Merry Christmas...God Loves You!

I was in the unfortunate circumstance of having to brave the supermarket on the day before Christmas. I normally avoid this at all costs, but not this year.

I got my cart and wheeled into the fray. It was chaos...jaw-clenching, wild-eyed, fierce women with anxious children trailing behind. Everyone was rushing, rushing, rushing with that get-out-of-my-way-or-else look in their eyes.

Feeling a little testy myself, I plugged in The Three Tenors Christmas album. As the beautiful music filled my ears, I began to relax and really look at the people around me. And I started to feel the stirrings of Christmas! Impatience was replaced by what I can only describe as love! Surely this was not from me...I felt like Scrooge after he awakened from his dream. I was about a minute away from leaping in the air...and I am definitely NOT one to leap.

And when José Carreras, Plácido Domingo and  Luciano Pavarotti, in heavily accented English, began to sing Amazing Grace, I immediately understood evangelism. I wanted to jump up on the self-serv checkout and cry "God loves you! God loves you! Christmas is good news!"

I'm not talking about the angry, red-faced men screaming-about-hell type of evangelism, but the kind of evangelism where people just can't help telling others about Jesus.

Really, it was a transformational moment. I found myself wandering around the store with what I'm sure was a goofy, it's-a wonderful-life grin on my face. 

I had a great time at the supermarket on the day before Christmas. Of course, the Three Tenors helped. But mostly I think it was the Holy Spirit, whispering "I love you."

God so loved the world, so LOVED THE WORLD, that He GAVE His only Son. And He loves me! And He loves you, too!

Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!

Pragma

'Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.' [Hebrews 11:1 KJV]

Over the last couple of years, I've written several pieces on faith as the substance of things hoped for, focusing on the Greek word for substance, or hupostasis, as being that which has actual existence, a substance, real being. [See Substance, Pull Back the Curtain, Enter His Rest Today, What Faith Is, Tap the Power, If It Looks Impossible, Walk by Faith, You Can't Get What you Don't See, I Have It Now, Oh, I Get It! to mention a few]

Keeping that in mind, what's really interesting about this verse is the Greek word for things, or pragma. Obviously we get our word pragmatic from this word, meaning to deal with things sensibly and realistically.

But the Greek word pragma means that which HAS BEEN DONE, a deed or ACCOMPLISHED FACT; that which is being done or being accomplished; that WHICH EXISTS; a thing.

Sounds like Ecclesiastes to me.

'That which HAS BEEN is that which WILL BE, and that which HAS BEEN DONE is that which WILL BE DONE. So there is nothing new under the sun.

Is there anything of which one might say, "See this, it is new?" ALREADY IT HAS EXISTED FOR AGES WHICH WERE BEFORE US.' [Ecclesiastes 1:9,10]

'That which is has been already and that which will be HAS ALREADY BEEN...' [Ecclesiastes 3:15]

'Whatever exists has already been named...' [Ecclesiastes 6:10]

[See That Which Has Been Will Be]

Hebrews 4:3 tells us that His works were finished from the foundation of the world.

A thing is real. An accomplished fact or something that already exists is real. It's different than a want or dream or wish, which is usually how we interpret Hebrews 11:1, largely because of the word hope in the verse. But hope doesn't mean the thing or object of our hope doesn't exist! If our hope is based on the forever settled Word of God, it is real.

We've interpreted not seen as not being real. But we can't see God yet we know that He is real. We can't see Jesus yet know that He is real.

We can't see heavenly places but we're seated there in Christ just as real as we're sitting here in the earth.

Spiritual things are real. The well of Hagar or Isaac's ram or Elisha's army were real. They just weren't revealed to the natural eye. [See Pull Back the Curtain, The Quantum Table]

I was so busy looking at faith being the substance or title deed [AMP] that I didn't really pay attention to the what—the object of faith.

Pragma isn't the kind of thing we usually think of when we read this verse. We usually think of this kind of thing as something not real yet—it is, after all, not seen. So we just unconsciously translate that as some kind of hope or dream...a desire, maybe. A sort of oh-I-really-hope-I-can-get-this...

Pragma is an ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED thing, that which is already done, that which already exists, an accomplished fact. This verse is telling us that faith is the substance/title-deed/assurance of things that already exist!

Faith is the SUBSTANCE—that which has actual existence, a substance, real being—of THINGS—that which HAS BEEN DONE, a deed or ACCOMPLISHED FACT—hoped for, the EVIDENCE or proof of THINGS NOT SEEN.

'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]

Hallelujah!

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]
• He blessed with the blessings of Abraham [Galatians 3]
• He has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness through His promises [2 Peter 1:3,4]

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.

