Prophetic imaginations create theories, what ifs, innovations and views of possibilities. They help us come up with new ways to solve problems and succeed in life and ministry.
Prophetic imagination inspires one to act, to try something different or to dream of better things.
Prophetic imagination has no boundaries and is never hindered by a lack of education.
With it you can enter the past and the future. What a wonderful tool to manifest the Kingdom of God in your life. After the fall man did not lose his ability to use imagination, the imagination, however, became corrupted. It could now see both good and evil. The good news is that you can cast down vain imaginations and redirect your imagination to think, create and bring forth God’s purpose for your life.
All creativity and innovation comes through prophetic imagination. Think about this, all things visible were created first in the realm of the unseen, the prophetic imagination. God created you with the ability to dream and to do great things. He continues to have high expectations. He expects you to multiply, produce, increase, subdue and take dominion of this world (Genesis 1:27). Imagine that.
As a born-again believer you are part of a royal priesthood, a priesthood of kings. Have you ever heard it said that Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords? Who are these kings and rulers? The answer is you and I, born-again believers. God created you with the ability to change the world starting with your world. Nothing can stand in your way. Believe today and use your prophetic imagination to change your circumstances and order your life for Christ in a brand new way.
TREASURES WITHIN
The power of prophetic imagination is part of your human design. You were created with the ability to be led by the Spirit of God in your inner man and created with the capacity to see all things possible within your redeemed imagination. Creation and the ability to bring forth is part of the nature of God who created all things from an image He saw and brought into being. God created you spirit, soul and body. scri pture declares, “I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
Before you can unlock prophetic imaginations within, you need to understand your spirit design. As a born-again believer you are a spirit, you have a soul and you live in a body. Your body is not you. Your body is only the house your spirit lives in. Before you were born again your spirit man was separated from the life of God, it was dead in trespasses and sin (Ephesians 2:1). But when you repented of your sins and asked Jesus to come into your heart your spirit man came alive. Like we said in the opening chapter of this book you became a “new creature in Christ Jesus, old things are passed away behold all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Now you have the ability to see God’s Word working in your life. You can now image “all things possible to him that believeth.” That’s the power of prophetic imagination.
scripture declares, “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things” (Matthew 12:35). The Greek word for treasure is thesaurus. Twenty years ago the word thesaurus would not have impacted me like it does today. As a writer I often use a thesaurus to help me. Writers use a thesaurus as a tool to aid them to be more concise and de scri ptive. A thesaurus is an index, a storehouse and a place for word processing. Used appropriately, it enables the skilled wordsmith to paint a full picture through the proper use of words. Jesus said that a good man has a good thesaurus, treasure. Your treasure is the repository of truth in your born-again spirit. It is the dwelling place of “all things possible,” the prophetic imagination. It is the storehouse of your dreams, imaginations and the blueprint of your future.
A good man’s treasure has tremendous value. Jesus said, “The Kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field, the which when a man hath found he hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field” (Matthew 13:44). Jesus taught His disciples the value of the Kingdom of God. As born-again believers we have access to the Kingdom of God through our born again spirits. The Kingdom of God is not a place “out there” somewhere on the other side of the planet Pluto. The Kingdom of heaven for the Christian is all around him or her in another realm Jesus called the Kingdom.
Jesus also said the “Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). Today many call the Kingdom of God the realm of the Spirit. In that Kingdom realm there is abundance, peace and fullness of joy. Again, Jesus said, “The good man out of the good treasure (thesaurus) of the heart bringeth forth good things.” Notice that treasure and heart live in the same location. Where you find one you always find the other. Your treasure is the birthplace of dreams, imaginations, and all things hoped for. It is the repository of all the elements that make up your future. From the treasure of the heart a good man will bring forth good things. Imagine the possibilities of all things possible to him that believeth.
YOUR VIRTUAL WORLD
Through prophetic imagination you can design your own virtual world. Gustav Klimt was a famous Austrian Art Nouveau painter. His painting “Portrait of a Lady in Red” sold at Christie’s auction house for $4 million dollars in 2001. He said, “Anyone who wants to know something about me ought to look carefully at my pictures.” God could surely say the same, “Anyone who wants to know more about Me should look at My pictures.” His grandeur is seen from mountaintop to mountaintop and from shining sea to shining sea.
What about you? What pictures are you painting in your life? Many are dreaming about one life while living another. If you are unhappy with your life there is a way to change your circumstances. I want to encourage you to dream again and envision yourself achieving something great. You can master plan your life by imagining something new and fresh then setting sensible goals for attainment. I can’t stress this enough, imagination without specific goals for achievement is vain fantasy. Go ahead, dream again. scri pture declares, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” Be specific and biblical with goal setting by writing your prophetic imagination down, making it plain so you can run toward your destiny.
MEDITATION AND REFLECTION
God created you with a unique ability to see prophetic possibilities. We call that seeing capacity imagination.
Prophetic imagination inspires one to act, to try something different or to dream of better things.
Prophetic imaginations create theories, what ifs, innovations and views of possibilities. They help us come up with new ways to solve problems and succeed in life and ministry.
Your treasure is the repository of truth in your born-again spirit. It is the dwelling place of “all things possible,” the prophetic imagination. It is the storehouse of your dreams, imaginations and the blueprint of your future.
9/29/2008
VISIONS AND DREAMS
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1
by Os Hillman
Monday, September 29 2008
"In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions; your old men will dream dreams." Acts 2:17
"I need to meet with you," said the man from England during a break at a conference overseas. We walked outside to have a coffee break and sat down. "God wants you to know that He removed your finances in order to reserve His reward for you in Heaven. He has done you a great service."
I was shocked. I'd never met this gentleman before. How would he have known I had lost a half million dollars in the previous few years, virtually all of my financial net worth, to some unusual calamities? We shared for the next several minutes.
That week, during our lunch and dinner times, I had been enjoying wonderful, juicy oranges from this island in the Mediterranean Sea. It came time for the gentleman and I to conclude our coffee break. We bowed in prayer. As we prayed, the man began to describe a picture he was seeing in his mind.
"I see a picture of a large orange tree. The tree is full of large, ripened oranges. They are beginning to fall to the ground. You are the tree!"
Again, I looked at the man with shock and amazement, and now tears in my eyes.
"You are the third person in three years that has had a similar vision during a prayer time like this. The first two people were also strangers to me."
I went back into the meeting rejoicing that God could be so personal in my life. He used a servant who had gone through similar trials to supernaturally speak a word of encouragement in a way that I would know it was God who was speaking.
There are times when God supernaturally speaks into our lives. He does this to demonstrate His power, His love, and His intimacy with us. Do not be surprised if God sends one of His messengers to speak into your life when you need it most. Be open to how God might want to speak into your life today. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers (Psalm 1:3).
by Os Hillman
Monday, September 29 2008
"In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions; your old men will dream dreams." Acts 2:17
"I need to meet with you," said the man from England during a break at a conference overseas. We walked outside to have a coffee break and sat down. "God wants you to know that He removed your finances in order to reserve His reward for you in Heaven. He has done you a great service."
I was shocked. I'd never met this gentleman before. How would he have known I had lost a half million dollars in the previous few years, virtually all of my financial net worth, to some unusual calamities? We shared for the next several minutes.
That week, during our lunch and dinner times, I had been enjoying wonderful, juicy oranges from this island in the Mediterranean Sea. It came time for the gentleman and I to conclude our coffee break. We bowed in prayer. As we prayed, the man began to describe a picture he was seeing in his mind.
"I see a picture of a large orange tree. The tree is full of large, ripened oranges. They are beginning to fall to the ground. You are the tree!"
Again, I looked at the man with shock and amazement, and now tears in my eyes.
"You are the third person in three years that has had a similar vision during a prayer time like this. The first two people were also strangers to me."
I went back into the meeting rejoicing that God could be so personal in my life. He used a servant who had gone through similar trials to supernaturally speak a word of encouragement in a way that I would know it was God who was speaking.
There are times when God supernaturally speaks into our lives. He does this to demonstrate His power, His love, and His intimacy with us. Do not be surprised if God sends one of His messengers to speak into your life when you need it most. Be open to how God might want to speak into your life today. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers (Psalm 1:3).
9/24/2008
GOD'S MESSENGERS
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1
by Os Hillman
Wednesday, September 24 2008
"Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets." Amos 3:7
"You are called to free workplace believers from the Esau life." Those were the words spoken to me years ago by someone God sent into my life. I had been in the midst of trying to understand some catastrophic events that shook my world. Years later, I was able to see that God gave this person supernatural insight that revealed God's calling on my life.
