Tag: PRE

by Pastor Roy Esposito

Micah 6:8 _(AMP) –” He has told you. O man. What is good, and what does the Lord require of you, except to be just and to love [ and diligently practice] kindness and compassion, and to walk humbly with your God [ setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]?

Humility will lead us to the  Honesty we need to be able to “commit our works to the Lord ” and have our thoughts established by Him. (Proverbs 16:3)

Last week: Our thoughts frame the reality we operate in.

Proverbs 23:7 –” For as a man thinks in his HEART, so is he.”

The Heart – is the “central command hub” through which God communicates with us.

Jeremiah 17:9 – Says that the human heart is deceitful above ALL things and desperately wicked. (Even the devil?)

If our hearts are unhealed, all of our works will be tainted and essentially dishonest.

Unhealed hearts have a distracted focus on God and a distorted view of the reality of His love for us.

A distorted view of God’s love for us will cause us to seek OTHER things to fill the void of the disconnect we feel with God.

Psychological terms: Attachments     Spiritual / Religious terms: IDOLS.

God’s solution:  Ezekiel 36:26 and Jeremiah 31:33 – Promise to give those who seek Him – “New Hearts.”

Hebrews 10b-11 _(TPT) – “…I will embed my laws within their thoughts and fasten them to their hearts. I will be their loyal God, and they will be my loyal people.

There will be no need to teach their fellow citizens or brothers by saying ‘You should know the Lord’ since everyone will know Me INWARDLY….”

God is FOR us, church!  He’s ALL IN and fully committed to us.

Our part: Is simply not to run away from Him!

Many run away from God through False Pride – an “I can do it on my own.”

Pride, in this sense, is not just boasting.

Pride creates an illusionary life: a False Self behind which we can hide: from others, ourselves, and ultimately from God.

We become afraid of God because, down deep, we know God as “The Truth.”

Our spirit knows this, and our consciousness confirms it to our soul, causing it to be unable to rest and be at peace. We doubt God’s love for us and His commitment to us.

Humility – puts an end to all this.   

Follow this Flow Chart:

Humility >> Honesty >> Truth >> Self-discovery >> Healing >> Liberty >>
Ability to Liberate Others.

Walking in Truth sets us free to create a Safe Space for others to discover themselves in God without fearing guilt or accusation.

This becomes the ultimate expression of the Hospitality we can offer to those walking the spiritual path.

But first, we must come to our Humility – the “Get over yourself” exercise.

Colossians 3:2 _(NLT) “Let heaven fill your thoughts.”

Philippians 4:8 “Fix your thoughts on things that are true, honorable, and right.”

TPT – Authentic, real, honorable, admirable, beautiful, respectful, pure, holy, merciful, and kind.

God is FOR us – it’s true.  But it’s through our expression of humility that we allow Him to be so!

Humility allows His power to become magnified in our lives by agreeing with Him on the present state and condition of our being.

When we can concede that we are angry, selfish, lustful, or deceitful – God can respond on our behalf and grant us the grace to overcome whatever obstacle we face and get free of its influence.

Isaiah 57:18-19 _(Message) – “When I looked and saw what they were doing, I decided to heal them, and lead them, and comfort them, creating a new language of Praise for mourning, Peace for the far-off, Peace to the near at hand, says the Lord! Yes, I will heal them.”

The healing spoken of here is not just physical or even emotional; It also heals an infected soul of “sin-sickness.”

Humility – allows us to acknowledge our needs and allows those needs to become the “voice of our prayers.”

Our prayers then are transformed from mere petitions for help to  “communications of truth” – and open to God.

They go from being “head prayers” to “heart prayers” based on TRUTH.

Our Heart Prayers become the “voice of our dependency.”

It’s the place where we not only bring our needs to God but we leave them there with Him, transferring them to Him.

Strong-willed, independent people never pray this way, but humble people do because they’ve come to realize that willpower will never be enough to fill the void they feel.

So, why don’t people pray from a humble heart more often? 

Many haven’t yet learned to really trust God and remain suspicious and afraid of Him.

FEAR of losing control over the conditions and circumstances of their life and of the lives of their loved ones.

The Prayer of Fear can do little to alter anything in our lives and will most likely keep us bound to the conditions we’re most afraid of.

The Prayer of Faith, though, is a powerful thing.

It takes just a tiny smidge of it to change stuff dramatically. (Mustard Seed)

Faith (Trust in God) is powerful in that it is the means through which we can appropriate Grace.

The Good News is: – Faith is the by-product of Humility.

                              – Fear is always displaced by it!

We can now read the scriptures with fresh, faith-filled eyesight: 

2 Chronicles 7:14 – “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray – I will hear from heaven and HEAL them.” 

Now, we no longer pray from FEAR but from PROMISE as our prayers become an expression of our growing trust in God.

