Still Standing! Eph. 6:10 NASB- Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. I am so glad that I don’t have to depend on my own strength when I am going against the dark forces of the wicked one. The apostle Paul, in the closing chapter of his letter to the Ephesians begins his closing statements with this very encouraging statement. Let’s look at a couple of words from the Greek: Strong- Endunamao: a compound of the words en and dunamis. En means IN. Dunamis, means explosive strength, ability, and power. Its where we get the word dynamite from. Endunamao: gives us the picture of an explosive power that is being deposited into some type of container, vessel, or other form of receptacle. The very nature of the word endunamao means that there must necessarily be some type of receiver for this power to be deposited into. That’s where we come in. We are the container that God has chosen to deposit this power. Acts 1:8 and you shall receive power (dunamis) after the Holy Spirit has come upon you… The Passion Translation reads Eph. 6:10 Now my beloved ones, I have saved the most important truths for last: Be supernaturally infused with strength from your life-union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious with the force of His explosive power flowing in and through you. The enemy will come at you in so many ways to try to stop you and to hinder you from fulfilling your God-given destiny. When God has something great for you to do the devil will inevitably attempt to do something to stop you from doing it. When God sent Becki and I to Russia the devil attempted to make us miss our plane. But God sent and angel to make sure we made our flight in only thirty minutes. MIRACLE! When I made my first and second trip to Chiapas Mexico. The enemy succeeded in causing us to miss our flight, but that only resulted in a divine appointment with a retired police officer from the Bronx who was born and raised in Panama and was tagged to be our translator being healed and gloriously saved and baptized. The second time in Chiapas, I also missed my flight which resulted in me being extremely tired. But God’s supernatural strength and power of His might took over and the result was people being saved, filled, and delivered. The enemy will attempt to stop the word of God from accomplishing what God sent it forth to do but he will never succeed. Isaiah 55:8-11 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void (empty), But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. God’s Word is absolutely reliable and as the Psalmists says, Ps. 119:89 NASB - Forever, O Lord, Thy WORD is settled in the heavens. Look at how many times the enemy attempted to take out the apostle Paul. 2 Cor. 11:24-33 TPT- 24 Five times I’ve received thirty-nine lashes from the Jewish leaders 25 Three times I experienced being beaten with rods. Once they stoned me. Three times I’ve been shipwrecked; for an entire night and a day I was adrift in the open sea. 26 In my difficult travels I’ve faced many dangerous situations: perilous rivers, robbers, foreigners, and even my own people. I’ve survived deadly peril in the city, in the wilderness, with storms at sea, and with spies posing as believers. 27 I’ve toiled to the point of exhaustion and gone through many sleepless nights. I’ve frequently been deprived of food and water, left hungry and shivering out in the cold, lacking proper clothing. 28 And besides these painful circumstances, I have the daily pressure of my responsibility for all the churches, with a deep concern weighing heavily on my heart for their welfare. 29 I am not aloof, for who is desperate and weak, and I do not feel their weakness? Who is led astray into sin and I do not burn with zeal to restore him? 30 If boasting is necessary, I will boast about examples of my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is eternally praised, knows that I am speaking the truth. 32 Once, when I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas had his troops searching for me to have me arrested, 33 but I was stuffed in a basket and lowered down through a window and managed to escape. Paul’s ministry was anything but a glamorous and exotic experience. He was constantly hindered by the enemy. Even with a harassing spirit that constantly hounded him. Three times he asked the Lord to remove it only to Be given the following response: 2 Cor. 12:9 NLT- Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. I do not wish to boast about the power of the enemy, but of the power of Christ and His grace working through us. 1 Peter 5:7-9 NLT gives us several key verses. Peter begins with encouraging us to - verse 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Now why do you suppose that is so important? Peter tells us in the next verse. 8. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Rick Renner says verse 8 could be translated: “You must be constantly alert and on your guard! The devil, like an accusing lawer, will try to charge you with all kinds of arguments and accusations. You need to know that he is like a lion on the prowl—constantly walking around, roaring with a deafening sound, earnestly seeking the kind of person he can completely consume and slurp up!” Peter doesn’t leave us hung out to dry! He tells us what to do and how to handle the devil. 9 Stand firm against him (the devil), and be strong in your faith. Faith comes from God: Romans 12:3 …God has allotted to each a measure of faith. But it is up to us to grow our faith. Romans 10:17 So faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word (Rhema) of God. 2 Timothy 2:15 AMP- Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth. Jude 20 TPT But you, my delightfully loved friends, constantly and progressively build yourselves up on the foundation of your most holy faith by praying every moment in the Spirit. God has given to each man THE measure of faith. The measure of faith it takes to believe in Christ and begin your spiritual journey. But it is up to us to build on that foundation. This is where we stand, in our faith and confidence in a God who is faithful and who cannot fail! When we stand in the grace of Christ that is sufficient for us and on the authority of God’s word that is always constant, and in the strength and power of the Lord, no matter what the devil throughs at you, you will be able to endure it and overcome any obstacle in he attempts to put in your way. As John says in Revelation 12:10-11 NKJV- Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. John 16:33 TPT …everything I’ve taught you is so that the peace which is in me will be in you and will give you great confidence as you rest in me. For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows, but you must be courageous, for I have conquered the world!” In addition to this, Paul has assured us in Romans 8:37b NKJV … we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. So: Be strong in the Lord (filled with His power by the Spirit) and KEEP ON STANDIN