God still uses His prophets today to reveal His plans in the lives of His people. I have seen this Scripture proved over and over in the lives of people. It is as though God sends out His "scouts" to inform His servants what is ahead for them. Sometimes He does this because He knows the event will require such changes in that person's life and so He wants to assure them of His love. I have experienced the Lord using me in this way in the life of other individuals. God did this in the life of Moses. He came to Moses at the burning bush to reveal His purposes for the people of Israel and His call on Moses to free them. Has God placed individuals in your life to speak His plans for you? Are your eyes and ears spiritually sensitive so that you will know who are messengers of God? Elisha had a servant who could not see or hear with spiritual eyes and ears until Elisha prayed they would be opened. Then the servant could see the great army of God protecting them (see 2 Kings 6:17). Pray that you might see and hear with the Spirit. He may desire to reveal His purposes and plans through another individual.
by Os Hillman
Wednesday, September 24 2008
"Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets." Amos 3:7
"You are called to free workplace believers from the Esau life." Those were the words spoken to me years ago by someone God sent into my life. I had been in the midst of trying to understand some catastrophic events that shook my world. Years later, I was able to see that God gave this person supernatural insight that revealed God's calling on my life.
God still uses His prophets today to reveal His plans in the lives of His people. I have seen this Scripture proved over and over in the lives of people. It is as though God sends out His "scouts" to inform His servants what is ahead for them. Sometimes He does this because He knows the event will require such changes in that person's life and so He wants to assure them of His love. I have experienced the Lord using me in this way in the life of other individuals. God did this in the life of Moses. He came to Moses at the burning bush to reveal His purposes for the people of Israel and His call on Moses to free them. Has God placed individuals in your life to speak His plans for you? Are your eyes and ears spiritually sensitive so that you will know who are messengers of God? Elisha had a servant who could not see or hear with spiritual eyes and ears until Elisha prayed they would be opened. Then the servant could see the great army of God protecting them (see 2 Kings 6:17). Pray that you might see and hear with the Spirit. He may desire to reveal His purposes and plans through another individual.
HOW YOU THINK AFFECTS YOUR LIFE
As you become skillful at “casting down every imagination and high thing that exalts itself against the Word of God” you will experience more peace and a greater focus toward purpose within your life.
An evil imagination is a death wound formed in the soul that has its roots in the fallen corrupted nature of man.
God created your mind for thinking. Your mind is like a critically thinking super computer designed to draw on information for the purpose of coming to a rightful determination. It will continually search out bits of data from life experience, prior knowledge, even assumptions to extrapolate a conclusion. To extrapolate means to use information as the starting point to gain knowledge, draw inferences and make decisions about something unknown. There are thoughts that suppose something and are nothing more than random bits of information without merit, proof, witness, or substance. Thoughts like that have no real value and are unsystematic. The most dangerous thoughts, however, are those that lead to a particular belief.
The source of thoughts, your thoughts, needs to be discerned. Are they real or imagined? Good or bad, right or wrong? Was Hamlet on to something when he echoed Montaigne who said, “There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so?” Can your thoughts make things so? Do they deserve your attention? Should they be reflected on and acted out?
Only the mature understand the wisdom of parsed judgment until they can assemble all the necessary facts and come to a rightful conclusion. These champions of the kingdom know how to think. Like precision time pieces that carry the unfaltering sounds of tick-tock they examine each systematic movement of the big hand until finally clarity forms within their minds. Then and only then do they move the small hand forward and enter the next hour.
How you think affects your life. The Apostle Paul taught his students not to think like flawed gentiles. The gentiles were outside the covenant blessings of God until salvation. Paul used them as an example. He said that Christ’ disciples should not walk like they do in the “vanity of their minds,” in different words, banned imaginations. “How does one walk in the vanity of their minds,” you ask? By trying to live out vain imaginations.
Paul said, “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind; Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart” (Ephesians 4:17-18). Remember the meeting between the fallacious serpent in the Garden of Eden and Eve? As already said, she looked, she took, she ate, and she gave to her husband and he also partook. This scri pture teaches the power of toying with deceptive words and imaginations. Fallen mankind, walking out the vanity within their minds, searches for ways to fulfill sensual, fleshly, lustful passions, and when they find them those passions pull on their carnal nature.
WHAT’S IN YOU?
Satan’s activities are still the same today, thousands of years later. He looks through ancient eyes for something in you to work with. Something small, perhaps a seed, something hidden from the sunlight, or something buried deep within. It could be pride, rejection or lust. It could be bitterness, unforgiveness, even the love of money. Again, he has nothing to web except what’s already in you. Jesus said, “For the prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me” (John 14:30). What about you? When that old dragon draws near can he find anything in you to anvil? To win the war against your mind you must, “Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Carnal thoughts and pondered vain imaginations give the enemy opportunity to attack you.
Peter also wrote about the dangers of vain words, thoughts and imaginations. “For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought into bondage” (2 Peter 2:18-19). Did you get that? Carnal passion, stirred by the lusts of the flesh and vanity within the mind is designed to overtake you and bring you to the timbered stocks. That’s why Paul said to avoid the vanity within the mind. Vain thoughts are enticements toward further carnality and conceiving sin. Like walking in cold sunlight they pull on the old man, that carnal nature that needs daily crucifixion. Is he dead in your life?
An evil imagination is a death wound formed in the soul that has its roots in the fallen corrupted nature of man. It is a different way of walking, outside your design. Like an addiction, vain imaginations can grab you and pull at your soul beckoning the reapers to come. Spoken greed, for example, draws on the blackened sinful nature of man. So, too, lust that pants for the forbidden. Lust is fabricated first within the imagination then onto the flesh looking for its harvest. When pondered it’s like a narcotic to the most addicted of junkies.
What did Peter mean “they are servants of corruption?” Bondage! That’s right, slavery trenched deep within their souls. Those taken captive through cultivated sinful imaginations become slaves fettered to their own carnality. Paul’s warning “don’t think like that” is significant. “How can one be overcome by an imagination,” you query? As mentioned before, by brooding evil thoughts within the mind, imaging them and acting them out. That’s what happened to Eve. She considered what the serpent said, she pondered the outcome, and she partook of the forbidden thereby giving birth to sin.
Futile imaginations obscure vision and corrupt judgment. scri pture says, “Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart” (Ephesians 4:18). Your understanding can only be darkened when you are carried away by carnal thoughts and hollow imaginations. You must avoid them at all cost because they separate you from the good life of Christ and blind spiritual understanding.
All of us must avoid carnal thoughts and vain imaginations and cast them down as they occur, even those that come from others. As you become skillful at “casting down every imagination and high thing that exalts itself against the Word of God” you will experience more peace and a greater focus toward purpose within your life.
It seems we have come full circle once again in our pursuit of winning the battles against the mind. The bottom line is the mind must be renewed. Some try to get the Holy Spirit to grapple with their minds. The problem with that is you must be involved in the process by making every effort to renew your mind yourself. Give the Holy Spirit something to work with. Make the effort by studying to “show yourself approved.” Epictetus said, “No great thing is created suddenly.” So meditate on the Word daily. It will impart life, truth and grace for living into your soul.
MEDITATION AND REFLECTION
To extrapolate means to use information as the starting point to draw inferences or conclusions about something unknown.
There are thoughts that suppose something and are nothing more than random bits of information without merit, proof, witness, or substance.
Satan’s activities are still the same today. He looks for something in you to work with. It could be pride, rebellion or lust. It’s significant to remember that he has nothing to work with except what’s already in you.
An evil imagination is a death wound formed in the soul that has its roots in the fallen corrupted nature of man.
God created your mind for thinking. Your mind is like a critically thinking super computer designed to draw on information for the purpose of coming to a rightful determination. It will continually search out bits of data from life experience, prior knowledge, even assumptions to extrapolate a conclusion. To extrapolate means to use information as the starting point to gain knowledge, draw inferences and make decisions about something unknown. There are thoughts that suppose something and are nothing more than random bits of information without merit, proof, witness, or substance. Thoughts like that have no real value and are unsystematic. The most dangerous thoughts, however, are those that lead to a particular belief.
The source of thoughts, your thoughts, needs to be discerned. Are they real or imagined? Good or bad, right or wrong? Was Hamlet on to something when he echoed Montaigne who said, “There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so?” Can your thoughts make things so? Do they deserve your attention? Should they be reflected on and acted out?
Only the mature understand the wisdom of parsed judgment until they can assemble all the necessary facts and come to a rightful conclusion. These champions of the kingdom know how to think. Like precision time pieces that carry the unfaltering sounds of tick-tock they examine each systematic movement of the big hand until finally clarity forms within their minds. Then and only then do they move the small hand forward and enter the next hour.
How you think affects your life. The Apostle Paul taught his students not to think like flawed gentiles. The gentiles were outside the covenant blessings of God until salvation. Paul used them as an example. He said that Christ’ disciples should not walk like they do in the “vanity of their minds,” in different words, banned imaginations. “How does one walk in the vanity of their minds,” you ask? By trying to live out vain imaginations.
Paul said, “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind; Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart” (Ephesians 4:17-18). Remember the meeting between the fallacious serpent in the Garden of Eden and Eve? As already said, she looked, she took, she ate, and she gave to her husband and he also partook. This scri pture teaches the power of toying with deceptive words and imaginations. Fallen mankind, walking out the vanity within their minds, searches for ways to fulfill sensual, fleshly, lustful passions, and when they find them those passions pull on their carnal nature.