The Lesson [re-post]

I spent yesterday with an extremely negative person. Apart from leaving with a whopping headache and stress that took hours to release, I came away with some interesting observations.

First, I realized how connected we are. I woke up this morning still reeling from the stress, feeling darkly anxious and hopeless.

I also realized, once again, that we are only limited by our vision and our words. When we say 'I can't' it is because we see that we can't, and it prophesies that very thing.

I watched it happen! Every time she said she couldn't do it, she'd screw up and break down in frustration. This happened time and time again..."I can't do this" or "This isn't me" or "I hate this" coming to pass in real time.

I understood that this was her inner vision--the cell she created for herself by her own self image. She believed impossible—she saw impossible, she spoke impossible—and impossible came to pass. Living in a tiny box, walled in on every side by great walls of impossibility.

This friend is a Christian, so I tossed a couple of scriptures at her, sort of how one would toss a life preserver to a drowning man. "James says the tongue is the rudder of the body...all things are possible for her...God can do more than you even think according to the power that works in you..." etc. etc.

But she couldn't even see herself grasping for the life preserver. She just kept walking 'round and 'round in that little cell, building greater and greater walls with her mouth. Every time I spoke peace and possibility, she became angrier and more upset. She just wasn't having it.

The Lesson
Yesterday, I was angry at her. Angry at the years of so-called Christian teachings that left her powerless and frantic.

Today, I am filled with sadness. A sort of compassion turned inward.

The Father has told us, again and again, that all things are possible for us. [See Possibilities, Quantum Possibilities, Anything?, All Things—just search the blog, there's lots.]

Why don't we know this? I mean really know it? See it, say it, believe it?

We believe in the life and resurrection of Jesus? We believe that the Bible is the written Word of God...we believe that Moses split the Red Sea and that Sarah was rejuvenated in advanced years to bear Isaac. Why can't we believe that these types of impossibilities can be ours, as well?

Jesus told us to speak to trees and mountains, to heal the sick and raise the dead. We see Him, our Brother and examples, doing these very things. Walking away from out of control mobs set on killing Him, providing wine for a feast and money for taxes—and then He turns around and tell us to do greater works than these!

Because everything but the Word says it can't be done. Religion says it's passed away, culture mocks those who believe it, our own damaged self-speak say it couldn't be true for us.

But we are believers! And we can choose our beliefs! Believe the lie or believe the truth...

When we see that, in Christ, all things are possible to us, and say it, it becomes a prophetic utterance. Job 22:28 says 'Decree a thing and it will be established for you.' In reality, there is nothing that has been accomplished by anyone on earth that we cannot accomplish as well.

Learn the lesson. Choose life.

Think Like God

[A warning...this is a long one, but oh so good!]

I was whining to God a few days ago...why does it seem that one day, I'm full of faith, the next I'm down in the dumps, racked with anxiety and fear? Why can't I just be stable, full of faith, all the time? After all, I'm full of God—I'm one Spirit with the Lord, I have the Mind of Christ and I'm sanctified spirit, soul and body. What's the deal?

In a flash, I heard "You don't think like Me. You need to think like Me." [refer to related post Think Like Jesus]

I understood exactly what He meant. Right now I'm just overlaying things I see in the Word over my still unrenewed [stinkin'] thinking! The key is to make a conscious decision to make the paradigm shift...to think like God!

What???
Is this even possible? Are we supposed to? Isn't this heresy?

A couple of passages come immediately to mind:

'But just as it is written, "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him."

‘For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

‘For who among men knows the thought of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.

‘Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thought with spiritual words.

‘'But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

‘But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.

‘For who has know the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him: But we have the mind of Christ.' [1 Corinthians 2:9-16]

'...and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.' [Ephesians 4:23,24]

'Have this attitude [or mind] in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus...' [Ephesians 2:5]

‘As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. [1 John 2:27]

We are told in Romans 12:2 'And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you mayprove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

It would seem, then, that it is God's very purpose that we think like Him, to prove His good and acceptable and perfect will!

How then, do we think like God?

I'm convinced that the Mind of Christ is in the Spirit...it is not in our natural minds. Jesus said His words were spirit and truth—His mind, the will of God—all are contained in the Word and in the Spirit.

Obviously, God's thoughts are limitless. But I believe we can look at specific ways that He thinks and adopt them. Or, as Ephesians 5:1 says, 'Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.'

It is Finished
Jesus said it on the cross..."It is finished."

There are speculations as to exactly what He was referring to...the old covenant, the work of redemption for all mankind...possibly His immediate suffering and imminent triumph over satan. Maybe all three, maybe lots of other things that we haven't seen yet.

