Settled Forever: January 2012

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Made

Everyone knows what a 'made man' is in Mafia lore. [Yes, I confess a certain weakness for gangster movies...I repent]

When a man is 'made' in Mafia circles, he enters into the full rights and privileges of the 'Family.' Interestingly, it is a ceremony of blood covenant, and only 'made' men can rule within the family.

Hmm...

Consider how God looks at the concept of 'made'...

'...(as it is written, "A Father of many nations have I MADE you”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.' [Romans 4:17]

God changed Abram's name to Abraham—The Father of Many Nations—before Isaac was born! "A Father of many nations have I MADE you!"

God decrees things.

"...declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, 'My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure'" [Isaiah 46:10]

This is God's MO—how He does things. He created the heavens and the earth by decree, He created man by decree. [Genesis 1, 2]

Yad, Again...
The Hebrew word ‘yad’ is translated several ways: hand, power, strength...when you research how it is used in the Old Testament, it is obvious that it is the powerful, strong hand which accomplishes things in the earth. The power [yad, or hand] of life and death is in the tongue [Proverbs 18:21], which could alternately be translated ‘Death and life is in the hand of the tongue…’ [Read Yad, The Yad of God, The Yad of God 2 ]

God 'makes' things by His words and by blood covenants.

We're Made!
Guess what? We've been MADE things, too.

'But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, MADE us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved ), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus...' [Ephesians 2:4-6]

'...so that being justified by His grace we would be MADE heirs according to the hope of eternal life.' [Titus 3:7]

'...to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous MADE perfect...' [Hebrews 12:23]

'For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be MADE righteous.' [Romans 5:19]

'But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is MADE unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption...' [1 Corinthians 1:30 KJV]

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be MADE the righteousness of God in him.' [2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV]

And we know it worked, because He calls us saints. The Greek word is hagios…most holy ones! Not sinners, but those MADE the righteousness of God in Christ. Hallelujah!

Made like Him, made to reign in life.

Made.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

God Is For Us

God is for us.

Try to remember that.

The next time your hear a fear-based word in your ear [or screamed from a pulpit] that tells you why He may not help you this time, why it may not be His will to heal/deliver/bless, why sometimes the answer is ‘no’ try to remember what the Word says.

‘Therefore there is now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.’

‘What then shall we say to these things ? If GOD IS FOR US, who is against us?

‘He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him FREELY GIVE US ALL THINGS?

‘Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

‘Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED."

‘But in all these things we OVERWHELMINGLY CONQUER through Him who LOVED us.’ [Romans 8:1,2, 31-37]

Please note: God did not cause the tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword…He made us conquerors over these things! He just knows that the enemy will bring them against us to try to destroy us and then get us to blame Him. This is a warning, people! But we are the victors.

God loves us! Did you know that Jesus said the Father loves us, even as He loved Jesus? And gave us His glory! [John 17:22,23]

Victory
I’ve got news for you…that’s why He sent Jesus. The plan of salvation and deliverance is His idea!

‘But by HIS DOING you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD."’ [1 Corinthians 1:30,21]

‘But thanks be to God, who ALWAYS leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.’ [2 Corinthians 2:24]

‘For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.’ [2 Corinthians 1:20]

‘Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond ALL that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.’ [Ephesians 3: 20,21]

‘For WHATEVER is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?’ [1 John 5:4,5]

Need More Proof?
For those who have been brainwashed to believe that God is bringing calamity upon us to teach us, think about these things:

He gave us His Name [Mark 16:17; Luke 10:17; John 14:13,14'; John 15:16; John 16:23-26; John 17:11; Acts 3:16; Acts 4:30]
He gave us the right to become children of God, joint heirs with Jesus [John 1:12; Romans 8:17]
He gave us triumph, ALWAYS [2 Corinthians 2:14]
He gave us His armor [Ephesians 6:10-17]
He strengthened us with all miracle-working power [Gr: dunamis]in our inner man [Colossians 1:11; Ephesians 3:16]
He gave us His mind, His wisdom [1 Corinthians 2:12,16; 1 Corinthians 1:30]
He made Jesus become to us righteousness, sanctification, redemption…there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus [1 Corinthians 1:30; Romans 8:1]
He set us free from the law of sin and death…we are redeemed from the curse of the Law [Romans 8:2; Galatians 3:13]
He gave us healing [Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24,25; Psalm 107:20; 3 John 2]
He blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ [Ephesians 1:3]
He seated us in heavenly places, in Christ…ALREADY! [Ephesians 2:6]
He gave us wealth, all things richly to enjoy [2 Corinthians 8:9; 3 John 2; Psalm 57:2; 1 Corinthians 3:21,22; Ephesians 5:20; 1 Timothy 6:17; Proverbs 10:22; Proverbs 8:21]
He has decreed that all things are possible, nothing is impossible, for us [Matthew 19:26; Mark 9:23; Mark 10:27; Luke 18:27; Matthew 17:20; Luke 1:37; Philippians 4:13]
He gave us angels to protect and serve us [Psalm 91; Hebrews 1:14; Psalm 103:20; Psalm 24:7]
He gave us His glory [John 17:20; Hebrews 2:10]
He gave us His Word…we are the Word multiplied! [John 1; Acts 12:24; Acts 6:7; Acts 13:49; Acts 19:20]
He gave us His Spirit…in fact, He dwells in each believer, Father, Son and Holy Spirit—we are one Spirit with the Lord [John 14:16-26; 1 Corinthians 6:17; 1 John 4:15]
He made us more than conquerors [Romans 8:37; 1 Corinthians 15;57; 2 Corinthians 2:4; 1 John 5:4,5]
He gave us His favor [Psalm 5:12; Psalm 30:5; Proverbs 8:35]
He answers our prayers [John 14-17; 1 John 5:14,15; 2 Corinthians 1:20]

And that’s just a few of the blessings bestowed on us in Christ…it is by no means an exhaustive list!

John 10:10 [Again!]
Let me ask you this…if we are one Spirit with the Lord, why would He try to destroy us?

Judge everything against John 10:10…

‘"The thief comes only to STEAL and KILL and DESTROY; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly [or have abundance].”’

These words are in red, my friend. It was as if Jesus knew we’d be lied to and deceived, so He summed it up for us, His not-so-bright brothers and sisters, in one verse…

Good God, bad devil.

Try to remember.

Fear—The Deadly Enemy

I've been re-reading some of the posts on this blog...there's some great stuff here, full of hope and faith.

What stops the wonderful intention of God to bless us in our lives?

I think doubt and unbelief are probably at the root of the problem. Remember, Jesus almost always said to the people He delivered, "Your faith has made you well" or "Be it done to you according to your faith."

But when you take a good look at what's behind doubt and unbelief, you almost always find fear.

And fear is the real problem.

Righteousness
Isaiah 54:14 tells us "In righteousness you will be established; you will be FAR FROM OPPRESSION, for you WILL NOT FEAR; and from TERROR, for it WILL NOT COME NEAR YOU."

We know, from many New Testament scriptures, that we've been made the righteousness of God in Christ and that we were created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. We're call saints, which in the Greek means most holy ones. And we're one Spirit with the Lord.

According to God [and He's the only one that matters] we are righteous. Even Abraham, that scoundrel, was considered righteous because of his faith in God!

We may not feel righteous because, in the flesh, we're not perfect. Maybe we've just finished screaming at the kids or kicking the cat. Maybe we've just listened to a sermon that has told us what sinners we are.

But in the Spirit, we've been perfected in love! One Spirit with the Lord—crucified with Him, buried in baptism, raised up and seated together with Him in heavenly places! [Ephesians 2, Galatians 2, Colossians 2]

Hallelujah!