These are called “The Prayers of the Restful” or Hesychastic Prayers

Our circumstances don’t necessarily change –the world is still a dangerous and threatening place – but. 

The prayer empowered by faith transforms the world by transforming the heart of the one offering the prayer.

A transformed heart transforms our thinking, and we become the result of our new thought patterns. (“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” – Proverbs 23:7)

The key seems to be trusting God more with our lives.

This can seem risky because little in our “normal” life supports it.

To trust God is counterintuitive to the natural mind, which tells us:

1. “Bad things happen to good and innocent people.”
2. “Whoever collects the most ‘toys’ before they die wins.”

Sentiments like these communicate several messages:

              If you put yourself in God’s hands, you are:

1. Superstitious
2. Ignorant
3. Irresponsible
4. Maybe a bit psychotic.

(And these are just the theologians speaking!)

But today, I believe God is calling to those who are seeking more,

 “Rise Up! Ascend into this realm; I want to show you things to come.” –  Revelation 4:1

But we can Rise Up only through letting go of that which tethers us to this realm and restricts the depth of our understanding to what we already know.

If you desire to answer His call –  Stay humble and honestly try to take an inventory of your current state of being.  He has promised those who will, A New Heart that will be close to His.

by Pastor Roy Esposito

John 3:3 – Jesus told Nicodemus, “…unless one is BORN AGAIN, he will not see the Kingdom of God.” (TPT) – “Before a person can PERCEIVE God’s kingdom realm, they must first experience a REBIRTH.”

Before a person can experience a rebirth, they must desire it and be willing to follow the Spirit’s leading.

John 3:5 – “…unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.”

John 16:13-15 (TPT)

1. He unveils the reality of every perception within us and enables us to see the Truth clearly beyond the cloak of our fallen nature.  
2. He speaks prophetically of the things that are to come.
3. He glorifies Jesus and reveals a brand new potential for our lives.

Needless to say, the Holy Spirit plays a huge part in our transcendence.

Wade Taylor – When one is BORN of the Spirit –  they can be BORNE (Carried) by the Spirit into a higher realm.

Wade’s teachings focused on what he called “Becoming the Habitation of God” or the “Incarnation” (God in Flesh) – the Church carrying the Presence of God on the earth.

This requires being present to ourselves  – right here, right now. (To “be where your feet are.”) – BECAUSE you can’t carry HIS PRESENCE without being present yourself. 

Being Present speaks of being able to receive and give – right now – with nothing to understand or think about  – to just DO IT.

This doesn’t take place in the mind but within the innermost parts of our being – Spirit to Spirit

The only part our minds play is positioning ourselves to receive guidance from the Spirit.

Positioning – “Doing the inner work.” 

1. “Who am I?
2. “What have I been focused on that brought me to where I am now?  (How I think and my perception of the reality I live and operate in.)

Philosopher Rene Descartes – “I think, therefore I am.”

Proverbs 23:7 – Scripture seems to say something similar, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

Descartes – “Because I can think, therefore I exist.”

Bible – “What I’m thinking about has influence and even forms what and who I am – and how I exist.”

Proverbs 16:3 speaks of how to be BORNE by the Spirit: 

         “Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.” 

TPT – “Before you do anything, put your trust totally in God and not in yourself. Then every plan you make will succeed.”

PR translation – Commit your HEART to the Lord; put your attention on HIM and trust Him. Then He will guide the thoughts that are forming who you are.”

I believe what we give our attention to will direct and form our reality.

We are instructed to  “Set our minds on things above and not on earthly things.” – Colossians 3:2

Now here’s the problem we all face as we try to follow through on this:

 We  possess two separate natures; Animal and Spiritual (Old/New Man)

Because this is so, our ability to keep our attention on God gets untracked by the distractions and distortions of our animal nature.

I call this a “Distraction of Attention” – a type of spiritual ADHD. 

    Even the most spiritual person among us suffers from its effects.

Every time our attention shifts to our natural desires, our attention on God takes a blow.

With it, our ability to live in the grace and benefits of God’s love takes a hit also.

This is because Attention and Love are intimately related.

In church, we speak a lot about Love. 1 John 4:8: “God Is Love.” 

 But, if love is to be transformed from mere Conceptualization to Actualization, our attention must be focused on it – free from the effects of distractions, distortions, and conditions generated by our animal nature.

In Truth – Our lives are full of distractions that cause love not to be actualized.

However, we were created with a deep need for God, who is Love.

Because of the distractions and distortions of our lower nature, though, when a circumstance arises where God’s love is needed, we don’t perceive His Presence  – He seems absent and unable or unwilling to help us.

When the “love void” goes unfilled, our tendency is to grab onto something else to satisfy the need.

We have an unfulfilled desire for God but end up with a substitution instead.

