JOURNAL - 6

[FAITH]

JOURNAL - 6

Prayer:  Most gracious God who has given us Christ and with Him all that is necessary to life and godliness, we thankfully take this our food, as the gift of thy bounty, procured by His merits, blessed to the nourishment and strength of our bodies to fit us for thy service, Amen.

Remission - definition - cancellation of a debt, charge, or penalty. The Word of God is quick and powerful and has life (Hebrews 4:12).  But when a person receives the Word solely with his mind, he will not experience the power and the life in God's Word.  The avenue of the Holy Spirit into your spirit is through affirmation and meditation of the Word which in time and persistence produces revelation. Without the Spirit of God, the Word is no more than a dead letter.

The most perilous situation in the church today is that so many of its leaders are in high places because of their natural talents, rather than their spirituality.

A dividing of the soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12) is exceedingly essential, since it concerns spiritual growth. Why? Because a Christian cannot seek that which is spiritual if he does not even know the distinctions between what is of the spirit and what is of the soul.

When doing God's work, it is not a question of what is being done, but rather, from where did the work originate -- our flesh or the Holy Spirit?

If you touch God (through your spirit) you can cause other people to touch Him also; but if you touch only the soul (mind, will, and emotions), you cause people to touch only you.

The flesh has become so corrupted that even what you think and feel is not very trustworthy. Selfishness is the source of all sin in man.

Self is God's greatest enemy, because self always declares independence from Him. What is self? Whatever man possesses or is able to do without seeking, waiting on, or depending on God.

Romans 6 speaks of our co-death with Christ; Romans 7 speaks of our trying to live the spiritual life out of the old nature; and Romans 8 speaks of the victory that is already ours in the Holy Spirit.

God wants us to have no activity outside of Him. He wishes us to die to ourselves and be dependent on Him as though we cannot move without Him. The Lord will not ask how good your work is; He will only ask who does the work: His Spirit of your flesh?

"We love because He first loves us" - 1 John 4:19 -- We cannot love ourselves or anyone else until we acknowledge and receive the love of God in our spirit.

Use the inheritance affirmations as the sword of the spirit.

Revival is not going to start in your own life and spread like wildfire.  Make yourself available to hear from God during this time, as the heavens are open for the Holy Spirit to flow with new revelation.

Are you willing to let God take you beyond your own natural capabilities to pray through you?

A revelation is an invitation to walk with God on the ground He has revealed to you -- the real estate he has given to you in that revelation.

Bad Behavior -- Inappropriate, insensitive, unseemly, unsuitable, unbecoming, boorish, churlish, crass, truculent, coarse, obstreperous, rough.

Most religious teaching today:  shallow, insubstantial, one-dimensional, superficial.

Quit asking the blind to proofread your destiny.

By faith, we step out into things we cannot do ourselves.

Jesus was emotionally engaged when he prayed.  He was wholly taken over by His prayer. 

Why pray the scriptures out loud?  It is hard to think about something other than what you are talking about.  Praying out loud the scriptures solves the problem of the wandering mind.  -- spoken words speak to the soul and have the power of raising thoughts in the soul. The Psalm scriptures speak of God in the Highest manner which most fully expresses the power and presence of God.

Strong's definition for "meditate" - HAGAH (Greek) - means to imagine.  First pray the scriptures out loud -- then pray the scriptures back to God.  This prayer can be the prayer of thanksgiving, supplication, or praying the greatness of God and the benefits of God.

Problem in American preaching - tying spiritual principles to secular stories.

When you begin your petitions, use various expressions of the attributes and greatness of God which make you cognizant of the power of the divine nature.

The first thing that you are to do when you are upon your knees, is to shut your eyes, and with a short silence let your soul place itself in the presence of God.

When you direct any of your petitions to Jesus let it be: thou art the radiance of thy Father's glory.  Thou art the Alpha and Omega,  The beginning and the end of all things:  Thou has destroyed the power of the devil and hast overcome death.

Lukewarm message is where no one gets challenged.

You cannot wait for your feelings to align with your spirit because they never will. Holiness is the rule that empowerers prayer.  Prayer to the spirit is like oxygen to the body.

You come to the altar to kill something -- you have to have a sacrifice -- not to improve that thing.

Grace doesn't cover sin.  Blood covers sin.

