Strengthen Your Inner Man

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency] (Phil. 4:13 Amp).

Hey church family.  Did you know that you can have strength for any and all endeavors, right now???  Did you know that inside you right now is everything you will ever need to do whatever you need to do??? 

You are a “spirit-being” created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26 and John 4:24a).  This “spirit-being” part of your nature is referred to by the apostle Paul as your “inner man” (Eph. 3:16).  Since you are created in the image and likeness of God in this aspect of your nature, when you are born-again, this part of you comes alive.  As a believer in Jesus Christ, this “spiritual part” of you is the place from which you are to live (Romans 8:1, 4). 

Today, you can strengthen this part of your life.  The life lived from the born-again, renewed, recreated spirit is a life that is filled with strength and it can become an inexhaustible source of energy and ability.  When we learn how to strengthen our inner man, we can put an end to “mopey-dopey, mopey-dopey, mopey-dopey” days.  We learn to hop right out of the bed and pour ourselves a cup of YAY-GOD. 

The apostle Paul said, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner man” (Eph. 3:16).  How do we strengthen our inner man?

1. Pray in the Spirit – When you learn to release your prayer language, you will discover a whole new dimension of strength in your inner person.  Your spirit will be strengthened almost immediately (1 Cor. 14:4 and Jude 20). 
2. Speak right words – your heart (your inner man) is like a scroll (Proverbs 7:3b) and your tongue is like “the pen of a ready writer” (Psalm 45:1).  What does that mean?  Your inner being, your spirit is waiting to be written upon.  Your inner being will respond to what you write upon it with the words of your mouth.  To build up your inner strength, WRITE YOUR OWN STORY ON YOUR HEART BY SPEAKING EMPOWERING, WORD-BASED, JESUS FOCUSED WORDS!!!  You’ll get stronger and stronger as you speak strength into you own heart.

Start right now, say this out loud and repeatedly throughout the next 7 days, “In the Name of Jesus, I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  I am strengthened by His glorious power at work in me” (Eph. 6:10 and Col. 1:11).  Say it often and repeatedly!!!  As you do, you will write strength on your inner man.

3.  Fellowship with encouraging believers – if you hang around mopey-dopies… you’ll become mopey-dopey!!!  Find some ON-FIRE, encouraging believers and go hang out with them.  The strength of one’s spirit is impart-able to another. You can receive strength just by hanging around strong believers.

Today, I want to encourage you to strengthen your inner man.  As you live from that place of spiritual strength, you’ll discover that you are “ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into you!!!” (Phil. 4:13 Amp).

Strengthen Your Inner Man

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Whoinfuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency] (Phil. 4:13 Amp).

Hey church family.  Did you know that you can have strength for any and all endeavors, right now???  Did you know that inside you right now is everything you will ever need to do whatever you need to do??? 

You are a “spirit-being” created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26 and John 4:24a).  This “spirit-being” part of your nature is referred to by the apostle Paul as your “inner man” (Eph. 3:16).  Since you are created in the image and likeness of God in this aspect of your nature, when you are born-again, this part of you comes alive.  As a believer in Jesus Christ, this “spiritual part” of you is the place from which you are to live (Romans 8:1, 4). 

Today, you can strengthen this part of your life.  The life lived from the born-again, renewed, recreated spirit is a life that is filled with strength and it can become an inexhaustible source of energy and ability.  When we learn how to strengthen our inner man, we can put an end to “mopey-dopey, mopey-dopey, mopey-dopey” days.  We learn to hop right out of the bed and pour ourselves a cup of YAY-GOD. 

The apostle Paul said, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner man” (Eph. 3:16).  How do we strengthen our inner man?

1. Pray in the Spirit – When you learn to release your prayer language, you will discover a whole new dimension of strength in your inner person.  Your spirit will be strengthened almost immediately (1 Cor. 14:4 and Jude 20). 
2. Speak right words – your heart (your inner man) is like a scroll (Proverbs 7:3b) and your tongue is like “the pen of a ready writer” (Psalm 45:1).  What does that mean?  Your inner being, your spirit is waiting to be written upon.  Your inner being will respond to what you write upon it with the words of your mouth.  To build up your inner strength, WRITE YOUR OWN STORY ON YOUR HEART BY SPEAKING EMPOWERING, WORD-BASED, JESUS FOCUSED WORDS!!!  You’ll get stronger and stronger as you speak strength into you own heart.