Destiny City Church

Still Standing

How To Overcome (Disappointment, Depression & Fear) Psalm 27:13-14 New King James Version 13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. 14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord! Never stop hoping Proverbs 13:12 NKJV 12Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. Learn to wait on the Lord Psalm 40:1-11 I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. 2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. 3 He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord. 4  Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. 5 Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered. Learn to recount all that God has done with gratitude in your heart. Learn to have faith over fear Hebrews 11:1 11 Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]. Faith is expecting God to move. Fear is expecting the devil to move. Deal with fear as a spirit and not as an emotion. 2 Timothy 1:7 The Passion Translation 7 For God will never give you the spirit of fear, but the Holy Spirit who gives you mighty power, love, and self-control. Expose the devil and expose fear. Why does the spirit of fear come? To control. To keep you from achieving your God-given purpose. 1 Peter 5:8 New King James Version 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. John 10:10 NIV 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Learn to bind & loose Bind the spirit of fear and loose the peace of God. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. Matthew 16:19 New King James Version 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Know that God wants you to overcome. John 16:33 New King James Version 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 New King James Version 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. What you focus on is what you magnify. Job 3:25 NKJV For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me. Psalm 34:1-3l NKJV I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. 3  Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. Forced perspective is a technique which employs optical illusion to make an object appear farther away, closer, larger or smaller than it actually is. It manipulates human visual perception through the use of scaled objects and the correlation between them and the vantage point of the spectator. “I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” ― Mark Twain Learn to Trust God’s Word God sent his word and healed their disease. Ps 107:20 Hebrews 4:12 New King James Version 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for [c]instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Learn to Take Thoughts Captive 2 Cor 10: 3-5 NIV 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Learn to overcome the darkness through fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus. 1 John 1:5-7 5This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. Hebrews 10:19-25 19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness[f] to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Learn the anointing that is upon you. The anointing Jesus Christ. Isaiah 61:1-3 NKJV 1“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” Learn the leading of the Holy Spirit Luke 14:26-27 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Psalm 91  TPT When you abide under the shadow of Shaddai,[a]     you are hidden[b] in the strength of God Most High. 2  He’s the hope that holds me and the stronghold to shelter me,     the only God for me, and my great confidence. 3  He will rescue you from every hidden trap of the enemy,[c]     and he will protect you from false accusation     and any deadly curse.[d] 4  His massive arms[e] are wrapped around you, protecting you.     You can run under his covering of majesty and hide.     His arms of faithfulness are a shield keeping you from harm. 5  You will never worry about an attack of demonic forces at night     nor have to fear a spirit of darkness coming against you. 6  Don’t fear a thing!     Whether by night or by day, demonic danger will not trouble you,[f]     nor will the powers of evil be launched against you. 7  Even in a time of disaster, with thousands and thousands being killed,     you will remain unscathed and unharmed. 8  You will be a spectator as the wicked perish in judgment,     for they will be paid back for what they have done! 9–10  When we live our lives within the shadow of God Most High,     our secret hiding place, we will always be shielded from harm.     How then could evil prevail against us or disease infect us? 11  God sends angels with special orders to protect you wherever you go,     defending you from all harm. 12  If you walk into a trap, they’ll be there for you     and keep you from stumbling. 13  You’ll even walk unharmed among the fiercest powers of darkness,[g]     trampling every one of them beneath your feet! 14  For here is what the Lord has spoken to me:     “Because you loved me, delighted in me, and have been loyal to my name,     I will greatly protect you. 15  I will answer your cry for help every time you pray,     and you will feel my presence     in your time of trouble.     I will deliver you and bring you honor. 16  I will satisfy you with a full life and with all that I do for you.     For you will enjoy the fullness of my salvation!”

How to Overcome (Discouragement, Depression and Fear)

Faith over Feelings 2 Kings 5:1-19 (NKJV) Naaman's Leprosy Healed 1 Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. 2 And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman's wife. 3 Then she said to her mistress, "If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy." 4 And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, "Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel." 5 Then the king of Syria said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy. 7 And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me." 8 So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, "Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel." 9 Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha's house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean." 11 But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, "Indeed, I said to myself, 'He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.' 12 Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?" 14 So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, "Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant." 16 But he said, "As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing." And he urged him to take it, but he refused. 17 So Naaman said, "Then, if not, please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth; for your servant will no longer offer either burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD. 18 Yet in this thing may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD please pardon your servant in this thing." 19 Then he said to him, "Go in peace." So he departed from him a short distance. The significance of the Jordan g2446. Ἰορδάνης Iordanēs; of Hebrew origin (h3383); the Jordanes (i.e. Jarden), a river of Palestine: — Jordan. AV (15)-Jordan = "the descender" the one river of Palestine, has its course of little more than 200 miles (300 km), from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the head of the Dead Sea. Mark 1:4-11 (NKJV) 4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." 9 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 11 Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The significance of 7 times Seven is the number of completeness and perfection (both physical and spiritual). It derives much of its meaning from being tied directly to God's creation of all things. According to some Jewish traditions, the creation of Adam occurred on September 26, 3760 B.C. (or the first day of Tishri, which is the seventh month on the Hebrew calendar). The word 'created' is used 7 times describing God's creative work (Genesis 1:1, 21, 27 three times; 2:3; 2:4). There are 7 days in a week and Gods Sabbath (ceasing of work, rest) is on the 7th day. Proverbs 24:16 (TPT) 16 For the lovers of God may suffer adversity and stumble seven times, but they will continue to rise over and over again. But the unrighteous are brought down by just one calamity and will never be able to rise again. The significance of Naaman’s healing. Luke 5:20-26 (NKJV) 20 When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you." 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" 22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise up and walk'? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"—He said to the man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." 25 Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. 26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!" John 15:1-17 (NKJV) The True Vine 1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. (Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV) 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.) 9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. 11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

Faith Over Feelings

A MATTER OF WORDS Genesis 3:1-7 1Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’ ” 2The woman answered the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, 3but about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You must not eat of it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” (Gen 2:16-17: 16And the LORD God commanded him, “You may eat freely from every tree of the garden, 17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”) 4“You will not surely die,” the serpent told her. 5“For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. 7And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed together fig leaves and made coverings for themselves. The serpent was more crafty... Do not be surprised when you face a trial or test of your faith. 1 Peter 4:12 NIV Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. God is not a liar. Numbers 23:19 God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? NIV Jesus is the living, breathing Word of God. John 1:14 NIV The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. Philippians 2:5-11 Amplified Bible 5 Have this same attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus [look to Him as your example in selfless humility], 6 who, although He existed in the form and unchanging essence of God [as One with Him, possessing the fullness of all the divine attributes—the entire nature of deity], did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped or asserted [as if He did not already possess it, or was afraid of losing it]; 7 but emptied Himself [without renouncing or diminishing His deity, but only temporarily giving up the outward expression of divine equality and His rightful dignity] by assuming the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men [He became completely human but was without sin, being fully God and fully man]. 8 After He was found in [terms of His] outward appearance as a man [for a divinely-appointed time], He humbled Himself [still further] by becoming obedient [to the Father] to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also [because He obeyed and so completely humbled Himself], God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus [b]every knee shall bow [in submission], of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess and openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord (sovereign God), to the glory of God the Father. Jesus was fully God and fully man. Colossians 2:1-10 NIV 1 I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is. 6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. 9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. Jesus Christ is the fullness of the Deity living in bodily form. Ephesians 4:14 NIV Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. People can be crafty just like the serpent (satan) and can be just as destructively deceptive. Therefore we must guard our hearts. Proverbs 4:23 NIV Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. John 2:24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. Just speak the Word. Matthew 8:5-13 NIV 5When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6“Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” 7Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” 8The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13Then Jesus said to the centurion, ”Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment. Proverbs 18:21 New King James Version Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. 2 Corinthians 1:20 NLT For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory. Promises I’ve personally held to and have spoken over my life... Psalm 37:25 NIV I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. Isaiah 53:5 NIV But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 1 Peter 5:7 NIV Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him... Philippians 4:19 NIV And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Psalm 7:14-17 TPT 14 Look how the wicked conceive their evil schemes.     They go into labor with their lies and give birth to trouble. 15 They dig a pit for others to fall into,     not knowing that they will be the very ones     who will fall into it. 16 Every pit-digger who works to trap and harm others     will be trapped by his own treachery. 17 But I will give my thanks to you, Yahweh,     for you make everything right in the end.     I will sing my highest praise to the God of the Highest Place! 2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. AMP He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness]. Finally, its time to choose. Joshua 24:15 NIV 15 But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”