But God thinks this way too. Jesus is called the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world! [Revelation 13:8] From the foundation of the world, God's works were finished [Hebrews 4:3] and we were chosen in Him [Ephesians 1:4]. The kingdom was prepared for us from the foundation of the world! [Matthew 25:34]

"I am God, and there is no one like Me, 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 46:9,10]

I think this is what Jesus meant when He told us to believe we receive when we pray. In this same passage [Mark 11:22-24] He tells us to believe that what we say will happen and not to doubt in our hearts. In other words, it is finished when we speak it! Job 22:28 tells us to decree a thing and it is established—it does not say itmight be established—it will be established!

The Hebrew word amen has been transliterated into every language. That means the word and its original meaning has passed untouched into other languages. The original meaning of the word amen is so be it! Or, to put it in God-speak...it is finished!

God calls the end from the beginning. This is faith power undiluted—it is the power of 'it is finished,' seeing the end from the beginning. It's one powerful way that God thinks, and we are told to think this way as well.

But thinking this way requires a complete shift. If we just overlay these thoughts from time to time, reverting to unbelief and doubt when circumstances don't change immediately, we become what James describes as double-minded, unstable in all our ways, receiving nothing from the Lord! [James 1:6,7]

Love
God doesn't have love, He is Love! Therefore, His thought are thoughts of love.

1 Corinthians 13 tells us that it doesn't matter what we do, or don't do...without love, it means nothing. In other words, legalism [or the law] has been superseded by love.

Faith, or the spiritual power that brings spiritual things to pass in this natural world, works by love [Galatians]. That's why faith based on the wrong motives doesn't come to pass. God is love—therefore faith works by God!

God's thoughts are love thoughts. So if we are to think like Him, our thoughts must be love thoughts, too.

Mediate on 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. It describes love succinctly.

‘Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all thing, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails...'

Now we know that, in our spirits, we are one Spirit with Love...filled up to all the fullness of Love! Believe it, proclaim it over your life.

Think like God thinks! Think Love!

Beautiful Thoughts Only...No Ugliness Allowed
This is a no-brainer. Philippians 4 summarizes nicely...

‘Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 

‘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 4:4-9]

God thinks beauty...loveliness, health, wealth, peace, angelic protection, favor, power, wonder. No ugly thoughts allowed!

He created babies and sunsets and flowers...young love, the stars and moon...waterfalls and mountains...kittens and puppies! Friendship, families, kindness, goodness—all His creations.

I know we've been taught that He kills babies and destroy houses and burns down churches...the Christian-speak for this is 'His unsearchable will' or 'takes for His purpose' or 'sent to teach us' but let's call a spade a spade. John 10:10 says it all: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly [or have abundance]"

That's Jesus, telling us straight who's doing what. If it's beautiful, it's God. If it's ugly, it's the thief. 

Unfortunately, we're told from most pulpits that we can't ever understand His ways...which is directly opposite many scriptures that tell us Jesus is MADE unto us wisdom and that we have the mind of Christ. Or that wisdom accompanies righteousness [and we've been made the righteousness of Christ].

What's really interesting is that some those false beliefs come from 1 Corinthians 2:9-11...the 'eye has not seen' scripture. But IN THAT SAME CHAPTER there are a couple of  very big BUTs...

 'For to us God revealed them [the things not seen or heard] through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, EVEN THE DEPTHS OF GOD.' [1 Corinthians 2:10]

'For who has known the mind of of the Lord, that He will instruct him? But WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST.' [1 Corinthians 2:16]

Hmmm. 

All Things Are Possible, Nothing is Impossible
God thinks limitlessly, without restriction of any kind. Do a word search on the phrase 'all things' and you will be surprised how many times it appears in the Bible. He is an 'all things' God, and He told us that all things are possible for us, as well. [Mark 9:23]

Jesus said "And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." [Matthew 21:22] He expanded on this concept in John 14-17, repeating it several times in different ways, as if to a large group of slow learners. God doesn't think in impossibilities, only in all-things-possibilities. And we should, too.

In fact, the only restriction of any kind placed on New Testament believers is the law of love. Faith works by love, and it should be our only motive. Think like God—all things, all possibilities, all the time!

Power and Authority
God knows who He is. He thinks from a place of complete power and authority. Satan knows who He is, too...and he knows that he is completely defeated.

I've got news for you. Both God the Father and Satan the Adversary know who we are...we're the only ones who remain clueless.

They both know that we're in Christ Jesus, one Spirit with the Lord, strengthened with all power in our inner man. They both know that we have authority over all the power of the enemy. But as long as we don't know it, we're no threat to anyone!

