:26). God is love and love is God, so he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in god and God in him.
The following is a prophetic utterance given during one of our meetings as we were studying the love of God:
“Remove from your thinking, saith God, that love is a form of nothing. Love is not a form of nothing or just a state of mind. Love is a reality. I am Love. “When you are talking about love, saith the Lord, you are not talking about a feeling, you are not talking about something that is in a state; you are talking about a living being, you are talking about Me. When you speak of love, saith the Spirit of Grace, you are speaking about all that I am, all that I can do, all I ever was, and all I ever shall be
One day the Spirit of God said to me, “You don’t understand My motive when I said to turn the other cheek. If you will retaliate in My Love by faith, instead of retaliating in the arm of the flesh, you can develop My power and My love in you until they are perfected; and I will keep you protected all the time.” When Jesus said, “Turn the other cheek,” He didn’t intend for you to get beaten up. He intended for you to be walking in the love of God so powerfully that when you do turn the other cheek, the enemy can’t hit you! Look at 1 John 5:18… he that is begotten of God (love) keepeht himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. That is the greatest testimony of love in the physical realm. God has never asked us to be lamb to the slaughter. Jesus was the Lamb of God. He was slaughtered in our place. By misunderstanding His motive, we have just laid our heads on the block and let the devil cut them off. The Word does not say subordinate yourself to Satan. It says, Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7). But our ideas of resistance have been centered in the natural, physical realm. We are not in a physical combat with Satan. He is a spirit being; we must fight him with spiritual weapons. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds (2 Cor. 10:4). These strongholds are not human. We don’t wrestle with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers, and rulers of the darkness of this world and wicked spirits in heavenly places (Eph. 6:12). Once you stop Satan’s operation, you won’t have any trouble with people doing you harm. A graphic illustration of this is Jesus’ reaction to the murder of John the Baptist. You have to remember that John and Jesus were kin. In the natural realm, they were cousins; but their kinship went deeper than that. John was the only man at that time who knew that Jesus was the Messiah. He was the only man that walked in the power of the Holy Spirit and in the office of prophet while Jesus was on earth. There was a ministerial kinship between them. Then John was brutally murdered. When Jesus heard of John’s death, He went off to a desert place to be alone; but the people followed Him. They made a demand on His ability. And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick (Matt. 14:14). When He saw them, He was moved with compassion – not a feeling of compassion, but Compassion Himself.
Compassion said, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Compassion said, Lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Compassion told Jesus to heal the sick and save the lost. Compassion was manifested as Jesus laid hands on the sick in that desert place. Herod wasn’t Jesus’ enemy, Satan was. Jesus retaliated for the murder of John – not in the natural, but in the spirit. He didn’t fight Herod with His fists. He reacted in the realm of the spirit, in the realm of faith and love. He attacked His real enemy which was Satan by healing the sick! To understand this thing, you need to realize what God’s motive is. He does not intend for us to be the world’s whipping boys. We were not made to be spiritual rugs for Satan to wipe his feet on. His desire is to put us in a place where we will never fail. How would you like to operate in a zero failure rate? You can. There is one way: through love. The Bible says love never fails. Let’s look again at 1 John 5:18. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not. This does not mean that, if you sin, you are not born of God. It means that you are not a practice of sin that you are not looking for a way to sin, but that you are doing your best to keep out of it. Whosoever is born of love sinneth not. A step out of love is a step into sin. The second part of that verse says,….but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. The man who is born of God is born of love. When he is walking the love walk, he can laugh in Satan’s face. Satan cannot harm you when you are walking in love. God has a capsule and this capsule goes into effect when you get into the Word and allow God the minister to you. God will, by His Holy Spirit, build that capsule around you and protect you from all that is happening in the outside world. If you will walk in the Word, you can be protected at all times. And the wicked one will not be able to touch you. That capsule is the shield of faith. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of god (Romans 10:17) Faith works by love. The Bible says in Ephesians 6:16 that faith quenches all the fiery darts of the wicked one – not part of them, all of them. The first time I heard Brother Kenneth Hagin say this, I was thrilled! He spoke to Satan and said, “Satan, my household is off limits to you.” Then he put up a sign in the world of the spirit that said, “Off limits, Satan. This means you!” Glory to god! I had always thought that Satan held the key to my back door and could come and go as he pleased. Then I found out about my authority as a believer.
DEVELOPING FAITH IN GOD’S LOVE
You might ask, “How do you know when your faith is developed in a certain area?” The same rules apply to the development of faith in every area of life. Faith is faith in any Bible subject – whether it is the new birth, the infilling of the Holy Ghost, right – standing with God, divine health, divine prosperity, or some other area. It is the same spiritual substance. It works the same in every situation.
(1) PUT THE WORD OF GOD FIRST PLACE. DON’T BE MOVED BY FEELINGS. To develop your faith in God’s love, or in anything else from God, you have to learn what the Word says about it. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17) For instance, Psalms 23:6 says, Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Put that Word first place. Don’t ever go by how you feel about the love of God. Don’t confess anything else. Be confident in the fact that God’s mercy and goodness follow you all the days of your life. You should read the Book of 1 John over and over, on a regular basis.
(2) MEDITATE ON THE SCRIPTURES CONCERNING GOD’S LOVE. Meditation develops the capacity for faith. As you meditate in God’s Word and your capacity begins to grow, you will recognize the power that God’s love can have in your life. Then the things of Satan will begin to shrink and lose their grip over your life, as you realize the fullness of God’s Word.
(3) ACT ON THE WORD CONCERNING THE LOVE OF GOD. First John4:11-12 says, Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, By practicing this love on one another, the love of god is perfected in us. The word “perfected” means “allow to run its full course.”
You can let God’s love run its full course in your life. Love never fails. Here we are again, reaching that zero failure rate. It is possible, and it will come to pass! How are we going to do it? Not by becoming perfect ourselves, but by acting on the Word of God and allowing the love of God, which is perfect, to run its full course in our lives.
(4) DECIDE TO LIVE THE LOVE LIFE. MAKE THE QUALITY DECISION TO LIVE BY LOVE. To develop your faith in divine healing, you have to make the decision to be well, or you never will be healed. A quality decision is a necessity in learning to live the love life.
What is a quality decision? A decision from which there is no retreat. It simply means this: “With God in heaven as my helper, He that is within me is greater than he that is in the world. I refuse to allow anything to hinder me from walking in love. I make the quality decision now to walk the love walk, whether anyone else does or not.” It is a necessity that we renew our minds to the supernatural power of the love of God. We must develop our faith and renew our mind so that we respond in love without having to think about it. We must learn to live in love, walk in love, talk in love, and edify one another in love. Then when the pressures come, when the hard times come, when disasters approach us, we won’t have to stop and think. We will immediately react in love. The secret to successful combat against Satan is to retaliate in the spirit, not in the natural. The love walk is 100% in the spiritual realm. This is where God wants the body of Christ to walk. By developing our faith in the love of God, it will work and bring about that zero failure rate.
Now say this: “O God in heaven, I commit myself today to develop my faith in the love of God. I commit myself to Your Word, to be pleasing unto You – to walk in love, even as Jesus walked. I make a quality decision now to walk in love, talk in love, think in love, and respond to all things in love. I renounce selfishness, in the Name of Jesus. It has no part in me. I am born of love, so I will walk in love!”
ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN LOVE
First John 2:5 says, Whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected. There are two ways to perfect the love of God in your life: 1) By keeping the Word of God. 2) By practicing love on others. Love takes practice and we can practice on each other. You won’t operate perfectly in love at the very beginning; but as you keep at it, you will get better and better. If you fail, just simply confess it as sin, receive your forgiveness, and go on. Keep loving. Keep overlooking the shortcomings of other people. Look for Jesus in them. We must practice love until we are supporting one another. That way when one of us is down, the others will be up; and we will keep ourselves operating on a high plane at all times. The Bible says one can put a thousand to flight; two can put ten thousand to flight (Deut. 32:30). We are many times greater and stronger when we join together in harmony and agreement. Together we can do it! In Ephesians 3:16-19, the Apostle Paul prays: That he would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love. May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.
God has promised us the knowledge of His love. First John 4:16 says, We have known and believed the love that God hath to us. Believing that love is acting on it, putting it into operation. When we do, we reach out into areas that pass human knowledge. Again, verse 17 says, That Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love… We are to be rooted and grounded in the love of God. I His parable of the sower, Jesus said, And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the words sake, immediately they were affended (Mark 4:15-17). They heard the Word with gladness, but when the persecution and affliction came for the Word’s sake, they were offended. They didn’t respond in the love of God. They responded in the natural realm and Satan stole all the word that was in them. They were not rooted in love. God is declaring unto you and me that we can have a comprehensive revelation of His love – its height, its depth, its width, and its breadth. To know His love is to know God because He is love. God is telling us: “I’ll teach you all there is to know about Me.” He has been wanting, since the beginning of time, to share Himself with us – not part, but all! Think about that! God is offering you and me understanding of the height, depth, width, and breadth of HIMSELF. It’s almost unbelievable, but it is true.
I know this was a bit longer, but I wanted to share the Whole chapter.
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11/18/11
I will be sharing from Creflo Dollars book; 8 Steps to Create the Life You Want. I’m going to share from Chapter 1 I’m going to share part of Chapter 1 with you that goes along with The 8 questions of to ask yourself when making a decision, that I shared with you on 9/23/2011. If you would like to read these again, just scroll down.
Chapter1 The Power of Decision
The Great Life -There is a life far greater than you could ever imagine. To live it, you must be willing to pursue the will of God in every decision. Here are some practical ways to make the right decisions and fulfill God’s will for your life:
1. Surrender all of your plans to the Lord.
Apply the Scriptures to your life and situations. When you do, the Holy Spirit will speak to you. I’ve heard Him speak to me when I didn’t want to be spoken to, especially when I wanted to yield to emotions that were leading me in the wrong direction. I’ve learned, however, that His words will always save me from destruction.
2. Surround yourself with godly men and women, and imitate their faith and good character.
If you want to be an eagle, you can’t stay in the chicken coop. Find someone who’s doing what you want to do, living the life you want to live, and getting results. Try to make contact with that person and establish relationship. If you’re unable to make contact, research his history. See what roles faith and character play in his life and business. Learn what he did to get to where he is and imitate those things. Don’t lose yourself in the process. Apply what you learn, and become a better you. Soon you’ll be doing what you were called to do.
3. Set aside time daily to pray and study God’s Word.
If you’ll begin your day by setting aside fifteen minutes to pray, and gradually increase it as the weeks progress, you’ll receive all the wisdom and direction you need.
4. Ask the Lord to reveal His will in every situation you encounter.
James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (NIV). Realize that you need God’s wisdom and direction both to find and to live in His will. God has a solution for even the smallest problems you face. He wants to be intimately involved in your life. Let Him.
5. Use Scriptures as the foundation for how you live.
Find Scriptures to support whatever you need God to do in your life. Confess those Scriptures daily until your heart and mind come into complete agreement with them. When you pray, recite the Scriptures to God because God’s WORD never returns void. It accomplishes everything! You are guaranteed results when you pray His Word. “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).
6. Don’t be swayed by your emotions or the pressures of life.
Emotions aren’t bad. In fact, every emotion has its place. You must, however, rule over them and not allow them to rule over you. When life gets you in a pinch, don’t’ react. Instead, respond. Don’t let pressure move you. Stays focused, and never make decisions when you are emotional. Consult God, and after receiving His direction, move forward.
7. Be willing to learn from your mistakes.
Some of the best lessons I’ve learned have come as a result of falling flat on my face. We shouldn’t condemn ourselves for our mistakes because God never does. In fact, Scripture says that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1) When you make a wrong turn in life, go back and analyze the decisions you made that led you in that direction. Reevaluate the thinking you had during that time. Once you know what went wrong, it will be much easier to make it right the next time. Be humble and put away your pride. Don’t allow past mistakes, or the people who remind you of them, to get you down or off track. Learn the lesson and keep moving forward.
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11/9/2011
This week I’m going to share again from Kenneth & Gloria Copeland’s book: How to Get Your Prayers Answered, from Chapter 6 the second part. But next week I will go back to Creflo Dollar’s book.
Kinds of Prayer II by Kenneth Copeland
As we learn about the different kinds of prayer, in this session we’ll cover untied prayer, the prayer of dedication and worship, and the prayer of committal.
United Prayer
In this day and time, united prayer is seldom discussed. Very little is taught from The WORD about praying together out loud. In many of our churches today, someone usually leads in prayer, but in most instances we see in the Bible involving a body of believers, we find them praying in a united manner. Acts 4:21-31 is the basis for united prayer. Take a moment to grab your Bible and read this passage now. Peter and John had been arrested and appeared before the religious council. Their lives were threatened if they continued to preach in the Name of Jesus. They went back to their own company and told everyone what had happened. When the people heard, they all prayed. A tremendous amount of power is released in united prayer. What were the results of this prayer? Acts 5:12 says, “And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people…” Their one request was answered exactly the way they prayed. The political system of the day tried, but could not stop the power of God in operation. This united prayer was offered accurately according to The WORD of God and expect results. It will cause things to change!
The Prayer of Dedication and Worship
Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt (Matthew 26:36-39).
The prayer of dedication and worship holds a tremendous amount of power. We need to know how it works and when it is to be used. In the past, it has been misunderstood. When the leper came to Jesus and said, “I know You can make me well…if You will,” Jesus said, “I will.” He already knew the Father’s will was healing. He didn’t have to pray, “If it be Thy will.” God’s will is to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:9-10). Heaven has no sickness. The only time the word “if” would not be an expression of unbelief is in the prayer of dedication and worship. All other times, using the word “if” in prayer can create unbelief. Praying for healing then, whether it be yours or someone else’s, is a prayer that changes things, so don’t use “If it be Thy will.” Unbelief hinders prayer. Most people pray, “If it be Thy will,” thinking they are being humble. Actually, they are praying in ignorance of The WORD of God.
The prayer of dedication is getting your will in line with God’s will to bring success into a situation. It joins you and God, and aims you toward the same goal. So many times people are running in the opposite direction of God’s will, hoping God will support their endeavors. You should get God involved with your endeavors before you ever move! Never be afraid to yield your will to God. He wants you to succeed! His will is always to your advantage. When you find out what God wants you to do and you get over in it , that’s where your life is going to be heaven on earth. Proverbs 16:3 in The Amplified Bible says, “Roll your work upon The LORD [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.”
When you pray the prayer of dedication and live by it, you will experience the peace of God because you truly trust Him. Isaiah 26:3 says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”
The Prayer of Committal
The Prayer of Committal is when you purposely commit something to The LORD – once and for all. As an example, if you will practice what I am about to share with you, this will be the last day you will ever have a worried thought. You can commit yourself and all the cares and worries of your mind to Him and enjoy divine peace. God is vehemently against worry. It does not produce anything but stress, strain and death. Jesus preached against it. Paul preached against it. The whole Bible is against worry because Satan designed it. Take Philippians 4:6-7 as a command. “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” The Amplified Bible says, “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything.” First Peter 5:6-7 says “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Casting all your upon him…” Not 75 percent of your care. Not everything but your kids or everything but your finances. Your confession every morning should be, “I do not have a care, because it has been cast over on my Lord.”
Cast out every worried thought that would trample its way into your thinking. Roll it over on Him. Let’s say you were standing about 20 feet away from me and tossed my car keys to you. If someone else were to come to me and say, “Brother Copeland, I need the key to your car. I need to use it.” I would say, “I can’t help you. I cast my keys over on him. I don’t have them.” I didn’t say those keys ceased to exist, nor that he could not have them. I didn’t say I couldn’t get them back. If I went to get them, you would give them back to me. But if someone wants the car keys, they will have to talk to you because I cast them over on you. That’s what we need to do with our cares. We must cast them over on The LORD and not take them back! If Satan brings a worried thought to your mind, saying, What if…, you can tell him to talk to God about it. It is in His hands, not yours! Many people want God to supernaturally remove their worry. But that’s not the way to get the peace of God. God’s peace comes by acting on His WORD that says to cast all of your worry and anxiety over on Him. You must replace those thoughts with The WORD. Philippians 4:8 says to think on “whatsoever things are true…honest…just…lovely…of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” You are the one who must control your mind. The WORD says the peace of God will garrison and mount guard over your heart and mind (Philippians 4:7, The Amplified Bible). But you are going to have to do something. You must keep your thoughts under control. Second Corinthians 10:5 says, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to obedience of Christ.” People have told me they can’t quit worrying. They can! Anyone can stop worrying. The verse before that says the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but powerful through God to the pulling down of strongholds. The strongholds of Satan are in the mind. He makes suggestions like, “It won’t work this time,” and “What if…” and, “But…” The power of God begins to operate when you cast your care over on Him. As long as you worry about it, you only hinder the flow of His power and tie His hands. Meditate on these three scriptures: 1Pter 5:6-7; 2Corinthians 10:5; Philippians 4:6. Joshua 1:8 says if you will meditate in The WORD day and night, you will be able to see how to do it. Philippians 4:9 says, “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do…” As you give your attention to these Scriptures, the Holy Spirit will reveal this truth to you and you will then be able to act on it! Philippians 4:13 is the finale: “I can do all things through Christ which strengthenth me.” You don’t have to worry again. The Greater One dwells in you. He is able to put you over. Commit to it. You will never worry again. That’s how the prayer of committal works – whether it’s for worry or another area of your life you want to submit to Him.
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11/02/2011
Again as I said I’m sharing from Jerry Savelle’s Faith building Daily Devotional Day 31
YOU ARE SOMEBODY SPECIAL TO GOD
Scripture: The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. Numbers 6:24-26
You are so special to God. In fact, you are His treasure! He considers you the most valuable of all His creations. In Psalms 8:3-5, the Psalmist is reflecting on the greatness of God and writes,
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
God has crowned you with glory and honor! YOU are God’s prized possession! You are more important than all His handiwork. And you need to see yourself in that light. You are not that old man anymore if you are born again. This very divine nature of God is within you and the blood of Jesus flows in your veins! You are of a royal family in the spirit realm! You have a crown on you that can’t be seen with the natural eye, but you can walk in that honor because you are highly favored by God. There are some people who do not receive victories in their lives because of such low self-esteem. Jesus said that we are to love one another as we love ourselves. There are people who hate themselves and hate their lives. They don’t like anything about themselves. How will they love someone else? A low self-esteem is a result of a lack of knowledge. But when you know you have been crowned with glory and honor, then confidence will spring up in your inner man, and you will have the courage to face anything. Many Christians are living way below their privileges because they don’t know that they are highly favored of God. So, they expect good things to happen. Revelation knowledge will cause you to see yourself the way God sees you – crowned with glory and honor! He sees you highly favored and successful in everything you set your hand to do. When you truly believe that God has crowned you with glory and honor, you will take authority over adverse circumstances in your life and expect God to turn adversity into victory! Doubt and insecurity will vanish as you become more and more conscious of God’s favor in your life. In John 12:26 we read, If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
If you have chosen to serve Jesus – then the Father will honor you. Expect victory in every situation simply because you know that you are the object of God’s affection. Receive God’s love for you and see yourself as His prized reassure – because you are!
Kenneth Copeland’s Book: How to Get You Prayers Answered- Your 10-day Spiritual Action Plan
Chapter 5 The Name of Jesus
As a believer developing your prayer life, like it not, you’ve become involved in spiritual warfare. The problems we face are brought about by satanic forces – principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world and wicked spirits in heavenly places (Ephesians 6:10-18). Our responsibility is to use the weapons of our warfare to fight the good fight of faith. One of those mighty weapons for spiritual warfare is the Name of Jesus. Every believer has the privilege of using the Name of Jesus in prayer. When you pray in Jesus’ Name, you immediately get the ear of God. At the same time, you also get Satan’s attention. The Name of Jesus carries ultimate authority in the spirit world. Philippians 2:9-10 says, “God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.” In Jesus’ Name, the believer has authority to “tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19). Satan knows the power invested in that Name and he will retreat when it is spoken in faith (James 4:7). The New English Bible says, “Stand up to the devil and he will turn and run”! Let’s look at Hebrews 1:3-4: “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by The WORD of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” If the Name of Jesus is more excellent than that of the angels on good standing with God, how much more would it be than the name of Satan? He is a fallen angel! Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus commissioned His disciples to go into all the earth. He said, “All power has been given to me in heaven and in earth. Therefore, you go into all the world. In My Name lay hands on the sick and they will recover. In My Name cast out devils.” (See Matthew 28:18-19; Mark 16:17-18.) Just as a wife has power of attorney to use her husband’s name, we have been given Jesus’ Name to use in combat against Satan. We have authority to speak His Name in His stead.
When Peter and John ministered to the man at the gate Beautiful, they spoke in the Name of Jesus. Peter said “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6). Later he explained what had happened. Peter said,
Ye men of Israel, Why marvel ye at this? Or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus… And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all (Acts 3:12-12, 16).
Peter was simply using the authority Jesus had given him only a few days before. The early apostles did not have special power in themselves to do mighty works. Their holiness didn’t make them special. They didn’t even have the written New Testament. All they could do was speak the Name of Jesus in faith and the Holy Spirit did the mighty works. The fabulous, earthshaking revival of the early church was sparked by only one commandment: “Go in the Name of Jesus.” The power invested in Jesus’ Name has never changed.
