Pull Back the Curtain

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

Or the temptation of Jesus...or the transfiguration, with Moses and Elijah?

Then there's the entire book of Revelation!

All examples of seeing the invisible that already exists...pre-existing provision from Jehovah Jireh—the Lord Who Sees Ahead and Provides.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bless Yourself!

Did you know that you can bless yourself?

Since the Old Testament was written in Hebrew and from an Eastern, Hebrew point of view, let's look at some different translations of Isaiah 65:16...

"Thus someone on earth who blesses himself will bless himself by the God of truth, and someone on earth who swears an oath will swear by the God of truth; for past troubles will be forgotten, hidden from my eyes." [The Complete Jewish Bible]

"So that he who blesses himself in the eretz [land] shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he who swears in the eretz [land] shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from my eyes." [Hebrew Names Bible]

"So that he who is blessing himself in the earth, doth bless himself In the God of faithfulness, and he who is swearing in the earth, doth swear by the God of faithfulness, because the former distresses have been forgotten, and because they have been hid from Mine eyes." [Young’s Literal Translation]

“Those who pronounce a blessing in the land will do so by the God called AMEN; those who make a solemn pledge in the land will do so by the God called AMEN. Past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my sight.” [Common English Bible]

This is interesting. Even the KJV and NKJV translate it this way:

"That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes." [King James Version]

"So that he who blesses himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; And he who swears in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hidden from My eyes." [New King James Version]

Can this be true? Can we bless ourselves?

Jabez
Consider the now famous prayer of Jabez...

"Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!" And God granted him what he requested." [1 Chronicles 4:10]

How do we bless ourselves in the earth?

A blessing is always spoken, or declared, commanded [as is a curse, interestingly enough]. We tend to think only of the result of a blessing or curse as the blessing or curse itself—what we see in the earth. But it always starts with words. God speaks blessings into the earth through people, and we see the patriarchs blessing their children, especially in the Old Covenant.

Psalm 91 is a great example of this. The writer, Moses, says ‘I will SAY to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in Whom I trust!” [Psalm 91:2]

That’s the blessing. The result of the blessing is the rest of Psalm 91…angelic protection, deliverance, honor and long life!

We sing Joel 3:10 as a song, but it really is an example of a spoken self-blessing.

‘…Let the weak SAY “I am a mighty man.’” [Joel 3:10]

The Hebrew word for say in Joel 3:10 is ajar…to say, speak, command, intend.

Deuteronomy 28:8 says “The Lord will COMMAND the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you.” The Hebrew word for command here is a different word, tsavah…to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, order, appoint or commission.

So we see that the spoken blessing is actually a command!

Jesus told us to BELIEVE that what we say happens…

“Truly [AMEN] 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.” [Mark 11:23]

And He calls this having faith in God! [Mark 11:22]

So go ahead…bless yourself in the earth with the good promises of God! Remember, ‘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.”

Hallelujah!

Hold The Mirror Up!

Look in the mirror, what do you see? You see what you really look like, which often surprises us, because we thought we looked different. You know, you thought you looked great when you left the house...you felt good...then you pass a mirror and are brought back to reality...not so much!

Who are we, really? The person we think we are, with the limitations we’ve come to live with over the years, or the strengths we think we have? You know...”I’m a good writer, but not so good with math” or “I could never be/do [fill in the blank]...it’s just not me. But I am really good with [fill in the blank].”

The physical person? Beautiful or plain, fat or slim...is that who we are?

We forget that we were crucified with Christ, buried with Him in baptism, raised up together with Him and seated with Him in heavenly places. [Colossians 2:11,12, Ephesians 2:4-6]

We forget that were One Spirit with the Lord...that He gave us His glory, the glory the Father gave Him! [John 17] Now we’ve all heard sermons about how the glory is not for us, and based in the Old Covenant, that is true. God’s glory is not for unregenerate man...but in the New Covenant, we are reborn—we receive God’s own Spirit and His glory! As the temple of old was filled with His glory, so we are in the earth...His temple, filled with His glory.