So we see that our righteousness is not the problem. Jesus became righteousness to us! [1 Corinthians 1:30]

Oppression
Yet many of us feel oppressed and defeated—joyless, trapped, alone.

Back to Isaiah 54. "...you will be FAR FROM OPPRESSION, for you WILL NOT FEAR; and from TERROR, for it WILL NOT COME NEAR YOU."

Oppression comes from fear! Fear, which we know from Job 4 and 2 Timothy 1, is a spirit. This is a Bible fact, not conjecture from a small group of wackos! [Read Fear]

Now, the interesting thing about this verse is the phrase '...for YOU WILL NOT FEAR...' If you recall, another thing Jesus almost always said to those He was about to deliver was "Fear not."

It seems, from the verse in Isaiah 54 and from Jesus' own ministry that 1) our fear—our response to the spirit of fear—is optional, our choice; and 2) both fear and faith have a direct outcome on whether or not we receive our requests.

So if you're feeling oppressed, you're probably in fear about something. That fear is the root of doubt, which turns quickly into unbelief. And since faith is how we access the blessings that God has already provided, this is a real problem.

Love
The Holy Spirit, writing through John, has some interesting things to say about the connection between love and fear.

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. [1 John 4:15-18]

Okay, so let's put it all together. Fear is a spirit as well as an internal response to that spirit, and it brings oppression. I John 4:18 says it involves punishment.

Fear, like faith, is an attractive force—Job said "For what I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me." [Job 3:25] And we all know what happened to him!

That's why fear brings oppression—it attracts that which is feared!

According to Jesus, fear is a choice. According to Jesus speaking through John, fear is cast out by perfect love. And love is perfected in us if we abide in God and He abides in us!

Deceiver
So where's the problem? In our spirits, we are One with Him, seated in Him in heavenly places, with authority over all the power of the enemy. Love is perfected in our reborn spirits and we have the power not to fear.

The problem is deception. Christians, for the most part, reject any part the imagination plays in our lives. We point to New Agers and say because they believe in the power of imagination, it must be wrong.

But they got it from us! I've already written lots on that topic...suffice it to say that we use it every day and it is a powerful component of faith. Satan knows this—he also knows that he has no power over us. So he uses our own power against us.

How? By deceiving us. By showing us pictures of bad stuff happening, by whispering in our ears and telling us it's not going to work for us this time. [Job 4:12]

Agreement
The concept of agreement is an important one in the Bible. Adam agreed with Satan instead of God and fell. The people agreed to build the tower at Babel and God said "...now nothing they purpose to do will be impossible for them."

God said that! Nothing will be impossible to those who purpose and speak in agreement! And He was talking about mere men, not those reborn of His Spirit!

Jesus said if two agree about anything it would be done for them by His Father!

Faith is agreeing with God. Agreeing that His Word is true and settled forever...already accomplished. Faith believes that what God says is finished, settled, true and available for us in the earth.

Ditto for fear, but in reverse. Fear believes that the deceptions and lies of the enemy are truer than God's word, a kind of inevitable reality. Fear is faith in evil—faith in being abandoned or neglected by God, faith that His Word isn't for us today, faith in the lie that He sends sickness and poverty to teach us something. Fear is faith in His being a capricious tyrant...good to some and awful to others. Whatever will be will be, God is sovereign.

Yikes.

Yes, God is sovereign, and what He decided to do with His sovereignty is to give us the power to reign in life through the One Christ Jesus! He gave us the power to talk to mountains and trees and storms and fish...to heal sick bodies and raise the dead!