Start right now, say this out loud and repeatedly throughout the next 7 days, “In the Name of Jesus, I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  I am strengthened by His glorious power at work in me” (Eph. 6:10 and Col. 1:11).  Say it often and repeatedly!!!  As you do, you will write strength on your inner man.

    3.  Fellowship with encouraging believers – if you hang around mopey-dopies… you’ll become mopey-dopey!!!  Find some ON-FIRE, encouraging believers and go hang out with them.  The strength of one’s spirit is impart-able to another. You can receive strength just by hanging around strong believers.

Today, I want to encourage you to strengthen your inner man.  As you live from that place of spiritual strength, you’ll discover that you are “ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Whoinfuses inner strength into you!!!” (Phil. 4:13 Amp).

I have strength for all t…

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Whoinfuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency] (Phil. 4:13 Amp).

Tell Me, What do you see?

Revelation 4:1 – “Then I looked, and, oh! – a door open into Heaven. The trumpet-voice, the first voice in my vision, called out, ‘Ascend and enter. I’ll show you what happens next.’”

Genesis 29:12-13a – Jacob “had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.  There above it stood the LORD, and he said: ‘I am the LORD…’”

Zech 5:5 – “Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, ‘Look up and see what this is that is appearing.’”

The Bible is filled with examples of those who peer into the heavenly realms.  They are known in the Old Testament as “seers.”  The New Testament has examples of seers as well.  Jesus was a seer and released a seeing anointing in His people (Matthew 3:16, Matthew 17:2, Luke 10:18, John 1:48, and Acts 7:55 ).  The entire book of Revelation was a Seer’s Glory-Encounter. 

Acts 2:17 tells us that when the Spirit of God was poured out on a people, the young men would see visions and the old men would dream dreams.  The outpouring of the Holy Spirit 2,000 years ago released the ability into Jesus’ followers to see beyond the natural world and into the spiritual world.  It is a part of the believer’s right to see into the heavenly realm, to see beyond natural circumstances and peer directly into the heavens, to see the 2nd heaven realm of angelic, demonic, Holy Spirit, and other being’s activities.  We can see into the 3rd heaven to even begin to gain revelation and insight into the very Throne Room’s activities.  God wants to show us what angels are doing around us, God wants to show us what demons are doing, so that we can intercede and speak God’s Word in order to implement Jesus’ already won victory over the enemy.

How do we see in the spirit?

Faith+The Word of God+Your “imagination” = seeing in the spirit.  Your imagination is not fantasy.  I’ll prove it to you – close your eyes and imagine yourself at work or at home.  You’ve been to those places, and you can see yourself there.  When you’ve been somewhere, and you see yourself in that environment, it’s not fantasy, it’s memory and it’s very real.

When you’ve been in the Word of God, you begin to see yourself and the things around you in the spirit because the Word of God transforms your soul and aligns it with the Mind of Christ.  The more you exercise Biblical meditation and faith, you will begin to “see” the visions and dreams God wants to reveal to you.  You will SEE that angels are real, so your faith gets applied to seeing angels at work in your life and the lives of others, and suddenly, your soul’s perceptions shift toward the spirit realm and you begin to open up to authentic SUPERNATURAL, Holy Spirit-directed visions and dreams.  When you’ve been in the Word of God, you begin to see in the Spirit.  For example, yesterday, twice, I saw in the spirit two angels come along side of me.  Both experiences were so strong that I actually jumped with a start and looked around thinking someone had walked up to me in the natural.  My meditation in the Word brought me to a place where I am EXPECTING TO SEE so much so that my natural eyes are actually getting involved.  I am seeing in the spirit in a whole new level because the Word of God is working on my perceptions.

Asking, Warfare, and Seeing into the Spirit Realm – 2 Kings 6:17

In 2 Kings 6, the people of God were about to go to war.  Elisha said, “open the eyes of my servant so that he can see.”  When God opened the servant’s eyes, he saw angels and fire ready to do war on their behalf.  How exciting.  Elisha simply asked God to let him see.  We can learn a lot from that one statement.  We can ask God to let us see. 

When God opened Elisha’s servant’s eyes, he saw angels standing, ready to fight on their behalf.  We need to open our spiritual eyes and see what God is doing all around us. 

What are some examples of things we need to see?

