The Blessing, (11-4)

Tuesday, July 28, 2009, The Blessing (11-4)

Today and tomorrow let’s do a short study on The Blessing of the Lord.

In Genesis 1:26-28 we read of the creation of Adam, the creation of man. God formed man in His own image, His very likeness, just like Him. As God’s children, we are just like our Father. When we are born again, we have His very nature planted inside us, His DNA. In verse 28 we know that the very first words that Adam heard were to be the foundation of mankind’s walk through all eternity. God spoke exactly what He wanted man to hear, exactly what would form his life forever.

Fruitful, be; multiply, fill up the earth, subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the seas, the fowl of the air, every living thing that moves upon the earth. This was God’s declaration, pronunciation of The Blessing over us. This was God’s Blessing over his children. These words were to form our life and destiny. It is what I call the Garden of Eden mentality. And I dare say that the majority of Christians today have anything but the Garden of Eden mentality. I hear more of the “woe is me” mentality.

The Garden of Eden mentality is this: God has placed me here on this earth to duplicate His Blessing, His life, His love, His light everywhere I go. I am to impact the world around me with the fullness of the power of God, which is in His Blessing declaration. I am to be fruitful, producing the fruit of the spirit all around me. I am to be multiplying the fullness of God within my sphere of influence. I am to be filling up the earth with the nature and power of God. I am to be one who has dominion, not one who is dominated. If this is not a description of you as God’s child, you can change that by making a decision that you will be like your daddy God, you will do what His command is to you, initiated in the Garden of Eden before your brother and sister Adam and Eve sinned and gave control over to satan.

As I said yesterday, satan thought that he had finally found a way to get God’s glory, but was he in for a surprise when the very blessing that God had given Adam turned to the curse the minute that satan took ownership of it. And ever since that moment in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve gave their dominion over earth to satan, he has been furiously trying to exterminate the man that God loves. He has not only done it by physical death but also by spiritual death, by attempting in every way to shut down the union between God and man. He knows the power of that union, and his one constant theme is to stop that union. The union between God and man is a union of great power on this earth and satan knows that.

The minute that Adam bowed his knee to satan, God’s plan, formulated since the foundation of the earth, went into operation. There was a way to get The Blessing back but it had to be done legally. God no longer was in charge of the earth, so He had to find a man that would pave the way for God’s Son Jesus to come in a flesh and blood body.

After the flood on the earth, God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, Fruitful, be, multiply and fill up the earth. At the same time that we are talking about The Blessing, we must talk about covenant. God made a covenant with man that He would be His God. That covenant is always sealed with blood. The blood of the animals was shed in the Garden when God provided animal coats for Adam and Eve to cover their nakedness. There is a whole sermon there in that. They were no longer under the covering of the Lord. He provided a temporary covering for them. God once again spoke that covenant with Noah and his family. But Noah was not the man who would make the way for God to send His Son. Ah, but there was another man named Abram who got up from his home country and followed the Lord.

In Genesis 12:1-3 the Lord spoke The Blessing to Abram. I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great and you shall be a blessing. I will bless them that bless you and I will curse them who curse you. God was telling Abram that The Blessing was upon him.

God was enduing Abram with His power; He was empowering Abram to be successful, to walk under the covering of God and prosper in every area of His life. The key was in Abram’s obedience, and God found a man that would be obedient to Him in every way, even to the point of offering his own son to God. This man Abram, whose name was changed to Abraham, when covenant was cut with him later, trusted God to the point that he was willing to lay down the life of his only son who had been miraculously conceived in Sarah’s womb by the spirit of Almighty God. He had so much confidence in God that He believed that God would raise that child up. Do you see the preamble to God’s giving His only son to be raised up later? God had to find a man, and He found that man in Abram. And the way was paved for Jesus to come to this earth.

In Genesis 15 the Lord gave Abram very specific instructions regarding making covenant with Him. I find verse 17 especially significant in this chapter. When the sun went down, a smoking furnace and a burning lamp passed between those pieces of animal laid out on the ground. We all believe that was God the Father and Jesus walking in that blood of animals. They made covenant with one another on behalf of Abram, a covenant that could, therefore, not be broken. We see more discussion of this covenant ceremony in Hebrews 6:13-20. In verse 17 we read that God confirmed His promise to Abram by an oath. That oath was sealed on that day in Genesis 15 in the blood of covenant. And because Abram understood the significance of blood covenant, from that point on, everything he had was God’s and everything God has was his. That was the promise of covenant. That is why he could offer up Isaac, his only son, to God. That son belonged to God because of covenant. And, that my friend, paved the way for God to offer up His only Son, because his covenant partner had been willing to do the same. What a God! What a plan! If satan had only known the plan, he would not have had the Son of Glory crucified.

The Fire of God, Part 3 (11-3)

Monday, July 27, 2009, The Fire of God, Part 3 (11-3)

Finally, the Word of God is compared to fire in Jeremiah 23:29. Let’s read this verse from the Amplified Bible. Is not My word like fire [that consumes all that cannot endure the test]? says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks in pieces the rock [of most stubborn resistance]?

