Grace

The Greek word charis, or grace, is used 148 times in the NT. Ask any Christian what grace is and they will probably parrot ‘God’s unmerited favor.’
Yes, this is part of it, but if you look at a NT lexicon or dictionary, you will find that it is so much more!
It also means that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness; good will, loving-kindness, favor; benefit, bounty, recompense, reward.
John 1:14 says that Jesus was full of grace and truth…John 1:16 tells ‘For of HIS FULLNESS we have ALL received, and grace upon grace.’ No second-class Christians here, just temples of God, full of HIS fullness and grace! Meditate on THAT for awhile…
Paul's Thorn
When Paul asks to be delivered from the demon sent to torment him, God tells him “My grace is sufficient for you, for power [dunamis] is perfected [fulfilled, finished, completed, paid] in weakness.’ [2 Corinthians 12:9]
Prevailing heresies tell us that this means he had to live with some disease or affliction, even though the Word clearly says it was a MESSENGER of Satan…a demon sent to torment him. And according to Luke 10:19, we have authority over ALL the power of the enemy and nothing will injure us! Psalm 91 says we will tread upon the lion and cobra and TRAMPLE THEM DOWN.
This lie has been repeated over and over again to keep us in bondage—if God wouldn’t deliver Paul and wanted him to continue to suffer with some sort of mystical band aid to help him bear it, then there’s a good chance we won’t be healed or delivered either.
Sufficient
Another interesting word in this verse is the Greek word for sufficient…arkeo. We think it means ‘that’s good enough for you’ or ‘learn to live with it, you’ll get by.’
Back to the lexicon! Arkeo means TO BE POSSESSED OF UNFAILING STRENGTH! To be strong, to suffice, to be enough, to defend, ward off, to be SATISFIED or CONTENTED!
God was telling Paul that His GRACE—joy, pleasure, favor, delight, loveliness, good will, benefit, bounty, reward—was sufficient, or possessed of UNFAILING STRENGTH! For POWER, or dunamis [the miracle-working power that upholds the world] is perfected [complete, finished, fulfilled—TO CARRY OUT THE CONTENTS OF A COMMAND] in weakness.
In other words, where Paul was weak, the miracle working power was full of unfailing strength to do whatever needed to be done, to overcome in any situation.
Hallelujah!
His grace—that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness; good will, loving-kindness, favor; benefit, bounty, recompense, reward—possesses unfailing strength for us! Because His power—the miracle-working power, the power with which Jesus UPHOLDS ALL THINGS [Hebrews 1:3]—is made perfect or complete in our weakness.
Don’t forget…according to Colossians 1:11 the Holy Spirit prayed that we would be strengthened with ALL POWER! The very same dunamis with which Jesus is upholding all things. Not just a drop or two…ALL POWER! [read Dumanis]
And we have this treasure IN EARTHEN VESSELS! So that the surpassing greatness of the POWER [dunamis] will be of God and not from ourselves...[2 Corinthians 4:7]
There’s another prayer, prayed for us by the Holy Spirit though Paul, in Ephesians 3.
'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 [dunamis] through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints [most holy ones], 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 [dunamis] that WORKS WITHIN US, to Him be the glory [splendor magnificence, most glorious condition or exalted state] in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen—so be it, may it be fulfilled, truly.'
Now that’s grace!
Full of God, full of His power, one Spirit with the Lord. Not some hackneyed phrase that nobody stops to think about, not some meaningless church buzzword.
Grace.

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.

 

Grace

The Greek word charis, or grace, is used 148 times in the NT. Ask any Christian what grace is and they will probably parrot ‘God’s unmerited favor.’

Yes, this is part of it, but if you look at a NT lexicon or dictionary, you will find that it is so much more!

It also means that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness; good will, loving-kindness, favor; benefit, bounty, recompense, reward.

John 1:14 says that Jesus was full of grace and truth…John 1:16 tells ‘For of HIS FULLNESS we have ALL received, and grace upon grace.’ No second-class Christians here, just temples of God, full of HIS fullness and grace! Meditate  on THAT for awhile…

Paul's Thorn
When Paul asks to be delivered from the demon sent to torment him, God tells him “My grace is sufficient for you, for power [dunamis] is perfected [fulfilled, finished, completed, paid] in weakness.’ [2 Corinthians 12:9]

Prevailing heresies tell us that this means he had to live with some disease or affliction, even though the Word clearly says it was a MESSENGER of Satan…a demon sent to torment him. And according to Luke 10:19, we have authority over ALL the power of the enemy and nothing will injure us! Psalm 91 says we will tread upon the lion and cobra and TRAMPLE THEM DOWN.