God thinks power. Hebrews 13 says that Jesus upholds all things by the word of His power! Not by His power...just the word of His power! And He's in us, and we're in Him! 'You are from God, little children, and have overcome them [evil spirits, v. 1-3]; because greater is He Who is in us than he who is in the world.' [1 John 4:4]

Think power! Think authority! Think like God thinks!

Favor
God's will for us is favor. Favor is a big theme for God, particularly in the lives of the patriarchs. Noah found favor...and Joseph and Abraham and David and Solomon...this is obviously HIs will for His people. David said it wonderfully in Psalm 5:12: 'For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield."

We can tell by their lives that favor from God is a good thing. Every blessing, including favor with those in power.

God obviously believes that His own should have favor, with Himself and with others. Think like God...think favor!

No Doubt, No Fear
God doesn't doubt, and we are told not to doubt. Doubt is the anti-faith, and since faith is the spiritual force that accesses all things, doubt is not a God thought.

Some of us see doubt as an option, an intellectual choice. Others see it as some kind of internal thought pattern that we just can't help. Still others see it is our Christian duty...to be realistic, intelligent, rational. These are deceptions.

We see this clearly in Mark 11:23.

"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."

Got it? No doubt.

Fear isn't a God thought, either. There is no fear in love, and God is love. We are told throughout the Bible to 'fear not.' Why? Because fear has torment.

‘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.’ [I John 4:18]

Hebrews 10:14 tell us that by His one offering, He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified...so we know that we've been perfected in love in our spirits. Our reborn spirits are one with Love, so this must mean that if we fear, we are not perfected in love in our minds or in our flesh. We don't understand that we are perfected in love, and we don't understand the fullness of what that mean. So, we fear.

We fear, even though Jesus has already born the all of the punishment for every offense. We fear because we don't know what the love of God—true salvation—means.

Neither doubt nor fear are God thought...they shouldn't be your thoughts, either! 'As He is, so also are we in this world.' [1 John 4:17]

An aside here...in the Old Testament, we are instructed to fear the Lord. This word actually means to revere, or reverence Him. I wonder how it got translated this way? Hmmm...

The Creative Function of Words
God knows that words create. Wisdom is the sum of this one thought...read Proverbs 8.

He knows how the system works, and He told us how to work it. Read the entire book of Proverbs, the Psalms...and every other book, while you're at it! He knows that He created the physical earth through Words, and He told us in Proverbs that we create our life through words, too. Remember Job 22:28: 'Decree a thing and it will be established for you.'

Commanding physical reality by the power of words [the yad or hand of the mouth] is a God thought. For more background, read Yad, The Yad of God and The Yad of God 2.

Eternally
God thinks eternally. God knew, from before the foundations of the world, that He would make a covenant with Abraham to bless His descendants, both natural—the Jews, and spiritual—Christians.

So He placed a well in the desert so that when Hagar needed water for Ishmael, it was there...all the angel had to do was reveal it! SeeQuantum Possibilities and Believe You Receive 2.

He placed water in rocks for Abraham's descendants in the wilderness so that when Moses struck them water would flow. He knew that, in Christ, all things belonged to us, richly to enjoy! They are already there, waiting to be revealed. How are they revealed? When we use the power or hand of our mouths to bring them from the spiritual plane into natural existence.

Everything is made by and for Him—Jesus, and we are one Spirit with Him, His body in the earth. All things are possible to us when we believe—they are standing at attention, our servants, waiting to be commanded.

This is why Jesus was always so bold—He did nothing in secret! His boldness and authority came from His thinking like God!!

He told His disciples He needed a room for Passover, and He told them to go and get it. He knew it was there, because someone built it for Him, because He knew His words were eternal, both backwards and forward. He knew every need was already met, and that when He gave the word it would be manifested!

What about the colt He rode into Jerusalem on on Palm Sunday? In Matthew 21, He tells His disciples...

"Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them, and immediately he will send them."

'This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: "Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'Behold your King is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'"

This is a prime example of God calling the end from the beginning. He knew from the foundation of the world, where Jesus was slain as a lamb for the redemption of mankind, that He would need a donkey to enter into Jerusalem on. And, in the words of Captain Picard [Star Trek, the Next Generation], He declared "Make it so!"

[Well, to be technically accurate, Picard was quoting God...the Hebrew word Amen means 'so be it.' I just threw that in for any trekkies that might be reading this.]

So, we see that this need was met before the foundation of the world. He had the prophet Zechariah speak it into the natural, to get the ball rolling, so to speak. Once again, He is thinking eternally...calling the end from the beginning!

He looked across the ages and saw a man who would 1) have the donkey and colt, and 2) give it to Jesus without question. [He probably saw lots of men with donkeys, but knew which one would obey...yikes! I don't even want to go there...]