• The Holy Spirit is always at work to reveal more of Jesus to us
• Angels are fighting for us
• Demons are at work to build strongholds all around us
• People’s needs that aren’t readily visible in the natural

These are all examples of things we need to be able to see in order to work more and more effectively for the Kingdom of God.  When our spiritual eyes are opened, nothing ever looks the same again.  We see beyond the circumstance, and we see what is truly happening beyond the natural eye’s ability to see.

Let’s pray today, “Father, open my eyes to see.  According to Eph. 1:18, I pray that my eyes, my spiritual eyes, are flooded with light, so that I can see what it is you are doing around me and through me.  Show me the things of the Spirit in Jesus name.  Amen”

Church – OUT OF THE BOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, if you’re like me (BR), the word “church” creates certain images.  The very, very first image it creates for me is when I was 7-8 years old, we had a home-coming meeting in Tennessee.  I still remember the outdoor, open air area and tables where massive amounts of food was served.  I remember the music, the exuberance, the preaching, the food, the laughter, etc.  Church for me was an exciting, renewing experience, revivalistic in nature.

New Covenant is so unique in that it has captured a revivalistic power, love and exuberance that not many churches experience, and we say that with great reverential fear and humilty.  We’re not sure what has created that dynamic except for the Grace and Mercy of God, the passion of the members for God and Holiness, and the uncompromising position on the Word of God.  We are so blessed, and we are so thankful for all that God is doing.

Now, it’s time for all of us, NCCA and CN churches and ministries to stretch ourselves.  The enemy, Satan, loves to get people weary, offended, hurt, angry, tired, feeling fruitless and useless, etc.  However, regardless of the cries of the enemy and/or our flesh, we have to step up and begin to stretch.  We hear things like “Revival,” “Apostolic,” “Prophetic,” “Sponteneous Worship,” “Breaker Anointings,” “Passion,” “Presence Ministry,” “Manifestations,” “Warfare” etc, and we get excited, but have we pushed through to actually “PRACTICE” those things?  To step out and move in those anointings and experiences?

We’ve begun a new season – even though it’s not 2012, yet; it is the beginning of our new year.  It’s time for us to step forward and begin to flow, we must learn how to “surf the waves of God’s Glory,” learning how to move with each ebb and flow of His Presence, being sensitive to what He desires from us day-to-day and in our corporate assemblies.  What will all of this look like?????  We’re NOT COMPLETELY SURE!!!!!!!!!!! But we do know this, church for us is obliterating institutionalism and pattern-orientations (stand up sit down, do this, do that all by 12:30).  We are becoming more and more “Laboratory-like” – trying things, listening, being willing to step out in faith and try new things, being ready to receive correction and cultivation and all the while seeking, passionately seeking after the pleasure of our King, all while in alignment and submission to spiritual authority that God has set in place. 

Recently, a “new thing” has been the shifting from home groups to midweek service, temporarily.  Wow, what a moment!!!  This past Wednesday people experienced the overwhelming Presence of God, some spoke in tongues and released sounds they’ve never uttered before in God’s Presence.  This is an example of breaking out of comfort zones and trying new things.  A good question to ask is “how have I responded to this temporary shift? and how can I learn from this to respond more powerfully to future permanant shifts in other areas of my life and walk with God? Am I passing God’s tests when He’s changing me from glory-to-glory to become more like Him?”

Shiftings are exciting, stepping out for the first time in any area is a little scary but also very, very exciting.  We want to challenge everyone at NCCA and CN churches to start gathering around the altar at the beginning of service, begin praying, begin worshipping, begin warring for more and more of God, place a petition to God, ask Him to begin to show us more of Himself, to reveal more of His power, more of His Presence, more of His Prophetic Power and giftings, more healings, miracles, salvations, etc.  Let a new sound come out and start thinking of “Church – OUT OF THE BOX!!!!”  STTTTTTREEEEETCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Get Closer

James 4:8a, what can I say about this wonderful promise that jumped out at me today?  I’ve read it so many times, but today, the power of this one passage gripped my heart as though I were being born-again AGAIN!  James 4:5 tells us that God ”Jealously desireth us” (Alford Trans).  God wants to be in our presence.  He wants us to know Him, to experience Him, to enjoy Him…  God is the end of the Gospel.  Healing is not the end of the Gospel, though it is certainly a major part of it, power isn’t the end of the Gospel, though it is a major part of it; God, His Presence, knowing Him that is the end result of the Gospel (John 17:3). 