WHAT’S IN YOU?
Satan’s activities are still the same today, thousands of years later. He looks through ancient eyes for something in you to work with. Something small, perhaps a seed, something hidden from the sunlight, or something buried deep within. It could be pride, rejection or lust. It could be bitterness, unforgiveness, even the love of money. Again, he has nothing to web except what’s already in you. Jesus said, “For the prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me” (John 14:30). What about you? When that old dragon draws near can he find anything in you to anvil? To win the war against your mind you must, “Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Carnal thoughts and pondered vain imaginations give the enemy opportunity to attack you.
Peter also wrote about the dangers of vain words, thoughts and imaginations. “For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought into bondage” (2 Peter 2:18-19). Did you get that? Carnal passion, stirred by the lusts of the flesh and vanity within the mind is designed to overtake you and bring you to the timbered stocks. That’s why Paul said to avoid the vanity within the mind. Vain thoughts are enticements toward further carnality and conceiving sin. Like walking in cold sunlight they pull on the old man, that carnal nature that needs daily crucifixion. Is he dead in your life?
An evil imagination is a death wound formed in the soul that has its roots in the fallen corrupted nature of man. It is a different way of walking, outside your design. Like an addiction, vain imaginations can grab you and pull at your soul beckoning the reapers to come. Spoken greed, for example, draws on the blackened sinful nature of man. So, too, lust that pants for the forbidden. Lust is fabricated first within the imagination then onto the flesh looking for its harvest. When pondered it’s like a narcotic to the most addicted of junkies.
What did Peter mean “they are servants of corruption?” Bondage! That’s right, slavery trenched deep within their souls. Those taken captive through cultivated sinful imaginations become slaves fettered to their own carnality. Paul’s warning “don’t think like that” is significant. “How can one be overcome by an imagination,” you query? As mentioned before, by brooding evil thoughts within the mind, imaging them and acting them out. That’s what happened to Eve. She considered what the serpent said, she pondered the outcome, and she partook of the forbidden thereby giving birth to sin.
Futile imaginations obscure vision and corrupt judgment. scri pture says, “Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart” (Ephesians 4:18). Your understanding can only be darkened when you are carried away by carnal thoughts and hollow imaginations. You must avoid them at all cost because they separate you from the good life of Christ and blind spiritual understanding.
All of us must avoid carnal thoughts and vain imaginations and cast them down as they occur, even those that come from others. As you become skillful at “casting down every imagination and high thing that exalts itself against the Word of God” you will experience more peace and a greater focus toward purpose within your life.
It seems we have come full circle once again in our pursuit of winning the battles against the mind. The bottom line is the mind must be renewed. Some try to get the Holy Spirit to grapple with their minds. The problem with that is you must be involved in the process by making every effort to renew your mind yourself. Give the Holy Spirit something to work with. Make the effort by studying to “show yourself approved.” Epictetus said, “No great thing is created suddenly.” So meditate on the Word daily. It will impart life, truth and grace for living into your soul.
MEDITATION AND REFLECTION
To extrapolate means to use information as the starting point to draw inferences or conclusions about something unknown.
There are thoughts that suppose something and are nothing more than random bits of information without merit, proof, witness, or substance.
Satan’s activities are still the same today. He looks for something in you to work with. It could be pride, rebellion or lust. It’s significant to remember that he has nothing to work with except what’s already in you.
YOUR IRREVOCABLE CALLING
TGIF Today God Is First
Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Tuesday, September 23 2008"For God's gifts and His call are irrevocable." Romans 11:29
It is dangerous to align your calling and your vocation as dependent on each other. God calls us into relationship with Him. That is our foremost calling. It is from this relationship that our "physical" calling results. Whether that is to be a teacher, a stockbroker, a nurse, a pastor, or any number of vocations, we must realize that when He calls us, the change in vocation never changes His call on our lives. It is a mere change in the landscape of our calling. This is why it is dangerous to associate our purpose and calling too closely with our work. When we define our work life exclusively as our calling, we fall into the trap of locking up our identity into our vocation. This promotes aspiration because of a need to gain greater self-worth through what we do.
Os Guinness, author of The Call, describes the great artist Picasso, who fell into this trap.
"'When a man knows how to do something,' Pablo Picasso told a friend, 'he ceases being a man when he stops doing it.' The result was a driven man. Picasso's gift, once idolized, held him in thrall. Every empty canvass was an affront to his creativity. Like an addict, he made work his source of satisfaction only to find himself dissatisfied. 'I have only one thought: work,' Picasso said toward the end of his life, when neither his family nor his friends could help him relax." [Os Guiness, The Call (Nashville, Tennessee: Word Publishing, 1998), 242.] What happens when you lose your job? Do you lose your calling? Do you lose your identity? Do you lose your sense of well-being? No. Calling involves different stages and experiences in life. Disruptions in your work are an important training ground for God to fulfill all aspects of His calling on your life. Trust in your God who says your calling is irrevocable and that all things come from Him.
Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Tuesday, September 23 2008"For God's gifts and His call are irrevocable." Romans 11:29
It is dangerous to align your calling and your vocation as dependent on each other. God calls us into relationship with Him. That is our foremost calling. It is from this relationship that our "physical" calling results. Whether that is to be a teacher, a stockbroker, a nurse, a pastor, or any number of vocations, we must realize that when He calls us, the change in vocation never changes His call on our lives. It is a mere change in the landscape of our calling. This is why it is dangerous to associate our purpose and calling too closely with our work. When we define our work life exclusively as our calling, we fall into the trap of locking up our identity into our vocation. This promotes aspiration because of a need to gain greater self-worth through what we do.
Os Guinness, author of The Call, describes the great artist Picasso, who fell into this trap.
"'When a man knows how to do something,' Pablo Picasso told a friend, 'he ceases being a man when he stops doing it.' The result was a driven man. Picasso's gift, once idolized, held him in thrall. Every empty canvass was an affront to his creativity. Like an addict, he made work his source of satisfaction only to find himself dissatisfied. 'I have only one thought: work,' Picasso said toward the end of his life, when neither his family nor his friends could help him relax." [Os Guiness, The Call (Nashville, Tennessee: Word Publishing, 1998), 242.] What happens when you lose your job? Do you lose your calling? Do you lose your identity? Do you lose your sense of well-being? No. Calling involves different stages and experiences in life. Disruptions in your work are an important training ground for God to fulfill all aspects of His calling on your life. Trust in your God who says your calling is irrevocable and that all things come from Him.
GENTLY LEADING
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1
by Os Hillman
Monday, September 22 2008
"So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir." Genesis 33:14
Work often determines that we move at a pace that can put incredible stresses upon people and relationships. Jacob was a man who learned to manipulate and control outcomes. He even stole the birthright of his brother, Esau, through trickery. The Bible speaks of Jacob as a man who strived with God. He knew how to force situations to his advantage. It took years for God to break down all the rough edges of Jacob so that he could be worthy of becoming the patriarch of the 12 tribes of Israel. God saw something in Jacob that He could use.
Robert Hicks, in his book Masculine Journey, describes five biblical stages of manhood that must be passed through before a man becomes a mature man of God. One of those early stages is known as the "warrior stage." In this stage of manhood, the man is known by what he does, what he accomplishes, and he is totally defined by his performance. It can be a tumultuous time for the man and those close to him. It is often signified by broken relationships because the goal is often more important than the way the goal is accomplished. When I meet with a man, I can easily determine what stage of life he is in by hearing him talk.
Jacob had successfully passed through these five stages based on the verse above. It takes someone mature to be able to "move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children." Leaders who never come to understand this may be successful materially but fail at the most important aspect of leadership-leading at a pace that his followers can maintain. The roads are full of wives, children, and workers who cannot keep up with the pace of leaders and are left behind with broken dreams, broken hearts, and unfulfilled promises. Are you a person who is more concerned with outcome than how you achieve the outcome? Can the people around you describe you as someone who leads at a pace that ensures respect and admiration? Ask the Lord for the ability to be a godly leader who understands the condition of his flock and the pace in which you can lead without alienating.
by Os Hillman
Monday, September 22 2008
"So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir." Genesis 33:14
Work often determines that we move at a pace that can put incredible stresses upon people and relationships. Jacob was a man who learned to manipulate and control outcomes. He even stole the birthright of his brother, Esau, through trickery. The Bible speaks of Jacob as a man who strived with God. He knew how to force situations to his advantage. It took years for God to break down all the rough edges of Jacob so that he could be worthy of becoming the patriarch of the 12 tribes of Israel. God saw something in Jacob that He could use.
