Hello, my name is Shelley Quinn
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and we welcome you
to this Worship Hour.
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In Psalm 129:4,
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the psalmist says,
"The Lord is righteous.
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He has cut me free
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from the cords of the wicked."
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Let me ask you something.
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What is binding you?
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Is there cords of the
wicked that is binding you?
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I'm gonna tell you
that generally speaking,
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the thing that binds us the most
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is the way we see ourselves.
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You know, when God
looked down at Sarah.
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People saw a barren woman,
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but what God saw was
the mother of all nations.
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When people looked at
David, they saw a poor shepherd.
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God saw a mighty king of Israel.
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And when people looked at
Joseph, what did they see?
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They saw a prisoner,
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but God saw a power minister
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of Egypt.
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This list can go on forever.
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When people look
at the murderous Saul
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of Tarsus, what did God see?
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He saw the ambassador of grace.
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He saw a man
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that He was going to use
to reach all the nations.
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So the point of this is,
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quit worrying about
what others think about you.
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Quit thinking negative
thoughts about yourself,
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and let's understand
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that God has a
plan for your life.
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Do you believe that
your loving heavenly Father
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has a plan for your life?
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How do you think God sees you?
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Are you shaking your head?
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You don't know.
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You know, none of
these people knew how
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God saw them either
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until His plan for
their life started unfolding.
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But the one thing
they had in common
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was a trust in God
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and faith in the
words that He spoke.
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They all
identified with His Word.
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In Hebrews 4:12.
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The author says
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that God's word
is alive and active.
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It is sharper than
a two-edged sword."
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You know, I'm
gonna come back to that.
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I'm gonna save it
for just a second,
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but the Word of God
is alive and active.
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And we need to know
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that this word
can change our lives
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absolutely completely.
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In John 8:31-32, "Jesus said,
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'If you abide in My word,
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you shall know the truth,
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and the truth
shall set you free."
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You can be freed
from making wrong choices.
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God can cut the cord of
the wickedness binding you.
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You can be free from
whatever is binding you.
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What is it?
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A poor self image.
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Maybe it's, you've gained weight
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and you don't feel
good about yourself.
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Maybe what's binding
you is lust or pornography.
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Whatever it is, when we
have something binding us,
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what happens is we begin to have
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a negative internal narrative.
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In other words, we
rehearse it again and again.
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And we're
saying, this is who I am,
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but that's not what God says.
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By the power of the Holy Spirit,
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by the power of God's Word,
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He can cut you
free from the cords
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that are binding you.
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We must learn not to lean
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on our own understanding.
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In Proverbs 3:5-6.
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It says, "Trust in the
Lord with all your heart,
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lean not on your
own understanding."
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What are we gonna lean on?
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If we're not
leaning on human reasoning,
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what is God saying to us?
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He is saying, "Lean
on what My Word says."
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And then it goes on.
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And it says that if
you will acknowledge Him
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in all your ways, He
will direct your paths.
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So what we've got to do today
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is lean on what
the Word of God says.
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2 Corinthians 1:20 says
that, "All of God's promises
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are yes and amen
in Christ Jesus."
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Wow.
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Do you realize if
you're a Christian,
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if you're in Christ,
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everything that the Bible says
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about you is true?
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And if you want to know
who you are as a Christian,
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you have to get in the Word,
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and see what God
has to say about you,
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who you are,
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because that's
what this Word does
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is it shows us a
picture of who we are in Christ.
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And you know what?
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Some of the promises
seem too good to be true.
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I mean, sometimes
we read God's promises
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and we say, "Oh, I
can't, that's not me."
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But you know
what 1 John 5:10 says.
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It says, "He
who does not believe
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the testimony of
God is regarding Him
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as a liar."
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Are you regarding God as a liar?
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Do you read in His
Word something that says,
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this is who you are in Christ?
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You have an anointing
and the anointing is real,
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but you say, "Oh no, not me.
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I don't have an anointing."
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We've got to
get into God's Word.
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And we have to remember this.
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Romans 4:17 says
that "God is the God
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who gives life to the
dead and He calls things
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that are not as
though they already were."
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How can that be?
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Well, Isaiah 46:10 says
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that "God sees the
end from the beginning."
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So He knows that
when you come to Him,
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you are going to be
what He says you are.
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Romans 8:28.
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You probably know this one.
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It says, "All things
work together for good,
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for those who love the Lord
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and are called
according to His purpose."
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Now, if I stopped
there, you might be asking me,
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how could what's happening
in my life be for my good,
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in fact, I remember
when I was in England once,
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I was teaching a large crowd
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and I stopped at Romans 8:28.
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And I said, you know,
we've got to be so careful
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how we address people who
are going through problems,
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because let's say
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that a woman had just
lost her husband and her child
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in a car accident.
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And you come up
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and you're
mishandling the Word of God.
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And you say to her, "Oh,
honey, all things work together
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for good for
those who love the Lord
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and are called
according to His purpose."
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And I said, what would
you do if you were that woman?
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How would you feel?
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You would want to suck
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that person right in the kisser.
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So we can't separate Romans 8:28
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from Romans 8:29.
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Romans 8:28 says, "All
things work together for good
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for those who love the Lord
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and are called
according His purpose for..."
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Now, it's gonna
explain it in Romans 8:29.
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He says, "For
those God foreknew,
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He predestined
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to become like His Son Jesus."
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See, your hope is that
God works all things together
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to fulfill your destiny,
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which is to become like Jesus.
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So even when we're
going through difficult times,
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no matter how bad the times are,
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God can use
them for our benefit.
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You know, sometimes we
worry about how others see us.
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What I like is Paul said
too, in 1 Corinthians 15:10,
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he says, "I am what I am
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by the grace of God."
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And that's what
I can say as well.
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Can you say that too?
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I am what I am
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by the grace of God.
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Grace is something that
people so misunderstand.
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I wanna tell you what I believe
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are the three
greatest gifts of grace,
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Jesus Christ, the
Holy Spirit and the Word.
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And when you look
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at these great underserved gifts
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that God has given us,
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you realize that
the effects of grace
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is it's God's divine assistance
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and super natural
power unto salvation.
00:10:31.96\00:10:37.10
And so when Paul says,
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"I am what I am
by the grace of God,
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and God's grace was
not toward me in vain."
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He is saying, "It doesn't matter
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who you think I am.
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It doesn't
matter who I think I am.
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I am who God says I am."
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In Jeremiah 1:12,
"The Lord told Jeremiah,
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'Oh, you have seen correctly."
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He said, "I am
watching over My Word
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to perform it."
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In Isaiah 55:11, God says,
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"My Word does not
return to me void,
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but it
accomplishes every purpose
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for which I sent it."
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So God's Word when He spoke it,
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He's saying when
it returns to me,
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I'm watching
over it to perform it.
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God is not a
man that He can lie.
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And so what we've got to do
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and what we're
going to do today,
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as soon as I pray,
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we need to learn to speak
the Word of God over our life.
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We need to return His Word
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in prayer with thanksgiving.
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And that's what we're
gonna learn to do today.
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Let's pray.
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Heavenly Father, we
come in the name of Jesus.
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Oh Lord, I pray that You
would just get me out of the way
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and speak through me today.
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Lord, I ask in the
name of Jesus for everyone
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who is listening to my voice,
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that You would send
00:12:20.60\00:12:21.94
Your Holy Spirit
to be the teacher
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and, Lord, that You
would help us to grasp
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how important Your Word
is to us in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
00:12:32.48\00:12:35.72
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:13,
00:12:35.75\00:12:41.29
he says as... How does it start?
00:12:41.32\00:12:44.73
Let's see.
00:12:44.76\00:12:46.09
He said, "Since we have
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the same spirit of
faith as it is written."
00:12:49.16\00:12:54.20
So now he's gonna quote,
what is the spirit of faith?
00:12:54.24\00:12:57.97
Since we have the
same spirit of faith,
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as it is written,
00:13:01.14\00:13:04.35
"I believed and
therefore I spoke."
00:13:04.38\00:13:10.19
So he is saying
the spirit of faith
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is I believed and
therefore I spoke.
