Good Treasure

"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]

"The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your WORDS you will be justified, and by your WORDS you will be condemned." [Matthew 12:35-37]

'...in whom [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.' [Colossians 2:3]

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom." [Luke 12:32]

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

'For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst—within you, inside.' [Luke 17:21]'How BLESSED is the man whose strength is in You, in whose HEART are the HIGHWAYS TO ZION!' [Psalm 84:5]

'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...' [Colossians 2:9,10]

'But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves...' [2 Corinthians 4:7]

'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]

'...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]

'Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.' [Psalm 37:4]*

Oh, this is REALLY good...
The treasure is ALREADY WITHIN YOU!!! Everything you need or desire is ALREADY IN YOU!

Get it? Can you see it? Read the scriptures above again—carefully, slowly and out loud.

The literal translation of Matthew 12:35 is '...brings out of his good treasure GOOD THINGS...out of his evil treasure EVIL THINGS...'

And [you will REALLY like this] the Greek word in both Luke 6 and Matthew 12 for 'treasure' is thesauros—STOREHOUSE, REPOSITORY, TREASURY!!!

You have a treasury, a storehouse, in your reborn, one-Spirit-with-the Lord spirit...AND IT'S THE SAME STOREHOUSE THAT BELONGS TO JESUS! We are His fellow or joint heirs! The Greek word here for 'joint' is sugkleronomos—one who obtains something assigned to himself WITH OTHERS, a joint participant!

I'm typing myself happy!

But how...
When we accept the sacrifice of Jesus for us, the Bible clearly teaches that we die and are reborn, one Spirit with the Lord. We exist in two planes—here on the earth and seated in Christ in heavenly places, at God's right hand and far above all rule and authority and name that is named.

Not only have we been rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of His Beloved Son, His kingdom is within us! In our hearts are the highways to Zion! Hallelujah!

He is in us, and we are in Him...and in Him are ALL THE TREASURES OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE! [Colossians 2:3]

It's already inside of your reborn spirit!

And how do you get it from your spirit into the earth?

By your mouth! Proverbs 13:2 says 'From the fruit of a man's mouth HE ENJOYS GOOD...'

"The good man out of the good TREASURE—treasury, repository—of his heart BRINGS FORTH WHAT IS GOOD—GOOD THINGS; 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]

The treasure—all things—are already in your reborn spirit. Every blessing, every promise.

'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]

You bring it forth from your storehouse by your mouth.

__________________________________________
*For those of you who have heard sermons about why this verse doesn't really mean what it says, that it's an isolated scripture, blah blah woof woof, read Desire...you will like it!

Watching Over His Word

Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven. [Psalm 119:89]

'Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it."' [Jeremiah 1:12]

"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]

Put these verses together and you get WOW!!

First, the Hebrew word translated word in all three of these verse isdabar...which means both word and thing! God's word is the thing He intends it to be when it comes out of His mouth! [Hint: read Genesis 1...]

We also know from Hebrews 4 that God's works were finished from the foundation of the earth, and that He has, in fact, rested from His works.

Put all of this together and you can see what Isaiah saw in 40:8...'The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.'

His Word stands forever...and by the way, the word word in this verse is dabar, too! Word, thing...all the same to God!

Past or Present...I'm Confused
What's really interesting is that, even though His Word is settled forever and His works are finished from the foundation of the world, in both Isaiah 55:11 and Jeremiah 1:12, He uses an active present tense to describe His watchfulness over His Word or thing. What does this mean?

The key is in the two passages in the Gospels where Jesus gave us the power to bind [forbid] and loose [allow]. He said what you bind/loose [present tense] on earth shall have been bound/loosed [past perfect] in heaven. [Matthew 16,18]

These are quantum verses! They demonstrate the time lag between what's already finished in heaven and what is coming to pass in real time in the earth.

Earth is time-bound because of the reality of her physical nature. She orbits the sun, producing repetitive seasons; she rotates on an axis, producing repetitive days. In this physical plane, or reality, time exists.

But heaven is a different plane of existence! We see the two planes intersect often in the Bible, the curtain pulled back for a moment...Hagar's well, Jacob's ladder of angels, Elisha's heavenly army, the mountain of transfiguration and so forth. We see the heavenly realm exposed on a grand scale in the book of Revelation.