A Matter of Words

Receiving Our Healing Acts 14:8-10 NKJV-…in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. 9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked. Paul was obviously preaching about having faith in God. Mark 11:22-24 NLT- …Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. 23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. A believer always acts on what he believes. My hope in preaching these messages on healing is to provoke you to believe in faith in what God’s Word says in spite of what you see, feel, or hear that is contrary to what God’s Word says. God wants you healed! It is HIS WILL to heal YOU! How do I know that? HE SAID IT IN HIS WORD! Ex. 15:26- …I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I AM Jehovah Rapha- “THE LORD WHO HEALS YOU!” Everywhere Jesus healed, faith was always being activated. Matthew chapter 8- Verses 2-3 A leper comes to Jesus and says, “Lord, if you are willing, You can make me clean.”3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Verses 5-13 A centurion came to Jesus and asked Jesus to heal his servant. Jesus offered to come and heal him. The centurion said, “I am not willing that you should come under my roof but only speak the word and my servant will be healed.” Jesus marveled at the man’s faith and healed his servant. 16 And when evening had come, THEY BROUGHT TO HIM (active faith) many who were demon-possessed. And he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed ALL THAT WERE SICK, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.” Matt. 9:1 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. 2 Then behold, THEY BROUGHT TO HIM a PARALYTIC lying on a bed. When Jesus SAW THEIR FAITH, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you.” Some of the religious scribes heard what Jesus said and said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!” 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk?’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 7 And he arose (active faith) and departed to his house. Matt. 9:18-19 While He spoke these things to them, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter just died, but COME AND LAY YOUR HAND HER AND SHE WILL LIVE.” So, Jesus got up and followed him to his house along with His disciples. On the way, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched His prayer shawl. 21 For she said to herself, “IF ONLY I MAY TOUCH HIS GARMENT, I SHALL BE MADE WELL! But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her, he said, “Be of good cheer daughter; YOUR FAITH HAS MADE YOU WELL.” And the woman was made well from that hour. Interesting note: Jairus was in the crowd that witnessed the miracle of the woman who touched Jesus. This could only strengthen his faith. They continued on until they reached Jarius’ house. When they finally arrived, the mourners were already there playing their funeral dirges on their flutes and wailing and carrying on. Jesus said to them, “Make room for the girl is not dead, but sleeping. The religious crowd ridiculed Him. So, He put them outside, and went into the house where the girl was laying, took her by the hand and the girl arose. When Jesus left Jairus’ house, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” They followed Him all the way home. Verse 28-29 And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “DO YOU BELIEVE THAT IM AM ABLE TO DO THIS?” They said to Him, “YES LORD.” 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH LET IT BE TO YOU.” OBEYING WHAT GOD TELLS US TO DO THEN EXPECTING HIM TO DO WHAT HE SAYS HE WILL DO IS FAITH. · Noah built the ark, then God sent the flood. · Joshua marched around the walls of Jericho, but God tore them down. · Elijah struck the waters with his staff, but God parted them. · Elisha threw the stick into the river, but God made the ax head float. · Naaman the Syrian officer who was a leper dipped seven times in the Jordan at the words of Elisha, but God healed his leprosy. Mark 16:17-18 And these signs shall follow those that believe; In My name they will cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; THEY WILL LAY HANDS ON THE SICK AND THEY WILL RECOVER. The Believer shall lay hands on the sick, but it’s God who will cause them to recover. James 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the PRAYER OF FAITH will save (Sozo:to save a suffering one (from perishing), i.e., one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health) the sick, and the LORD WILL RAISE HIM UP. We anoint the sick with oil and pray for them, according to the Word of God, but it is God who heals them. Do what God tells you to do, then expect God to do what He says He will do. Several examples of laying on of hands for healing: · Mark 16:17 NKJV …and they shall lay hands on the sick, and they SHALL recover. · Mark 5:23 NKJV- 23 …and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live. · Luke 13:11-13 NIV- 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. · Acts 28:7-9NLT Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days. 8 As it happened, Publius’s father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. 9 Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed. Invitation: If you are in need of healing today, I invite you to come and receive you healing as we lay our hands on you and anoint you with oil and pray the prayer of faith. YOU DO YOUR PART (Believe and receive), WE WILL DO OUR PART (obey the word of the Lord), and GOD WILL DO HIS PART (Perform His Word! Jer. 1:12 KJV I will hasten my word to perform it.