Carrying Out the Power
Most believers know that it is the Name of Jesus that caused them to be saved. The Bible says, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of The LORD shall be saved.” He is rich unto those who call upon His Name (Romans 10:12-13). When you call upon someone’s name, you are placing a demand on their ability. For instance, when a policeman says, “Halt in the name of the law!” he is being backed by the power of that particular city. It is as if the entire corporate structure of that city is speaking. He is carrying out the power behind the name of the law. To know how much confidence you can place in a name, you must be able to measure the power behind it. A man writing a check places a demand on his own name. If he has the proper funds in the bank, then there is enough power to meet the demand. The power backing the Name of Jesus is the power of almighty God Himself! First John 3:22-23 says, “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.”
Believe the Love
We have commandment to believe on the name of the Son of God. To believe in His Name is to put demand on His ability. Jesus said, “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you” (john 16:23). The mighty, powerful Name of Jesus is available to you. Become aware of your right and privilege to use it. Ask the Holy Spirit to engrave the reality of it in your heart. His ministry is to lead you into all truth (John16:13). The Name of Jesus is the key to heaven’s storehouse. It can do anything Jesus can do. Speaking His Name is standing in His stead. According to Philippians 2:9-11, the entire spectrum of existence – heaven, earth, under the earth – will bow its knee and confess with its mouth that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father. The Name of Jesus is the Name that is above every name. When He was raised from the dead, Jesus inherited the very Name of God (Hebrews 1:4). To measure the power behind His name, you would have to measure the power of Almighty God. It can’t be done. His power is measureless, and He wants to use it in our behalf. God’s love motivates Him to use His power. First John 4:16 says, “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us….” When you believe the love He has for you, you’ll begin to realize you have as much right to use the Name of Jesus as anyone else. Believe the love God has for you. Once you recognize the reality of God’s love in your life, you will realize He has not left you defenseless and powerless against evil. God covered the entire spectrum of Satan’s existence with the power invested in the mighty Name of Jesus. When you pray, use it freely and confidently in the face of your adversary!
10/18/2011
I think I said I was going to share again from Creflo Dollars book again this week, but instead I’m going to share from Jerry Savelle’s Faith Building Daily Devotional. I felt led this way, instead this week.I will share again from Creflo Dollar's book again in a couple of weeks.Right now I'm impressed to go this way.
Day 17 - A Right Mental Attitude
Scripture : Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trustesh in thee. Isaiah 26:3
There are many aspects involved in living the life of faith and one of them is maintaining a right mental attitude. Do you believe God is an all-knowing God? Hebrews 4:13 tells us that everything we do is open and naked unto the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do. There is nothing hidden from God. It also tells us that He is able to discern the thought and intent of our heart. He wouldn’t be God if He didn’t know those things. He’s an all-knowing God. The Bible tells us that He even knows your need before you ask. You’re not kidding God when you make promises you don’t intend to fulfill. When I was a young boy growing up, I made Him promises that I would serve Him if He would do certain things. And He would always come through and do His part, but I didn’t keep my end of the bargain. God knows everything about you. However, there is a fellow who doesn’t know you that well. His name is Satan. Somebody asks, “Does Satan know my thoughts?” He does not. The only thing he knows about you is what influences you and what you yield to. Someone may ask, “Can he read my mind?” No, only the thoughts that you allow him to place there. Satan does not know you like God knows you. The only way he can find out about how you will react is to test you in different situations. He’s got an experiment going on with you. The Bible tells us that God has recorded every idle word that comes out of our mouth. Satan, too, has a little messenger who records all our words and actions. His messenger then reports back to headquarters, and Satan learns about you through your actions. For instance, let’s say that I am being tested by the Devil where sickness is concerned. I have these symptoms in my body, and I will either talk the Word or talk the problem. Now, if I say, “Oh, dear God, I’m going to die,” then Satan’s messenger reports back, Every time he gets a symptom, he talks death. That’s good – he’s snared by the words of his mouth. We can use that, master.” Remember, words are vehicles or carriers. They’ll bring success or failure. They bring life or death. Proverbs 18:21 says, Death and life are in the power of the tongue… We must begin to speak positive confessions, and then the next time Satan’s messenger comes back for an attack, we’ll blow him away with, “Thus saith the Lord, it is written…” And his messenger will run back and say, “Something happened, boss. He changed while I was away.” Winning is easy. It’s the talking yourself into winning that’s difficult. Remember, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. You’re not going to be able to talk positive if your heart is full of negative things. It’s your decision to have a right mental attitude about life’s circumstances. Remember that God’s Word is the foundation of a right mental attitude. Study these principles and allow them to get on the inside of you:
1) A right mental attitude is more than wishful thinking. It is actually facing each day with a positive expectancy.
2) A right mental attitude is having a proper understanding of the problems you face, their source, and knowing how to approach them with God’s Word. You need to know your enemy and how he operates. You need to know his weaknesses. I’ll tell you two of them:
(1) He cannot stand PRAISE; and (2) He cannot stand the WORD OF GOD
He has no refuge from them. He has to flee from them. He cannot tolerate either.
3) A right mental attitude enables you to possess peace, calmness, self-control and the determination to win no matter how difficult you situation may seem.
4) A right mental attitude demands that you drive out all negatives from your consciousness and focus on God’s Word.
Next week I will share again from this book, from day 31, and I will also share something from Kenneth Copeland's prayer book.
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_10/14/2011
I’m going to share again from Creflo Dollar’s book: 8 Steps to Create the life you want. I’m going to stay with this book for a while. There is so much Godly Wisdom in it.
Chapter 6 Make the Word -Thought Connection
What would you do if you sitting in your home one Saturday morning and, all of the sudden, a delivery guy from a local bakery knocked on your front door to deliver a basket of freshly baked Danish? It would probably be a welcomed surprise, right? Even if you didn’t know who the pastries came from, you’d probably sign for them with little or no reservation and begin reading the card just as you took your first bite. Now, what if someone attempted to deliver you a huge basket of rattlesnakes? Would you have the same reaction? I doubt it. You’d probably yell, “No way!” and slam the door. A good friend of mine shared this analogy with me one day as we were discussing the subject of thoughts. I’ll never forget it. He explained to me that, while we cannot stop certain thoughts from crossing our minds, we can choose whether we will accept them. Accepting every thought that crosses your mind is like accepting every basket that shows up at your door, even if it’s a basket of rattlesnakes. The great thing is, God has given each of us the ability to make our own choices. Once a word is spoken, we must make the choice to either receive or disregard it. It doesn’t matter who’s sending the message – a friend, an enemy, God, or Satan – you determine whether you will accept or reject it. Whatever you give attention to is what you will ultimately act on. This is why it is important that you learn to distinguish the difference between God’s Word and Satan’s word. Reading the Bible and being in fellowship with the Father daily are key in making this determination. It’s like spending time with someone. You begin to develop a relationship with that person, and after a while, you know things he would and would not say. It’s the same way with God. When Satan shows up to challenge you by saying, “did God really say….?” You will know with certainty that it is not God who speaking. Once you identify a thought that opposes God’s Word, recognize quickly that it is a message from the enemy , and reject it. The Bible provides several examples of how words can influence a person’s thoughts and actions to the point where they move out of the will of God. In this particular example, taken from Genesis 11:3-6, the people decided to build a tower to Heaven:
And they said one to another, go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
This passage of Scripture demonstrates the power of words. Through their words, the people said they would build a tower to Heaven. After they spoke it, they began to envision themselves doing it. Then they responded with a corresponding action and set out to make it happen. You see, their thoughts led them to take action. God knew the power of their words and thoughts and interrupted their plans to keep them from destroying themselves. If you allow negative words to linger in your mind and take root in your heart, they will influence the actions you take. It’s just that simple. Someone once told me something that I’ll never forget: You can’t stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair. The same is true of your thoughts. You can’t always control the thoughts that come to mind, but you can keep them from lingering and hindering your progress.
How To Tame Your Thoughts With The WORD
Using words to tame your thinking is a habit every Believer should develop. As the enemy increases his attacks in these last days, it is necessary that you know how to combat his assaults on your thinking. You must be a vigilant custodian over your thought life and allow the Word of God to be the guardian of your mind. I often use the exercise I’m about to share with you to help people understand the power of their words, and how they can use words to tame their thoughts. I ask them to count silently from one to ten, and in the middle of the count, I ask them to say their name out loud, or to try naming state capitals. The point is , each time I take people through this exercise, they report that when they speak out loud, it interrupts the flow of their thoughts. That’s how we should respond when negative thoughts attempt to overtake us. Instead of focusing on the negative and allowing your mind to go south, say out loud, “Stop! No more “or, “That’s enough.” It will short circuit your thought process and remind you to focus on what is true and positive. Many Christians allow their minds to be held captive by their words and thoughts of the devil, when they have the authority to shut his operation down. You must capture bad thoughts by speaking the Word of God. Tap into the creative ability God has given you, and speak His Word to counteract the enemy’s attack. You can be certain Satan will try to inject thoughts into your mind that are contrary to God’s Word. Second Corinthians 10:5 says that we are to cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. In essence, that verse means it is our responsibility to get rid of every thought that is against God. Also in that passage of Scripture, Paul advises us to bring “into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” It is clear, then, that negative thoughts should not be left unchecked, including memories of past mistakes and disappointments. Remember, Satan is constantly trying to bombard you with negative thoughts. He is at war, trying to gain control of your mind and ultimately your life. If you don’t open your mouth and defeat him with your words, you’ll lose. When the doctor diagnosed me with cancer, it wasn’t easy to win. I had to really work at it until I developed enough confidence and faith to produce results. If I had opened my mouth and agreed with the doctor, or spent more time telling people about my diagnosis, fear would have overtaken me. When you expect the worst, it has a way of showing up! Let’s look at a practical example of how words can change and rearrange circumstances. Suppose “Michael” is seeking a better job with better benefits, higher pay, and greater opportunity for advancement. Soon after his job search begins, he lands an interview with a prestigious Fortune 500 company. At first he’s excited and eager to interview for the position. He’s qualified and experienced- he knows he has a good shot at landing the job-but he has a problem with negative self-talk. While outwardly confident, he can’t seem to stop telling himself, you’re not going to get the job. You’re not good enough. What if they don’t like you or the way you look?” Without realizing it, he is buying into Satan’s plan for him to fail. Michael mentions the interview to his friends. One of them says, “I heard that company doesn’t pay very well.” Michael ignores the comment and remains optimistic, but those words are still floating around in his mind. Instead of using the Scripture that says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13), he allows the words of doubt, fear, and apprehension to control his mind, and his friends’ comments don’t help the situation. Another associate says, “I used to work there. I hated it.” Still Michael says nothing. In the back of his mind, the negative thoughts continue to grow. Finally, it’s time for the interview. As a result of his focus on negative thoughts. Michael becomes nervous, leaving him less confident. Deep down inside, he thinks, I’ll never get this job. He goes in and stumbles over his words, fidgets, and repeats himself. The interviewers are not impressed. Needless to say, he blows the interview and doesn’t get the position.
Negative words created thoughts in Michael’s mind that produced doubt. This affected his confidence, and ultimately caused him to experience the outcome he imagined – failure. Being a better custodian of his thoughts, coupled with the power of God’s Word, would have equipped him with the knowledge of how to respond. He could have literally talked himself into the job by building self- confidence. I travel around the world preaching the Word of God, and I’ve come across many people who say, “I know the Bible says wealth and riches shall be in my house, but I just can’t see myself in a mansion.” This is how I respond: “Well, you don’t have to worry about ever living in one. You’ve already talked yourself out of it!” You may think that’s harsh, but its reality. When a person wants to accomplish something but fails to plant Word-seeds in his mind and heart, he will likely never reach the intended goal. That’s where confession, or declarations, can help. Right now, I want you to open your mouth and declare a few things. Use the authoritative power God has given you to make the following declaration:
Lord, I thank You for Your Word and I declare, right now, that it is the final authority in my life. I believe I can change my life through the power You have made available to me through Your Word. Lord, I ask You to reveal all truths to me as I seek You. I know that You are perfecting everything that concerns me, and I thank You, in advance, for the great life You have planned for me. It is more than I could ask, think, or imagine. From this day forward, I will carefully choose words I speak, hear, and see. I purpose in my heart to speak Your Word daily. Thank You for Your Word. I believe it will change my life and enable me to fulfill my purpose in life. I declare these things in Jesus’ name. Amen
If you’re not accustomed to making declarations of faith, begin doing it until it becomes second nature. Look at the Scriptures you’ve written in your journal that apply to your specific circumstances. You may also want to add a few more to cover some of the general areas of your life. Some common areas include family, finances favor, protection, wisdom, and so on. Write out your declarations and make a commitment to repeat them daily until you see the changes you desire. You may not think what I’m suggesting is necessary, but if you’re serious about living victorious life, you’ll get your journal right now and begin to turn to Scriptures you’ve recorded into confessions. Next, devise a plan for when, where, and how often you will make confessions. I find that when I need and immediate breakthrough, making confessions several times a day is helpful. Making confessions or declarations is an opportunity to change the course of your life. You will reach your divine destination if you embrace God’s Word and allow it to change your thoughts, emotions, decisions, actions, habits, and character. You were born to fulfill God’s purpose, and your journey begins with the Word of God.
Think about the things that have been holding you back. Maybe there’s something you want to accomplish, but you don’t really believe it will happen. Think about the words that have been spoken to, and about you, over time. Consider the things you’ve been telling yourself lately. Maybe someone told you that you’d never amount to anything, and you believed them. Erase it! Start now. God can do more for the man or woman who believes than for the one who doesn’t. The Bible says, “Everything is possible for him who believes” (Mark 9:23, NIV).
Take Action
When I played high school football, our team was tough to beat. We weren’t the biggest or the fastest, but we had more confidence than any other team. We knew we could win – every time. And in most cases, we did! The coach taught us an important lesson on using words to dictate our outcome. It’s a poem called, “The Man Who Thinks He Can.” These very words gave us the fuel we needed to be successful on the football field, and they can apply to anything in life you set out to do.
The Man Who Thinks He Can
By Walter D. Wintle
If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you’d like to win, but think you can’t,
It’s almost a cinch that you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost,
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will;
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think you’re outclassed, you are.
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the strongest or fastest man;
But sooner or later the man who wins,
Is the one who thinks he can.
If you want to experience the best life has to offer, make a quality decision to change your words. Don’t be afraid of what others think or say. God will make sure you are not put to shame. He will always do exactly what He has promised, and whenever you take a stand to do God’s will, you will receive a great reward. If you speak and think positively, you will experience the quality of life you desire and abundant life Jesus came to bring. Imagine the best, and best will happen to you! It’s time to put what you’ve learned into practice.
Review Nuggets
God wants you to live of abundance. He wants you to experience joy, peace, happiness, and love in your daily life. He wants you to have more than enough friends, family, love, and affection. He wants you to have more than enough wisdom, knowledge, righteousness, courage, and strength. He wants you to have more than enough food, clothing, transportation, recreation, and money. God is a big God. His plans for you are far better than you could ever imagine. However, without an understanding of what God desires, and how He operates, you won’t receive everything He has set aside for you. Mastering your words and understanding their power to direct the course of your life is the key to mastering your mind. Taming your thoughts is only accomplished by speaking the Word of God. You must become a vigilant custodian of your thought life in order to keep Satan’s words out of your mind. Reading and meditating on God’s Word is the only way to introduce God’s thoughts into your life. Although positive thinking is beneficial, the highest level of thinking you can achieve is that which is governed and controlled by the Word. When you read and study the Bible, you’re ingesting words that God has spoken specially for you – words that have the power to change your destiny.
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10/7/2011
So this week I will give the first 4steps, to continue from last week, from Creflo Dollar’s book 8 Steps to Create the Life You Want.
Chapter 15, 7 Steps to a Quality Decision
Start The Process
There are seven steps for making quality decisions. The process begins with three steps: esteeming, refusing, and choosing. Let’s look at the first word, esteeming. To esteem something is to “give it weight or value.” When you esteem something, you judge, measure, balance, and weigh it carefully; you hold it in high regard. In Hebrews 11:26, we learn that Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ of greater value than the treasures in Egypt. In other words, he placed a higher value on suffering with his people than enjoying the pleasures available to him as the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He knew the will of God for his life would afford him far greater riches. In your decision-making process, you must first assign value to your choices. What carries the most weight? Is pleasing God more important than pleasing others? God’s approval should be more valuable to you than looking good in the eyes of your friends, family, or acquaintances. Consider these things when making decisions. It could drastically affect the course of your life. When I was a child, I used to play on the seesaw on the playground. The balance of the seesaw is in the middle. If there are equal weights on each side, it stays level. However, if the weight on one side is heavier, the other side rises up in the air. Likewise, when you place your decisions on a mental seesaw, they may start out balanced, but once you start to weigh, judge, and measure, you will notice that one side will begin to outweigh the other. You must ask yourself this very important question: “How much value does the Word of God have in my life?” You will not make quality decisions until you value God’s Word. If His Word doesn’t have value in your life, you will make worldly, even sinful, decisions. Many Christians do not esteem the Word of God. Instead, they esteem the words of talk-show hosts, psychologists, and the media. It should be no surprise that their decisions aren’t yielding the desired results. The good news is, you can avoid the consequences of making poor choices by esteeming God’s Word above every other influence in your life. Every decision you make must be measured by the Word of God. It must become your final authority. It must be the basis for your marriage, parenting, finances, employment, residence, and church home. If the Word of God isn’t final authority, you don’t have a foundation to stand on. Ask yourself, “Have I made the Word my final authority?” You haven’t settled this issue if you are still arguing with the Word, questioning it, and choosing the world’s way over God’s. All questions cease when you make the Word your final authority. Step two and three for making quality decisions are to refuse and choose respectively. To refuse means “to deny, denounce, reject or disown.” In Hebrews 11:24, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He denounced his position as a member of the royal family so he could pursue the will of God. He could no longer sit quietly and watch the injustice and oppression his people suffered at the hands of the Egyptians. It was his refusal to stay connected to Israel’s oppressors that enabled him to take the next step: choosing to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season (Hebrews 11:25). Moses made a quality decision that ultimately led to the freedom of more than two million people. If you are in dept. or experiencing lack, sickness, or disease, you must first refuse to accept those negative circumstances and then choose to be free from them. When was the last time you looked at your bills and said, “I denounce dept.?” When was the last time you denounced sickness and lack in your life? I’m not suggesting you pretend these things don’t exist. I am saying you can refuse to accept them when they show up. Think about trying to feed a baby something he doesn’t want to eat. He will spit out every spoonful you put in his mouth. That’s his way of refusing it. When it comes to the attacks of the devil, Christians must respond like a baby who stubbornly refuses to eat food he doesn’t like. Refuse everything that doesn’t line up with the Word of God, and choose those things that bring peace, wholeness, and happiness into your life.
Action Steps
After completing the first part of the process-esteeming, refusing, and choosing- you need to continue on the path to making a quality decision. Many people take the initial steps but fail to complete the process. There are four action steps you need to take to complete the process of making a quality decision. Your decision is not and will not become one of quality if you fail to complete all four action steps. Hebrews 11:27-29 says:
By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Through faith he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.
Once Moses started the process by refusing, choosing and esteeming, he then took four action steps: he forsook, endured, kept, and passed through. And that is exactly what you must do.
1) To forsake means to “leave something behind.” Moses forsook Egypt, which represented bondage and the world’s system. In other words, he left the bondage of the world’s system behind. Are you willing to forsake the things that are holding you in bondage? They may be habits, attitudes, or relationships. Only you know those areas of your life that are a hindrance to your spiritual growth and relationship with your God. Whatever they are, if you want to set yourself on the path to your destiny, you’ve got to forsake them. For example, to forsake smoking, you must be willing to do what it takes to leave that addictive habit behind. If you want to lose ten pounds, you must be willing to exercise and turn away from high calorie desserts, fried foods, and sugar. You must leave the old things behind and start doing what you’ve purposed in your heart. Refusing requires thought. but forsaking requires action. The number-one obstacle to taking action is fear. When you give in to fear and imagine that you will fail, you’ve stopped the process. Feelings of inadequacy and memories of past failures are other obstacles to stepping out and acting on your quality decision. To make progress, you must be confident in your ability to succeed. With God on your side, and Heaven backing your decision, your success is guaranteed. It’s just a matter of believing it for yourself. I remember when God first spoke to me about starting this ministry. I was filled with anxiety and feeling of inadequacy. In fact, I was terrified! One evening I pulled my car over to side of the road. At the time, I didn’t know what an anxiety attack was, but I know now I was having one. I thought I was dying right there in my car! I had made a decision to go forward with the vision God had given me. Then I began thinking about everything involved, and fear entered my mind. I had to address that fear by casting it out of my thoughts and pressing on with my decision to obey God. I followed up on my decision, and with the necessary action, World Changers Church International became a reality, and lives are being changed all over the world.
2) The next action step is to endure. To endure is to “carry something through to completion”; to hang in there until you see the results you believe will come. According to the online resource blueletterbible.com, the word endurance in the Greek means “to be strong, steadfast, and patient.” The Latin definition is “to harden like steel.” Once you’ve forsaken things that will hinder you from fulfilling your destiny, it is time to become hard like steel. That is necessary in order to make it through the challenges that will come your way. Once you’ve made your decision, plant your feet and don’t allow anything or anyone to move you. Several years ago, I made a decision to lose weight. I was tired of looking like I was five months pregnant. One day Taffi took a donut and put it under my nose. What a temptation! I remember shaking and having to call on the Lord to help me in that moment! But no matter how badly I wanted to eat that donut, I didn’t give in, I didn’t give into the temptation. I was like steel; Taffi was amazed. As a matter of fact, I was amazed! My endurance enabled me to be victorious. Back then I was conducting campus ministry in college, I received a prophecy that enabled me to endure. I was new to the ministry and was facing challenges as I dealt with the different attitudes and personalities of people around me. One night when I was extremely tired, a man came up to me and said, “I had a vision. In it I saw your backbone hardening like steel. People hit it, but it wouldn’t move. You’ve been tested, and now you have a backbone of steel.” That really encouraged me. No matter what I had to experience from week to week, I kept going. I refused to allow anyone to prevent me from fulfilling God’s will for my life.