Let’s call whatever this substitution is an “attachment.”

It usurps God’s love and receives our attention – ultimately becoming more important than God to us at that moment.

It’s easy to recognize the obvious attachments: EX – A “Fix” for an addict

But how about something less obvious?

How about when you are standing in line at the store, and there’s an older person in front of you fumbling with their change  – or a mom with some unruly kids making a racket –and all you want to do is get home?

Then you become so impatient that getting through the line quickly becomes the most important thing to you – so much so that it usurps any thought of compassion or love you might otherwise have had.

You’ve ATTACHED primary importance to getting past the object of annoyance so that you’ve become what’s in your heart at that moment — an impatient, annoyed, and uncaring person. 

If we take an honest look at things, we’d have to concede that most of the pain in the world is not caused by the devil or is sent by God to test us but from – What we say and do to each other!

Scenes like this happen so often that we begin to see them as NORMAL and accept them as part of life.  But they are truly not benign.

Paul Tillich – “Whatever we are ultimately concerned with IS GOD for us.”

This can include anything and everything that takes our attention off God, even things that may be considered GOOD.

It’s not the things in themselves but the importance we give to them that matters.

Anything that replaces God as the focus of our heart can become a “distortion of attention” or, in religious terminology – “IDOLATRY.”

You may be thinking, “Pastor Roy is being overly dramatic – even harsh – sure, I get distracted now and again – everybody does, but I love God and live my life for Him.”

This is where honesty comes into play – because this is a lie we tell ourselves – just look objectively at your actions.

How many of our actions are really purely motivated?

We claim to love God, but, in truth, we are living our distractions.

Don’t get mad.  This is a universal problem of our old nature.

We are mostly more concerned with our attachments than we are with love.

Paul recognized this tendency in himself – 

    Romans 7:18-20 (TPT)   “For I know that nothing good lives within the flesh of my fallen humanity. The longings to do what is right are within me, but willpower is not enough to accomplish it.

   “My lofty desire to do what is good is dashed when I do the things I want to avoid.

   So, if my behavior contradicts my desire to do good, I must conclude that it’s not my true identity doing it, but the unwelcome intruder of sin hindering me from being who I truly am.”

I’m not pointing this out with the hammer of guilt. It does no good to feel guilty.

If anything, guilt makes us more preoccupied with ourselves.

Romans 8:1 – “There is, therefore, no condemnation to those who are in Christ who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

Even though all I said today is true, we are not condemned by it because we are IN CHRIST and covered by His sacrificial death and resurrection. 

When we realize that we need God and ask to become Born Again, we are freed from the destiny and the consequences of our fallen 

humanity. 

We are carried (BORNE) through the regeneration process by the “Life-giving Spirit” of God.

God does call us to do our best – to be excellent in how we live – and to embrace the struggle in faith, staying focused on Him.

Ultimately, we must accept the reality of our incompleteness:

Another way of saying this is having HUMILITY.

Until you embrace humility, your natural mind and nature will sit as a god in the temple of your thought life, keeping you a slave to its unending demands and insufficiencies.

To be Borne by the Spirit will require taking a hard look at the condition of our Honesty and Humility – and asking for the Spirit’s help!

A prophetic action:  Go to the mirror and emphatically say, “Get over yourself!”   Then proceed with your day guided by The Spirit of God.

by Pastor Roy Esposito

A Fact of Life: Everybody suffers!   Health, emotions, and anxiety (from real or imagined sources, including fear, hatred, violence, or envy.)

It’s part of human reality since the fall of man in the Garden.

Mankind (Adam) chose to leave the state of peace and safety provided by God for a life that would require them to find the answers to: 

“Who am I?   What am I doing here?”  – instead of just BEING!

But by His mercy, God has not left us to our ineptitude.

Colossians 3:3_(TPT) – provides the answer for us   – 

“Your crucifixion with Christ has severed the tie to this life (of suffering), and now your true life is hidden away in God in Christ.”

It seems ironic that although every believer is hidden away in Christ and is His body  —  YET we all fear and avoid the intimacy required to FIND ourselves in Christ.

I believe the events of the days we are living in are part of an AWAKENING that will imbue us with self-confidence, identity, and deeper trust in God (Faith). That will instill greater courage to face and accept our uniqueness, so we can give it toothers.

So, how can this happen? How do we find our way back to peace, safety, and ONENESS with God?

Jesus said, “I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE.”  – (John 14:6)

He is the Way to Life! – Life can only come through Truth. – 

Therefore, Truth is the WAY – the only Way.

Truth – is not a compilation of facts – Truth is a PERSON!

To come to  LIFE through TRUTH, then, has to become a personal matter.

God made it personal when He chose to manifest Himself on earth in the PERSON of Jesus.