What a joy to know that we have the opportunity to KNOW God.  Today, we could focus on a great many things, there are always distractions in our lives.  We could literally go days and even weeks sometimes without shutting the door, opening our Bibles, and getting on our knees before God and saying, “Lord Jesus, show me something about Yourself today…  Reveal Yourself to me… Holy Spirit, talk to me about who Jesus is and how I can please Your Heart” (John 14:21b and John 16:13-15).  A 24 hour period should never, ever pass by the child of God without us receiving some revelation, some insight into the nature of our Father.

We are promised that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us.  He took the first step in our salvation (John 15:16, Romans 8:29, and Eph. 1:5), now, in getting to know Him, we must move toward Him.  He chose us, but now that we have been chosen, we must choose Him, desire Him, and draw closer to Him. 

Remember that first moment, when you first received the revelation that God loved you, and then you called on the Name of Jesus and you were born-again?  It’s time to recapture that love.  Call on the Name of Jesus.  Pray.  Set aside time today, go to your bedroom and call on the Name of Jesus.  Take time to forget pressing matters.  Take time to set aside everything that would hinder you from drawing closer.  Get closer today.

Pointers for Getting Closer to His Presence:

1. Pray, everyday
2. Read the Word, everyday
3. Worship, everyday
4. Assemble with believers who pray and study the Word (Hebrews 10:25 and Matthew 18:20)
5. Fellowship with those believers, often

A Simple Method for Confessing the Word, Daily

Yesterday, I was praying and studying the Word of God, and it came to me that maybe many believers don’t know how to daily approach the Word of God and speak it.  I believe most of us know that it is important.  The Word of God spoken by the believer in faith releases God’s ability, power, plans, and purposes into the earth (Proverbs 18:21, Hebrews 4:12, Romans 10:13-17, Mark 11:18-24, and Isaiah 55:11). 

We understand the importance of speaking God’s Word, but actually developing a discipline and understanding of how to make it personal can be a challenge.  So, today, I want to give you a few building blocks for building your house on the foundation of the Word of God so that when trials come, you won’t be shaken (Matthew 7:24-25). 

1. Get a one year Bible
2. Get a Composition book or some kind of journaling mechanism whether on the computer or not.
3. Start with the current date in the one year Bible
4. To begin with, read only the New Testament and Psalms
5. Take specific passages from the New Testament and/or Psalms and make them personal -For ExampleToday is August 30, 2011.  The Scripture readings for today are:  2 Cor. 4:1-12 and Psalm 44:1-8.

   Some random passages in 2 Cor. 4 say this, “1 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.  8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

   We can take those passages, and in our journals, write them out, making them personal and/or corporate confessions.  In your journal change the pronouns to make them personal:

   By God’s mercy I have this ministry (job/work/church,etc), and I absolutely DO NOT lose heart.  I am encouraged in Jesus’ Name.  I am hard pressed on every side, but I AM NOT CRUSHED, perplexed, BUT I AM NOT IN DESPAIR, persecuted, BUT NOT ABANDONED, struck down, BUT NOT DESTROYED.  Therefore, I do not lose heart.  I am renewed day-by-day, In Jesus’ Name.  All of my trials are achieving for me an eternal glory that far outweighs any and everything that I face today, and I remind myself of that regularly.  In the name of Jesus, I am encouraged and renewed today. 

6. Now, take that journal entry, from just 4 verses and read them out loud, several times.  Let it get in your heart.  Change some of the pronouns and make them about your house, or about your workplace, for example, “my family is renewed and encouraged today, in the Name of Jesus. We will not lose heart.”
7. Pray the Scriptures as well as confess them.  As you speak them, make them a dialogue with the Father as well.  God and His Word are ONE.  As you pray the Word, you speak to God His own promises, and He loves to hear His Word coming from one of His Children.

Today, if you’ve never learned how to speak the Word of God and allow it to govern your life, then I encourage you to use this 7 step method.  As you pray and confess the Word of God, you will find that your faith level will rise, and that results will become frequent and powerful. 

God wants you to learn how to co-labor with Him (1 Cor. 3:9), and the primary way we co-labor with Him is by working the way He works.  He works by speaking His Word, and we work by speaking His Word.  As we learn this powerful tool, we will become more like our heavenly Father.

Releasing God’s Creative Power

So many things are needed in this life to help make our lives enjoyable and fulfilling – relationships, encouragement, money, spiritual power, healing and health, etc. As believers, we must learn God’s method for supplying our needs in order to have our needs met. In this article, I hope to shed some light on how you can get all your needs met and how you can see God’s power released into your life and the lives of those around you.