Jesus put it like this: “THE GLORY WHICH YOU HAVE GIVEN ME I HAVE GIVEN TO THEM, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, EVEN AS YOU HAVE LOVED ME.” [John 17:22,23]

Yes, those words are in red, my friend. 

Transformed

Okay, let’s talk about transformation.

‘But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as IN A MIRROR the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.’ [2 Corinthians 3:18]

A mirror reflects back the image of the one looking into it...in this case, we are looking not at a natural reflection but a spiritual one. Instead of seeing our natural, familiar visage, we see the glory of the Lord! But IT’S A REFLECTION!! A reflection of the One within, and the more we take time to behold it, the more we are transformed outwardly into His image!

Remember, we've been crucified with Christ—we died and Jesus was born within! So our spirit is really One with Him!

 ‘For those whom He foreknew, He [God] also predestined to become CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren...’ [Romans 8:29]

At first, it will be like looking in the mirror and seeing someone else. But keep looking at the glory of the Lord within—meditate on it—and soon it will begin the process of transformation.

Prove it…

Romans 12 tells us not to be conformed to this world, but to ‘be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may PROVE what the will of God is, that which is GOOD and ACCEPTABLE and PERFECT.’ [Please note that your children dying early of some satanic disease is none of those things...]

So we must be transformed to prove the good will of God in our lives.

How do we do that? We look in the mirror at the glory of God within and we renew our minds to that fact. We are one Spirit with the Lord and we are full of His glory. We stare at the truth of God’s perfect law of liberty and don’t look away [James 1:25].

How does that work, exactly? I’m glad you asked.

When faced with an impossible situation, pick up the mirror—the perfect law of liberty, the reality of rebirth, the truth of being made the righteousness of God in Him, the fact of being one Spirit with Him—and see who you really are. 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…’

The phrase ‘made complete’ in this verse is the Greek word pleroo—the fill up to the full, to fill to the top so nothing shall be wanting, to full measure, to cause to abound, to supply liberally, to make complete IN EVERY PARTICULAR, TO RENDER PERFECT!

Are you limited in any way or are all thing possible for you? Are you lacking in anything or do all things belong to you? Are you insufficient for any task or does the Greater One live in you? Are you separate from God or are you one Spirit with the Lord? These are ALL verses, people…spoken by the Holy Spirit to us.

PICK UP THE MIRROR—the Word of God, and particularly the epistles—and see who you really are! Victorious, triumphant, healed, delivered, rich—the righteousness of God in Christ, blessed with Abraham the Believer—redeemed from the curse of the Law! Partaker of the Divine nature, filled up to all the fullness of God! Yes, those are ALL verses!

Here’s the trick...NOT forgetting who you are when you lay the mirror down. Jesus is the Firstborn of Many Brethren and you are one of those brethren...a member of a new race, the redeemed of the Lord, one Spirit with Him! AS HE IS SO ALSO ARE YOU IN THIS WORLD!!! Look at Jesus…that’s what the Father sees when He looks at you.

Hallelujah!

Let The Redeemed of The Lord Say So 2

If you've been a Christian for any time at all, you've heard 'Let the redeemed of the Lord say so...', usually in the context of speaking the Word and His finished work.

And that is valid. But let's have a closer look at the verse in it's entirety and in context.

'Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary.' [Psalm 107:1,2]

What the Holy Spirit is telling us to say, specifically, is 'Thank you, Lord, for You are good, Your lovingkindness—Your goodness, kindness, faithfulness, mercy—is everlasting! You have redeemed me from the hand of the adversary—the enemy, oppressor, foe!'

Confess His Word
Now, part of this is confessing His goodness, mercy, faithfulness and deliverance by confessing His Word...here's a good start!

I have been made the righteousness of God in Christ. I am one Spirit with the Lord—He and the Father dwell in me by the Holy Spirit

 I am a new creation in Christ—old things have passed away, all things have become new

 I am redeemed from the curse of the law...