Traveling The Path to Life requires  — Truth >> Transparency (humility and vulnerability) >> leading to Purity of Heart >> leading to Holiness.

God wants a holy people and has said so:

Leviticus 19:2 – “You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.”  

This is a scary concept for many because of the past legalism in Church teachings.      A “Religious Spirit”

But be assured that having a Religious Spirit will never make you holy!

Although we do participate in our transformation into the “new creation,” – we, on our own, can never make ourselves holy.

When you try to make yourself holy, your focus is actually on your UNHOLINESS – and we always become what we behold.

The key to Holiness –  Is realizing that it’s God’s will that it would be so.

The “Shall be…” in Leviticus 19  is not an order to make something He knows we’re incapable of doing but a promise – a prophetic declaration directed at our “inner being” to become what He’s spoken.

Not a demand but a prophetic decree spoke forth by God!

What’s more – I believe that God wants us not just to become holy and pure but also to be joyful and fulfilled in Him.

We don’t need a theory or theology about holiness  – we need an opportunity to experience what it feels like to be pure and clean before God.

Revelation 4:6 – describes a lake before God’s throne that is crystal clear and pure – it’s very still and has no ripples.  Water speaks of LIFE.

I think many times we miss opportunities the Lord creates for us because we don’t recognize them as such.

Why?-  Often, they are dressed unattractively – Looking like WORK, SACRIFICE, or unpleasant.  – Who wants to embrace that, right?

We generally like the stories of victory, blessings, and the promises of God.

We like receiving the Gifts of the Spirit and the Move of His Glory, right?

We love the idea of large angels doing spiritual warfare for us as if we’re playing a computer game – and we can press the Reset button if things get too unpleasant.

But God may be moving in ways we don’t expect – shrouded in Mystery and ways that require Faith and Trust.

Many times it gets a little too personal, and we close ourselves off often using the “Shield of Faith“ against the: ”Sword of the Spirit.”

These are the times we should humble ourselves and retreat into

“The shelter of the Most High…”  (Psalm 91:1-2_TPT)

Hebrews 13:15 – “Therefore, by Him (because of who He is and with His help) let us continually offer the Sacrifice of Praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”

Ahh!! — The Sacrifice of Praise!

J. Hayford Kingdom Dynamics – SACRIFICE – to kill or slaughter something for a specific purpose.

Praise – requires that we kill our Pride – our fear  – our sloth and spiritual dysfunction  – or ANYTHING that threatens to interfere with our WORSHIP of the Lord.

Worship is necessary because as we worship, we have fellowship with Him and become ONE with Him

Psalm 22:3_(TPT) – “You are God-Enthroned, surrounded with songs, living among the shouts of praise of your princely people.”

Being “ONE” with God is how our original relationship was.

Praise makes God present, and in His presence, we can only worship; worship restores our authentic relationship with Him.

As a result: Worship Restores US!

How many would like your enemy’s main access point to your soul shut down and removed?

God doesn’t just want to clean us up, so we look Holy  – He wants to take out of us anything that might stand in the way of us BECOMING Holy!

John 14:30 – Jesus said, “The prince of this world comes, and he has nothing in me.” – I’d like to be able to say that.

Jesus also said that there would come a time that believers would be able to do the things He did and more.  – I think this might fall into that category.

As I was praying about what to speak on today, I felt the Lord leading me to remind you to be careful not to misunderstand or mislabel the things you’re experiencing in these times.

These are not times of lack or times of woe but are opportunities to experience sweet and deeper fellowship with Him as you lay down your fears, “what ifs,” and lack of understanding – and to trust Him.

I felt Him say, “Tell them, “What was once lost can be regained and restored through these times.”

Our first parents were “Had” by God.

When He spoke to them, they responded to His Word not just by DOING what He said but by BECOMING” what he said.

The enemy’s goal has remained the same through the ages: to get us to break fellowship with God.

He created a need in our first parents through deception, which focused their eyes and hearts on something other than God. 

“Partake of this, and you will become like God.” – When in reality, they were already one with Him.

Becoming Holy doesn’t mean – no enjoyment – no family or friends – no material pleasures.

It’s not sitting around chanting and being weird – it simply means partaking in all that is good while at the same time looking past all the stuff to the ONE who is the creator and supplier of all the stuff.

A Holy life – Is simply a life of thanksgiving and praise to God.

You’ll never have to seek to get free stuff if you find yourself captured by it already.

Thank and praise God in all things and ask Him to help you realign your priorities.  –  PR

If you will, the wildernesses we all find ourselves in sometimes won’t have to be an extremely hard and overbearing place.

It can be a place where we are changed in the presence of a Holy God.

by Pastor Roy Esposito

2-5-23

I have been thinking a lot about the condition of my faith and the effectiveness of my prayers.  I have asked the Holy Spirit to help me in this area of service. 