In fact, Jesus fulfilled all of the Old Covenant! Every spoken or written word of the first covenant was fulfilled in Jesus, and then, in us! Jesus was the Word—all of it! And we are the Word multiplied! Romans 8:4 says that '...the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit!'

We know that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law [Galatians 3:13,14] so that we might receive the blessings of Abraham! In other words, He bore the curse that came with breaking the law, so we could have all the blessings! All the blessings, no curse! 2 Corinthians 1:20 puts it this way: '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.'

Please note: this verse does not say, 'sometimes the answer is no.'

What is the glory of God? The heaviness of His goodness...honor, abundance, riches, splendor, dignity. His glory is all things, given to us richly to enjoy!

In fact, the first use of the word 'glory' in Genesis meant physical wealth!

To sum it up, God thinks eternally—all things, all the time. Every need, every desire, already met from before the foundation of the world. Isaiah had a lot to say about this, but no where more beautifully than in chapter 25, verse 1:

O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to your name; for You have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness. [Isaiah 25:1]

God had Zechariah declare it for Jesus, and Jesus has declared wonderful things to be fulfilled in, by and for us! Read John 14-17 and then put it into this eternal perspective! Read all of Ephesians and Colossians, and Romans and I John...read ALL of it! It has been declared for us that nothing shall be impossible for us! That we should speak to trees and mountains and wind and they will obey us! Hallelujah!

Think eternally! [Read Keys of the Kingdom]

Holiness
God thinks holy...He is holy. Holy means sacred, set apart, sanctified, undefiled by sin, free from wickedness.

We know God is holy and we are not. Some of us try really hard to be holy, while others don't want anything to do with holiness because they think they won't be allowed to have any fun and will have to dress weird.

Listen to this...we are referred to repeatedly as His saints. The Greek word Hagios means saint...a most holy one.

We are the most holy ones of a most Holy God! Not just kinda holy, or the least holy...His most holy ones And I don't even have any weird clothes from the 1800s!

God thinks of us as His most holy ones. Think like God, about yourself and about your brothers and sisters.

Are We Done Yet?
Probably not, but I need to stop. The moral of the story—think like God. It's His will, and it is wisdom. Remember, Jesus became to us wisdom from God [1 Corinthians 1:30] and the anointing we have from Him teaches us ALL THINGS [1 John 2:20,27]

Partakers of the Divine Nature

We've all heard lots of teaching about 2 Peter 2:3-4, most of it good—there's really no bad way to translate this passage. Read if for yourself:

'Grace and peace by multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His Divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him Who called us by [to] His own glory and excellence. For by [through which] these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the Divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.'

In fact, there's so much here that it's hard to know where to start!

Grace
Grace, or charis [Gr] means good will, lovingkindness, favor. We usually hear it taught as 'unmerited favor,' meaning that, before we are reborn into the family of God, it is unmerited.

After, of course, we are One Spirit with the Lord, the Body of Christ. And He deserves everything.

Peace
Peace, or eirene [Gr] means many things. From a personal nature, these are the most relevant...security, safety, prosperity, felicity.

Remember—Peter was a Hebrew, which meant that the word 'peace' to him meant shalom [Heb]. As we've seen in earlier articles, shalom means the following:

• completeness
• soundness
• welfare
• peace
• safety
• health
• prosperity
• quiet
• tranquillity
• contentment
• friendship of human relationships with God, especially in covenant relationship
• peace (from war)

It is unlikely that Peter thought in Greek. When he said 'peace' he was thinking in Hebrew, no matter how many languages his writings were translated from/into. 

Multiply
Plethuno [Gr], meaning to increase, or multiply.

So far, this is pretty wonderful! God's good will, lovingkindness and favor, and His shalom peace—completeness, soundness in every area of life—increasing in our lives!

How do we access all of this wonderfulness? In the [true] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord!

Read on...

His Divine Power
'Seeing that HIS Divine power...

Let's stop here for a minute. Power, or dunamis [Gr], means miracle-working power, strength, ability, even the the power and influence which belong to riches and wealth, or power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts. This is BIG power, the power of God Himself! Colossians 1:11 says that we've been strengthened with ALL very miracle-working power! 

And this Divine power '...has granted [past tense] to us everything pertaining to life and godliness...'

Everything, or pas [Gr], meaning each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything.

Life—zoe [Gr]—the life of God, or the absolute fulness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God.

How has this marvelous wonder been granted to us? '...through the true knowledge of Him who called us by [to] His own glory and excellence.'

Glory
These wonders have already been granted to us, and we access them through the knowledge of Him Who called us to His own glory and excellence! We're called to glory, and not just any glory...His OWN glory!

Sounds great...what exactly is the glory of God?

The Greek word is doxa, which means a lot of things...