3) Hebrews 11:28 says, “Through faith he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.” Moses kept the Passover. So what does that mean for you? Continue doing what you already know to do. Regardless of your situation, obey God, and He will help you walk out the quality decision you have made. For example, you know that if you want to get out of debt, you’re going to have to change your spending habits. You cannot continue spending beyond your means and buying things on credit. You know what you need to do. Now keep on doing it!
4) The final action step is to pass through. Isaiah 43:2-3 says:
When you passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom.
Isn’t it wonderful to know God is with you as you pass through everything that tries to hinder you quality decision? When you feel like quitting, go back to Word of God. Have confidence. Your heavenly Father is right there with you. He will support you making decisions that are in line with His Word and His will.
Review Nuggets
There are several steps you must take to make lasting quality decisions: esteem the Word, refuse that which opposes the Word, and choose God’s way over your way or the world’s way. Once you’ve done those things, take action by forsaking anything that might hinder your goal. Endure the hard times and challenges that come your way, and continue to do what you already know to do until you finally pass through to victory! As you follow these steps, you will find yourself walking in the will of God for your life.
Foundation Scripture
By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God., than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recommence of the reward.
Hebrews 11:24-26
Blessings __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9/29/2011
This week I’m going to share from Creflo Dollars book: 8 Steps to Create the Life You Want. I will be sharing from chapter 17 this week.
Chapter 17 Check Yourself: Your Actions Have Power!
To create a lifestyle that is aligned with God’s Word, this fifth step is vital. This step will lead you to take actions that work to your advantage. Actions that line up with God’s Word will produce step six-establishing habits that line up with God’s Word. Habits that line up with God’s Word will lead you to step seven-developing character that lines up with God’s Word. Together, these steps will lead you to the victorious destiny God has for you. Taking right actions (actions that line up with the Word of God) must be preceded by right words, thinking, emotions, and decisions. If you speak wrong words, have wrong thinking, and make wrong decisions, you will take wrong actions. In William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Hamlet remarks, “Suit the action to the word, the word to the action.” Ultimately your actions speak far louder than your words. In James 1:22 we are encouraged to be doers of the Word and not just hearers. As a pastor, I see and talk to a lot of people every day. It’s disheartening to see people come to church, receive a needed answer to a problem, hear and understand the Word God has for them, and then go home and fail to act on what they’ve heard. This is what the Bible refers to when it says you deceive yourself if you hear the Word and fail to do it (James 1:22). Your actions have the potential to catapult you to prosperity or poverty. The results you need won’t come just by hearing the Word; you must act on what you hear!
Why You Do What You Do
I always say, nothing just happens. People don’t just behave the way they do for no reason. Our actions are shaped by our thoughts, feelings, and decisions. This is why it’s necessary for the Word to be our foundation. If you were raised in a family that embraced revenge, it is likely an action that characterizes your behavior today. Ask yourself, “Do my actions honor God?” God’s Word should weigh more heavily in your life than the opinions and words of others. Your actions will either honor or dishonor God.
God’s Watchful Eyes
How can you make sure your actions are favorable in God’s sight? Obey the Word of God, and search your heart regularly to make sure your motives are pure. A heart that is pure is the source of actions that are in line with God’s Word. First Samuel 1:20-28 tells the story of Hannah, who believed God for the supernatural birth of a son. She vowed to God that if He gave her a son, she would give him back to God. The Bible says she prayed an earnest, heartfelt prayer, and God heard her and gave her the son she desired. She kept her word and dedicated him to the Lord. Hannah’s story is a prime illustration of how our actions hold weight with God. During the celebration of her son’s birth, Hannah said, “Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let no arrogancy out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed” (1Samuel 2:3). Hannah acknowledged that God considers the motives behind actions and words. Are your motives pure and solidly based on God’s Word and the leading of His Spirit, or are they the result of your own selfish desires and self-will? God’s watchful eyes are ever considering your actions and the motives behind them. While people are busy looking at your outward appearance only, God is very interested in what’s going on inside your heart as well. “But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1Samuel 16:7). Pure motives and corresponding action will put you on, and keep you on, the path to your destiny.
What’s Love Got To Do With It? Everything!
If you are wondering how to experience God’s favor all the time, make a decision to consistently demonstrate the love of God toward others. Regardless of the situation or how you are treated, when you operate from a position of unconditional love, the blessings of God can’t help but show up in your life. What you do for the benefit of others has a direct effect on what God does in your life. God approves actions that are driven by love. You may think it is impossible to love others unconditionally, or do something positive for someone who has done you wrong, but that’s not true. If you are a Believer, you possess God’s supernatural ability to love. This ability was deposited in your heart by way of the Holy Spirit the day you invited Christ into your heart (Romans5:5). God has made it possible for you to do the impossible – to love and do good to those who are unlovable, or who have hurt you. Walking in love carries great rewards. It is easy to be nice to people who are kind to you, and it is true that any act of love honors God; but God particularly values our love for those who are difficult to love. This is where the God-kind of love kicks in and allows you to sow what I call the “do-good-seed.” When you sow seeds of love in unfriendly soil, you reap an immense reward. God smiles on such actions because they demonstrate true devotion to His Word (Ephesians 5:1). Love is the most powerful weapon we possess. It paralyzes the devil and flushes out fear. In Mark 12:30,31, Jesus said that the two most important commandments are to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. Everything hangs on the law of love, including prosperity in every area of our lives. In Luke 6:27, Jesus says, “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you.” God is telling you that love is the way to handle those who come against you. Take every opportunity to reflect God’s love to others, even when its difficult. Doing so will open the door for God to bless you abundantly. Pray for those who spread lies about you, steal from you, or betray you. Give to someone in need, even if that person has hurt you in the past. Reach out to someone who may not deserve it. Your acts of kindness will be rewarded. When your decisions are based upon the of God and His Word, your actions will put you on the path to success. As a result, your character and ultimate destination will be in line with the will of God. Acting in love will change you and every relationship you have! Something awesome happens when you do things out of love, especially toward those who have wronged or upset you. God is love, and every time you demonstrate love, you demonstrate your connection to Him and it becomes an example of His character to those around you. Your loving actions guarantee that God will act on your behalf!
Review Nuggets
It is vital to be not only a hearer of the Word, but also a doer (James1:22). God weighs your actions and your motives. When you act in love toward someone who has hurt you, you demonstrate the character of God and open the door for Him to act on your behalf. Your decision to act in love will impact others and even spark change in their lives. Walking in love must be the foundation for everything you do. Examine your heart. When opportunities to sow do-good seeds arise, take advantage of them. Then you can expect to receive a good harvest. Position yourself for success and the abundant life by allowing your actions to be motivated by love.
I know I started with step 5, I felt impressed to start there, next week I will share the other four steps :) Blessings!
9/23/2011
This week I’m going to share from a book by Creflo Dollar; 8 Steps to Create the Life You Want. I’m only going to share a small part from the book this week. But I believe that if you apply it to your life it will make a big impact on your life.
You’ve Got The Power
J.Martin Kohe wrote in his book, Your Greatest Power, “The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose.” If you want to avoid the pitfalls of life, you must learn how to make the right decisions, at the right time. You can do this by consistently seeking God’s Word and His guidance before you make decisions. Before making a move, find out what God has to say about your situation. You’ll find peace like you’ve never known.
Here are eight key questions to ask yourself when making decisions:
1. What are the possible consequences of my decision?
2. How will this decision affect the lives of others?
3. Will my decision influence me to be disobedient to God?
4. Have I sought godly counsel regarding this situation?
5. Will my decision promote the love of God?
6. Will God bless and approve of my decision?
7. Will I be able to thank God for the outcome of my decision?
8. Will my decision bring glory and honor to God?
God has given you the power to choose, but I encourage you to use that power wisely. The next time you are faced with a decision, make a checklist using the above questions, read God’s Word, and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you about your situation. In doing so, you will form a habit of making decisions that please God and place you on the path to your destiny.
Life is a series of decisions. Your present circumstances can be traced back to the decisions you’ve made. If you want to live a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life, locate the will of God before making a decision.
Once you’ve made a decision, set boundaries that will ensure that you are able to carry out the plan you have established. Every quality decision you make based on the Word will be supported by God and His angels. He will ensure your success.
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9/15/2011
I will share the second part of How to Get Your Prayers Answered by Kenneth & Gloria Copeland this week, Chapter 3.
Chapter 3 Praying the Perfect Will of God by Gloria Copeland
Near the end of 1982 I heard a prophecy that changed my life. The LORD gave me direction and instuction. This word from The LORD impressed on me that if I would just give a tithe of my time, an hour or two a day to The LORD, all would be well, my life would be changed and empowered. At the time, I especially thought about my family. I needed things well in my family. One result of this exhortation by God's Spirit is that God led me to pray in the spirit an hour a day. At that time, even five minutes seemed long to me.I just did not spend that much time in prayer. I concentrated on God's written WORD, believe it, act on it and it would come to pass in my life. But I had never spent much time in prayer. This word from God changed my life. It has been more than 20 years since I decided to spend an hour or two with God every day. It has been of major importance to my spiritual growth and the well-being of my present life. I sincerely believe that all my needs are met abundantlytoday because I obeyed this direction. My children are serving The LORD. My grandchildren are well and happy. My children have blessed and happy marriages, and they are prospering. We are all well. Ken and I are stillhappy and in love with each other after nearly 50 years. I believe we have run the race God set before us and obeyed His will for our lives up to this present day. Yes, I am still spending at least an hour in prayer every morning I like for all to be well! But this prophecy wasn't just for me. It was to the Church. Spending time with God every day for an hout or two in His presence in prayer, in The WORD, praising Him, going to church services - will change your life as well. The important thing is to dowhat God tells you to do and to be consistent in the things of God. Spending time in eternal things is not like spending time in the affairs of this world. Your prayers are eternal, and eternal things never end. They have everlasting reward.
Praying in the Spirit
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God (Romans 8:26-27) When I began to pray an hour each day, I prayed mostly in the spirit - in other tongues. Often we don't know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit of God knows. The Spirit of God is in you to pray through you - to give you utterance in the perfect will of God. That is what praying in other tongues is all about. He prays God's answer through you. The WORD says, "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God..." (1 Corinthians 14:2) You may ask, "but can't I pray in my own language?" Yes, but not to the degree you need to be praying. You can only pray with your own understanding according to the knowledge you have. Many times you will not know enough in the natural to accurately pray for the answer, but the Holy Spirit inside you will provide God's solution when you pray in the spirit. The Holy Spirit prays God's higher way into the situation - His perfect will. In 1 Corinthians 14:15, the Apostle Paul said we should pray both ways: "What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirti, and I will sing with understanding also." The Holy Spirit is in us to bring to pass the will of God in our lives. Bringing to pass God's will is the pre- eminent responsibility of the Church in the earth. But because the Church is made up of individual people, this responsibility starts with you and me. Each person in the Church being obedient to the Spirit of God, will cause God's will to be done in the earth.
Be Filled
If you don't yet speak in tongues, you don't have to beg God to give you this empowering of The Holy Spirit. All any born - again believer has to do is ask. If you will ask, The WORD of God promises you shall receive:
And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he sak a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpian? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? (Luke 11: 9-13)
Jesus is speaking about a son asking something of his Father. You are a son of God - His child - and He is your Father. If you go to God and ask for the Holy Spirit, you won't get a devil. Don't be worried about getting the wrong thing. God is poised and ready to baptize you in His Holy Spirit when you ask Him. Receiving the Holy Spirit requires that you humble yourself before God. Stand before Him, open and ready to receive the Holy Spirit by faith. When you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, an extraordinary thing happens. You are able to speak in another language you did not learn. "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4). The Holy Spirit gives you the utterance or the words to say, but you must do the speaking. Nowhere in the New Testament does it say that the Holy Spirit does the speaking. God will not force you to speak in tongues. When you pray in tongues, you are praying "in the spirit." Just as your native language is the voice of your mind, praying in tongues is the voice of your spirit. It is your spirit speaking mysteries to God (1 Corinthians 14:14) Pray now to receive the Holy Spirit:
My heavenly Father, I am a believer. I am Your child and You are my Father. Jesus is my Lord, I believe with all my heart that Your WORD is true. Your WORD says that if I will ask I will receive the Holy Spirit, so in the Name of Jesus Christ, my LORD, I am asking You to fill me to overflowing with Your precious Holy Spirit. Jesus, baptize me in the Holy Spirit. Because of Your WORD, I believe I now receive and thank You for it. I believe the Holy Spirit is within me and by faith I accept it. Now, Holy Spirit, rise up within me as I praise my God. I fully expect to speak with other tongues as You give me the utterance. Now, begin to thank and praise God for baptizing you in the Holy Spirit. As you do, there will rise up within your spirit certain words and syllables that are unknown to you, so by faith, speak them. Don't speak anymore in your own language. You can't speak two languages at the same time. Just begin to speak the syllables that are on your lips. You are like a baby and you will begin by speaking baby-sounding words. (Remember, you have to use you own voice. God will not force you to speak.) From this moment on, you are a Holy Spirit- baptized believer!
What if We All Prayed in the Spirit?
When the LORD led me to pray an hour each day, it changed my life. Now I pray in English as much as I pray in the spirit - just whatever direction I receive. If you prayed in the spirit one hour a day, by the end of the year you would have prayed 365 hours of the perfect will of God. Just 15 minutes a day would be 91 hours. Don't you think that would affect everything in your life for good? It certainly did mine, I wouldn't consider not spending time in prayer every morning. I want you to realize that God will deal with you right where you are today. He might tell you to pray five minutes each day. He may ask you to start there and then increase. Five minutes is important when you are praying the perfect will of God. It is God praying through you. He gives utterance, you give Him your authority and your voice. Your intellect will not get in the way because you are not praying out of your head, but out of your spirit. We must come to a place where we keep God's WORD, obey His guidance and simply do what we are told - a body of people that God can depend on to do His will in the earth. What God said exactly was, Don't take up all your time with natural things... but see to it that give heed unto your spirit and give your spirit opportunity to commune with the Father above and build yourself up on your most holy faith...just an hour or two out of 24, just pay a tithe of your time unto Me, saith The LORD, and all will be well.
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8/30/2011
How to Get Your Prayers Answered - Your 10 Day Spiritual Action Plan By Kenneth and Gloria Copland
Chapter 3 (part 1)
Why It's Important to Pray God's Will: HARVEST!
If there was ever a time we needed to pray, it is now.
It's a time for prayer because of the darkness the world is going through. Satan is killing people with disease, drugs, depression, and every other weapon he can get in his hands. It's time to pray because this generation of believers is in a very, very special time in history. We are at the end of an age. The 6,00 years of man's lease (and Satan's lordship) on the earth are coming to a close. The 1,000 years of Jesus' millennial are immediately ahead. But before Jesus comes, God will fulfill every promise He has made during the 6,000 years of man's history on earth. The body of the Anointed One is about to have its hand full of harvest. The key to seeing the kind of results God wants His last-days generation to walk in is not just shooting some scatter-shot type of prayer, and hoping something might happen. James wrote, "Ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts" (James4:2-3). Success comes when we pray accurately according to the will of God.
Praying the Will of God
So many believers wring their hands and worry about whether or not they're praying according to God's will. As I mentioned in the last session, many of them have been taught a wrong view of God's sovereignty. They think that His ways are past finding out, and it is more spiritual to pray, "God, whatever Your will is in this situation, You just go ahead and do it." Just think what kind of confusion that causes. Whatever results from that kind of praying is credited to God - good or bad! To really honor God's sovereignty, we must pray what He has already declared to be His will. Praying the will of God is the only kind of praying that can consistently, confidently be expected to bring results. We weren't created to waste time standing around looking puzzled, especially in these days. We need to grab our Bibles and find out what the will of God is. God's WORD is His will. He has made some very specific promises in it. And it's His will to fulfill every one of them. Think about what you did when you prayed for salvation. You didn't pray, "God, I'm sick and tired of this life under Satan's control, and i want You to be my Lord and Savior. But I don't want to tell You what to do. Whatever Your will is - to set me free or to keep me in this miserable condition, to send me to heaven or to send me to hell - You just do it." No. You prayed for God to save you just like His WORD said He would. You prayed accurately according to His WORD that He is "not willing that any should perish" (2Peter3:9). You prayed expecting results according to the promise: "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth The LORD Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved"(Romans10:9). maybe you wondered at first, Did God hear me?, then later discovered that 1 John5:14-15 says, "If we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us; whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him".
Find Out What The WORD Says
These same principles work in any area of prayer. Do you need healing in your body? Don't pray what the doctor says or what your religious tradition has told. Pray "by His stripes [I am] healed" (1Peter2:24) Do you have financial needs? Don't pray your problem. Pray what God has said He will do: "My God shall supply all [my] need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).
God wants His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Find the promise that applies to your situation and pray the answer instead of the problem. Don't just pray what you remember The WORD of God says. Read it! Even if you've read that promise a hundred times, read it again. Feed on what it says again and again. One day, you'll read a familiar verse and suddenly God will give you the greatest revelation you've ever had in your life. And it will be exactly what you need to know to pray effectively about your current situation. First John 5:14 says, "This is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." When you pray God's WORD, knowing His will in advance, you are no longer praying just hoping to get results. You're not rattling off a bunch of religious - sounding words. You're praying expecting to get results. You're praying accurately because you are praying the very words God has given as His will to be done on earth. So, before you pray, make a decision to get results, then pray The WORD expecting God to move. That's the way we bring demonstrations of god's glory on earth while people are being increasingly tempted and terrorized by Satan's deception. That's the way we position ourselves to receive harvest that will come so quickly that the sower overtakes the reaper. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega - the Beginning and the End- the First and Last. So let's start with His WORD and finish with His WORD. Give Jesus the first word in everything you do, and watch Him bring in a harvest like no previous generation has ever see!
Next week I will share Part 2, by Gloria Copeland
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8/25/11
So as I said, I will be sharing the 2nd part of How to get you Prayers Answered a Spiritual Action Plan, the 2nd chapter. This week is by Gloria Copeland. Next week I will share again from this book.
Was That Me, Lord, or You? By Gloria Copeland
Do you ever have trouble hearing from God? Do you ever find yourself caught in confusing circumstances needing guidance, and yet even after praying and reading The WORD; you’re still not sure what God wants you to do?
I’ve had that experience. For years that was a weak area in my life with God. I knew His written WORD and I loved it. Acting on it had changed my life. But I was uncertain when I had to make decisions about things The WORD didn’t specifically address. Things like whether to move to one city or another, for example, or whether to take this opportunity or that one. When I faced that kind of decision, I’d pray about it. I usually made the right decisions because I wouldn’t make any major changes until I had peace in my heart. I learned from The Amplified Bible to let peace be the umpire (Colossians3:15). But even so, there was uncertainty. “Was that me, Lord, or was that You?” I did have one thing going for me though, even then. I had a deep willingness to obey God. Right from the beginning I saw in The WORD that God couldn’t bless disobedient people. So I didn’t have a problem with disobedience holding me back. I’d been eager to obey God ever since I got into His WORD. The good news is that when we spend time daily praying in the spirit, it becomes easier for us to hear the direction of the Holy Spirit as He reveals His will to our spirits.
Recognize the Promptings
“So now we serve not under [obedience to] the old code of written regulations, but [under obedience to the promptings] of the Spirit in newness {of life]” (Romans7:6, The Amplified Bible). We are no longer bound to obey written regulations, but we are to serve by obeying the promptings of our reborn spirits, which are controlled by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit communicates with our spirits. He dwells in our spirits. I believe this is an area of confusion when we are learning to walk in the spirit. As the LORD was clarifying this to me, He made me realize that most of the time I would hear my own spirit speaking to my soul, which is my mind, will and emotion. The audible voice of The LORD is rare in most of our lives. Almost every leading we will receive in everyday life will be a prompting, an impression, a thought, an inward witness, a leading or an unction from our spirits. The reason it sounds like us is because it is ourselves that we hear. The Holy Spirit communicates with our spirits and our spirits prompts, or enlightens our minds. You see, when you were born again, God sent His Holy Spirit to live in you and be your teacher and trainer to help you live a life that is pleasing to God. That’s His job.
That’s why, as believers, we don’t have to depend on our own limited reasoning. We can live guided by the Spirit who knows all things. In fact, if we’ll listen to Him on a daily basis, He’ll steer us clear of hidden dangers and maneuver us safely through even the most complicated situations. How do you let Him steer you? You’ll find the answer to that question in Hebrews 13:5. It says, “Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost says, Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” In other words, don’t resist the promptings of the Spirit. When you sense Him directing you to do something and you decide, consciously or unconsciously, “No, I don’t want to do that, I think I’ll go another way,” you’ve just hardened your heart. Most of the time, that’s how we miss the will of God. We’re not trying to be rebellious. It’s just that in one situation after another we didn’t follow the leading in our spirits. Our minds, or reasoning, told us the 27 reasons why we shouldn’t. So we didn’t. A few years ago I specifically asked God to teach me how to walk in the spirit. As I listened for His leading, I could sense Him prompting me to spend more time in prayer. Until then, I’d spent most of my time in The WORD. But God began to deal with me about spending more time in prayer, especially praying in the spirit. So I began to set aside an hour a day just for that. It was very inconvenient, I can tell you. I had to rearrange plans and circumstances. I had to switch around my whole routine. But before that year was out, my life had changed dramatically. Yet the only thing I’d done differently was spend an hour a day praying in the spirit. An hour may not like very long, and it isn’t. But I’ll tell you what, I did it EVERY DAY. And that’s the key. Once, while I was studying The WORD, God said to me, In consistency lies the power. It’s being consistent in the things of God that causes us to walk in victory. Going after God in spurts won’t do it. Do you know how to fulfill the will of God for your life? One day at a time. If you’ll begin to spend time with Him daily and pay in the spirit, you’ll look back next year at this time and realize that your spiritual life and ability to hear from God has increased.