Receiving Our Healing

Jesus Christ the Same Hebrews 13:8 NASB- Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and, yes and forever. The Passion Translation reads- Jesus, the Anointed One, is aways the same—yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus NEVER CHANGES! His will never changes, His power hasn’t diminished! Let’s take a look at what Jesus did in relation to healing. Matt. 4:23 NIV- Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. Acts 10:38 NLT- And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. Matt. 11:5 John the Baptizer asked one of his disciples who had come to visit him while he was in jail before he was beheaded by Herod, “Ask Him if he is truly the One was to come, or should we look for another?” Jesus told the messenger, “Tell him, ‘the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.’” Mark 6:55-56-55 NLT and they ran throughout the whole area, carrying sick people on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 Wherever he went—in villages, cities, or the countryside—they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed. Jesus healed in Bible days! But He is the same TODAY as He was YESTERDAY. His Word doesn’t change, Ps. 119:89 NASB- Forever, O Lord, Thy WORD is settled in heaven. John 1:1 In the BEGINNING was the WORD, the Word was with God and the WORD was GOD! Jesus was the WORD in the beginning, He was the WORD when he manifested among us and He will be the WORD tomorrow! He NEVER CHANGES. In Matthew chapter 8 after Jesus had finished His famous Sermon on the Mount, He came down from the mountain and great multitudes followed Him. A leper came to Him and said, “Lord if you are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus reached out His hand and touched Him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Then as He entered Capernaum a centurion came to Him, “Lord my servant is sick, paralyzed at home, suffering great pain.” Jesus said, “ I WILL go and heal him.” The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just SAY THE WORD, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, “Come!” and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this!” and he does it.” Jesus commended him for his great faith. And then he said to him, “Go your way; let it be done to you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed that very hour. Jesus hasn’t changed and His WORD has not lost its power. Because God and His Word are ONE and the SAME and Jesus Christ is the same Yesterday, Today and Forever! Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law who was sick with a fever, with just a touch on her hand. Matt. 8:16- And when evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word and HEALED ALL WHO WERE ILL. This was a fulfillment of O.T. prophecy: Isa 53:4-5 NKJV- Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. Everywhere Jesus went He was moved with compassion on people and He Healed them. Exodus 15:26 “I am the God that heals you.” It’s in the nature and character of God to heal. Healing comes to us by FAITH the same as our salvation comes when we accept the promise of God in relation to salvation. Heb. 11:6 TPT- And without faith living within us it would be impossible to please God. For we come to God in faith knowing that he is real and that He rewards the faith of those who give all their passion and strength into seeking Him. And faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. (Rom. 10:17) NKJV Word: here is Rhema: something spoken clearly and vividly, in unmistakable terms and in an undeniable language. A QUICKENED WORD! Ps. 107:20- He sent His Word and He healed them. Or as one translation says, “He SENDS His Word and Heals them.” The Bible is clear about what God wants for you and also what the devil wants for you. John 10:10 The thief comes not but for to kill, steal, and destroy. KJV- that’s what the devil wants. He is a thief, a liar, and destroyer. Jesus said, “But I am come that you might have LIFE and have it more abundantly. Life: Greek- Zoe- A life filled with vitality. And Abundantly: periossos: above and beyond what is regular, extraordinary or even exceeding. Not just abundance, but SUPER ABUNDANCE. Eph. 3:20 NKJV- Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us… 1 Jn. 3:8- KJV- The Son of God was manifested to destroy (luo: untie, or unloose) the works of the devil. Many people are sick and bound by the devil. Sin is the cause of sickness. Some would point to John chapter nine and say that is not so. But in the case of that man who was healed from blindness, the question was asked, “Who sinned, him or his father and mother that caused his blindness? Jesus said, “Neither, but so that the Father can be glorified.” Sickness is in the world because of sin and all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23) and are victims of the curse of sin and sickness as a result of the fall of man because of Adam’s sin, but Jesus has “redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (Gal. 3:13-14 TPT Christ paid the full price to set us free from the curse of the law. He absorbed it so completely as He became a curse in our place. For it is written: “Everyone who hangs on a tree is doubly cursed.” 14 Jesus our Messiah was cursed in our place and in so doing, dissolved the curse from our lives, so that the blessings of Abraham can be poured out upon even non-Jewish believers. And now God gives us the promise of the wonderful Holy Spirit who lives within when we believe in Him.” Luke 10:10-13 NKJV- Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. Jesus loosed (luo) her from her infirmity that was caused by a spirit. The devil will use any means possible to keep a person bound. All sickness is spiritual by nature. GOD DOES NOT PUT A SICKNESS ON ANYONE! Some have taught that it is God’s will for some people to be sick. That is a false doctrine that the devil has used to keep people bound and even to kill them. It would be foolish to believe that God would use a sickness to keep a person humble or to teach them a lesson. If that is so, then why would anyone go to the doctor and take medicine to try to get well if their sickness was put on them by God? That would be attempting to thwart God’s will. Dr T.L. Osborn said, “A woman asked if he thought her late husband had left her any money?” He said, “Did you read his will?” She said, “No.” Then he told her, “read the will and find out.” Many ask if it’s God’s will to heal them. But they never read His will to find out. The Bible is God’s will and Testament. In the New Testament it is the last Will and Testament of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. He has left us a book full of promises that are there to be received by those who believe. If we never read His Testament, then we don’t know the promises He has for us. The word salvation is translated in the N.T. from two separate words with two different meanings. One, Soteria: deliverance, to save from peril or destruction. The other SOZO: salvation, restoration to wholeness… That’s what Jesus did for you! 1 Peter 2:24 Who Himself bare our sins in His own body, that we being dead to sins might lie unto righteousness, and by WHOSE STRIPES Ye WERE HEALED. Get ahold of that. It’s a forgone conclusion. The same YESTERDAY, TODAY, and FOREVER. 2 Cor. 1:20 “All His promises in Him are always Yes, and Amen!” Mal. 3:6 “I, the Lord, do not change…” Heb. 13:8 He’s the same Yesterday, Today and FOREVER… The same Jesus who healed then, the same Jesus who heals today. Jn 14:12-13 NASB- Truly, Truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; BECAUSE I go to the Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 15 If you ask ANYTHING in My name, I WILL DO IT. This is how Jesus gets the job done today. And the Father gets all the glory through Him. Do you need healing today? ONLY BELIEVE! Mark 9:23- All things are possible to him who believes. There is enough faith here in this room to heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead and see miracles. Let’s release that faith right now! If you need healing RECEIVE it right now. Lay your hands on what is hurting or sick in your body and BE HEALED!