• from being oppressed and robbed continually
• from being oppressed and crushed continually
• from being the tail and not the head
• from dread of heart
• from lack and poverty
• from miserable and chronic sickness

And the blessings of the Law are mine...

• I am the head and not the tail
• I am blessed going out and coming in
• I serve the Lord for the abundance of all things
• Everything I touch prospers
• I am far from oppression for I do not fear
• All things belong to me—I prosper and am in health as my soul prospers
• Jesus has been made unto me wisdom—therefore riches, honor and long life are mine
• No weapon formed against me or mine shall prosper, but every tongue that accuses us in judgement I will condemn
• No evil befalls me, the evil one touches me not
• I will see my children's children
• I leave an inheritance to my children's children

 My children are blessed of the Lord...

• Their well-being [shalom] is great
• They are taught of the Lord
• They are delivered from all things
• They are mighty in the land—all who see them say 'Surely they are the offspring blessed of the Lord'
• Because we have made God our refuge, they are protected by angels...no evil—no accident or sickness—befalls them, the evil one touches them not
• They are 10 times better than their peers in every branch of literature and wisdom

You get the idea. You ARE the redeemed—the purchased back ones from the hand of the oppressor—of the Lord, so speak out His everlasting lovingkindness! Hallelujah!

 

You Are The Second Witness

This is good...

'...on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.' [Deuteronomy 19:15]

The Hebrew word for matter here is our old friend dabar...defined as speech, word, speaking, thing, something. Both a word and a thing...because words are things!
Who are the two witnesses?
One is the forever settled, eternal Word of God. The second is your word...you either agree or you don't.
God spoke and it was created. Not just in Genesis...ALL OF THE WORD! Think about the prophets...God had already spoken and His works already finished. But there had to be a confirming witness to bring it into the earth.
For any dabar—Hebrew for word/thing—to be established there must be a confirming witness...that's us!
Consider this:

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death,the blessing and the curse. SO CHOOSE LIFE in order that you may live, you and your descendants..." [Deuteronomy 30:19]

And this...

'Grace and peace be 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 His own glory and excellence. For by 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.' [2 Peter 1:2-4]

He gave us His Word so that we could partake of His nature! We are born again, of imperishable seed, which is the living and enduring Word of God. [1 Peter 1:23]
How are you born again? By believing in your heart and CONFESSING WITH YOUR MOUTH! [Romans 10:10] You were the second witness!
AND YOU ONLY HAD TO DO IT ONCE!!!
In fact, this is exactly what Jesus was doing when He prayed the Lord's prayer..."Your will be done IN EARTH as it is in heaven..."
Mary, too, when she told Gabriel "Be it done to me according to your word."
What about this scripture?

'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]

The Hebrew word Amen means surely, so be it, may it be fulfilled. It is the confirming word...the confirming witness!
His witness...His Word, His promises, confirmed by our Amen, to become YES in the earth and give Him glory.
Get Started
Here are a few great and wonderful Words to confirm, out loud, in your life...

• All things belong to me, I belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God.
• I can do all things IN Christ Who strengthens me
• All things are possible for me because I believe
• By His scourging I AM HEALED
• Every obstacle has been removed from my path
• Every promise of God is YES and AMEN—SO BE IT, IT IS FULFILLED—in Him
• The blessing of Abraham has come upon me in Christ Jesus...I am redeemed from the curse of the Law
• My children are mighty in the earth...they are taught of the Lord and their well-being...SHALOM...is great!
• I am surrounded by FAVOR as a shield
• Jesus has become TO ME wisdom...the anointing which I have teaches me all things
• Psalm 91, Psalm 23

Et cetera...you get the idea. Find wonderful promises in the Word and speak them out!
Set your purpose to be the second witness to His magnificent promises in your life today.
Hallelujah!

