by Pastor Roy Esposito

• Romans 10:17 “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”
• Hearing (Hebrew) – to hear the Word with a willingness and intent to obey it.
• Ephesians 6:17 – The Word – a “two-edged sword”…
• Established will of God – knowing the scriptures
• Communicated Word of God — what is God saying to me personally
• Obedience to BOTH aspects are essential to gain spiritual authority
• Spiritual Authority is God’s planned destiny for the Church
• Ephesians 3:9-10 – the hidden mystery of God to be revealed by the Church
• “Manifold Wisdom” – many dimensions; variegated, many-colored

The picture is of God’s wisdom having many-sided applications, varieties, and shades that are colorfully expressed.

• Church Authority – to DEMONSTRATE God’s wisdom in its many forms
• SALVATION is FREE – but every other gift, ministry, or execution of power must be EARNED through testing against God’s will.
• Hebrews 4:15_(NKJ) – Jesus went through the same process and became our High Priest
• Matthew 4:1 – Led by the Spirit into the desert
• John 1:4, 1:14 – Jesus: The “Word” made flesh
• He is the bridge between the TRANSCENDENT and the MATERIAL universe
• His Temptation – whether the WORD had the depth of character to fulfill God’s purpose
• Luke 4:14 – The outcome; “Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit.” – the AUTHORITY of the Spirit through which He could do the supernatural works of His ministry

• Jesus’ response to the devil:
  “It is written…” – The Established will of God; and
  “It has been said…” – The Communicated will of God

• When the Word is proven through testing, it is endorsed by heaven and is able to accomplish, bring to maturity, and finish what was decreed.
• Proven dedication to the Word establishes Christ-like character without which NO AUTHORITY can be given.
• We are to give our lives to God as a “living praise,” as Lucifer was first created to do.
• Romans 12:1-2 – Living praise/sacrifices – have their NATURE transformed to Christ’s.

Christ’s authority and the Church’s purpose become ONE.

• 1 John 4:17 – “As He is, so are we in this world.”
• Ephesians 1:22-23, 1 Corinthians 15:27 – All things under Jesus’ feet
• 1 Corinthians 12:27 – We are Christ’s BODY
• Colossians 1:18 – Christ, The HEAD of the Church – the Body has FEET
• Psalm 133 Oil (anointing) runs down from the head over the body – an extension of authority
• 1 Chronicles 28:9 – David to Solomon: Serve God with a LOYAL HEART and a WILLING MIND
• The spiritual conflict we experience exists to test the SUBSTANCE, CHARACTER, and INTENT of our hearts.
• Loyalty to God and His TRUTH are weighed and developed through testing and are the assessor for the amount of authority and power released to us.

• Willingness to respond to God, the proper intention of heart and mind, and PATIENCE are the required prerequisites

• James 1:2-4_{(TPT & NKJ)} – “Let patience have its PERFECT work, that you may be MATURE and complete, lacking nothing.”

• Perfect (Greek – Teleios) – consummate soundness – Denotes Maturity.

by Pastor Roy Esposito

• 1 Corinthians 1:26-29_(TPT)

• 1 Corinthians 1:28_(NKJ) – God has chosen the things that are NOT to bring to nothing the things that ARE.

• Proverbs 8:4-21 – Love – Seek – Obey God

• Judges 6:8b-10 – Amorites – “Sayers” – Midian – “Strife and Contention.”

• Isaiah 54:14 “You shall be FAR from oppression….”

• Obeying – to accept God’s word as TRUTH and act “as if.”

• “Whenever we fail to obey the voice of the Lord, we will begin to fear the power of the gods of this world and be oppressed and enslaved by them.” – PR

• “Many Christians have chosen NOT to confront the hidden issues of their lives with the power, and authority of the love of Christ but have ADJUSTED their lives DOWNWARD to the level of their current oppression.” – PR

• Gideon was hiding in fear in a winepress when God called him.

• God looked past his circumstances and even his own self-image and spoke directly to the “new man” He was creating.

• Our strength – We are SENT!

• Whom the Lord SENDS He Empowers!

• 2 Corinthians 12:7-10_(TPT)

by Pastor Roy Esposito

• Proverbs 8:17

• There is a depth of God’s love that can only be reached through diligently seeking with patience, trust, and faithfulness

• “Grace upon grace” – Progressive grace

• Proverbs 8: 4-11

• “Simple Ones” – NAÏVE – A “surface” depth of understanding

• “Fools” – Psalm 14:1 – “There is no God.”

• Prudence – Sagacity – sound judgment, acute mental discernment

• Voice/Word of God – We hear His voice through the written Word and experience it as He communicates it through the circumstances of our lives.

• Vs. 19 – “My FRUIT is better than gold.  My REVENUE better than choice silver.”

• Fruit – of the Spirit  (Galatians 5:22-23) – Enhanced to yield greater abundance and dynamic effects.

• Revenue – Currency used for an exchange.

• Revelation 3:18 – “Buy from me – that you may become rich…”

• Proverbs 8:20-21 – Inherit SUBSTANCE – “Anointing”

• Anoint – to consecrate and make sacred, dedicated to God for service

• Anointing is bestowed because we love God but must be maintained and developed

• Numbers 11:8 – Manna, said to taste like olive OIL(anointing), was bestowed on Israel but had to be gathered daily to remain viable.

• Matthew 25:1-13 – Wise, were prepared and took oil with them.  The foolish did not

• Vs. 7 – “Trimmed Lamps” – Trimmed (GRK) Kosmeo — “cosmetic”

• Lamps – Inner being

• 2 Corinthians 4:16 (TPT) – Inner being renewed day by day

• Proverbs 8:21 – Inherit substance to see beyond what IS to what can be!