I felt the Lord say that prayers of “Valor” were the ones that hold the power to do great exploits in His name and that I should pursue them. 

I considered David’s army and the elite force that was within it called the “Mighty Men of Valor.”

Valor [Desfinition]: having the strength of mind and Spirit to encounter danger with firmness and commitment to purpose.

Valor is the absence of indecision – even in the face of death.

David’s elite force had several things in common that identified them as the Mighty Men of Valor

1. They had a common purpose – to serve the king.
2. They could not be shaken from that purpose regardless of the humbleness of the task asked of them or the impossible odds against them.
3. They did whatever they needed to do no matter how long it took and never wavered while the challenge was still before them.

2 Samuel 23:8-12 – gives some examples of their exploits.

Shammah took on the humble assignment to defend a lentil patch and tenaciously defeated an overwhelming contingent of Philistines in the process.

Adino, who fought and killed 800 Philistines in battle single-handedly.

Eleazar, whose hand became frozen to his sword b/c the battle endured for so long.

These men – and others – possessed a Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) called “long-suffering.” – which doesn’t mean “suffering for a long time.”

Mak-roth-u-mia – Fortitude – the ability to “hang with it.”

I felt there was an instruction here for today’s church and for me.

We also have the purpose to serve the King and the King’s people.

One of the most effective ways to serve God is through prayer.

Luke 18:1 – Jesus said that men “always ought to pray and not lose heart.”

James 5:16 – “…the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availed much.”

Fervent – passionate intensity

Today, it seems that even when we remember to pray, our prayers seem to lack the passionate intensity and “stick-to-it-ness” – the VALOR that’s necessary for total victory.

We live in an INSTANT society where everything must be quick, or we lose interest.

It’s like everyone is suffering from “Mass Attention Deficit Disorder.”

We seem to specialize in the gift (?) of “cutting corners” to get results.

It seems that our collective societal consciousness lacks the ability to “hang in there,” –  which is the spiritual fruit called “long-suffering.”

I’ve read about the African Cheetah. It can run up to 70 MPH to catch its prey but has a small heart and, therefore, has no endurance.

It must accomplish its purpose quickly, or it goes hungry.

Many times, we have used the “Cheetah Approach to prayer:

1. Speed through the prayer with little or no fervency and no passion.
2. Quick to have someone else pray.
3. Lose focus easily.

We seem to lack the “heart of endurance” for a sustained effort in prayer and falter before accomplishing what is needed.

Sometimes we use the “TNT Approach” – and try to Blow-Up the problem.

We pray harder, faster, and louder when what is really needed is more staying power and fervency.

More staying power or stamina can only come through possessing a “Bigger Heart” for prayer. (Jesus, enlarge my heart to pray as you did!)

George Muller – “The point is to never give up until the answer comes. I have been praying for 63 years and 8 months for one man’s conversion. He is not saved yet, but he will be. How can it be otherwise — I’m praying.”

His friend received Jesus just before his funeral!

Jesus’ prayer ministry is exemplified in the 3 hours He spent in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, which gave Him the strength to face the Cross.

Hebrews 5;7 – “…He offered up prayers and supplications with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death…”

1 Thessalonians 5:7 – “Pray without ceasing….” – so “easy does it” won’t do.

I think the reason we haven’t reached our spiritual potential is not for the lack of information regarding prayer nor the lack of opportunities and resources  – 

But for a lack of  “fortitude” – a failure of heart and spirit.

We go into defeat much too easily. We give up to easily and instead listen to the voices of doubt and unbelief and get discouraged and depressed when we don’t get INSTANT RESULTS.

OK – no condemnation implied here!

I spoke to a friend of nearly 50 yrs. this week.

We recounted our testimonies with each other. Remember the miracles God has personally done to deliver us from destruction. We remembered the before!

A fair question – Why does God require our persistence in prayer?

Is it that:

1. He requires a predetermined amount of prayer to answer.
   Are Redemption points involved?   S & H green stamps?
2. We must talk Him into things as lawyers present legal arguments to a judge.
3. Is God waiting for us to just say the right words before He decides to answer us?
4. Do we earn rewards of His favor through hard work?

Say it with me:    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Luke 11:8 – What about the guy who goes to his friend’s house late at night for bread and just keeps bugging him until he gets up and gives in? Doesn’t this parable teach us about persistence? Just keep bugging Him until He relents.

No! We don’t persist against God.

To persist is to ask boldly and shamelessly because of our intimacy with God.

1 Timothy 1:7_(NIV) – ”For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.”

Hebrews 4:16 – We can come before the throne of grace BOLDLY and without a sense of shame or unworthiness because we are sons and daughters of God and are “accepted in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:6)

There’s a key to understanding the prayer of persistence:

Luke 11:13 – “If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.”