Robert Hicks, in his book Masculine Journey, describes five biblical stages of manhood that must be passed through before a man becomes a mature man of God. One of those early stages is known as the "warrior stage." In this stage of manhood, the man is known by what he does, what he accomplishes, and he is totally defined by his performance. It can be a tumultuous time for the man and those close to him. It is often signified by broken relationships because the goal is often more important than the way the goal is accomplished. When I meet with a man, I can easily determine what stage of life he is in by hearing him talk.
Jacob had successfully passed through these five stages based on the verse above. It takes someone mature to be able to "move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children." Leaders who never come to understand this may be successful materially but fail at the most important aspect of leadership-leading at a pace that his followers can maintain. The roads are full of wives, children, and workers who cannot keep up with the pace of leaders and are left behind with broken dreams, broken hearts, and unfulfilled promises. Are you a person who is more concerned with outcome than how you achieve the outcome? Can the people around you describe you as someone who leads at a pace that ensures respect and admiration? Ask the Lord for the ability to be a godly leader who understands the condition of his flock and the pace in which you can lead without alienating.
How Dark Imaginations Can Destroy Your Mind
Christ gave you authority to bind and loose every thought and imagination. Refuse to let Satan introduce demonic imaginary into your imagination.
Your imagination can only incubate what you linger on, good or bad.
Imaginations create reality, even evil reality. There are over 400,000 registered sex offenders in the United States. The pornography industry, fueled by carnal lust and sexual fantasy, is larger than the combined revenues of Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo and Apple. Driven by debased images this blackened smut is a $1 billion industry in North America alone. Engineered by wicked masterminds, pornography is the creation and distribution of sexually illicit images that have no literary or artistic value.
Through the contagion of erotica, Satan uses the imagination of man to sin against God, himself and society. Unrestrained sensuous pingere have a dark side that leads to wickedness, debauchery and destruction. The infamous serial killer Ted Bundy, murderer of 12-year old Kimberly Leach, was interviewed by Dr. James Dobson before his execution in the Florida State electric chair on January 24, 1989. Bundy murdered 28 young girls and women. He grew up in a Christian home, went to church and had loving parents. He describes pornography as the genesis of his fall into the abyss.
In the interview just hours before his electrocution, he tells of finding, as a 12- to 13-year-old boy, a pornographic magazine in the trash near his home. In time he became more and more addicted to pornography, especially violent images of tortured women. When that no longer satisfied his lust he fantasized of sexually assaulting and murdering women himself. He said, “The most damaging kind of pornography – and I’m talking from hard, real, personal experience – is that that involves violence and sexual violence. The wedding of those two forces – as I know only too well – brings about behavior that is too terrible to describe.”
In “The Road to Xanadu” Professor John Livingston Lowes wrote, “Fantasy and imagination are not two powers at all but one.” Bundy brought life to his perverted sexual fantasies. Commenting on the dangers of pornography he said, “I’ve lived in prison for a long time now, and I’ve met a lot of men who were motivated to commit violence. Without exception, every one of them was deeply involved in pornography – deeply consumed by the addiction. The FBI’s own study on serial homicide shows that the most common interest among serial killers is pornographers.”
Bundy is an example of the dark side of unfettered and incubated evil imaginations. He leaves us with a fagged warning, “There are those loose in their towns and communities, like me, whose dangerous impulses are being fueled, day in and day out, by violence in the media in its various forms – particularly sexualized violence.”
The good news is that Christ gave you authority to bind and loose every thought and imagination. Refuse to let Satan introduce demonic imaginary into your imagination. Bind every image and cast them down. You can choose how you respond. Bundy didn’t, you can.
RESPONSIBILITY
Everyday we are bombarded by secular television reminding us that we are in a spiritual battle against our minds. There is much concern about the economy, jobs, and housing prices, mortgage foreclosures, declining morals, attacks against family values, wars and rumors of wars, sickness, disease, terrorism and natural disasters of all kinds. It seems like the perpetual hostilities against our minds offers much opportunity to leave the realm of faith in Christ and enter the quagmire of doubt, unbelief and worry.
Once again I am assisted by the Apostle Paul’s statement: “Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.” I love the power to imagine “all things possible to him that believeth.” Don’t you? Frequently, however, we have to battle the negative thoughts that war against our minds first. This brings me to the testimony of Viktor Frankl a survivor of the Nazi prison camps. In his autobiography, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” he pens an inspirational testimony of humanity’s potential for greatness whatever the circumstances. He wrote, “Our generation is realistic, for we have come to know man as he really is. After all, man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those gas chambers upright, with the Lord’s Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips.” Frankl stated that no matter the mistreatment by his demonic oppressors they could never take away his choice of how he responded to them.
BUILDING STRONGHOLDS
Vain imaginations pondered will build damaging strongholds in your life. They war against your mind and keep you from walking in God’s perfect plan and purpose. Remember the degenerate progression. First the enemy challenges God’s Word in your life by introducing such things as doubt and unbelief. Next you have opportunity to ponder the thought and image it or cast it down. Further, you have the ability to linger on that imagination and speak it out or take it captive to the Word of God and cast it down. See the progression? The ability to give freedom to your imaginations belongs entirely to you.
The result of habitual negative thoughts and imaginations can send you spiraling into a state of depression. When we think something often enough, we begin to believe it’s true and our feelings match what we are thinking. To conquer depression psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck developed “cognitive therapy” in the 1960s to stop negative thoughts by replacing them with more positive ones. He believed that depression could be stopped before it ever started. The Apostle Paul developed the therapy long before Beck. He said, “Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you” (Philippians 4:6-9).
God gave you freedom to choose how you respond to every circumstance in life, every thought that attacks your mind and every bad report that contradicts God’s plan. Like Frankl you have complete control over your thought life. All of us have thoughts. They can be good or bad but thoughts are only ingredients we use to make decisions. If your thoughts are carnal, then cast them down. If they are positive, feed them. Your imagination can only incubate what you linger on, good or bad.
You have control over your thought life and nobody can ever take away your freedom to choose how you respond to thoughts and imaginations. The Word teaches of a demon possessed man with an unclean spirit that lived in a cemetery. When he saw Jesus he ran to Him, bowed and worshipped (Mark 5). If a legion of devils could not stop him from coming to Christ then no devil, demonic thought or evil imagination can stop you from the abundant life in Christ Jesus.
The world has always been filled with doubt, unbelief and evil goings-on. The good news is that you, the born-again believer, are no longer part of that kingdom. You can escape the dark side. Christ has redeemed you and given you great and precious promises. Take control of your life and choose to respond to every circumstance of life, thought and imagination according to the truth found in the Word of God.
MEDITATION AND REFLECTION
Imaginations create reality, even evil reality.
All of us have thoughts. They can be good or bad but thoughts are only ingredients we use to make decisions.
If your thoughts are carnal, then cast them down. If they are positive, feed them.
Your imagination can only incubate what you linger on, good or bad.
Your imagination can only incubate what you linger on, good or bad.
Imaginations create reality, even evil reality. There are over 400,000 registered sex offenders in the United States. The pornography industry, fueled by carnal lust and sexual fantasy, is larger than the combined revenues of Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo and Apple. Driven by debased images this blackened smut is a $1 billion industry in North America alone. Engineered by wicked masterminds, pornography is the creation and distribution of sexually illicit images that have no literary or artistic value.
Through the contagion of erotica, Satan uses the imagination of man to sin against God, himself and society. Unrestrained sensuous pingere have a dark side that leads to wickedness, debauchery and destruction. The infamous serial killer Ted Bundy, murderer of 12-year old Kimberly Leach, was interviewed by Dr. James Dobson before his execution in the Florida State electric chair on January 24, 1989. Bundy murdered 28 young girls and women. He grew up in a Christian home, went to church and had loving parents. He describes pornography as the genesis of his fall into the abyss.
In the interview just hours before his electrocution, he tells of finding, as a 12- to 13-year-old boy, a pornographic magazine in the trash near his home. In time he became more and more addicted to pornography, especially violent images of tortured women. When that no longer satisfied his lust he fantasized of sexually assaulting and murdering women himself. He said, “The most damaging kind of pornography – and I’m talking from hard, real, personal experience – is that that involves violence and sexual violence. The wedding of those two forces – as I know only too well – brings about behavior that is too terrible to describe.”
In “The Road to Xanadu” Professor John Livingston Lowes wrote, “Fantasy and imagination are not two powers at all but one.” Bundy brought life to his perverted sexual fantasies. Commenting on the dangers of pornography he said, “I’ve lived in prison for a long time now, and I’ve met a lot of men who were motivated to commit violence. Without exception, every one of them was deeply involved in pornography – deeply consumed by the addiction. The FBI’s own study on serial homicide shows that the most common interest among serial killers is pornographers.”
Bundy is an example of the dark side of unfettered and incubated evil imaginations. He leaves us with a fagged warning, “There are those loose in their towns and communities, like me, whose dangerous impulses are being fueled, day in and day out, by violence in the media in its various forms – particularly sexualized violence.”
The good news is that Christ gave you authority to bind and loose every thought and imagination. Refuse to let Satan introduce demonic imaginary into your imagination. Bind every image and cast them down. You can choose how you respond. Bundy didn’t, you can.