This lie has been repeated over and over again to keep us in bondage—if God wouldn’t deliver Paul and wanted him to continue to suffer with some sort of mystical band aid to help him bear it, then there’s a good chance we won’t be healed or delivered either.

Sufficient
Another interesting word in this verse is the Greek word for sufficient…arkeo. We think it means ‘that’s good enough for you’ or ‘learn to live with it, you’ll get by.’

Back to the lexicon! Arkeo means TO BE POSSESSED OF UNFAILING STRENGTH! To be strong, to suffice, to be enough, to defend, ward off, to be SATISFIED or CONTENTED!

God was telling Paul that His GRACE—joy, pleasure, favor, delight, loveliness, good will, benefit, bounty, reward—was sufficient, or possessed of UNFAILING STRENGTH! For POWER, or dunamis [the miracle-working power that upholds the world] is perfected [complete, finished, fulfilled—TO CARRY OUT THE CONTENTS OF A COMMAND] in weakness.

In other words, where Paul was weak, the miracle working power was full of unfailing strength to do whatever needed to be done, to overcome in any situation.

Hallelujah!

His grace—that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness; good will, loving-kindness, favor; benefit, bounty, recompense, reward—possesses unfailing strength for us! Because His power—the miracle-working power, the power with which Jesus UPHOLDS ALL THINGS [Hebrews 1:3]—is made perfect or complete in our weakness.

Don’t forget…according to Colossians 1:11 the Holy Spirit prayed that we would be strengthened with ALL POWER! The very same dunamis with which Jesus is upholding all things. Not just a drop or two…ALL POWER! [read Dumanis]

And we have this treasure IN EARTHEN VESSELS! So that the surpassing greatness of the POWER [dunamis] will be of God and not from ourselves...[2 Corinthians 4:7]

There’s another prayer, prayed for us by the Holy Spirit though Paul, in Ephesians 3.

'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 [dunamis] through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints [most holy ones], 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 [dunamis] that WORKS WITHIN US, to Him be the glory [splendor magnificence, most glorious condition or exalted state] in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen—so be it, may it be fulfilled, truly.'

Now that’s grace!

Full of God, full of His power, one Spirit with the Lord. Not some hackneyed phrase that nobody stops to think about, not some meaningless church buzzword.

HALLELUJAH!!

Dunamis

He UPHOLDS ALL THINGS BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER

...and we do, too, in our lives!

The Greek word for power in this verse is dunamis….power, strength, power for performing miracles, the power and influence that belongs to riches and wealth. Commonly translated as ‘miracle-working power.’

He upholds all things by the [rhema = spoken] word of His power.

But wait…in Colossians 1:11, the Holy Spirit prays that we be ‘…strengthened with ALL POWER [dunamis] in our inner man…’ The Greek word for power is DUNAMIS!!! And not just some dunamis, but ALL DUNAMIS!

The same power that Jesus upholds all things with.

How about Ephesians 3?

‘…that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with POWER [dunamis] through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all 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 [dunamis] that works WITHIN us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.’

We’ve got ALL-THINGS-UPHOLDING-POWER inside us! No wonder He told us to speak to trees and mountains! 

HALLELUJAH!!! 

Do Not Let Your Heart Be Troubled 2

As we saw in my earlier post, Do Not Let Your Heart Be Troubled, fear is a spirit that attacks from the outside...it is not coming from within!

And fear is insidious...let down your guard, start enjoying your freedom, and wham! You get blindsided!

When this happens, remember this: fear attacks the mind, and you are not your mind. You are a spirit, you have a mind, wherein lives your will, your thoughts, your emotions...and you live in a clay vessel we call a body.

And the Spirit within is all God, all the time.

Dead
Romans 6:6,7 says '...knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is feed from sin.'

Paul understood this completely, and said of himself "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me."

Need more proof?

'Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him...' [Romans 6:8]

'But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.' [Romans 7:6]

'For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.' [Colossians 3:3]

'It is a trustworthy statement: for if we died with Him, we will also live with Him...' [2 Timothy 2:11]

Look at it this way...Ephesians 1 and Colossians 2 both explain that we were buried with Him and raised up together with Him. Was that our bodies, 2000 years ago, resulting in a race of some kind of zombie Christians? [GREAT movie title, by the way...]