God’s Word comes into our lives and exposes that which needs to be cleaned up and delivers us, sets us free. God’s Word gives us the directions to live a life of abundance and carefreeness. The Word of God is our guide for life, a life that is worth living. His Word will show us areas of our soul (mind, will, emotions) that are not lining up parallel with Him. His Word will go in and correct, clarify and justify us.

In 2 Timothy 3:16, 17, a familiar scripture for most of us, we read this in the Amplified Bible: Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action), so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

God’s Word is from Him Who is described as fire, so, of course, His Word would be described as fire. Fire consumes that which is consumable. Jesus told us in Matthew 24:35 that the heavens (some translations say sky) and earth will pass away, but God’s Word will not pass away. I don’t know about you, but as for me and my household, we are going to stay on the solid rock of the Word of God, which is not consumable. The Word is God. He became flesh and dwelt among us and gave us of Himself. We have the Word on which to stand forever. Nothing can overcome the Word of God. Do you hear me? Let me repeat that. Nothing can overcome the Word of God. I don’t care how many naysayers surround you and how much the circumstances of life scream that it won’t work or how many situations seem to say the opposite, God’s Word will stand the test of the consuming fiery trials.

One thing firemen learn about a forest fire is that they may have to set another fire to encounter that fire and stop it. I forget what that is called but it reminds me of the fire of the Word of God being released to stop the fiery trials that satan sets up to attempt to destroy us. But I want to remind him of something that he needs to be reminded of. The very fire of God that protects us is not for him. The only fire he will encounter is the lake of fire forever. He has tried to duplicate God in every way but he will experience the very ultimate opposite of the pure fire of God; he will be cast into the lake of destructive fire eternally.

I will leave you with this thought until tomorrow. When satan saw God give The Blessing to Adam in the Garden of Eden, he thought he had finally found a way to tap into God’s glory. All he had to do was to get Adam to surrender it to him and He would have what God had given Adam. Only there was one thing he forgot to take into account in this transaction. When he got The Blessing, the minute it came into his possession, it was turned into the curse and he was furious. He was so furious that he set out to completely annihilate God’s man. We have been given the glory of God and he can’t get it because it is twisted, perverted into the curse for him. He hates that. Remember that all that God has given you is yours to enjoy. You have the very DNA, the very nature of God residing in you as God’s child when you get born again. He has given you His glory; it is called The Blessing.

The Fire of God, Part 2 (11-2)

Friday, July 24, 2009, The Fire of God, Part 2 (11-2)

As we continue our teaching on the fire of God, let’s finish looking at 1 Thessalonians 1:9-12. In verse 10 we see Jesus coming, glorified in His saints, His consecrated people, and admired in them who believe. Remember that Jesus told us in John 17:22 that the glory the Father gave Him, He gave to us. We have been given the glory of God. What we must do is receive it. Most people are afraid even to consider such a possibility----the Presence of God, the fullness of His power resident in us. But it is true. Jesus has given us the glory which the Father gave to Him. It is the same glory that God, Jesus the Word and the Holy Spirit gave to Adam on the day He was created, the day God breathed the breath of life into Him. That breath of life was the glory of God which God Himself imparted to Adam, poured into Him. God gave a portion of Himself to Adam, enough for Adam to create and operate the whole universe. That same glory is what is resident in you today as a born again child of God.

In verse 11 we read this: Taking all into consideration that you have heard in verses 9 and 10, pray that God would count you worthy of your calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that He would complete or fulfill your every work of faith. I thought it rather interesting that I was to pray this, which would seem like God would do anyway for me. But then I realized that even though all is available to me, God has bound Himself to my decisions. I find that totally mind boggling, considering what a risk that is. That is the way He set it up. He has bound Himself to our decisions.

And finally in verse 12 we read that we are to pray that the name of the Lord Jesus be glorified in us and that we be glorified in Him, according to the grace of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

God the Father is total power. This power is an outflow of His whole nature which is Love. God’s divine love is the greatest power in the universe. God is Love. God is described in one word----Love. Our human eyes see this power as lightning, brightness beyond the capacity of the human eye to behold, splendor, thunder, shaking.

When Moses went up the mountain to meet with God, the people were afraid because of what they were seeing and experiencing. They said they did not want to go near the mountain. I have only had one or two experiences with God where His Presence overwhelmed me, and I have heard testimonies of people who have encountered Him. They are prostrate on their face before Him and sense the intensity of His power. That power is in you and me today. In most of God’s people it lies there dormant all their life and never is used to change the world. And those of us who have allowed Him to move through us have accessed a minute portion of His Love, His power. I believe in the days that are ahead of us as the Body of Christ, we are going to see more demonstrations of the fullness of His power. He wants to show up and show out. God has been waiting for this hour.

The Holy Spirit is shown as fire in Matthew 3:11, Luke 3:16 and Acts 1:4-8, 2:1-4 when He baptized men with His power, the power of God. That power, the Presence of God, is defined as fire. We see a vivid picture of the fire of God Almighty in Ezekiel 8:2. He is described as the likeness of the appearance of fire---from the appearance of His loins downward He is like fire and from His loins upward He had the appearance of brightness.