He's sovereign, that's true...and His plan is for us is to be His Body in the earth, to be kings and priests and to reign on the earth! [Revelations 5:10]

Agreement is key to walking by faith and defeating fear. Agree with God, even if it's not what you learned in Sunday School, even if your pastor and church friends think you're blaspheming. Agree with Him in your imagination—see yourself blessed, healed, rich, joyful and protected by angels. See the angels ministering to you like they did to Jesus because you are an heir of salvation! [Hebrews 1:13,14; Matthew 4:11]

Agree with His forever settled word in your heart and in your mouth and enter into His rest. Then and only then can you 'fear not' and be far from oppression

Sunday, January 22, 2012

No Condemnation

Romans 8:1 is one of the most comforting scriptures in the Bible. Most Christians believe that we are cleansed from sin and unrighteousness upon salvation, and they are correct. But many seem to be misinformed about the commission of and penalty for sin after the new birth.

If you're like me, you struggle with guilt over mistakes you've made since becoming a Christian. We seem to feel that mistakes made now are somehow different—worse, possible unforgivable. Many Christians of certain denominations believe that to sin is to lose one's salvation altogether, and that one must be born again—again and again and again.

Or we feel that we may be forgiven for sin committed after the New Birth, but God will no longer deliver us from the earthly consequences of that sin because we should've known better.

All of these mistaken beliefs result in guilt, shame, condemnation and fear, which in turn result in a crippled Christian walk. I wonder who's behind that...

NOW...No Condemnation
When we read Romans 7, we see that Paul felt the same way...wanting to do the right thing but missing the mark. He even called himself a wretched man!

But the Comforter—the Holy Spirit—must've whispered Romans 8:1 into his ear, because the very next thing he writes is that there is NOW—now, now, now—NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus!

'Therefore there is NOW no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

'For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.' [Romans 8:1-4]

What I love about this passage is that is written to Christians, by one of the chief writers of the New Testament, and it is always in the now. Now is now, not a few minutes ago, but NOW. It's always now, and we're always free from the law of sin and death.

We’re redeemed from the curse of the Law! [Galatians 3:13]

No Law
Think about this...Romans 4:15 says '...but where there is no law, there is also NO VIOLATION.'

Get it? We are not under the law but under grace! [Romans 6:14,15; 1 Corinthians 9:20]

There's not really anything to be condemned over! Why? Because we are one Spirit with the Lord, complete in Him! [1 Corinthians 6:17; Colossians 2:10]

God sees as as part of Jesus! And He is perfect...

Saints
Paul makes it clear that, while our spirits are reborn, our bodies need to be presented to God as living and holy sacrifices and our minds renewed. [Romans 12:1] He seems to be acutely aware of the struggle between wanting to do what is right and not always following though.

But what I really love is that we are referred to as 'saints' throughout the Word. The Greek word for saint is hagios...a MOST HOLY THING! God sees us as His most holy ones—a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession! [! Peter 2:9]

Titus 2:14 tells us that He gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession!

Freed from condemnation, holy, purified—that's us!

Satan
Of course, the adversary knows these things. He knows we're free, just like he knows we're one Spirit with the Lord and strengthened with all power in our inner man.

He knows that if he can keep us bound with guilt, shame and condemnation he can keep us powerless...which in turn lets him do whatever he wants because there's no one to stop him. He's called the Deceiver for good reason!

Revelations 21:10 calls him the accuser of the brethren—he who accuses them before our God day and night—but says that he has been thrown down! Hallelujah! If God isn't listening to him, neither should we! God didn't give him the time of day...He just threw that lying sack OUT!!

Enjoy your freedom
Only knowing the truth will set us free. There is NOW no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!

1 John 1:9 says 'If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' In our spirit, we've been made the righteousness of God in Christ...but if we screw up in our minds or in our bodies, we confess our sins and are immediately cleansed.

"I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins." [Isaiah 43:25]

'As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.' [Psalm 103:12]

Go ahead...enjoy your freedom. Jesus paid dearly for it, once and for all.

Related posts: Requirement Fulfilled!, An Eternal Perspective...God's POV, Be the Ball..., Thoughts on the New Birth

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Unbelief Equals Disobedience

‘For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

‘For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, "AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST," although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.