No! Our act of faith in His sacrifice joins us to that sacrifice...we died with Him, 2000 years ago [actually, before the foundation of the world], now, today, whenever we accept His sacrifice! It's a quantum reality, but reality nonetheless. And we were raised up together with Him and seated with Him in heavenly places! [Ephesians 2:6] There are lots of articles about that on this blog...use the search function to find them.

Yes, we are in two places at once...in the Spirit, we are seated in Him in heavenly places, in the city of the living God, with all the church, angels, and the sprinkled blood of Jesus! {Hebrews 12:22-24] On earth, we're walking around in these earthen vessels! Someone once called it an earth suit!

But I Digress...
Ok, back to fear. You are not your mind, and fear comes against the mind. Oh, your mind thinks it's you, but it's not...it's something you possess and can control! Psalm 94:11 says 'The Lord knows the thought of man, that they are a mere breath.'

Psalm 146:4 tell us that when we die, 'His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.' Of course, that was from an Old Covenant perspective...as we've seen, our spirits have already departed! Hallelujah! And now we are One Spirit with the Lord! [1 Corinthians 6:17] Filled up to all the fulness of God! [Ephesians 3:19] Strengthened with ALL miracle working power! [Colossians 1:11]

Hallelujah!

How do I know I can control my thought? Because Romans 12:2 tells me to renew my mind. Unfortunately, modern psychology has brainwashed into believing that our thoughts are uncontrollable...they are just who we are.

NO! My thoughts are not who I am, and I will purpose to do what David did in Psalm 94:19: 'When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.' I will choose to meditate on His consolations rather than the lies and deception of the evil one.

Take Charge of Your Thoughts
The Bible calls us vessels...think of your body as a container, filled up with God [Ephesians 3:19] Mediate on that, day and night, until you start to believe it.

If you know who you are in Christ Jesus, and understand the spiritual reality of the New Birth, you will realize that you have authority, not only over the physical world and evil spirits, but over your own mind, as well. [I've written lots on these subjects, please refer to relevant blog articles...there's not enough room here to go into it all again]

Take charge, or control, of your mind. Renew to the Word of God. You are what the Word says you are, in Jesus...'For in Him ALL THE FULLNESS OF DEITY DWELLS IN BODILY FORM, and in Him YOU have been made COMPLETE...' [Colossians 2:9,10]

You can do it because He says you can...all things are possible to him who believes, remember? How? Through the power that works in you!

Do Not Let Your Heart Be Troubled

After Judas left the Passover table to betray Him, Jesus instructed His disciples about the days and years to come.

In John 14-17, we see Him telling them all the things they they will need to know during this intense time, and in doing so, He has encapsulated the most important things for us as well. He tells us about the indwelling Trinity—He, the Father and the Comforter would come and live within us. He tells us that anything we ask will be granted by the Father.

He gives us His glory, and explains the importance of abiding in Him. He reiterates the assurance of answered prayer, as if He knew that one would be the hardest for us to really believe.

Never Let...He starts off by telling them "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God believe also in Me."

The Greek word me is translated here as 'do not let' or, in the KJV 'Let not' is translated 33 times in the NT as 'never.' If we read the verse that way, it is "Never [let] your heart be troubled..." or better yet, "Never your heart be troubled..."

Never is one of those absolute words. No gray shades about it, never means never, not ever, no chance, period. What is He saying? In the words of David Crosby, don't give in an inch to fear. Don't let it start, don't let it grow, don't let it hang around.

A Spirit of Fear
We've seen in earlier posts that fear is a spirit. Job describes it perfectly...

"Now a word was brought to me stealthily, and my ear received a whisper of it. Amid disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, dread came upon me, and trembling, and made all my bones shake.

"Then a spirit passed by my face; the hair of my flesh bristled up. It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; a form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice..." [Job 4:12-16]

Of course, then, the spirit of fear goes on to tempt Job with lies about God.

It's interesting to notice that this spirit is not coming from within but from without. 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us 'For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.' The KJV translates the Greek word dielia as fear...the NT Greek Lexicon translates it as timidity, fearfulness, cowardice.

Romans 8:15 calls it a spirit of slavery...