The Prayer of Persistence is not about nagging the Father for specific things – but asking for the Holy Spirit’s help in our times of need. And to ASK BOLDLY out of an intimate relationship with God.

Sometimes, it’s true that God uses the waiting period to teach us things.

But if that were the only reason, why not just pray ONCE and then wait?

One reason for the delay in getting prayers answered is “divine timing.”

Galatians 6:9 – “And let us grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

But again – wouldn’t praying just once and then waiting suffice?

Why did  Elijah have to pray 7X for the rain to come down?
(1 Kings 18:41-19:8)

Why did Daniel have to pray for 21 days before the angel broke through with his answer? (Daniel 10:10-19)

Consider this: I believe that our prayers do more than motivate the Father’s heart.  I believe that prayers of faith have “Substance.”

Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

I believe that when we pray, the “substance of faith” is released…

With each prayer, more of that substance is released in the form of the power needed for that which we are praying to come to pass.

Power Released by:

1. Praying in the Holy Spirit
2. Speaking the Word of God as a declaration and proclamation of the TRUTH
3. Prophetic Command – Matt 17:20 -” Say to this mountain….”
4. Laying on of hands  – Mark 16:18 “…they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

We also need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us visualize the “Throne of Grace” differently so it’s not seen as outside and apart from us.

God has made His throne in our HEARTS – we are the temple of the Holy Spirit

We are the NAOS of God – The “Holy of Holies” – The “Sacred Place.”

1 Corinthians 3:16 – “Do you not know that you are the Holy of Holies of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

John 7:38 – “He who believes in Me, as the scripture says, ‘ From his innermost being (Koi -lia) shall flow rivers of living water.”

Koilia – the womb – speaks of reproduction and “birthing new life.”

Revelation 22:1-2 – “The River of Life” – the Spirit of God – flowing from the Throne of God – through Jesus, to us and out into the world.

This is the purpose of the Church.

The Gospel’s promise of new life doesn’t echo from “out there” but through those willing to live it in valor and persist until His will is done on earth as it is in heaven.

I came across a quote by Michael J. Fox this week that seemed appropriate given the Thanksgiving holiday: 

                  “With Gratitude, Optimism is Sustainable.”

I also came across another gem of wisdom this week:

               “Grace begets gratitude, which, in turn, widens our hearts toward greater goodness and love.” – Diana Butler Bass

Grace is at the core and is the key to a victorious life.

We are saved by Grace – and our lives are sustained through it.

We need moves of grace every day because although Jesus won the victory over the “old humanity,” 

      …we still have to ”work out our salvation in awe of God, our souls trembling in His presence.”  (Philippians 2:12). 

We must “stay awake” — (1 Peter 1:5) and  “keep our oil lamps full,” and remain watchful (Matthew 25:1-13)

We also have to be intentional about maintaining a grateful perspective because it’s easy to fall into complacency and forget that grace is a gift not to be taken for granted. 

Grace and Gratefulness help us to keep from becoming complacent as we are reminded that there still is an enemy to contend with,  an enemy that has weapons to hurt us.

Some are overt and violent – but some are more subtle and can go unnoticed.  

We must pay attention in order to get beyond responding to the “ fires’ the enemy sets as traps for us and refuse to let them become the things that construct our perspectives and drive our actions.

As we stay tuned in and God-focused, we’ll begin to realize that every morning we wake up is a privilege that offers us a chance for a fresh start and an opportunity to begin again. –  to be optimistic about our future  –  and to enjoy our life in the midst of the journey.

As a bonus, as we stay alert and focused, we’ll discern that some circumstances we find ourselves in are not always the enemies doing.

Some are actually the results of our thoughts and actions.

A grateful approach to life allows the truth to be known without guilt or self-loathing, judgment, or condemnation  – and repent if necessary.

Sometimes, God will allow certain circumstances to exist to help mature our Faith.

If faith is to mature, situations need to exist where faith alone can sustain us.

So, for that reason, God will allow times when we must trust in His integrity regardless of how dire things may seem to be.

Negative times – allow faith to arise >> which then appropriates the courage it takes to lock into God’s faithfulness.

Spiritual Maturity requires letting faith arise in the context of resistance.

It takes courage to do this. 

It makes sense, then, that one of our enemy’s prime objectives is to DIS-courage us.

If we’re not watchful, our courage will wane and cause unbelief and stagnancy in our spiritual growth.

Faith – is the catalyst that releases Grace.

Grace – is the supernatural power to gain the higher ground over the enemy and thus secure for ourselves our destiny as sons and daughters of God.

Gratitude – is a declaration of our trust in God’s plans and ways for our lives. (Jeremiah 29:11)

When we engage with the world from a place of gratitude, we’re open to receiving the day excited with anticipation of the next part of God’s plan for us.