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And then he goes on to say,
00:13:18.96\00:13:20.96
"We also believe
and therefore speak."
00:13:21.00\00:13:26.23
To speak God's
Word is so important
00:13:26.27\00:13:30.21
because what it does is
it gets the Word from here,
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from our head into our heart.
00:13:36.01\00:13:38.71
You know, I know
people, I know a lot of people
00:13:38.75\00:13:42.08
who know a lot
about the Word of God.
00:13:42.12\00:13:45.72
They may be
memorized a lot of the Word.
00:13:45.75\00:13:48.46
Think of this.
00:13:48.49\00:13:49.82
The Pharisees memorized
00:13:49.86\00:13:52.03
the entire law of Moses.
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That would be Genesis, Exodus,
00:13:55.56\00:13:57.13
Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.
00:13:57.17\00:13:59.83
They had it all memorized,
but it was head knowledge,
00:13:59.87\00:14:05.21
not heart knowledge.
00:14:05.24\00:14:07.34
So what speaking
God's Word does for us
00:14:07.38\00:14:12.05
is it gets it from
our head into our heart.
00:14:12.08\00:14:16.65
And I'm gonna tell you
00:14:16.69\00:14:18.89
that you can feel
like a hypocrite sometimes
00:14:18.92\00:14:22.79
when you first
start speaking this.
00:14:22.82\00:14:25.79
I gave someone some affirmations
00:14:25.83\00:14:29.23
just a couple of
months ago, and I told her,
00:14:29.26\00:14:32.33
speak these
over your life daily.
00:14:32.37\00:14:34.47
Pray them back to the Lord.
00:14:34.50\00:14:36.74
And a couple of
weeks later, she said,
00:14:36.77\00:14:39.37
"I feel like such a
hypocrite when I say this."
00:14:39.41\00:14:42.61
I said, "Just keep on
doing it, keep on doing it."
00:14:42.64\00:14:46.38
And finally there
was the breakthrough.
00:14:46.41\00:14:49.95
She feels now her
feelings are lining up
00:14:49.98\00:14:54.92
with God's truth.
00:14:54.96\00:14:56.86
So remember I said while ago,
00:14:56.89\00:14:59.46
God's Word is alive and active.
00:14:59.49\00:15:04.53
And the Scripture says
00:15:04.57\00:15:05.90
it is sharper than
any two-edged sword.
00:15:05.93\00:15:08.74
Well, let me tell you something.
00:15:08.77\00:15:10.51
The first,
00:15:10.54\00:15:11.87
in the Greek
two-edged is distomon,
00:15:11.91\00:15:16.54
and the literal
translation would be like
00:15:16.58\00:15:19.91
a two mouthed river.
00:15:19.95\00:15:22.85
So if God's Word is
like a two mouthed river,
00:15:22.88\00:15:28.29
a double edged sword,
00:15:28.32\00:15:31.09
the first edge
struck when He spoke it,
00:15:31.13\00:15:34.96
the second edge
strikes when we speak it,
00:15:35.00\00:15:39.37
and God's Word can cut us free
00:15:39.40\00:15:42.60
from the cord of the
wicked that is binding us.
00:15:42.64\00:15:46.37
Let's now get into
00:15:46.41\00:15:49.44
some
affirmations from Scripture.
00:15:49.48\00:15:52.18
What I'm going to
recommend rather than flipping
00:15:52.21\00:15:56.02
through your Bible
trying to keep up with me.
00:15:56.05\00:15:59.25
I hope you've got
a pen and a paper,
00:15:59.29\00:16:02.59
and you can write down
these scripture references,
00:16:02.62\00:16:07.00
but more than anything,
00:16:07.03\00:16:08.90
I hope you will
follow the exercise of faith
00:16:08.93\00:16:14.77
and speak them over your life.
00:16:14.80\00:16:17.34
Listen with your heart
and speak with your mouth.
00:16:17.37\00:16:21.54
In Deuteronomy
32:46-47, "God said to them,
00:16:21.58\00:16:27.12
'Set your
hearts on all the words
00:16:27.15\00:16:29.98
which I testify among you today,
00:16:30.02\00:16:31.85
which you shall
command your children
00:16:31.89\00:16:34.16
to be careful to observe
all the words of this law.
00:16:34.19\00:16:37.86
For it is not a
futile thing to you,
00:16:37.89\00:16:41.00
because it is your life."
00:16:41.03\00:16:45.83
God's Word is our life.
00:16:45.87\00:16:48.20
And He says, "By this word,
you shall prolong your days
00:16:48.24\00:16:52.74
in the land which you cross
over the Jordan to possess."
00:16:52.77\00:16:58.18
What does that say to your head?
00:16:58.21\00:17:00.15
I'm just gonna...
00:17:00.18\00:17:01.52
We're gonna make an affirmation
from that whole long thing.
00:17:01.55\00:17:05.19
And this is Deuteronomy 32:47
00:17:05.22\00:17:09.86
is that God's words
00:17:09.89\00:17:13.09
are not idle to us.
00:17:13.13\00:17:16.26
They are our life.
00:17:16.30\00:17:18.73
Please repeat that up.
00:17:18.77\00:17:20.64
I know this is
gonna seem strange,
00:17:20.67\00:17:23.24
but I want you to say this,
00:17:23.27\00:17:25.14
God's Word is not idle to me,
00:17:25.17\00:17:29.01
but it is my life.
00:17:29.04\00:17:33.72
You know, when God
taught me to do this,
00:17:33.75\00:17:38.25
I had gone through a period,
00:17:38.29\00:17:41.56
it lasted a
whole year of vertigo.
00:17:41.59\00:17:44.23
Do you know what vertigo is?
00:17:44.26\00:17:46.16
It's like your world
is spinning like a top.
00:17:46.19\00:17:50.00
And it was going around,
00:17:50.03\00:17:51.53
everything was like going around
00:17:51.57\00:17:52.93
at 120 revolutions per minute.
00:17:52.97\00:17:55.60
It lasted a whole year, 24/7.
00:17:55.64\00:17:58.31
I saw every doctor.
00:17:58.34\00:18:00.01
I saw the doctors that
the astronauts went to.
00:18:00.04\00:18:03.51
They were gonna clip,
00:18:03.55\00:18:04.98
they suggested clipping
the nerves behind my ears.
00:18:05.01\00:18:08.92
And they said,
well, you'll be deaf,
00:18:08.95\00:18:11.09
but you won't be
constantly nauseated.
00:18:11.12\00:18:14.26
You won't, you'll
be able to function.
00:18:14.29\00:18:16.73
Vertigo is a horrible thing.
00:18:16.76\00:18:19.79
And one night I
was lying in bed.
00:18:19.83\00:18:22.80
And at this time I was
taking care of a mother-in-law
00:18:22.83\00:18:26.23
who had colon cancer,
00:18:26.27\00:18:27.60
a father-in-law
in early Alzheimer's,
00:18:27.64\00:18:30.54
a 13 room farm house, and
a rebellious teenage niece.
00:18:30.57\00:18:35.61
And I am doing everything I can
00:18:35.64\00:18:38.38
just to stand up straight.
00:18:38.41\00:18:39.88
I couldn't read,
I couldn't watch TV
00:18:39.91\00:18:44.99
because my world was spinning.
00:18:45.02\00:18:47.46
So one night as
I was lying in bed,
00:18:47.49\00:18:50.79
I had this thought
00:18:50.83\00:18:52.46
and I actually said it out loud.
00:18:52.49\00:18:55.03
Now I know why you did it, mama.
00:18:55.06\00:18:58.40
Now let me explain what I meant.
00:18:58.43\00:19:00.77
My mother attempted suicide.
00:19:00.80\00:19:05.41
My father was
killed when I was six.
00:19:05.44\00:19:08.24
I was 13 when my
mother tried this.
00:19:08.28\00:19:11.91
My little sister was only nine.
00:19:11.95\00:19:15.52
And it's like,
00:19:15.55\00:19:16.89
why would a loving
mother attempt suicide
00:19:16.92\00:19:21.82
and leave her daughters
behind without a father,
00:19:21.86\00:19:25.99
without anyone in the world.
