Freely Given, Freely Receive

Repetition and light

In the Bible there is a story of Joshua who was fighting a battle with his enemies in the promised land. So he’s there with his army fighting, the sun is going down, and he knows if it gets dark they’ll have to stop fighting and the enemy will regroup and they will have face them all over again.  So he prays and then commands the sun to stand still until they completely defeat their enemy, and it happens! The sun stops, the day is lengthened, and they gain the victory. (Joshua 10:12-13)

When you’re fighting a battle in faith, one thing that’s important is repetition. You have to keep at it constantly and not back off. This keeps you in the light, and the enemy can’t regroup and come back on you. Let me explain: you start in faith in the morning, you’re doing good, you read your bible, and you’ve gotten built up. You are standing in faith, but when afternoon hits, you back off, start listening to negative things and then the oppression comes back. It’s important that we continue to keep truth in our mouth and before our eyes to keep the light of the word shining on our problems. We cannot live victorious if we constantly have our enemies regrouping. Keep them on the run until they are completely destroyed, for the Bible tells us that the word of God is our light and it will drive out all darkness.

Preparing For The Promise

Whenever miracles happened in the Bible there was always preparation before the miracle took place. Whether it was filling six pots up with water before Jesus turned it into wine, or the woman who had only one cruse of oil and was told to borrow not just a few vessels, but many, and then the miracle of the replenishing of the oil started. There’s always preparation.        One of the keys to preparing for miracles is repetition. Hebrews 12:12-13 tells us to make our path straight. In the Greek it was the kind of path made by wagons going over it; it was repeated path. You need to repeat your confession of faith, you need to repeat seeing whatever you desire over and over again. Miracles need preparation. So start preparing today for the miracles you need tomorrow.

Who is ruling you?        One of the aspects of faith is that it’s not moved by the way you feel, it’s moved by the way you believe. (Acts 20:24)        I think all of us have heard the preacher say this: ‘give as you feel God wants you to give today.’ Imagine what would happen in your life if only did what you felt like at that time. How long do you think you would last on you job if you only showed up when you felt like it? Or, how long would your marriage last if you only did the things you felt like doing? Why we apply this to our faith is beyond me. Faith is a decision to believe something and act on it even when you don’t feel like it.        Jesus said ‘take up your cross and follow me.’ Stop waiting to feel something, just start acting on what you believe. Feelings are not faith and faith is not a feeling; your faith can change the way you feel but that feeling is not faith. The woman with the blood issue that Jesus healed probably didn’t feel like pressing through the crowd to touch Jesus, she felt sick in her body. But she was not moved by how she felt but by her faith. Likewise, you should be moved by what you believe and that will change the way you feel.

Responsibilities Of Faith

The scripture tells us faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17). Once it comes we are responsible to use it.

I run into people all the time who are looking to others to bless them instead of them stepping up and becoming responsible for their faith that God has given them. It’s not up to God to believe for your blessing or provision, it’s up to you to believe for you. It’s not up to God to ask, it’s up to you to ask. it’s not up to God to be specific about your need, it is up to you.

The Bible tells us to raise up our children in the way they should go. It is the parents’ responsibility to raise them up for the purpose of having them move out and raising their own family. There is nothing worse than to see young people still depending on their parents when they’re plenty old enough and capable enough to take care of themselves.

In 1 John 5:14 it states that we keep ourselves. You find the same thing spoken of in Jude 1:21: ‘keep yourself in the love of God’. This will not just happen, you need to do it.

God will always help someone who’s new in the faith. But he will, over time, require you to do your part. You decide in faith what you are going to believe for. The scriptures say ‘be it done according as you believe’. To do less is to rob yourself of many of your blessings.

I’m not leaving without it.        Jesus taught a parable on prayer of a man who had friends who came at midnight (Luke 11:5-9). The man didn’t have any food for his friends, so he went out to his neighbor’s house, beating on the door, asking for food to feed his friends. His neighbor said ‘we are asleep, leave us alone,’ but because of his persistence the neighbor opened the door and provided him with the food he needed. Jesus then said ‘ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, and knock and door shall be opened.’        The truth he is sharing is this: When you go to God in prayer, don’t leave until you receive something. What good would it be to show up at your favorite restaurant but never sit down and eat? God has provided all we need in prayer, but we must be determined enough that we won’t leave without something when we step out of our prayer closet. Prayer is never a one-way conversation. Prayer is never just asking; it also receiving.