In Hebrews 1:14 we are told that the angels of God are sent forth as ministering spirits for those who shall be heirs of salvation. In Psalm 104:4 we read that God makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire. I am sure that there is a fire connected with the angels of God, because they are created by Him, Who is fire.

The Fire of God, (11-1)

Thursday, July 23, 2009, The Fire of God (11-1)

Today let’s talk about the fire of God, His Glory, His Presence, The Holy Spirit, the anointing. All these words indicate God’s Presence, the fullness of His Presence, which most people do not experience in their lives. I heard a minister say recently that the degree of the fullness of His Presence operating in our lives is parallel to our reverence, respect and awe of God Himself. I believe that is true. Even though God is our papa, our daddy, He is to be revered and honored. He is God. He is the Head of the household. Jesus is the Head of the Body of Christ.

This present Pearls was triggered by a vision I had some time ago that is so vivid in my spirit this morning. I was saying: THANK YOU, LORD! I was thanking Him for so many things and I saw how our thanksgiving triggers the Presence of God. I saw every letter of that phrase, THANK YOU, LORD! exploding with fire all around each letter. The fire was mighty and you could tell that power was the mark of that fire. Power was being released in great torrents from the letters of the phrase. I see now that THANK YOU, LORD! is one of the most powerful phrases on earth when it is spoken with a heart of gratitude toward God.

Fire is the symbol of God. It is the mark of His Presence. Throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament we see evidence of the fire of God falling on the sacrifices in the Old Testament and coming in the Person of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and taking up residence in the bodies of human beings.

In the Word of God, God the Father, our Savior, the Holy Spirit, the Word and angels as ministers of God are compared to fire. Let’s look at some scriptures regarding these comparisons.

In Deuteronomy 4:24 and Hebrews 12:29 we are told that the Lord our God is a consuming fire. Those verses do not mean that He destroys us as His children. Anything not of God will be burned up, consumed in the fire of His Presence. All of us want that. I want every bit of fleshly, carnal desires to be burned up, to be consumed out of my life. I do not want any sin to stand between me and my Father. Anything not of faith is sin. Every day I am asking Him to teach me, train me, purify me of doubt and unbelief and fear. Fear is the opposite of faith and is the essence of satan. I do not want anything that would trigger satan in my life. Fear is to satan as faith is to God. Fear gives satan authority in our lives. Faith gives God authority in our lives.

Psalm 18:12-14 speaks about the lightnings, the brightness, the thunderings of God. What we must realize is that these are glorious outbursts of the Presence of God, the Love of God, which is the indicator of His mighty power. And the Holy Spirit is God’s gift to us to teach us about His Love power, His glory, His Presence. The Holy Spirit trains us, equips us, prepares us to be containers and dispensers of the fullness of God, the love of God. We are blessed to be temples of The Blessing of God, His very being, His very nature. Are you aware that you are the temple of the Holy Ghost? God has entrusted Himself to live in your body. That should cause each of us to take a new look at the way we think, speak and act at all times.

In Malachi 3:2, Revelation 1:14, and 1 Thessalonians1:9-12 we are told that Jesus Christ will be revealed from Heaven with the angels of His power. He comes in flaming fire at the second coming. His eyes are as a flame of fire. I want you to look at these verses in 1 Thessalonians. In verse 9 we see what true punishment is for those who know not God and obey not His gospel: It is eternal banishment from the Presence of God, from the Glory of His power. How heartbreaking to think that someone would be forever separated from the Presence of God, from His compassion, the awesomeness of His beauty and all-encompassing love. What a tragedy! Doesn’t this make you want to be capably equipped to bring the Truth to everyone you meet and see them come into the family of God the Father.

The Favor of God, Part 10

Wednesday, July 22, The Favor of God, Part 10

We must keep reminding ourselves to declare the favor of God in our lives. We must decree that the favor of God goes before us, changing things to line up for our benefit. We must live favor-minded and declare God’s goodness in our life. We must expect God to assist and favor you. We cannot become passive or timid. We continue to expect the favor of God. We live each day consistently expecting God’s favor in our life. God’s favor is giving us success. We must be favor-minded and release our faith that God will cause us to be favored in our lives. We continue to expect it and declare it.

God has an abundant supply of favor in store for us. Just because it doesn’t turn out the way we want it every time, we don’t stop believing. We continue to believe that God is looking out for our good. No matter what happens or doesn’t happen, we expect favor. We are expectors of God’s best in our lives.

We get exactly what we expect. It is satan’s job to change our expectation (hope) to affect what we get. Godly expectations are more powerful than any negative thoughts, ideas, suggestions or considerations from satan. No matter how often the negative thought or circumstance comes, God’s favor, expecting good, is greater and supersedes the negative, overpowers and annihilates it.

Favor is God’s deliverance from being stressed out, burned out. God wants to grant us special privileges and special advantages.

Are you and I ready to receive favor? Are we favor-minded?

Make a list of things which you need favor to accomplish for you now and in the future.