Make a Commitment
Start today by making a commitment to do just the simple things He tells you to do. Start seeking His face, listening for His promptings and responding in obedience instead of hardening your heart. Don’t be afraid He’s going to ask you to part the Red Sea the first day. He won’t. He starts where you are. He’s the master Teacher. He knows how to deal with you perfectly. And He will bring you into His perfect will if you’ll just obey Him one step at a time, one day at a time. I’ve learned though, that if you’re going to do this you’ll have to become like a little child. You have to be simple enough to trust Him and do whatever He tells you to do. I remember, at first, when The LORD would tell me to do something, I wouldn’t want to because I’d think, If that’s not You, Lord, I’m going to look really dumb. Did you know that’s exactly what keeps us from walking in the spirit? Thinking about our “image”- caring more about how we look to people than about how we look to God. I wrestled and wrestled with those kinds of concerns until finally one day I decided, OK, when I sense God’s prompting in my spirit, I’m going to do it. So what if I make a mistake sometime and wind up looking dumb? That’ll be good for me. It’ll keep me humble.
Once I made that decision, obeying the voice of God became much simpler. And it was amazing how much easier it was to act on what I’d heard. Jesus said in Matthew 18:4, “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” And that’s what I finally did. I decided I’d rather look ridiculous than risk being disobedient. When you come to that point, you’re on the verge of an enormous break-through in your life with God because as you follow His promptings, they grow clearer in your spirit. I’ve discovered that the key to every door in God’s kingdom is obedience. It’s not what you say you’re going to do; it’s what you actually do that counts with God. When you’re ready to obey the Spirit, you’re also ready to hear Him. If that kind of adventure is what you want, you can say to God just what I said back in 1983: “Lord, show me how to walk in Your Spirit and I’ll do it. Teach me how to hear Your voice. I don’t care what I look like. You teach me and I’ll do it.” (Of course, when you obey, you look good!)
Pray that now and mean it, and you’ll be opening the door to the greatest adventure of your life.
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8/18/2011
I’m sharing from: Kenneth & Gloria Copeland’s book, How to Get Your Prayers Answered. Your 10-Day Spiritual Action Plan. Every week is in 2-parts so I’ll share the second part by Gloria next week.
The Place of Prayer by Kenneth Copeland
There is a particular phrase I’ve heard spoken countless times over the years, and I like it less every time I hear it. No doubt, you’ve heard it too. It comes most frequently on the heels of some tragedy. It’s said – usually in drawn – out, religious-sounding tone – when circumstances seem to fall short of what God has promised us in His WORD.
The phrase is “Well Brother, you have to remember …God is sovereign.” As spiritual as that phrase might sound, it really bothers me. It’s not that I don’t believe God is sovereign. Certainly He is. According to Webster’s New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition, sovereign means “above or superior to all others; supreme in power, rank or authority.” Without question, God is all those things. But all too often, when people refer to the sovereignty of God, what they’re actually saying is, “You never know what God will do. After all, He’s all-powerful and totally independent, so He does whatever He wants, whenever He wants.” The problem with that view of sovereignty is it releases us of all responsibility. After all, if God is sovereign, He will do what He wants anyway, so we might as well go watch TV and forget about it, right? Wrong. After more than 40 years of studying The WORD and preaching the gospel, I’ve come to realize that God does very few things – if any – in this earth without man’s cooperation. Even though it belongs to God – it is His creation and He owns it. Psalms 8:6 tells us God has made man “to have dominion over the works of (God’s) hands.” God Himself put mankind in charge. He doesn’t intervene in the affairs of earth whenever He wants to. He respects dominion and authority He has given us. So, until man’s lease on this planet expires, God restricts His power on the earth, taking action only when He is asked to do so. Since the people who pray often do their praying in secret, it may appear at times that God simply act on His own. But regardless of appearances, the Bible teaches from cover to cover that God’s connection with man is a prayer and faith connection. When you see Him act in a mighty way, you can be sure there was someone, somewhere praying and interceding to bring Him on the scene.
More Than Spectators
Now more than ever before, it is vital for every Christian to understand that. We are in the last of the last days. We are on the edge of the greatest outpouring of God’s glory this earth has ever seen. Amazing, supernatural things are beginning to happen just as the Bible said they would. Yet many believers are just sitting back, watching these events like spiritual spectators. They seem to think God will sovereignly turn over some great heavenly glory bucket and spill signs and wonders over the earth. But it won’t happen that way. How will it happen? Acts 2:17-19 shows us:
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophecy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophecy: And will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath.
If you’ll read the last part of that passage again, taking out the punctuation that was put in by the translator, you’ll see a divine connection most people miss. You’ll see that God is saying when His servants and handmaidens prophecy, speaking out His divine will and purpose in intercession and faith, He responds to their speaking by working signs and wonders and miracles. That means if this last outpouring of glory is to come in its fullness, each of God’s servants and handmaidens must be in his or her place. What place? The place of prayer! Some people would say, “Well Brother Copeland, we’re talking about end time events here, and I believe God will simply bring them about on His own. He doesn’t need help from us. After all, those things are too important to entrust to mere men.”
That’s what I used to think, too. But God set me straight some years ago. At the time, I had been studying the authority of man and had seen over and over in His WORD how the prayers of God’s people precede God’s actions on the earth. Yet I still hung on to the idea that God still did His most important work independently of man. One day as I was praying about it, I said, “Lord, You brought Jesus into the earth sovereignly, didn’t You? No, I didn’t, He answered “You mean there were people who interceded for the birth of Jesus?” I asked. Yes. Then He told me the names of two of them – Simeon and Anna.
50 Years of Prayer
You can find the scriptural account of these two intercessors in Luke 2. There, the Bible tells us that when Jesus was 8 days old, His parents took Him to the temple to be dedicated to The LORD and circumcised into the Abrahamic covenant. This ceremony was very sacred to the Jewish people, yet right in the middle of it, a man named Simeon walked in and took the baby Jesus in his arms. Nobody said anything to him. Nobody tried to stop him. So it’s obvious he was well-known in the temples as a very spiritual man. How did Simeon know to go to the temple at that particular time? Was it because someone came and told him that Jesus was being dedicated? No, the Bible tells us “he came by the Spirit” (verse27). He was led there by God. What’s more, even though Mary herself didn’t yet understand who this child of hers truly was, Simeon did, and he prophesied, saying: “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel” (verses 29-30)
Simeon knew who Jesus was because he had interceded, asking God to send the Redeemer. He had prayed so fervently and so long that God had promised him “that he should not se death, before he had seen The LORD’s Christ” (verse26).It is amazing enough that Simeon recognized Jesus as the Savior of Israel, but his words reveal he knew even more than that. Read again what Simeon said, and you’ll see that he knew Jesus was bringing salvation to the Gentiles – a fact the rest of the Church didn’t find out until Peter went to Cornelius’ house, 10 years after the day of Pentecost! Why was Simeon so wise? He was an intercessor. Intercessors know things other people don’t know. God tells them divine secrets and mysteries. He gives them inside information. When Simeon finished prophesying over Jesus that day, in walked a little woman named Anna who had been a widow 84 years (verse 36-37, The Amplified Bible). Unlike Simeon, this woman didn’t have to be led to the temple by the Holy Spirit – she was already there. In fact, the Bible tells us she “departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day” (verse 37). She hadn’t just been there for a week or two, either. She had been residing there ever since her husband died. She had been praying in the temple over 80 years. That’s what I call staying with the program! Luke 2:38 says Anna “coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto The LORD, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” No one had to tell her who Jesus was. She knew the moment she saw Him because, like Simeon, she had been praying for God to send Him for many years. Just think – even though God is Almighty, Supreme Creator of this universe, He did not send Jesus into the earth independently. He did it in cooperation with men. He did it in response to the faith – filled words and prayers of His people.
Matthew 18:19 says, “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” Whether Simeon and Anna knew it or not, they were praying in agreement. They had both interceded, asking God to send His Redeemer – and God answered.
Get With the Program
What does that mean to us today? It means if we want to see the fullness of this final outpouring of glory, we must get with the program as Ana did. We must get on our knees and start praying for it. We must start speaking out God’s WORD and His will for this last hour in prophecy and intercession so He can do signs and wonders. You see, there are certain things that will never happen on the earth unless someone speaks them. If you’ll read through the Bible, you’ll discover there are certain events that had to be foretold by the prophets before God would bring them to pass. I’m not saying Jesus won’t come back if you don’t pray. Jesus is coming for His people- and He is coming soon. This world has had all the sin it will stand, and it’s about to come apart. The whole creation is groaning under the stress of it. God will close out this age just as He said He would in His WORD – no matter what you and I do. He’ll find a Simeon and an Anna somewhere to get the job done. But if all the believers will pray, instead of just a few, He’ll increase the out-pouring of glory that will accompany His return. If we’ll cry out to God in one accord as the early Church did in Acts 4, this earth will be shaken by the power of God. God cannot sit still when He hears the cries of His people! God hasn’t changed. He is doing the same thing in our day that He did in Acts. But this time, He is moving even more powerfully and gloriously than He did then. Does your heart hunger to experience that end-time outpouring? Do you want to see firsthand the supernatural signs and wonders He will perform in these last days? Then get in the place of prayer! Become an intercessor, yielding to the Spirit of God in prayer and speaking out His will.
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8/2/11
This week I will be sharing from Jerry Savelle’s book: Prayer of Petition, Breaking Through the Impossible
I’m going to share from chapter 3
CHAPTER 3 SUPPLICATION
When I talk about the Prayer of Petition, the word “supplication” is inclusive in its meaning based on the passage of Scripture in Ephesians. When Paul told us to pray “always with all prayer and supplication” (Eph.6:18) he had a distinctive purpose in using the word “supplication.” He wouldn’t have used that word if it were just another synonym for prayer. Let’s find out what is so special about supplication.
What “Supplication” Means
When I took the time many years ago to really dig through the concept of the Prayer of Petition, I had to do a lot of research, especially as it concerned supplication. I’m one of those people who would rather look up something than assume I already know what it means. In my study, I found three definitions of this word:
Supplication: (1) An urgent petition, (2) to make an earnest request, (3) an entreaty.
I knew what an “urgent petition” was, but I wanted to explore the second definition, in particular the word “earnest,” a little further. This is what I found:
Earnest: (1) Intent and direct in purpose, (2) of a serious or important nature, (3) with serious intent or determination.
This supported the notion that supplication is clear-cut and definite. It’s never a general prayer like, “Dear Father, please bless such and such and be with them, Lord. Amen.” And it’s also not something you ramble off the top of your head. Supplication is earnest direct and to the point. I continued to excavate the meaning of these words and was struck by the definition of entreaty:
Entreaty: to beseech with great intensity.
From studying these definitions, it quickly became obvious that the Prayer of Supplication is of a very serious nature. You’re not playing church with this prayer. Its significance and weight run along the same line as a petition. They both require preparatory elements to pray to God, just like an attorney has to dig for facts to present his or her case in court. I believe that one truth about the power of the Prayer of Petition to effectively bring about immediate results in most situations is that God honors the time you take to assemble it. He is touched by your serious determination, the directness in which you bring Him that you mean business. In my personal opinion, the Prayer of Petition and supplication puts you into motion. Think of it this way: How many times have you prayed in your morning devotions or before you went to sleep at night, and your prayers seemed to drone on and on instead of being succinct and purposeful? One of the reasons I advocate praying the Prayer of Petition is because it keeps you away from that kind of mediocrity. It keeps you from just waiting on the sidelines of life, simply hoping that something will happen. When you are intent and direct in your purpose, you are being moved forward in your faith. You are building your faith. As a result, your spirit becomes refreshed. Energized. Inspired.
Peter’s moment of Earnest Prayer
Let’s look at some examples in the Bible of supplication – praying earnestly, with great intensity and in specific terms. In Acts 12, we see the persecution of the Church at the hand of Herod Agrippa I, the ruler of Rome. This leader was a pious observer of Jewish law and a ruthless suppressor of minorities. When, in his mind, people rebelled or spoke out against either the Roman rules or Jewish practices, he deemed them as heretics and persecuted them. To him, the early Christians who were preaching the gospel (like James, who was earlier killed, for his beliefs, and Peter) were threats that needed to be eliminated. One day, Herod had had enough of Peter’s evangelizing and he arrested Peter during Passover. Herod left him in a prison cell, guarded by a multitude of Roman soldiers. Herod had every intention of taking Peter’s life, but he wouldn’t do it during Passover week. It was against his religious principles, and religious people wouldn’t do that. So he left Peter in jail until the holiday festivities were over and he could move forward with the execution with a clear conscience. In this passage of Scripture, the scene is set on the day before Peter is to be killed. Peter remained in a prison cell on what was supposed to be his last night on earth.
Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. (Acts12:1-4)
From a human perspective and in the eyes of his followers, the Church had seen and heard from Peter for the last time. His ministry was over. His work was finished. He was going to die. If you looked at this situation in the natural, there was no way anything or anybody could free him. He was struck in that place with no way out. It was a totally impossible situation. Excuse the drama for a bit, but this was a really serious situation. A man of God was going to be killed if something didn’t happen. There is just no way to sugarcoat the predicament Peter was in. I’m sure you’re like me and there have been several times in your life when you have found yourself in a tough position, stuck between a rock and a hard place and unable to move. Perhaps it wasn’t life-or-death situation, but most of us have been trapped in a no-win-situation. We have all been in jams where hope is hard to find, where help just isn’t coming, where the word “impossible” is written all over the mess we’re in. Some years ago, I was given an ultimatum about our work in Africa. We have fought so many battles with the devil over our ministry in that part of the world; I’m so glad those days are over. But at the time, we were in a bind, and I felt chained to a brick wall. We were told that if we didn’t come up with a large amount of money for a particular project we had started, they were going to shut us down. We had a deadline to come up with the money. I was frustrated to no end. I just couldn’t believe what was happening. We had worked so hard for so many years to build that work. We had spent hundreds of dollars to help the people there. We had sacrificed blood, sweat and tears for this project. And now it was all going to waste? We were on the verge of getting kicked out! What was even worse was when we found out that part of the reason we were in such a financial tight spot was that Satan had used people from our own ministry there to steal money from our accounts. We instigated lawsuits and were involved in the court systems to fight these people and get our money back, but it didn’t matter. The bottom line was the same. We had to pay those folks money by the deadline or lose everything we had worked so hard for. To me, that was a pretty serious situation- almost as serious as the situation Peter was in. My life wasn’t at stake, but the lives of hundreds of people who were involved in the great things we were doing there were. I knew I had some choices. I could take the easy road, lift my hands in surrender, give up and say, “Well, I did my best.” I’ll be honest. There were some days during this battle when I wanted to do that. I was reminded of the passage in the Bible where Jesus was giving His disciples some detailed instructions before He sent them out to preach the WORD. “And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of the city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them” (Luke9:5) I thought maybe this was one time when I needed to do just that. Maybe I needed to let go of the ministry there. Matter of fact, I even had one leg up and was ready to start shaking my foot, but God wouldn’t let me. He told me, “I’ve called you to pull down that kingdom of corruption, so you stick with it. If you don’t stay with this project, it’s going to set missions back another hundred years.” The Holy Spirit continued to speak to my heart, reminding me of my call and encouraging me to hold on a little longer. He pointed out that every good work gets to a certain point where there is a collision with a spirit of corruption. It makes most people frustrated, tired and ready to throw in the towel. Many even give up and quit the whole thing. “Don’t let them run you off,” God spoke to my heart. “Fight it” From that point on, my mind was made up. I knew the choice I was going to make. We were going to stand strong and fight, no matter what obstacle, threat or challenge was thrown at us. My goodness, you can’t even begin to imagine the opposition we faced! But instead of discouraging me, the problems now began to fuel my energies and caused me to rise up with a determined spirit. I told God, “I’ve worked too hard and my partners have invested too much into this project for them to take that away from us. I’m not having it.” And I petitioned God. I called my staff together and sat them down for a meeting. I shared my petition with them after I made the statement that we were not going to run out of Africa. I looked at them and announced, “We are not going to be beat, I’m petitioning God for the money that we need by the deadline, and I’m telling you in faith, it will come to pass.” I specifically shared with them this message because I wanted to inspire their faith. I wanted them to see that when you construct a specific and direct petition to God; when you make an earnest request; when you beseech Him with great intensity, He will come through. That is the promise of the Prayer of Petition. I brought my petition before God 11 days before all the money was due. Around 4:00pm that afternoon, I shared the message with my staff. At 11:00pm that same night, by nothing short of a miracle, I received the money and wired it to Africa! One of our partners had been praying for us and said, “God told me to get this money to you today.” He went on to say “It’s for your work in Africa.” This happened around the time I started praying the Prayer of Petition like I used to do years ago. Seeing God work through that impossible situation in Africa encouraged me and reminded me of the inherent power that kind of prayer. Why I ever quit praying that way is beyond me. I’ll say this much, though: Once you start praying like this and start getting results in a matter of hours or days for problems you’ve been praying about for weeks, months and even years, you learn very quickly to keep on praying in this manner. One thing’s for sure, my mama didn’t raise no fool, and I’m sure your mama didn’t either. I may have temporarily forgotten the need to pray the Prayer of Petition, but I will never forget that need ever again. Let me be clear. I believe I would not have gotten that money wired over so quickly had I prayed a general prayer like, “God, help us in Africa.” I needed to pray something specific, direct and to the point. I needed some definite facts of what I could expect God to do. That is what petition and supplication are all about.
I also wanted to add this in, this is an outline to help you.
The Prayer of Petition by Kenneth Copeland
"And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." (1 John 5:14-15)
The key to having your prayers answered is this: Make sure you pray according to the will of God. The word petition in the verse above is extremely important. It's defined as "a formal written request addressed to a sovereign superior for a particular right of grace." Here's how to put together a petition that's in line with the will of God, a petition that is certain to be granted:
1) Go to the written WORD of God.
Find scriptures that apply to your situation and make those the foundation for your petition. Be specific.
2) Consult with the Holy Spirit
Get in communication with the Holy Spirit and let Him help you develop yout petition in detail. Pray in the spirit (Romans8:26-27)
3) Put in writing.
Write the verses you find that apply to your situation so your request is grounded in The WORD.
4) Base your prayer on His promises.
With God's promises in front of you, pray the answer. Pray these promises from His WORD over you situation.
5) Have confidence.
You can be confident that God will answer your prayer because it's based on the promises He has spoken directly to you.
6) Praise God for the answer.
Psalms 8:2 and Matthew 21:16 say that praise stills the enemy and the avenger. This clears the channel between you and God so you can receive from Him!
I will not be writing next week, but the week after I will share again. Blessings :)
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7/29/2011
Last week I did the first part of Chapter one from Kenneth and Gloria Copelands Workbook: How to Get Your Prayers Answered - A 10 Day Spiritual Action Plan. So this week I will do the second part by Gloria Copeland. Every Chapter has two parts a morning and evening part.
Chapter 1 The Call to Prayer - Make Prayer a Priority, by Gloria Copeland
If you have your ear turned toward God these days, I suspect you've heard Him say something to you about prayer. Maybe that's what prompted you to pick up this kit. He's been calling you to spend more time in prayer, to make it a higher priority in your life. I know that's true because He's been telling me the same thing. In fact, the more people I talk to about it, the more convinced I am that God is calling all His people to prayer. The reason is simple. These are the last of the last days. God is ready to move through us in magnificent and supernatural ways. But He can't do that if we're not walking in the spirit. He can't work through people who are so busy with the affairs of the flesh that they can't hear His voice. He needs people who will pray - not just when they happen to think about it, but every day. He needs people who will build their whole lives around prayer and make it their No. 1 priority. Have you ever noticed how Jesus operated when He was on the earth? He placed great importance on prayer. His prayer life was absolutely amazing. The night before He chose the 12 disciples, He was in prayer all night long! Well, Jesus didn't do things one way and tell us to do something else. He expects us to follow His example. First Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to "pray without ceasing." Ephesians 6:18 tells us to pray "always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit." All through the New Testament we're told to pray!And now it's time for us to do our job. I don't mean just one or two of us - I mean the whole army of God. Your natural human reaction to that call for prayer may be to say, "Hey, I hardly have time enough to handle all the crisis in my life as it is now. I can't afford t o spend any more time in prayer!" But, the truth is, you can't afford not to. You need to tap into what time spent with the Father can do for you. It's when we begin to make prayer our priority - to lay aside the natural things, take up the things of God and walk in the power of the Spirit - that the glory of God will be reflected in us. "Oh, Gloria," you say, "you just don't know how hectic my life is. I just can't do that!" Yes, you can. It's just a matter of rearranging your priorities.