• Isaiah 26:3 (NLT) “You will keep in perfect peace all who TRUST You, whose thoughts are fixed on You.”

by Pastor Roy Esposito

• Ephesians 6:18   -” The Two-Edged Sword” of the Spirit
• Established will of God
• The Communicated will of God

• Deuteronomy 32:2-3 – The Rain – Depth teachings of the Spirit
• Acts 5:34-39 – Gamaliel — ”If the Teaching is of human origin it will fail.

From God — Unstoppable”

• The handling of the Word of God must be intimate, personal, and seen as HOLY
• 2 Samuel 6:1 – Ark transported from Abinadab to Jerusalem
• Uzzah struck dead because the Presence of God can’t be steadied by human strength
• The PRESENCE is HOLY and must be carried with Faithfulness, Reverence, Steadiness, and Sacrifice – not carted like a COMMODITY.

“Personal relationship with God in this manner is of greater benefit than any meeting, gift or doctrine.” – PR

• Hebrews 2: 14-15 – The “LIGHT” releases those who through the fear of death are in bondage all their life
• The devil – a PYTHON – a “constrictor” – Constricts us through FEAR and controls our worldview
• I John 4:4 – “God IS Love.” – Love is the Opposite of Fear
• John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than this: to lay his life down for his friends.”
• Our path to total freedom is to TRUST IN THIS
• II Corinthians 5:14-15_(TPT) – Christ’s love fuels our passion and motivates us.
• I Corinthians 13:8 – “Love never fails!”
• Love is the fulfillment of the law.
• Jesus’ love is the LIGHT that fulfilled the law.
• The power of the Cross does not just free us from SIN – it grants us freedom from the CAUSE of SIN.
• Want to get Free? – Get LOVE — GET JESUS!
• 1 John 2: 7-11_(TPT)

”We need the Power of His Love more than the love of His Power!” –PR

• In the “Valley” John could only see BABYLON  (Confusion and Chaos)
•  Revelation 21:10 – Taken to a “great and high mountain” – Saw the New Jerusalem descending from heaven
• Embracing the Power of His Love elevates us into the “Light” and away from the “valley of confusion and chaos.”

Shaking Free

“Break through the FOG, into the FLOW, and Shake Free of the world!”

— 2Cor 10:4-5 (NKJV) — Cleanse thought channels

— “Cast down arguments”  — B.Simmons — Citadels of argumentations

— Citadel — A fortress that commands a city, used to CONTROL its inhabitants

— Argumentations — Are not discussions of differences but are control devices spoken in arrogance. They are rebellious ideas and attributes that are subsequently reflected in rebellious and dishonorable behavior.

—” High Things“ –  a PRIDEFUL attitude. It is a barrier to receiving the TRUE knowledge of God.

— Take prisoner every disobedient thought, scheme, or pattern of thought to stand before Christ’s reconciliation and cleansing

— Renew your minds  — Rom 12:2(TPT) “Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you ….”

— Rom 12:1 — Surrender to God is an act of WORSHIP

— Col 3:2 (TPT)  — “Fix on the things that are from above…”

— Col 1:19-21 — Embrace the Cross  – brings all things back to their original intent

— Col 3:3-4 (TPT)  — The Cross severed the tie to this life and reveals our true life in Christ

— Eph 6:18  “Two-Edged Sword” — A) The Written Word  — established will of God  

                                                            B) Communicated will of God — Relationship with Him

— “Success in gaining spiritual authority depends on the degree of surrender and obedience  we choose to make to both aspects of or dimensions of His Word.”  — PR

–– Spiritual Conflict  — God has allowed it b/c through it our substance and character are tested and proven

— Battles are won through the Christ-like thoughts and the character they produce.

— Jer 17: 10  – “I, the Lord, search the heart and mind — I give according to the fruit of one’s doings”

— Power is given to those whose character is tested and proven– Lk 4:1  Lk 4: 14

— The FRUIT of transformation is TRUTH — Peace (Shalom) 

— “In order to convey Truth and give Peace to others we must first have them in our own hearts.”  — [ Eph 4:15 – AMP ]

— People of True Faith live as though they actually BELIEVE what they say they believe. 

— True Freedom — is the ability to live in balance with all created things and being able to enjoy them and use them reasonably without becoming dependent on them.

— Jesus’ life was SPENT — not SAVED!     He poured out the resources and gifts He had generously and so was never chained to them or imprisoned  and constrained by them

— Jn 14:30  – “ …..he has no hold on me.” — Jesus 

by Pastor Roy

Revelation 19:7 “…and his Bride has made herself READY.”

The Wedding Garments of the Bride: Isaiah 61:10

1. Garment of SALVATION
2. The Robe of RIGHTEOUSNESS
3. Isaiah 61:3 – The Garment of PRAISE for the spirit of heaviness
4. The Cloak of HUMILITY – 1 Peter 5:5
5. Put on LOVE – Colossians 3;14

Matthew 22:1-14(TPT)
Vs 11 – Not wearing the wedding robes PROVIDED for him by the king
Vs 14 – “Many are called and invited in but few have hearts bathed in TRUTH — made pure and worthy of entering.

• Revelation 3:18 (TPT)
• Romans 12:1-2 (TPT)
• Amos 9:11, Acts 15:16, Matthew 16:18 – God says,” I will do it!”
• Matthew 11:28 – “Come to Me…”