The Spirit given to us is the very Spirit of God...we are one Spirit with the Lord! [2 Corinthians 6:17] And we see that it is a Spirit of 1) power, 2) love and 3) discipline. Colossians 1:11 says that we are strengthened with all power...ALL POWER! Not just a little power, not just natural power, but ALL POWER!

If we experience any kind of fear—timidity, fearfulness, cowardice, any kind of anxiety or worry—we know that 1) it's not from God our Father and 2) it's not coming from within us but is the result of an external spirit of fear.

Don't Leave Yet...
Okay, I can hear the wacko alarms going off out there, but bear with me. Everything I've written so far is directly from the Word. And evil spirits are a Bible fact.

But there's good news! In Luke 10:19 Jesus told His disciples "Behold [look], I have given [past tense] you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you."

Authority over ALL the POWER of the ENEMY! And they weren't even reborn yet...we've got God inside and have been strengthened with ALL POWER!

In John 17:20, Jesus prayed for His disciples and all who would believe in Him through their word...He didn't give them one thing and us another! We have the authority in His Name—not as a talisman, or lucky coin, or rabbit's foot—we are ONE with Him, and wear His Name as His Body in the earth! We have authority because He has authority, and we wear and use His Name as a wife wears and uses the name of her husband...well, used to, in the olden days.

Control Yourself...
Jesus knew that the Holy Spirit was a Spirit of power, love and discipline. He knew what the fruits of the Spirit were, '...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control...'

And then there's 2 Timothy 1:7...

'For God has not given us a spirit of timidity [fearfulness, cowardice], but of POWER and LOVE and DISCIPLINE [self-control].' 

So when He tell us to NEVER let our hearts be troubled, He knew that we would be capable of doing it. The disciples really didn't get it—when the soldiers took Jesus, they ran off and hid. Peter was the only one with enough nerve to go after Him...but he succumbed to fear, too. After Jesus died, some of the disciples went back to fishing! In the couple of days He was buried!

They didn't get it, just like we don't get it. Modern psychology has us so twisted in our thinking that we don't think we can control our emotions...we're not supposed to suppress them, that would be denial!

Live in Denial
I'm here to tell you, go ahead...live in denial! Deny the spirit of fear any place in your life. Deny it's every attempt to dominate you. Deny, or forbid, it to come near you.

Jesus has give us the keys of the kingdom. Whatever we bind, or forbid, on earth shall have been bound, or forbidden, in Heaven! And whatever we loose, or allow, shall have been allowed in Heaven. That's past tense spiritually—in Heaven, and present tense naturally—on earth...a quantum verse!

Forbid fear to exist in your life. Live in full blown denial...the denial of fear's right to exist anywhere near you. Don't allow it to start, don't allow it to grow, don't allow it to stay.

But How...
I asked the Lord, "That's great, but how exactly do I do that?"

Immediately James 3 came to mind...the NT treatise on the tongue. [The Old Testament treatise is, of course, the Book of Proverbs—read it through and write down all the verses pertaining to the mouth]

James 3:2 says '...If anyone does not stumble in what he says he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.' And he compares the tongue to the bit in a horse's mouth and the rudder of a great ship. The word 'perfect' is the Greek word teleios, meaning brought to its end, finished; wanting nothing necessary to completeness, that which is perfect. Kinda reminds you of shalom, doesn't it?

It doesn't really mean perfect, as we think of it...without blemish or error. It really means soteria—the Greek word for salvation—complete wholeness, redemption from all earthly ills.

I saw what He was saying...you deny fear just like you got saved. Believe in your heart and say it with your mouth. '...for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.' [Romans 10:10] Believing in the heart results in a spiritual state—righteousness, or right-standing with God; and confessing with the mouth brings it to pass in our lives—soteria!

So the 'how' is the same 'how' we access all spiritual blessing with...faith. Believe it and speak it, just as Jesus instructed in Mark 11:22,23.

'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."'

Oh yeah...right. Faith. The way things really work in the universe...I get it...[cut to Jesus with His hand on His forehead, shaking His head, saying 'how many times do I have to tell these morons the same thing?' [My personal interpretation of Matthew 17:17]
Renew your mind so you can be transformed...changed! Changed to prove or demonstrate the will of God in your life—that which is GOOD and ACCEPTABLE and PERFECT! [Romans 12:1,2]

Take up the sword in your mouth. Deny fear it's right to dominate you. Do what Jesus told us to do in Matthew 10:8 and Mark 16:17,...cast it out!