Jesus Christ The Same

Oh, How He Loves! Today is Valentine’s Day! I am, as you might expect, going to talk about love. Two particular times in the gospels, Jesus quoted from Deut. 6, a particular passage of Scripture. In Matthew 22, Jesus had just silenced the Sadducees who had tried to trap with a question concerning a woman who had been married to seven brothers who had all died. They didn’t believe in the resurrection from the dead or any after life. (That is probably why they were sad u see! Anyway, the question was, who’s would she be in the resurrection. Jesus set them straight and by explaining that “29 Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.” When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they got together and commissioned one of their smartest lawyers to try to trip Him up with a question. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus answered the question: 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Heart: Greek- kardia- the heart is the central organ of the body. And although it is invisible to the eyes, it is vital to life. Paul uses the word kardia or heart to let us know that the human spirit is very similar to the natural heart. The human spirit is invisible to the eyes. James 2:26 TPT- says, …a body without a spirit is a dead corpse… Peter speaks of the “hidden man of the heart…” 1 Pet 3:4. We to love the Lord with all of our HEART (Kardia: hidden man of the heart), SOUL: Greek -psuche: Mind, will, and emotions, or center of life. and with all of our MIND: Dianoia: dee-an-oy-ya- deep thought, the faculty (mind or disposition), MIND, i.e. mode of thinking. Love: agapao- deep affection, delight in, to LOVE, regard with strong affection. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus poses the question to a religious scholar (Scribe). Luke 10:25-28 TPT …a religious scholar stood before Jesus in order to test his doctrines. He posed this question: “Teacher, what requirement must I fulfill if I want to live forever in heaven?” 26 Jesus replied, “What does Moses teach us? What do you read in the Law?” 27 The religious scholar answered, “It states, ‘You must love the Lord God with all your heart, all your passion, all your energy, and your every thought. And you must love your neighbor as well as you love yourself.’” 28 Jesus said, “That is correct. Now go and do exactly that and you will live.” Like most religious people do the Scribe wanted to justify himself, so he asked a very poignant question, “What do you mean by ‘my neighbor?’” 30 Jesus replied, “Listen and I will tell you. There was once a Jewish man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho when bandits robbed him along the way. They beat him severely, stripped him naked, and left him half dead. 31 “Soon, a Jewish priest walking down the same road came upon the wounded man. Seeing him from a distance, the priest crossed to the other side of the road and walked right past him, not turning to help him one bit. 32 “Later, a religious man, a Levite, came walking down the same road and likewise crossed to the other side to pass by the wounded man without stopping to help him. 33 “Finally, another man, a Samaritan, came upon the bleeding man and was moved with tender compassion for him. 34 He stooped down and gave him first aid, pouring olive oil on his wounds, disinfecting them with wine, and bandaging them to stop the bleeding. Lifting him up, he placed him on his own donkey and brought him to an inn. Then he took him from his donkey and carried him to a room for the night. 35 The next morning he took his own money from his wallet and gave it to the innkeeper with these words: ‘Take care of him until I come back from my journey. If it costs more than this, I will repay you when I return.’ 36 So, now, tell me, which one of the three men who saw the wounded man proved to be the true neighbor?” 37 The religious scholar responded, “The one who demonstrated kindness and mercy.” Jesus said, “You must go and do the same as he.” Loving God is exemplified by the way we love our neighbor! 1 John 4:16-21 TPT We have come into an intimate experience with God’s love, and we trust in the love he has for us. God is love! Those who are living in love are living in God, and God lives through them. 17 By living in God, love has been brought to its full expression in us so that we may fearlessly face the day of judgment, because all that Jesus now is, so are we in this world. 18 Love never brings fear, for fear is always related to punishment. But love’s perfection drives the fear of punishment far from our hearts. Whoever walks constantly afraid of punishment has not reached love’s perfection. 19 Our love for others is our grateful response to the love God first demonstrated to us. 20 Anyone can say, “I love God,” yet have hatred toward another believer. This makes him a phony, because if you don’t love a brother or sister, whom you can see, how can you truly love God, whom you can’t see? 21 For he has given us this command: whoever loves God must also demonstrate love to others. John was probably the youngest of Jesus’ disciples and he loved Jesus dearly as is exemplified in the life he led. He was the one who was leaning on Jesus chest at the Last Supper. He was the only disciple who is recorded to be present at the cross when Jesus was crucified. He was the one that Jesus entrusted the care of his mother to. John wrote about the subject of love more than anyone else. He sums up how love is demonstrated in 1 John 5. 1Jn 5:1-5 TPT- Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah is God’s spiritual child and has been fathered by God himself. And everyone who loves Father God loves his children as well. 2 This is how we can be sure that we love the children of God: by having a passionate love for God and by obedience to his commands. 3 True love for God means obeying his commands, and his commands don’t weigh us down as heavy burdens. 4 You see, every child of God overcomes the world, for our faith is the victorious power that triumphs over the world. 5 So who are the world conquerors, defeating its power? Those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. The identifying mark of a true believer is LOVE! A passionate love for God (heart, mind, soul, strength) and a corresponding obedience to the Father’s commands resulting loving the things He loves (PEOPLE). We live in an upside-down world where our value system has become so unbalanced. Where the creation is worshiped more than the Creator and human life has been devalued to the point that we can abort innocent babies without remorse all for the sake of convenience. Jesus said concerning those who He knows and recognizes as His own, “…You will know them by their fruits.” Matt. 7:16 John 13:34-35 TPT …I give you a new commandment: Love each other JUST AS MUCH AS I HAVE LOVED YOU. 35 For when you demonstrate the same love I have for you, by loving one another, EVERYONE WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE MY TRUE FOLLOWERS. It is not easy to love one another the way Christ loves us. But through Him it is possible. That is why Paul said in Colossians 1:27 KJV- …Christ in you the hope of glory. Christ: Greek christos: Anointing, or anointed one. Messiah! 1 John 2;20 …the Holy One has anointed you and you all know the truth. Paul stated that if we have say we have a relationship with God devoid of love for others, it is a HOLLOW RELATIONSHIP! 1 Cor. 13:1-8a TPT… 13 If I were to speak with eloquence in earth’s many languages, and in the heavenly tongues of angels, yet I didn’t express myself with love,[b] my words would be reduced to the hollow sound of nothing more than a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I were to have the gift of prophecy with a profound understanding of God’s hidden secrets, and if I possessed unending supernatural knowledge, and if I had the greatest gift of faith that could move mountains, but have never learned to love, then I am nothing.3 And if I were to be so generous as to give away everything I owned to feed the poor, and to offer my body to be burned as a martyr, without the pure motive of love, I would gain nothing of value. 4 Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. 5 Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. 6 Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. 7 Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up. 8 Love never stops loving… In praying for a REVIVAL move I am convinced that praying for souls out of a sense of love and compassion for the lost is the key to God moving on His behalf and on behalf of the church. Love is the key! Loving the things that God loves! For God SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE… INVITATION: GOD LOVES YOU! HAVE YOUR RESPONDED TO HIS INIVITATION? He is reaching out to you in love. He has a gift for you, eternal life! Have you accepted His offer?

Oh How He Loves!

Free Indeed! Many believers have pondered these questions inside their minds, “If Jesus’ death and resurrection really broke the authority of the devil over our lives, why does the battle still rage inside of me?” “If we have truly been translated out of Satan’s kingdom of darkness, then why does his kingdom still seem to exert influence over our lives?” “If Jesus really did spoil principalities and powers as Colossians 2:15 says, they why do so many believers still have to deal with such horrible strongholds in their minds?” A man was passing by a group of elephants one day, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not. My friend saw a trainer nearby and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” he said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size of rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.” My friend was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were. When we heard the gospel message and were born-again, Jesus came to “untie” us from the bondage Satan had on our lives. Through Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross, He legally removed the bondages that held us captive, including every stronghold that held us hostage in our minds. And even though we are totally free, and Christ has already done all that is needed to procure our freedom, we don’t perceive that we have really been set free. Although we have been born-again spiritually, a process of change has to take place in our inner-man, or better put, INSIDE OUR THINKING! If we don’t see ourselves in light of what has truly happened to us, we will continue to remain chained to the belief that have held us in bondage all of our lives. In John chapter 8, Jesus was speaking to a Jewish audience who were “chained” as it were to the teachings of the Torah, the LAW of Moses, and they identified themselves as “Sons of the Law”. They were in bondage to the Law and didn’t know that Jesus had come to fulfill the law and was offering a new way of living in freedom, not as slaves to the Law but as Sons of God. John 8:31-36 TPT- Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, “When you continue to embrace all that I teach, you prove that you are my true followers. For if you embrace the truth, it will release true freedom into your lives.” Surprised by this, they said, “But we’re the descendants of Abraham and we’re already free. We’ve never been in bondage to anyone. How could you say that we will be released into more freedom?” “I speak eternal truth,” Jesus said. “When you sin, you are not free. You’ve become a slave in bondage to your sin. And slaves have no permanent standing in a family, like a son does, for a son is a part of the family forever. So, if the Son sets you free from sin, then become a true son and be unquestionably free!” So many come into the kingdom of God battered, bruised, scarred and bound by the entanglements that the world has put upon them. There are many reasons for the bondages that Satan has put upon them that are the negative consequences of sin. A bad marriage, drug problem, sexual perversion, a lying spirit, mental hang-up or some other kind of scar that has been inflicted upon them BEFORE the met CHRIST. If these bondages are not removed through the renewing of the mind by the Word of God, then the strongholds can and will continue to exert power in the life of a Christian. They become the “ropes” that are used to hold the believer in a position of dominance and defeat by the enemy. How do we break free? The MIND is where the warfare is centered. It is something we all are born with and it is a rebellion against God. Romans 8:7 TPT …the mind-set focused on the flesh fights God’s plan and refuses to submit to his direction, because it cannot! Col. 1:21 TPT- (prior to your salvation experience) you were… you were once distant from him, living in the shadows of your evil thoughts and actions… Ephesians 4:17-18 TPT- So with the wisdom given to me from the Lord I say: You should not live like the unbelievers around you who walk in their empty delusions. 18 Their corrupted logic has been clouded because their hearts are so far from God—their blinded understanding and deep-seated moral darkness keeps them from the true knowledge of God. 2 Cor 4:4 TPT … their minds have been blinded by the god of this age, leaving them in unbelief. Their blindness keeps them from seeing the dayspring light of the wonderful news of the glory of Jesus Christ, who is the divine image of God. We are BY NATURE “children of wrath”… Satan wants us to live in an unhealthy fear of God thinking that He wants to punish us for our sins, even the sins of our past, or our past failures. NOTHING IS FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH! But in order to discover what the truth is we must renew our minds through the truth of God’s Word: Romans 12:2- TPT Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes. Eph. 4:23-24 Now it’s time to be made new by every revelation that’s been given to you. 24 And to be transformed as you embrace the glorious Christ-within as your new life and live in union with him! For God has re-created you all over again in his perfect righteousness, and you now belong to him in the realm of true holiness. TRANSFORM: metamorphoo: meta- denoting change of place or condition and morphoo: to form. To transform, transfigure… Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ live in you richly, flooding you with all wisdom. Apply the Scriptures as you teach and instruct one another… 1 Peter 1:13-14 So then, prepare your hearts and minds for action! Stay alert and fix your hope firmly on the marvelous grace that is coming to you. For when Jesus Christ is unveiled, a greater measure of grace will be released to you. 14 As God’s obedient children, never again shape your lives by the desires that you followed when you didn’t know better. If we don’t apply the truths of God’s Word in our thinking, then we remain tethered to the dictates of our old self-life and under the dominion of Satan and our past. 2 Cor. 5:17-21 TPT- Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new creation. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new. 18 And God has made all things new, and reconciled us to himself, and given us the ministry of reconciling others to God. 19 In other words, it was through the Anointed One that God was shepherding the world, not even keeping records of their transgressions, and he has entrusted to us the ministry of opening the door of reconciliation to God. 20 We are ambassadors of the Anointed One who carry the message of Christ to the world, as though God were tenderly pleading with them directly through our lips. So, we tenderly plead with you on Christ’s behalf, “Turn back to God and be reconciled to him.” 21 For God made the only one who did not know sin to become sin for us, so that we who did not know righteousness might become the righteousness of God through our union with Him.