More Than Enough
Maybe you're like me. When I was first saved, no one had to urge me to put The WORD first place. No one had to tell me to turn off the television and put down the newspaper. I totally lost interest in those things because Ken and I had our lives in such bad shape that we were desperate for God. We were in trouble. We weren't on the bottom of the barrel. We were under the barrel! We knew that The WORD of God was the only answer to out desperate situation. So it was easy for us to sell out to it and spend time in The WORD and in living contact with God day and night. But after I'd walked with God for a while and things began to get comfortable, the desire I once had for The WORD began to wane. Ken and I paid our debts and we began enjoying THE BLESSING of God. Before I knew it, I had begun to let too much of my time be taken up by other things. They weren't sinful things; they were just things I enjoyed doing. Almost without realizing it, my appetite for the things of God began to wane. Instead of hungering more for time with Him than for anything else, I found myself enjoying other activities and interests more. Those activities would have been fine had I kept them in the right place, but they occupied too much of my time and attention. I hardly noticed it had happened until, one day in 1977, I was attending one of Kenneth E. Hagin's meetings and he began to prophesy. Part of that prophecy said to purpose in your heart that you will not be lazy, that you will not draw back, hold back or sit down, but that you will rise up, march forward and become on fire. When I heard that, it dawned on me that I had let myself slip spiritually. I realized I'd become lazy about the things of God. I was still spending time in The WORD, but not as mush as before, and I wasn't as full of zeal either. (That will always be the case. You can't be spiritually on fire without spending a sufficient amount of time with God.) The LORD began to deal with me about it. I prayed and determined in my heart that I would change things. In order to simplify my life, I asked The LORD to show me what activities I should eliminate and what I should take on. He led me to drop certain things out of my life that were stealing my time with Him. He also told me to do certain things that would help me get back in the habit of spending time with Him as I should. One thing He led me to do was get up an hour earlier in the morning so I could spend time with Him before I began my day. When I started, it was winter. My alarm clock would go off and my flesh would say, You don't want to get up. It's too dark! It's too cold! My bed would feel so wonderful and warm that there were a few mornings during the first few weeks that I'd agree with my body and go back to sleep. I didn't let that stop me though. If I became lazy and went back to sleep, I'd repent. Then I just asked God to help me, and the next morning I'd go at it again! Eventually, my body became trained. Your body can be trained to follow God just as it can be trained to follow the devil. Hebrews 5:14 says that mature believers have their "senses and mental faculties...trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between..good and...evil" (The Amplified Bible). If you practice the things of God, your body will eventually begin to cooperate with you. For me, getting up earlier was a challenge for a while. But eventually my body learned it wouldn't receive that extra hour of sleep anymore, and it stopped complaining. It became accustomed to getting up at that hour. I also believe for supernatural rest when I have a short night. It works!
The decision to make time for God every morning has been one of the most important decisions of my life. It made such a difference in my spiritual growth. I'm not the same person I was then. People are always talking about how timid and restrained I used to be. I really was, too, but I got over it!
Become Addicted to Jesus
By implementing the changes God instructed me to make, I created a lifestyle of living contact with God. I became addicted to spending time with Him. Do you know what the word addicted means? It means "to devote, to deliver over, to apply habitually." You can create good habits in God the same way you can create poor habits. If you'll habitually apply yourself to making contact with Him daily through prayer and The WORD, it will become a way of life to you. You won't even have to think about doing it. It will just come naturally to you. That's what happened to me. I have developed such a habit of making time for God my first priority that I don't have to get up every day thinking, Well, should I read The WORD and pray this morning? I just do it automatically. It's a way of life for me to spend the first part of my day in prayer now. Even when Ken and I are traveling, even when I have to get up at 4 o'clock in the morning to do it - I do it. You might think thats extreme. You might think I'm the only one around who is that committed to spending time with The LORD every day, but I'm not. I'm one of many. Certainly, such faithfulness requires time and effort. It's not easy. But if believers fully understood THE BLESSING it brings, they too would be willing to do whatever was necessary in order to make their time with God their first priority every day. There are great rewards for that kind of faithfulness! The Bible says, "The eyes of The LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him" (2Chronicles16:9) The word translated perfect there doesn't mean without flaw. It simply means "faithful, loyal, dedicated and devoted." God will pass over a million people to find that one who is loyal to Him. He scans the earth looking for people who will put Him first and let Him be God in their lives. But God can't bless us as He wants to if we won't let Him be God in our lives. He can't pour out His provision on us if we keep clogging up our Heavenly supply line by putting other things before Him. If He is to show Himself strong on our behalf, our hearts will have to be turned wholly toward Him. The bottom line is this: The eternal, all-powerful Creator of Heaven and earth, the Almighty God, is ready right now to meet with you in prayer. He's made your prayers His priority. The question is, have you?
7/21/2011
One of the new books I got was Kenneth & Gloria Copelands Workbook called:How to Get Your Prayers Answered- A 10 Day Spiritual Action Plan. And it of course is so good, and I am going to share from that this week. I also got Jerry Savelles new book about Prayer Petition. So I will be going back and fourth there for a while.
Chapter 1 The Call to Prayer - The Aim of Prayer, by Kenneth Copeland
Early in my ministry, I learned a vital lesson: For any effort to be successful, it must be backed by prayer. Effective praying is the key to success in every area of life. Your aim in prayer is to be effective. Jesus is the perfect example of One who knows how to pray and get results. He spent hours separated from people, praying and fellowshiping with His Heavenly Father. The time He spent in prayer prepared Him to minister effectively. As a believer, you can achieve the same results Jesus did during His earthly ministry-and more. Jesus said, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father" (John14:12). These "greater works" can be accomplished today, but only by believers who have a deep, sincere prayer life with God.
What is Prayer? As the foundation of every Christian endeavor, prayer plays a vital role in living a successful and fruitful Christian life. Time spent with God is vital to your success. Study the lives of the great men and women of God from the past, and you'll see the strong emphasis they placed on prayer. Without prayer, they never would have been able to achieve such tremendous results. But what is prayer exactly?
Prayer is not an emotional release or an escape valve. It is much more than just asking God for a favor. Most important, prayer is not a religious exercise. God responds to faith, so just repetition and beautiful words do not get the ear of God. Jesus said in Matthew 6:7, "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."
Prayer is an attitude. It is communicating and fellowshiping with God. You can live in an attitude of prayer every moment, being in constant contact with your Heavenly Father. You can say, "But I can't spend all my time in prayer!" Yes, you can! In 1Thessalonians 5:17, the Apostle Paul instructed the Church to "pray without ceasing." Luke 18:1 says, "Men ought always to pray, and not to faint." The NO. 1 priority in God's heart is to spend quality time with us daily.We need to be able to hear His voice and follow the promptings of His Holy Spirit. Living in continual fellowship with Him is possible every day for the believer.
THE BLESSING of Fellowship
The more time you spend in God's presence, the more you will act and think like Him. He has already given you His nature. Fruit bearing comes through prayer. Jesus always separated Himself from people to spend time in prayer. Spending time with the Father in fellowship and prayer kept Him in tune with the Holy Spirit. Fellowshiping with God will cause your desires, attitudes, actions and beliefs to line up with His. Then, when you pray, you will simply be voicing His will. The reality of God will burn into your consciousness. You will not be crying out to a God who is 92 million miles away. He will be right there- closer than a brother (Proverbs18:24) As you draw nigh to God, He will draw nigh to you (James4:8)No danger, no circumstance, no problem in theis world can come near you with God Almighty by your side! Fellowshiping with God will give birth to a deep, strong faith and trust in His ability. Your prayer life will take on new meaning. Plus, prayer is vital for our fellowship with one another (Ephesians 4:14-16). Compare the body of Christ to a brick building. The bricks would topple if they were not joined together. Mortar forms those bricks into solid, impenetrable wall. It is held together, or made useful, by the effectual working of every part. In the same way, the power of love, through prayer and intercession, is the mortar which knits the body of Christ together. Each member, or "brick," contributes his part by building up the Body and strengthening it through prayer. If one is injured or weakened in some way, the others are able to stand in prayer and make up for that weakness.
Boldly Before the Throne
In order to get results in prayer, you must be convinced that God wants to answer your prayers. In fact, He is as ready and willing to answer you as He was to answer Jesus during His earthly ministry. This may be difficult to believe, but it is true. I remember how amazed I was to learn about God's willingness to answer my prayers because I had always thought of myself as unworthy.Why would God bother to answer my prayers? Ignorance of His WORD kept me from receiving His best in my life. Once I realized the importance of the WORD of God, my attitude changed. I realized God does not see His children as unworthy. Notice how Jesus prayed: "..That the world may know that thou has sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me" (John17:23) Just think! God loves you and me as much as He loves Jesus! We are worthy! Knowing God is ready to answer your prayers will make you serious about your prayer life.Because you are a child of God, you have an open invitation from Him to come into the throne room at any time. Never take this prayer privilege lightly. You do not have to enter His presence crawling on your hands and knees. You can boldly stand before God without a sense of guilt, shame or condemnation. Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
The Role of Faith
It pleases God to answer our prayers, but He can only manifest Himself in the earth through believers who are operating in faith. Faith makes prayer effective and it pleases God (Hebrews 11:6). However, there is no strong faith without deep and intimate fellowship with the Father. This is the very heart of a successful prayer life. Fellowship is the mother of faith because you can only put your faith and confidence in God to the extent you know Him. Just as in any relationship, spending time in fellowship with you Heavenly Father is the only way to become personally acquainted with Him. Not long after I became a Christian, I asked a minister to pray for me. I was expecting to hear a long, beautiful prayer- one that would cause people to fall on their knees in repentance before God! What I heard was just the opposite. He laid his hands on my chest, bowed his head, and said, "Lord, bless him. Meet his every need." He turned and walked away. I was left standing there thinking, How could he do that to me? I had big problems. It should have taken at least 20 minutes of hard praying to cover everthing. The major difference separating that minister and me was the degree of faith at work in our lives. He was operating in faith, praying exactly what he meant. I was a baby Christian, looking for a physical manifestation of some kind. The length of time or how hard you pray makes no difference. When you pray in faith, you have confidence in God's willingness to use His power to answer your prayer. The man who has confidence in God is very difficult to defeat. He knows, regardless of what comes, he can pray and God will move in his behalf. The key then, to success in prayer, is expecting results. Many Christians think, I'll pray and maybe something will happen. They say,"I'm just hoping and praying."
If you are only hoping to get results, you will never receive from God. "Hoping to get." is not the same as "believing you receive." The promises of God bring hope into hopeless situations.However, hope has no substance by itself." I hope to get healed someday." You hope to receive someday, but someday never comes.Faith brings hope into reality and gives it substance. Hebrews11:1 says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." The object of hope becomes a reality through faith. Hope is always in the future. Faith is always now. Faith causes you to receive from God. The believer who is operating in faith believes God's power went to work the moment he prayed. As a born-again believer, you have everything you need to succeed in this life. When you pray in faith and confidence, all of heaven's resources are at your disposal! Determine in your heart you will maintain consistent, intimate fellowship with God so your prayer life will be based on personal knowledge of Him. Then let your journey begin!
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7/14/2011
So I am going to finish up with Chapter 19, of Kenneth Hagins Book; How You can be Led by the Spirit of God.
I got so many new books :) I got 6 new books this past week from friends. So I will be reading and sharing. I'm excited to learn and share.
Chapter 19 Number Three: The Voice of the Holy Spirit
While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Acts 10:19
God leads us by what we call the still small voice. But He also leads us by the voice of the Spirit of God speaking to us. This is the third way we are led by the Spirit. Number one is by the inward witness. Number two is by the inward still small voice. Number three is by the more authoritative voice of the Holy Spirit. There is a difference between the inward voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to our spirits, and that still small voice which is the voice of our own spirit speaking to us. When the Holy Spirit within you speaks, it is more authoritative. Sometimes it is so real it almost seems to be an audible voice; you may even look around to see who said it. It may seem so audible sometimes that you may think someone behind you said something. But then you realize it was in you. Remember in the Old Testament how the young boy Samuel heard a voice call his name, "Samuel, Samuel?" He thought Eli was calling him. He jumped up and ran to Eli to find out what he wanted. Eli said, "No, I didn't call you." Samuel went back to bed. Then again he heard, Samuel, Samuel." Again he ran to Eli. "No, I didn't call you." It happened the third time. Finally, it dawned on Eli what was happening. Eli said, "The next time the Lord calls you, answer Him." So the next time it happened, Samuel answered that voice, and the Lord spoke further to him.(1Sam. Chapter3). All of God's leadings are supernatural; some, however, are not so spectacular. But I have found in more than fifty years of ministry that when God moved in a more spectacular way-when He has spoken to me in what seemed to me to be an audible voice- it meant there was rough sailing ahead. If He had not spoken so spectacularly I would not have stayed steady. Concerning the last church I pastored, for example, I heard pastorate was open and I made arrangements to preach there one Wednesday night. During the period of time before I was to go there to preach. I held a three week revival in Houston. During this revival, the pastor, his brother(who was also a preacher), and I met at the church every day to pray about that night services. The church with the open pastorate was their home church. Every day the pastor and his brother would ask me, "Have you prayed about the church yet?" Finally, I did pray about it. I just said to the Lord, "I'm going up to that church next Monday and I'm going to preach Wednesday. I don't know whether You want me to pastor there or not. I don't know if I even want to pastor it. But whatever You say about it is fine with me." That is all I said. Then I heard a voice speak so plainly, I jumped. I looked behind me. I really thought that one of the preachers had heard my pray and was joking with me, because I heard this voice, and to me it was audible. The voice said, "You are the next pastor at that church., and that will be the last church you will ever pastor." (You could interpret that a thousand different ways! You could let the devil tell you that you were going to die, or that you were going to be defeated. But it actually meant that my ministry would change to a field ministry.) About then those two preachers walked down the aisle. As usual, they asked, "Have you prayed about that church yet?" I said "You two fellows are looking at the next pastor." "Ooh, if you knew that church like we know it, you wouldn't say that. It's split right down the middle. Anything half the church is for, the other half is against. It takes two-thirds of the vote to get elected as pastor, and we'll just be honest with you, you won't be able to get elected." :I don't know about that. I just know I'm the next pastor." "Well, you don't know that church like we do." I said, "No, but I know Jesus. And I know the Spirit of God. I know what he said to me." After I preached the first time, I saw why god moved in such a spectacular way. Every word I spoke bounced right back to me like a rubber ball bouncing off the back wall. It was tough. I thought I was only going to preach one night, but they had made arrangements for me to preach several nights. Each night my wife and children and I had to move to a different place to stay. We were at one deacon's house one night, and another deacon's house the next night.
One deacon told us, "If you stayed with me all the time, some of the rest of the congregation would probably get jealous and think I'm for you and they would vote against you." We kept all our things in the car, and every night we would get out just enough for the next day. And every night when we got off to bed, I would say to my wife, "If God hadn't spoken so spectacularly to me, I would just get up, get the children, get into the car, and leave without saying a word to anyone." My flesh wanted to leave so badly. My mind wanted to leave. My spirit held me steady because God had spoken to me in such a spectacular way. They had the election. I got every vote. Everyone said, "I't's the greatest miracle of the century- that anyone could get that kind of vote from this church." I knew all the time I would get it. The Spirit of God had told me I would.
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7/7/2011
This week and next week I will share again, from Kenneth Hagins book; How You Can be Led by the Spirit of God.Chapters 18 & 19. Then I will move to something else.
Chapter 18 Help From Within
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. John 16:13
Let's notice some things Jesus said about the Holy Spirit in John 16:13 "... he will guide you into all he shall hear, that shall he speak..."
He will lead you. He will guide you. "...Foe he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak...." The Holy Spirit does speak. Whatever He hears God say, whatever He hears Jesus say, He will speak to your spirit. Where is He to speak? He is in your spirit, and that is where He speaks. He dosen't speak out in the air somewhere. He speaks on the inside. The Holy Spirit passes God's message on to your spirit, either by an inward witness, by the still small voice- voice of your conscience, or by the inward voice which is the more authoritative voice of the Holy Spirit. "...he will shew you things to come..." I do not believe this just means that the Holy Spirit will show us about the future events as recorded in the Word of God. It also means that the Holy Spirit will show us about future events as recorded in the Word of God. It also means that the Holy Spirit will show you things to come . In my own individual life, for instance, there has never been a death in our close family that I did not know about in advance. I knew two years ahead of time that my father-in-law was going to die, so I began to prepare my wife for his death. She was his only daughter, the baby of the family, and very close to her father. I knew she would take it hard. So I began to say to her, "Honey, you know Mr. Rooker is getting older. Then over the next two years I dropped a word here and there, just getting her ready. I was away in a meeting when the telephone call came. After the service one night, I was sitting in the hotel. The phone rang. Something in me said, "That's for you. This is what you have been talking about for two years now." Within twenty-eight days he was in Heaven. You are not unprepared when you know things ahead of time.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you. The Holy Spirit shall teach you. He shall bring all things to your remembrance. People often ask me how I remember things. At one time I could quote three-fourths of the New Testament. "How do you memorize scripture?" I always answer, "I never memorized scripture in my life. I know nothing about memorization. I suppose you could develop your mind if you worked at it. But I just get to talking and it rises up in me. The Holy Spirit brings it to my remembrance. He is inside of me." The Holy Spirit will show you things to come and bring things to your remembrance if you will learn to cooperate with Him.
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6/29/2011
This week as I said , I will be sharing again from my Kenneth Hagin book; How You can be Led by the Spirit of God.I will share again next week to from this book,then move onto something else,if thats what the Lord would have me to do. I encourage you to put what you glean from these chapters into practice in your life.You will grow spiritually. There is nothing in this life that will fulfill you or bring you to the best place in your life, than knowing Our Heavenly Father. For Him to be the very center of your life.My life without Him is no life at all, but my life with Him is so fulfilling, so good, so sweet. He only has the best for us, has the best for us.
Chapter 17 Feelings: The Voice of the Body
The Spirit itself (Himself) beareth witness with our spirit.....Romans 8:16
Too often people think that the witness this verse is talking about is a physical something. It is not. It is a spiritual something. It is the Spirit of God bearing witness with our spirits. He does not bear witness with our bodies. You cannot go by physical feeling. We confuse things by the way we talk. We say, "I feel God's Presence." No, we don't. We sense His Presence spiritually. Use the word feeling advisedly; it leaves the wrong impression that it is a physical feeling. Don't mix the physical with it. Feeling is the voice of the body. Reason is the voice of the soul, or the mind. Conscience is the voice of the spirit. To go by feeling is to get into trouble.That is the reason so many Christians are up and down (I call them yo-yo Christians), and in and out. They go by their feelings. They don't walk by faith. They don't walk by their spirits. When they feel good, they say, "Glory to God, I'm saved. Hallelujah, I'm filled with the Spirit. Everything is fine." When they feel bad, their faces are long and they say, "I've lost it all. I don't feel like I did, so I must be backslidden." I hear people, bless their hearts, talking about being in the valley, then being on the mountaintop, then getting back down in the valley again. I have never been in the valley. I been saved more than fifty years and I have never been anywhere but on the mountaintop. You do not have to get down in the valley. People talk about "valley experiences." I have never had any valley experiences.Oh, yes, there have been tests and trials, but I was on the mountaintop all the time, shouting my way through- living above the tests and the trials! A woman we had pastored in years gone by came to meeting where we were and told us about her 39-year-old daughter. they were about to operate on her when they discovered she had a tumor. Then they also found through hospital tests that she was a diabetic. They were trying to get the diabetic condition under control when she went into a coma. Three doctors said she would never regain consciosness; she would die. This mother said, "Will you lay your hands on this handkerchief? I did, and we prayed. Then that mother got on a bus and rode 300 miles back to the hospital where her daughter lay unconscios. She reached under the oxygen tent and laid the handkerchief on her daughter's chest. The minute it touched her, she revived. She was healed, born again, filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues, all in one application. The nurses got excited and called the doctor. The doctor said, "This is wonderful that she regained consciosness. But she must remain quiet." He gave her a shot to quieten her down- but it never did take effect. She just kept on speaking in tongues and shouting, "I'm healed. I'm healed. I'm healed." The next day they began to run tests. Her blood was perfect. She no longer had diabetes. The nthey couldn't find the tumor. It had dissappeared. After several days they dismissed her. This woman told my wife and me sometime later that the doctor said, "We won't charge you anything. We didn't do anything. A Higher Power than us did it." Now, thhree years later, when she was 42 years old, her sister brought her to our door at 2 o'clock one morning. She had another tumor. I thought she had come to be healed. So I said, "You can be healed again. We will just lay hands on you." She said, with tears, "Brother Hgin, I don't really care whether I get healed or not. Really, if I could just get back to where I was with God I would just as soo die and go on to Heaven." Whe nshe said this, I assumed she must have backslidden. She looked so sad, I just knew she must have committed some terrible sin. So I said, "The Lord will forgive you..." And I went through what the Bible says about that. Then I said, "We'll all just kneel down here by the couch. (My wife and the woman's sister were there too.) I will kneel beside you. Now you don't have to confess to me, but tell the Lord about it and He will forgive you." She looked up at me and said, Brother Hagin, I"ve searched my heart, and as far as I know, I haven't done anything wrong." I got aggravated. I'd gotten to bed late-I was driving a distance and holding meetings every night. And just right in the middle of a good sound sleep, early in the moring, came this knocking at the door that woke us. I guess I did speak sharply to her; I know I did. I said, "Get up from the floor.Sit down ther on that couch." I was disgusted. "If you haven't done anything wrong, what in the world makes you think you have to get back to God?" Well," she said, "I don't feel like I used to." I said, "What has that got to do with it? If I were by feeling, half the time when I get up to preach I would announce that I must be backslidden." She looked at me. "Do mean preachers are that way too?" I said, "Yes, we're just as human as anyone else. In fact, if I were going by feelings right now, I would be having you pray for me. I don't feel a thing. I haven't felt a thing since you got here." She said, "What do you do then? How do you pray through?" I said, "I don't pray through. I'm already through. A Christian ought to walk through.- he ought to be through- living in fellowship with God, everyday, every minute, every hour." She said, "What do you do then?" "Well," I said, "just sit ther eand watch me. I'm going to close my eyes and pray, but you keep your eyes open." Then I prayed, "Dear Lord, I'm so glad that I'm a child of god. I'm so glad I'm saved. I'm so glad I have been born again. I don't feel anything- but that has nothing to do with it. My inward man is a new man. My inward man is a new creature in Christ. I want to thank You that not only am I born again- but I am filled with the Holy Spirit. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. reside in me. I want to thank You for that. Hallelujah!" I didn't feel anything, but I said it anyhow. Then, when I confessed that, in my spirit(He was in ther all the time) something began to bubble up inside of me. It was a move and manifestation of the Spirit of God. I still did not feel anything, but in my spirit I could sense that bubbling. It got up in my throat. I began to laugh- ther is laugh in the Spirit.I began to speak in tongues. This lady said, "The expression on your face changed. Your face just lit up." I said, "That was in there all the time. Paul told Timothy to stir up the gift that was in him. I just stirred up what I had in me all the time." She said, "Can I do that?" I said, "Yes, you can." She did- she stirred up what was in her all the time. I do not remember even praying about the tumor. The last account I had of her, it had disappeared. Base your faith on the word- not on your feelings. Romans 8:16 does not say that the Spirit beareth witness with our bodies, or with our feelings. Smith Wigglesworth, the great English apostle of faith, said, "I am not moved by what I feel. I am not moved by what I see. I am moved only by what I believe. I cannot understand God by feelings. I understand God by what the Word says about Him. I understand the Lord Jesus Christ by what the Word says about Him. He is everything the Word says He is." You cannot understand yourself by feelings Understand yourself as a born-again, Spirit-filled Christian by what the Word of God says about you- then, whether you feel like it or not, "Yes, that's me. I have that. The Word says I have that. I can do what the Word says I can do. I am what the Word says I am." You will begin to develop spiritually then. And it is with you spirit that the Holy Spirit bears witness.