 How Does God Create?

God’s creative power is what we must learn to access. It is His creative power that releases healing, miracles, and provision into our lives. So, how does God create? God creates by words. In Genesis chapter 1, we see God creating everything. When He created, He simply would say, “Let there be…” and then what He said, He saw. God creates by speaking.

Simply put, we access God’s creative power by His Word. His Word (The Bible) contains His Words, His Promises, and His guarantees for provision; THE BIBLE CONTAINS GOD’S CREATIVE ABILITY. It’s not magic; It’s not mystical; however, it is God’s revealed plans and purposes as He has revealed them to humanity (2 Peter 1:21 / 2 Timothy 3:16) and God’s miracle working ability is contained within those thoughts and words just waiting to be released into the earth.

If God wants me to have something, He’ll make sure I get it… Or….. Maybe Not

Someone may say, “If God wants me to have something, He’ll make sure that I get it.” While God is sovereign, He is bound to His Word, because God and His Word are one (John 1:1). When God created the earth and gave dominion to Adam and Eve, He, through His Word, released the earth realm into Adam and Eve’s authority. When Adam and Eve sinned, their submission to Satan legally transferred the authority of the earth over to Satan (see Genesis 1-3 and 2 Corinthians 4:4). Jesus, who is the “living Word of God” came in human form (see John 1), He completely submitted to the Word of God and recaptured the authority over the earth and re-delegated that authority to His Church (Matthew 28:18-20). His Word is now His written representation of that authority. So, God is still bound by His Word and His delegation of the earth realm to humanity. Because of His Word, He cannot simply give things to those who are not prepared to receive those things.  God does not operate illegally, against His own plans and purposes. This is why there are hungry people in the earth, lost people in the earth, etc. We’re not waiting on God to do something; He is waiting on US TO ACTIVATE HIS WORD IN THE EARTH THROUGH OUR ACTIONS AND FAITH CONFESSIONS.

God’s Ultimate Plans will always be fulfilled; however, there are times when God’s plans for individuals can be missed. For example, God’s called you to live a life with provisions met, the enemy destroys your job through whatever means, he then torments you with fear, doubt, and unbelief, so you’re hindered from walking in the life God has for you. The Word of God is given to us so that God’s plans for our lives won’t be thwarted by the enemy and when those plans are thwarted, we have the Word to recapture and reclaim what was taken from us. The Word of God reveals God’s plans, and we utilize His Word to pull His purposes out of the spiritual realm into the natural realm.

The enemy seeks to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), but God wants you to have a full life. The enemy will do his best to hinder provision from coming into your life. The other side of that, God won’t force something into your life that you are incapable of receiving. Therefore, the key to all provision in our lives, all that we should ever need, is THE WORD OF GOD!!!

How Do I Activate God’s Word?

1. Read and Listen to it (Romans 10:14-17) – Find a translation that’s easy for you to read, and read it. Find a good Bible believing church, and go to church regularly and listen to it being preached. Download it to your Ipod, your phone, your computer, etc, and listen to it. Listen, listen, listen to the Word. I can’t overemphasize that enough!!!!
2. Study it – In order to find out what the Bible says about situations, you must research it and study it. Find out what the Bible says about your needs. If you need money, what does the Word of God say about financial provision?
3. Meditate on It – Here is where the Holy Spirit will become so very, very active. Take a passage or two and think about them. Mentally say the scripture over and over. Whisper it, think about it, and meditate on it (see Joshua 1:8).
4. Confess it - The word “Confess” in the Greek New Testament is “Homologeo,” which means to “say the same thing as…” When we are “confessing the Word,” we are saying the same thing that God says. We are speaking “God-talk,” and we are releasing God’s Creative ability into the earth, into our lives, and into the lives of those around us. For example, if we are struggling with fear, the Word of God says in 2 Timothy 1:7, “God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, of love, and a sound mind.” So, I make it personal, “God has not given me a spirit of fear. God has given me power, God has given me love, and God has given me a sound mind. The Word says this to be true, and I receive it, In Jesus’ Name.” Making Scripture personal is vital to the power of confession.
5. Believe it – Jesus said that just speaking something without faith won’t produce results (Mark 11:22-24 and Matthew 6:7). Since faith is necessary, how do we produce it? Romans 10:17 says that “faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God.” In order to see results of what we are saying, we must believe it, but in order to believe it, we must hear it. The best way to hear the Word is for you to confess the Word. As you are confessing the Word of God it will build faith into your heart. To use the example in point 4, preach to yourself, “God has not given me fear… God has given me power!!!” Preach to yourself, preach to yourself, preach to yourself, that’s at the heart of building belief.
6. Confess it – AGAIN!!! – Keep confessing the Word. How long… you may ask… Until it manifests, until you see what you say. Speak the Word, say what God says, until you see what God says.