James 4:4 -- "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."  When you fall out of love with God you have to find movies, you have to find sports, you have to find other worldly things. James calls it spiritual adultery to sleep with these things all week because there is no true intimacy with the Holy Spirit. The very point of the gospel is that you are not living anymore.  It's not just saying a prayer -- it's dying. The stone was moved for the Church to come in and die.

The anointing has purpose -- stop making excuses and start making disciples.

Moses prayed to God on the mountain for 40 days and then in 10 days God gave him the law.  Jesus, before He ascended, taught the disciples for 40 days and then the disciples tarried in Jerusalem for 10 days to receive the Holy Spirit.  50 days is the celebration of Pentecost (the feast of weeks).

Peter after the crucifixion warming himself on the fires of the world.  Today many believers are not burning for Him, they are warming themselves upon the fire of the culture.

Do not limit the power of the blood of Christ to what you understand.  There is no greater mystery in the Christian life than the worth and power of His blood.  Apply it by faith.  Be a child of God who practices the "sprinkling of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ."  Sprinkle it anywhere there is evidence of pressure, tension, or any kind of satanic effort to thwart the complete will of God in your life.  God wants it for a witness, "And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things..." (Hebrews 12:24)  This is not prayer.  This is taking your God-given authority over Satan and his forces.  This is overcoming the devil.

For all that is wrong in your life and circumstances begin to declare, "There is power in the Blood of Jesus to set everything right, Satan.  I declare to you that His atoning Blood works now to minister defeat to every evil work of yours and to bring it down to nothing." DECLARE IT!  He will seek to shake your stand but refuse to be shaken.  He will try to shove you off the rock onto the quicksands of feelings, but REFUSE to be shoved.  Stand firm and testify of your victory until you have it in your hand.  Galatians 6:9 says "Be not weary...for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." This is not prayer.  This is taking your God-given authority over Satan and his forces.  This is overcoming the devil.

If Satan has gained a stronghold through drugs -- or whatever -- into your child, you can "hold" the Blood of Jesus against him.  Your child doesn't have to be with you.  Meditate upon Scriptures concerning the Name of Jesus and the Blood of Jesus until they are real to your spirit.  Rise up and say, "in the Name of Jesus I hold the Blood of Jesus against you  demons of drugs -- or whatever -- that have lodged in my child's mind and body.  Jesus defeated you and now in His Name I hold His Blood against you and you have to flee."  Because you believe in your heart you say it with your mouth.  And you keep saying it until the demons give up -- which they must do!This is not prayer.  This is taking your God-given authority over Satan and his forces.  This is overcoming the devil.

We are saved by grace through faith, and not of works. (Ephesians 2:8,9)  But after we are born again we are to ask, knock, and seek (Matthew 7:7) until we understand and implement God’s purpose for our life to do the good works God ordained us to walk- in here on earth. (Ephesians 2:10)  At the judgment seat of Christ we will receive reward for the good things done while we (our spirits) lived in our bodies. (1 Corinthians 3:12-16, 2 Corinthians 5:10)  Revelation 22:12 - "Behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done."

Meditation:  My soul is filled with boundless love while gazing on the precious blood, I catch the rays of Jesus' face transfixed in me, the Throne of Grace.

You cannot see your selfishness.  Selfishness feeds on the subtle poison of an apparent generosity in always sacrificing for others.  God will force your unrenewed mind to cry out loud and come out in the open.  God lets you see who you really worship:  yourself. Romans 12:2 - "be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."

When you hear the still, small voice within, it is time to be silent.  This voice is not a stranger to your spirit.  It is God's voice within your spirit.  This is not something mystical but something practical.  Deep within, you will learn to yield to God and to trust your Lord. "Hebrews 3:15 - "Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts..."

Strong emotions and deep feelings, or seeking after signs, can be more dangerous than helpful.  Your imagination is sure to run away with you.  God will lead you if you will be faithful to come before Him quietly.  Remember, your life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).  Eat of Him and His word.  Put God before yourself and the world and your unholy desires will begin to be transformed.

There is no deeper trust of yourself than knowing that you trust God completely.  The point of trusting God is not to do great things that you can feel good about, but to trust God from a place of deep weakness.  If you've actually trusted God with something -- you will not think about the matter any longer, nor will you feel a lack of peace. 2 Corinthians 12:9 - "I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."