RESPONSIBILITY
Everyday we are bombarded by secular television reminding us that we are in a spiritual battle against our minds. There is much concern about the economy, jobs, and housing prices, mortgage foreclosures, declining morals, attacks against family values, wars and rumors of wars, sickness, disease, terrorism and natural disasters of all kinds. It seems like the perpetual hostilities against our minds offers much opportunity to leave the realm of faith in Christ and enter the quagmire of doubt, unbelief and worry.
Once again I am assisted by the Apostle Paul’s statement: “Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.” I love the power to imagine “all things possible to him that believeth.” Don’t you? Frequently, however, we have to battle the negative thoughts that war against our minds first. This brings me to the testimony of Viktor Frankl a survivor of the Nazi prison camps. In his autobiography, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” he pens an inspirational testimony of humanity’s potential for greatness whatever the circumstances. He wrote, “Our generation is realistic, for we have come to know man as he really is. After all, man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those gas chambers upright, with the Lord’s Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips.” Frankl stated that no matter the mistreatment by his demonic oppressors they could never take away his choice of how he responded to them.
BUILDING STRONGHOLDS
Vain imaginations pondered will build damaging strongholds in your life. They war against your mind and keep you from walking in God’s perfect plan and purpose. Remember the degenerate progression. First the enemy challenges God’s Word in your life by introducing such things as doubt and unbelief. Next you have opportunity to ponder the thought and image it or cast it down. Further, you have the ability to linger on that imagination and speak it out or take it captive to the Word of God and cast it down. See the progression? The ability to give freedom to your imaginations belongs entirely to you.
The result of habitual negative thoughts and imaginations can send you spiraling into a state of depression. When we think something often enough, we begin to believe it’s true and our feelings match what we are thinking. To conquer depression psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck developed “cognitive therapy” in the 1960s to stop negative thoughts by replacing them with more positive ones. He believed that depression could be stopped before it ever started. The Apostle Paul developed the therapy long before Beck. He said, “Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you” (Philippians 4:6-9).
God gave you freedom to choose how you respond to every circumstance in life, every thought that attacks your mind and every bad report that contradicts God’s plan. Like Frankl you have complete control over your thought life. All of us have thoughts. They can be good or bad but thoughts are only ingredients we use to make decisions. If your thoughts are carnal, then cast them down. If they are positive, feed them. Your imagination can only incubate what you linger on, good or bad.
You have control over your thought life and nobody can ever take away your freedom to choose how you respond to thoughts and imaginations. The Word teaches of a demon possessed man with an unclean spirit that lived in a cemetery. When he saw Jesus he ran to Him, bowed and worshipped (Mark 5). If a legion of devils could not stop him from coming to Christ then no devil, demonic thought or evil imagination can stop you from the abundant life in Christ Jesus.
The world has always been filled with doubt, unbelief and evil goings-on. The good news is that you, the born-again believer, are no longer part of that kingdom. You can escape the dark side. Christ has redeemed you and given you great and precious promises. Take control of your life and choose to respond to every circumstance of life, thought and imagination according to the truth found in the Word of God.
MEDITATION AND REFLECTION
Imaginations create reality, even evil reality.
All of us have thoughts. They can be good or bad but thoughts are only ingredients we use to make decisions.
If your thoughts are carnal, then cast them down. If they are positive, feed them.
Your imagination can only incubate what you linger on, good or bad.
WHEN A PROBLEM TURNS INTO A CALLING
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1
by Os Hillman
Sunday, September 21 2008
"As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and all your father's family?" 1 Samuel 9:20
Saul and his servant were out seeking his father's lost donkeys. This was symbolic of the waywardness of the nation of Israel. The people of Israel had just asked the prophet Samuel to have a king rule over them. This saddened God greatly, yet God granted their request.
Saul and his servant heard of a man of God named Samuel. "Perhaps this man of God can tell us where to find our donkeys," said the servant. Isn't that just like us? We seek God to solve the issues related to material life. Saul was about to receive the greatest opportunity of his lifetime. He was about to be crowned as king of Israel. His life would never be the same. What was he concerned about? His donkeys. We don't have to be worried about the material things of life if we are about the things He's called us to do.
God called Saul to be the next king in order to free the people from the Philistines. God sent a messenger, the prophet Samuel, to inform him of his new career. The messenger also had to ease his mind about his donkeys. Donkeys often represent commerce in the Bible. They were the primary means of transporting goods; therefore, in essence, what was Samuel saying to Saul? He was saying, "You don't need to worry about your business if you respond to the call of God on your life. All the material things will take care of themselves."
Jesus said the same thing to the disciples years later. "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Mt. 6:33). When God calls us, it often involves making major adjustments in our lives. Saul went from one kind of business to another. He went from working for his father to being a king. What changes is God calling you to make today in order to join Him in His work?
by Os Hillman
Sunday, September 21 2008
"As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and all your father's family?" 1 Samuel 9:20
Saul and his servant were out seeking his father's lost donkeys. This was symbolic of the waywardness of the nation of Israel. The people of Israel had just asked the prophet Samuel to have a king rule over them. This saddened God greatly, yet God granted their request.
Saul and his servant heard of a man of God named Samuel. "Perhaps this man of God can tell us where to find our donkeys," said the servant. Isn't that just like us? We seek God to solve the issues related to material life. Saul was about to receive the greatest opportunity of his lifetime. He was about to be crowned as king of Israel. His life would never be the same. What was he concerned about? His donkeys. We don't have to be worried about the material things of life if we are about the things He's called us to do.
God called Saul to be the next king in order to free the people from the Philistines. God sent a messenger, the prophet Samuel, to inform him of his new career. The messenger also had to ease his mind about his donkeys. Donkeys often represent commerce in the Bible. They were the primary means of transporting goods; therefore, in essence, what was Samuel saying to Saul? He was saying, "You don't need to worry about your business if you respond to the call of God on your life. All the material things will take care of themselves."
Jesus said the same thing to the disciples years later. "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Mt. 6:33). When God calls us, it often involves making major adjustments in our lives. Saul went from one kind of business to another. He went from working for his father to being a king. What changes is God calling you to make today in order to join Him in His work?
9/22/2008
GCI LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Hey everyone we just got the information for the GCI Conference. I would hope that as many of you as possible would attend.
Dear GCI Church Members,I am pleased to announce that registration is now open for our annual Grace Churches International Leadership Conference, November 20-22 at Manna Church in Fayetteville. The theme this year is The Kingdom of God. After an Introduction to the theme in our opening session, we will hear messages on "The Losing of it All", "The Prophetic Kingdom", "The King and His Kingdom - the Early Years", The King and His Kingdom - the King on Earth", "The Kingdom and the Church", and we conclude with "The Coming King". Sessions speakers include Bob Clanton, Jerry Daley, Clem Ferris, Michael Fletcher, and Delane Hulen. And of course we will begin and end every session with great worship.As in past years, our conference will begin Thursday evening with a dinner for all pastors and their spouses. A catered lunch on Friday and delicious snacks during break times are included in your registration fee.We have blocks of rooms reserved at the Wingate Inn located a mile and a half from the conference. More information is provided at the registration site.Please go to www.regonline.com/gciconf08 and register today. Please, forward this email to others you think may be blessed by knowing what GCI is about.I look forward to seeing you in November.
In His Service,
Dr. Ron Crews
Executive DirectorGrace Churches International
Dear GCI Church Members,I am pleased to announce that registration is now open for our annual Grace Churches International Leadership Conference, November 20-22 at Manna Church in Fayetteville. The theme this year is The Kingdom of God. After an Introduction to the theme in our opening session, we will hear messages on "The Losing of it All", "The Prophetic Kingdom", "The King and His Kingdom - the Early Years", The King and His Kingdom - the King on Earth", "The Kingdom and the Church", and we conclude with "The Coming King". Sessions speakers include Bob Clanton, Jerry Daley, Clem Ferris, Michael Fletcher, and Delane Hulen. And of course we will begin and end every session with great worship.As in past years, our conference will begin Thursday evening with a dinner for all pastors and their spouses. A catered lunch on Friday and delicious snacks during break times are included in your registration fee.We have blocks of rooms reserved at the Wingate Inn located a mile and a half from the conference. More information is provided at the registration site.Please go to www.regonline.com/gciconf08 and register today. Please, forward this email to others you think may be blessed by knowing what GCI is about.I look forward to seeing you in November.
In His Service,
Dr. Ron Crews
Executive DirectorGrace Churches International
9/20/2008
MEMBERSHIP AND BAPTISM CELEBRATION TOMORROW
Hey everyone this is a reminder that tomorrow immediately following service we will be heading out to BILLY DUNLAP PARK for a baptism and new members pinic. This is a great time to celebrate and fellowship with each other.
Please feel free to invite friends, family, and anyone that needs to be baptized.
God Bless and see you in the morning.