Let’s make this our confession today and every day.

Father, I thank you that I walk in Your favor and love today. I am highly favored with everyone, everywhere I go. I am favored with my family and on the job. I am favored in my church and everywhere I shop. Thank You for your favor on my life. With You I have no limitations or impossibilities in my life. I am being filled with Your Goodness, God and Your fullness today. I am being rooted and grounded in love. God, thank You that You are doing exceedingly abundantly about all that I can ask or think. Your mighty power is taking over and operating in me today. I am blessed and I am a blessing to others. I am a success and people like me and I like people. I am flowing in God’s love. Nothing is impossible with God. He is in me waiting to be released through my faith. Thank You, God, that You are pouring out upon me the Spirit of Favor. God’s favor is upon me today. I am growing in favor.

Every day is a new day to receive favor with God and man. Purpose in your mind and heart that you are a person who both gives and receives favor. What a journey favor can take you on! I know, because I have been on the journey for quite some time. God is the driver and I am having the time of my life. It has not always been like that for me, but it is now. What changed? I changed. I started expecting the very things I have told you to begin to expect. You will receive. You are highly favored.

The Favor of God, Part 9

Tuesday, July 21, 2009, The Favor of God, Part 9

There is so much to learn about favor. Let us continue today with the various points of favor with God.

There is favor for those who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity (Ephesians 6:14). We serve those whom we love. We serve the Lord Jesus Christ because we love Him, and the Father honors us (John 12:26). When we are honored by someone, we receive preferential treatment from them. We are honored by God. We are favored in that honor. Contained in honor is favor.

When we love God, we are walking in fellowship with Him. We are devoted to Him. As a result of loving Him, we love those around us. What He asks us to do, we are happy to do for Him. We are people of prayer as a result of our relationship with Him. That relationship opens us up to success in the law of favor. Favor is our portion. In fact, look at Psalm 84:11. The Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly. Do you see that? No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly before Him.

As children of God we must continue to confess favor with God and man. We are to speak good confessions over ourselves: I am a person of prayer. I am obedient. I walk in fellowship with God. I love God and others. I am devoted to Him. We are to speak to the rock of circumstances and limitations and expect (like the water) good things to flow to us (Numbers 20:8).

We have said this before but it needs to be repeated: Don’t accept what has happened in the past as a determiner of your future success. You and I do have the favor of the Lord. He favors us with good all the days of our lives. What we must do is believe it and say it is ours.

There are benefits to walking in the favor of God. Psalms 102:13,16 tells us that the “…set time to favor me is come.” This set time of favor will precede His coming, the appearing of the Lord and His Glory. We’re in it NOW. God is a NOW God!

Here is a list of some of the benefits of favor:
1. Favor precedes supernatural increase and promotion.
2. Favor produces restoration of everything the enemy has stolen.
3. Favor produces honor in the midst of adversaries.
4. Favor produces increased assets, especially real estate.
5. Favor produces great victories in the midst of great impossibilities.
6. Favor produces recognition, even when you seem least likely to receive it.
7. Favor produces prominence and preferential treatment.
8. Favor produces petitions granted, even by ungodly civil authorities.
9. Favor causes policies, rules, regulations and laws to be changed and reversed
to your advantage.
10. Favor produces battles won which you won’t even fight because God will fight
them for you.
11. Favor brings wealth or riches financially. (God gives us an assignment and
supplies everything we need for it. With these riches come the right people,
all we need, abundance, plenty, expertise, quality, talent, and anointing.

You are highly favored!

The Favor of God, Part 8

Monday, July 20, 2009, The Favor of God, Part 8

Favor will change your home and your family. Speak God’s goodness and blessing and favor into your family.

Favor will change your job situation.

Draw near to God to stay in favor (Proverbs 11:27).
He that diligently seeketh good procureth favor; but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him.

Every day purpose to be a blessing to God and to others, regardless of how you feel or what is going on in your life. Make a quality decision that you will bless someone in a specific way that day—a kind word, a smile, a helping hand, a gift, a listening ear, a forgiving spirit, a word of thanks.

God’s nature is in you. You are made in His image. His ability is in you. His favor is toward you and in you. What is God’s nature? Psalm 86:15 tells us that God is full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. Psalm 103:8 tells us that the Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

Yes, God is gracious. He is full of compassion. He is merciful. He is plenteous in mercy. It’s God’s nature to show favors. The Hebrew words for mercy and compassion many times are interchangeable and mean: Disposed to show favors

After our lengthy discussion of favor, we should have a better understanding of favor and how it works. God, with His love and favor, is in us. We are to expect His favor to flow from Him to us. We are to expect His favor to flow from others to us. We are to show favor to others, even when they are not very nice to us. We are to think good thoughts and actions toward others, even when they are nasty to us. We must refuse to reciprocate nastiness for nastiness, but rather good and favor for ugliness. We are to be merciful to them as God is merciful to you.

There is a law of favor—God is a God of favor and promotes those who purpose to live in this law, setting themselves to be a blessing every day and to be long-suffering and kind to those who are kind or those who are nasty.