Breaking free from bad images

       Many times the reason why we struggle to see ourselves in the light of what God has promised is because we’ve been in a negative place for so long that the image we have of our life is bad.        I want to give you story of a woman who was legally blind. She had glasses, but she couldn’t drive and as far as the state was concerned she was considered blind. She was a Christian and loved the Lord and had many believers pray for her, but she was still blind. She had gotten to the place that she even didn’t want to be prayed for anymore because she didn’t want to be disappointed. One day an Evangelist came to her church and at the end of his conference he asked if he could pray for her. She agreed, and so she stood there with her eyes closed and he said ‘take off your glasses and see’. She took them off and opened her eyes and the evangelist stopped her and said ‘I didn’t say for you to open your eyes. I said tell me if you can see yourself seeing with your eyes closed.’ She stood there for a couple of minutes, and then the Holy Spirit started moving on her. And she finally said, with eyes closed, ‘I can see myself seeing.’ At that point he laid his hands on her and prayed for her sight, and she opened her eyes and could see clearly for the first time.        The point of the story is that many times it’s not just outward healing we need, we need an inward one first. We must see ourselves possessing what God has promised in the word. (2 Corinthians 4:16)

Birthing place of vision        In the scriptures the word ‘imagination’ is used in several different ways. One of the ways it’s used is to give a picture for the place of conception of the word of God in your life.        In the Hebrew it is used for womb; in word pictures God brings conception of his word in your life, as you can see yourself enjoying the benefits of it. In that place the Holy Spirit will bring conception, grow, and develop the birthing of that dream or vision in your life. It comes through pictures.  Part of the meaning of meditation is to imagine or create an image. In scripture, Psalms 1:2-3 tells us to mediate on this day and night so whatever you do will come to pass. The Apostle Paul also tells us in Philippians 4:8 to ‘meditate on these things.’ That is more than just thinking about it. Start seeing yourself possessing the desires of your heart that God has promised. Start seeing yourself possessing something you’ve always wanted. Or if it’s a health issue, start seeing yourself as someone healed. When you get your imagination and faith working together, nothing is too far out of your reach. 

Meditating On The Word

One of my favorite verses is Psalms 1:2-3. It states that if you mediate on the word day and night you shall be tree planted by the rivers of water and whatever you put you hand to do shall prosper.        The Arabic word there for river actually means ‘canal’. So what is the difference between a river and canal? A river is made by nature wherever the water happens to flow, but a canal is a man-made channel that acts as an intentional direction of water. In this verse the writer is telling us what we need to do to release the Holy Spirit to flow in our lives personally. When you mediate upon the scripture it opens up a channel by which the Holy Spirit can flow through you, and the word is made alive and gives whatever you’re doing the power to prosper. Take time to meditate on the word; it will open heaven to you and your family.

Being led by Spirit

       We all have faced the battle between the natural mind and the spiritual mind. But something not everyone realizes is that, to the degree you surrender to the spiritual mind, will be the degree heaven will help in this world. (Galatians 5:16-17)        There is a struggle between the natural mind and spiritual mind, and here is a way you can tell the difference: Whenever you are studying scripture and the Holy Spirit reveals something to you, it is by revelation. And at that point you’re positive that you know it. Because it’s one thing to just think something, but it’s something else to really know something. It’s in that knowing that God’s power is released in your life. John said it this way: ‘if we ask anything according to his  will he hears us and if we know he hears us we know we have the petition we desire of him.’ (1 John 5:14-15)        Whenever you’re trusting in your own understanding it may just be the way you think about something. But when the Holy Spirit has enlightened you, it’s something you know. And the more we know the more we can be led by the Spirit. So build your life upon the things you know in scripture!

Miracles In Your Mouth

Most people don’t place as high of a level of importance on what they say as they should. We often times have said things like ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but words will not hurt me’, but that is completely untrue.        The scripture tells us that death and life is in the power of tongue (Proverbs 18:21.) It also states that spiritual life comes by what we say: health, healing, prosperity, and blessing all come by what you say.        God has placed a miracle in your mouth. In fact, this goes beyond this natural life, it’s also true concerning the spiritual life. Romans 10:9-10 tell us that salvation doesn’t come from what we do, it comes from what we’ve said in faith, and in this case it is confessing Jesus as Lord in our lives. So why not start putting God’s promises in your mouth today? Start declaring them so the miracles you see in your future can be the byproduct of God’s love and power in your life.

Being conscious of the Holy Spirit

       One of the things that releases miracles in peoples’ lives is being conscious of the Holy Spirit. When you have that awareness it can bring supernatural opportunities that you would have otherwise passed right by.

For instance, take the story of the woman with issue of blood: She was very conscious of the fact that Jesus had the Holy Spirit upon him. And because of it she was able to put a demand on the anointing which brought healing to her. Even though Jesus was walking through a whole crowd of people, she was the only one who believed that just being in the presence of the Holy Spirit could heal her. Another reference of something similar is when people laid the sick in the street so when Peter walked by his shadow would heal them. They were so conscious of the fact that the Holy Spirit was upon him, they were able to be healed just by being in his presence when he walked by. (Acts 5:15-16)

Remember this: whatever you’re conscious of is what you will attract in your life. So if I’m more aware of my fears, that is what I attract. But if I’m conscious of the Holy Spirit I will attract supernatural grace and favor from him.

