by Pastor Roy Esposito
–Ps 103:1-2 – “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.Bless the Lord ,O my soul and forget not all His benefits.”
– They are easy to forget – aren’t they?
– In this post-modern society we live in, “truth” (small “t”) fluctuates constantly as it adjusts to our personal, societal, and political circumstances,
– This can cause instability, confusion, lack of peace, and to sometimes forget the “benefit package” God granted us when we received Jesus.
Ps 103: 3-5 – 1. Heals all our diseases 2. Saves us from the powers of darkness (fear, doubt, anxiety, discouragement, suspicion, etc.) and the destruction it brings 3. Surrounds us with His love and compassion 4. Brings Things into our lives that enable the vitality of our youth to be restored.
– This promise and many others in scripture are the “Superior Truths” that supersede the chaos of today. The caveat: Receive and Trust them
– Rom 12:2 (TPT)– Informs us to resist the temptations of the “inferior truths”:
– “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.”
– The Holy Spirit is the purveyor of “Superior Truth.”
His truth is based on the steadfast and invariable reality of the Kingdom of God.
– The Holy Spirit is called the “Spirit of Truth” and His guidance is one of the benefits we are graced with when we receive Christ.
– By His guidance we can receive grace to become free from the constraints of the inferior truths.
– Col 1:13 – “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed (transferred) us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.”
– Darkness has POWER. – Power – (Grk) Exousia – Authority
– Jude 6 – tells us that Darkness is where the demonic powers (satan included) reside.
– Jesus has made it possible for us to live under a new and higher authority: The authority of the Kingdom of God.
– I was thinking of the pain people suffer in life – physical and emotional.
– I believe that it is a direct result of the “power of darkness.”
– Ps 147:3 (AMP) – “He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pains and their sorrows].”
– This is a “Superior Truth.” which declares the authority of God’s kingdom to heal and restore what has been broken both physically (pains), and emotions (mentally).
– In the “kingdom” there is the authority (exousia) to exercise Dunamis- “Might” over the power of the darkness.
– So, I asked myself the question: “Now that I’ve been transferred, how do I fully receive and exercise the “exousia” -(authority) of the Kingdom and address the wounded with the “dunamis” – (might) of the kingdom?
– Answer: “Learn how to move in Superior Truth.”
– I was reminded of what Jesus said about coming to God as a child.
“Child-like” not “Childish”
– Child-like attributes: 1. Open to new adventures 2. Fearless
3. Inquisitiveness 4. Trusting
– One must be fearless enough to want to live from adventure to adventure – to experience new circumstances excited by the new possibilities they may bring – and never with the expectation of dread.
– A “child-like heart” is different from being “childish” b/c it mixes its fearlessness with complete devotion to seeking God’s guidance in all it does.
– The “Child-like heart”
Cherishes time alone with God –just to BE with Him
Studies the Word with Letico Divena – the Holy Spirit’s input
Experiential worship – release of self to the “Flow” of the spirit.
Inquisitiveness – Heb 11:6 “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” —
– How do we seek Him? By asking Him questions but never demanding answers.
– Matt 7:11 – “… the Father will give good gifts to those who ASK.”
– Inquiry is an essential part of diligently “seeking.” The more we seek Him – the more of Him we’ll find.
– Matt 7: 7-8 – “Ask – Seek – Knock and the door will be opened..”
– Doors – open INTO things.
In this instance, they will open into new revelations of the realities of the realm of the Holy Spirit where there is no pain, sickness, sorrow, fear, depression,anxiety, despair or death.
– This is the “Good News” of the Gospel: Jesus has made access to this realm available to all those who believe.
– He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the Kingdom of Light.
– Take note: This is an accessible reality – RIGHT NOW- (See: Matt 3:2, 4:17, 10:7) “The kingdom of God is at hand.”
– “At Hand” –(GRK) Eggiken – Jesus: “God’s rule is NOW and all that is involved with this occurrence is present – in action – and immediately available.”
– It seems clear that in Jesus’ day healing and the coming of God’s kingdom were not separate things.
– Luke 10:9 – He sent out the 70 – “Heal the sick and say to them, the Kingdom of God has come near to you.”
– Kingdom authority to heal is granted to those who are willing to receive and move in the kingdom’s truths carrying the message to others.
– Earthly (religious) actions are only relevant to the Kingdom, insofar as they are motivated by love and nothing else.
– Rom 14:17 – The Kingdom of God is not about religious rules, regulations (eating or drinking) or methodology – but
– Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit – and are part of the Kingdom’s benefit package.
– Isa 32:17 – “The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness: quietness and assurance forever.”
– Righteousness – Speaks of our right standing with God. through Christ.
– Peace – Speaks of the quietness and assurance that are the bi-products of a harmonious relationship with God.
– Joy – Chara – Calmness and a sense of well-being as opposed to weepy and sorrowful
– So, it seems it would be advantageous to develop an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit.
– Eph 4:30 – Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit by willfully continuing in on-going sin.
– When we sin, the entrance to the Kingdom is blocked because our actions are inconsistent with the Kingdom’s righteousness.
–1Thess 5:19 – Don’t quench the Spirit. –” Don’t Stop the FLOW.”
– We can “stop the flow” by demanding to know, beforehand, where the Spirit is leading – thereby “Setting Boundaries” and limits on Him.
- John 3:8 –The Spirit is like the wind – nobody knows where He will lead.
– Pre-set boundaries keep the Spirit from “blowing,” leaving us with what we already have.
– Note – (Matt 5:20, 18:3, John 3:5) Although the Kingdom is right now, it still needs to be entered.
– The entrance of the Kingdom must be sought.
– The entrance, however, will not be elusive to those whose primary quest is NOT just finding the Kingdom but finding GOD, Himself.
– Jer 29:13 – “And you shall seek Me, and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
– It would seem that the greater the desire we have for Him – the easier to enter it will be.
– When finding Him is the primary objective of our lives, all the benefits of the Kingdom become easily accessible for us to use.
– Matt 6:33 “Seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness and all these things (every part of His benefit package) shall be added to you.”