Then believe that what you said happened and praise the Lord!

Amen to the Glory of God!

'For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are YES; therefore also through Him is our Amen—so it is, so be it, may it be fulfilled—to the GLORY OF GOD through us.' [1 Corinthians 1:20]

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you've seen the first part of 1 Corinthians 1:20 quoted over and over. It is such a wonderful, neglected scripture, confirming the spiritual reality that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us...so that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles. [Galatians 3:13,14]

Every promise is YES in Him...He has fulfilled all the requirement of the Law so that we may enjoy every blessing. I write about this a lot, because it seems that we are constantly being told that we must still earn our blessings, both in church and in the world.

Jesus said "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has CHOSEN GLADLY to give you the kingdom." [Luke 12:32] It is His will that we have His kingdom—it is not His plan to withhold it from us, and anything contrary to that fact is a lie.

Look at the Lord's prayer. Jesus prayed "Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Most Christians believe this means the millennial reign of Jesus in some distant, magical time, and we've had a lot of help believing that.

Today

'And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,

"THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD." 

'And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."' [Luke 4:16-21]

And what a fabulous Scripture it is! The Favorable Year of the Lord refers to the Jubilee, that 50th year where all debt was wiped out, where slaves went free and no one worked...

He said that all of these wonderful things, prophesied by Isaiah, were fulfilled TODAY. TODAY, TODAY, TODAY.

The Second Part...
Now let's look at the second part of 1 Corinthians 1:20...

'...therefore also through Him is our AMEN—so it is, so be it, may it be fulfilled—to the GLORY OF GOD through us.'

Why would He give us His kingdom? Why would He choose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him? [Ephesians 1:4] Why would He, with Him [Jesus], freely give us all things?

So that the Glory of God would be demonstrated through us! To the world, to the enemy—we are to demonstrate His glory in the earth!

Consider Romans 12:2:

'And do not be conformed to this world, but BE TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind, SO THAT YOU MAY PROVE WHAT THE WILL OF GOD IS, that which is GOOD and ACCEPTABLE and PERFECT.'

In other words, change your mind so you can prove how wonderful God is! How wonderful and perfect His will is!

Please note that it does NOT say so we can prove how God blesses us be giving us cancer or killing our children or burning down our church!

How about these Scriptures?

'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 1:17] 

'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 84:11] 

'But BY HIS DOING you are in Christ Jesus, Who became to us WISDOM from God, and RIGHTEOUSNESS and sanctification and redemption, so that, just as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord."' [1 Corinthians 1:30,31]

Complete
Colossians 2:9,10 says 'For in Him ALL THE FULNESS OF DEITY DWELLS IN BODILY FORM, and in Him you have been made complete [full]...'

Put this together with 1 John 4:17...'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.'

And again, "The glory which You have given Me I HAVE GIVEN TO THEM, that they may be one, just as We are one..." [John 17:22]

Then there's the [I think] most mind-blowing Scripture in the Bible [that no one believes], '...and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be FILLED UP TO ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD.'

In Colossians 1:11, the Holy Spirit Himself prays that we be strengthened with ALL POWER!!

So What's the Problem?
If these things are true, and they are, what's the problem?

Why are so many Christians struggling with sickness, lack and oppression of every kind?

Proverbs 23:7 tell us 'For as he thinks within himself—reckons in his soul—so he is.' That's why we're told to renew our minds if we want to prove the good and perfect and acceptable will of God!

Yes, Jesus taught us to speak to the natural world to change things, as does much of the rest of the Bible [particularly Proverbs and the Psalms]. But before speaking, we must BELIEVE! [Mark 11:22-24]

We've been deceived, alright...right out of our inheritance! In the Old Testament, we read that all things belong to God...in the New Testament, we're heirs of God, fellow heirs with Christ, and all things belong to us! [Romans 8:17, 1 Corinthians 3:21,22]

If Jesus is the fulfillment of Scripture—the very Word Himself, and we are in Him and He is in us—what about Isaiah 57:14? 'And it WILL be said, "Build up, build up, prepare the way, REMOVE EVERY OBSTACLE OUT OF THE WAY OF MY PEOPLE."'

How about Isaiah 26:7...'The way of the righteous is smooth; O Upright one, make the path of the righteous level.'

Or Psalm 1:1-4?