He Commanded

'Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all stars of light! Praise Him, highest heavens, and the waters that are above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the LORD, FOR HE COMMANDED AND THEY WERE CREATED. He has also ESTABLISHED THEM FOREVER AND EVER; He has made a DECREE which will not pass away.' [Psalm 148:1-6]

He commanded all things into being by His Word.

John 1:1-3 puts it this way:

'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.' [John 1:1-3]

And of course, there's Colossians 1:16...

'For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.'

Okay, so we know that Jesus is the WORD and that all things were made by or through and for Him.

We also know, from Psalm 148, that when God gives a command or decree, things are created and established forever. One very big example of this is the first couple of chapters of Genesis. He spoke and it was, period.

We also know, from Psalm 119:89 and Isaiah 40:8 that His Word is settled—stands—forever.

What Does That Have To Do With Me?
I'm glad you asked.

Remember 2 Corinthians 1:20?

'For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are YES; therefore also through Him if our AMEN [so it is, so be it] to the glory of God THROUGH us.'

Hallelujah!

What about 1 Corinthians 3:21-23?

'For all things belong to you...all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.'

Or Galatians 3:29?

'And if you belong to Christ, then you Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.'

What exactly was that promise? The he would be heir of the world! [Romans 4:13] And we know from Romans 8:17 that we are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ!

This Will Cramp Your Brain...
Get this. God has already rested from His works, according to Hebrews 4:3. And what He has commanded or decreed has already been created!

His Word stands forever!

The 'all things' that belong to us have been created by command, before the foundation of the world, just like "Let there be light!"

We may not be able to see them with our natural eyes, but like Hagar's well, Isaac's ram and Elisha's army, they are there, none the less.

The Bible says that the Lord REVEALED the well to Hagar. It was there already, He did not create it at the moment of need! He was Jehovah Jireh, the One Who Sees Ahead and Provides!

Elisha prayed that his servant's eyes might be opened, that he might SEE the army encircling them.

And we are told, specifically, to LOOK at the eternal things which are NOT SEEN. [2 Corinthians 4:18]

Decreed
So, the Word that says whatever we ask of the Father in the Name of Jesus, He will give it to us has been decreed and stands forever, just like the decrees in Genesis 1.

Or, the Word that says He will give us our hearts desire is already established forever in the spiritual realm of the unseen.

How about the Word that says 'by His scourging we are healed?' Or the command that angels have been given charge to guard us in all our ways?

What about the promise of great wealth in our houses, or Wisdom filling our treasuries—our bank accounts— with wealth? Or the promise that the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous?

Okay, Okay...But What About The Here And Now?
I can hear you thinking out there...why? Because I've thought the very same thing.

Great. Everything belongs to me, I'm healed, I'm rich, angels protect me. But if it's all in the spirit realm, what good does it do me here where I live?

Read You Are The Second Witness. As demonstrated through the Prophets of old, God's Word must be spoken in the earth for it to come to pass. He gave authority in the earth to man [male and female] and man reigns by his tongue, for good or evil. Remember, life and death is in the power [or hand] of the tongue! [Proverbs 18:21]

In other words, you take it by faith, just as you took the New Birth.

But what does it say? "The WORD is near you, in your MOUTH and in your HEART"—that is, the WORD of faith which we are preaching, that if you CONFESS with your MOUTH Jesus as Lord, and BELIEVE in your HEART that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the HEART a person BELIEVES, resulting in righteousness, and with the MOUTH he CONFESSES, resulting in salvation. [Romans 10:8-10]

Sounds a lot like Mark 11:22-24, right?

'And JESUS answered saying to them, "Have faith in God. TRULY I say to you, whoever SAYS to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his HEART, but BELIEVES that WHAT HE SAYS IS GOING TO HAPPEN, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, ALL THINGS for which you pray and ask, BELIEVE that you have RECEIVED them, and they will be granted you."'