Please feel free to invite friends, family, and anyone that needs to be baptized.
God Bless and see you in the morning.
9/18/2008
MEMBERSHIP LUNCHEON AND BAPTISM SERVICE
Remember everyone that we are doing our membership luncheon and Baptism celebration immediately following service (1pm) at the BILLY DUNLAP PARK off of Needmore Road. Everyone is invited.
BIKERS WHO CARE GARAGE SALE
Hey everyone Bikers Who Care are doing a garage sale for donations for children in need. If you have anything that you dont need or would like to donate please bring it to the church by 5:30 PM tomorrow so that they can pick it up and have their sale on Saturday at James Corlew.
Thanks
Thanks
9/17/2008
SEEING WHAT OTHERS CAN'T
Confusion, despair and gossiping are common weapons of the enemy. They can come when others talk spitefully against you or during times of discouragement and rejection. How they come is not as important as knowing how to battle against them.
Gossip and demeaning imaginations journey together.
Your enemy is a crafty foe. He uses gossip to train you in releasing and entertaining offense.
Enigmatic imaginations can lead to shadowed thinking and unsure living. scri pture says, “I pray that the eyes of your understanding be enlightened that you may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18). The eyes referred to in this scri pture are your spiritual eyes. With spiritual eyes you receive understanding because God enlightens you by His Spirit. God desires that you might know the truth and not wonder what the truth is. Vain imaginations, however, can dapple the truth of Christ but the Holy Spirit wants you to know “the hope of His calling” and “the riches of His glory in the inheritance of the saints.” Vain imaginations try to jail you in insecurity, fear and wondering. Learn how to battle against them by asking the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you into truth.
I went to a doctor with a friend once and the physician told him in no uncertain terms, “You’re going to die.” A report like that can release many fearful thoughts at you. I encouraged, “No, you’re not going to die” because God’s Word says, “With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation” (Psalm 91:16). See, you have to hit fearful imaginations with overwhelming scri ptural force. This doctor was well trained in his profession, terrible in bed-side manner, and, like blind people, could not see.
We must attack facts with truth. Sometimes facts and truth conflict with each other. The fact might be that you are sick, but the truth is that “by His stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24). The fact might be that you can’t pay your rent, but the truth is, “My God shall provide all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Learn to use the spiritual weapons of the Word of God in your life and fight imaginations with the Word of God that worketh mightily within you. If the devil says that, “You’ll never make it,” use the Word against him and declare, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
Your enemy is a crafty foe. He uses gossip to train you in releasing and entertaining offense. Gossip and demeaning imaginations journey together. Where you find one you often find the other. Vexing imaginations can cause you to attack others by empowering you to gossip. I have experienced people entertaining imaginations that use the telephone to pass them on. Gossip is a sin. It is destructive and should not be engaged. Like witchcraft it is a work of the flesh. If you don’t like something someone’s said or has done, then pray for them, but don’t talk spitefully about them. We can’t afford to harm God’s children with our tongues.
Again, imagination is a gift. You should spend it wisely. So if you find yourself gossiping stop. When others are gabbing to you remember that most gossip is not true anyway and there is always two different sides to every story. If they are chattering about someone today you are next on the list tomorrow. Don’t let your tongue contribute to the devil’s attack against others.
Gossip transfers thoughts and imaginations to others. Be careful what words you take into your heart. Solomon’s wisdom is beneficial, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a forward mouth and perverse lips put far from thee” (Proverbs 4:23-24). I mention gossiping because the enemy uses it to train you to contemplate corrupted thoughts and pass them on to others. American humorist Josh Billings gives some sage advice, “The best time for you to hold your tongue is the time your feel you must say something or bust.”
Even white painted churches with tall steeples experience the spiritual warfare of vain imaginations. scri pture says, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned and avoid them” (Romans 16:17). Imaginations spoken against a church can keep leadership dealing with squabbles, divisions and contentions all the time. They keep them occupied with things that are not true. When imaginations attack it makes people want to give up and quit. Those that advance these imaginations serve their own desires, agendas and, “by good words and fair speeches deceive the heart of simple people” (Romans 16:18). Avoid the gossipmongers within your church that attack leadership and dismantle the unity of the congregation and vision of the house. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”
Confusion, despair and gossiping are common weapons of the enemy. They can come when others talk spitefully against you or during times of discouragement and rejection. How they come is not as important as knowing how to battle against them. Christ is not the author of confusion but the finisher of your faith. He never taught his disciples to battle with fleshly weapons but spiritual ones. Jesus said, “I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19). Use that authority today and attack every power of darkness, confusion, despair and offense that battles your soul.
MEDITATION AND REFLECTION
If the enemy can destroy your hope he can disarm your faith.
Witchcraft is a spiritual force that battles against the spirit of your mind.
Witchcraft works best inside one’s imagination.
Witchcraft is a work of the flesh because people have the power to cast down orphic imaginations or to entertain them and walk them out.
Your enemy is a crafty foe. He uses gossip to train you in releasing and entertaining offense.
Copyright ©2008 JonasClark.com, Jonas Clark Ministries
27 West Hallandale Beach Blvd, Hallandale Beach, FL 33009 USA
All rights reserved.
Gossip and demeaning imaginations journey together.
Your enemy is a crafty foe. He uses gossip to train you in releasing and entertaining offense.
Enigmatic imaginations can lead to shadowed thinking and unsure living. scri pture says, “I pray that the eyes of your understanding be enlightened that you may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18). The eyes referred to in this scri pture are your spiritual eyes. With spiritual eyes you receive understanding because God enlightens you by His Spirit. God desires that you might know the truth and not wonder what the truth is. Vain imaginations, however, can dapple the truth of Christ but the Holy Spirit wants you to know “the hope of His calling” and “the riches of His glory in the inheritance of the saints.” Vain imaginations try to jail you in insecurity, fear and wondering. Learn how to battle against them by asking the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you into truth.
I went to a doctor with a friend once and the physician told him in no uncertain terms, “You’re going to die.” A report like that can release many fearful thoughts at you. I encouraged, “No, you’re not going to die” because God’s Word says, “With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation” (Psalm 91:16). See, you have to hit fearful imaginations with overwhelming scri ptural force. This doctor was well trained in his profession, terrible in bed-side manner, and, like blind people, could not see.
We must attack facts with truth. Sometimes facts and truth conflict with each other. The fact might be that you are sick, but the truth is that “by His stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24). The fact might be that you can’t pay your rent, but the truth is, “My God shall provide all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Learn to use the spiritual weapons of the Word of God in your life and fight imaginations with the Word of God that worketh mightily within you. If the devil says that, “You’ll never make it,” use the Word against him and declare, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
Your enemy is a crafty foe. He uses gossip to train you in releasing and entertaining offense. Gossip and demeaning imaginations journey together. Where you find one you often find the other. Vexing imaginations can cause you to attack others by empowering you to gossip. I have experienced people entertaining imaginations that use the telephone to pass them on. Gossip is a sin. It is destructive and should not be engaged. Like witchcraft it is a work of the flesh. If you don’t like something someone’s said or has done, then pray for them, but don’t talk spitefully about them. We can’t afford to harm God’s children with our tongues.
Again, imagination is a gift. You should spend it wisely. So if you find yourself gossiping stop. When others are gabbing to you remember that most gossip is not true anyway and there is always two different sides to every story. If they are chattering about someone today you are next on the list tomorrow. Don’t let your tongue contribute to the devil’s attack against others.
Gossip transfers thoughts and imaginations to others. Be careful what words you take into your heart. Solomon’s wisdom is beneficial, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a forward mouth and perverse lips put far from thee” (Proverbs 4:23-24). I mention gossiping because the enemy uses it to train you to contemplate corrupted thoughts and pass them on to others. American humorist Josh Billings gives some sage advice, “The best time for you to hold your tongue is the time your feel you must say something or bust.”
Even white painted churches with tall steeples experience the spiritual warfare of vain imaginations. scri pture says, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned and avoid them” (Romans 16:17). Imaginations spoken against a church can keep leadership dealing with squabbles, divisions and contentions all the time. They keep them occupied with things that are not true. When imaginations attack it makes people want to give up and quit. Those that advance these imaginations serve their own desires, agendas and, “by good words and fair speeches deceive the heart of simple people” (Romans 16:18). Avoid the gossipmongers within your church that attack leadership and dismantle the unity of the congregation and vision of the house. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”
Confusion, despair and gossiping are common weapons of the enemy. They can come when others talk spitefully against you or during times of discouragement and rejection. How they come is not as important as knowing how to battle against them. Christ is not the author of confusion but the finisher of your faith. He never taught his disciples to battle with fleshly weapons but spiritual ones. Jesus said, “I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19). Use that authority today and attack every power of darkness, confusion, despair and offense that battles your soul.
MEDITATION AND REFLECTION
If the enemy can destroy your hope he can disarm your faith.
Witchcraft is a spiritual force that battles against the spirit of your mind.