This approach to life is the difference between carrying the burden of trying to make something happen and allowing something to happen.

It’s the defining difference between effort and effortlessness.

Most spiritual disciplines through the ages have considered gratefulness to be the foundation of joy, contentment, and well-being in a person’s life.  Why? 

1. A person cannot exist in a place of FEAR and TRUE GRATITUDE at the same time.
2. Gratitude tunes us into the voice of the Holy Spirit, who is our connection with the Father.

Gratitude and Generosity are similar virtues but differ in that:

Gratitude is an internal characteristic, and generosity is an external expression of our sense of gratitude.

Gratitude is the way we FEEL   —   Generosity is how we Express that Feeling to the world.

2 Corinthians 10:5-6 – Speaks of taking all thoughts captive, so they come in line with Christ’s thoughts. 

I like to think of “random thoughts” as Stagnant Energy. 

These negative thoughts render spiritual impotence and act as smoke screens of confusion in our minds that cause us to feel stuck in life.

Christ’s thoughts bring peace and hope and give life.  

The simple act of practicing gratitude disrupts negative thoughts and changes our mindset to see the world in a positive way.

Not only are we more attractive to others when we live in gratitude, but the most ordinary things can become extraordinary, creating a fuller, more beautiful expression of our life.

You probably have heard the saying, “Things don’t happen TO us; they happen FOR us.”

Gratitude will help us to see and believe that “All things DO work for the good for us because we love God, and are called according to His purpose and plan”  ( Rom 8:28)

Our mind’s new perspective is that the universe is aligning and working everything in our favor.

Old Mindset – Something “bad” happens to us; we let it affect us in a negative way.  We feel rejected, picked on, and defensive.  – Or worse!

New Mindset of Gratitude  – When something happens that others see as “bad,” we search for the grace which will allow us to become curious and interested in finding the positive thing God will bring out of the experience. 

It’s a much more exciting and hopeful way to live, right?

Ephesians 1;17-20_{(TPT, NKJ)} – “I pray that the Father of glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would impart to you the riches of the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation….”

Acts 1:4-8 – Wait to receive.

To KNOW: – to see – perceive – to be conscious of

To have Knowledge of: – a recognition by Full Disclosure

To “Know” – (GRK) – “To gaze at something remarkable,” especially that of supernatural origin.

Paul prayed for the church to gain the ability to “gaze at the supernatural dimensions of God” with full discernment and discover for ourselves:

1. Hope for our lives – present and future.
2. Our inheritance as children of God.
3. The exceedingly great power of God that raised Christ from the dead.

Given to those who:

1. Hear the call.
2. Obey the call.
3. Wait for its fulfillment.

John 1 – Holy Spirit hovered the earth, imprinting God’s order over the chaos, and the natural laws of gravity, physics, chemistry, and energy came into being.

This energy caused the land, seas, animals, plants, and people to be formed, each creation in the place it belonged. There was PEACE, BALANCE, and Harmony on earth.

God gave man dominion over the earth. Sin entered as man imposed his will over the creation.

God’s remedy for restoration: HIMSELF in the form of man – JESUS.

The Holy Spirit sent once again to hover but not to form mater out of chaos but to imprint the potential for ORDER directly onto the souls of man through Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:14 – The Spirit leads mature children.

John 3:5-6 – Baptized in Water and Spirit to enter the supernatural realm of God – HEAVEN.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 – “We ain’t seen nuttin’ yet.” – PR

Spirit of Revelation – Gives the ability to See, Hear, and Discover the Unseen Realm.

Spirit of Wisdom – Gives us the insight so we’ll KNOW what to do with what we’ve seen.

Proverbs 4:5-13 – Revelatory Wisdom is the principal thing, so SEEK it!

Proverb 8:26 – “I love those who love Me and those that seek me DILIGENTLY will find Me.”

Romans 8:26 – How to seek if you’re unsure. – PR

The Spirit of Revelation – releases SPECIFIC Knowledge to address specific issues at critical moments.

The Spirit of Wisdom – Guides us in the application of that knowledge.

Proverbs 29:18_(NKJ) – “Where there is no revelation the people cast off restraint.”

“Casting off restraint” – Casting off balance and perfect order; reverting to chaos.

Proverbs 29:18_(P.R.T) “Without an intimate knowledge of God gained through experiencing His presence; the people will cast off order, balance, and harmony and devolve back into chaos.”

6-4-22

Pentecost — ”Wisdom Sunday”

Power (Greek) – Dunamis – Energy of great force; an EXPLOSION of power

Power to BECOME witnesses of Jesus. -When people see them – they’ll see Him.

Acts 1:4-5,8_(TPT) – “Stay and wait” for the promise of the Father.

Promise – an announcement of WHAT the promise is and the assurance that what was promised will be done.