This is JESUS speaking here! He is telling us how things work, because HE IS WORD! He was there, according to John 1, Proverbs 8 and Colossians 1, an integral part of the creation process! And now, according to Hebrews 1, He is UPHOLDING ALL THINGS BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER!

[sorry for screaming, I just can't help it...]

See It, Believe It, Say It
So, much to the chagrin of the majority of preachers out there, the Bible method of taking what God has already provided seems to be the spoken word of faith.

First, you see it in the Word and believe that it exists and that it is for you, now. Then you agree with God...decree a thing it will be established. [Job 22:28]

He said it first and it was created. You say it into the earth and it is revealed in the natural realm.

Hallelujah!

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 is dabar...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 see it as done—finished—and speak it out! To proclaim or announce it into the physical earth to bring to pass what is clearly His finished will! Jesus prayed "Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." [Matthew 6:10] And don't forget 'For as many as are the promises of God, IN HIM THEY ARE YES; therefor also through Him is our AMEN—so be it—to the GLORY OF GOD through us.' [2 Corinthians 1:20, comments mine]

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 seeing His work as finished and speaking it over your life today. Walk in the victory of His finished work, on earth as it is in heaven. Hallelujah!

Deceived!

It hit me today, after a morning fighting various negative emotions, that I was full of God.

Yes, full of God, one Spirit with the Lord.

What then, is the problem? If the promises of God are 'yes' in Him, and I am in Him and He in me, and I've been told to reign in life with my words...what exactly is the problem?

And it became clear...'For as he thinks within himself, so he is...' [Proverbs 23:7]

The factor that rips the scale is how I think about things. I'm full of God and He told me that nothing would be impossible for me...everything already belongs to me and I'm supposed to be blessed—the head and not the tail!

But if I believe that a situation or circumstance is, in fact, impossible, it will never be otherwise for me. Others may believe and succeed, but unless and until I believe a thing to be possible for me, it never will be.

So all my time spent meditation on the worst...dreading the future, worrying endlessly...just keeps my faith from manifesting God's best blessings in my life.

If I agree with Him, His Word, in both my thoughts and words, they must come to pass. But if I continue to fight against them in my thought life—become one of the ten rather than one of the two, I will stay stuck in this wilderness even thought it's not His will.

“God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.” [Psalm 68:6]

For many years I pondered this verse, believing that it did not apply to me…I was not rebellious but had accepted God’s plan of redemption in Jesus. Yet I knew I was dwelling in a parched land!

Today it all came into focus.

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

Now I've written a lot about this verse, but it seems to fit hand-in-glove with Proverbs 23:7

We are all in the exact same situation as the 12 spies in Numbers 13! We either believe God, with Caleb and Joshua, or we believe the natural, physical circumstance…with the other 10 unbelievers! And like both groups, we either enter into the promises of God or die in the wilderness!

And make no mistake about it…this is a reasoning issue. We can either see the unseen, as we are instructed to in 2 Corinthians 4, which is the unfailing, unchangeable Word of God, or we look at the seen…the natural circumstance.

We’re are told, quite plainly, not to be deceived…

'Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren, EVERY GOOD THING GIVEN and EVERY PERFECT GIFT IS FROM ABOVE, coming down from the Father of lights, with Whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.' [James 1:16,17]

What could possibly be the deception we’re being warned about? Obviously, from the context, it’s the heresy that God could or would cause us evil of any kind…sickness, lack, accident, death.

Consider John 10:10…

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” [John 10:10] 

Now, that’s pretty plain, pretty definitive. Or Psalm 91…that’s another pretty clear description of God’s plan for us…

‘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. They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and cobra, the young lion and the serpent you will trample down. 

“Because he has loved Me, therefore I WILL deliver him; I WILL set him securely on high, because he has known My name. He will call upon Me, and I WILL answer him; I WILL be with him in trouble; I WILL rescue him and honor him.

 "With a long life I WILL satisfy him and let him see My salvation." [Psalm 91:10-16]

Notice the “I WILL…” time and time again. THIS IS HIS WILL! Make no mistake about it. And it’s very definitive, very resolute. Kind of like I AM, but in promise form.

