From Christendom to Kingdom

 

 

 

 

I was very blessed by the 3rd article in the open heaven newsletter this week.  Here is the direct link to the author's blog entry.

 

http://mouthpieceministries.wordpress.com/2014/07/02/my-journey-from-christendom-to-the-kingdom/

 

This article spurred a hunger in me and a remembrance of times when God has worked in my life for a season. Mountain-top experiences are awesome, when we are soaring on wings like an eagle and our vision/clarity increases. I appreciate seasons of personal revival/renewal because it reminds me of what is really important and draws my attention back to God. However, we aren't meant to go through the revival cycle like the Israelites in the book of Judges. We are meant to walk with God constantly, abiding in him. If we are in need of revival, it is because we have forgotten he is present with us and have allowed idols to replace him. I have found myself in that state many times, especially during the busy summer months where many responsibilities and tasks can become immense and overwhelming. However, when I am brought back to the simplicity of relationship and his overwhelming love for me, the mountains become small and are easily moved.

Seems the experience the woman in the article is having is happening to many. Many are becoming hungry for more of God and to know him more deeply, becoming dissatisfied with the shallow. Call it baptism in the Spirit, a second, third, or fourth work of grace, whatever - God is calling his people into deeper fellowship and surrender to him. For some, it may look like this - for others, it may be more slow and gentle as the Lord strips away the layers of selfishness and pride in our lives - exposing us to his perfect love that casts out all fear. The point is, the Lord works differently in all our lives - we aren't meant to copy the experience of others - however, we can be encouraged about how he is working in them and it can encourage us and spark hunger.

True Fellowship

 

The Lord led my wife and I to study the meaning of true Fellowship this weekend, and we ended up sharing what we learned with the group of believers we relate to in our home on Saturday night.   I can honestly say, we enjoyed true fellowship that night, and we were truly encouraged by what we are seeing.  The Lord is opening our eyes to so many things, and this issue of Fellowship is just one of them. 

I had been pondering a statement made by Bryon Wiebold of Forerunner Ministries in Texas.  He said, "we don't gather for fellowship, we gather because we already have Fellowship".  This statement prompted my wife and I to study out the word "fellowship" as it is used in the Bible.  My wife and I love to re-think and re-discover what the Bible really says about many words or subjects that many times have lost their meaning since we have been in "church" for a while.  Religious thinking, or familiarity sets in and we can stop thinking about what we are saying or hearing.  We learned that true Fellowship is much more than just getting together to discuss life, religion, sports, or politics.  Fellowship is also more than getting together to "do" religious things like prayer, worship, bible study, etc.

The greek word for Fellowship is Koinonia, and it is used in several ways throughout the New Testament.  It means to partake, participate in, have in common, and can also be translated as the  word "communion".  We discovered from 1 John 1:3-7 that before we can enjoy fellowship with others, we must first have fellowship with the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ. It is impossible to have Christian fellowship with someone who does not have true fellowship with God first!! 

1 John 1:3
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

1 John 1:6,7
 ⁶ If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.


Our fellowship with God will be manifested in whether we are walking in the light of God's love.  Then, our fellowship with each other will be manifested in our love for each other!

1 John 2:9
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.

In 1 Corinthians, the word "Koinonia" sheds further light on how we see and relate to the body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:16,17
¹⁶ Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.

The word for "participation" used in this passage is, you guessed it: Koinonia.  As believers, we enjoy true fellowship because we have each been baptized into the body of Christ.  We are participants of being part of the body of Christ because we have each eaten of his flesh and drank of his blood.  In a spiritual manner, we have allowed the very essence of Christ to enter into us and he has made each of us members of his body. 

Our fellowship with the Head(Christ) determines our fellowship with the rest of the body.  We are each participants(Koinonia) in the body and blood of Christ.

The last instance of the word Koinonia I want to share is in 2 Peter 1:3,4
³ His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

The word "participate" here is of course the grk. word Koinonia.  This is perhaps the greatest revelation of all I discovered when doing this study.  Not only do we have fellowship with God because we are in the light of his love, and because we are now members of his body.  We have fellowship with God and each other because we now have his very nature imparted to us!!  We love  each other because it is now our nature to love!  We share gifts of the spirit with one another because his Spirit is now one with our Spirit!  We now share the same Father!  We are members of the same family!  We are sons of God, just like Christ, the firstborn son!  Does this mean we "are" God?  No, but it does mean we are now "like" God in the sense that he has imparted his very nature and essence into us.  We are no longer of Adam, we are of Christ.  We no longer have a dead Spirit, our Spirit is alive to God, energized and full of the Life of God.  Our life-source and nature no longer comes from the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil(Adam), our life-source is now the tree of Life(Christ)!

This is what forms the basis of our fellowship with other believers.  Our fellowship is not based around believing the same doctrines, praying the same way, worshiping the same songs, attending the same "church".  Our fellowship is based on our new nature and our new relational position with the Father.  We are new creations - the old has passed away and the new has come!  Our fellowship(Koinonia) is based around "who" we have become and who we have relationship with(the Father), not based around what we "do".  What we do as the Church flows out of who we now are, and the direct connection we have with the head.  We are no longer "sinners", we are "saints".  We no longer have a "sinful" nature, we have God's divine nature of pure, spotless, holy, Love.  As Bryon Wiebold says in this blog post, we are no longer "Apples", we are "Oranges".  Apples vs Oranges

Do we still struggle with the flesh?  Of course. In our Soul, the mind, will, and emotions we still struggle with ingrained patterns of behavior, fears, and areas of our heart that need to be surrendered to Jesus Christ daily.  We can still allow sin into our soul and practice sin, but it is now a foreign invader that has no right to be there.  We are not defined by that sin any longer, we are defined by what God says about us. We are now Sons of God, members of Christ's body, new creation Spirit-men(and women), free from the law of sin and death. 