00:19:26.03\00:19:28.73
And that night as I lay in bed,
00:19:28.76\00:19:31.50
I wasn't thinking about suicide,
00:19:31.53\00:19:34.64
but I had an
emotional identification
00:19:34.67\00:19:39.07
with the why of it.
00:19:39.11\00:19:42.24
And the why of it is simply this
00:19:42.28\00:19:44.95
that people get to that point
00:19:44.98\00:19:47.85
where they feel hopeless.
00:19:47.88\00:19:51.42
And when you feel hopeless,
00:19:51.45\00:19:54.62
then it's easier
that people think
00:19:54.66\00:19:58.13
that, "Oh, I'll be
less of a burden to everyone
00:19:58.16\00:20:01.63
if I'm out of the way."
00:20:01.66\00:20:03.77
Well, the next day, I mean,
00:20:03.80\00:20:05.30
I didn't sleep
the rest of the night
00:20:05.33\00:20:06.90
because that was a
frightening feeling.
00:20:06.94\00:20:09.64
And the next day I
was praying and the Lord,
00:20:09.67\00:20:13.98
ah, the still, it
wasn't an audible voice,
00:20:14.01\00:20:18.51
but the still small voice
of the Lord said this to me.
00:20:18.55\00:20:22.35
I set before you life
and death, choose life.
00:20:22.38\00:20:26.92
Well, I was at my ropes
end and you know what I said?
00:20:26.96\00:20:30.63
I have chosen life,
Father, Jesus is my savior.
00:20:30.66\00:20:34.13
If you mean
anything more than this,
00:20:34.16\00:20:36.46
you've got to explain it to me
00:20:36.50\00:20:38.00
because I'm in no shape,
00:20:38.03\00:20:42.40
no condition to figure this out.
00:20:42.44\00:20:45.71
And our loving
God is so precious.
00:20:45.74\00:20:49.11
He said to me,
00:20:49.14\00:20:52.75
"My Word is life to you.
00:20:52.78\00:20:57.45
Choose My Word."
00:20:57.49\00:20:59.55
And I felt that
He was impressing me.
00:20:59.59\00:21:02.62
And you know what I'm
talking about when I say,
00:21:02.66\00:21:04.53
He said, you've
had those thoughts
00:21:04.56\00:21:06.76
that come to your mind,
00:21:06.80\00:21:08.13
you know, it's a still
small voice of the Holy Spirit.
00:21:08.16\00:21:12.17
But anyway, what He said
to me was to get into the Word
00:21:12.20\00:21:17.34
and find the scriptures
00:21:17.37\00:21:19.61
on healing and
pray them back to Him.
00:21:19.64\00:21:22.21
Well, I did.
00:21:22.24\00:21:23.58
And I mean, I
didn't have a thesaurus.
00:21:23.61\00:21:27.05
I could barely read.
00:21:27.08\00:21:28.42
So I'm like this going through,
00:21:28.45\00:21:30.95
trying to remember
00:21:30.99\00:21:32.32
where some of
these scriptures are.
00:21:32.35\00:21:34.49
And I began, I wrote
them out in a handed,
00:21:34.52\00:21:38.89
I mean boy that you
talk about a hand scratch,
00:21:38.93\00:21:42.03
but I wrote them out
00:21:42.06\00:21:43.40
and I'm praying Him every night.
00:21:43.43\00:21:45.17
I'm thanking God.
00:21:45.20\00:21:46.53
Oh, thank You, Lord, that
You sent Your Word to heal me.
00:21:46.57\00:21:48.80
Thank You that by
His stripes, I'm healed.
00:21:48.84\00:21:51.27
Thank You this, thank
You that, and you know what?
00:21:51.31\00:21:54.51
Two weeks into it, it was
like, Lord why am I doing this?
00:21:54.54\00:22:00.18
I didn't have the
faith to believe it.
00:22:00.22\00:22:03.89
But that's when the Lord led me
00:22:03.92\00:22:07.82
to Isaiah 55:11 saying,
00:22:07.86\00:22:11.46
"My Word does not
return to me void,
00:22:11.49\00:22:14.50
but it accomplishes every
purpose for which I sent it."
00:22:14.53\00:22:17.73
And I realized I'm
returning His Word to Him.
00:22:17.77\00:22:21.27
And Jeremiah 1:12,
00:22:21.30\00:22:23.07
"I'm watching over
My Word to perform it."
00:22:23.10\00:22:25.84
And Romans 4:17
00:22:25.87\00:22:28.11
that "He gives life to
the dead and calls things
00:22:28.14\00:22:31.48
that are not as
though they already were."
00:22:31.51\00:22:34.22
And 2 Corinthians 4:13,
00:22:34.25\00:22:36.55
that the spirit
of faith is to say,
00:22:36.58\00:22:38.89
"I believe and
therefore I speak."
00:22:38.92\00:22:43.49
So I want you to
have that same experience.
00:22:43.53\00:22:47.73
In Psalm 129:4,
we began with this.
00:22:47.76\00:22:52.40
It says, "The
Lord is righteous,.
00:22:52.43\00:22:54.37
He has cut me free from
the cords of the wicked."
00:22:54.40\00:22:59.34
God declares the
end from the beginning.
00:22:59.37\00:23:01.14
So let's speak
00:23:01.18\00:23:02.51
that with the
same spirit of faith.
00:23:02.54\00:23:05.58
And we can say,
00:23:05.61\00:23:06.95
Father, thank You
that You are righteous.
00:23:06.98\00:23:09.28
You have cut me free
from the cords of the wicked
00:23:09.32\00:23:13.39
that's trying to bind me.
00:23:13.42\00:23:15.82
Say that with me.
00:23:15.86\00:23:17.46
Don't just sit there.
00:23:17.49\00:23:18.83
You need to exercise your faith.
00:23:18.86\00:23:21.10
You may feel like
you're all bound up,
00:23:21.13\00:23:24.53
but God says He
will cut you free.
00:23:24.57\00:23:28.64
So say it, the
Lord is righteous,
00:23:28.67\00:23:32.57
He has cut me free
from the cords of the wicked
00:23:32.61\00:23:36.91
that bind me.
00:23:36.95\00:23:38.78
And then let's string
two scriptures together.
00:23:38.81\00:23:43.12
1 Corinthians 15:57 says,
00:23:43.15\00:23:46.45
"Thanks be to God who gives
us the victory in Christ Jesus."
00:23:46.49\00:23:52.39
Hallelujah.
00:23:52.43\00:23:54.03
And Romans 8:37 says,
"Yet in all these things,
00:23:54.06\00:23:59.30
we are more than conquerors
00:23:59.33\00:24:03.54
through Him who loved us."
00:24:03.57\00:24:07.71
So let's take
those two scriptures.
00:24:07.74\00:24:11.11
We're gonna put them together
00:24:11.15\00:24:13.18
and we're gonna pray
them back to the Lord.
00:24:13.21\00:24:15.88
And it would sound like this.
00:24:15.92\00:24:18.12
Thank You, Father,
00:24:18.15\00:24:19.99
for giving me the
victory in Christ Jesus.
00:24:20.02\00:24:23.49
Thank You, Father,
00:24:23.53\00:24:25.23
that I am more than
a conqueror in Christ.
00:24:25.26\00:24:30.80
What is binding you?
00:24:30.83\00:24:32.17
Thank You, Father, for giving me
00:24:32.20\00:24:34.97
the victory over my
food addiction, over smoking.
00:24:35.00\00:24:39.27
Thank You, Father, for giving me
00:24:39.31\00:24:41.88
the victory over pornography.
00:24:41.91\00:24:44.28
Thank You, Father,
00:24:44.31\00:24:45.65
for giving me the
victory over lust.
00:24:45.68\00:24:48.55
What is it that is binding you?
00:24:48.58\00:24:51.69
You can thank God who will
give you the victory in Christ.
00:24:51.72\00:24:56.49
Jesus.
00:24:56.52\00:24:57.86
He will make you
more than a conqueror.
00:24:57.89\00:25:02.10
Now let's look at Romans 12:1.
00:25:02.13\00:25:07.30
This is a great...
00:25:07.34\00:25:09.00
Romans 12:1-2
are great scriptures.