Who Could Know?
Let’s face it…all of the really outstanding miracles in the Bible are not events that anyone could have logically foreseen. The Israelites obviously couldn’t foresee any of God’s provisional miracles for them…all they did was whine and complain. Doubters and realists, save a few.

But He had promised deliverance…deliverance and the Promised Land. The best of everything!

All they had to do was believe Him! Could they have known He would split the Red Sea, or drown the world’s most powerful army to keep them safe? Could they have figured out that He was going to feed them manna from heaven, or water from a rock? Or feed Elijah by ravens? Or pay taxes from a fish?

And a Messiah from a young Jewish virgin, born under Roman domination…really?

Let’s face it…these are not solutions one would normally expect, in the natural.

That’s why we need to stop trying to figure out how He’s going to do what He said He’d do and just believe that He will do it, because He said He would! Just because we can't figure out how doesn't mean He can't perform His Word!

He said “Light, be!” and light was. Same with everything else He said. Every word, every prophecy, every promise. His work, finished before the foundation of the world. [Hebrews 4:3]

So look at the unseen. Be a Joshua, or a Caleb. Don't side with the losers, and don’t be deceived. And don't worry about the how...just focus on His promise...NO WORD SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE!! [Luke 1:37]

Hallelujah!

Jesus: Quantum Master

Did Jesus live easy or hard?

Think about that for a moment. We know the crucifixion was hard—a diabolical, horrible death. But we also know that submitting Himself to that death was His choice, as there were several attempts on His life before that appointed time when He just turned and walked away, unharmed. They did not kill Him...He exercised the power of life and death, which is in the tongue [Proverbs 18:21]

'And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into Your hands I COMMIT MY SPIRIT." Having said this, He breathed His last.' [Luke 23:46]

"For this reason the Father loves Me, because I LAY DOWN MY LIFE so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." [John 10:17]

Even the very first attempt on His life came to nought. Herod sought to kill Him as a baby but couldn't. As an adult, murderous mobs tried to throw Him off cliffs and stone Him...the Bible reports that He either turned and walked away or 'hid Himself.' During one attempt, the Bible says He 'eluded their grasp.' [John 10:39]

Was this hard or easy? From the natural viewpoint, getting away from an angry mob intent on killing you is impossible. But from the Word we see that Jesus just walked away, with a sort of 'Yeah, I don't think so' kind of attitude.

How about feeding huge crowds in the middle of nowhere with no apparent source of food or preparation facilities? He did it at least twice that we know of...just decided to feed them, and then did. Even when they ran out of wine at the wedding of Cana, His mother knew to go to Him...I wonder how she knew to do that? He just turned water into wine, no problem.

What about money or other material needs? Did He struggle financially? The Word says that there were many who contributed to His support out of their private means. [Luke 8:3] In fact, the only officer named among His disciples was treasurer!

When Peter asked Him for money to pay the taxes, He told Peter to go get it from a fish! When He needed transportation to enter Jerusalem, He told His disciples where a colt was and told them to get it. When He needed a place for His last Passover, He told them where and how to get it.

How about His ministry? Was that easy or hard? Did He fast and pray and wail for days at the tomb of Lazarus? No...He just called him out, and out he came! Every healing, every time He raised someone from the dead, He just did it, without a lot of banging around and fanfare.

Even when He was tempted by Satan, Jesus just told him to pound sand...and then angels came and ministered to Him!

I'm sure it was hard for Him to have to deal with all of the unbelief He encountered, not to mention His not-to-swift companions on a daily basis. He did get angry a few times—at the disciples, at the temple, at the Pharisees, at the fig tree.

But for the most part, He just did what He wanted to. When Satan tried to kill Him with a storm on the water, He just told it to hush. Even when it was time for Him to sacrifice Himself, He allowed it to happen in such a way as to fulfill Scripture.