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6/21/2011
This week and next I will be sharing from a Kenneth Hagin book; How You can be Led by the Spirit of God. This is one of my favorite Kenneth Hagin books.I have grown so much from reading Kenneth Hagin books.
Chapter 16 Tenderhearted
For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart,and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 1 John 3:20-21
Does the Holy Spirit condemn you if do wrong as a christian? No. It is your spirit that condemns you. You need to learn that. It's a hard lesson to learn, however, because we have been taught incorrectly. The Holy Spirit will not condemn you. Why? Because God won't. Study what the Holy Spirit through Paul wrote in the Epistle to the Romans. He asked: Who is it that condemns? Does God condenm? No, it is God that justifies. Jesus said that the only sin the Holy Spirit will convict the world of is the sin of rejecting Jesus(John 16:7-9). It is your own conscience-the voice of your own spirit- that knows when you have done wrong. I have found that even when I do wrong, though my spirit condemns me, the Holy Spirit is there to comfort me, to help me, to show me the way back. You will never read in the Bible where the Holy Spirit is a condemner. Jesus called Him the Comforter. The seven-fold meaning of that word from the Greek is brought out in The Amplified Bible: John 14:16 And i will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener and Standby) that He may remain with you forever. The Holy Spirit is all those! He will stand by youwhen no one else will. He will help you. He is a Helper! It is your spirit that knows the moment you have done wrong. I am glad I learned that early. It has paid off richly for me in life. I was barely saved and healed and back in high school when the followong incedent occurred: I really don't know it slipped out-no one in our family used profanity. But we had as neighbor, bless his heart, who could-as we say in Texas-"cuss up a storm."You could hear him all over our end of town. I suppose I picked it up from him. Anyway, I simply said to one of the boys, "Hell, no...(something or other)."The minute I said that I knew on the inside it was wrong. What was it that condemned me? the Holy Spirit? No. It was my spirit. My spirit, this new creature, this new man doesn't talk that way. Now the flesh, the outward man, may want to go on doing some things that he did before, and talking in a ways he talked before, but you have to crucify the flesh. A good way to crucify the flesh- the outward man- is to bring mistakes right out in the open.I did that right then. I didn't wait until I was moved. In my heart I said, "Dear God, forgive me for saying that." The young man I said it to had walked away. I located him and asked him to forgive me. He hadn't niticed what I'd said; he was used to people talking that way. But I had to get it right. It was the voice of my spirit. It was my conscience. My conscience was tender, and I din't want ot violate it. Unless you keep a tender conscience, spiritual things will be indistinct to you. That's because your conscience is the voice of your spirit and it is your conscience- the voice of your spirit-that will relate to your mind what the Spirit of God is saying to you down in your heart. The Bible speaks about Christians even having their conscience seared: 1 Timothy 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron. The first church I pastored was a community church out in the country. I usually went out Saturday night, spent Saturday and Sunday nights, and came back into town on Monday. I stayed quite often in the home of a dear Methodist man. This fine spiritual man, a great man really, was 89 years old. He didn't get up as early as the others did on the farm. They would be out doing chores or be out working in the field when this older gentleman and I had breakfast togehter about 8o'clock. I didn't drink coffee, but this old gentleman did. Now you could scarcely believe it unless you saw it, but he had one of those old-fashioned coffee pots- this was the mid-30's - sitting on an old-fashioned wood stove with coffee boiling in it. I have seen him take that boiling coffee, pour it into a big thick mug-and when it was still so hot it simmered in that mug- turn it up to his mouth, and drink the whole cup. The first time I saw him do it, I hollered. I felt my mouth and throat were burning. How could he do that? I couldn't. The tissues of my lips, the inside of my mouth, my throat and esophagus are so tender, just one teasponnful would have burned all the way down. But he drank a whole mug without taking it away from his mouth. He couldn't do that to begin with though. Through years of drinking coffee that hot, his lips and mouth, and throat and esophagus becamed seared. Eventually, he could drink it that hot, and it didn't bother him. Spiritually, the same thing can happen. Learn to keep a tender conscience. Learn the minute you miss it and your conscience condemns you, to correct it right then Don't wait until you go to church. Immediately say, "Lord, forgive me. I missed it." If you have to, if someone else saw or heard you, tell that person right away, "I did wrong. Please forgive me. I shouldn't have said that." You will have to keep your spirit tender if you are going to be led by the Spirit.
Next week i will sahre from this same book.
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6/7/2011
So as I said, I was going to share my lists for coming out of trouble, so this one is from Kenneth Copeland.
Coming out of Trouble
It is important to understand that God knows how to bring you out of trouble. There is nothing God doesn't know how to handle.Psalms 34 outlines eight steps to follow to come out of trouble.
1. The first thing to do is pray. Verse four begins, "I sought the Lord." Your part is to pray and invite Him into your life.
2. You must trust God. "Blessed is the man who trusts in Him" (Psalms34:8) Put the whole balance of your life, your security, in the Lord. Rely on the character, strength and ability of God to deliver you. Fear and unbelief, which are a lack of trust in God, will hinder or stop you from receiving God's help.
3. Fear the Lord. This does not mean to be afraid of Him, but to honor and respect. Take whatever you find in the Word, knowing it is true, and put it into your life. When God speaks, quickly make changes or adjustments.
4. Seek the Lord with all your heart. Listen to the prompting of the inward witness. The counsel of God will deliver you out of trouble. God will protect you, keeping you safe from injury, harm and destruction. He will preserve you by instructing and teaching you, but you must make the effort to listen and learn. Trusting Him causes His mercy to surround you.
5. Don't criticize and judge others. Brother Copeland says there are two times to pray for a person-when he's right and when he's wrong. It is the Lord's job, not ours, to "bring to light the hidden things in darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts" (1Corinthians 4:5) Your part is to "keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit" (Psalms 34:13)
6. Depart from evil. Psalms 34:14 says, Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." Consider yourself dead to sin and alive unto God. When sin calls your name, don't respond to it. When God calls your name, be quick to respond.
7. Determine to do good (verse 14). You are to be like Jesus.Jesus of Nazareth went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:38) Be busy doing good, praying and ministering to others.
8. Seek peace. Don't be the one who brings discord, quarreling, fighting and strife. Instead, be the one who brings peace, calmness and harmony (verse 14)
Receiving God's power and deliverance is not automatic. Your deliverance is controlled by how you see God, how you treat God, how you listen to Him and how you obey Him. You must come to a new place of faith and trust in God. You will never be able to fathom with you mind the councel of the Lord. When you seek God, trust Him, hear His counsel and do what He tells you. He will bring you out of trouble.
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6/1/2011
Today I'm going to share from Jerry Savelle's Devotional, Faith Building. Day 13 In time of Trouble. My best girlfriend Donna has shared her teaching with me many times about coming out of Trouble she has a list to come out of Trouble and next week I will bring that list so I can share it with you. It is really good and I have used it many times! I also Have something from Kenneth Copeland about coming out of Trouble that I will share next week too! Jesus said. There will be Trouble in the World, but be of good cheer I have overcome the World.
John 16:33.
In Time of Trouble.....Recently, as I was reading Psalms27, the Lord said to me, "I'm going to give you a checklist for what to do in time of trouble. It worked for David, and it will work for you." The Psalmist, David, had faced trouble many times in his life but always found God to be more than enough to see him through and to cause him to become the victor in every case. This checklist has been such a blessing to me that I sensed in my heart it would be beneficial to you. It comes right out of the Word of God, and I, for one, know that it will produce results. Follow it closely, study and meditate the Scriptures references and then use it at the very first sign of trouble.
1. Realize that God is your light.
The Lord is my light.... Psalms 27:1 God is our wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. James 1:5 says, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God, that giveth to all mean liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. Don't lean to carnel reasoning!
2. Realize that God is your salvation. The Lord is my light and my salvation... Psalms 27:1 The word salvation implies: safety, health, prosperity, deliverance, and soundness. Salvation comes on the wings of confession. Romans 10:10 says, For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
3.Realize that God is your strength.
The Lord is my light and my salvation...the Lord is the strength of my life...Psalms 27:1 Philippians 4:13 says, I can do all things through Christ which stengtheneth me.
4. Keep your heart free from fear.
...whom shall I fear... of whom shall I be afraid? Psalms 27:1 Fear activates Satan, just as faith activates God. II Timothy 1:7 says, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
5. Don't cast away you confidence.
...though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. Psalms 27:3 Hebrews 10:35-36 says, Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. Don't give up, the victory is coming!
6. Resist the temptation to become oppressed.
Though an host encamps against me, my heart shall not fear... And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me..Psalms 27:6 Isaiah 54:14 says, In righteouness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; and thou shalt not fear; and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.
7. Offer sacrifices of joy. ..therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy... Psalms 27:6 If Satan can rob you of your joy, he can rob you of your strength also. Nehemiah 8:10 says, .. for the JOY of the Lord is you STRENGTH.
8. Seek God's face - stay in His Presence.
When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, The face, Lord, will I seek. Psalms 27:8 Psalms 16:11 says, thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.
9. Faint not, but believe to see His goodness.
I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Psalms 27:13
10. WAIT ON THE LORD AND BE OF GOOD COURAGE.
Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and HE shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalms 27:14 Wait means to minister unto. The Bible tells us in Isaiah 40:31, But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles: they shall run, and not be weary: and they shall walk, and not faint. The Bible encourages believers to keep looking up, maintain joy, don't be distracted ofr discouraged. God is on our side, and He will see us through to VICTORY!
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5/25/2011
This week I’m sharing again from the Kenneth Hagin book; this week I’m doing Chapter 1. I will do something different next week.
Chapter 1 “You can have what you say!”
You can have what you say. The woman who touched Jesus’ garment received exactly what she said. The Bible says, “for she said, If I may touch but the His clothes, I shall be whole” (verse28).
What she said was her faith speaking. I know it was, for Jesus said, “Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole” (verse34). What you say is your faith speaking. You can have what you say.
Mark 11:23-24
23For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when you pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
We are using the last clause of Mark 11:23 as our text: “He shall have whatsoever he saith.” Another wonderful proof text is found in the Old Testament. Numbers 13 tells us that after the children of Israel reached Kadesh-Barnea, they sent 12 spies into Canaan. Ten of the spies brought back an evil report from the Promised Land, and two brought back a good report. What is an evil report? It is a report of doubt. What is a good report? It is a report of faith. Ten of them said, “It’s true, all right, that the land is flowing with milk and honey.” They even displayed the giant cluster of grapes, pomegranates, and other fruit they had brought back from Canaan. “But,” they warned, “There are giants in the land. And in our eyes we are as grasshoppers in their sight.” When you analyze their report, they were saying, “We can’t do it. We can’t take the land.” And all of Israel accepted this report. (Some people believe the majority report is always right, but if follow the majority of Christians—even Full Gospel Christians- you will walk in unbelief.) By accepting the majority report, the children of Israel were saying, “We can’t take the land.” You can have what you say. The children of Israel got exactly what they said. They believed they couldn’t take it, so they said they couldn’t take it. And they didn’t. After all, even when you doubt, you believe something; you just believe the wrong thing. That is the only difference. You always get and have in your life what you believe for and say. If you do not believe what you are saying, you should not say it, because if you say something long enough, those words eventually will register on your spirit and will control your life. Each one of those ten spies got exactly what he said. Not one of them entered the Promised Land. They all wandered in the wilderness until they died. What they said came to pass. It was different for Joshua and Caleb. Caleb said, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it” (Num.13:30). Joshua said, “”Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not” (Num14:9) Joshua and Caleb did not deny that there were giants in the land. “yes,” they admitted, “in our eyes we are as grasshoppers in their sight.” But when you analyze what they said, they confessed, “Our God is well able to deliver them into our hands. We’re well able to overcome the giants and possess the land.” People often come to me asking, “Will you tell me why I can’t get healed?” I always smile and say, “Yes.” Their eyes get big and they say, “Well, if you can, I wish you would.” I say, “You just through telling me you can’t.” You can have what you say. Their words give them away. You can locate people by what they say. Their confession locates them. When I pray for people, I try to get a confession from them before I pray for them. I ask them, “Will you be healed now as I lay my hands on your head and pray?” “Well, Brother Hagin, I-I-I sure hope I will.” And I always have to say, “Well, you won’t. You won’t.” You see, I’ve located them. I know where they are now. They’re not in faith. They’re in hope. “Will you be filled with the Holy Spirit now as I lay my hands upon your head and pray?” I ask them. “Well, I sure hope I will, Brother Hagin.” And I always have to say, “Well, you won’t be.” I’ve located them. Those who have a quick confession of faith receive almost instantly. Some people, however, think that because I preach this way, they can just say it out their heads without believing it in their hearts. I have noticed that these people do not look me in the eye when they say it, and I detect a note of hesitancy in their voice. That little hesitancy will defeat them. It’s the little foxes, the Bible says, that will spoil the vine (S. of Sol. 2:15) It’s not some great big something that’s keeping most of God’s children from being healed or filled with the Spirit. It wasn’t the giants in Canaan who kept Israel from entering in. If it had been the giants, they would have defeated Joshua and Caleb, just as they did the rest of the spies. No, the 10 spies defeated themselves. It was their wrong thinking, wrong believing, and wrong talking that defeated them. It is not the giants in life who defeat people. It is not the storms of life that defeat you. It is not the devil who defeats you. If you are defeated, you have defeated yourself by your wrong thinking, wrong believing, and wrong talking. Joshua and Caleb said, “Our God is well able to overcome them.” You can have what you say. The woman with issue of blood got exactly what she said. Those Israelites who accepted the majority report got exactly what they said: They wandered in the wilderness until every one of them died. Joshua and Caleb were the only members of that generation who entered the Promised Land. Joshua became leader, and when they got into Canaan, Caleb came to Joshua and said, “Give me this mountain!” (Josh.14:12) (Oh, I like this fellow Caleb. I like a man of faith. Caleb has a special place in my heart.) I think Joshua looked back 40 years and realized that he and Caleb had won a victory in believing and talking right. He wanted to locate Caleb, so he asked him ( to get a confession out of him), “Are you able to take the mountain? There are giants in the mountain. The Anakims are in that mountain.” And Caleb said, in effect, “I am well able. I am 85 years old, but my natural strength is not abated. My eyesight is not even dim. I am well able to take the mountain.” And bless God, he did!
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5/17/2011
I'm continuing in the mini book by Kenneth Hagin "You can have what you say!"
Chapter 4 You Can't Outdo God
In 1954, my family and I moved to Port Arthur, Texas, on the advice of our pastor, Brother Leonard Wood. He had moved from pastoring the First Assembly of God Church in Garland to the First Assembly of Port Arthur. He and his wife sort of looked after my family while I was away preaching-and I was gone 85 percent of the time or more. He said, "My wife and your wife are like sisters, and we help her. Why don't
you move down here?" "I've been thinking about it," I said. Later we went out to eat with one of the church members and started talking about it again. The church member mentioned a friend who wanted to sell his house. Well, again, I couldn't have bought an old setting hen in the natural. So I said, "Well, I'd rather rent it than buy it." The church member suggested we look at the house. He introduced me to the owner, and "Brother C., Brother Hagin is thinking about moving here from Garland, and he is interested in your house." "I just phoned in an ad to rent it fully furnished," Brother C. explained. "Well," I said, "I've got my own furniture." Brother C. said, "I would rather sell the house. I'll tell you what I'll do, Brother Hagin.Some members of the church have offered me so much for the house, but I'll sell it to you for $750 less than what they offered. And I'll sell it to you for a $1,000 down. I'll carry the note myself at so much a month. That garage apartment is rented to Full Gospel people, and the rent on it will almost make the payment for you." I started to say, "Well, I don't have $1,000. I can't borrow $1,000." But I happened to remember this Scripture. I remembered you can have what you say.I said, "All right. I'm saying it: Brother C., I will have $1,000 for you in 10 days." "Fine," he said, "Do you want to consider it sold?" "Certainly," I said. I had really put myself on the spot. But do you know what happened? The next day, the telephone rang in the parsonage, and Brother Wood said it was for me. I went to the phone and a woman said, "Is this Bother Hagin?" "Yes," I said "This is Sister E.," she said. "Do you remember me?" "Yes." "Well," she said, "I was praying last night, and God told me to give you $500 and to loan you $500." I said, "I don't doubt it, sister. Bring it on over." She came by the parsonage and handed me an envelope. It had ten $100 bills in it. Hallelujah to Jesus, you can't outdo God. If you will just believe and act on His Word, you can have what you say. Let me give you this illustration in closing. My wife and I took our little niece Ruth into our home when she was 15. My sister's home was broken, and my sister had to go to work. Left alone, my niece got into wrong company, so we took her in. She was saved and filled with the Holy Spirit after she had been with us about a month. She began to teach Sunday School, because she had a burden to work with children. After she was graduated from high school, she went to work. Then my sister, who had remarried, moved to our town, and Ruth moved back home to live. Ruth got out of church for a while. She met a young man where she worked, and married him. She told him, "I'm not in fellowship with God exactly, but I believe in speaking in tongues." He was a Baptist, but he pretended it was all right. Just as soon as they were married, however, he said, "I'm the head of this house, and you're not going around any of those tongue-talkers. That's the end of it." He treated us very cooly. Ruth and Benny were living in Houston, and we were living in Port Arthur. One morning about 5 o'clock, the telephone rang. It was long distance. The woman on the other end was almost in hysterics. I couldn't understand who it was. Finally I said, "Who is it? Who is it?" It was my sister. I said, "Either be quiet or talk so that I can understand you."
"Well," she said, "Ruth's baby was born, and they wouldn't let Benny or anybody see him. In fact, the doctor said the baby was born dead. Then the doctor returned and said, 'The baby isn't dead as we thought, but he will die. He can't live. And it would be best that none of the family ever sees him, because his head and face are all deformed." She said, "Benny wanted me to telephone you and ask you to pray."
I said, "Now, Oleta, 'whosoever shall say and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.' " The minute you hang up this phone, you turn and say, 'Benny, Uncle Ken said the baby will live and not die, and he will be all right.' " "Oh, Ken, do you think so?" she said. I said, "No, I don't think so. I know so." She said, "He wanted me to phone and have you pray. Are you going to pray?" "No," I said, I'm not going to pray. There's no use to pray. I've already said it. Jesus said, 'You will have whatsoever you say.' " "Well," she said, "Ruth wants Oretha to come." I said, "I've got a day service, and I can't take her, but I'll get somebody else to take her." Orehta and a friend arrived in Houston about 10 o'clock that morning. Benny ran down the steps of the hospital, threw his arms around my wife, hugged her, and said, "I'm a Pentecostal Baptist! I'm a Pentecostal Baptist! I'm a Pentecostal Baptist!' He said, "Uncle Ken hadn't hung up that phone 10 minutes until the nurses came rushing out saying, 'You can see the baby now! He's all right. While we were standing looking at him, his head filled out as if it were a balloon being blown up. And he's all right. He's going to live." You should see that boy today. He's a big fellow. And you should see Benny today. Praise God He is a Pentecostal Baptist, filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking with other tongues. Praise God, you can have what you say.
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5/12/2011
I will continue this week from the mini book of Kenneth Hagins "You can have what you say!"