Often what you offer God is not what He wants.  He usually wants that which you dread giving Him.  It is Isaac, the well-beloved, that He wants you to give up. What He is after is what comes between you and Him.  He will not rest, and neither will you until you have given Him everything. Matthew 10:37 - "Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."

When your imagination is too active it will eat you up!  Your inward life will die of starvation.  All that buzzing in your mind is like bees in a beehive.  If you excite your thoughts, they will grow angry and sting you!  Be quiet and you will hear God speak.  Live in the peace of Jesus.

Yield to God the first minute you feel yourself resisting.  Dwell in silence as much as you can.  Avoid choosing your own way, and withhold your opinion as much as possible. Sitting in your Lord's presence will calm you, soften your temper, humble your attitude, and restrain your impatience. Proverbs 3:5 - "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding."

Pray within yourself all day long.  Live in prayer -- let it touch everything that you do.  Be aware of God's presence within you -- even when you are busy.  The important thing is not to listen to yourself, but silently listen to God.  Talk little and do much, without caring to be seen.  Do this and peace will be yours.

Your self-nature is overactive, impulsive, and always striving for something just outside your reach.  If you give up all those things that provoke your curiosity and set your mind spinning, you will have more than enough time to spend with God. God, working within your spirit, produces a calm and faithful heart that the world cannot touch.  Colossians 3:2 -  “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things”

An excellent way to maintain a quiet spirit is to let go of every action just as soon as you complete it.  Don't keep thinking about what you have or haven't done.  And don't blame yourself for forgetting something, or for doing something you regret -- you will exhaust your mind.  Do everything with the awareness that you are acting before God and for His sake.  Lift up your heart to God.  He will purify, enlighten and direct you to His purpose for your life.  Psalm 73:25 - "Who have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth."

There is an increase of faith rising within you – not because of what you believe you bring to the table, but because of who lives within you. This new faith is unlocking fresh revelations about you that you had never realized of yourself. Don't allow the enemy to try to intimidate you, since what you are experiencing has not been experienced before.  You are no longer be bound by fear – whether is it fear of failing or fear of missing God. You are being lead to walk in your calling in Christ. It's time to rise to your identity in Christ Jesus and to be filled with His determination to pursue the very things God has placed within your heart to advance His Kingdom.

Fasting is one Kingdom key to increase one's spiritual hunger. Fasting, when done properly, causes us to block out distractions that hinder us from receiving from God. It positions us to get "clear" about what God is desiring to say to us and do in us. The affairs of life and demonic bondages that compete with God for our attention are put to the side as we seek God.

James 3:17 - "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy."  As we speak the tender mercies of the Word over a problem, our faith begins to rise up within us.  We then release words of faith and plant seeds of power.  These seeds then begin to grow up and become greater than the problems. They begin to bear fruit -- fruit of deliverance, healing, miracles, love, joy, and peace.  Souls are drawn into the Kingdom as Jesus is lifted up by the words of our mouth.  James 3:17 says that the Word is without hypocrisy. That means when we call things that be not as though they were, we're not lying or being hypocrites.  We are not speaking lies or deceptions.  We are speaking seeds of faith -- the seeds that start the process of God's operations in our lives will change our entire surroundings.

Philippians 3:16 - "I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."  Paul spoke about the desire to attain.  There is no standing still.  We are renewed by the Spirit.  We never get into a new place until we come out of the old one (Genesis 12:1-4).  We must see revelation of  God's purpose for our life  and learn about who we are in Christ and our right standing with God. We can never be satisfied to stay where we are spiritually, for the truth continues to enlighten us.  We must move on, or we will perish.  We must be obedient to the Holy Spirit who guides us.

Hebrews 4:16 - "So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."  When we sin, we don't need to punish ourselves, because Jesus already took our punishment and He now offers us His mercy. He is extending his mercy to you right now, but you must believe it and receive it in order for it to benefit you. Don't turn away because you know you don't deserve it.  Receive it and let it make you fall more in love with Jesus than ever before.  Our sin will never exceed God's mercy because where sin abounds, grace abounds much more (Romans 3:20). 

Affirmation:  Christ and I are one. I can never be separated from Christ, from whom comes all my supply -- all the power, wisdom, prosperity and health.  As He is so am I in this world!

1 Corinthians 2:9 - "it is written: 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..."  If you could see through your eyes what you were created to be, you'd change your life.