What can we learn from these things?
First, we see that for Jesus, life was not hard but easy. He knew Who He was and He knew how the system worked. He stayed in contact with His Father and exercised authority over the physical, natural world as well as over Satan. He knew all things already belonged to Him, and He spent His time trying to teach His disciples how things really worked.

Second, Jesus understood eternity. He understood that God's works were finished from the foundation of the world [Hebrews 4:3]. He understood Ecclesiastes 1:9,10, which says '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."'

'Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, BEFORE ABRAHAM was born, I AM."' [John 8:58]

"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]

"Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth SHALL HAVE BEEN bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth SHALL HAVE BEEN loosed in heaven." [Matthew 18:18]

As He is, so also are we IN THIS WORLD! [I John 4:17]

Hallelujah!

Vessels of Power

The Holy Spirit, through Paul, prayed that we be '...strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might...' [Colossians 1:11] and that He would grant us '...according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through the Spirit in the inner man...' [Ephesians 3:16]

Remember—we are one Spirit with the Lord [1 Corinthians 6:17] and the Word multiplied [Acts 12:24]—the Spirit of HIm Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells within us [Romans 8:11]

Keeping those facts in mind, let's look at Hebrews 1:3 '...He [Jesus] upholds all things by the word of His power.'

His power is so great that it UPHOLDS ALL THINGS—all things—by just the WORD of His POWER! And He is in us, making us whole, making us complete...'For in HIm all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in HIm you have been made complete...' [Colossians 2:9,10]

Yikes
Now I realize that this truth is too big, too wonderful to completely wrap our brains about...the same power that upholds all things is in us...we have this treasure in these earthen vessels! [1 Corinthians 4:7]

Okay, I can hear you out there...put down the pitchforks and torches! This is the Bible I'm quoting, and it's about time that we found out what's really in it.

Jesus said in John 14 that He, the Father and the Holy Spirit—all 3 persons of the Trinity—would come and make their abode with and in us. This is echoed throughout the New Testament, but somehow we've missed the enormity of this spiritual fact. Yes, those of us who are old enough have seen the flannelgraph of the throne in our hearts that either self or Jesus sits upon....we've heard that when we accept Christ He comes to live in our hearts, whatever that means. Is He living in my blood pump?

At best we've seen Him as some kind of spiritual hitchhiker—along for the ride, there to help us if we're really good and earn it somehow. A kind of living compass, to make us feel guilty when we says a bad word. We completely miss the truth that we died on the cross with Jesus, were buried with HIm in baptism, raised up and seated together with Him in heavenly places [Colossians 2:12, Ephesians 2:5,6]. As Paul said, we were crucified with Him, and now He lives in and through us.

We are indeed new creations—real sons and daughters of God, sisters and brothers of Jesus, the Firstborn of Many Brethren.

So What?
What does this mean to us? Who cares, really?

God cares—He's equipped a powerful race of God-inside men and women to administer His kingdom on the earth—to enforce Satan's defeat and fill the earth with His glory—the glory that dwells in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. But instead of walking in power and authority on the earth, we've been crippled by heresies and error. Be poor, stay sick, live in false humility, be politically correct, etc. Don't expect too much, spiritual gifts and weapons are optional, everything's passed away, blah blah woof woof.

NO!! NO!! Now is the time for the fulfillment of Isaiah 60:1..."Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you." Jesus said "You are the light of the world...let your light shine before men in such a way that they ay see your good works, and glorify your Father Who is in heaven." [Matthew 5:14,16] John 1 makes it clear that He is the light...He is the light shining in us! The Word multiplied!

It is time to realize who we really are in the earth—the Body of Christ—which is spiritual reality and not just a nickname for believers. We are vessels of power—the same power that just the word of it upholds all things—vessels of the glory of God, full of love, created in righteousness and holiness of truth [Ephesians 4:24]. Meditate on these truths until you see yourself like Jesus...and realize that that was the point all along.

Hallelujah!