This is what Jesus died for - this is what his body is all about - this is what true fellowship is based upon.

God is everything you need

I was meditating on and praying about who God is to me a couple days ago.  Personalizing and meditating upon who God is to us is one of the most important things we can do.  What we think about God is the most important thing in life.  What he is for us and who he wants to be for us personally.  God loves us, he enjoys us, he is deeply personal, as well as being mighty on our behalf.  If we have a distant, impersonal view of God, our picture of God needs to be re-drawn.  How you see God determines how you view yourself and how you view others.  The more you have a wrong view of God, the more religious and legalistic you will become.  The Pharisees are people who lost sight of what God is really like, so they couldn't receive Jesus when he came, even though he did great signs and wonders.

We must answer the same question that Jesus asked Peter, "Who do you say that I am".  Our having the right picture of him is critical.  In fact, so critical, that it was upon this revelation that Jesus said he would build his church.  The picture of God that we have is our bedrock, he builds the church on the image of himself that we have in our heart.  With the right image of God, hell cannot prevail against us.

Here is a list of things that God is to me that I received while meditating on this the other day.

God, You are my peace, my righteousness, my provider, my love, my strength, my life, my shelter, my strength, my best friend, my savior, my maker, my redeemer, my healer, my light, my truth, my shepherd, my bread, my water, my sustainer, my king, my comforter, my guide, my greatest encourager, my example, my teacher, my father, my standard, my holiness, my breath of life, my center, my hero, my champion, my caregiver, my rock, my fortress, my refuge, my strong tower, my defender, my fear-vanquisher, my storm calmer, my liberator, the patient gardener of my soul, my foundation, my master-builder, my priest, my perfect sacrifice, my older brother, my fire, my desire, my exceedingly great reward, my rewarder, my master, my grace for every situation, my everything, my gate to life and the Kingdom, my heaven, my hope, my reason for living, my welcoming arms of love, lifter of my head, my judge, discerner and revealer of the secrets of my heart, my Head, author and finisher of my faith, my completer, my wholeness, binder of my brokenness, object of my worship, my forgiver, you hide me from my enemies, you are the lover of my enemies, my seed sower, my gift giver, and my miracle worker.

God loves you so much and desires to reveal himself to you in all these ways. He wants to be everything you need, for every situation.  I am finding that if I allow God to be these things to me at different times, my picture of him enlarges and I become more aware of his love and his presence.

Thankfulness

This week, our family has been pondering the things we are thankful for.  My wife acted upon a great idea she had last week.  She painted a large, leafless tree on a  mirror in our house. Then, everyone in our family was given leaves to write down the things we are thankful for.  We then taped all the leaves onto the "Thankful Tree".   The tree ended up with about a hundred leaves on it.  Most of the things people write are about God, the blessings we have, and the people in our lives.  The tree has been a reminder of all the things we have to be thankful for and the tremendous amount of blessings we have in our family.

Ondrea and I have been increasingly understanding what a key role thankfulness has in our lives.  It enables us overcome negativity, doubt, and bad attitudes.  I guess that is why Paul tells us to give thanks in all things in Eph. 4:20. "always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

As I was praying a couple days ago, I decided to read Hebrews 10.  I began to get insight into some  things we as Christians can ponder and be truly thankful for. As a result, I felt led to incorporate a time of communion during our family's upcoming thanksgiving day celebration.

Hebrews 10
v.1-4
The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. ² Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. ³ But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. ⁴ It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

v.11-14
¹¹ Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. ¹² But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. ¹⁴ For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
#1:  Christ has paid for our sin completely!
We don't have to offer animal sacrifices for our sins any more! Jesus has done away with the need for any further sacrifice for sin.  This may seem very elementary, but if you ponder it - think about how amazing and revolutionary this must have been for the Jewish People of the 1st century!  If you have ever owned Goats, Sheep, or Cows - you will also see the significance of Jesus Sacrifice!  I am thankful that I don't need to offer any of our goats at the temple to pay for my sins this year.  Our family has 3 goats, Gracie, Jimmy, and Promise.  They have become like Pets to us - how sad it would be(especially for our children) if we had to slaughter one of them in order to be forgiven for our sins!!  And then, on top of that, it wouldn't even fully erase the guilt, it would only serve to cover our sin until the next time of sacrifice.  Animal sacrifices didn't really pay the price for sin, they just pointed to the one who actually could take away the sins - Jesus!  The animal sacrifices were a costly reminder of the consequences and terribleness of sin. 
v. 17-18

Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”

And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.

#2:  Since God doesn't remember our sins any more, neither should we!
We have been cleansed from sin - we are no longer sinners, we are saints!  The sacrifice of Jesus has taken all our sins as far away as the east is from the west.  ALL OUR SINS - PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE! 
How amazing that we don't need to be reminded of our sin any longer.  In fact, this passage(along with v. 2,3) seems to be alluding to the truth that because of what Jesus did, we don't need to be pondering, replaying, or beating ourselves up about our sinfulness any more!  If the point of the sacrificial system was to remind people of their sins - the point of Jesus' sacrifice was to cleanse us of guilt so we can move on from and forget about our sins!  Of course, we will remember our sins in our minds at times, but the guilt and condemnation attached to them can be be erased!!
As our family celebrates communion this week - we see it as a celebration of Jesus' sacrifice in taking away our sins and guilt. It is not a time to grimly reflect on our sinfulness and awfulness - it is a time to reflect on God's goodness and be thankful for all Christ has done! We remember that the blood he shed was costly, we remember that his broken body paid the price for our freedom.  However, we do not reflect on our guilt and awfulness, trying to dredge up feelings of guilt and remorse.  We are not guilty any more!  We are cleansed, purified, righteous, holy, new creations.

v 19-22
¹⁹ Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

#3:  We are now children of God!
We can boldly and confidently be in God's presence because of the precious blood of Jesus!  Hallelujah!  We have access to God's presence at all times, in fact, God lives in us!  We are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  We can draw near to God in faith, believing that we are pure and right with God.  There is no place for guilt or shame because we have been cleansed and purified once and for all.  It is finished!  This is the most exciting aspect of salvation to me - being his child.  We are "brothers and sisters", we are members of the family of God!  I have a relationship with God, he is my friend!