And in that place, on that plane of existence, God's works are finished and He has entered His rest! In that place, His Word is settled forever...in that place, we are already seated with Him in Christ Jesus! [Ephesians 2:6]

That's Great, But I Live on Earth...
Not exactly. As Christians, we exist on two planes. We live in a physical, time-bound, earth-based body; earthen vessel, temple of God, etc.

But in heaven, we exist in Jesus, seated at the right hand of God The Father!

The Father is watching His Word to perform it in the earth, because it's already finished in heaven. It is settled forever, and that's a fact...but it is coming to pass in the earth, and He has promised that it would not return to Him without accomplishing what He desires and without SUCCEEDING in the matter for which He sent it!

God said that His Word is His desire and that it WILL succeed in the matter for which He sent it. Hallelujah!

A Tale of Two Cities
So here we are, on earth, and in heaven, at the same time. His Word for us—every promise—is already accomplished in heaven. And, we have the promise of 2 Corinthians 1:20 in the earth: 'For as many as are the promises of God, in Him [Jesus] they are yes...'

In heaven, you are already healed, rich, perfect, according to His precious and magnificent promises. In the earth, He is watching over His Word—His thing, His promise—to perform it. But how?

The how is how He accomplished everything else in the earth...He had people speak His word and it came to pass in the earth.

One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 68:11,12.

'The Lord gives the command; the women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host: "Kings of armies flee, they flee, And she who remains at home will divide the spoil!"'

Get the picture. The men have gone out to fight...the Lord gives the command, or word, of victory to the women, and the women proclaim it! And they become a great host--a great, strong, abundant army behind the army! Talk about the woman behind the man! They proclaim—announce or preach—the word, and it comes to pass through the physical actions of the men fighting!

So much for the great debate about women preachers! Ha!

We see this again and again...we call it fulfilled prophecy, but in layman's terms, it's really simple. God says a word [thing], man speaks it into the earth and it comes to pass.

Good News
The good news is that this doesn't just work on the grand scale of prophetic history. It works every day, individually and corporately, in the lives of men and women who will obey and speak—announce or proclaim—His Word into the earth!

For example, He said in Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24 that by His stripes—His scourging or wounds—we were healed. First, this is already settled in heaven, already finished. Second, He is watching over that Word to perform it in the earth.

What's our part? To speak it out! To proclaim or announce it into the physical earth to bring to pass what is clearly His will! Jesus prayed "Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." [Matthew 6:10]

The Greek word for done in this passage is ginomai, which means to come to pass or to be made or finished! He intends for His Word—ALL OF IT—to be finished in the earth as it is already finished in heaven!

Start speaking His Word over your life today. Walk in the victory of His finished work, on earth as it is in heaven.

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.

Waiting for God?

We've all been there. We've prayed, visualized, confessed and watched. And nothing happened. We then move into the 'waiting for God' phase, where we try to convince ourselves that it's 'just around the corner.'

Now, the longer the 'waiting' phase, the more we are subjected to doubt and unbelief. Which, of course, degrades our faith connection to the very thing we're waiting for.

Sound like a vicious cycle? It is, and it has nothing to do with God!

It's Already Yours
The issue seems to be that we're waiting for God to act, when Hebrews 4:3,4 tells us that His works are finished from the foundation of the world—He has in fact rested from His works! In Jesus, He completed everything, and you've been made complete in Him. [Colossians 2:9,10]

And He's given us all things richly to enjoy! [1 Timothy 6:17]

It's like Hagar's well...her provision was there already because of God's covenant with Abraham! It wasn't a matter of her waiting for it—the angel revealed to her that it was there all along! [ref Quantum Table, Believe You Receive 2]

We're told to see the unseen and believe we receive when we pray. We know that God's word is settled forever [Psalm 119:89] and that we are one Spirit with the Lord [1 Corinthians 6:17]. We are His joint-heir, in reality—we need to develop the eyes of our heart to see that all things belong to us already! 

Shift Your Paradigm...
This is a major paradigm shift for most, if not all Christians. We've been beaten down by false doctrines for so long it's almost impossible to wrap our minds around what the Word really says about who we are and how we are to live in this natural world.

Nevertheless, truth is truth and lies are lies. We are not poor, powerless nothings but mighty sons and daughters of God—one Spirit with Him, filled with God, strengthened with all power in our inner man!