‘Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.’ [Hebrews 3:16-19; 4:2,3,11]

This is a very interesting passage. The Holy Spirit is using the example of Israel not entering the Promised Land through unbelief and calls it disobedience, and then applies the same truth to us.

He told them to take the land, that it was theirs, that He would go before them. But they looked at the circumstances and chose to believe what they saw over what He said.

At first, this offended me. I mean, I can’t help it if I don’t have enough faith to bring the Word of God to pass in the earth, can I? It’s not my fault…[whining sound]

Then I saw it! Who says I don’t have enough faith? Am I one Spirit with the Lord or not? Are all things possible to me if I believe or not? Am I full of God or not? And if so, I must have faith to move mountains, heal the sick, raise the dead and pull money out of the mouths of fishes! Turn water into wine? Did I die and Christ now lives in me or not? Can I do greater works than Jesus did or not? [John 14:12]

Take the Land
God told Israel to take the land. That was His Word, and we know that a) His Word is settled forever and b) it will not return to Him without accomplishing what He sent it for. [Psalm 119:89, Isaiah 55:11]

They were disobedient…they did not unite the word they heard with faith [Hebrews 4:2] and consequently the Word did not come to pass for them.

But it did come to pass, because God’s Word will always come to pass through the ones who will unite it with faith. In the case of Israel, that was Joshua and Caleb!

It boils down to this: who’s right…God or me? He has said many things about and for me. Do I unite them with faith, to bring them to pass in the earth, or do I not?

Disobedience
More importantly, He sees my unbelief as disobedience…why?

Because He knows who I am, even if I don’t. He knows that He is in me, in all Three Persons, full of His glory. [John 14:23,26; John 17:22-24] He knows I have faith to do all things, because it is the Father within Who does the works! [John 14:10; Ephesians 3:16-21]

And guess what! Satan knows, too, because he can see plainly what’s what in the spiritual realm! He knows that you are the Body of Christ, the Word Multiplied, One Spirit with the Lord!

That’s exactly why he works so hard to deceive us into thinking we don’t have enough faith, [fill-on-the-blessing] may not be for us, it may have passed away, we don’t deserve it, it could never happen for us, blah blah blah.

That’s why he’s got preachers all over the earth working overtime to tell us that ‘sometimes the answer is no’ when the Word clearly tells us the opposite…

‘For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes ; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.’ [2 Corinthians 1:20]

'He Who did not spare his own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will he not also with Him freely give us all things?' [Romans 8:32]

'...through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.' [Acts 13:39]

'But thanks be to God, Who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.' [2 Corinthians 2:14]

'...God, Who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.' [1 Timothy 6:17]

'Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ [Messiah] is born of God...For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. [1 John 5:1,4]

'Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.' [3 John 2]

'And Jesus answered saying to them, "Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you."' [Mark 11:22-24]

"Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it." [John 14:13,14]

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." [John 15:7]

"In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full." [John 16:23,24]

'In Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge' [Colossians 2;3]

'For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete [full]...' [Colossians 2:9,10]

'...heirs of God and fellow [joint] heirs with Christ...’ [Romans 8:17

'...heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him.' [James 2:5]

'...all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.' [1 Corinthians 3:22,23]

I’ve got news for you…the answer is NEVER no, because God cannot withhold from Himself, and we are One with Him!

We’re just asking the wrong questions! Why don’t I have enough faith, why isn’t it working for me, why is God letting this happen, woof woof woof!

It’s unbelief, pure and simple. And God sees it as disobedience because He knows who we are…He knows He is in us to do the greater works.

So What’s the Answer?
The answer is plain:

‘And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, so that you may PROVE what the will of God is, that which is GOOD and ACCEPTABLE and PERFECT.’ [Romans 12:2]

‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.’ [Philippians 4:6-9]

Not teenagers dying in car wrecks or babies dying of birth defects or people losing their homes or churches destroyed by tornados or fill-in-the-tragedy!