Conclusion:
 I am so thankful that my life is becoming "Christ-centric", instead of "Sin-centric".  There is such freedom in a confident relationship with God - believing that he sees me as pure, Holy, and "in" Christ.  There is no need to grovel or make up for my mistakes.  He loves me and accepts me as I am because I am in Christ, who is righteous and perfect.  Therefore I am righteous and perfect.  I am confident that my name is written in heaven, and I have an incredible inheritance that will last for all eternity.  Now that is something to be thankful about!!

Luke 10:20
However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Hebrews 12:23
to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,

Cessationism is heresy

Liked this post by Steve Crosby about the errors of Cessationism.  He goes so far as to call it Heresy, I wholeheartedly agree!

http://swordofthekingdom.com/2012/06/02/cessationism-undermines-the-gospel/

The power to do miracles and live a spirit-filled, fruitful, overcoming life is proof that Jesus really rose from the dead.  The power to do miracles by the Holy Spirit validated Jesus' message, it validated the early disciples' message, and it validates our message.

If we don't serve a risen lord who can still do the very same things through our lives today, our message and preaching is in vain!  1 Cor 15:14

Jesus promise was that we would do the very same things he did, and even greater works!
John 14:12
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

It is ridiculous to think that miracles ceased with the death of the last Apostle, and it is foolish to believe that God no longer speaks to his people today through Spiritual Gifts, discernment, dreams, visions, etc.  If gifts were given to the church for edification and to build up the early Church, why would God pull them away with the death of the last apostle?  What makes us think we no longer need these gifts today?

God is the same Yesterday, Today, and Forever. The same roadblocks of religious thinking that kept the Pharisees of old from receiving the person of Jesus when he came 2000 years ago are the same roadblocks that keep modern Pharisees from believing in the power and work of the Holy Spirit today.
 
Cessationists hinge most of their beliefs on one passage of scripture that I believe is easily refutable.  They believe that spiritual gifts ceased when the perfect came as described in 1 Cor. 13:8-10
⁸ Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part; ¹⁰ but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.

Cessationists believe that "the perfect" is referring to the completion of the canon of scripture.  I believe this is an incorrect interpretation for 3 main reasons.
1.  Paul had no idea that there was such a thing as a "canon" of scripture at the time of this writing.
2.  "if there is knowledge, it will be done away". Did knowledge pass away also with the completion of the Canon? No.
3.  verse 12 implies a time when we are face to face with Jesus and have reached a state of complete knowledge.  Even with the completion of the scriptures, none of us can claim to have complete knowledge.
1 Cor. 13:12  For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.

"Face to face", then, can only refer to when we see Jesus face to face at His coming. John says we will see Him face to face (Rev 22:4), and that when he appears we shall see him as he is (1Jn 3:2).

The time when we will "know fully" has nothing to do with the completion of the canon of scripture.  It is talking about the time when we will see Christ face to face and are literally dwelling in his presence continually.

Spiritual gifts and miracles are necessary until the end of the age when Jesus returns and wraps up history. When we see him face to face and are living in his presence continually, spiritual gifts will no longer be necessary.

Also see:
http://apologetica.us/2012/02/06/why-1-corinthians-138-10-is-not-a-good-text-for-cessationism/

http://www.prophecyeducation.com/cessationism.htm

http://www.amazon.com/2000-Years-Charismatic-Christianity-pentecostal/dp/0884198723
2000 years of charismatic History is a good book that gives first-hand accounts of miracles and spiritual gifts throughout the last 2,000 years.  This book offers undeniable proof that miracles and gifts have never ceased.  Literally hundreds of eyewitness and first-hand accounts of miracles have been recorded after the completion of the Canon of Scripture.  While reading this book, I was amazed at the number of references to spiritual gifts and miracles in the writings of the early church fathers 100-300 AD.


There are many well documented reports of healing miracles. This video in 2 parts is one of them.

The power of a focused Heart

Last year, Ondrea received a prophetic picture while praying for me. In it, she saw my heart like a White horn - when I blew the horn, it had tremendous power to change things.  This means that when my heart is turned and focused intensely toward the Lord, there is great power and anything can happen!  The power of intercession and prayer are magnified when my heart is turned towards the Lord.  Prophetic words and energy can flow from my spirit when my heart is turned towards the Lord.  Just like a horn produces a sound, the energy that is produced from a focused heart is in harmony with the Lord's voice and purposes.  The horn also represents the multiplication of sound that occurs.  God multiplies power and energy when I pray or act in accordance with his desires and heart.  Even if I don't feel anything tangible, I can expect fruit and change when my heart is focused towards God. I love this prophetic picture because it is so clearly portrays a heart that is in union with the Lord's Heart.

I found it to be true that when I am able to keep my heart turned towards the Lord, my faith level soars.  I find it easier to avoid distractions and am full of anticipation for what the Lord is going to do.  When my heart is divided or distracted regarding earthly concerns, my faith level plummets and I find myself faithless, discouraged, and disheartened.