Free Indeed

He IS My Confidence Proverbs 14:26 TPT- Confidence and strength flood the hearts of the lovers of God who live in awe of him, and their devotion provides their children with a place of shelter and security. God provides us with a sense of confidence and security when we anchor our hopes in Him. But if we lose sight of where our help comes from, we can set ourselves up for a downfall. Prov. 16:18 NKJV - Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. TPT- Your boast becomes a prophecy of a future failure. The higher you lift up yourself in pride, the harder you’ll fall in disgrace. Confidence is a good thing! But overconfidence can become a trap and a stumbling block. The great golfer Arnold Palmer recalled a lesson about overconfidence: “It was the final hole of the 1961 Masters tournament, and I had a one-stroke lead and had just hit a very satisfying tee shot. I felt I was in pretty good shape. As I approached my ball, I saw an old friend standing at the edge of the gallery. He motioned me over, stuck out his hand and said, "Congratulations." I took his hand and shook it, but as soon as I did, I knew I had lost my focus. On my next two shots, I hit the ball into a sand trop, then put it over the edge of the green. I missed a putt and lost the Masters. You don't forget a mistake like that; you just learn from it and become determined that you will never do that again. I haven't in the 30 years since.” Half of all drownings happen to adults and kids who can swim. 1 Cor. 10:1-13 10 TPT- My dear fellow believers, you need to understand that all of our Jewish ancestors who walked through a wilderness long ago were under the glory cloud and passed through the waters of the sea on both sides. 2 They were all baptized into the cloud of glory, into the fellowship of Moses, and into the sea. 3 They all ate the same heavenly manna 4 and drank water from the same spiritual rock that traveled with them—and that Rock was Christ himself. 5 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their dead bodies were scattered around the wilderness. 6 Now, all these things serve as types and pictures for us—lessons that teach us not to fail in the same way by callously craving worthless things 7 and practicing idolatry, as some of them did. For it is written: The people settled into their unrestrained revelry, with feasting and drinking, then they rose up and became wildly out of control! 8 Neither should we commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, which caused the death of twenty-three thousand on a single day. 9 Nor should we ever provoke the Lord, as some of them did by putting him to outrageous tests that resulted in their death from snakebites day after day. 10 And we must not embrace their ways by complaining—grumbling with discontent, as many of them did, and were killed by the destroyer! 11 All the tests they endured on their way through the wilderness are a symbolic picture, an example that provides us with a warning so that we can learn through what they experienced. For we live in a time when the purpose of all the ages past is now completing its goal within us. 12 So beware if you think it could never happen to you, lest your pride becomes your downfall. The Way of Escape: 13 We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being. But God will be faithful to you. He will screen and filter the severity, nature, and timing of every test or trial you face so that you can bear it. And each test is an opportunity to trust him more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape that will bring you out of it victoriously. One Old Testament example of one who became overconfident and proud was Uzziah, king of Judah. Uzziah was only 16 years old when he was anointed as king over Judah. The Scripture says, “He did right in the sight of the Lord…” He sought the Lord and listened the voice of the prophet Zechariah who had understanding of through the vision of God; and AS LONG AS HE SOUGHT THE LORD, GOD PROSPERED HIM. (2 Chron. 26:5) God helped him to eliminate all his enemies and to become a brilliant builder and architect, farmer, and military tactician. Verse 15b…his fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong. 16 But WHEN HE BECAME STRONG HIS HEART WAS SO PROUD THAT HE ACTED CORRUPTLY…for he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense before the altar of the Lord (wasn’t his place to do so! Only the priests were allowed to burn the holy incense on the altar of incense). Azariah the priest and eighty other priests went in after Uzziah and they opposed him. Uzziah became enraged against the priests, but while he was in a state of rage, leprosy broke out on his forehead and then he was in a hurry to get out of the temple. Uzziah spent the rest of his days as a leper, cut off from the house of the Lord and from his people. What a sad ending for such a brilliant start. PRIDE! Destructive! Samson was another example who lost sight of where his strength came from until he allowed himself to be seduced and lured into a deep sleep by Delilah. He had played the game with her too many times. But this time it caught up with him. When he was aroused by her when the Philistines came in, he jumped up and said- Judges 16:20 NASB- “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” BUT HE DID NOT KNOW THAT THE LORD HAD DEPARTED FROM HIM. My dear friend, Tim Daniel who went home to be with the Lord about 7 years ago, wrote a song entitled, “Utterly Dependent” and the main emphasis of the song is that we are utterly dependent on the grace of God! The age-old problem of spiritual pride raises its ugly head from time to time and has to dealt with. It’s something that I as a leader don’t normally have to do, because it is not me that pride raises its head against. It is GOD who is being resisted! Peter wrote in his first letter to leaders and those who were growing up under those leaders. 1 Pet. 5:1- 5 TPT- Now, I encourage you as an elder, an eyewitness of the sufferings of Christ, and one who shares in the glory that is about to be unveiled. I urge my fellow elders among you 2 to be compassionate shepherds who tenderly care for God’s flock and who feed them well, for you have the responsibility to guide, protect, and oversee. Consider it a joyous pleasure[b]and not merely a religious duty. Lead from the heart under God’s leadership—not as a way to gain finances dishonestly but as a way to eagerly and cheerfully serve. 3 Don’t be controlling tyrants but lead others by your beautiful examples to the flock. 4 And when the Shepherd-King appears, you will win the victor’s crown of glory that never fades away. 5 In the same way, the younger ones should willingly support the leadership of the elders. In every relationship, each of you must wrap around yourself the apron of a humble servant. Because: God resists you when you are proud but multiplies grace and favor when you are humble. Humility and Faith 6 If you bow low in God’s awesome presence, He will eventually exalt you as you leave the timing in his hands. Paul, in instructing Timothy about setting up churches gave the following instruction: 1 Tim 3:1-3 TPT- If any of you aspires to be an overseer (bishop, elder) in the church; you have set your heart toward a noble ambition, for the word is true! 2 Yet, an elder needs to be one who is without blame before others. He (they) should be one whose heart is for his (Their) wife (spouse) alone and not another woman. He should be recognized as one who is sensible, and well-behaved, and living a disciplined life. He should be a “spiritual shepherd” who has the gift of teaching and is known for his hospitality. 3 He cannot be a drunkard, or someone who lashes out at others, or argumentative, or someone who simply craves more money, but instead, recognized by his gentleness. 4 His heart should be set on guiding his household with wisdom and dignity; bringing up his children to worship with devotion and purity. 5 For if he’s unable to properly lead his own household well, how could he properly lead God’s household? 6 He should not be a new disciple who would be vulnerable to living in the clouds of conceit and fall into pride, making him easy prey for Satan. 7 He should be respected by those who are unbelievers, having a beautiful testimony among them so that he will not fall into the traps of Satan and be disgraced. Many young and talented potential powerhouses for God have launched out in ministry ahead of God before they have learned some very important lessons: humility, servitude, honor, submission to authority... Over-confident in their abilities, talents, and “knowledge” they go out to take on the world only to get beaten up by the enemy and become discouraged and lose heart. 1 Cor. 8:1b NKJV …. we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. God resists the proud, but GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE… That is those that realize that it’s by grace and grace alone that we are anything at all. Apostle Paul: 1 Cor. 15:1b “…by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.” Our confidence must be in Him alone and the power of the Holy Spirit inside of us! Phil 1:6, Col 1:27, John 15:5 NASB- I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him [a]bears much fruit, for apart from Me yo