We must always apply the law of favor, even when things don’t seem to be going in our favor. The God of favor will come through for us every time. Will every situation turn out the way we want it? No, but we learn to flow with the attitude of gratitude and favor anyway. Most situations will work out, but if they don’t, that doesn’t change our lives, because we are serving the One Who is the life-changer. We depend on Him and continue in favor, regardless. GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF US!

The Favor of God, Part 7

Friday, July 17, 2009, The Favor of God, Part 7

People who are highly favored are those who expect good things to happen to them rather than bad things. They speak favor, especially in difficult situations, when it looks like everything may go against them and be impossible to turn around. God delights to “show up big” in these impossible situations. He is a God Who is more than enough.

When we look in the Old Testament, we find people who were highly favored by God in impossible situations. How about Daniel in the lion’s den or the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace or Joseph in Egypt or the Israelites when they left Egypt? In every one of these impossible situations, God showed them the way out of their predicaments. He truly is a good God. He is no respecter of persons. What He did for one, He will do for all. Just as God brought these people into success, so He will bring us into success. What we must do is trust Him and believe that He is for us and not against us. We must believe Him. We must believe that He desires to do good things for us. In fact, we are assured in Isaiah 54:17 that no weapon formed against us will prosper.

Favor brings us victory and gives us a victorious attitude. Victory must be in the Lord and not in our surroundings. God can and will change any surrounding. What we must do is let Him do His job. Meanwhile, we stay happy and confess favor. We live excited. We expect miracles to flow every day. We live in the realm of victory and success with our thoughts and our words. We expect to win in every adversity. We know that we have authority over circumstances that seem to be controlling our life, because God is with us and highly favors us. We expect that circumstances will change in the name of Jesus, as we speak God’s Word and apply the blood of Jesus to our lives.

Favor turns every adversity into victory because of God’s favor upon us. We can either wrestle in own strength and work or rest in God’s favor, which wins battles. We will rise to the top because of favor. Favor enables us to take possession of what is rightfully yours.

Once you realize that you have favor with God and man, you must make the decision that you will live the rest of your life favored in everything. Believe it and expect it. ALWAYS expect good things. Even when it looks like things aren’t going good for you, confess favor and God’s goodness is your portion. When bad things come your way, let God turn them to good by your attitude of gratitude and confession of favor. Put up a detour sign. No bad stuff allowed here.

Learn to live, to move in God’s love and in His favor, even when circumstances look like they are not changing. Trust God in what He is doing and don’t look to what is going on around you. Keep a good attitude, REGARDLESS. Create your own circumstances within circumstances by entering into the presence of the Lord and staying in that attitude.

When adverse circumstances hit you, REJOICE. God is moving you where He wants you to be. Let Him do His work. Meanwhile, confess favor and rejoice; put on a happy attitude. Rejoice your way to victory. REFUSE to let circumstances dictate your life. God is the one Who is to determine your life, not your circumstances. Expect victory. Put on an overcoming attitude. You are an overcomer and not one who is under it all. Your victory is in Jesus!

The Favor of God, Part 6

Thursday, July 16, 2009, The Favor of God, Part 6

We cannot talk about favor without discussing God’s grace, which some define as favor you do not deserve or merit. Grace is another word for favor. Of course we don’t deserve God’s grace or His favor or His love or His goodness. There is nothing in us that deserves anything. But, oh, with Him, we deserve it all. There is only one reason for that access to God: He loves us and wants to be with us. He wants us. He desires us. He wants to be friends with us.

God has and is pouring out on you, your home and your family His grace, His spirit of favor. Therefore, everywhere you go today, see God pouring out on you (like a bucket of pure love) His favor, His love, His whole being. See yourself drenched and saturated in the river of His love and favor. Failure and defeat are not in this container He is pouring out on you. There is only success and victory in God’s container, regardless of what it looks like to you in the natural world. You are blessed, so that you can also be a blessing to others.

Luke 2:40 tells us that Jesus grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him. Jesus grew in wisdom and favor. Likewise, we also can grow in the wisdom and favor of God. It can increase in our lives. Speak Luke 2:40 over your life until you see yourself walking in God’s wisdom and favor, just like Jesus, because Jesus Himself through the power of the Holy Spirit, dwells in you.

How can we increase in favor?
We must consider your ways. If we find things in our lives that are not pleasing to God, we need to correct them, take authority over them and get them out of our lives (Psalms 119:58,59).

We must continually seek God. Keep our ears open. Listen to His instructions. Learn to be sensitive and hear His voice clearly. Spend time with Him. Read and speak His Word. Pray in the spirit. (Proverbs 8:33-35) The more intimate the fellowship, the more intimate the favor.

We must be obedient, always quick to obey His instructions

We must hunger for truth (Proverbs 3:1-4). Jesus said that when we continue in His Word, we shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.

We are to strive for excellence (Proverbs 11:27).

We must have a zeal for God’s word (Proverbs 13:13,14).

The Favor of God, Part 5

Wednesday, July 15, 2009, The Favor of God, Part 5

Let’s see what else we can discover about the favor of God.