2 Corinthians 3:16-18
¹⁶ But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

When we inwardly turn our hearts toward the Lord, the veil is taken away.  We are able to see clearly and receive truth from God.  Conversely, when our hearts are turned away from the Lord, there is a veil keeping us from seeing clearly.  The veil keeps the light of his love and truth from our hearts.

Matthew 13:22
The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.

It is impossible to have a passionate, burning heart for the Lord when our lives are filled with distractions and wordly cares.  A heart that is focused on the Lord is in love with him and his words are meaningful to us.  We will hang on his every word and listen intently to his voice.  Similarly, when my heart is focused on my wife and I push out all distractions, my love for her intensifies.

Proverbs 4:23
Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.

This scripture is a basic principle of how life works that contains great truth. It is an ancient path, so listen carefully.  The eternal principle is this:  "Our hearts contain life, and that life is going to flow into something, so be careful what you let that life flow into."  If we allow the life in our hearts to flow out into things that God does not intend it to - we will have nothing left over to give to the things that are important.  It is imperative to "Watch over your heart", guarding diligently what you allow the life of your heart to flow into.  If we give our hearts over to our jobs, we will have nothing left to give to God or our families.  If we give our heart to making as much money as possible, the spring of life will run dry eventually.  If the life-flow of our hearts is not rooted in God and aligned with God's heart, that life in our heart will eventually run dry.

Matthew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

This scripture contains another, similar basic principle of life:  The flow of life from our hearts will be directed toward whatever we treasure.

This is why Jesus said we cannot serve two masters.  We will find it increasingly difficult when the flow of life from our heart is divided up into two separate streams.  One stream flowing into the things of the world, and the other stream flowing into the things of God.  We will find that when our hearts are intensely focused on the things of God, the worldly stream dries up.  Conversely, when our hearts are intensely focused on worldly things, the God stream dries up.  We cannot maintain two streams flowing in opposite directions!  It is pride and foolishness to think we can!  Believe me, I have tried it and failed from experience!

When we are united with God and our heart is turned towards him; when we have surrendered to him, his spirit can flow through us. Then, rivers of living water can flow through us as John 7:38 says  ^"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

On the practical side (help for when our heart isn't focused on the Lord):
I have found that is quite difficult to turn my heart toward God when I am believing lies about him.  Like the prodigal son, I believe the Father might be angry with me so that lie keeps me from turning to him and receiving the love and rest I so desperately need.  We need to renounce lies about God and receive the truth about his true nature and our true nature before we can have an open, honest heart that is turned towards him.  When we are believing lies or we are bound in sin, we will continue to hide and run from him.  We will build up walls of self-protection from him and from others.  It is important when we are in this place to call out to him for help.  I have also found it helpful to renounce lies and speak truth out loud and/or bring them to another person.  If there is sin, confess it to God and if necessary to anothe believer. When you do this, it breaks the hold of the lies and then you can be free to behold him with an unveiled face again.  I have found it helpful to ask my wife for prayer when I start to fall into the performance trap and feel my relationship with God beginning to slip.  Not only does it break the cycle in my head, it lets her know I have needs and weaknesses that she can be praying and encouraging me in.

I love in the movie "Seven days in Utopia", the main character is a golfer who had lived for nothing but Golf since he was a child.  Pushed hard by a Father driven to make him succeed, he finally breaks down and sees God's truth.  Here are the lies he wrote down and buried:

1. My golf scores are a reflection of my self-worth.
2. Failure in golf is failure in life.
3. Success in golf will bring the fulfillment that I long for.
4. My calling in life is to play golf.
5. The opinions of others are paramount in the choices I make.
6. God is a crutch for the weak.
7. Tradition is sacred and never to be challenged

I have also found it helpful to prayerfully make a list of lies, then make another list of God's truth.  Here is a sample list that I wrote up about a year ago.

1. Lie - God is only available to me if I have been good enough today.  If I have prayed this morning, been nice to people and basically been perfect.
Truth - God is near to me, will flow through me, and is available to me at all times, whether I have been perfect or not.  In fact, I need him even more when I have failed.  Look at the Joy of the father when his prodigal son came home!

2. Lie - Tomorrow will be a better day.  Even though today is really screwed up, a good night's sleep and some time will fix things.  I can't approach God today so I must resign myself to failure and misery today.
Truth - God works Today!  If I turn my heart and repent now, God will meet me now!  I don't have to wait until tomorrow.  I can have a soft heart again now!  No day is too screwed up for God to redeem now!  Hebrews 3:7,8 - "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts"

3. Lie - I have screwed up too badly for God to save me. In fact, I am a screwed up person. I am a lost cause.  Who am I to enter God's presence and draw near to him.  He probably wants nothing to do with me now.
Truth - I am God's Son!  I am cleansed, forgiven, perfect, righteous, holy.  I can go boldly to God because I am in Christ!

4. Lie - I am a failure and will never rise above the mistakes I have made.  Things will continue the way they always have.  I am destined for defeat and failure all my days.  I will not succeed or accomplish anything of worth.
Truth - I can do all things through Christ.  I am more than a conqueror.  There is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.  No failure is too great for God to redeem and change.  No cycle of defeat too deep for him to break.  I can and will move mountains and defeat giants by Faith.

5. Lie - I don't have what it takes to do what God is asking.  I'm not gifted enough, don't hear from God well enough, am not smart enough.  I'm too selfish and don't have the right personality or enough charisma.  I'm not a very good leader.
Truth - Joshua 1:9 - Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.  The same spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in me!  I am complete in him.  I have all I need in him!  Galatians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, Having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
I choose to receive from God everything I need to be a blessing to others.  God has blessed me and will continue to pour out his love, gifts, wisdom, strength, provision, and care so I can pour out to the people around me!