Witchcraft works best inside one’s imagination.
Witchcraft is a work of the flesh because people have the power to cast down orphic imaginations or to entertain them and walk them out.
Your enemy is a crafty foe. He uses gossip to train you in releasing and entertaining offense.
Copyright ©2008 JonasClark.com, Jonas Clark Ministries
27 West Hallandale Beach Blvd, Hallandale Beach, FL 33009 USA
All rights reserved.
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE GIVING UP
One of the surest signs of spiritual attack against the mind is the feeling that you want to throw up your hands and quit. Discover how to battle this attack.
“God is not the author of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33).
Spiritual warfare against the mind releases fear, confusion, despair and offense.
Spiritual battles are not fought with fleshly ordnance. scri pture declares, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh” (2 Corinthians 10:3). Spiritual warfare is using the Word of God and your delegated authority to oppose demonic opposition against you.
The Holy Spirit is still giving us understanding of the ghostly powers that battle against us. scri pture says, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6). The Apostle Paul makes it clear that we are in a spiritual war and declares that, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.”
Before we attack principalities and powers let’s learn how to pull down the warring thoughts and imaginations that rise within us. Paul continued, “Casting down imaginations.” An imagination is an image, a picture formed in the spirit of your mind of something unseen. Something that exists only in the imagination is not real unless you give life to it. Have you experienced an imagination today? What did you do with it? Did you cast it down and move ahead or have tea and biscuits on white clothed tables?
Spiritual warfare against the mind releases fear, confusion, despair and offense. scri pture says such things do not come from God, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
Let’s start with confusion. Corrupted imaginations can affect sound judgment and inject confusion into your life. Left unrestrained they will release uncertainty and cause difficulty with problem solving, staying attentive and remaining focused. Confusion is like a grey haze that dares you to enter. Mental murk is the symptom of a weapon that clouds truth. That’s why its source needs to be justly observed. Sometimes it is caused from lack of rest, health or disinformation that affects your ability to solve problems or clear your thoughts. At other times it’s the result of spiritual attacks, warfare within your mind that produces mixed-up thinking. When the haze assaults remember that, “God is not the author of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33). Often confusion is a spiritual attack against your mind that has little or nothing to do with the general circumstances surrounding you. If attacked by confusion plead the blood of Jesus over your mind and watch the cloudiness disappear like the morning fog at sunrise.
Sad news can release despair. Yet dismay from spiritual warfare usually has nothing to do with a winter’s tale. Have you felt like you just wanted to give up and quit? Monday morning has come and you just want to turn back. One of the surest signs of spiritual attack against the mind is the feeling that you want to throw up your hands and quit. Despair feels like a lonely winter. It is the capricious notion that everything is wrong and nothing will turn out well. It is an attack against hope. scri pture says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Notice that faith activates hope that resides in the unseen realm within. You have probably heard much about the importance of faith, but faith activates hope. Hope is the stuff that dreams are made of. That’s why the spirit of this world attacks it so. If the enemy can destroy your hope he can disarm your faith. Those times when you feel like quitting and the whole world is against you are sure signs that victory is right at the door. Pick up your double-edged sword and slay that feeling.
WINNING THE MIND WARFARE
Confusion can also be the result of witchcraft that whispers in your ear. In my book “Exposing Spiritual Witchcraft” we learn that witchcraft is a spiritual force that battles against the spirit of your mind. Ungodly imaginations, for example, can have you entertaining works of the flesh and take you right out of the Spirit.
Some people are like the lone Joshua trees found in Southern California’s Mojave Desert. They are surrounded by desert and void of the refreshing waters of the Holy Spirit. Those who live according to their own hearts walk in spiritual parchedness. scri pture describes them as those that, “Have forsaken my law which I set before them and have not obeyed my voice neither walked therein but have walked after the imagination of their own heart and after Baalim which their fathers taught them” (Jeremiah 9:13-14). Baalim was a darkened prophet that ministered in divination and witchcraft because of a covetous heart. He sold-out God’s chosen for “the rewards of divination,” power, prestige and money (Numbers 22:7).
Thoughts that take you out of the Spirit are evidence of the spiritual war against your mind. Beware the fate of the foolish Galatians. Some thoughts are works of witchcraft within your imagination. Bewitching imaginations that lead you away from God’s principles and precepts into the flesh need to be bound and cast down (Galatians 3:1-3).
Witchcraft works best inside one’s imagination. Enchanted images are simply focal points the prince of the power of the air uses to steal Christ’s abundant life. scri pture describes witchcraft as a work of the flesh. “But if you be led of the Spirit you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions and heresies” (Galatians 5:18-20). Witchcraft is a work of the flesh because people have the power to cast down orphic imaginations or to entertain them and walk them out. Beware the ritual of pictured witchery. You give life to an imagination by speaking it. scri pture declares that “life and death are in the power of the tongue.” You have to be careful what you speak because the world of the spirit doesn’t operate on what you mean, it operates on what you say (Mark 11:23). When you speak the imaginations that attack your mind you prophesy over your life. So be cautious with your words because speaking vain imaginations, an activity of your flesh, is a form of witchcraft according to the scri pture you just read.
Others may have witchy thoughts about you and speak them over you. When they do, they give life to it and pass the assignment on. Now you have to deal with those spoken words. Not only was the imagination working within their imagination leading to wrong conclusions but now they’ve released the assignment of that imagination against your life; when they do that releases confusion, a form of witchcraft. If this happens to you, don’t receive it. Don’t think about it. Don’t agree with it. Don’t repeat it. Bind it up and cast it down.
Someone may say, for example, “I was thinking about you last night and recommend that you double lock your doors tonight because I just feel danger in the air.” Or they may talk about how you’re going to be sick and so on. Don’t give life to other people’s fleshly munitions.
When spoken, vain imaginations release demonic assignments through fear. If someone releases fear at you through one of their imaginations bind it up. You can declare God’s truth over your life by saying, “No weapon formed against me can prosper in Jesus’ name!” Remember that warring against imaginations means that you chain every thought, every word and every imagination to the Word of God, even the gossiping words spoken by others. This is why some Christians are taken out by imaginations because they don’t know how to campaign against them. Use God’s Word in your life and take dominion over vain imaginations. Avoid other people’s imaginations and don’t try to combat thoughts with thoughts. Instead use the Word of God and your spiritual authority to take them captive.
MEDITATION AND REFLECTION
Spiritual warfare is using the Word of God and your delegated authority to oppose demonic opposition against you.
Before we attack principalities and powers let’s learn how to pull down the warring thoughts and imaginations that rise within us.
One of the surest signs of spiritual attack against the mind is the feeling that you want to throw up your hands and quit.
The world of the spirit doesn’t operate on what you mean, it operates on what you say.
Copyright ©2008 JonasClark.com,
Jonas Clark Ministries
27 West Hallandale Beach Blvd, Hallandale Beach, FL 33009 USA
All rights reserved.
“God is not the author of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33).
Spiritual warfare against the mind releases fear, confusion, despair and offense.
Spiritual battles are not fought with fleshly ordnance. scri pture declares, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh” (2 Corinthians 10:3). Spiritual warfare is using the Word of God and your delegated authority to oppose demonic opposition against you.
The Holy Spirit is still giving us understanding of the ghostly powers that battle against us. scri pture says, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6). The Apostle Paul makes it clear that we are in a spiritual war and declares that, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.”
Before we attack principalities and powers let’s learn how to pull down the warring thoughts and imaginations that rise within us. Paul continued, “Casting down imaginations.” An imagination is an image, a picture formed in the spirit of your mind of something unseen. Something that exists only in the imagination is not real unless you give life to it. Have you experienced an imagination today? What did you do with it? Did you cast it down and move ahead or have tea and biscuits on white clothed tables?
Spiritual warfare against the mind releases fear, confusion, despair and offense. scri pture says such things do not come from God, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
Let’s start with confusion. Corrupted imaginations can affect sound judgment and inject confusion into your life. Left unrestrained they will release uncertainty and cause difficulty with problem solving, staying attentive and remaining focused. Confusion is like a grey haze that dares you to enter. Mental murk is the symptom of a weapon that clouds truth. That’s why its source needs to be justly observed. Sometimes it is caused from lack of rest, health or disinformation that affects your ability to solve problems or clear your thoughts. At other times it’s the result of spiritual attacks, warfare within your mind that produces mixed-up thinking. When the haze assaults remember that, “God is not the author of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33). Often confusion is a spiritual attack against your mind that has little or nothing to do with the general circumstances surrounding you. If attacked by confusion plead the blood of Jesus over your mind and watch the cloudiness disappear like the morning fog at sunrise.