 Romans 8:31,32 - "If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" - When walking in God's purpose for your life you've got to take a few chances. It is a temptation to wait and wait until you are absolutely sure of everything before you make a move. If you've prayed and prayed and gathered the information needed, you're going to have to jump and go for what you feel called to do. You will find that even when your decision was not the best, God can still use the situation to bless and propel you toward your Destiny in Christ.

Isaiah 53:3 - "He was despised, and rejected by men;  A man of pains, and acquainted with sickness, And as one hiding the face from us, He is despised, and we esteemed him not."   When you are sick, it is an especially good time to pray for others you may know who are sick. During our own pain, we tend to have greater compassion for others who are also hurting.  Prayer is sowing seed into the lives of others, and seed always produces a harvest.

Philippians 3:9  - "and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith."  Paul wanted to gain the rest of faith, so he refused all hindrances and pressed on.  He wanted to remove any interference that stood in the way of his knowing Christ.  There is power in His resurrection.  There is a "righteousness which is from God by faith."  It is His love in us. It is His life in us.  It is His compassion.

Isaiah 54:2 - “Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your ropes and strengthen your stakes."  When you don't think there is more to where you currently are in God's purpose for your life, you become limited.  You think this right here -- all I see -- is it. This type of thinking keeps you from exploring and discovering. It keeps you from stretching yourself and dreaming about other possibilities.  If you want to meet God's calling in Christ on your life, you're going to have to believe there is more than what meets the eyes. You begin to choose to live like there is more by expecting more and praying for more wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17,18).  Kingdom destiny followers know that more is beyond, and they commit to scaling barriers or other walls put up by their minds -- or by others.

Colossians 3:2,3 - "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."  If you think like the world thinks, you will act like the world acts. So control your thoughts bringing them into obedience to the Scriptures. Program your mind with the Word of God.  The Word is spirit and is life. Don't let Satan deceive you into sacrificing the glory of God in your life for a few moments of self-indulgence and sin. Restrain your thought life. Affirm, meditate, and visualize the Word in your heart instead of selfish carnal thoughts. Keep your eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith.

Psalm 112:6-8 - "Surely he shall not be moved forever; the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.  His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies."  In any battle we face in life, first of all,  we must settle in our own hearts that the victory is ours and the battle is the Lord's -- we must rule out all possibilities of defeat.  The only way we can get our heart firmly established is to affirm and meditate on God's promises in scripture, seeing them with the eyes of our heart, dwelling on what He has said instead of what everyone around us is saying.

Mark 16:17 - "And these signs shall follow them that believe;..."  Because of the tense used with the Greek word for "believe", this verse would be better translated "These signs shall follow them that are constantly believing..."  In other words, these signs don't come automatically just because a person once walked aside and gave his heart to Jesus. These signs follow those who are constantly believing for them to occur. Like everything else in the Kingdom of God, signs and wonders are activated by faith. Ask the Holy Spirit to rekindle the flame in your heart to see the supernatural signature of God on your life or your ministry. For the miraculous to occur, He needs you to be constantly releasing your faith -- for it is your faith that activates the supernatural!

Isaiah 10:27 - "And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing."  Jesus is the Christ. The Greek word for Christ means "the Anointed One".  And since Isaiah 10:27 tells us the yoke of the devil is destroyed by the anointing, we don't have to run scared when the devil comes against us. You are destined to overcome. You have that anointing -- the Anointed One -- residing on the inside of you if you are born again. Stir up that anointing.  Stand up in the midst of the storm. As you speak to it with all the power and authority that's been given to you, you'll dominate the storm.

 

Ephesians 4:22-24 - "Strip yourselves of your former nature...And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind...put on the new nature...created in...true holiness."  Righteousness and holiness are two different things. Righteousness is the right standing with God you gained when you were born again. The only thing you did to be made righteous was to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life. You are not made holy. Holiness is the result of your oneness with Jesus because of your rebirth in Christ. It's your conduct. It comes when you make a decision of your will to live according to everything Jesus modeled and taught. Only then are you transformed into His likeness. To be holy is to be sanctified (2 timothy 2:21). Sanctified means "set apart." Set apart from what? From the World. 

Affirmations:

I make up my mind not to sideline my spiritual growth in Christ by doing petty things that please myself.

I am one with Christ Jesus as Jesus us one with the Father.

I choose to live a life of power in my Christ anointing.!

I choose to live for God!