He Is My Confidence

He Reigns! Colossians 3:15 NLT- 12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults and, forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body, you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. 16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. These are good words to live by. Especially in our current social climate. There is a lot of rich content in these several verses to look at. 1. God chose you to be THE HOLY PEOPLE HE LOVES. HE CHOSE US! That ought to make you feel special. Eph. 1:4 TPT- And He chose us to be His very own, joining us to Himself EVEN BEFORE HE LAID THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE UNIVERSE! Because of His great love, He ordained us (Marked us with his love, or predestined us, set us apart), so that we would be seen as HOLY IN HIS EYES with an unstained innocence. 2. He has called us to change our clothes: clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These are not natural human attributes. They are contrary to the fleshly desires or our SELF-LIFE. They are outward manifestations of the work of the Holy Spirit inside of us. (Gal. 5:22 ..the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. 2. Forgive:13 Make allowance for each other’s faults and, forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 3. LOVE ABOVE EVERTHING ELSE: 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. LOVE is the only thing that will sustain us as a body of believers. Ps. 133- It is good for brethren to dwell together in harmony… Now we get to the crust of the matter: 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. Rule: Greek- brabeuo: Describes an umpire who calls all the shots and makes all the decisions. So instead of being ruled by your emotions or your circumstances, the peace of God is calling the shots. Col. 3:16 KJV- Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. As we let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly: it’s like we roll out the red carpet of our minds and hearts to the Word and give special honor to it. When we do, God’s word produces a peace that causes us to have a great peace inside us no matter what is going on outside of us. Last week I made mention of a passage of Scripture found in Heb. 12:26-27 NLT When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” 27 This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain. 28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.29 For our God is a devouring fire. I believe we are in such a time of “Shaking.” Many are shaken in their faith. But if we allow the Peace of Christ to reign our hearts we will never be shaken. Phil. 4:6-7 NLT is a passage of Scripture that most of us are very familiar with. 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. But verse 8 is the glue that holds the preceding verses together. 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. This is an example of what Paul is talking about in Col. 3:15- When we have our thoughts fixed on the right things then there is no room for fear or doubt. What is TRUE, HONORABLE, RIGHT, PURE, LOVELY, ADMIRABLE? God and His promises. Col. 3:1-2 3 TPT Christ’s resurrection is your resurrection too. This is why we are to yearn for all that is above, for that’s where Christ sits enthroned at the place of all power, honor, and authority! 2 Yes, feast on all the treasures of the heavenly realm and fill your thoughts with heavenly realities, and not with the distractions of the natural realm. I believe this message is totally relevant because of where we are on the prophetic eschatological timeline. 2 Thess. 2:2 KJV- That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Paul wrote to the Thessalonian believers to warn them about events that would occur just before the second coming of Christ. He wanted to prepare them so these events wouldn’t catch them off guard and throw them into a state of panic. Notice, he told them not to be “soon shaken.” Soon: Greek: tachus: quickly, suddenly, hastily. And Shaken: Greek: saleuo: to shake, to waver, totter, or to be moved. He specifically tells them not to be, “soon shaken in mind or spirit.” Paul was telling them to resist being easily shaken up by the events that will occur just before the coming of Jesus. Still applies! He said, “don’t be shaken in MIND: nous: describes everything that pertains to the realm of the intellect, including one’s will, emotions, and ability to think, reason and decide. Whatever or whatever controls a person’s mind ultimately has the power to dictate the affairs and outcomes of a person’s life. Therefore, if a person allows his mind to be doused with panic or fear, they are putting fear in charge of their life. Paul went on to say, “That you be not soon shaken in mind, or to be troubled. Troubled: throeo: an inward fright resulting from some terrible or catastrophic event. The event or evens would be so nerve-wracking they could cause a person to be devoured with fear, worry or anxiety. Paul is admonishing his readers not to allow ourselves to be shaken, moved, or traumatized by the events that we see or hear of. He tells to get a grip on our minds and refuse to allow fear to control our lives. This takes us back to Col. 3:15-16 NKJV- 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. There will certainly be times in your life when your very faith will be shaken. But IF you are shaken, just remember Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.” If we are the salt of the earth, then we must be shaken so that the salt can be scattered. Things to do when you are shaken: 1. Be alert and prepared because times of testing will come. It’s not a matter of if, but when. 2. Be joyful: 1 Thess. 5:16 NLT Always be joyful. The Joy of the Lord is your strength Neh. 8:10 3. Be prayerful: Phil 4:6-7, 1 Thess. 5:17 NKJV- Pray without ceasing. TPT- Make your life a prayer. 4. Stay constantly in the Word: Again, this takes us back to Col. 3:16- Let the Word of God dwell in you richly… HE REIGNS!