• opinion, judgment, view
• opinion, estimate, whether good or bad concerning someone
• in the NT always a good opinion concerning one, resulting in praise, honour, and glory
• splendour, brightness, of the moon, sun, stars; magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, grace
• majesty
• a thing belonging to God
• the kingly majesty which belongs to him as supreme ruler, majesty in the sense of the absolute perfection of the deity
• a thing belonging to Christ
• the kingly majesty of the Messiah
• the absolutely perfect inward or personal excellency of Christ
• the majesty of the angels as apparent in their exterior brightness
• a most glorious condition, most exalted state, of that condition with God the Father in heaven to which Christ was raised after he had achieved his work on earth
• the glorious condition of blessedness into which is appointed and promised that true Christians shall enter after their Saviour's return from heaven

And of course, all of the things that glory means are too wonderful for us to comprehend with our minds. These things must be perceived with our reborn spirits, which are one with the Lord. Called to glory...

But wait, we haven't even gotten to the good part yet!

Precious and Magnificent Promises
'For by [literally through which...which what? Through these—His own glory and excellence, or virtue] He has granted to us His PRECIOUS and MAGNIFICENT PROMISES so that by them [the promises] you may become partakers of the Divine nature...' [2 Peter 1:4]

He has granted us, THROUGH HIS OWN GLORY AND EXCELLENCE, precious and magnificent promises, by which we become partakers of the Divine nature.

PARTAKERS of the DIVINE NATURE! Yes, you read it correctly, right from the scripture. Through the wonderful promises He has already granted us, we become partakers of the Divine nature.

Called to His glory—His Divine power has granted us a way to partake of His Divine nature—through the knowledge of Him and through His Divine promises.

What promises? Pick one...they're all magnificent and precious, and they all belong to us! 2 Corinthians 1:20 tells us '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.' And, good news for us...there are no curses attached to these promises, as there were in the Old Covenant. Jesus bore all of the curse of the law for us! [see Galatians 3]

[A small digression...Amen is a great word. Transliterated directly from the Hebrew into Greek, it probably had no real Greek meaning of it's own until it was used in the New Testament. Paul, in this instance, was a Hebrew speaker and scholar, and would have surely thought 'Amen' in the Hebrew sense, which means 'so be it.' So be it...it is done.]

It's True...
Yes, we're partakers of the Divine nature—not a sin nature, barely excused from hell, but one Spirit with the Lord! We died with Christ and were made alive with Him: He is the only Spirit in these earthen vessels, and He has come with the through the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. [John 14:16-24]

Get over all the old false doctrines that explain how worthless we are. We were purchased, redeemed, with a great price, recreated in the very image and nature of God.

See it, confess it. It's who you are in Christ.

Read One Spirit with the Lord

One With The Word

1 Corinthians 6:17 states that we are One Spirit with the Lord, and we've seen in the last article, One [more], that we're One Spirit with the Father as well.

But according the Bible, Jesus is The Word, and we're the Word multiplied! [John 1, Acts 12:24]

Back to our math example...if a = b and b = c, then a = c.

So if we're One with the Lord, and Jesus is the Word, we're ONE WITH THE WORD!

I can't stand it!!

Let's see what The Word has to say about The Word...

'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

'And the WORD became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. [John 1:1-3, 14]

This is good...remember, eternity is not only forward, it's backwards, too, because there is no time in eternity! Ephesians 1 says we were chosen IN HIM before the foundation of the world, and Colossians 1:16 says all things were created by Him...by the Word of God!

Were we in Him when He made the world? I really think we were...

An interesting aside...in John 1, He is the only begotten of the Father, but after His resurrection, all who believe on Him are born of God, born again of the imperishable seed which is the living and enduring WORD of God. [1 Peter 1:23]

He is the Firstborn of many brethren [Romans 8:29] and the Firstborn from the dead. [Colossians 1:18]

We are called the Church of the Firstborn. [Hebrews 12:23]

He is the Word, the Firstborn, and we are One Spirit with Him!

Of course, He's still the only begotten of the Father, because we are ONE WITH HIM!! We're in Him and He is in us...one.

Hallelujah! One with the WORD!!

Read One [more], One, One Spirit With The Lord, God Isn't Holding Back.

You Can't Get What You Don't See...

I was begging God to do something for me that I know He has already done. But, like a lot of us, I wasn't seeing it. In fact, all I could see was the exact opposite—the worst possible outcome. So I started whining...

And I heard, pretty clearly, "You can't get what you don't see..."

My immediate response was, of course, "Show me in the Word."

I didn't hear anything right away, so I though "Hah! No Bible proof, I'm not biting."