I also created another similar list of lies/truth towards the end of this article.
http://roadofkingdom.blogspot.com/2012/02/living-by-faith.html

Sinner or Saint?

Is a Christian still a wretched sinner?   What does the bible actually say about this?  Do we still have an old nature or do we have a new nature?  If you really have a new nature, what is that new nature like?  Can someone have two natures?

A post on the blog Modern reject states the following in very bold words:

We’ve all heard Christians say it and we’ve most likely said it ourselves: “I’m just a sinner saved by grace.”

We tell unbelievers that we are sinners just like them, only difference is, we’ve met Jesus, accepted His gift of salvation, and been saved.

And let me just say, this is completely false.

That’s right. We are lying when we speak these words. We are not sinners. We are something quite different…

You see, somewhere along the way Christians got the idea in their minds that they need to refer to themselves as “sinners” and not saints. Yet, the Bible, more specifically, the New Testament, does not refer to followers of Christ as sinners in the present tense.

The world seems to know that there is a sharp distinction between a sinner and a saint, but why don't most Christians understand this?  This is a serious case of mistaken and confused identity.

If you are a Christian, and have always believed you are just a sinner saved by Grace, you are in for a real treat. Get ready to be set free and released into a completely new and radical way of seeing yourself as God sees you!

A Sinner is not a Saint, and a Saint is not a Sinner!

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Paul reminds us that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. (Rom. 5:8) Catch that? Paul did not write that Christ died for us while we were still sinners so that we could remain sinners.  Look at Romans 5:19 - we are made Righteous through the obedience of Christ.  Also, notice the contrast between the words "sinners" and "righteous".  You are either a "sinner", or you are "righteous".  You cannot be both.  You must stop seeing yourself as a sinner, and see yourself as God sees you, as a righteous saint.

Romans 5:19
For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

Good Heart, Bad Heart 

It is very common to hear Christians quoting Jeremiah 17:9 -  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?

Many take this to mean that all men's hearts are deceitful and wicked, including Christians.  But is this really true of the new covenant Christian?  No, a Christian is one who has a good heart, whose heart has been changed through the new birth, the soil of this kind of heart is fertile and fruit-bearing. This kind of heart hear's God's truth and lives it out.

Luke 8:15
But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

Did you catch that?  "a noble and good heart" So it is possible to have a good heart!  And here's how it happens - God gives us a new heart the moment we are born again and surrender our life to him!

Ezekiel 36:26
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Hebrews 8:10
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Matthew 23:26
Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.

Matthew 12:35
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

Matthew 23:26 shows us that is possible to have a cleansed heart that is pure.  How wonderful and freeing is that?  Matthew 12:35 also shows us that it is possible to be "good" and have "good treasure" stored up in our heart with "good things" coming out of it.  Amazing!

John 7:38
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

Matthew 7:18
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

Jesus said that two types of water can't flow from the same source.  Jesus also said a bad tree can't bear good fruit!  I'm telling you loud and clear - if you are a Christian - you are a good tree! You are not a bad tree!  The scriptures are so clear - I could go on and on with scripture after scripture!  You cannot have two natures - one good, the other bad!  Any object or being cannot have two natures. For example, Wood is wood, that is it's nature!  Gold is Gold, that is it's nature!  Your nature is either sinner or saint  it cannot be both!  You are a born again new creation; the old is gone, the new has come! 

The Struggle between Flesh and Spirit

Yes, we will still struggle with the Flesh, but I can prove that many reference where some translations say "sinful nature", the actual greek word used in many instances is "sarx", the word most often translated to "flesh".  It is more accurate to translate that word in these cases as "flesh", not "sinful nature".  For example, in Romans 7:18, the NIV translates "sarx" as "sinful nature", but the New King James more accurately translates it as "Flesh". Yes, we still struggle with the "flesh", but the flesh is simply our old patterns of behavior and ways of behaving.  The flesh is not our nature.  "Sinner" is not our nature.  Wicked and Deceitful are not our nature. 

Sin is an invader to be fought against and removed, like a speck of dust that gets in your eye or a sickness that invades your body.  If we have a speck of dust in our eye, we take it out.  If we have sickness, we seek healing from it.  It shouldn't become part of who we are!  If we have sin, we need to confess it, repent of it, and then have nothing to do with it!  We are not to identify ourselves with the sin.  Sin is not a part of us, it is something to get rid of!  Since we are "in" Christ, when God looks at us, he sees the righteousness of Jesus, he sees the new creation.  He doesn't see our faults, sins, and failures.  Isn't this amazing!  If God doesn't identify us with our sin any longer, why should we!

Here is an example: If we get angry, the enemy is the one who brings shame and condemnation, saying things like "you're just an angry person, you'll never overcome this, you are an evil sinner!  We must not receive that curse to our identity, instead we must declare the truth like this.   "I am a saint, I am righteous, I am holy, sin has no place in me!  Jesus, cleanse me from this sin, remove its effects from me, and fill me with the Holy Spirit so I can walk free from this sin!"  This type of response sows to the Spirit, and you will reap a harvest of righteousness because you are drawing near to God.  The first type of response pushes you away from God because you believe yourself to be unclean, dirty, and unable to go to God for the grace you so desperately need.  Here is the lie we begin to believe.  "If God hates sin, and I am a sinner, he must detest me."  But, if we are able to separate our identity from the act of Sin, we can partner with the Holy Spirit to war with it and overcome it.  We will hate the sin,  but not hate ourselves.  This mindset will empower us and fill us with the desire to be free from the sin. This mindset will then enable us to turn to God, drawing on his love and grace to overcome it.