The Healing Power of God’s Word

Psalm 107:20 says that God “sent His Word and healed…”

If you or someone you love needs healing, you can access God’s creative, healing power by the Word of God. Find all the Scriptures on healing, follow the above steps, and declare what God has said about healing until healing manifests. Someone might say, “I tried that, and the person I was praying for died…” OK, what do we do when it seems that something “doesn’t work?” Let me ask you this, “how often do you ‘feel’ saved?” When you don’t “feel” saved, what do you do? You walk by faith and regardless of what you’ve seen or feel, you still believe it. Every circumstance is individual. We don’t know all that happens behind the scenes in the spiritual realm; however, if someone is under 80 or so, and they get sick, I’m going to speak and speak and speak and speak the Word of God until they are healed – period… The Word works, it never fails, NEVER, regardless of external circumstances.

If you or someone you love needs healing, speak the Word, meditate on what God has said about healing, and declare that you receive healing.

God’s Word is Seed!!! Grow something today!!!

Finally, imagine that your life is like a garden. You have various rows: finances, relationship with God, other relationships, church, etc. What do you want growing in your rows? The Word has many promises, which act as seeds in the spiritual realm, but you have to plant them with the words of your mouth. As you are walking through life, the words you are saying are being sown into those rows. If you say, “I’ll be in debt forever,” you have just sown that seed into the row of your finances. If you say, “I get sick this time of year, every year, it’ll be the same this year…” you have just sown a seed in the row of your health. If you say, “by His Stripes, I am healed” (Isa. 53:5), you have just sown Word of God seed into the row of your health. If you say, “My God supplies all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Jesus Christ” (Phil. 4:19), you have just sown Word of God seed into the row of your finances. If you say, “I draw near to God, and He draws near to me” (James 4:8), you have just sown Word of God seed into the row of your relationship with God. Take the Word, speak it, and sow seed toward a purpose, toward a destiny.

God’s Word is God’s Creative Power. Read the Word, study it, find out what the Word of God says, meditate on it, and speak it, speak it, speak it. Let the Word of God be your spiritual nourishment, daily. Feed your heart with the Word every single day, and you’ll find that God’s creative power will begin to flow out of you all the time

Satanic Devices… Don’t Get Distracted

We cannot let “Satan … take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Cor. 2:11). 

The modern church has forgotten something.  She’s forgotten that she has an enemy…  Many believers walk through life thinking that every thought they have is their own thought, thinking that every event is random, thinking that every distraction or offense is simply “status quo,” but we must, must, must remember something, there is a devil, and he seeks to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10) the people of God. 

This enemy is NOT omnipresent.  Satan is a fallen angel.  Like all other angels, he can’t be all places at once.  He is not like God.  However, he has multitudes of soldiers under his command, demonic forces that fell with him from heaven during his rebellion.  These principalities, powers, and rulers of wickedness in heavenly places have been assigned to us, and they know what sets us off.  They know what hurts us, gets us angry, offended, discouraged… oh they know us well. 

Why is all this important?  Because it is the enemy’s primary strategy to distract us from the mission of Kingdom work.  Satan’s kingdom of darkness is at war with Jesus’ Kingdom of light (Col. 1:13).  The good news is Satan has already been defeated by Jesus on the Cross (Col. 2:14-15).  However, the warfare is now over individual’s destinies.  Satan’s devices or strategies are always geared toward getting you “Off track,” distracting you from who God has called you to be and doing what God has called you to do – all of which is focused around the impact of the Kingdom of God on earth. 

The Lord wants His Kingdom manifesting on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). 