00:25:09.04\00:25:12.97
So write those references down.
00:25:13.01\00:25:15.21
Romans 12:1-2.
00:25:15.24\00:25:17.68
In Romans 12:1, he says,
00:25:17.71\00:25:19.48
"I beseech you
therefore brethren
00:25:19.51\00:25:22.88
by the mercies of God
00:25:22.92\00:25:24.55
that you present your
bodies a living sacrifice,
00:25:24.59\00:25:28.52
holy accepted both to God,
00:25:28.56\00:25:31.19
which is your reasonable service
00:25:31.23\00:25:34.50
or your
reasonable form of worship."
00:25:34.53\00:25:38.47
Huh.
00:25:38.50\00:25:39.83
Present your
bodies a living sacrifice.
00:25:39.87\00:25:43.54
You know what the problem
is with a living sacrifice?
00:25:43.57\00:25:47.64
It's always
crawling off the altar.
00:25:47.68\00:25:51.28
But what we can do here
00:25:51.31\00:25:54.28
is we're going to
start speaking this.
00:25:54.32\00:25:57.49
And when you speak it,
00:25:57.52\00:26:00.36
when you hear it
with your living voice,
00:26:00.39\00:26:03.12
as you say it, it's gonna go
from your head to your heart.
00:26:03.16\00:26:08.10
Romans 12:2 says,
00:26:08.13\00:26:10.33
"Do not be
conformed to the world,
00:26:10.37\00:26:13.30
but be
transformed by the renewing
00:26:13.34\00:26:18.07
of your mind."
00:26:18.11\00:26:20.34
How do we renew our minds?
00:26:20.38\00:26:23.04
Instead of rehearsing
00:26:23.08\00:26:25.21
the same old thing
over and over again,
00:26:25.25\00:26:28.02
all the negative narrative
that we talk to ourselves,
00:26:28.05\00:26:32.49
what we're going to
do is speak God's Word.
00:26:32.52\00:26:36.52
And then He says,
you'll be transformed.
00:26:36.56\00:26:39.63
This is the word metamorphose.
00:26:39.66\00:26:42.76
It's like when a butterfly
00:26:42.80\00:26:45.23
or when you've
got the cocoon stage.
00:26:45.27\00:26:48.07
And then all of a sudden
there's the transformation
00:26:48.10\00:26:51.24
to this winged and
beautiful creature.
00:26:51.27\00:26:54.31
So let's put those
together and let's speak
00:26:54.34\00:26:59.11
that as an
affirmation to say, God,
00:26:59.15\00:27:02.58
we believe that You can do this.
00:27:02.62\00:27:06.19
We believe that
00:27:06.22\00:27:07.86
You're gonna
complete the good work
00:27:07.89\00:27:09.42
You've begun in me.
00:27:09.46\00:27:10.79
And we can say this.
00:27:10.83\00:27:12.53
"I present my body
00:27:12.56\00:27:15.73
as a living sacrifice to you
00:27:15.76\00:27:18.97
the God of my salvation.
00:27:19.00\00:27:21.90
I am transformed by
the renewing of my mind
00:27:21.94\00:27:27.64
through Your Word."
00:27:27.68\00:27:30.11
Will you say that with me?
00:27:30.15\00:27:32.45
Will you say, oh Lord,
00:27:32.48\00:27:35.52
I present my body as a
living sacrifice to you?
00:27:35.55\00:27:41.19
And thank You, Lord,
that You are renewing my mind
00:27:41.22\00:27:46.33
through Your Word.
00:27:46.36\00:27:49.46
In 1
Corinthians 3:16, Paul says,
00:27:49.50\00:27:54.74
"Do you not know
00:27:54.77\00:27:57.41
that you're the temple of God?"
00:27:57.44\00:28:01.91
Think about that.
00:28:01.94\00:28:03.75
You are the temple of God
00:28:03.78\00:28:05.58
and that the Spirit
of God dwells in you.
00:28:05.61\00:28:10.19
Well, that's what
Jesus said in John 14:7.
00:28:10.22\00:28:13.15
He said," Spirit
will be with you.
00:28:13.19\00:28:15.39
He will dwell in you."
00:28:15.42\00:28:17.46
Ephesians 3:16-17.
00:28:17.49\00:28:20.36
Paul says, "Oh, I pray that
00:28:20.40\00:28:22.63
you may be
strengthened with might,
00:28:22.66\00:28:25.03
with dynamite power of God
00:28:25.07\00:28:30.24
by the spirit in your inner man
00:28:30.27\00:28:34.18
through whom Christ
lives in your heart by faith."
00:28:34.21\00:28:38.41
So here, when it says
00:28:38.45\00:28:41.58
we are the temple
of the living God,
00:28:41.62\00:28:45.29
do you realize that the
Spirit of God dwells in us?
00:28:45.32\00:28:51.16
Oh, that would change us,
I think that would help us
00:28:51.19\00:28:53.76
present our bodies
as a living sacrifice.
00:28:53.80\00:28:57.83
So here's what I
want you to say with me.
00:28:57.87\00:29:01.37
I am the temple
of the living God.
00:29:01.40\00:29:06.98
Boy, that makes you
feel funny when you first say
00:29:07.01\00:29:09.04
that, but you can say
00:29:09.08\00:29:12.48
His Spirit lives in me.
00:29:12.51\00:29:15.82
That's from 1 Corinthians 3:16.
00:29:15.85\00:29:18.72
And I'll tell you
that speaking this
00:29:18.75\00:29:23.89
is what makes it real to you.
00:29:23.93\00:29:25.56
You can read the Bible
00:29:25.59\00:29:27.70
and you can see
all these scriptures
00:29:27.73\00:29:29.70
that say this, but
when you start speaking it,
00:29:29.73\00:29:34.84
it will be life changing to you
00:29:34.87\00:29:38.54
because it'll
get it from your head
00:29:38.57\00:29:41.11
and into your heart.
00:29:41.14\00:29:43.75
In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5.
00:29:43.78\00:29:48.75
Paul says, "The weapons of
our warfare are not carnal,
00:29:48.78\00:29:52.85
but they are mighty in God
for pulling down strongholds."
00:29:52.89\00:29:58.43
Let me ask you, do you realize
00:29:58.46\00:30:01.06
that you are in
a spiritual battle?
00:30:01.10\00:30:04.20
I am really quick to
recognize when someone calls me
00:30:04.23\00:30:07.77
and they're asking for prayer.
00:30:07.80\00:30:09.50
I'm quick to recognize.
00:30:09.54\00:30:12.54
Yep, they got a
spiritual battle going on.
00:30:12.57\00:30:16.04
But you know what's funny?
00:30:16.08\00:30:17.91
Sometimes I will
agonize over something for days
00:30:17.95\00:30:22.75
and I'm
thinking, and I don't know
00:30:22.78\00:30:25.09
if you've ever said
this, but this is what I do.
00:30:25.12\00:30:28.06
Oh, what's wrong with me, Lord.
00:30:28.09\00:30:30.96
Why am I like this?
00:30:30.99\00:30:33.60
And all of a sudden, I realize,
I'm in a spiritual battle.
00:30:33.63\00:30:38.97
And I've got weapons
here in His, in the Bible.
00:30:39.00\00:30:44.47
He tells us in
Ephesians Chapter 6,
00:30:44.51\00:30:47.58
what these weapons are,
the helmet of salvation,
00:30:47.61\00:30:51.01
the shield of
faith, the belt of truth,
00:30:51.05\00:30:53.31
shutting our feet
with the gospel of peace
00:30:53.35\00:30:56.48
and picking up
the shield of faith
00:30:56.52\00:30:59.75
and the sword of the spirit,
which is the Word of God.
00:30:59.79\00:31:05.56
Well, Paul says,
our weapons are mighty
00:31:05.59\00:31:09.80
for pulling down strongholds.
00:31:09.83\00:31:12.23
Where do you suppose
those strongholds are?
00:31:12.27\00:31:15.60
What the devil does
00:31:15.64\00:31:18.31
is he plants a
thought in your mind.
00:31:18.34\00:31:22.88
Let me tell you, your
mind is the battleground.