We must develop the consciousness of Jesus—He knew that His prayers were answered, that physical things would obey Him, that He was One with the Father. Once He said it, that was it...no question that it was an accomplished fact.

He functioned from the answer, from the victory...from the finished reality. He knew that speaking the end from the beginning brings it from the realm of the Spirit into the natural world. He knew that eternity was not linear and that whatever God has spoken already existed in it's finished state.

Read John 14-17. Jesus reiterates time and time again..."Ask what you will and it will be done by My Father in Heaven." Give thanks for answered prayer in your life—see it as already finished, already yours—and enter into the joy of the Lord!

That Which Has Been Will Be...

A few months ago, I came across some wild, quantum verses is Ecclesiastes...

'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]

'I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear [be in awe before] Him. That which is has been already and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by.' [Ecclesiastes 3:14,15]

'Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with Him who is stronger than he is.' [Ecclesiastes 6:10]

The writer, Solomon, was the wisest man on the earth in his time. Although He was not born again, He had an anointing for wisdom from God. When reading Ecclesiastes, one gets the feeling that the author sees something but can't quite explain it...like he's got it right on the tip of his tongue but can't quite get it out.

From these passages it seems likely that he is seeing eternity and trying to describe it from a human point of view. It comes across a little like the concept of fixed destiny, or 'whatever will be, will be.'

But if there's one thing we know about God, He is a respecter of the free will of man. So what can this mean?

Seeing the End From the Beginning
I believe Solomon was seeing eternity and trying to put it in a linear, human perspective. What he was really seeing was what Paul describes in Hebrews 4:3, '...although His works were finished from the foundation of the world' and again in 4:10—'For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.'

God was showing him things from His point of view. In eternity, everything is already complete, not because of some locked-in, fatalistic destiny, but because time is not linear in eternity. Time is bound to the physical earth, dependent on the earth's cycles around the sun as well as her daily rotations. But in that other plane of existence, the realm of the Spirit, everything is already complete.

But it's not complete in a 'your-destiny-is-predetermined-by-God-so-why-fight-it' kind of way. It's just already happened and He can see the end from the beginning. He knows what you're going to do before you do it...if you change your mind, He sees that too! He sees the finished work, whatever you decide that will be.

Yes, His plan is also complete, finished, from before the foundation of the world. In Numbers 14:21 He says "...indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord." His works were finished from the foundation of the world [Hebrews 4:3] and He has already rested from His works [Hebrews 4:10] His plan is complete...whether you have chosen to fulfill your role in it or not. If you choose not to participate, it will get done some other way, but make no mistake about it, it is finished.

Forever Settled
Psalm 118:89 states 'Forever, O Lord, Your Word is settled in heaven.' Isaiah 40:8 puts it this way: 'The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.'

Why is this good news? Because He said, eternally, that by His stripes, we were healed! [Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24] He said, eternally, that the well-being of our children would be great, that they would be taught of the Lord! [Isaiah 54:13] He said, eternally, that there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! [Romans 8:1]

He even said, eternally, that all things belong to us, and we belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God! [1 Corinthians 3:22,23]

Everything He has ever said is summed up in Jesus, The Word Who became flesh, forever—for us, to us, through us!

Jesus died once for your sin [1 Peter 3:18]—the ones you've already committed, the ones you're about to commit, and the ones you'll commit 20 years from now. That sacrifice is eternal—the sprinkled blood that speaks forever! [Hebrews 12:24] And He died for all—the saved, the about-to-be-saved, and those who will not receive Him. All is all, not only in quantitative measure, but in comprehensive, eternal reality.

Keys of the Kingdom
"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." [Matthew 16:19]

I always wondered about the tenses in this verse. The phrase 'shall have been' is a future perfect tense in Greek and stumped me, until I understood the implications from a Quantum Physics point of view.

Einstein is often quoted as saying 'Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.' We know that there is much discussion about the past, present and future residing in parallel, and that there is no time or space in the Spirit.

I think Jesus was confirming this. What we bind [or forbid] on earth shall have been bound [already] in heaven...what we loose [or allow] on earth shall have been bound [already] in heaven. These are definitely quantum ideas.

What does it mean? Well, consider this: we're already seated with Him in heavenly places [Ephesians 2:6]; we've already been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ [Ephesians 1:3]; and His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. [2 Peter 1:3]

Plus, we know that His works were finished from before the foundation of the world. From a quantum perspective, He told us to reign in life, and whatever that takes, He has already backed. It's sort of a quantum blank check...whatever it takes to perfom His word in our lives on the earth has already been accomplished in heaven! Hallelujah!!