God is a God of beauty and peace—shalom—nothing missing or broken! He has decreed health, wealth, blessings for us and for our children and angelic protection. But we must unite it with faith to see it in the earth!

Folks, it’s all about free will. We choose to believe God or to believe the circumstances. We have the faith of God inside of our re-born spirits because we are one spirit with Him. We choose His Word or the deceptions of the enemy, and He sees that as disobedience because He knows exactly what we’re capable of.

‘For as he thinks within himself, so he is.’ [Proverbs 23:7]

We are the deciding factor, the second witness. God has already decreed it and has rested from His works. [Hebrews 4:3,4,10]

It’s time to unite His Word with faith.

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Saturday, January 14, 2012

Broken

Most Christians are in one of two camps regarding Satan: either they think he doesn’t exist, or they believe him to be so strong that they have no hope of overcoming him.

But what does the Word say?

‘So it will be in that day, that his burden will be removed from your shoulders and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be broken because of fatness.’ [Isaiah 10:27]

"The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers which used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing strokes, which subdued the nations in anger with unrestrained persecution. [Isaiah 10:5,6]

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‘How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.

“Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit. Those who see you will gaze at you, they will ponder over you, saying, “Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world like a wilderness and overthrew its cities, who did not allow his prisoners to go home?”' [Isaiah 14:12-17]

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'Thus says the Lord GOD, "You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the ruby, the topaz and the diamond; the beryl, the onyx and the jasper; the lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; and the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, was in you. On the day that you were created they were prepared.

"You were the anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked in the midst of the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you.

"By the abundance of your trade You were internally filled with violence, and you sinned; therefore I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

"Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, that they may see you. By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries.

“Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you; it has consumed you, and I HAVE TURNED YOU TO ASHES on the earth in the eyes of all who see you. All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have become terrified and you will cease to be forever.”’ [Ezekiel 28:12-19]

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‘The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." And He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.

"Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and OVER ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY, and nothing will injure you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven."’ [Luke 10:17-20]

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‘You will tread upon the lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.’ [Psalm 91:13]

‘When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.’ [Colossians 2:15]

So What?
Why are these scriptures important for us to understand? Why are they relevant to our lives today?

First, we know from Hebrews 4 that God has already rested from His works, and from Ecclesiastes 3 that ‘that which is has been already and that which will be has already been.’

Second, because we’re one spirit with the Lord, His triumph is our triumph!

‘But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.’ [2 Corinthians 2:14]

"And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.” [Revelations 12:11]

‘But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.’ [Romans 8:37]

Is Satan a Bible fact? Absolutely. Is he a deceiver and a thief…a killer and destroyer? Yes, he is.

But he is defeated, ashes in the earth, stripped of power.

Broken.

Don’t let him forget it. He has no more power over you, and he knows that you have authority over him. Meditate on these things until they become revelation knowledge to you.

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Sunday, January 8, 2012

Pull Back The Curtain

We've talked at length about seeing the unseen on this blog...do a search and you'll find lots of articles here on the subject. Remember Hagar's well? How about the table set before us in the presence of our enemies? Elisha's armies?

All examples of pre-existing provision from Jehovah Jireh—the Lord Who Sees Ahead and Provides.

Faith
We know that faith is the substance of things hoped for [Hebrews 11:1]—we also know that faith is always in two places...the heart and the mouth. [Mark 11:22-24; Romans 10:9,10; Luke 6:45]

We see something in the Word and begin confess it into our lives. But I think we leave out the all-important step of seeing come to pass when we pray...seeing the unseen.

We know that God's Word is settled forever [Psalm 119:89] and that His works were finished from the foundation of the world. [Hebrews 4:3]

We also know that He has already given us the Kingdom [Luke 12:32] and that all things belong to us [1 Corinthians 3:21,22]. That every promise is already 'yes' in Christ [2 Corinthians 1:20] and that we are redeemed from the curse of the law [Galatians 3:13]

But when we go to pray [which includes the confession of God's Word into the earth...see James 5 and 1 Kings 17,18] I think many of us talk to an empty place. We believe in seeing the unseen, but only as a kind of involuntary vision...if we are lucky enough to get them!