Chapter 3 A Boy Preacher's Vision
So I began my minisrty. I finished school and became a Baptist boy preacher, pastoring a community church eight miles out in the country from that courthouse square.The first year I preached, I wore out four pairs of shoes walking to church-and I didn't get enough money to buy one pair. I didn't have a car. If somebody picked me up, well and good, but most of the time I would walk, and many times I walked at least five miles of the distance to the church. I want to tell you, I had a hilarious time preaching the Gospel. I knew, you see, that you can have what you say. It had brought me out of the bed os sickness. It had healed me of heart trouble and paralysis, and it had given me health. So I knew Jesus saved. I knew Jesus healed. I knew Jesus was coming again. I didn't know then about His baptizing in the Holy Spirit. I would walk down that dusty raod, saying, "I'll preach that Jesus saves, and Jesus heals, and that Jesus is coming again. And I'll preach it from the Red River to the Gulf of Mexico. I'll preach it from the Louisiana border to the New Mexico state line."(I thought if I coverd Texas that would be doing pretty good!) I said I would do it, because I knew I could have what I said. Then I began associating with Full Gospel people, because they believed in divine healing like I did. They also preached something else: being filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking with other tongues. Like one man said, "I't sort of like a slippery creek bank. You keep fooloing around, and you'll slip in." I kept fooling around, and I slipped in. I continued to preach the same thing I had been preaching-except. I added a little bit to it. That's one thing that the baptism in the Holy Spirit will do for you: It will enlarge your vision! Walking down that road to church, I began saying, "I'll preach the Gospel. I'll preach that Jesus saves. I'll preach that Jsesu heals. I'll preach that He fills with the Holy Spirit. I'll preach that He's coming again." Only now I added, "I'll preach it from the Atlantic to the Pacific. "I'll preach it from Los Angeles to New York. I'll preach it from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border." Praise God, the Holy Spirit will give you bigger vision than Texas! And bless God, I've done it. I've traveled hundreds of thousands of mu=iles in the United States and Canada and even overseastelling the story that you can have what you say.
When my wife, Oretha, and I married in November of 1938, she was Methodist and knew nothing about divine healing. In December the first real norther' blewin, and she took a bad throat. She said, "I've got to have my throat swabbed. I'll have a bad throat all winter. I do every year." This was a good opportunity to teach her. Remembering Mark11:23 I turned to her and said, "No, we'll not have your throat swabbed. That chronic sore throat will leave you and will never come back." It left. And these years have come and gone and it's never come back. You can have what you say. When I went on the evangelistic field in 1949, we rented an apartment. My father-in-law died in 1950, and I promised him on his death bed, "Don't you worry about Mrs.Rooker (my mother-in-law).She'll have a home with us. We'll take care of her."
She came to live with in that apartment, but when I came home, I didn't have any place to sleep. So I said to my wife, "There's no need for us to live in this little apartment. Let's get a house." At first we rented a three-bedroom frame house. Then I said, "we could buy this house, and the payment would be much cheaper than rent." We agreed, and asked my wife to see if the owner would sell it. The owner replied, "No, we won't sell it.We built it for our own home, and we plan to move back ther someday." I wrote my wife, "Well, they want to sell it; they just don't know what they're talking about, because Jesus said,'You can have what you say.' And that house is mine." The next time I was home, I went outside, walked around the yard, and prayed, "You said every place the sole of your foot shall tread upon shall be yours (Josh.1:3).
My feet have trod upon it. It's mine." After a short interval, I said, "Ask her again." The owner replied again,"No,no. We don't want to sell it."
I wrote my wife, "Yes, they want to sell it. They just don't know it. That place is mine." In the process of time, the owner said to my wife, "We have decided to sell the house." When my wife told me, I said, "It's no news to me.Ive known it for months." We made an appointment to see the owners, but learned that somebody else wanted to give them $500 more for the house, and it was worth it. Sitting in their house, I told the owners, "I certainly would hate for you folks to miss God." The woman said to her husband, "Tell them what you told me last three nights." He said, "You tell them." She said, "Well, we pray before we go to bed, and each night as we got into bed, my husbabd has said,'You know, something on the ibnside of me tells me that house belongs to that preacher. It's his house.' " I said, "Sure it does. It's my house." Praise God, you can have what you say. I'm still saying it. We got the house. I had been paying $80 a month rent, but my payment after refinacing was only about $56, and the house now belonged to me. You can have what you say. I remember, too, that the first year I was on the evangelistic field, the devil tried to shut off my finances. After the first year was over, I would have been $1,200 better off in cash if I had stayed with the church I had pastored. In addition, the church furnished us with a parsonage and paid all our utility bills. Now I had to furnish my family with a place to live as well as pay for my traveling expences. By the end of that year, I had to sell my old car to try to get enough money to pay the interest on three loans I had. I said, "Lord, something's wrong somewhere. I'm in Your will. I'm doing what You told me to do. If there was any doubt all all about it, I would go back to pastoring." And I said, You said in Your Word, 'if you be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land'(Isa.1:19). I know that if you want us to eat the good, you want us to drive good-the best. Here I've had to sell my automobile." And the Lord said, "The text said, If youare willing and obedient.'You are obedient, but you have not been willing."
I got willing in a hurry. I said to Him,"Now I'm willing and You know I'm willing. I've made an adjustment." He said, "Yes, you are willing, but another trouble with you is that you don't practice what you preach." I considered that a low blow. I said, "Why, Lord, what do You mean I don't practice what I preach?" "Oh," he said, "you preach faith, but you don't practice faith." I said, "What do You mean?" He said, "When it comes to healing you do. You have always been healed, and your children have always received healing. Even when something is wrong with your body or you have symptoms, you will get right up and declare that you are healed. And it has never failed. But the principles of faith are the same in the realm of finances as they are in the realm of healing." I said, "Thank You.Bless God, I'm going to buy a car. Agood one. I said to my wife, "I'm going to buy a car." I told her what the Lord said. She said,"It looks like the silliest thing in the world for us to go buy an automobile and take on an $80-a-month payment when we haven't been meeting our budget. We haven't even been making the payments we've got to make." When you act presumptuously, you will fall flat on your face and the devil will defeat you and defeat you badly. But when you act because you have a foundation of God's Word under you, you will defeat the devil in every combat. The easiest thing we ever did in our life was to pay for that car. It wasn't a brand new one. We bought it from a pastor. It was a 1949 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 with only a few miles on it. After it was nearly worn out, I began confessing "I'm going to buy a new car." I told every pastor where I preached, "I October, when we get to Forth Worth, the new cars will be out, and I'm going to buy a new car while I'm here." And God is my witness that I couldn't have bought an setting hen, looking at it from the natural standpoint. My Oldsmobile had 93,000 miles on it by that time, It had done a wonderful job for me, so I said, "I'm going to buy an Oldsmobile. Only this time I'm going an Oldsmobile 98. I want the best one. I want power brakes, power steering, air-conditioning-everthing on it." The pastor said, "Well, I know a car dealer who has one, and he always gives preachers a good deal. We'll go see him." The next day or so, we drove down that way. As we rode along, I told the pastor all the features I I wanted on the car. As we drove up, he said, "There it sits, right there." I said, "Bless God, that's even the color I had in mind." I looked it over, and I said, "Yes, this is the one I want. This is it." We went into the office, and the pastor introduced me to the car dealer, who was a sinner man. This pastor had known the man for years. The car dealer was sitting there with his feet propped up on hid desk. He had a big, black cigar in his mouth. The pastor said, "Mr. So-and So, this is Brother Hagin. He's holding a meeting for us. He's interested in that new Oldsmobile sitting out there." The fellow looked out the window, swung his feet down off the desk, and said, "Yeah, you can have it if you want it, any way you want it." He said, "I carry my own notes. I'll carry your note three full years and put a big balloon note on the end of the three years if you want me to. I believe every preacher ought to have a new car, and I'm doing my best to see that they get one."
Well, I told that car dealer what I wanted my payments to be. He started writing and said, "Sign here." He never got out of his chair even to look at my old car. And I drove away in the new one. Praise God, I know it works. Somebody might say,"Yes, but you were in the minisrty, and you needed a car. It would work for you." I can tell you lay members that it worked for. This priciple doesn't just work for something big. It will work for something small, too.
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5/5/2011
This week and the week to come I'm going to share from a little mini book by Kenneth Hagin I'm reading called; "You can have what you say!" I think sometimes we need to be reminded of this. I know I do. :) I believe it will encourage you, as it did me. I'm going to start with chapter two instead of one.
Chapter 2 Don't Prepare for Failure
Many things happen because we think they ought to happen. Recently I read about a scientist who says that after you reach a certain age, it becomes more difficult for your brain to remember things. When I got past 40, I found I could not remember Scriptures as well as I once did. After a while, I said to myself, There's no need for this. After all, The brain is simply a physical organ that the mind operates through. The mind is part of my inward being-and the mind never grows old. (The rich man in hell had his mind and memory intact, because Abraham said in Luke 16:25, "Son, remember....") The moment I started believing, thinking, and talking right, I could quote all the Scriptures I ever quoted. I could remember everything just as easily as ever- and my memory actually got better instead of worse! We fail many times because we get ready to fail. We prepare for failure. We think it, believe it, and do it. But we as believers should never talk failure, doubt, unbelief. We should talk faith. If you are defeated, you are defeated with your own lips. I appreciate and thank God for all the good material in print today on this subject, but years ago I got the secret from the text quoted earlier, where Jesus said:
Mark 11:23-24 23For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
In 1933, I was just a boy of 16 lying on a bed of sickness.Four months before I turned 16 I had become totally bedfast. Five doctors, including one who had practiced at the famous Mayo Clinic, were on my case. I lived with my grandparents. Although my grandfather had quite a lot of property, he was not a rich man, for it was during the Great Depression. Nevertheless, if Mayo Clinic could have helped me, he would have been willing to send me there. My doctors advised my family to listen to the doctor who had practiced at Mayo Clinic, for he was considered one of the best in America, and he knew as much as the doctors at Mayo Clinic. He and the other attending physicians said there was no hope for me. In fact, he said i didn't have a chance in a million to live. He added that as far as medical science knew, no one with my heart condition had ever lived past the age of 16. I had never had a normal childhood. I had never run and played like the other children. I had been a semi-invalid all my life. The town I lived in, McKinney, Texas, 32 miles north of Dallas, was the county seat of Collin County. At that time, it had a population of about 8,750. Grandpa owned several houses there, and decided to move out of one into another. He had it painted and redecorated, and on New Year's Day 1934, we moved. The movers moved furniture from other parts of the house first, leaving the furniture in my bedroom until last. Then, as they came to load it, an ambulance was called to move me. Mr. Harris of the Harris Funeral Home, and his driver, Mr. MacDonald, lifted me off the bed onto a stretcher, carried me out, and put me in the ambulance. As we drove off, Mr. Harris turned to me and said, "Son, they tell me you've been bedfast for a year." "No," I said, "not quite a year. About nine months." He said, "Well, if you feel up to it, we could ride very slowly through the residential area of town, since you haven't seen it in such a long time." Although I was partially paralyzed, I could move my head and look out. After being bedfast for nearly a year, staring at four walls and a ceiling, the town looked good to me, even though I was looking at it out of ambulance windows. Mr. Harris then said, "Son, if you'd like, we also could drive across the town square. It's New Year's Day, and most of the businesses are closed, so there will be very little traffic." I said, "I'd appreciate that!" I shall never forget it as long as I live, now and even through eternity. As I looked at that old courthouse, the devil said to me, "Well, you never did think you would ever see that building in the flesh again. And you wouldn't have, if it hadn't been for the kindness of Mr. Harris."
I knew it was the devil. Some people can't tell whether it's the devil or God talking to them, but let me tell you how you can tell the difference. Everything that is of doubt, unbelief, and discouragement is the devil. God never talks doubt, failure, unbelief, or discouragement to anybody. This Baptist boy had been reading his grandparents"Methodist" Bible. I remembered a verse of Scripture. And something on the inside of me spoke up and brought that Scripture to my remembrance: "He shall have whatsoever he saith." Believe it in your heart: say it with your mouth. That principle of faith. You can have what you say. I said it in the ambulance that day as the tears coursed down my face. I didn't understand all I know now. I just had one little gleam of light-like the light that might creep through the crack under a door-but I knew it was there.So I said it. I said, "Yes, I will see these buildings. I will see this courthouse. I will come and stand on this courthouse square, because Jesus said, "What you believe in your heart and say with your mouth will come to pass. 'I believe it in my heart. I say with my mouth." About 2 o'clock in the afternoon that first day of January 1934 was the starting point with me. Once you have committed yourself, you are located. I refused to go back on my confession of faith. January went by. I was still bedfast. February went by. I was still bedfast. March, April, May, June, July, went by-seven months and I was still bedfast. The devil kept telling me, "It's not working!" I told him "I'm not going to believe you, you old doubter." I held fast to my confession. I refused to give it up. I said, "That Scripture is what Jesus said when He was here on the earth." I kept telling Jesus, God, the Holy Spirit, the angels, the devil, and evil spirits, "I'm going to hold fast to it." I told God, "If it doesn't work, it will be because Your Word has failed under me. I'm standing on it. Jesus and I will have to go down together, because I'm not going to turn Him loose." On the second Saturday of August 1934, I walked to that courthouse square. Back there in north central Texas in those Depression days of 1934, everybody, particularly all the country folks, always came to town on Saturday. There were so many people there that I had to elbow my way through the crowd to get to the curb. But I stood on that curb, on the southeast corner where the grocery store was, and tears rolled their way down my face. I lifted my hand, and I didn't care what people thought. That's one thing I've never been bothered with. I said, "Devil, I told you so! And I said, "Devil, I don't know whether you can read or not, but in case you can't..." I pulled my New Testament out of my shirt pocket, opened it to Mark 11:23-24, and read it to him. I said,"I told you it would work all those months you told me it wasn't working, and wouldn't work, wasn't going to work. I told you it was the Word of God. And here it is." I don't know what people thought, seeing a 17-year-old boy standing on that street corner with a New Testament in his hands, tears rolling down his face, talking to somebody. But I did not care. I had begun to hold fast to this Scripture on my bed of sickness, and I've been holding fast to it ever since.
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This week I'm going to share something from my Copeland devotional Pursuit of His Presence, this is my favorite devotional :) You can actually read their daily devotional on their website. kcm.org. This is regarding forgiveness.
No Shades of Gray
"This then is the message which we have heard of Him,and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth." 1John1:5-6
Oftentimes people associate forgiveness only with those major resentments they've been carrying against someone. But true forgiveness is also for all those "little" hurts and offenses that cause you to go out of your way to avoid someone. It's those memories that cause you to treat someone with less warmth and love because they have injured you in some way. I'm talking about any attitude you have that falls short of the full light and love of God Himself. Some people don't want to give up those kinds of things. They'll say, "I love God. Glory! hallelujah! My fellowship with Him is fine. I'm just having a tough time fellowshiping with Sister So-and-So. But after what she did to me, I just can't help it."
According to the Bible, people who say things like that are lying. They're trying to walk in darkness and light at the same time, and 1 John tells us it can't be done. Notice in the above verse, he didn't stutter. He didn't say, "Well, bless you heart.Unforgiveness is a sin, but I know how hard these things can be sometimes." No, he said bluntly: "If you walk in darkness and say you have partnership with God, you're lying about it." The sad thing is, many Christians who are walking in unforgiveness don't know they're in the darkness. They think that because they read their Bibles and say "Amen" at church, they're in fellowship with God. But 1 John 2:11 says, "He that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goes, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes." A man who does not forgive is hating his brother. "I don't hate him," you may say. "I just don't like him very much! How far outside of love do you have to go before it can be called hate? As far as God is concerned, just one step outside of love is hate. To Him there are no shades of gray. In His eyes, anything less than love is sin. So make the decision today to forgive...every little hurt.
Speak the Word
I determine to walk in love and to forgive others,
even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven me.
Ephesians 4:32
For Further Study: 1 John 2:7-11
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I got this from a devotional by: Jerry Savelle, called Faith Building Daily Devotionals, That my friend Ann gave me.
Recovering From The Effects of Heat Todays scripture reading: I Peter 4:12-13
In 2 Timothy 3:1 (Amplified Bible), Paul tells us, But understand this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear].
Some of God's people are on the verge of giving up because their troubles have become too "hard to deal with." In times like this, you either stand on what you've learned, or you give up. There is no neutral place. NOW is the most opportune time to stand on the Word of God.
Have you had situations lately that have been hard to deal with? We all have! However, let me share something with you about, "heat waves and fiery trials." THEY ARE SEASONAL! They don't last forever! It's what you do IN those perilous times that will determine how quickly you get OUT of them.
You must not let go of what you have learned because that is the very thing that will put you over. If you let go of what you've learned, God doesn't have an avenue through which to work. You must remain stable in these unstable times through your faith in God. Some have said the
"message of faith" is not the message of the hour, but I personally believe that it's never been more needed than right now! The just shall live by faith!
In these perilous times, don't be deceived into giving up because you don't understand why all this is happening to you. I Peter 4:12 (Amplified Bible) clearly sates, Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeals which is taking place to test your quality, as though something strange (unusual and alien to you and your position) were befalling you. The New International version says, ...do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering...
Notice, Peter said that you shouldn't be surprised when your uncompromising position or stand on the Word comes under attack. Knowing that perilous times are coming will help you be prepared when they do come.Some are bewildered and disillusioned because of the trial they are experiencing, saying, "Why is this happening to me?" The Devil can defeat you while you are thinking that. He loves for you to ask questions like these and open the door to discouragement.
When you are going through fiery trials, don't think it is strange that the Devil is trying to steal the Word from you heart. He knows you will win if you stay in faith and stand on the Word of God. If you are experiencing a fiery trial, then you are a candidate for a time of refreshing. God wants you to recover from the effects of heat and continue to be fruitful and productive. If you are going to experience a time of refreshing, you will have to be where the refreshing is- in the presence of the Lord. You won't experience a refreshing running from God-you must run to God.
In His presence is fullness of joy. God calls a time of refreshing : Recovering from the effects of Heat!
Let me pray for you right now: Father, in the mighty Name of Jesus, I pray for each one reading this devotion, who realizes their need for a refreshing. I pray that as they spend time in the presence of the Lord, a wonderful refreshing will come on them. This refreshing will wash away all the hurts, disappointments and scorching from the effects of heat and fiery trials. Then the cool breeze of the Holy Spirit will bring wholeness, soundness, and life to every part of their lives, in Jesus' Name. Amen!
My friend Donna, is letting me read one of her books by Kenneth Hagin, called:Tongues Beyond The Upper Room, it is such a great book and I wanted to share from it. Chapter 12;
Praying in tongues Eliminates Selfishness in Prayer
If Christians took the time to analyze the prayers they pray with their understanding, they'd realize a large majority of those prayers are selfish.
Too often their prayers are like the old farmer who always prayed, "God,bless me and my wife, my son John and his wife-us four and no more!" Christians may not use those exact words, but if they would examine the sum of their prayers, they may see that the old farmer's prayer represents the extent of their "praying with the understanding." In other words, most of their prayer time is devoted to praying about matters that concern only themselves and their loved ones.
This leads us to another benefit or value of praying in tongues according to God's perfect will. Since praying in tongues is Spirit-directed prayer, it eliminates the possibility of selfishness entering into our prayers. When you pray out of your mind, it is possible that your prayer may be unscriptural or selfish. And I don't know if you realize this or not, but it is possible for you to pray out of you own natural way of thinking and actually change things that are not the will of God and not His best for you.
The Bible says there is a good, an acceptable, and a perfect will of God. Romans12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that GOOD, and ACCEPTABLE, and PERFECT, will of God.
If you persist in praying selfishly out of your own carnel thinking, you may find yourself asking for only the acceptable will of God, not His perfect will. On the other hand, we've seen that when you pray in the Spirit, you pray out the perfect will of God. If God's people pray and ask for things to be a certain way- even if it is not God's best for them, nor His perfect will-God will often permit it.I want to prove that to you from the Bible, because alot of folks doubt that statement. They claim, "But if God granted something, it has to be His perfect will."
I'll give you an illustration from the Scriptures to show you that God sometimes answers prayer that isn't His perfect will. It's found in First Samuel 8. God didn't want the Israelites to have a king like all the surrounding nations. God wanted to be their King, but the children of Israel wanted to be like all the rest of the nations, and they kept persisting in their petition for a king. Finally, God said, "All right, go ahead. You have My permission to have a king." But from that point on, the Israelites were never in the perfect will of God again, even though God blessed them and helped them as much as He could. This is where alot of people have missed it. Many times God has dealt with them and told them what His will is for their lives.But they keep after Him, praying out of their natural understanding for something they want. Finally, God says, "All right, if you want it that way, go ahead."
But I'd rather be in God's perfect will than in His permissive will, wouldn't you? It's just so much better! I remember a dear young lady who made the same mistake the Israelites did when they asked for something that wasn't God's perfect will. She suffered greatly for that mistake. This young woman was one of my church members when I pastored in Texas. She was a beautiful singer with a wonderful ability to speak to youth about God. But this young woman was dating a fellow who wasn't even saved. He'd go to church occasionally and he claimed to be a Christian, but it was quite obvious that he was not. She finally got engaged to this young man, even though she knew all the time it wasn't the will of God. One night when we were all around the alter praying, this young lady came down to the alter and prayed through about the matter.