'How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD 

And in His law he meditates day and night. 

'He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he PROSPERS.'

Did you realize that Jesus is the fulfillment of Psalm 91 for us? For our families?

Before the Curse/After Jesus
Let's look at Adam, before the fall. His job was to reign upon the earth and commune with God. God did everything else—provided a wonderfully abundant place to live, provided a beautiful soulmate...He even brought the animals to him to name! [Girls, there were even jewels and gold there...Genesis 2:12!]

You know the story. Adam severed his relationship with God, then it was all struggle and toil. Mankind could only prosper to the extent that he was strong...this is called a CURSE!

You see, in God's eyes, it is a curse to have to struggle without Him, and a blessing to live in His provision! He then began to make covenants with men, to bless them if they would permit it!

Until the final Covenant—Jesus, the Last Adam and the Firstborn of Many Brethren [that's 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? [Romans 8:32]

Christ has REDEEMED US FROM THE CURSE, having become the curse for us!

In Deuteronomy 30, we see how God looks at things. He set before the Israelites LIFE AND PROSPERITY, and DEATH AND ADVERSITY. See how He linked those things together? Not life and adversity or death and prosperity [in the sweet by-and-by]...just the opposite! And Jesus came to give us life!

The Jesus Race
2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us 'Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW CREATURE; the old things have passed away; behold new things have come.'

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil [1 John 3:8] and He made clear just what those works are..."The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly—have abundance. [John 10:10]

He came to create a new race—He was the Last Adam, and the Firstborn of many brethren! A race of God-filled men and women, with authority over all the power of the enemy [Luke 10:19] who would show His Glory and His good and perfect and acceptable will!

I think, and this is just my opinion, that when Jesus told us to speak to things, believing that they would obey, He was giving us the Kingdom way of living in the earth. He was reinforcing everything the Book of Proverbs taught...the easy way, the Kingdom way of reigning in life!

But where are they? Cowering in churches, sick and broke. Why? Because they don't know any better! They don't know who they are In Christ or what God's will for them really is! They don't know that the Holy Spirit prayed that they be FILLED UP TO ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD [and that His prayers are answered...]

It's time to renew our minds to the Word of God, so we can PROVE what is the good and perfect and acceptable will of God! To walk as Jesus, our Brother and example did, speaking to the natural world, walking away from crazy mobs, healing the sick and raising the dead.

Rambling...
Yes, I'm rambling, it's true. I'm having a hard time expressing what's in my heart.

Here it is [the point].

Believe God and enter into His rest. [Hebrews 4]

Start to expect the blessing instead of the curse. When people tell you how hard life is supposed to be for Christians, don't listen. Meditate on the Word of God—as God told Joshua,

"No man will be able to stand before you all 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. 

"This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. 

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. [Joshua 1:5,8,9]

Read my post Easy Does It and all the ones on Yad. Go ahead, read them all—they're all about this!

Maybe it's easier than we think, or have been taught. Enter into His rest, demonstrate His glory. Renew your mind, expect good—expect blessings and miracles to come easily to you. Speak His good Word into the earth and expect it to come to pass.

Let's Pretend

Ok, let's play a game.

Let's pretend that everything in the Bible is true. Close your eyes...we're going to pretend that we are filled up to all the fullness of God, and that everything we say comes to pass. [Ephesians 3, Mark 11]

The Hebrew word 'dabar' means both word and thing...so let's pretend that everything that comes out of our mouths are actual little things that float out like bubbles and go 'pop' and land fully grown on the earth!

Let's pretend that Satan has been stripped of his weapons and that we have authority over all his power...that all he can do is deceive us, and we don't fall for it, ever. No matter how things look, we have the power to see the invisible provision that is all around us. See how he runs away from us!

Let's pretend that we can talk to physical, natural things and they obey us. That we can talk to trees and mountains and money and fish and donkeys and rooms...and they obey us. 

Oh, this is fun!

More...
Now let's pretend that we're capable of being in two places at once. That we can walk on earth in these wonderful 'earth suits' but we're also seated at the right hand of God in Christ in Heaven!

Let's pretend that nothing is impossible to us—we're Super People, a new race in the earth! That the Creator of all things is our Father, and that the Glorious King Jesus is our big brother! And that our job is to reign upon the earth! Let's have beautiful robes and crowns and scepters!

And don't forget to pretend that we're always surrounded by enormous warrior angels that guard us in all our ways! That their job is to minister to us because we're heirs of God.