Matthew 3:11 – Baptism of Water and of Fire

Fire – Purification

Acts 2:1-4_(TPT) “Sound AS a rushing wind…” – speaks of Jesus’ breath into His disciples.

“Pillar of Fire” – Represents the Presence of God and an imbuement of power.

“Tongues of Fire” – “It was as though each one received an overpowering personal flame of fire that would empower him and lead him through his life.”
– Brian Simmons

An Incomprehensible CALL and a PROMISE that the Call can be fulfilled through the imbuement of power through the Holy Spirit

“Stay and Wait” – Step away from our natural rhythm to synchronize with the Spirit’s rhythm.

Human Rationality – Left/Right sides of the human brain

Left  = Analytical

Right = Creative – Hears His voice

The church must set aside Rationalism to enable the Creative Flow to anoint our thought process and allow the INFINITE GOD to influence the FINITE.

1 Corinthians 1:27_(NKJ) – God has chosen the foolish (less rational) to shame the wise.

1 Corinthians 1:25_(Message) – Men’s wisdom can’t measure up to God’s weaknesses

God said, “I AM,” not “I Do.” 

What IS God? – 1 John 4:8 – ”God IS love.” – “God IS consistent.”

“God’s love remains unconditional, unlimited, and incredibly extravagant; it never relies on human faithfulness or unfaithfulness.” –PR

“The Baptism of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is the inextinguishable FIRE that sets God’s love ablaze and is the only hope of our calling’s fulfillment.” –PR

LOVE is our Calling – LOVE is our true identity.

We were created from Love – of Love – and for Love

“Until the church awakens and embraces this truth, it will remain in the elementary grades of Christion Spiritual Transformation.” –PR

Romans 8:36-39_(TPT) – NOTHING can separate us from His love and its power once we accept this as the truth.

                                     The Ascension                                    5-29-22

– 2Cor 1:20 (TPT) “For all of God’s promises find their YES of fulfillment in Him. And as His Yes and our Amen ASCEND to God, we bring Him glory.”

– When God is Glorified, His power is Magnified. It is the power given to believers to overcome any obstacle that may arise.

– Message Bible – “It is a sure beginning to what God plans to complete.”

–PROMISE- [Grk] Espangelia  – Both the Promise itself and the assurance of that promise’s fulfillment

–  REMEMBER – RECORD  – REVIEW  – RECITE (aloud) and they will become the very fabric of your Being and the platform of your operations.

– Jesus Christ is both the Promise of God and the fulfillment of it.

– Phil 2:13 – “For it is God who works in you to will and to work, for His good pleasure.”

– It is God, Himself, whose power creates in us the desire to come to fulfill His Purpose for us.

– Rom 8:28 (NLT)  – “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

– Rom 8:29 (NLT) -” And having chosen them, He called them to come to Him. And He gave them right standing with Himself, and he PROMISED them his glory.”

– God has invited us into the holy community He shares with His Son and the Holy Spirit.

– Qualifiers: 

1. To LOVE as defined in 1Cor 13:4-7 {please read for clarity}

2. Say “YES” to His call. We are “called” to become MORE THAN WE ARE: A call to His Purpose.

– Eastertide: 5 celebrations that each underline a specific step in the process of “becoming’.

1. Lent – A sacrifice of SELF. Speaks of the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert and the 3 temptations He faced and overcame. 

– These are common to humanity and must be faced and rejected:

a. Temptation to sieze Power – b. To base identity on Prestige – c. Gain status through Possessions.

2. Palm Sunday  Relates to the Passion with which Jesus embraced His purpose.

Passion Week – Week in between Palm and Resurrection Sundays.

Speaks of the need for daily expressions of purpose.

                  3. Resurrection Sunday – Speaks of the transformation of all creation

          4. Ascension  Day – Celebrates the final blow to satan’s power over the  

                               earth. It is the assurance of the promise’s fulfillment

          5. Pentecost – The giving of the power to become the New Creation            

                    through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit     

– *Interesting*  – Before Jesus ascended He took His disciples to the Mt. of Olives: The place first associated with His suffering and passion but now the place associated with His Glory.   

– It was a seminal moment of transition: From the passion of His suffering to the Glory of His resurrection.

– Within the process of Transformation there is Transition.  

– Ascension Day – is a reminder of Jesus’ total victory over evil.

– Remembrance – becomes a transitional factor as we move from sorrow, doubt, discouragement, and fear to joy, hope, and greater faith.  

–                       Three Important Theological Truths 

1. He ascended into heaven in bodily form – not just vapor – not just Spirit 

       Inference; He took humanity to the heavenly realm with Him

2. Assures us of joining  Him, The Father, and the Holy Spirit in Holy Communion and Community
3. Assurance of His continued mediation and intercession for us and giving us access to the ongoing flow of the Holy Spirit’s power.