God spoke clearly to her, telling her not to marry that man. Afterward, she got up and hugged all the ladies and shook hands with all the men. "Well, that's settled," she declared."I'm going to break up with him!" The young woman did break up with this fellow. However, over the process of time, she got back with him and wound up marrying him! You might ask, "Why would she do that?" Because she kept praying about it until the Lord finally told her, "Go ahead and marry him if that's what you want to do." You see, if you just keep hounding Godlike the Israelites did and like this young woman did, He'll eventually give you permission to do what you want to do, even though it isn't His perfect will for your life. That's why when God tells you do something- whether His instruction comes from the Bible or the Holy Spirit speaks directly to your heart-you don't need to pray about it. Just do it! Since God really did tell that young woman not to marry that man, she shouldn't have prayed about it any further. She should have just obeyed God. But she kept praying and praying and praying about it until finally the Lord told her, "Go ahead and marry him if that's what you want to do." Notice that the Lord didn't tell her, "It's My will for you to marry him" or "Go ahead and marry him- it's fine with Me!" So the young lady married this man- and soon she became the most miserable person in town! We didn't see her for months at a time. She didn't even come to church, yet she lived right there in town. Finally, this woman wrote a letter to one of the older ladies in the congregation who'd been like a mother to her. The older woman called me and said, "Brother Kenneth, I have to read this to you!" In the letter, the young woman wrote, "I've been locked up for five months.My husband is so jealous of me that when he goes to work, he locks me in the house. I don't have a key, and I don't dare go out alone. I don't go anywhere without him. He got jealous of me and my guitar and had a mad fit and broke the guitar to smithereens. Then he got jealous of me and my piano, and he broke that too."
No wonder God told this young woman not to marry that man! The letter continued, "I've bee a prisoner for five months in my own house." She finally found a way to smuggle this letter out of her house and asked a friend to mail it for her. What a miserable situation. This young woman might have thought, Why did God ever put me in this mess? But God isn't the One who got her in that mess.It's true He said, "If thats what you want, go ahead and do it." because she kept persisting, asking and asking Him for it. But He never told the woman, "That is My will. Walk in it, and be blessed." No, He said, "Okay! Okay! If that's what you want, go ahead." That's the reason you have to get the Word of God in you first before you pray. Make sure the Word is abiding in you! Jesus said, "If ye abide in Me, and MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU,ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you"(John15:7). The make sure you are setting aside time to pray every day in other tongues. When God's Word abides in you and you're built up in the spirit by praying in other tongues, you will know you're praying in line with God's will about every situation! Never let yourself get outside of God's Word when you pray. Build a strong foundation of the Word in your prayer life. If you don't have a foundation, you may go off after a desire that's not God's will for you. And eventually, God may answer you just as He answered Israel: "All right, go ahead. You can have it, if that's what you want." It was not God's highest will for Israel to have a king-but they wanted one, so they got one. And from that point on, they were never again in the perfect will of God. That doesn't mean God didn't continue to bless them all He could, but He couldn't bless them to the fullest extent He wanted to.
I don't know about you, but I'm not satisfied with God's permissive will or with His second best- I'm going after God's best! That's why I value so highly the gift of praying with other tongues. When I pray in tongues, I am fully assured that I've left behind all possibility of selfish praying. Thank God for the ability to pray out the perfect will of God!
God is with you and for you in YOUR FINANCES.
You may hear negative talk at every turn about the economy and ongoing financial hurdles, but you can choose to believe the truth that God is with you and for you no matter what circumstances say. God is present in every area of your life… and that includes your finances! You are God’s child, and He always takes care of His children. In fact, He wants to bless you! Don’t think for a second that He won’t provide abundantly for you. Just believe His promises today. Be ready to be pleasantly amazed when you completely trust God n the area of your finances. ~ Joel Osteen
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” ~ Matthew 6:33
God is with you and for you, giving you LIFE DIRECTION.God knows the dreams and desires in your heart. He sees you when it feels like those dreams are on hold and you don’t know which direction to go. Be encouraged, because God has all the direction you will ever need. He created you and saw you long before you were born. He has wonderful things planned for your. You may feel like your life doesn’t have a purpose, but if you’ll choose to realize that God is with you and for you, you will see His wonderful hand at work in your life as He leads you every single step of the way. ~ Joel Osteen
“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
God is with and for you in YOUR RELATIONSHIPS.
God designed you to live in healthy, happy relationships with your friends and family. His love should be the center of any relationship. You may be in a situation with your spouse, your child, a friend or a coworker that you think is beyond repair, but it’s never too late. God’s love can turn it around, no matter what obstacles are in front of you. God has abundant, supernatural blessings waiting for you! You may have been hurt in the past, but if you’ll choose to take a step of faith; you’ll find that His amazing love will be with you and for you in every relationship ~Joel Osteen
“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” ~John 13:34
God is with you and for you in YOUR HEALTH.You may be facing a health crises right now that looks hopeless, but know today that God is with you and for you and wants you whole and healthy. Nothing that you are going through right now is too big for God. Ask Him to supernaturally transform your health and believe that He can and will do it. His Word says that He is your healer and that He will never leave you. He is a God who understands everything about you, and He wants you to walk in the fullness of His blessings. Remember, He loves you and He wants to empower you to live a healthy lifestyle. ~ Joel Osteen
“The Lord himself goes before you…He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” ~ Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV
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So as I said I would be sharing from this book "Make your dreams bigger than your memories." By Terri Savelle Foy. This is another part of the book, that really ministered to me.
Step 3: Forgive Others
Unforgiveness can be deadly! Think for a moment about Jesus on the cross. He had never sinned in His life; yet He was beaten, spit on, abused, lied about, humiliated, rejected, laughed at and, ultimately, killed. But what did He say on the cross?
Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.(Luke 23:34,KJV)
Wow! Those are powerful words. This just shows the extent of His love for humanity. Jesus didn't say something to justify His actions and prove who He really was. What He said proved His love for people through the act of forgiving. You might be thinking, Okay, that's great that Jesus did that. But you don't know what I've been through. I can't forgive. I'm not Jesus.
I would never belittle what you've been through, and I don't minimize the pain you've experienced. I am, however, very aware that harboring unforgiveness in your heart against others is a weapon that Satan can use to destroy your life. The apostle Paul said that forgiveness shuts the door to Satan's schemes against us: "I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes"(2Cor. 2:10-11). I would never say that its easy to forgive. The truth is that sometimes it can be the hardest thing to do. But it is necessary if you want to be healed from the hurts that are accumulating in your life. If you can't forgive, you can't live a peaceful life...ever. Jesus warned us clearly in Matthew 6:14-15 that if we forgive others when they sin against us, our Heavenly Father will also forgive us; but if we do not forgive others, then our Father will not forgive us. Unforgiveness will build up in your heart and eat away at you like cancer. It will get bigger and bigger, especially the more you dwell on it and the more you tell others about how badly you've been mistreated. It will paralyze you from moving forward. Have you ever used a magnifying glass? You know that when you place it on top of an object, the object increases in size. Everything around it seems to fade into oblivion and only the object is viible. When you repeatedly talk about what someone has done to you with your friends, your family and your coworkers, you are magnifying that grievance so that it becomes the biggest thing in your life. It drowns out any potential around you for something greater.
I know someone who consistently talks about the pain of her past every time you're around her. While the experience happened 15 years ago, she brings it up day after day. She is reliving it every time she tells another person how badly she was treated. The pain of reminding herself of what happened is keeping her from moving forward in her life.
In my teenage years, I was severely hurt by people who probably haven't even given me a second thought. I went through a very traumatic experience as a young girl with one guy in particular and was left to feel worthless, ugly, unwanted and rejected. Has he ever called and apologized? Has he ever seen me in the media and felt convicted? Has he ever written to me and asked for forgiveness? Are you kidding? He probably doesn't even remember what happened! Most of the people who have hurt you aren't thinking about what happened. They've moved on. Now it's your turn. The people who caused us pain are not the enemy. The enemy is Satan. He is the one behind every touch of evil in your life. Please remember that! Don't allow that person to keep you from your destiny. Why would you want anyone to have the power to destroy your future? So how do you forgive someone who has hurt you? By faith! It's not something you feel (just like accepting forgiveness); it's something you do. You choose to forgive.
As I shared earlier, my husband and I went through severe marriage difficulties, and we seperated for a season. We had many unresolved issues from our past and as a result of getting married the way we did. During that time, I was hurting so badly inside about everything, including my own bad choices and bad attitudes, and I had no compassion for my husband. I flat out didn't want to be married anymore, and I had become very calloused inside. I was reminded of the verse that states, "Forgive, and you will be forgiven"(Luke 6:37NIV).
I knew that I needed to forgive him if I ever wanted God to forgive me. And I needed God's forgiveness in a big way. I realized that forgiveness was a choice that absolutely had to be made. There was no room for excuses, but the truth was, I didn't want to.
I remeber one particular moment like it was yesterday. I picked up a photo of Rodney and me, and I covered his face with my hand (I didn't even want to look at him). I then began praying in the Spirit, walking around in circles in my den and kitchen. It was step one in forgiving. I couldn't even pray in English! Believe me, praying in your heavenly language does wonders for bringing peace in a tumultuous situation. I di the same thing every morning. I would make myself pray over that photo. Gradually, I began to move my hand and look at Rodney and pray in the Spirit. Finally, I could actually say, "In the Name of Jesus, I choose-as an act of my faith-to forgive my husband. And I choose to forgive myself." That's all I was able to say, but I knew it was what had to be done.
Unforgiveness does not kill the person who hurt you; it kills you. It kills your potential. It kills you future. I heard Stormie Omartian say forgiving the person who hurt you does not make that person right; it makes you free! I have firsthand experience that this is true. As I began praying over the photo of my husband, and I prayed this way every single day, I began to gradually change. In time, my anger turned to compassion. It didn't happen overnight. It didn't happen over the next week or even the next month. But it happened. I quit telling the story of my pain. I quit thinking about it. I quit dwelling on it. I began to dwell on God, more than I dwelt on my problems, until I was eventually healed and so was my marriage.
I know it's hard. It's not easy to forgive. But if you want to live out God's best....if you ever want to experience peace and joy in your life...if you want to be the recipient of God's divine healing, you must forgive. Do you want to stop hurting? Forgiveness is the answer.
Step 2: Forgive Yourself
This has been the hardest step for me. In most cases, because I grew up in church and should have "known better," it's been extremely challenging to forgive myself. If you have a Type A personality or you're always wanting to please others, it can be the fight of your life to admit that you don't measure up to your own expectations.
Even so, God's forgiveness is available and immediate. Psalms 32:5 says, "You (instantly) forgave me the guilt and iniquity of my sin."(AMP). God instantly forgives. You don't hacve to wait two years before God wipes your slate clean. It happens immediately. God doesn't just forgive what you've done and then leave you with the guilt. He is such an amazing God. He knew that Satan would be doing his best to consume us with gulit even after we repent, so God mentioned it in His Word. He wants you to totally free from everything connceted to your past.
Guilt can be defined as "the state of a moral agent that results from his actual commision of a crime or offense, knowing it to be a crime, or violation of law.... The guilt of a person exists, as soon a the crime is committed.....Guilt renders a person a debtor to the law, as it binds him to pay a penalty in money or sufferings. Guilt therfore implies both criminality and liableness to punishment."
Wow! Satan definitely wants you to pay the penalty for your sins through much suffering. He'll do it any way you let him. It may be a feeling of worhtlessness, guilt, insecurity, bitterness or rejection. Satan will use wharever has held you back your entire life to keep you down.Satan can destroy you with guilt. He knows that if the "sin" or the "offense" that was done to you doesn't destroy you, then a guilty conscience will.
His plan is to keep you so down on yourself that you will never do what God has called you to do, because you feel such shame."Guilt" actually means "to press down." That's why Jesus is called the lifter of our heads(see Psalms 3:3).
Isn't that amazing? Satan came to press you down, depress you, discourage you and cause you to carry yourself with your head down in shame. Jesus came to give you a new life, a new identity and a new vision to lift your head in confidence. In Romans 8:1, Paul reminds us, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the fleash, but according to the Spirit"(NKJV). If you don't forgive yourself, what you are really saying is that the blood of Jesus didn't work.But it did work. Jesus carried the very sin that you're still holding in your heart to the cross. He carried it for you. His blood washed your sins away. When you repent of your sin, it is gone. It's not on your record.
Isn't it time you forgave yourself?
You will never stop hurting until you forgive yourself. You need to see yourself the way God sees you. He doesn't see sin; He sees forgiveness. He sees His love for you.He sees His plan and reason for your birth. God doesn't even remeber your sins once you've repented(see Heb.10:16-18) He won't even bring them up ever again. Satan will keep bringing them up, and even other people will. But rest assured, God never will.
Satan will always base your identity on your past experiences. He even did it with Jesus, and Jesus never sinned, but when He was in the wilderness, fasting for 40 days, Satan was there, waiting to tempt Him. He taunted, "If you're the son of God..." He knew full well who Jesus was. He'd known it since the beginning of time. So why did he repeatedly say, "If you are the son of God" to Jesus? Because he wanted Jesus to question His own identity.
You'd better believe the devil will do the same to you. He wants you to be defined as the girl who had the abortion; the girl who slept around; the guy who smokes pot; the adulterer; the hypocrite; the alcoholic; the druggie; the loser. Why? Because shame is his game. He knows that shame and guilt will keep you from your furure. Well, his plan didn't work with Jesus, and it doesn't have to work in your life either. Everytime Satan said,"If your the son of God..." Jesus combatted him by speaking the Word of God. He would audibly declare, "It is written..." and confess the Word. That very same strategy can work for you. Every time Satan brings up your past, you have to get to a point that you speak the Word of God back to him. That's how you shut him up!
Believe what God's Word says about you
There are two keys to forgiving yourself. First, you must believe God's Word more than you believe how you feel. As I mentioned earlier, you may never "feel" righteous or in right standing with God. You can't live by what you think about yourself or how you feel about yourself.
You have to choose to live by what you know the Word of God says about you. What does it say? " therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new" (2Cor. 5:17 NKJV).
If you're a new creation, you have no past. Accepting God's righteousness is not based on your feelings. It's based on the Word of God and the price Jesus paid on the cross. It's a simple acceptance of that gift that all will lead you toward total forgiveness. It will also give you the self-esteem and confidence to do what God has called you to do.
Speak what God's Word says is true
Second, you must say what you believe, not what you feel. You must declare on a daily baisis, "I believe that I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus." What that means is that you are in right standing with God not because of what you've done but because of what Jesus has done for you. Confess that daily until it sinks in! Speaking the Word of God out of your mouth is the most powerful weapon you have for defeating the devil. In Ephesians 6:17, Paul says that the weapon we are weild in our battle against Satan is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Revalation 12:11 says that we overcome Satan through the word of our testimony: "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony" (Rev. 12:11, KJV). When I caught hold of this tactic of warfare, I made it a point to consciouly speak out against the very thing that Satan uses to torment me. If he tries to intimidate me with fear, I start saying, "Father, I thank You that Your Word says "Fear not! There is nothing to fear!" "If the devil tries to remind me of my past, I declare, "Thank You, Lord, that Your Word says that I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Thank You, Jesus, for washing my sins away and making me right with God."
(Well I didn't quite get there so I will finsih step 3 next week)
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(From chapter 3 "When you Admit It's Behind You......You're Free to Move Forward)
I do not believe that you can go forward toward your future until you choose to apply the following three steps to putting the past behind you: 1.Repent 2.Forgive yourself 3.Forgive others
Forgiveness is such a vital part of letting go of the your past. Receiving forgiveness from God and releasing forgiveness toward yourself and others is what will keep you looking ahead instead of behind. I read a story about an old tribe in Asia who used to yell what they considered the worst curse at their enemy. It was: "May you stay in one place forever!" That's what Satan wants you to do-be still and not move forward. But that is not God's plan for your life. He wants you you progress.
Step 1:: Repent
It doesn't matter how good you look on the outside; if you are full of junk on the inside, you will not walk out God's plan for your life. Most of all, you will stay miserable! Most of us have a tendency to look at people "on the outside" and make many false assumptions about them. I think we would be very surprised by what lies on the inside. We would probably see a pile of junk! Stuff that needs to be thrown out. It can be any type of sin that is causing you to stay stagnant in your life and is keeping you from God. It can even be a situation that you were not responsible for but it weighs heavy on your heart.You may be trying everything you know to do to make the outside look great, but you're still miserable inside. Nothing will change in your life until you get healed on the inside.It's time to get rid of the heaviness in your heart. It's time to let it all out and receive God's forgiveness for everything you've been carrying around. You cannot fulfill you purpose on earth until you repent and bring everything to light before God. When you repent, it's the first step toward admitting that your past is finally behind you and your free to move forward.
Many times, we hide unresolved issues from our past under a multitude of disguises. We try to overcome rejection and insecurity by losing weight, working out, dressing cute and appearing confident. We hide pain under a smile. We say we've forgiven someone for the hurt they caused in our life, but we vow to never get that close to anyone again. We cover our shame by a series of church activities to hopefully earn God's love. As long as we're suppressing things from our past, the "infection" or "wound" of what happened to us is killing us inside. It doesn't matter what happens outwardly in our life; nothing will truly make us happy and fulfilled until we allow God to completely get our junk out of us.
It's important that you realize you cannot change anything. You cannot change what happened. You cannot change how you acted. You cannot change yesterday. You cannot even change yourself. But God can. God can change every hurt in your life into a testimony for someone else. He can take every tear you've ever shed and replace it with hope, purpose and vision for your life! He is known for turning sadness into joy and making beauty out of ashes! So, how do you begin the healing process within? It takes effect the moment you repent. You need to examine your life, look deep inside and say, "God, I know that what I did was not pleasing to You." It may be big or it may be small, but to God, sin is sin. It's vital that you repent of anything and everything that could be keeping you from experiencing the peace of God. Whatever it is, get it out.
The apostle Paul tells us, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord."(Acts 3:19, KJV).Do you want to experience the presence of the Lord? Would you like to be refreshed? According to this verse, repentance is the key to experiencing that presence and that refreshing.
Just like we discussed in chapter 2, set aside a time to be alone with God and open up to Him. Tell Him everything. He already knows what you"re hiding anyway. Get everything out in the open once and for all so that you never have to think about it or talk about it ever again. You have to be emptied out in order for God to fill you up with His love. Repentance is a two-way street. It's an emptying out and a filling up. Empty out the hurts, the scars, the wounds, the junk; and let God fill you up with peace like you've never known before, joy unspeakable and vision for a new life. "Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up"
(Hebrews 12:1,NLT). Once you set that time aside to do nothing but repent and receive God's amazing love for you, you need to take active step in forgiving yourself
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(From chapter 1 "When you look back... you've lost your future")
I heard Pastor Mac Hammond say that "shame and guilt will keep you from your calling." Now it made sense. You see, Satan doesn't want you doing what you were put on this earth to do. If he can convince you that not only have sinned, but you are that sin, then you will never have the confidence to do anything significant for God. Why? Because sin makes cowards of men: "Fear made cowards of them all" (Esther 9:2, THE MESSAGE). If Satan can keep you full of shame, he can keep you from God and His plan for your life.
Satan will do anything he can to stop the plan of God for your life. If it's guilt over the past, he'll use it, just as he did with the man who fell into sexual sin in 2 Corinthians 2:6-7: "The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him,so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow"(NIV). If it's a past relationship that you know full well God does not want you in, Satan will try to drag you back into it. If you have been delivered from past temptations, Satan will try to convince you to go back to that place.
Is it coincidental? Absolutely not! It's part of the warfare we are in. Nothing about Satan's attacks on your life are by accident. He purposely assaults the areas in your life that hurt you the most. If Satan knows he can intimidate you in an area, he will. What is it that you need to let go of? What memories are you still holding on to? Picture God standing before you, cupping your face in His hands, and saying,"Let go, My child! Let go! Let go!" I have fallen into many carefully laid traps that Satan has set before me, and I wish, more than anything, that I hadn't. I wish I had been strong enough to resist temptation before it got me.I wish I had been wise enough to stay focused. I wish I had been confident enough to stand up for myself. I have let myself down more times than I care to remember, and I've had to "let go" of many such painful attachments, many times. But I know what restoration is. I know what healing is. And I know what it takes to keep the past where it belongs...in the past.
Conquer your past by focusing on your future
One day, I was led to the verse I mentioned previously, written by the apostle Paul:
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:13-14, NIV).
It's obvious when you read Paul's famous verse that he understood that in order to "press toward the mark," or to be in God's perfect will for his life, he had to (1) forget the past, and (2) have a vision. This is what God revealed to me in the vision I told you about at the beginning of this chapter. I like to envision Philippians 3:13-14 in a picture. I'm watching the acrobatic moves of a trapeze artist. She lets go of one bar, does a magnificent flip in the air and quickly grabs hold of another bar that guides her to the platform. If all she did was let go of the first bar, she'd fall down to the bottom. She has to quickly grab hold of something else to get to the other side. It's quite an accomplishment to finally let go of the past, but thats not enough. You must quickly grab hold of your future. In other words, you must get a vision for your life if you're ever going to successfully get beyond your past. If you don't have a vision, I can almost guarantee that you will always return to your past, whether it was a life of drugs, alcoholism, homosexuality, crime, infidelity, an unhealthy relationship, or whatever.
The good news is that you can let go of your past and forge ahead with a vision. There is nothing that can stop you. It doesn't matter how old you are. It doesn't matter how educated you are. It doesn't matter what your past experiences have been. It doesn't matter how talented you are. I don't care how small your vision is. If it's to get your laundry done, great! At least you have a vision.
I will share much more of this book next week. This book can be purchased at www.jerrysavelle.org
I also want to add in :) I was in prayer, when the Lord spoke to my heart and said: I am never disappointed in you, Love is never disappointed. He said the word disappointment is not in my vocabulary, and it should never be in yours. I will write more about this in a week or so. I haven't received all He wanted to tell me about this. But most of the time I don't get Revelations all at once. With me usually it begins with the first seed and then I meditate on what He has said and as I do I receive more and more. And as I do, there will be a time to share it.
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