00:31:22.91\00:31:27.38
Listen to what I'm saying.
00:31:27.42\00:31:29.55
He will plant a
thought in your mind,
00:31:29.58\00:31:34.92
and this is why
you need God's weapons
00:31:34.96\00:31:39.79
to overcome these strongholds.
00:31:39.83\00:31:43.03
Paul goes on to say,
00:31:43.06\00:31:45.00
"These weapons are mighty
for pulling down strongholds,
00:31:45.03\00:31:48.87
casting down
arguments, and every high thing
00:31:48.90\00:31:54.11
that exalts itself
against the knowledge of God."
00:31:54.14\00:31:58.58
If you don't know
who you are in Christ,
00:31:58.61\00:32:02.68
if you're not speaking
God's Word over your life,
00:32:02.72\00:32:06.19
speaking God's Word
into your children's life.
00:32:06.22\00:32:09.42
If you're not praying
the Word back, guess what?
00:32:09.46\00:32:14.13
You can't do what Paul says
00:32:14.16\00:32:17.93
in the next part
of this sentence.
00:32:17.97\00:32:20.77
He says, "Casting down arguments
00:32:20.80\00:32:23.41
and every high thing
00:32:23.44\00:32:24.77
that exalts itself
against the knowledge of God,
00:32:24.81\00:32:27.24
bringing every
thought into captivity,
00:32:27.28\00:32:32.25
to the obedience of Christ."
00:32:32.28\00:32:36.28
Wow.
00:32:36.32\00:32:37.65
Do you remember?
00:32:37.69\00:32:39.75
Maybe you're too
young to remember.
00:32:39.79\00:32:42.36
When I was a girl,
00:32:42.39\00:32:43.73
there was a
program called Zorro.
00:32:43.76\00:32:45.79
He was this masked nobleman
00:32:45.83\00:32:48.53
and he went around
saving all the peasants.
00:32:48.56\00:32:52.63
And when he
would finish his work,
00:32:52.67\00:32:55.17
he would always draw
out a sword and he'd take
00:32:55.20\00:32:58.77
that sword and
he'd make his mark,
00:32:58.81\00:33:01.74
which was a Z in
three bold swipes.
00:33:01.78\00:33:06.45
He'd cut a Z into
the fence of the gate
00:33:06.48\00:33:11.99
to the town or something.
00:33:12.02\00:33:13.79
See, this is
what we've got to do
00:33:13.82\00:33:15.69
with the sword of the Spirit.
00:33:15.72\00:33:17.56
We have to pull it out.
00:33:17.59\00:33:20.56
And when the
devil tries to tell us
00:33:20.60\00:33:23.33
that we are worthless,
00:33:23.37\00:33:26.13
we've got to, three bold swipes,
00:33:26.17\00:33:30.47
"It is written."
00:33:30.51\00:33:33.51
"God loved me so much,
00:33:33.54\00:33:35.04
He send His Son to die for
me while I was yet a sinner."
00:33:35.08\00:33:39.45
That's Romans 5:8.
00:33:39.48\00:33:40.92
We've got to have this weapon
00:33:40.95\00:33:45.85
to pull down the strongholds
00:33:45.89\00:33:48.22
that the devil tries
to create in our mind.
00:33:48.26\00:33:53.60
Now here's one
that always gets people.
00:33:53.63\00:33:59.33
And this is 2 Corinthians 5:17.
00:33:59.37\00:34:04.24
In 2 Corinthians 5:17.
00:34:04.27\00:34:07.84
Paul writes, "Therefore
if anyone is in Christ,
00:34:07.88\00:34:11.48
he is a new creation.
00:34:11.51\00:34:14.95
Old things have
passed away, behold,
00:34:14.98\00:34:19.02
all things have become new."
00:34:19.05\00:34:21.96
So if we make
this 2 Corinthians 5:17
00:34:21.99\00:34:27.40
into an affirmation,
00:34:27.43\00:34:29.66
and we say aloud
with our living voice,
00:34:29.70\00:34:33.27
I am a new creation in Christ.
00:34:33.30\00:34:35.54
The old has gone
and the new has come.
00:34:35.57\00:34:37.74
Guess what happens
as soon as you say that?
00:34:37.77\00:34:42.31
As soon as you say
it, the thought comes,
00:34:42.34\00:34:47.88
oh, the old isn't really gone,
00:34:47.92\00:34:49.62
it keeps rearing its ugly head.
00:34:49.65\00:34:53.99
I don't know that
I am a new creation.
00:34:54.02\00:34:57.79
See, we have to
embrace what God says by faith.
00:34:57.83\00:35:03.10
This is God's testimony
of who you are in Christ.
00:35:03.13\00:35:06.77
So by faith, you have to say,
00:35:06.80\00:35:09.54
"I am a new
creation in Christ Jesus."
00:35:09.57\00:35:12.31
The old is
gone, the new has come
00:35:12.34\00:35:15.34
and maybe you're
doing what Romans 4:17 says
00:35:15.38\00:35:18.65
that God does.
00:35:18.68\00:35:20.02
We're calling things
00:35:20.05\00:35:21.38
that are not as
though they already were.
00:35:21.42\00:35:26.45
See, this is God's
destiny for your life.
00:35:26.49\00:35:29.56
So when you start
speaking and saying,
00:35:29.59\00:35:33.96
I am a new creation,
00:35:34.00\00:35:35.60
the old is gone,
the new has come.
00:35:35.63\00:35:38.60
You may feel a little
hypocritical at first,
00:35:38.63\00:35:41.57
but you just have to say, Lord,
I know I'm doing what you do.
00:35:41.60\00:35:44.84
I'm calling things that are
not as though they yet were.
00:35:44.87\00:35:47.94
You know the end
from the beginning.
00:35:47.98\00:35:50.08
You promised You would complete
the good work You began in me.
00:35:50.11\00:35:53.85
So I accept it by faith.
00:35:53.88\00:35:58.02
Isaiah 43:19.
00:35:58.05\00:36:02.86
I love this scripture.
00:36:02.89\00:36:04.79
God says, "Behold, I
will do a new thing."
00:36:04.83\00:36:09.13
Actually verse 18 starts off.
00:36:09.16\00:36:11.33
And God's saying,
"Don't dwell on the past."
00:36:11.37\00:36:15.10
You know, I know
I'm not a prophet
00:36:15.14\00:36:18.37
or the daughter of a prophet,
00:36:18.41\00:36:20.44
but I know as many
people are watching me.
00:36:20.48\00:36:24.88
There are people who
hear my voice right now,
00:36:24.91\00:36:30.62
who are stuck in the past.
00:36:30.65\00:36:34.46
You rehearse the same thing.
00:36:34.49\00:36:36.69
My mama did this to me.
00:36:36.73\00:36:38.06
My daddy didn't love me.
00:36:38.09\00:36:39.43
Mama, this
happened, that happened.
00:36:39.46\00:36:41.90
Or maybe you have done
something in the past yourself
00:36:41.93\00:36:47.80
and you can't forgive yourself.
00:36:47.84\00:36:50.64
You know the
Bible says in 1 John 9,
00:36:50.67\00:36:53.48
"If we confess our sins to God,
00:36:53.51\00:36:56.24
He is faithful and just
to forgive us of our sins
00:36:56.28\00:37:00.35
and to cleanse us
of all unrighteousness.
00:37:00.38\00:37:03.22
So God is saying,
don't dwell on the past
00:37:03.25\00:37:05.52
and listen to what He says.
00:37:05.55\00:37:06.89
Isaiah 43:19,
00:37:06.92\00:37:09.29
"Behold, I will do a new thing,
00:37:09.32\00:37:13.46
now it shall spring
forth, shall you not know it?
00:37:13.50\00:37:18.70
I will even make a
road in the wilderness
00:37:18.73\00:37:23.34
and rivers in the desert."
00:37:23.37\00:37:26.31
So you can take that.
00:37:26.34\00:37:29.08
That's a promise of God.
00:37:29.11\00:37:31.11
And you can say
back to the Lord,
00:37:31.15\00:37:33.58
I do not dwell
on my past mistakes.