About five minutes later, I SAW Hagar and her well, Abraham and Isaac's ram, Elisha's angelic army...they were all REVEALED! These things were already there, in the spiritual realm, but were revealed before they could be received and used.

How do I know they were already there? Because He has rested from His works! He has cut covenants, both Old and New, and part of those covenants is provision. In fact, one of His Names is Jehovah Jireh, the One Who sees ahead and provides!

I knew immediately that He was answering me, showing me the proof that I had requested.

Why, oh why do I doubt Him?

I'm sure He's asking the same question...

Revealed 
I've written many articles on this blog about the unseen realm of the Spirit. We've seen in the prophets of the Old Covenant that they would SEE a word...the Holy Spirit speaks in both Word and pictures. I guess He's equally left- and right-brained!

His works were finished from the foundation of the world...why? Because there is no time in the Spirit...He is eternal, both forward and back. Actually, that's a linear comparison...I think it's really more circular than flat, or more like a 3D sphere.

And we know that Quantum Physics is proving all of this.

God spoke and it was created...all of it, not just Genesis 1! It's ALL already there, including us, seated in heavenly places, with Satan under our feet!! Hallelujah!

But we must know it to lay hold on it. Not just a mental nod to the Word, but a knowing that sees the invisible reality.

'...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]

'Now faith is the assurance—actual existence—of things hoped for, the conviction—proof—of things NOT SEEN.' [Hebrews 11:1,author's notes from Greek Lexicon]

'By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.' [Hebrews 11:3]

'By faith Noah, being warned by God about things NOT YET SEEN, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.' [Hebrews 11:7]

Notice that in Hebrews 11:7, the flood was a thing not yet seen...it did not say that it hadn't happened yet! I know this is a brain wrencher, but stay with me.

The eternal things are not seen...that does not mean that they do not exist! How else could Hebrews 4:3 says that God has rested from His works? How else could things not seen be revealed?

In fact, we are told plainly to look at the things which are NOT seen...

'...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 [for a season, enduring only for a while, temporary], but the things which are NOT SEEN are eternal.'

Eternal—without beginning and end, that which ALWAYS has been and ALWAYS will be; NEVER TO CEASE, everlasting.

Not only is God eternal, His forever settled Word is eternal...

HALLELUJAH!

Abraham 
Think about Abram...an old man with an old, barren wife. God told him he would be the Father of Nations...then He SHOWED him the stars in the night sky and told him that's how many children he would have. He also used another visual metaphor, telling Abram that his children would be as numerous as the sand.

Abraham believed God...he believed the vision God gave him, and that faith became the substance...the reality...of Isaac, and all future generations of Jews and Christians!

And Jesus...
What about Jesus? What did He have to say about it?

'Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He SEES the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and SHOWS Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel." [John 5:19,20]

And us... 
God has revealed things to us, too, by the Holy Spirit.

'...but just as it is written, "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED for those who love Him." For to us God REVEALED them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. [1 Cor 2:9,10]

Did you see it? These things—these ALL THINGS—are ALREADY PREPARED for us by God! And He reveals them by His Spirit! Just as He revealed the well for Hagar and Ishmael!

To reveal means to make (previously unknown or secret information) known to others; to cause or allow (something) to be seen. I can't stand it!

Remember, the kingdom of God is within you...the kingdom that the Father has ALREADY given us!

'How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion!' [Psalm 84:5]

'The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.' [Luke 6:45]

One of my favorite verses is Colossians 2:3...

'...in whom [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.'

And He is in us, and we are in Him.

And then of course there's 2 Corinthians 1:20!

'For AS MANY as are the promises of God, IN HIM THEY ARE YES; therefore also through Him is the AMEN to the GLORY OF GOD through us.'

So pick a promise. ANY promise. Close your eyes and SEE it coming to pass in your life. Lay hold of your inheritance—1 Corinthians 3 tells us it all belongs to us, anyway!

And don't forget...

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen GLADLY to give you the kingdom."

Yes, those words are in RED—spoken by Jesus. He SPOKE them, just like He SPOKE "Let light be; and light IS" [Young's Literal Translation, Genesis 1:3]

Hallelujah!

One Spirit With The Lord

We are one Spirit with the Lord, we have the mind of Christ, we are clothed with Him in baptism, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, we are joint-heirs with Jesus. These are all scriptural facts.

Jesus said in John 14:23 "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and my Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him."

Then, in verse 26, He explains how this will be done: "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." He brings the word to our remembrance, so that we can keep it.

In other words, if we love Jesus and keep His word, we become the abiding place for the Trinity!

Ephesians 3:16-21 describes this in greater detail—the Father strengthens us with power in our inner man through His Spirit—this power is from His riches in glory. This power enables Christ to dwell in our hearts through faith, and allows us to be rooted and grounded in love.