Example:  Two men are walking through a dirty, muddy parking lot.  One is dressed in a new, clean, white Tuxedo.  The other is dressed in old, dirty, oily overalls.  Which one of these men is going to want to stay out of the mud more?  You guessed it, the clean one.  When we see ourselves as clean, we will have no desire to partake in sin.  We will desire to remain pure and undefiled.  This is a much more powerful motivator than the lie that we are dirty, rotten, filthy sinners!  Of course, we must never forget that the only reason why we are clean and pure is through the love, grace, forgiveness, and power of God!  We are completely dependent on him! 

It's time to start believing the truth, rejecting the lies and shame.  We are saints, born again new creations, sons and daughters of God, full of boldness and confidence regarding our identity "in" Christ!  Anything less is faithlessness and a denial of the real power of God to transform lives and hearts!

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

The new creation is Holy and Righteous. 

Ephesians 4:23-24

²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

 

 

 You are holy and pleasing to God

Romans 12:1 

 ¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Objections:
Some will raise an objection from 1 Timothy where Paul states he is the Chief of sinners or Worst of Sinners.  Here is my response to that.

1 Tim 1:12-16."I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners -- OF WHOM I AM THE WORST. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, THE WORST OF SINNERS, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life."

I have a hard time believing that Paul was actually talking about himself in a present tense being the "Chief of Sinners" Literally. I believe he is talking about what he would be like without Christ. He is very aware of his weaknesses and the ugly sinfulness Christ has delivered him from.

Whatever the flesh once manifested itself to be in our lives--some extreme form of evil, whatever we have done that is now, in our own sight, bad or ugly --we have to remember that is an area of weakness that needs to be guarded very carefully, because we can return to that in an instant, no matter how long we have been Christians. There is that aspect of realizing the depths from which we have come and where we could fall back to without Christ. However, I believe the scripture also has to be examined in context to be clearly understood.

Paul refers to the time when he was persecuting and killing those who followed Jesus (past tense). Paul no longer did these things - it would be ridiculous to state that Paul remained a terrible "sinner". It would bring no glory to Christ if Paul's life did not change. Pauls life was radically changed when he encountered Christ. It brings great glory to Christ when the worst of sinners comes to him and their life changes in such a dramatic, black and white fashion. Here is Paul - a persecutor, blasphemor, and violent man - now he is gentle, humble, peaceful, and loving. Did he still sin? Of course! Did he still have the capacity to fall back into grievous sin without the grace and love of Jesus Christ?  Sure!  But was his identity still a wretched sinner? Absolutely not!

I believe there is a strong distinction in the New Testament between a sinner and a saint. However, sometimes our behavior may not line up with our identity. A sinner will sometimes act Saintly, and a Saint will sometimes act sinfully. As we become more secure in who God says we are, and the radical change that has taken place in our nature, our behavior will change.

I love the past tense descriptions of our old way of life in Eph. 2:1-3. There is no question in my mind that we are no longer sinners, but we are now saints!

Eph. 2:1-3
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath

Overcomer or Overcome?

 A couple weeks ago, I was pondering the significance of being an overcomer in the Bible.  I was amazed to see how many times the phrase "to he who overcomes" and the word "overcome" are used. I realized that being an overcomer is not so much something we do, but it is who we are.  As Christians, it is our true spiritual identity.  The only way to truly overcome is to live out of that identity.  We are overcomers by faith, it is our inheritance as children of God.
1 John 4:4 teaches that every believer is an overcomer. This victory is something that every child of God partakes in. It is not based upon what the believer has earned or achieved, but it is based on WHO indwells the believer!
1 John 4:4
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
1 John 5:4
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

The issue of our identity:
Genesis 32:28
Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

Interesting that Jacob was given a new name because he had overcome.  Receiving a new name is a symbolic and prophetic way of communicating our true spiritual identity as a child of God.  There is great power in learning who we really are, what our true names are.

Revelation 3:12
He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.

We need to see ourselves as overcomers, not as those who are overcome.
2 Peter 2:20
For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.

We have the spiritual DNA of Jesus Christ, THE overcomer.  Since he has overcome the world, so have we.
John 16:33
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Why is it significant for Jesus to say that we can have peace and be of good cheer because he has overcome the world?  Because it was his plan that we would live "in him", "abiding in him".  As long as we abide in THE overcomer, Jesus Christ, we are also overcomers by default.

Every generation and every culture has it's issues and struggles to overcome.  In the seven churches of Revelation, Jesus points out issues he sees with each church, but then he concludes with a promise to those who overcome.

1. Revelation 2:7
   “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’
2. Revelation 2:11
   “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”’
3. Revelation 2:17
   “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”’
4. Revelation 2:26
   And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—
5. Revelation 3:5
   He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
6. Revelation 3:12
   He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.
7. Revelation 3:21
   To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

If you are a true Christian, you are an overcomer!  You are more than a conqueror!  You CAN do all things through Christ, who strengthens you!  You HAVE overcome the world! You have overcome Satan!  You are seated(past tense) at the right hand of the Father because you are IN Christ, THE OVERCOMER! 
Ephesians 2:6
and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus

You are not defeated! You are victorious, triumphant!
2 Corinthians 2:14
Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

I like the way Ed Tandy Mcglasson says it in "The Difference a Father makes".
Ed Tandy McGlasson Ministries
He says you are either a "Survivor" or a "Thriver".  A survivor does his best to just get through the day, but a Thriver is one who squeezes everything possible out of Life, making the most of every opportunity.  That is how Jesus lived, and that is how he desires each of us to live.
 
Jesus lived under the smile, blessing, and approval of his Father, he was not living out of a desire to gain his Father's approval or the approval of others.  If we can also live out of this kind of identity as ones who are beloved by the Father, we will also understand our identity as an overcomer, a "Thriver".