Here is a scenerio of Satan’s strategies - God wants His Kingdom manifesting in your workplace.  Satan wants to stop that expansion of the Kindom into your workplace.  So, what does Satan do?  He assigns demonic forces to torment you at work using any coworker, meeting, policy, etc that he can.  He attempts to keep you from smiling, laughing, and experiencing God’s life and joy at work.  He plays on your emotions and thoughts - “I’d rather be on the beach than here right now…” “Uh, if my boss would just quit, this place would be awesome…”  “Yuck, another customer…”  Satan torments with thoughts and feelings that tear at the fabric of why God has put you into the place you are in, until you become paralyzed spiritually and drained to the point of having no impact.

When we become aware of these devices of the enemy, we can begin to shut them down.  How?  By the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.  Your Bible is the most important physical possession you have.  It is God’s Logos (logic, thoughts, words) in printed form.  When Jesus was about to enter into His ministry, Satan came against Him and began to play on Jesus’ needs and desires (see Matthew 4).  Every time Satan brought a distraction up before Jesus, Jesus simply responded with “It is written…” and Jesus would drive back Satan by the Word of God.

Today, become aware of Satan’s distractions in your life.  Has he tried to steal from you?  Has he tried to rob you of spiritual blessings?  Has he taken relationships from you?  Whatever Satan has done or is trying to do, it is all about getting you distracted from the Kingdom and Presence of God.  Don’t let him cause you to stumble or fall away.

Pray with me:  “In the Name of Jesus, Father, thank you that you have given me authority over the enemy by the blood of Jesus, the name of Jesus, and the Word of God.  Right now, I declare that I am aware of satan’s devices and strategies, and I will not give in to those.  Father, thank you for discernment and for protection, In Jesus name.  Amen.”

The Sound of Rejoicing … Could be Heard Far Away – Neh. 12:43

What an amazing sound it must have been.  In Nehemiah, the people of God had restored the walls and gates of the city as well as the temple of God.  They were so elated they let out a sound that could be heard far away.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful, if the people of God today could recapture that cry-that sound of rejoicing?  It is possible!!!  Several things led up to the restoration in Nehemiah, and I want to share those things with you:

• They heard, LOVED, and responded to The Word of God (Neh. 8:1-9)

Read chapter 8, from start to finish, the honored subject is the Word of God being read to the people.  Interestingly enough, reading chapter 8 of Nehemiah reminds me of our weekly church services.  There was worship, preaching, fellowship, and response, a whole ordered service.  The Word of God was the priority – hearing what God had revealed, sharing it, and responding to it.  The modern church, LGBT-affirming church, must recapture a passion and love for the Word of God.  There will be NO SOUND OF REJOICING WITHOUT IT.  The Word gives us cause to rejoice, so we must always have a passion for it.

• They confessed their sins, repented, and separated themselves from sin (Neh. 9:2)

When they heard the Word, they realized that in order to have God’s Presence and the Restoration of their lives, they had to repent of anything they had been doing that may have grieved God.  Sin and worldliness grieve God.  The people of God even separated themselves from the practices around them (v. 2).  There will be NO SOUND OF REJOICING UNTIL WE LEARN THE POWER OF REPENTANCE.  God loves us and because of that love, He convicts us of sin.  Thank God for His Precious Spirit’s convicting power.  Today, if there is any sin in your life, repent.  Ask Him to forgive you.  And as you do, you are one step closer to hearing the sound of rejoicing!!!

• They worshipped (Neh. 11:23; 12:27-31)

Worship IS THE SOUND OF REJOICING!  The Bible tells us that “in His presence is the fullness of joy” (Psa. 16:11), and He inhabits the praises of His people (Psa. 22:3).  So, in order for us to release the sound of rejoicing, we need His presence, and His Presence is drawn to the sound of worship.  It is time to release the sound of worship!

• They committed themselves to God (Neh. 10)

Nehemiah 10 is about a nation of people going before God and signing a covenant that basically said, “whatever it takes…”  God wants a people who will covenant with Him to do whatever it takes.  He wants Abrahamic people who are willing to give up that which is most precious for the cause of the Kingdom; He wants Estheric people who are willing to risk everything so that some might be saved; He wants Nehemaic people who will release a sound of rejoicing so loud that it can be heard far away.  This level of committment isn’t easy.  One must be willing to give up comfort, traditions, dignity…  Salvation is free, but a certain sound, a sound of rejoicing is costly.

Today, I encourage you, give your life to Jesus, get your heart right before Him, and let a sound of rejoicing be heard so loud that it can be heard through your day-to-day actions, let a spiritual sound be released that is so loud that family and friends hear it, and that it is a witness to all around you, THAT YOU SERVE A RESTORING, REBUILDING KING