God is disposed to do good to us all the time. He loves to display His goodness on our behalf. That is favor.

Look at Numbers 6:25, 26.
The Lord makes His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee.
He lifts up His countenance upon you and gives you peace.

Think about it, you stand there before the Lord and He says to you: “I am shining my life and love and strength and success upon you today. Go forth bathed in My graciousness, My favor, to be honored and esteemed today everywhere you go.”

Then, all day long, you repeat what He has said to you, His instructions, so to speak.
“I am walking in the graciousness and favor of the Lord. That means I am honored and esteemed by everyone everywhere I go. Favor is my portion all day. His strength, His life, His love, His success are mine today.”

You’re the object of God’s affection. You are loved. You are highly favored of God. Even in hard places, have confidence; everything is going to be OK. Why? Because God is on your side. He loves you. He’ll never let you down.

In Romans 8:39 we read that nothing can separate you from God’s love. You are loved. You are valuable in the sight of God. You’re somebody special. You’re the handiwork of God. You’re created in His image. You’re family—His son, His daughter. You’re special.

You know what happens as a result of all this knowing that you are favored and loved of God. A sense of well being and an excitement of being alive in Jesus comes over you; your spirit pours forth success and achievement, and that is what you draw to yourself.

You are filled with God’s fullness and are highly favored. Speak Ephesians 3:17-20 over and over to yourself during the day.

Because of God’s favor, His possibilities take over your impossibilities. For with God nothing shall be impossible (Luke 1:37). If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed…., nothing shall be impossible with you. See God stepping into your impossible situation, which He is doing every day, if you will allow Him to take care of things for you. No matter how impossible it looks, God is going to work everything out. He’s on your side.

Look at what Romans 8:32 tells us: “With Jesus, God freely gives us all things.”
You are a success. You like people and people like you. You are flowing in God’s love and others respond positively to that love and are blessed. God’s healing power is released for you and for others around you. God’s ability and strength is released in you to bring healing and salvation to others. God is in you and you are in Him. The impossibility destroyer is in you. He sees no impossible situations, only opportunities for success and victory. He will turn bad situations into successes. His life is in you; His faith is in you; His love is in you; He is in you, waiting to be released in you, to be released to others

Favor opens doors impossible to open. Favor changes rules, regulations, policies, and even brings down governments if necessary to open doors for you. What are you looking at today that seems impossible? Believe God’s favor goes before you and makes the way for you to walk on through to the other side.

The Favor of God, Part 4

Tuesday, July 14, 2009, The Favor of God, Part 4

Let’s continue to look at the qualities of favor.

You are surrounded with favor. In Psalm 5:12 we read that we are compassed or surrounded with pleasure and favor as with a shield.

In God’s favor there are no limitations; there is abundance, more than enough. His favor never runs out. Favor comes from God, Who has no limitations. All He has is multiplication and abundance. See yourself living in a place of no impossibilities, no limitations
Why?
Because God brings His favor (His lovingkindness) to your life daily and as a result, draws good things to you
See His presence as a river of love and life and take a daily dip in His River of Life Rev. 22:1 John 7:38
Gen. 12:1, 2
v. 2 I will bless you with an abundant increase of favors.

The favor of God is available in its fullness in our time. What we have to do is access it by faith and believe that we truly do walk in His favor all the time.

Look at Ephesians 2:7, where we see that God’s grace, His exceeding favor, is above and beyond normal. It is immeasurable, limitless, surpassing, and incomparable.
Immeasurable: Boundless, vast, immense
Limitless: Infinite
Surpassing: Going beyond the limits, going beyond your range or your capacity
Exceed: Abundance, overflowing, to hang over, not enough room to hold
Ps. 23 My cup runneth over.

Once more let’s look at what favor means. We must understand this wonderful favor that God has made available for each one of us.
An act of kindness, expresses covenant relationship
God is kind and full of compassion.
NOW we are to experience the immeasurable, surpassing, limitless expression of His grace, His kindness, His favor.

We are to experience showers of blessing, showers of kindness and grace (favor) because grace is unmerited favor. Grace is the ability of God coming in on me enabling me to do what I can’t do for myself.

In Luke 4:19, in the Amplified Bible, we read that the free favors of God profusely abound.

All of us need to take a new look at how much we are allowing God’s favor to be displayed in our lives, for us and our families, so that the world may see the loving Jesus abundantly lavishing His life on us. We are created for God’s favor to be seen abundantly in all that we do.

Monday, July 13, 2009, The Favor of God, Part 3

Favor, you are entitled to it because of your covenant with God.

God says: My intent for establishing covenant is so I can have an avenue to bring blessings to your life and be a channel to increase favor in your life.

God favors you in all things.

Things you have been struggling with for a long time start coming to pass when you realize you have favor with God and act on it.

Favor brings so much into your life. Over the next few days, we are going to explore the many ways that favor enhances your life.

Favor brings SELF-CONFIDENCE

Understanding that you have favor gives you self-confidence.

Psalm 145:16 You open your hand and satisfy every living thing with favor.
Psalm 89:17 Favor gives confidence because you know God is on your side.