However, the enemy has labeled many of us and imparted to us  a false identity.  Many of us were cursed by parents who didn't know their identity either, survivors.  When we really understand who God has created us to be, receive the Father's blessing and purpose into our lives, we will not want to settle for just surviving any more.  We will begin to live as Paul described in Philippians 3:12-14.
¹² Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. ¹³ Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ¹⁴ I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

When we communicate with our children, it doesn't do a whole lot of good to berate them and beat them up for their failures and mistakes. But it does a tremendous amount of good to remind them of their true identity.  When they are complaining, remind them of the fact that they are overcomers.  When they make a mistake, we can say something like, "That's OK, you'll get it next time - because you are an overcomer, you are a Champion, you can do all things through Christ, you have what it takes to succeed!"  If we keep speaking like this in faith to ourselves, and to our children, we will eventually get it.  Something will change deep inside of who we are, and we will truly see as God sees. Instead of seeing ourselves and others as failures or survivors, we will see overcomers, champions, thrivers, victorious, able to do all things.  We will see ourselves and others through the eyes of Faith, we were born to overcome!

Image from http://www.living-water-productions.com/

Disclaimer: I haven't read anything off the web-site, I just searched for and liked this painting.

Positioned for Transformation

These are my notes from a message I listened to last year by Lance Wallnau called "Positioned for Transformation"  I found it to be very encouraging, especially when going through difficulty, or as he calls it, the "process".

Here it is:
The “process” is about integrating the Word into your life experience so that you become a “message” as well as a messenger. 

This is why John the Baptist was able to say “I am the Voice of one crying in the wilderness.”

When you have found your Voice, you are manifesting your destiny.  It’s called your Authentic Voice.  You won’t find your authentic voice until you have had Process events.  Process events knock the echo of other people’s voices out of your life so that you can discover the unique expression God gave to you.

You might have an echo that says “You’re not going to amount to anything”.  Or, ”You know, you’re not really built for that”  But your authentic voice changes that.  Which is why you need to proclaim out of your mouth what God wants to see manifested in your life.

You can stop the process of God through whining, complaining, unbelief, etc.  Then you will get a smaller measure of what God has in mind.  It is a matter of fulfilling the prophetic word God has for your life.

Process events are the experiences you’ve had, the trauma, the climactic church splits, betrayals, heart breaks.  They are also your breakthroughs, moments of exhilaration.  All of that comes together to encourage you, and to shape you for your ultimate destiny.

Everybody wants breakthrough, blessing, supernatural encounters, etc, but nobody wants the process.  Everybody wants to have the heart of David, or to rule like Joseph.  But, if you really want that – do you want to go through the process that David or Joseph went through? 

To release Israel out of Jacob, there had to be a process event.(worked for years for Laban)  God is more interested in releasing Israel out of you than making you happy.  Because he knows your ultimate happiness is when you conform to the image of Christ.  Process events are the necessary chiseling to release the genius. 

The process is usually from high to low, high to low.  But, if you understand the process you can learn to endure the process and then learn to actually enjoy the process.

What did David do?  David had a revelation of something.  “Thou hast enlarged me when I was in my distress”.  He was expanding David to be able to rule, and at the right time he would rule.   

David figured out how to take the low points and make them his passion points.  He took his pain and process, and turned them into an occasion for worship and intimacy.  The psalms is the journey of an artist/musician in warfare with the devil who writes his songs from the solitude of reflecting on the processes he was in so he got an anointed perspective that led into an overcoming state.

It’s here that you learn the art of fulfillment.  If you don’t understand this, you won’t have a happy, overcoming disposition during the process.  You’ll just be holding on until you get to the next mountaintop.  It’s easy to be happy on the mountain top, but it’s much more difficult in the process.  Why not just enjoy the whole thing.

You don’t really have to know the future, you just have to have the right attitude toward the process.  Joseph didn’t have a clue that he would rule in Egypt.  He was simply faithful in what he was given at the time. He gave himself to the process.  It started out with a dream, but he didn’t have have any idea how that dream would be fulfilled or the details of how it would work out.  In fact, he tried to make it happen too soon by declaring the dream a little prematurely to his Dad and brothers.  Then he encountered the process, and he remained an overcomer during the process.

Growing in Faith

You may have heard it said, "You just have to keep your eyes on Jesus", or "Just behold him with the eyes of your heart".  When we become self-focused and lacking in Faith, this can be quite difficult to do.  It would probably be easier to just go lift up the corner of our house or lift ourselves up by our own bootstraps. It is actually quite impossible to keep our eyes on Jesus simply by trying harder.

How do we learn to live by Faith, and not by sight?  How do we learn to see with the eyes of our heart, not just our natural eyes?  How do we increase our Faith so we are not living by feelings?  How does Faith grow?  Why do we wrestle with our Flesh, and sometimes never seem to have victory?

Let's look at Romans 12:2 and 2 Cor 10:5

^{Ro 12:2} Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

2 Cor 10:5 - We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

The Battle begins in our Minds.  I believe the main reason most Christians lack Faith and live by feelings, is because their thought life has not been taken captive and made obedient to Christ.  We are in a war!  Our minds must come into alignment with the Mind of Christ, the Word of God!

Galatians 5:17 says "For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other"

We must learn to recognize ungodly thoughts that set themselves up against the knowledge of God, and take them captive!

Romans 10:17 - So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Faith comes and grows by a revelation of the Word of God. As we meditate on and ponder the Word of God - it becomes revelation to us.  God's word then becomes more real than our circumstances and what we see with our natural eyes.  God's word becomes tangible - it becomes filled with faith and we can see the evidence of things unseen with the eyes of our heart.