00:37:33.62\00:37:36.82
I do not dwell on the
thing that happened to me
00:37:36.85\00:37:39.69
when I was a child.
00:37:39.72\00:37:41.39
God is doing a new thing in me
00:37:41.42\00:37:44.93
and it will
suddenly spring forward.
00:37:44.96\00:37:50.03
Isn't that good news?
00:37:50.07\00:37:51.97
But you know what?
00:37:52.00\00:37:53.34
It can't spring
forward if you're not accepting
00:37:53.37\00:37:58.94
the testimony of God
00:37:58.97\00:38:03.35
and of who He says
you are in Christ Jesus.
00:38:03.38\00:38:08.08
God was serious when He says,
00:38:08.12\00:38:10.25
you are a new
creation in Christ.
00:38:10.29\00:38:12.69
You are.
00:38:12.72\00:38:14.19
If you're in Christ,
God is gonna make sure
00:38:14.22\00:38:19.36
as He takes you on this walk,
00:38:19.39\00:38:22.90
this continuing
journey of Christianity,
00:38:22.93\00:38:25.53
He's gonna make sure
that the old things are gone.
00:38:25.57\00:38:30.44
Now let's look
at Philippians 2:13.
00:38:30.47\00:38:36.41
is a text I use to prove
00:38:44.75\00:38:49.12
that even
obedience is by God's grace.
00:38:49.16\00:38:54.80
I love this scripture.
00:38:54.83\00:38:57.17
And let me kind of set this up.
00:38:57.20\00:39:00.40
Philippians 2:12 says,
"Work out your own salvation
00:39:00.44\00:39:04.94
with fear and trembling."
00:39:04.97\00:39:08.21
Being distrustful of yourself.
00:39:08.24\00:39:10.55
I used to not get
beyond Philippians 2:12.
00:39:10.58\00:39:14.68
I'd read that and I think,
oh, my knees would be knocking.
00:39:14.72\00:39:18.22
You talk about
fear and trembling.
00:39:18.25\00:39:20.69
I had fear and
trembling thinking,
00:39:20.72\00:39:23.39
I've got to work
out my own salvation
00:39:23.43\00:39:25.86
'cause I didn't
understand God's covenant.
00:39:25.89\00:39:28.03
I didn't understand God's plan.
00:39:28.06\00:39:30.97
And one day as I'm
reading through Philippians,
00:39:31.00\00:39:34.90
it was like the next verse
00:39:34.94\00:39:37.81
just lit up like a neon sign.
00:39:37.84\00:39:41.54
And He's saying not in
your own strength though.
00:39:41.58\00:39:45.71
Yeah.
00:39:45.75\00:39:47.08
We gotta cooperate with
God to work out our salvation.
00:39:47.12\00:39:50.19
But He says, "It is
God who works in you
00:39:50.22\00:39:56.02
both to will and to do
00:39:56.06\00:40:00.06
His good pleasure."
00:40:00.10\00:40:02.46
You want me to
tell you how that works?
00:40:02.50\00:40:05.77
We come to God
and we say, "Lord,
00:40:05.80\00:40:11.47
I'm willing to do Your will."
00:40:11.51\00:40:13.07
And I remember
once I was praying this,
00:40:15.98\00:40:17.91
this was years before I even
became a Seventh-day Adventist.
00:40:17.95\00:40:21.78
I said, "Lord, I'm
willing to do Your will."
00:40:21.82\00:40:24.75
And you know what?
00:40:24.79\00:40:26.12
I heard that still
small voice, "No, you're not."
00:40:26.15\00:40:31.19
And I was, "Well Lord,
00:40:31.23\00:40:32.63
at least I'm
willing to be made willing."
00:40:32.66\00:40:36.26
See, we go to the
Lord and we say, Father,
00:40:36.30\00:40:41.00
help me to want to do Your will.
00:40:41.04\00:40:45.24
You can't even do
that in your own strength.
00:40:45.27\00:40:48.98
As you pray that, what God
does is He begins to line up
00:40:49.01\00:40:54.65
your desires with His desires.
00:40:54.68\00:40:58.55
He makes you want what He wants,
00:40:58.59\00:41:03.16
but He's not
gonna force you to act.
00:41:03.19\00:41:06.56
He will start changing.
00:41:06.59\00:41:07.93
I remember I was watching 3ABN,
00:41:07.96\00:41:12.37
an exercise program.
00:41:12.40\00:41:15.30
And I'd sit in my lazy chair,
00:41:15.34\00:41:17.91
my lazy boy recliner.
00:41:17.94\00:41:21.71
And I thought, boy,
00:41:21.74\00:41:23.14
I really do need
to start exercising.
00:41:23.18\00:41:26.38
I really do.
00:41:26.41\00:41:27.75
God was putting
that desire in my heart,
00:41:27.78\00:41:31.59
but He wasn't gonna
force me out of that chair
00:41:31.62\00:41:34.06
with a pinprick and
make me get up and exercise.
00:41:34.09\00:41:37.39
See what happens is
He works in us to will.
00:41:37.43\00:41:43.10
And then what we've got to
do when He changes our will,
00:41:43.13\00:41:47.60
when we want to do what He says,
00:41:47.64\00:41:50.37
we've got to take
one step of faith.
00:41:50.41\00:41:54.18
And when we step out in faith,
00:41:54.21\00:41:57.18
the power of the
Holy Spirit shows up
00:41:57.21\00:42:00.25
and God works in us to do.
00:42:00.28\00:42:05.22
So let's speak that
in the spirit of faith.
00:42:05.25\00:42:10.86
Father, thank You
00:42:10.89\00:42:14.03
that You are working
in me to change my will.
00:42:14.06\00:42:18.77
Thank You, Lord,
00:42:18.80\00:42:20.84
that You are going
to give me the victory
00:42:20.87\00:42:24.07
'cause You work in me
00:42:24.11\00:42:26.91
to do Your good pleasure
00:42:26.94\00:42:30.41
and, you know, God really
does have a plan for your life.
00:42:30.45\00:42:35.95
You may feel
like the barren Sarah
00:42:35.98\00:42:38.55
that people were laughing at,
00:42:38.59\00:42:40.89
but God looked down
00:42:40.92\00:42:42.26
and He saw her as
the mother of Israel.
00:42:42.29\00:42:45.09
And God's got a
specific plan for your life.
00:42:45.13\00:42:49.20
So what you have to
do is just thanking Lord.
00:42:49.23\00:42:52.67
Thank You that
You're working in me
00:42:52.70\00:42:55.04
to will and to do
00:42:55.07\00:42:59.67
Your good pleasure.
00:42:59.71\00:43:02.24
Jesus said
00:43:02.28\00:43:06.15
in John 15:5,
00:43:06.18\00:43:10.35
"I am the vine,
you are the branches."
00:43:10.39\00:43:14.96
He is the living vine.
00:43:14.99\00:43:17.19
"He who abides in Me
00:43:17.23\00:43:19.39
and I in him bears much fruit."
00:43:19.43\00:43:23.60
Then He goes on and He says,
00:43:23.63\00:43:25.57
"Without Me, you
can't do nothing."
00:43:25.60\00:43:30.67
Nada, zip, zilch.
00:43:30.71\00:43:35.51
What does He mean?
00:43:35.54\00:43:37.65
You can't do
anything of eternal value
00:43:37.68\00:43:43.59
without Jesus.
00:43:43.62\00:43:45.85
He is the vine.
00:43:45.89\00:43:47.62
We are to abide in Him.
00:43:47.66\00:43:50.13
And, you know, the sap
that comes from the vine,
00:43:50.16\00:43:55.13
the S-A-P is the
spirit's anointing power.
00:43:55.16\00:44:00.30
As we abide in Jesus,
00:44:00.34\00:44:02.34
the Holy Spirit flows through us
00:44:02.37\00:44:05.31
and He abides in
our hearts by faith.
00:44:05.34\00:44:08.11
And then Paul says,
"I could do all things
00:44:08.14\00:44:13.35
through Christ
who strengthens me."
00:44:13.38\00:44:16.52
That's Philippians 4:13.
00:44:16.55\00:44:19.82
It's not that I
can do some things.