Psalm 8:5
Thou hast crowned him with glory and honor (favor).
Believe God has crowned you with favor.
See God clothing you with favor.

Act like it.

Live, expecting favor everywhere you go and in everything you do.
Expect favor to change your disappointments in appointments, your failure into success, your failure into victory, your discouragement into encouragement, your insecurity and frustration into success.
Past failures and disappointments condition you to accept disappointment and discouragement. Don’t let these failures and disappointments determine your future. Expect divine appointments and encounters and connections

You are God’s prized possession.
You are of a royal family.
Your ancestry goes back in the family line to God Almighty.
The blood of Jesus flows through your veins.
You wear a crown.
You are special

Jesus earned this favor for you. It has nothing to do with your merits or good deeds. You’re not somebody special because of what you did but because of what He did—He did it because He deeply loved you.

GOD WANTS YOU TO ASK HIM FOR FAVORS.
AS A FAVOR TO ME, LORD, INTERVENE IN MY BEHALF OR _______’S BEHALF WITH YOUR GOODNESS TO MAKE THIS SITUATION RIGHT.

Favor of God Part 2

Friday, July 10, 2009, The Favor of God, Part 2

Let’s look at the word “favor” in the Strong’s Concordance and the dictionary so that we know what favor really is.

New Testament Strong’s

Favor---5485 charis (khar’ece), from 5463 chairo (khah’ee-ro) In OT chesed may be closest word to charis in NT. It literally is referring to God’s lovingkindness, which disposes Him to show favor and grace.
Graciousness, especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life, including gratitude.
To be cheerful, calmly happy or well-off

Hebrew-Greek Bible
Charis—A kindness granted or desired, a benefit, thanks, gratitude, grace
A favor done without expectation of return; absolute freeness of the loving-kindness of God to men, finding its only motive in the bounty and freeheartedness of the Giver, unearned and unmerited favor.

Chairo—Grace, as joy is a direct result of God’s grace, to rejoice, be glad

Webster’s Dictionary
Regard or esteem as shown to another
Act or instance of kindness
Help, assistance
Suggests an actual interest and a willingness to give approval or support, sometimes implying partiality.

Old Testament Strong’s

Kindness, graciousness, make well, successful, sound, happy, delight, to be pleased with, to satisfy a debt (to be pleased with, especially in connection with paying off a debt) , be acceptable, accomplish, delight self, enjoy, reconcile self

Favor is something granted out of good will
A gift not earned, not bought
Gift bestowed as token of love or friendship and preferential treatment
What Jesus did on the cross earned you the favor of God.

Favor is actually God’s grace extended toward us, which we receive by faith. As all of these definitions indicate, favor is kindness freely granted from a heart of love toward another person. God has granted us His grace, His favor, because He wants to see us happy and joyful. He wants us to know that life is good with Him. He wants us to see that he will support us and cause circumstances and people to line up to bless us. God’s ultimate desire is that we enjoy life with Him. Favor is the ingredient that paves the pathway of God’s Love and Grace.

Repeat this: I am highly favored and greatly loved by my Father God. He has only good for me all the days of my life. Favor goes before me and behind me, paving the way for my success. I choose to walk in God’s favor everywhere I go. Thank You, Lord, for granting me favor.

The Favor of God

Over the next several days, let’s talk about favor and what it means to us as God’s children.

The message on favor can turn your life around from one of defeat and failure to one of expecting good things to happen to you.

This message is especially for people who always seem to have bad things happening to them and people not liking them. We draw to ourselves what we think and what we feel. Once we have had bad things happen to us, we tend to continue in a negative mode toward everything, with disappointment and hopelessness being our companions. Speaking God’s goodness and His favor will bring you out of that mode into one where you are receiving preferential treatment.

We get what we expect. It is satan’s job to ruin our expector and turn it from one of expecting good to expecting bad things to happen in our lives. Although it may not be something we consciously think we are doing, most of the time we are treated the way we expect to be treated and things happen to us the way we expect. Of course, there will always be negative things going on in the world and you will find people who may not treat you well, but that should be the exception and not the norm in your life.

Examples of negative expectations: I never get a good parking space when I go shopping. No matter what line I choose at the store, it always takes forever. Every time I go for a job interview they turn me down for someone else. My husband will always be this way. My marriage will always be ho hum. And on and on. Sow negative thoughts and you will meet people who are nasty and do things wrong in your life.

People who expect favor would say and think: I thank God that favor goes before me right now and prepares me a parking space right next to the door. Today when I go shopping, they will open a line up for me because I have favor. In my next job interview I am favored and they hire me. I have favor with my husband and he does things for me because I have favor with him; he enjoys our relationship because we are favored with one another. Sow positive thoughts and you will meet people who go out of their way to help you and be nice to you.

I must tell you of an incident I had with favor a number of months ago when I was focusing on being favored. I was standing in a line at a store. The Lord spoke to me and told me that if I would not complain (as I normally do) that He would show Himself strong on my behalf. A cashier showed up, came over to my cart and told me to come to her register. She opened for me, rang up my order and then when I left, she shut down her register. Now, that is FAVOR with a capital "F". You see, God can do anything, if we allow Him by opening the door with thanksgiving and praise.