The Eternal Perspective
God declares Himself to be I AM. In specific instances, He would follow that with a relevant attribute of His...I AM the One Who sees ahead and provides, I AM the Lord your righteousness, I AM the Lord your healer, etc.

Notice that He IS, eternally, in the present tense. In the ages before, HE IS. In the ages to come, HE IS. Not was, or will be...HE IS! And we are One with Him, in Him, and He's in us! Zoe—the life of God!

That which is has been already and that which will be has already been...As He said in Isaiah 55:11, "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." In the Spirit, His Word—His commands or decrees—have already returned to Him fulfilled, because they are His Word. Every promise is fulfilled for you, now, according to 2 Corinthians 1:20. Even the seemingly far-fetched words that tell us to speak to inanimate physical objects like trees and mountains that they should obey us!

Believe God. Believe the Word. It is finished.

Speak from Rest

I heard, very clearly, "You can only speak from rest."
Hebrews 4:3 says 'We who have believed enter that rest...'
What is that rest, exactly? It is the finished work of Jesus Christ...payment for every sin, healing for every disease, victory for every challenge in life, every promise of God 'yes and amen' in Him.
And what's really interesting is that Jesus was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world! [Revelations 13:8] His finished work occurred in the Spirit before the world was created!
Hebrews 4:3 also says God's own works were finished from the foundation of the world...His plan of redemption for man, Jesus the sacrificial Lamb, slain before the foundation of the world in the Spirit.
Why? So that we may receive the ABUNDANCE of GRACE and the GIFT of RIGHTEOUSNESS to reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ! [Romans 5:17]
1 Corinthians 6:17 tells us plainly that we are one Spirit with the Lord—Paul says we were crucified with Christ, buried with Him in baptism, raised up together with Him and seated with Him in heavenly places! [Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 2; Colossians 2]
In fact, it was God's doing to place us in Him [Jesus], Who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption! [1 Corinthians 1:30]
So that place of rest is in the finished work of Jesus Christ and in our unity with Him. Once we truly understand the grace of God that has made us the righteousness of God in Him, we can speak with true power and authority. Created to reign in life through Jesus Christ.
Hallelujah!

Encouraging Words

These are wonderful, marvelous, encouraging scriptures. You'll get the most from them if you read them in your own Bible...I've got them all bookmarked in the Bible on my phone. All are New American Standard unless noted. They are wonderful to meditate and confess.

'For it is You Who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround 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 [shouts] of deliverance.' [Psalm 32:7]

'The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear [revere] Him, and rescues them.' [Psalm 34:7]

"No man will be able to stand before you al the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you. I will not fail you or forsake you." [Joshua 1:5]

'I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears...the righteous cry, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles...Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all...' [Psalm 34:4,17,19]

'For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.' [Proverb 3:26]

'The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; but then who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.' [Psalm 34:10]

'God is to us a God of deliverances; and to God the Lord belong escapes from death.' [Psalm 68:20]

'Your way was in the sea and Your paths in the mighty waters, and Your footprints may not be known.' [Psalm 77:19]

'For you have made the Lord, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent. For He will give His angels charge concerning you to guard you in all your ways.' [Psalm 91:9-11]

"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with the righteous right hand. Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored; those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish." [Isaiah 41:10,11]

'But you will be called the priests of the Lord; you will be spoken of as ministers of our God. You will eat the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, and instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, everlasting joy will be theirs.' [Isaiah 61:6,7] 

"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 if going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, bleieve that you have received them, and they will be granted you. Whenever you stand praying forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father Who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgression." [Mark 11:22-25]

'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? But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him Who loved us.' [Romans 8:31,32,37]

"All things are possible to him who believes." [Mark 9:23]

"No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me," declares the Lord. [Isaiah 54:17]

'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]

'As He is, so are we in this world…' [I John 4:17]

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” [John 16:33]

'Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.' [Romans 15:13]

'Now the God of Peace, Who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus or Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to Whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.' [Hebrews 13:20,21]

'Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”—in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.' [Galatians 3:13,14]
Reference Deuteronomy 28:15-68 for some examples of the curse...v.1-14 outlines some of the blessings