Let's pretend that everything belongs to us. That there are great and wonderful tables set before us, that our every heart's desire is granted, that our Father has given us all things richly to enjoy.

You Get The Idea...
Ok, doesn't that feel great? Every one of those 'pretends' was from one or more scriptures! Now do it several times a day and see what happens. Close your eyes and see the unseen. Believe the Word and refuse to be moved.

Close your eyes and see your desires fulfilled, according to Psalm 37:4—see the Word as true in your life, and be the person you long to be. This is true Christian meditation.

Have faith in God.

[ref Visual Prayer, See the Unseen, Pull Back the Curtain, What Are The Giants Saying To You, Trash Talk, The Purpose of Fear 3]

How to Trust God

Sometimes, even though you may have been a Christian for a long time, studied the Word for years and even seen miracles, it’s hard to trust God.

Sometimes unbelief takes hold and seems impossible to shake.

Or, you may be a new Christian and have no idea how to really trust God.

Until you realize that there’s a hand in your mouth.

‘Death and life are in the power [Hebrew yad = hand] of the tongue…’ [Proverbs 18:21]

"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]

[Read Yad, The Yad of God, The Yad of God 2]

Remember what God told Joshua…to put the Word in his MOUTH day and night so that HE—Joshua—would MAKE his way prosperous and HAVE good success. [Joshua 1:8]

In other words, God has already spoken. It’s up to us to CHOOSE His Word, and we do that with our mouths. In fact, that’s what Jesus was teaching us to do in the Lord’s prayer…

“Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, ON EARTH as it is in heaven.” [Matthew 6:9,10]

Get Started
Here are some scripture-based confessions to get you started. Keep them in your mouth…remember, there’s a hand in there!

But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD, I say, "You are my God." [Psalm 31:14]

I trust in the LORD and do good; I dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. I delight myself in the LORD; and He gives me the desires of my heart. I commit my way to the LORD, I trust also in Him, and He will do it. [Psalm 37:3-5]

I choose this day to dwell in the shelter of the Most High, therefore I will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!" [Psalm 91:1,2]

Because I trust in the LORD I am as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever. [Psalm 125:1]

I choose to trust in the LORD with all my heart and I will not lean on my own understanding. In all my ways I acknowledge Him, and He makes my paths straight. [Proverbs 3:5,6]

There are lots more, particularly in the Psalms and Proverbs…no wonder they’re called the Books of Wisdom!

Just work the system. Put the Word in your mouth and change your life. James 3 says your tongue is like the rudder of a ship or the bridle in a horse’s mouth—put the Word in your mouth and change the direction of your life! Put the Word in your mouth and have good success! [Joshua 1:8]

Put the Word in your mouth and trust God. Even if you’re having trouble when you start, the hand in your mouth will bring it to pass.

You will trust God.

Trash Talk

I awoke this morning with pressures and problems circling my head like vultures. Worry was right there in my face.

Talking to me.

That's right, talking to me.

We know from the Word that faith always speaks. So does fear, or any of its cousins—worry, doubt, unbelief, anxiety.

They will talk to you until you tell them to shut up. Until you tell them what the Word says about it.

Things talk to you, too. Your car problems, your bank account, your health. You see images of your failure or your kids in trouble or car accidents or whatever your particular dread is.

If you don't believe me, consider the famous fig tree in Mark 11. Jesus was hungry, and the fig tree told him in no uncertain terms, "you're not getting anything to eat here." In fact, the King James and Young's Literal Translation say that Jesus answered the fig tree.

Do I mean that it actually spoke to Him, like the trees in the Wizard of Oz or Lord of the Rings? Not really. But it communicated to Him quite clearly that He was out of luck.

And He told it, or answered it "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" When He and the disciples passed by the next day, the tree was withered from its roots. The guys were astonished, but I don't think Jesus even looked at it. He knew that His words dominated physical reality and that was the end of it.

Oh Yeah...
Then it hit me—it's just trash talk! I am one Spirit with the Lord! I am born of the imperishable seed, which is the living and enduring Word of God. [1 Peter 1:23]

Jesus is the Word of God [John 1:1,14] and we are the Word multiplied, the Body of Christ. [Acts 12:24]

We are told to reign in life through the One, Christ Jesus, and we have authority in the earth.

According to the Word, there's a lot going on around us in the unseen realm of the spirit.