Favor doesn’t guarantee you’ll never run into a negative situation or never meet someone who is sour and grumpy. But what favor does is cause you not to allow that incident to set up a pattern of expecting it all the time. Favor says that the person must be having a bad day and speaks goodness and blessing into their life. In other words, you don’t pick up negative expectations for everything else in life, based on experiences you have that may not be exactly pleasant.

Today, make a deliberate, conscious effort to see yourself being highly favored by all the people you meet. If things don’t go as you thought they would, don’t get “down in the dumps” about it. Say to yourself: That is just a temporary thing. Life is good. I am blessed of the Lord, and His goodness is following me all the days of my life.

The Price of Freedom

Tomorrow we celebrate our independence as a nation. July 4th is a great day of fireworks and picnics and family. In the midst of these celebrations, do we ever stop to consider what a great price has been paid for our freedom? People laid down their lives and put aside their reputations to stand up for what they believed. Men and women have died not only here on home soil in the Revolutionary War and in the Civil War but also on foreign soil in the various wars that have been fought in other countries. Freedom is not cheap. It costs!

There is a freedom in Christ that cost God everything. He paid the greatest price that He could pay----His only Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus shed His blood on the cross and died that we might have life and have it more abundantly. He became sin, that we might become righteous. He bore our sicknesses and diseases that we might walk in divine health.

Jesus paid it all. He laid aside all that He was when He came to this earth, so that He could take our place and purchase our freedom from the captivity of satan and hell. Hell was never intended for mankind. It was intended for satan and his demons. But when man sinned and hooked himself to satan, he opened up the way to go to hell if he did not turn to God. What a tragedy! And how it must have put such a hurt in God’s heart! The very man that He had created in His image was now a possible candidate for hell. Many have chosen that route to this very day.

A friend of mine once said that if people ever caught a glimpse of the love that God had for them, they would run to Him. This is as true today as it was thousands of years ago. In His love He chose us before the foundation of the world, that we might be in Him and spend eternity with Him. The choice is now ours----heaven or hell, God or satan!

Freedom----what a word! Those whom the Son sets free are free indeed. You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free. God is Truth! Satan is a liar! It is God’s Word vs satan’s word. We make the choice. Who do we believe? Do we believe what God says is true for us, regardless of what we are seeing before our physical eyes and experiencing in our lives in the natural realm? Or do we believe what satan is whispering in our ears: “You’re not going to make it.” “God doesn’t care for you.” “You have no value.” “You have no worth.” He never stops. It is a never-ending video which replays over and over and over. We have the authority; we have the power to turn off that video in our heads. Turn off satan’s video and turn on God’s video. God says: “I love you. You are valuable to Me. You are of great worth in My household. I need you. I have given you My life, My love and My light. I have given you my Word. That is all you need to be a success in this world.

Tomorrrow, as you celebrate the freedom you enjoy in this country, the United States of America, remember the true freedom that you are celebrating. It is the freedom of being God’s child. It is the freedom of being able to live in the fullness of His Presence. It is the freedom of knowing that you are on the highway to heaven. It is the awesome freedom of knowing God! There is a song that talks about knowing God. I love that song. Knowing Him is all I need. He is my everything. This day, I celebrate my Lord and what He has done for me and continues to do for me every day. I love Him with all my heart.

CELEBRATE YOUR FREEDOM!

Show Me Your Ways

I have been camping most of the day in Psalms 25:4,5. What a set of verses to dwell upon, particularly if you are in a place in your life where you need direction. Confess and meditate on these two verses until you know that you know what God wants to do for you.

“Show me Your ways, O Lord.
Teach me Your paths.
Lead or guide me in Your Truth and teach me, for You are My Savior, the God of my salvation.
My hope is in You all the day long.”

I did some research in the Strong’s Concordance and my Hebrew-Greek Study Bible, and this is what I have outlined as the total intensity of these verses. Again, I remind you to confess them and meditate on them.

Show me and make me intimately know Your ways, O Lord. Reveal to me Your course of life and Your mode of action.
Teach me (train and educate me) in Your way of life.
Lead me and guide me in Your Word of Truth, which is firm and stable, based on Your faithfulness, O God.
Teach me (train and educate me) for You are my Savior, the God of my salvation (deliverance, freedom, liberty, prosperity, safety, help, victory). You defend me, preserve me, and free me into Your large place. I have plenty of room to move without feeling cramped. In You I am safe and secure.
My hope is in You all day long (always, forever).
I wait expectantly for You, for the coming of Your goodness.

I love God’s Word. Aren’t these verses rich!

God wants us to know Him and know His ways. He wants to lead us in the right path. He wants to point us in the direction of following the right road. He wants us to know the truth of His Word. He wants to be involved in our lives and not just sitting on the sidelines observing us “doing it my way.” Oh, today, let Him become your everything. You will never regret it.

Show me Your ways, O Lord. I am ready!