'…the joy of the Lord is your strength.' [Nehemiah 8:10]

'How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! The are ever praising You. [Psalms 84:4]

'How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion! Passing through the valley of Baca [weeping] they make it a spring; the early rain also covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength, every one of the appears before God in Zion...For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.' [Psalm 84:4-7,11]

'But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.' [1 Corinthians 6:17]

'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]

'Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.' [Ephesians 1:2-4]

'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, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.' [Ephesians 2:4-7]

'For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hears through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

‘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 3:14-21]

'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 know 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 lovely, whatever is of good repute, if worthy of praise, dwell [ponder] 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 2:4-8]

'For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. [Colossians 1:9-12]

'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.' [Hebrews 4:3] Referring to those in unbelief in Hebrews 3:16-4:2

Eternal You

We have such a limited view of spiritual reality...a sort of spiritual tunnel vision, if you will. Yes, man was separated from God by his own doing, but Jesus came that we might be reunited with Him. That's the story of the Gospel!

'For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.' [Romans 8:28,30]

He foreknew us! Ephesians 1:4 says '...just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.'

Chosen before the foundation of the world! Foreknown! That's more then seeing us through the ages and predicting that we would come to Him...He knew us, before the foundation of the world! We existed then, we exist now, we exist forever on Mt. Zion. [Hebrews 12:22-24]

These are amazing, quantum thoughts, straight from the heart of God! 2 Timothy 1:9 says that His purpose and grace was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity...not for all eternity, but from all eternity! 1 Peter 1:1,2 puts it this way '...who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father...'

He knew us from old; therefore, we existed from old. In Christ, from before the foundation of the world. We are with Him in Revelations and from before the foundation of the world....we are eternal beings, living for a time in these earthen vessels.

In fact, the Greek word for 'eternal' is aionios—without beginning and end, THAT WHICH ALWAYS HAS BEEN AND ALWAYS WILL BE, never to cease, everlasting. Not just forward, as we tend to think, but backward, too. All things now, now, now. 

Read the book of Ecclesiastes. That which will be, has been.

Or Hebrews 4...God has RESTED FROM HIS WORKS.

Brain cramp.

Who Knew? 
If these things are true, and since they are straight from the Word, they must be, why do we have such limited knowledge? It seems as if we are awake to only a small portion of our lives, eternity, the reality of God and who we are in Christ.

I think this must be what the Holy Spirit was saying in Ephesians 5:13, 14...'But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, "Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

When we allow the light of God's Word to shine into our thinking, the realities of the Kingdom are revealed. We can lay aside all preconceived notions and limitations and finally step into our calling—to reign in life through the One, Christ Jesus.

It's Time 
It's time to lay aside our darkened thinking, to renew our minds to the realities of God's will for us. Time to step into His glorious light and realize that we live in two realms of existence...ambassadors in the earth, citizens of Heaven, one Spirit with the Lord. Living here while seated in heavenly places in Christ. Foreknown from the foundation of the earth, with Him at the final trumpet of Revelations. Eternal, one with Him, full of His glory.

And to really bake your brain...

'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.' [1 John 4:17]

Yes, you read it right. Not only are we living in eternity, now, in the earth and in heavenly places, but we are LIKE HIM, as He is, now, IN THIS WORLD.

Hallelujah!!

Visual Prayer

We are told to have faith in God using our hearts to believe and our mouths to speak.

"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]

This is one of Jesus' most quoted passages, but how do you actually do it? What does it really mean to believe you receive?

Seeing the Unseen
Believing you receive is seeing your request as already accomplished from the minute you ask. By using your God-given gift of imagination, you can see the unseen—the promises of God as already fulfilled in your life. If God said it, you can have it...so go ahead and see it as yours!

The world calls this visualization and many successful people credit its use for their amazing accomplishments. Athletes, musicians and business people alike testify to the power of visualizing their accomplishments as the key to their success—many studies have been done to document the impact of visualization on outcomes of various types.

But what is it, really, and how does it relate to the Christian's desire to live by faith?

Imagination is an innate, God-built-in capability that all men and women have. Children do it naturally, but as we grow we are taught to 'be realistic.' We are told to 'grow up' and 'get real,' and rationality is touted as the only reasonable approach to life.

Unfortunately, rationality limits us to our natural abilities. We can only go as far as we are smart, or beautiful, or talented, or rich, or educated, or strong. Our success is checked by how fast we can run or who we know.