HE Reigns

The Final Countdown 2 Peter 3 is probably one of the most relevant passages of Scripture in the Word as it describes our world and its current condition. I’ll read it from the Passion Translation. 2 Peter 3 TPT- Beloved friends, this is now the second letter I have written to you in which I’ve attempted to stir you up and awaken you to a proper mind-set. 2 So never forget both the prophecies spoken by the holy prophets of old and the teaching of our Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. 3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days mockers will multiply, chasing after their evil desires. 4 They will say, “So what about this promise of his coming? Our ancestors are dead and buried, yet everything is still the same as it was since from the beginning of time until now.” 5 But they conveniently overlook that from the beginning, the heavens and earth were created by God’s word. He spoke and the dry ground separated from the waters. 6 Then long afterward he destroyed the world with a tremendous flood by those very waters. 7 And now, by the same powerful word, the heavens and the earth are reserved for fire, being kept for judgment day, when all the ungodly will perish. 8 So, dear friends, don’t let this one thing escape your notice: a single day counts like a thousand years to the Lord Yahweh, and a thousand years counts as one day. 9 This means that contrary to man’s perspective, the Lord is not late with his promise to return, as some measure lateness. But rather, his “delay” simply reveals his loving patience toward you, because he does not want any to perish but all to come to repentance. 10 The day of the Lord will come and take everyone by surprise—as unexpected as a home invasion. The atmosphere will be set on fire and vanish with a horrific roar, and the heavenly bodies will melt away as in a tremendous blaze. The earth and every activity of man will be laid bare. 11 Since all these things are on the verge of being dismantled, don’t you see how vital it is to live a holy life? We must be consumed with godliness 12 while we anticipate and help to speed up the coming of the day of God, when the atmosphere will be set on fire and the heavenly bodies consumed in a blaze. 13 But as we wait, we trust in God’s royal proclamation to be fulfilled. There are coming heavens new in quality, and an earth new in quality, where righteousness will be fully at home. Peter not only prophecies of future events and lays out what the spiritual climate will be like at the coming of the Lord but goes on to tell us how to prepare for it. The Bible is not just a book written by men. It is a covenant created by God with written promises from the creator of the universe to man who was created in His own image. He gave the words that were written to holy men of God who wrote them down as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Every word is true, and every promise has been, is being, and will be fulfilled. Preparation for the Coming of the Lord Very soon there is going to be an event that will shock every person on the planet! Many persons who were on earth just moments ago will be suddenly gone. We refer to this as the rapture of the church. Don’t look for the word in your Bible. It isn’t there. But in 1 Thess. 4:16-17 NASB we read, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be CAUGHT UP (Harpazo: Catch away (up), seize upon, snatch away. To carry away.) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, thus we shall always be with the Lord.” This is what many refer to as, “Our blessed hope” or the rapture of the church. 14 So, my beloved friends, with all that you have to look forward to, may you be eager to be found living pure lives when you come into his presence, without blemish and filled with peace. 15 And keep in mind that our Lord’s extraordinary patience simply means more opportunity for salvation, just as our dear brother Paul wrote to you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He consistently speaks of these things in all of his letters, even though he writes some concepts that are overwhelming to our understanding, which the unlearned and unstable love to twist to their spiritual ruin, as they do to other Scriptures. Peter isn’t saying that God is giving Himself more time for the salvation of those around us. He is giving us more time to reach them. If you want your loved ones in heaven with you then tell them about Jesus, pray for them, love them into the kingdom. And as for yourselves: Grow in God’s Grace 17 As for you, divinely loved ones, since you are forewarned of these things, be careful that you are not led astray by the error of the lawless and lose your firm grip on the truth. 18 But continue to grow and increase in God’s grace and intimacy with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May he receive all the glory both now and until the day eternity begins. Amen! The New Testament is full of admonishments to grow in the Lord. Many times, our spiritual growth is likened to a plant that needs proper nourishment, pruning and care for it to grow and produce fruit. That also requires the right kind of environment. Hebrews 10:19-25 TPT And now we are brothers and sisters in God’s family because of the blood of Jesus, and he welcomes us to come into the most holy sanctuary in the heavenly realm—boldly and without hesitation. For he has dedicated a new, life-giving way for us to approach God. For just as the veil was torn in two, Jesus’ body was torn open to give us free and fresh access to him! And since we now have a magnificent High Priest to welcome us into God’s house, we come closer to God and approach him with an open heart, fully convinced that nothing will keep us at a distance from him. For our hearts have been sprinkled with blood to remove impurity, and we have been freed from an accusing conscience. Now we are clean, unstained, and presentable to God inside and out! So now wrap your heart tightly around the hope that lives within us, knowing that God always keeps his promises! Discover creative ways to encourage others and to motivate them toward acts of compassion, doing beautiful works as expressions of love. This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing. In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward as we anticipate that day dawning. The devil does not want God’s people congregating. We can see that so clearly. He has used government hostilities, intimidation, even tried to shame people with false accusations, and now an evil man-made virus to keep God’s people from assembling for worship and discipleship. Fear of contracting the virus has paralyzed many believers and kept them from assembling. Thank God we have media to reach into homes. But now many are being shut down because those who run the media don’t like the message that is being presented. The enemy will do everything he can to silence the message. But he will not succeed! If we can’t get people inside the church to hear the message, it’s imperative that each of us carry the message to them. That was God’s plan all along. Each of us are encouraged in 1 Peter 3:15 TPT ...give reverent honor in your hearts to the Anointed One and treat him as the holy Master of your lives. And if anyone asks about the hope living within you, always be ready to explain your faith. Eph. 5:15-16 …be very careful how you live, not being like those with no understanding, but live honorably with true wisdom, for we are living in evil times. Take full advantage of every day as you spend your life for his purposes. The KJV reads: … See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Redeeming: Exagorazo: to buy (deem as valuable) rescue from loss (improve opportunity). WE DON’T HAVE TIME TO WASTE! Our time is our most valuable commodity. Spend it wisely for we will all give an account for how it is spent. 17 As for you, divinely loved ones, since you are forewarned of these things, be careful that you are not led astray by the error of the lawless and lose your firm grip on the truth. 18 But continue to grow and increase in God’s grace and intimacy with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May he receive all the glory both now and until the day eternity begins. AMEN Myself, and the ministerial staff here at D.C. will do all we can to provide opportunity for you to grow in the Lord, but it is totally up to you to take advantage of the opportunities that are offered. Let’s grow together and do all we can to win as many souls to the Lord as we can. We are in the final countdown!

hubhopper

Destiny City Church

hubhopper