00:44:19.85\00:44:22.69
I can do all
things through Christ
00:44:22.72\00:44:26.19
who strengthens me.
00:44:26.23\00:44:27.63
So let's put those
00:44:27.66\00:44:29.50
two verses together.
00:44:29.53\00:44:33.84
He says, I'm the
vine, you're the branches.
00:44:33.87\00:44:38.91
Apart from Me,
you can do nothing.
00:44:38.94\00:44:40.88
Paul says, yeah,
but connected to You,
00:44:40.91\00:44:43.35
I can do everything.
00:44:43.38\00:44:44.88
So this is what
we're going to say.
00:44:44.91\00:44:48.18
We're gonna pray
back to the Lord.
00:44:48.22\00:44:50.49
John 15:5,
00:44:50.52\00:44:52.32
"Lord I know apart from You,
00:44:52.35\00:44:56.86
I can do nothing."
00:44:56.89\00:45:01.50
Nothing.
00:45:01.53\00:45:03.90
Nothing of eternal value.
00:45:03.93\00:45:05.97
I can do nothing to save myself.
00:45:06.00\00:45:09.94
Salvation is a gift of grace.
00:45:09.97\00:45:15.84
Salvation is
something we receive.
00:45:15.88\00:45:19.25
Then God begins to work in us
00:45:19.28\00:45:21.05
to will and to do
His good pleasure.
00:45:21.08\00:45:23.72
And then He motivates us by love
00:45:23.75\00:45:27.26
to follow His commandments
and be loyal to Him.
00:45:27.29\00:45:30.33
So we can say, "Lord,
I know apart from You,
00:45:30.36\00:45:32.56
I can do nothing."
00:45:32.59\00:45:35.03
But let's add Philippians 4:13,
00:45:35.06\00:45:38.13
"Oh, but thank you
Jesus that through You,
00:45:38.17\00:45:41.84
I can do all things
00:45:41.87\00:45:45.27
because You impart
00:45:45.31\00:45:48.74
your strength to me."
00:45:48.78\00:45:51.85
And you know what?
00:45:51.88\00:45:53.21
Jesus said in 2
Corinthians 12:9,
00:45:53.25\00:45:57.85
He's talking to
Paul and you know
00:45:57.89\00:46:00.32
what He says to Paul?
00:46:00.36\00:46:02.09
"My grace is sufficient
00:46:02.12\00:46:06.80
for you,
00:46:06.83\00:46:08.50
for My power is made
perfect in weakness."
00:46:08.53\00:46:14.30
Grace is what it's all about.
00:46:14.34\00:46:18.21
Grace, the
undeserved gifts from God,
00:46:18.24\00:46:23.35
the gift of Jesus Christ,
00:46:23.38\00:46:26.75
the gift of Him paying
the penalty for our sins.
00:46:26.78\00:46:31.02
The gift of the Holy Spirit.
00:46:31.05\00:46:35.89
He even says, we have the mind
of Christ is what Paul wrote.
00:46:35.92\00:46:40.53
And by the Holy Spirit,
00:46:40.56\00:46:42.53
and by getting
this Word in your mind,
00:46:42.56\00:46:45.20
it will change your mind.
00:46:45.23\00:46:47.70
You will have
the mind of Christ,
00:46:47.74\00:46:50.81
so we can say, "Oh,
thank You, Lord Jesus,
00:46:50.84\00:46:54.41
that Your grace is sufficient.
00:46:54.44\00:46:56.78
Thank You
00:46:56.81\00:46:58.35
that Your power is made
perfect in my weakness."
00:46:58.38\00:47:02.05
You know, Paul said,
00:47:02.08\00:47:03.79
"I will therefore
gladly boast in my weaknesses
00:47:03.82\00:47:08.56
that Christ's
power may rest on me."
00:47:08.59\00:47:11.73
You see what He does
00:47:11.76\00:47:14.66
and this is the beauty
of God's plan of salvation.
00:47:14.70\00:47:20.20
He justifies us.
00:47:20.24\00:47:23.51
He looks at it,
that's a forensic term.
00:47:23.54\00:47:28.11
It's a legal term.
00:47:28.14\00:47:29.48
It means, you've
been declared not guilty.
00:47:29.51\00:47:33.15
He justifies us by
the blood of Jesus.
00:47:33.18\00:47:36.92
Jesus died to pay our penalty
and when we confess our sins,
00:47:36.95\00:47:41.32
God would say, "Not guilty."
00:47:41.36\00:47:44.03
But then He sanctifies us
00:47:44.06\00:47:49.10
through Jesus.
00:47:49.13\00:47:50.67
So, not only is Jesus' record
00:47:50.70\00:47:54.70
covering our past
sins, but He imparts,
00:47:54.74\00:48:00.38
He imputes His
righteousness to us.
00:48:00.41\00:48:04.71
He infuses us with power.
00:48:04.75\00:48:08.92
He infuses us with strength.
00:48:08.95\00:48:12.62
That's what this is all about.
00:48:12.65\00:48:16.42
It's God's divine assistance
00:48:16.46\00:48:20.60
and supernatural
power for salvation.
00:48:20.63\00:48:24.83
So you can take
2 Corinthians 12:9,
00:48:24.87\00:48:30.37
and you can say, "Lord,
00:48:30.41\00:48:32.07
I thank You that
Your grace is sufficient.
00:48:32.11\00:48:35.48
Lord, I thank You
00:48:35.51\00:48:38.35
that Your power is made
perfect in my weakness."
00:48:38.38\00:48:42.08
And you know what?
00:48:42.12\00:48:43.79
He will see that it happens.
00:48:43.82\00:48:47.69
I have a friend right now,
00:48:47.72\00:48:51.03
a young friend, the
mother of two young children.
00:48:51.06\00:48:56.16
She's been hospitalized
for six months and her husband
00:48:56.20\00:49:00.77
has been amazing.
00:49:00.80\00:49:05.84
He's a strong Christian,
but he's trying to take her,
00:49:05.87\00:49:09.38
they're in a city that's
not even where their home is.
00:49:09.41\00:49:13.35
He spends half a day
at the hospital with her,
00:49:13.38\00:49:17.15
then he still trying
to run his work business.
00:49:17.19\00:49:21.96
And he's taking
care of two kids.
00:49:21.99\00:49:24.56
And sometimes he
feels overwhelmed.
00:49:24.59\00:49:27.20
But you know what he's saying?
00:49:27.23\00:49:29.13
Thank You, Lord, that
Your grace is sufficient.
00:49:29.16\00:49:32.73
Thank You that Your power
00:49:32.77\00:49:35.34
is made perfect in my weakness."
00:49:35.37\00:49:38.04
And God is
proving it to be true.
00:49:38.07\00:49:41.88
Now in Luke 9:23,
00:49:41.91\00:49:45.71
Jesus said to them all,
00:49:48.85\00:49:51.39
"If anyone
desires to come after Me,
00:49:51.42\00:49:55.99
let him deny himself
00:49:56.02\00:49:59.79
and pick up his cross daily
00:49:59.83\00:50:04.03
and follow Me."
00:50:04.07\00:50:06.37
You know, I just
cringe when I hear people say,
00:50:06.40\00:50:11.17
oh, we've all got
our cross to bear.
00:50:11.21\00:50:14.28
Bless your heart.
00:50:14.31\00:50:16.01
That no good
husband of her left her
00:50:16.04\00:50:17.91
with those three
children and blah, blah, blah.
00:50:17.95\00:50:21.35
When Jesus said
pick up your cross,
00:50:21.38\00:50:24.49
He's not talking about a burden.
00:50:24.52\00:50:27.46
The people to
whom He was speaking,
00:50:27.49\00:50:29.92
understood
exactly what He meant.
00:50:29.96\00:50:33.86
He was, when someone
picked up their cross,
00:50:33.90\00:50:37.40
they were going to be crucified.
00:50:37.43\00:50:41.14
So Jesus is
saying, pick up your cross,
00:50:41.17\00:50:44.67
deny yourself, pick
up your cross daily.
00:50:44.71\00:50:49.94
In other words,
00:50:49.98\00:50:51.31
He's gonna
crucify and I'll tell you,
00:50:51.35\00:50:55.85
it takes a daily crucifixion.