John 5:38, 39  But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

God's word must become more than just "information", it must become "Revelation".  The Pharisees had lots of information - they knew the scriptures inside and out, backwards and forwards.  What they were lacking was "Revelation", God's word was not really "abiding" in them.  We must become one with God's words, they must become our daily bread, our life.  This happens when we grow in relationship with God and as we overcome in the daily battles.  His words move from our heads into our hearts and become part of our daily experience.  We learn to trust him and his words more than we trust ourselves. 

How did Jesus defeat the devil in the wilderness?  (Luke 4).  That's right - with God's word.  The devil was able to quote God's word, but he did it in a mocking way.  That's because he doesn't really know God's heart.  Jesus knows God's heart, and was speaking out of his deep relationship with God the Father when he used God's Word to defeat the devil. Jesus lived a life of absolute trust and dependence upon God the Father and upon the Holy Spirit.  The wonderful thing about the temptation of Jesus is to see how completely Jesus trusted God as his provider, and the keeper of his future.  Jesus refused to give in to short-term thinking ("turn these stones into bread") and instead looked with the eyes of faith into what his future would be like if he actually gave in to the temptation.

Here is what I have done in the past, and what I strongly suggest you do.  When you are having dark, defeated thoughts or are being tempted by the enemy; first, write the thoughts down.  Identify each of these thought patterns as lies, then ask God to show you the truth and shine light into those areas of darkness.  Write down the truth God speaks to you to replace those lies.  Most of the time, it will be a direct scripture.  It could also be a picture, vision, or dream.  Or, God may speak truth to you through someone else who you are sharing your struggles with.  You can do this in many areas, whether it be Fear, anxiety, self-focus, bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, purposelessness, envy, jealousy, provision, etc.

A counselor at a church we once attended, Robert Fetveit, often said:  "I am an evangelist to the unconverted areas of the believer's heart"

We must learn to replace lies with truth throughout our daily lives.   But you can't fight lies by just casting them down - you must replace the lies with the truth of God's words.  Then, turn the truth into a prayer of faith that is in the direct opposite spirit as the lie.  You can craft very personal prayers to combat the enemy.  Here are some examples:

1.  Not feeling God's presence, feeling rejected or abandoned by God.

Prayer of Faith: God, I believe that you are present right now, whether I feel it or not. I believe you will never leave me or forsake me.  You promised that nothing can ever separate me from your love. Romans 8:38,39

2.  Purposelessness

Prayer of Faith: Jer 29:11 - God, I know you have plans for me, to prosper me and not to harm me, to give me a hope and a future.  You have not forgotten about me, You have engraved me on the palms of your hands. Isaiah 49:16.  I believe you exist, and you will reward me as I diligently seek you - Heb. 11:6.

3. Bitterness and unforgiveness.

Prayer of Faith:  I refuse to allow this person to control my life and make me angry.  They do not determine my identity, only you can do that Lord.  I am your son(or daughter), you are well pleased with me.  Even though this person may hate me and has wronged me, I believe that you love me, Lord.  This person has made me extremely angry, but I ask you to remove this anger, Lord.  Lord, I release this person and what they have done to me to you.  Judgment and vengeance is yours, and I refuse to judge and seek vengeance.  Luke 6:28 - Lord, I choose to bless and pray for __________.  Lord, I ask you to remove from me the bitterness I feel.  I choose to forgive ___________.  Lord, is there something you would like me to do as a blessing for this person, would you have me write out a blessing or send a gift to this person? 

4. Fear

2 Timothy 1:7 - For God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.  1 John 4:17 - There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.  Romans 8:15 - For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
Prayer of Faith:  Lord, wrap me in your arms of perfect love and drive out all Fear.  I come to you as your son(or daughter) and cry, "Abba, Father".  I refuse to give way to Fear (1 Pet 3:6) and declare that the spirit of fear has no power over me.  I have the Holy Spirit in me that gives me power, love, and a sound mind.  I have overcome the world, just as you have overcome the world.

5.  Feeling like God is angry with you or disappointed in you today

Prayer of Faith:  God, I believe you never change - you are the same yesterday, today, and forever.  You loved me yesterday when I felt your love, so I believe you also love me today.  You are not fickle and capricious like pagan gods.  Your love is constant, it remains the same every day.  You have always loved me, you love me now, and you will always love me - regardless of how well I feel like I have performed.  I know I am not perfect, and I sometimes fail - but I believe that will never change how you feel about me.  I am your son(or daughter), and you love me just like a human parent loves and wants the best for their children.  Just like the prodigal son who returned to his father smelling like pigs, you still loved him and accepted him - you ran to him and embraced him before he could even say a word.

6.  Failure

Prayer of Faith:  I know a wise man falls and gets up 7 times.  This failure will not defeat me - in fact, this is how I will defeat the enemy, by getting back up quickly.  I only really fail when I have fallen and refuse to get back up, wallowing in self-pity and self-focus.  Lord, I repent for what I did, it grieved your heart and hurt others.  I receive your forgiveness and restoration.  Let your face shine upon me - restore to me the joy of my salvation (Psalm 51)

7. Anxiety

Prayer of Faith:  I refuse to worry about tomorrow - tomorrow has enough troubles of its own.  I bring this situation to you that I am anxious about - release your peace into it.  I choose to focus on you and not let my mind become divided.  I receive your peace, because you are the prince of Peace.  I choose to focus on your hugeness, your provision, your blessings.  I refuse to dwell on something that will probably never come to pass.  I thank you for a positive outcome, and I picture you, Lord, right in the middle of this situation or circumstance.  I refuse to give in to a bleak picture where you are not present.

Refuse to become over-focused on the lies and problems - all these examples are intended to get our focus back on God and the truth.  This builds faith!

If all else fails, and you can't even pray - cry out to Jesus for help!  He will come and rescue you, he is your rescuer!