Joy and The Holy Spirit

In John 16:23-24 Jesus said ‘in that day, (referring to the day of pentecost) when The Holy Spirit is poured out on the church, ask whatever you desire in my name so that your joy might be made full.’ So the main thing is not what you obtain from God, but rather it is the joy that comes from the one who granted it to you.        It is not the things God provides that produce the joy. The joy is from the one who provides those things.        If God is not answering your prayers it is impossible to have your joy made full. The joy doesn’t come from unanswered prayer, it comes from answered prayer. Start believing today so your joy can be made full.

Joy of The Lord

When you study the Joy of the Lord you learn quickly that it’s different from regular human joy that’s produced by happy situations. Rather, it’s a divine joy that comes directly from the God. This is why it states in Psalm 16:11 that ‘in his presence is the fulness of joy.’        In heaven the atmosphere is filled with God’s joy. The Bible says that God rejoices over us with singing. God has never had a bad day, he’s never depressed, the joy is supernatural. It is an everlasting joy. This is why Jesus told his own disciples that, after he was raised from the dead, no one would be able to take their joy; because their joy came from him. The Scriptures tells us the reward Jesus got for going to the cross was the joy set before him. It also states he was anointed with the oil of gladness above his companions. (Hebrews 1:9) So go beyond just natural human happiness, and let the joy of The Lord be your strength!

Psalm 16:11 (NKJV) You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Benefits of Being Sold Out

One of the truths which has always amazed me is what the scriptures say about Jesus. In John 5:19 Jesus says he can do nothing of himself, but only what he sees the father do. For whatever he does the Son also does in like manner.        Then he goes and says the father raises people from the dead and the Son does also whom he wills,        The last part caught my attention: “he wills.” So basically he is saying ‘I am obeying my father, but in doing so the Father has given me liberty to do what I decide.’ This is one of the benefits of being sold out; the father gives you liberty to ask for the things you desire that are within God’s will. Sometimes people try to ask for what they want without first being committed to God’s will in their life, but it won’t work unless you abide in him and his word abides in you. Then you can ask what you wish. So it’s not a verse for those who still not ready to commit their life totally to Jesus. But if you’re ready to be all in, totally sold out, then this promise is yours to claim!

One of the things about demonic spirits is they are like cockroaches: When the light is out they run around but as soon as you turn on the light they scatter and head for the darkness. One of keys to finding victory is to expose things to the light. I can't tell you all of the times I’ve ministered to people and the Holy Spirit revealed something to them that exposed the method and purpose of the enemy, and once that happened they were able to deal with it in Jesus’ name. In Ephesians 5:13-14 Paul said when light exposes what is in darkness, what is in darkness become light. I believe that is what he is talking about; the Holy Spirit reveals the works of the devil, and once you discover the devices you’ll be able to easily deal with it in the authority and power of his name.

Coming Out Of Ignorance

I love what Jesus said; he said that if you continue in the truth you shall know the truth and it shall make free. (John 8:32)

For years I used to think if I did things in ignorance God somehow would not allow the negative consequences from those things to happen to me. But then I realized in scripture people who do not serve Jesus, most of them are blinded by the god of this age and are ignorant of the fact that they need to make Jesus Lord. So those who die without Jesus go to hell, the place of great torment, because they never accepted Jesus. As a believer ignorance produces consequences as well. Hosea 4:6 says ‘my people are destroyed through lack of knowledge,’ so even though they were not doing things they knew were wrong, they still had consequences.

If you were walking on a frozen lake you could believe it’s thick enough to hold you. But if the ice is too thin and you break through, it doesn’t make any difference if you did it in ignorance or not, you’re still going to get wet and cold.  God shows mercy to those who do things in ignorance, but that doesn’t mean there are no consequences. This is why it’s so important that we grow in the knowledge of God, not only in scripture but in personal guidance in our life. As you remove ignorance you remove negative consequences in your life.

John 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Supernatural Satisfaction In the scripture we find one day where Jesus stood up and said ‘he who is thirsty come to me... and rivers of living water will flow out of you.’ (John 7:37-39) He addressed the thirst in mankind. When God created all of us he created us with a longing for love, for significance, and for purpose in our lives. These longings cannot be satisfied through ‘things’.

When mankind fell in the beginning, the flesh tried to satisfy these longings through money, success, and accomplishment. You see it all the time in the world we live in where people are trying to climb the ladder of success and even when the get to the top they still feel empty inside. God never intended for us to be satisfied by money, success, or accomplishment. This is why Jesus said if you’re thirsty come to me. God is the only one who can make you feel satisfied. He desires all of us to succeed in life but it needs to be through him.