00:50:55.88\00:50:59.29
He crucifies
that old flesh nature,
00:50:59.32\00:51:02.26
that old sin nature.
00:51:02.29\00:51:05.79
Actually that's the
nature was nailed to the cross,
00:51:05.83\00:51:10.17
but He is saying, deny yourself,
00:51:10.20\00:51:13.54
pick up your cross daily,
00:51:13.57\00:51:15.40
be ready to die
to selfish desires,
00:51:15.44\00:51:19.11
be ready to follow Me.
00:51:19.14\00:51:21.98
So we can say as an affirmation,
00:51:22.01\00:51:26.48
oh Lord,
00:51:26.51\00:51:28.05
and this is how I pray.
00:51:28.08\00:51:32.52
Cause me to pick
up my cross today.
00:51:32.55\00:51:36.52
Cause me to deny
myself in selfish pleasures.
00:51:36.56\00:51:42.20
Cause me, oh Lord, to
follow in Your footsteps.
00:51:42.23\00:51:48.00
It's something
that, you know, Paul said,
00:51:48.04\00:51:53.58
"I am crucified to the
world and the world to me."
00:51:53.61\00:51:57.48
We have to, he said,
I die daily brothers.
00:52:00.68\00:52:04.89
I mean it.
00:52:04.92\00:52:06.25
It is so amazing.
00:52:06.29\00:52:08.79
And let me, I think,
yeah, I've got one more of that.
00:52:08.82\00:52:12.16
Let me go ahead
and give you this one,
00:52:12.19\00:52:14.83
because you can't even do
that in your own strength.
00:52:14.86\00:52:19.93
In Romans 8:13, Paul said,
00:52:19.97\00:52:24.21
"If you live according
to the flesh, you will die."
00:52:24.24\00:52:29.51
Now he's talking about
the second eternal death here.
00:52:29.54\00:52:33.21
If you live
according to the flesh,
00:52:33.25\00:52:36.42
which means you're not living
according to God's will at all,
00:52:36.45\00:52:40.39
you will die.
00:52:40.42\00:52:44.03
But He says,
00:52:44.06\00:52:46.86
"If by the spirit
00:52:46.90\00:52:50.80
you put to death the
misdeeds of the body,
00:52:50.83\00:52:55.40
you will live."
00:52:55.44\00:52:56.77
Did you catch that?
00:52:56.81\00:52:58.54
Paul's saying live
according to the flesh,
00:52:58.57\00:53:01.41
second death is what
you're looking forward to.
00:53:01.44\00:53:04.25
But if by the
spirit, so there's the power,
00:53:04.28\00:53:09.95
you put to death the misdeeds
of your flesh, you will live.
00:53:09.98\00:53:14.32
See the Holy Spirit
00:53:14.36\00:53:18.29
isn't going to force you.
00:53:18.33\00:53:21.43
The Holy Spirit is
going to empower you
00:53:21.46\00:53:26.84
to do this work.
00:53:26.87\00:53:28.20
What we see here,
00:53:28.24\00:53:30.07
if by the spirit
you put to death,
00:53:30.11\00:53:33.24
it's working
this cooperative work
00:53:33.27\00:53:37.11
that you're saying, Lord,
00:53:37.15\00:53:38.51
I am willing to work
with Your Holy Spirit.
00:53:38.55\00:53:42.15
So we can turn this
into an affirmation and say,
00:53:42.18\00:53:45.79
"Oh, Lord, cause me
00:53:45.82\00:53:48.12
to put to death the
misdeeds of my flesh.
00:53:48.16\00:53:51.03
Cause me to do this by
the power of Your Spirit,
00:53:51.06\00:53:55.53
oh fill me, Lord.
00:53:55.56\00:53:58.13
In Luke 11:9-10,
00:53:58.17\00:54:03.41
Jesus said, "I say to you, 'Ask,
00:54:03.44\00:54:08.78
and it will be given,
seek, and you will find,
00:54:08.81\00:54:13.08
knock and the door
will be opened up to you.'"
00:54:13.11\00:54:17.22
These are in the
Greek linear verbs.
00:54:17.25\00:54:21.22
So what he's saying is
ask and keep on asking,
00:54:21.26\00:54:25.29
seek and keep on seeking,
knock and keep on knocking.
00:54:25.33\00:54:30.10
And then in
verse 13, Luke 11:13,
00:54:30.13\00:54:34.47
he tells us what
he's asking us to ask for.
00:54:34.50\00:54:39.34
He says, "If you being evil know
00:54:39.37\00:54:41.18
how to give good
gifts to your children,
00:54:41.21\00:54:43.65
how much more will
your heavenly Father
00:54:43.68\00:54:47.95
give the Holy
Spirit to those who ask
00:54:47.98\00:54:53.76
and keep on asking?"
00:54:53.79\00:54:56.22
See, we're not
just filled one time
00:54:56.26\00:55:01.56
with the Holy Spirit.
00:55:01.60\00:55:03.83
When we accept Christ,
00:55:03.87\00:55:05.20
the Holy Spirit
resides in our heart,
00:55:05.23\00:55:07.57
but he can only,
we can only be filled
00:55:07.60\00:55:10.64
with the Holy
Spirit to the degree
00:55:10.67\00:55:12.37
that we're empty of self.
00:55:12.41\00:55:14.58
So we can, the Bible
says grieve the Holy Spirit.
00:55:14.61\00:55:19.71
We can resist the Holy Spirit.
00:55:19.75\00:55:22.12
We can even
quench the Holy Spirit.
00:55:22.15\00:55:25.12
So I want you to make
this your daily prayer
00:55:25.15\00:55:30.43
from the Scripture.
00:55:30.46\00:55:32.56
Pray every morning.
00:55:32.59\00:55:34.00
I pray it several
times throughout the day.
00:55:34.03\00:55:37.07
I say, oh Lord,
00:55:37.10\00:55:39.00
I am asking and
seeking to be filled
00:55:39.03\00:55:44.97
with Your Holy Spirit today.
00:55:45.01\00:55:49.74
Thank You, Lord.
00:55:49.78\00:55:51.48
Thank You, Lord,
00:55:51.51\00:55:53.35
that You are more
willing to give this to me
00:55:53.38\00:55:57.12
than any good parent
00:55:57.15\00:55:59.45
would give their
children good gifts.
00:55:59.49\00:56:03.02
Now let's wind this up
00:56:03.06\00:56:06.66
with Psalm 143:10,
00:56:06.70\00:56:11.13
beautiful scripture.
00:56:11.17\00:56:13.84
The Psalmist
writes in Psalm 143:10,
00:56:13.87\00:56:18.04
"Teach me to do Your
will, for You are my God.
00:56:18.07\00:56:23.28
Your Spirit is good.
00:56:23.31\00:56:26.85
Lead me in the
land of uprightness."
00:56:26.88\00:56:31.02
That means, you're
walking in God's way.
00:56:31.05\00:56:35.06
So I want you to
pray Psalm 143:10.
00:56:35.09\00:56:40.30
And say, "Lord,
teach me to do Your will.
00:56:40.33\00:56:45.63
Lead me by Your Holy Spirit.
00:56:45.67\00:56:48.57
I pray Your perfect will
00:56:48.60\00:56:51.47
will be done in my life today."
00:56:51.51\00:56:54.74
Do you see that you can be freed
00:56:54.78\00:56:59.61
by the power of God's Word.
00:56:59.65\00:57:02.12
God can cut you free
from the cord of the wicked
00:57:02.15\00:57:05.85
that is binding you.
00:57:05.89\00:57:07.79
All you have to do
is get into His Word.
00:57:07.82\00:57:11.49
Trust what the Lord says.
00:57:11.53\00:57:13.19
No, He's calling
things that are not
00:57:13.23\00:57:15.30
as though they already
were return His Word to Him,
00:57:15.33\00:57:19.20
IT will not return void.
00:57:19.23\00:57:21.14
But God is
watching over His Word
00:57:21.17\00:57:25.94
to perform it in
your life and in mine.
00:57:25.97\00:57:30.35
God bless.
00:57:30.38\00:57:31.71