But this is man's way, not God's way and is at the very heart of humanism. God's way is supernatural, spiritual, quantum and infinitely abundant.

The Key
Our imagination is the key to seeing into this other, miraculous realm of abundant blessing.

I think part of the reason that we lay aside this marvelous gift is that we see our children doing it. We see them at play, becoming the play, and we encourage their imagination as part of the learning process. But what we don't understand is that it was not given to us to pretend we are Batman when we are 7...that is simply the training wheels stage of our development!

It is given to us to see the unseen—to believe we receive when we pray. It is the key to using our faith to access the things freely given to us by God. I Corinthians 2:12 says '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...'

We know these things—these all things—by the Spirit of God! They are in the spiritual realm, and we access them by faith—by believing in our hearts and speaking with our mouths.

But how do we believe in our hearts? How do we believe we receive?

Be the Ball
It is this amazing ability—the ability to see the unseen, to imagine—that is the key. When we are praying—talking with our Father—we can train ourselves to see the answer from the request. Seeing the end from the beginning, based on the promises of God. Watching it unfold, feeling the joy of accomplishment, living and being in the state of answered prayer from the place of prayer...this is having faith in God and in His Word.

Granted, it may not be easy at first, particularly if you have prided yourself in your own rationality. We tend to get caught up in the 'hows'...how can it be, how will it ever happen, etc. But here's a secret...the Holy Spirit is there, within you, to help you! That's what I Corinthians 2:12 is saying—you don't have to do it alone! In fact, you, as a reborn man or woman, have not only the natural gift of imagination but the supernatural power and help of the indwelling Holy Spirit!

So maybe the first thing you believe is your ability to pray visually. To see yourself at prayer, seeing the unseen, receiving what you desire or need, in accordance with the word of God.

Remember...all the promises of God are 'yes' in Christ! [2 Corinthians 1:20]

Possibilities
This is how "All things are possible to him who believes" [Mark 9:23] takes on real meaning in our lives. Yes, we glibly quote this, usually to others who are struggling, or to ourselves when we face obstacles. But how many are really living examples of this magnificent promise? Unfortunately, to see real people living this way, we need to look to those in the world who have mastered the art of visualization to accomplish great feats. Why is that? Why is that we, spiritual offspring of The Most High God, have to look outside the Kingdom to see people living the promises that belong to us?

I don't really think it is a coincidence. The Church has been hoodwinked, once again, into giving up her power, both collectively and individually. We're beaten down by rationality and political correctness, made to feel stupid when we attempt to live by our faith, jeered at as simple-minded and archaic. Yet these same accusers tout New Age techniques, chief among these being the power of visualization, the channeling of spirits and the quantum theories of parallel universes, the observer effect and the manifestation of physical things! Hello...?? Sound familiar?

The Holy Spirit, writing through Paul, instructs us to lay aside every encumbrance that entangles us [Hebrews 12:1]...to lay aside the old self and be renewed in the spirit of our minds—to put on the new self, created in righteousness and holiness of the truth [Ephesians 4:22-24]. In another passage, He writes 'For this reason it says, "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you."' [Ephesians 5:14]

In other words, wake up and smell the coffee! Stop being robbed! See the possibilities—all of the 'all things' possibilities—of Kingdom living! Stop listening to the world! Train yourselves to pray visually, believing you receive when you pray. Use the tools you were born with, supernaturally enhanced by the Holy Spirit, to receive the things—the 'all things'—given to you by your Father.

Joy
Jesus explained that joy is the result of answered prayer.

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you...These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full." [John 15: 7,11]

"Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full." [John 16:24]

'Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.' [Romans 15:13]

David said 'In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.' [Psalm 16:11]

Joy is the result of answered prayer—and your prayer is already answered, in Christ. When you can see that, and experience the feeling of the prayer already answered, imagine your joyful response to its manifestation in the natural, you have believed you received. Speak it, thank God for it...it is done!

[Related posts Believe You Receive, Believe You Receive 2], The Quantum Table, The Quantum Table 2, Let's Pretend, Pull Back the Curtain, Pragma, Quantum Possibilities]

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 becamerighteousness 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

Related Posts 
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What Are The Giants Saying To You 
The Purpose of Fear 
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The Purpose of Fear 4 
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