'For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield.' [Ps. 5:12]

'You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs [or shouts] of deliverance.' [Ps. 32:7]

'...he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him.' [Ps. 32:10]

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

'As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever.' [Ps. 125:2]

Acts 6:16 tells us to take up the shield of faith, with which we WILL BE ABLE to extinguish ALL the flaming arrows of the evil one! Not might be able to do it sometimes, if God wills...the Word is His will, and He wills us to be more than conquerors, every time.

'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]

'But in ALL THESE THINGS we OVERWHELMINGLY CONQUER through Him Who loved us.' [Romans 8:37]

Faith
Like all things spiritual [and natural, for that matter] we do everything by faith. We believe the Word of God over the word of the liar and we declare it boldly. He's a nasty, trash talkin' bully who really can't back it up unless we agree with him. He can only get us to use our own power against us—he was cursed in Genesis and thoroughly defeated by the Seed, Jesus.

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

In Deuteronomy 30, we are given the choice—choose life and prosperity, or choose death and adversity—the blessing or the curse.

Proverbs 18:21 tells us that life and death are in the power, or hand, of the tongue. And Jesus Himself told us several times to talk to mountains, trees and sick bodies...He said we can have what we say.

The enemy is talking trash, and we don't have to put up with it one more minute.

Luke 10:18 tells us we have AUTHORITY over ALL the power of the devil, and Psalm 91 sys we can stomp him down. Resist the devil and HE WILL FLEE!

Where Am I?
Did you know that we are seated in heavenly places, in Christ? [Ephesians 2:6]

Where is that, exactly?

'...far above ALL RULE and AUTHORITY and POWER and DOMINION, and EVERY NAME THAT IS NAMED, not only in this age but also in the one to come.' [Ephesians 1:21]

Wow. That's not later, folks....that's right now! No wonder God tells us to look at the unseen—it's fabulous! [2 Corinthians 4:18]

And don't fret if the exact scripture you need doesn't spring to mind...His name is called the Word of God! Sometimes all I can get out is JESUS, JESUS, JESUS!! And it works, every time.

Philippians 2:9 says His name is above EVERY name.

Talk about dropping names! It's time to drop the big one on the trash talker. Tell him to get out, and use the Name. It's your name, too!

And meditate on Psalm 91 [my comments in italics, my emphasis in CAPS]:

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High WILL abide in the shadow of the Almighty. [you choose where you live…see the next verse]

2 I WILL SAY to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!" [that's how you activate all of the following verses...it's already done according to Hebrews 4:3 but we must choose to agree with Him—see also Deuteronomy 30:15-19; Proverbs 18:21]

3 FOR IT IS HE WHO DELIVERS you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He WILL cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness IS a shield and bulwark. [not might be, is]

5 You WILL NOT be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day;

6 Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.

7 A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it SHALL NOT APPROACH YOU.

8 You will only look on with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.

9 For YOU HAVE MADE the Lord, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place. [you made it when you said it...you choose where you live with your mouth]

10 NO EVIL WILL BEFALL YOU, nor will ANY PLAGUE COME NEAR YOUR TENT. [dwelling, home, habitation, the sacred tabernacle of Jehovah]

11 For He WILL give His angels charge concerning you, To GUARD YOU IN ALL YOUR WAYS. [not maybe, not if it's His will—He's saying right here what His will is]

12 They WILL bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone.

13 YOU WILL TREAD UPON THE LION AND COBRA, The young LION and the SERPENT YOU WILL trample down. [satan is the roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, and the serpent of old]

14 "Because he has loved Me, therefore I WILL deliver him; I WILL set him securely on high, because he has known My name. [Hallelujah...we know His Name, and His Son's Name, too! And we’re already seated in Him in heavenly places…]

15 "He will call upon Me, and I WILL answer him; I WILL be with him in trouble; I WILL rescue him and honor him.

16 "With a long life I WILL satisfy him and let him see My salvation." [v.14-16 is God speaking, telling us clearly what His will for us is]

So trample him down. Shut his trash talkin' mouth up with the Name of Jesus, the Blood of Jesus and the Word of God.

Hallelujah!
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Related articles: Clothed, Crowned, Surrounded; Who Says So; I Will Say; Surrounded By; What Are YOU Saying To The Giants; Liar, Liar, Pants Definitely on Fire; You Are The Second Witness; Think Like God.