We hope our prayers get answered, instead of believing they already are!

'And without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.' [Hebrews 11:6]

Folks, God WANTS us to use faith to bring His Kingdom into the earth!

'"Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven."' [Matthew 6:10]

He WANTS us to pray and say His Word, so He can watch over it TO PERFORM IT!!! [Jeremiah 1:12]

And He wants us to see the unseen...He told us to look at it! [2 Corinthians 4:18]

Engage
I believe that we are to engage our 'seer' on purpose. While we are praying [or saying], we are to watch the Word come to pass, on purpose, right then and there.

He changed Abram's name to Abraham—Father of Nations—while he was yet childless. [Genesis 17:5] He got Abraham to call into being that which does not exist, just like He does! [Romans 4:17]

But before He changed his name, He gave him the image of it coming to pass...

'And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be."' [Genesis 15:5]

So we see that God had Abraham use his imagination—his 'seer'—and his words!

Use the God-given gift of imagination to see WHILE we pray, to see WHILE we confess the Word! See, on purpose, what it will look like when the answer is manifested in the earth! Watch it happen in real time, in the Spirit, and it will come to pass in the natural.

I think that's called believing you receive when you pray...

What Would Jesus Do?
Jesus told us to talk to mountains, trees, storms, sick bodies...even dead bodies! He commanded physical things and they obeyed...even a donkey and a fish! Then He told us to do it, too!

In fact, He said we would do greater works than He did! [John 14:12]

We try and try...sometimes we get results, sometimes we don't. But as a Body, we don't seem to be operating even close to His level, let alone doing greater works!

I think the missing key may be the active, on-purpose, engaging of our ability to see the unseen. He told us to look at the unseen, so we must be able to. Surely we're all practiced enough in seeing the unseen bad stuff...it's called worry and fear! How about using that power for good?

I'm talking about visual prayer. Seeing what we say come to pass because He said it would [Mark 11:22-24; Matthew 17:20; Matthew 21:21]. Seeing our prayers answered because He said they would be. [John 14-17; 2 Corinthians 1:20]

'This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask ANYTHING according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we HAVE the requests which we have asked from Him.' [1 John 5:14,15]

Sanctified
The Holy Spirit, praying through Paul for us, prayed that the God of Peace would sanctify us entirely—cleanse, purify, separate and dedicate to God, perfect, complete in all respects. And I'm pretty sure His prayers got answered.

So receive your sanctification. Begin to use your imagination when you pray or when you confess the Word. See the unseen...watch it come to pass.

Read Visual Prayer, Think Like God, God is Faithful, Believe You Receive 2, Quantum Possibilities, The Power of Purpose

Saturday, January 7, 2012

If It Looks Impossible…[re-post]

If it looks impossible, it's a deception! An outright lie from the father of lies!

Why?

Because God has already said:

"ALL THINGS are possible to him who believes." [Mark 9:23]
"With people this is impossible, but with God ALL THINGS are possible." [Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27]
"The things that are impossible with people are possible with God." [Luke 18:27]
'And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will SAY to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and NOTHING will be impossible to you."' [Matthew 17:20]
"For nothing will be impossible with God." [Luke 1:37]
'For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are YES; therefore also through Him is our AMEN—so be it—to the GLORY OF GOD THROUGH US.' [2 Corinthians 1:20]
'But thanks be to God, who ALWAYS leads us in TRIUMPH in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.' [2 Corinthians 2:14]
'...ALL THINGS belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.' [1 Corinthians 3:22,23]
'He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us ALL THINGS?' [Romans 8:32]
"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom." [Luke 12:32]
'And Jesus answered saying to them, "Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you."' [Mark 11:22-24]
"Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me ANYTHING in My name, I will do it." [John 14:13,14]

So if it looks impossible, DON'T LOOK AT IT!