Referring to John 14, this must mean that the Holy Spirit empowers us to love God and to keep the word. We will then come to a place where we can know, in all dimensions, the love of Christ, and be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Verse 20 reiterates how this is to be done—through the power that works within us! And verse 16 states that this power comes from the rich treasury of His glory [AMP] through the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit living within us is the Spirit of God joined to our recreated, reborn spirit—we are an expression of the Godhead in flesh form, just as Jesus was!

And the whole Body of Christ comprises the fullness of God! Therefore we are together a living organism, designed to work together as the fullness of God in the earth, enforcing satan's defeat and putting him under our feet.

More Than We Ask Or Think
Verse 20 says that The Father can do more than we can ask or think...infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts hopes or dreams [AMP] through this power that works within us! Verse 21 tells us why He will do this—that the Father may be glorified in the Church [which is the Body of] and in Christ Jesus.

When we begin to walk in unity, in victory, enforcing satan's defeat through the power of the Holy Spirit, God will be glorified. He is not glorified through strife and defeat!

Ephesians 3:10-12 tells us the purpose of the church clearly:

'...in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.'

Ephesians 6:12 explains that our struggle is against these very rulers and powers in the heavenly places—however, in chapter 2 verse 6, it is emphatically stated that we are seated with Jesus in heavenly places. Ephesians 1:21,22 describe that as being

'...far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.'

Ruling Class
So it is clear that we were created before the foundations of the world to be the instrument to enforce satan’s defeat. We do this in union with God, empowered by His Spirit, seated in a position of authority and conquest. We are to exercise that authority over the defeated enemy, thus putting him under the feet of Jesus [under our feet, because we are seated with Him, and are His body].

Psalm 110:1-3 prophesies this very scenario—Jesus ruling from and through Zion! Ephesians 1:10 states that we were chosen '...with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth.'

We are to administrate the conquest of satan and his army in heavenly places and here on the earth! Knowing this is essential to victorious living—I John 5:4 says 'For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.' Since we know from Hebrew 11:1 that faith is '...the assurance [the confirmation, the title-deed] of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality—faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses.' [AMP]

We must believe that these things are true, that they are ours, and that faith in the spiritual reality of reigning in life through Christ is what brings about our victory! I John 4:4 says 'You are from God, little children, and have [past tense, meaning already] overcome them [evil spirits] because greater is He who is in you that he who is in the world.'

Who We Are
Individually, we are also the temple of the Holy Spirit—one Spirit with the Lord, with the mind of Christ, clothed with Him in baptism, the temple of the Holy Spirit—joint-heirs with Jesus. John 14:23 is written for individual believers, while Ephesians 3 is written to the Body as a whole.

But for the Body to function properly, individual believers must first be walking in the fulness of God and in the victory of Jesus, or Body unity and victory will never be a reality. Just as our physical bodies are given life through the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead, so it is with the Body of Christ [Body of the Anointed].

I John 4:17 says '...as He is, so are we in this world' and refers to the risen Jesus—we have died and been raised with Him and have already been recreated! Verse 16 of that same chapter states '...God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.'

Colossians 2:9,10 says 'For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority' We are in Him, and He is us, both individually and collectively as the Body of Christ.

Once we begin to understand, individually and collectively, that victory for us and for Him in the world has been God's plan from the start, we can have confidence in our position in Jesus. In Genesis 22:17, God tells Abraham that his seed will possess the gate of their enemies—in Galatians 3:16,He explains that the 'seed' is singular, not referring to the many natural offspring of Abraham, but to Jesus and His Body. Verse 29 reinforces that thought: 'And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.'

We are each one the singular seed of Abraham, because we have been '...created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand, that we should walk in them.' [Ephesians 2:10] Our work is to possess the gates of our enemies—to do victory on satan individually and collectively until he is completely under the feet of Jesus.

Then the end will come.

It Is Finished
However, we must understand this: these things are already accomplished. Jesus' defeat of satan was complete—we are taking back the natural world from him in the name of that defeat, and it will happen because God said it would.

We have already inherited the world—the last will and testament of Jesus says so. David was prophesying future events when he said '...the humble will inherit the land, and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.' [Psalm 37:11]

When we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, He will exalt us. [I Peter 5:6] True spiritual humility is not 

 in the dirt before God—He created us in His image, as creatures of dominion. True humility is simply the act of doing what Adam did not—believing God and obeying Him—choosing His ways over our own or over the devil's!

And in doing that, we are exalted to be joint-heirs with Jesus, children of the Most High God, seated at His right hand in Christ Jesus, reigning in life through Him. 

Hallelujah!