Huh?

Look at the unseen instead! The forever-settled, established-from-the-foundation-of-the-world WORD OF GOD.

'...while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.' [2 Corinthians 4:18]

I think that's what the Holy Spirit meant, in part, in Philippians 4:8...

'Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.'

Yes, we are to count our blessings...remember the good things God has already done as well as the good things in your life right now.

But, as there is no time or space in the Spirit and God has finished His works from the foundation of the world, you can meditate on the forever-settled Word as already accomplished in your life!

How do you see it? By faith!

'Now faith is the ASSURANCE—that which has actual existence, substance, real being—of things hoped for, the CONVICTION—proof—of things NOT SEEN.' [Hebrews 11:1]

Remember...'For as he thinks within himself, so he is.' [Proverbs 23:7] If you fall for the deception that something is impossible for you, it will be. Likewise, if you think it is possible, it will be, for you! Even if it appears to be impossible for others…

If you think it's already done, it is.

Isn’t that called denial? Maybe in the natural world of psychology and reasoning, but we are to live by faith! And faith sees what God sees…

That's why Satan uses deception—he knows he can get you to use your own power against you!

Don't let him do it!

Hallelujah.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Clothed, Crowned, Surrounded

Clothed
Did you know that we are clothed in the spirit?

‘…for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.’

Clothed with Christ! Right now! Seated in heavenly places in Him [Ephesians 2:6], one Spirit with the Lord [1 Corinthians 6:17], with the mind of Christ [1 Corinthians 2:16]. Strengthened with all power in the inner man. [Colossians 1:11], rooted and grounded in love and filled up to all the fullness of God. [Ephesians 3:17-19]

And that’s not all! According to Revelations, we are priests to God…

‘Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, And let Your godly ones sing for joy.’ [Psalm 132:9]

‘…let Your priests be clothed with salvation and let your godly ones rejoice in what is good.’ [2 Chronicles 6:41]

God is clothed, too…

‘Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty.’ [Psalm 104:1]

‘The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord has clothed and girded Himself with strength…’ [Psalm 93:1]

According to the Word, those who hate God are clothed with shame, dishonor and horror. Psalm 109:18 says he who loves cursing will be ‘…clothed with cursing as a garment.’

Think about it. In the spirit, we are clothed with Christ…clothed with righteousness and salvation.

Crowned
Not only clothed, but crowned!

‘”She Wisdom] will place on your head a garland of grace; she will present you with a crown of beauty."’ [Proverbs 4:9]

‘What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty!’ [Psalm 8:4,5]

‘Who [God] redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion…’ [Psalm 103:4]

‘For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD, You surround [or crown] him with favor as with a shield.’ [Psalm 5:12]

Surrounded
Surrounded, too!

‘For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD, You surround [or crown] him with favor as with a shield.’ [Psalm 5:12]

‘You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs [or shouts] of deliverance. Selah.’ [Psalm 32:7]

‘As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people From this time forth and forever.’ [Psalm 125:2]

‘The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear [or revere] Him. and rescues them.’ [Psalm 34:7]

Why Is This Important?
It is important to realize that we exist in more than one dimension.

Our bodies and natural circumstances demand so much of our attention that we tend to forget who we are, really. Jesus is the Word, and we are the Word multiplied [Acts 12:24], His Body in the earth.

Clothed with Christ, crowned with beauty, surrounded by shouts of deliverance!

And get this…according to Psalm 32:7, that’s God Who’s doing the shouting! He’s shouting our deliverance, and His Word is settled forever! [Psalm 119:89]

And He fully intends for His Word to accomplish what He sent it for!

‘So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth ; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.’ [Isaiah 55:11]

It’s important for us to know who we really are, so that we can do the greater works we we created for.
Hallelujah!