Sad news can release despair. Yet dismay from spiritual warfare usually has nothing to do with a winter’s tale. Have you felt like you just wanted to give up and quit? Monday morning has come and you just want to turn back. One of the surest signs of spiritual attack against the mind is the feeling that you want to throw up your hands and quit. Despair feels like a lonely winter. It is the capricious notion that everything is wrong and nothing will turn out well. It is an attack against hope. scri pture says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Notice that faith activates hope that resides in the unseen realm within. You have probably heard much about the importance of faith, but faith activates hope. Hope is the stuff that dreams are made of. That’s why the spirit of this world attacks it so. If the enemy can destroy your hope he can disarm your faith. Those times when you feel like quitting and the whole world is against you are sure signs that victory is right at the door. Pick up your double-edged sword and slay that feeling.
WINNING THE MIND WARFARE
Confusion can also be the result of witchcraft that whispers in your ear. In my book “Exposing Spiritual Witchcraft” we learn that witchcraft is a spiritual force that battles against the spirit of your mind. Ungodly imaginations, for example, can have you entertaining works of the flesh and take you right out of the Spirit.
Some people are like the lone Joshua trees found in Southern California’s Mojave Desert. They are surrounded by desert and void of the refreshing waters of the Holy Spirit. Those who live according to their own hearts walk in spiritual parchedness. scri pture describes them as those that, “Have forsaken my law which I set before them and have not obeyed my voice neither walked therein but have walked after the imagination of their own heart and after Baalim which their fathers taught them” (Jeremiah 9:13-14). Baalim was a darkened prophet that ministered in divination and witchcraft because of a covetous heart. He sold-out God’s chosen for “the rewards of divination,” power, prestige and money (Numbers 22:7).
Thoughts that take you out of the Spirit are evidence of the spiritual war against your mind. Beware the fate of the foolish Galatians. Some thoughts are works of witchcraft within your imagination. Bewitching imaginations that lead you away from God’s principles and precepts into the flesh need to be bound and cast down (Galatians 3:1-3).
Witchcraft works best inside one’s imagination. Enchanted images are simply focal points the prince of the power of the air uses to steal Christ’s abundant life. scri pture describes witchcraft as a work of the flesh. “But if you be led of the Spirit you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions and heresies” (Galatians 5:18-20). Witchcraft is a work of the flesh because people have the power to cast down orphic imaginations or to entertain them and walk them out. Beware the ritual of pictured witchery. You give life to an imagination by speaking it. scri pture declares that “life and death are in the power of the tongue.” You have to be careful what you speak because the world of the spirit doesn’t operate on what you mean, it operates on what you say (Mark 11:23). When you speak the imaginations that attack your mind you prophesy over your life. So be cautious with your words because speaking vain imaginations, an activity of your flesh, is a form of witchcraft according to the scri pture you just read.
Others may have witchy thoughts about you and speak them over you. When they do, they give life to it and pass the assignment on. Now you have to deal with those spoken words. Not only was the imagination working within their imagination leading to wrong conclusions but now they’ve released the assignment of that imagination against your life; when they do that releases confusion, a form of witchcraft. If this happens to you, don’t receive it. Don’t think about it. Don’t agree with it. Don’t repeat it. Bind it up and cast it down.
Someone may say, for example, “I was thinking about you last night and recommend that you double lock your doors tonight because I just feel danger in the air.” Or they may talk about how you’re going to be sick and so on. Don’t give life to other people’s fleshly munitions.
When spoken, vain imaginations release demonic assignments through fear. If someone releases fear at you through one of their imaginations bind it up. You can declare God’s truth over your life by saying, “No weapon formed against me can prosper in Jesus’ name!” Remember that warring against imaginations means that you chain every thought, every word and every imagination to the Word of God, even the gossiping words spoken by others. This is why some Christians are taken out by imaginations because they don’t know how to campaign against them. Use God’s Word in your life and take dominion over vain imaginations. Avoid other people’s imaginations and don’t try to combat thoughts with thoughts. Instead use the Word of God and your spiritual authority to take them captive.
MEDITATION AND REFLECTION
Spiritual warfare is using the Word of God and your delegated authority to oppose demonic opposition against you.
Before we attack principalities and powers let’s learn how to pull down the warring thoughts and imaginations that rise within us.
One of the surest signs of spiritual attack against the mind is the feeling that you want to throw up your hands and quit.
The world of the spirit doesn’t operate on what you mean, it operates on what you say.
Copyright ©2008 JonasClark.com,
Jonas Clark Ministries
27 West Hallandale Beach Blvd, Hallandale Beach, FL 33009 USA
All rights reserved.
9/12/2008
WILL YOU ENTER
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1
by Os HillmanFriday,
September 12 2008
"Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff." Numbers 20:11a
Will you fulfill the destiny God has for your life? Perhaps you have never thought about it. God had a perfect plan for Moses to lead the people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. It's been said the hardest place to score a touchdown is from the goal line. You're almost there. But there is something about crossing over that makes those last few yards the most difficult. Moses failed at the goal line, and it prevented him from finishing well a glorious life of service for God.
The people of Israel were complaining that they did not have water to drink. It was another of many tests for Israel. Moses inquired of God and God said, "...Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water" (Num. 20:8a). Moses, in his frustration and anger with the people, began to act on his own and made a strategic mistake. Instead of speaking to the rock, he struck the rock twice with his staff. In spite of his disobedience, the rock poured forth water.
God was calling Moses to a different dimension. Moses was to use his words to speak the miracle. However, he not only lost his temper, but he also took credit and dishonored God. He used his staff, the symbol of his work life as a shepherd, to force the provision. When we become callous, we can use our skills and abilities to force what we believe should happen. We take control. When we do this, we are in danger of failing to enter the Promised Land of blessing from God. Living in life's spiritual dimension requires patience and obedience. Beware of solving problems in your own strength. God wants to bring you into the Promised Land of His blessing. But it will require walking in the spiritual dimension.
by Os HillmanFriday,
September 12 2008
"Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff." Numbers 20:11a
Will you fulfill the destiny God has for your life? Perhaps you have never thought about it. God had a perfect plan for Moses to lead the people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. It's been said the hardest place to score a touchdown is from the goal line. You're almost there. But there is something about crossing over that makes those last few yards the most difficult. Moses failed at the goal line, and it prevented him from finishing well a glorious life of service for God.
The people of Israel were complaining that they did not have water to drink. It was another of many tests for Israel. Moses inquired of God and God said, "...Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water" (Num. 20:8a). Moses, in his frustration and anger with the people, began to act on his own and made a strategic mistake. Instead of speaking to the rock, he struck the rock twice with his staff. In spite of his disobedience, the rock poured forth water.
God was calling Moses to a different dimension. Moses was to use his words to speak the miracle. However, he not only lost his temper, but he also took credit and dishonored God. He used his staff, the symbol of his work life as a shepherd, to force the provision. When we become callous, we can use our skills and abilities to force what we believe should happen. We take control. When we do this, we are in danger of failing to enter the Promised Land of blessing from God. Living in life's spiritual dimension requires patience and obedience. Beware of solving problems in your own strength. God wants to bring you into the Promised Land of His blessing. But it will require walking in the spiritual dimension.
THE SPIRITUAL REALM
Today God Is First Volume 1
by Os Hillman
Wednesday, September 10 2008
"So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. 1 Corinthians 14:15
How real is the spiritual realm? My lawyer friend from Nigeria tells a personal story of how he was preparing for an important case. He knew that he must be prepared to argue five separate points. He was to appear before his country's supreme court, so it was a very important case.
As he neared the time in which he was to go to court, he began to pray about how he was to argue the case. He spent much time in legal preparation and intercessory prayer. As he went to court, the Spirit spoke to him and said, "Do not argue point one, point two, point three, or point four. Only argue point five." Imagine my friend's struggle of faith. If he were reading this wrong, the shame and professional fallout would be devastating.
The time had come to present the case before the judge when my friend said, "Judge, I wish to withdraw points one through four. I wish to argue only point five." The opposing counsel stood up and objected. "Your honor, he cannot do that!" "Objection overruled, counsel," said the judge.
My friend went on to present his case around point five only, and then sat down. When the opposing counsel stood to present his case, he stood speechless for 12 minutes. He could not get a word out of his mouth. He finally mumbled a few words and complained to the judge that he was going to have to yield. It seems that the opposing counsel had prepared to argue only points one through four, but failed to prepare for point five. The judge ruled in favor of my friend. The unseen Lord wants to help us in the physical realm of our work life. We must acknowledge His presence and tap into this incredible resource He has given to each of us. Seek Him today and ask Him to reveal His perfect plan for you this day.
by Os Hillman
Wednesday, September 10 2008
"So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. 1 Corinthians 14:15
How real is the spiritual realm? My lawyer friend from Nigeria tells a personal story of how he was preparing for an important case. He knew that he must be prepared to argue five separate points. He was to appear before his country's supreme court, so it was a very important case.
As he neared the time in which he was to go to court, he began to pray about how he was to argue the case. He spent much time in legal preparation and intercessory prayer. As he went to court, the Spirit spoke to him and said, "Do not argue point one, point two, point three, or point four. Only argue point five." Imagine my friend's struggle of faith. If he were reading this wrong, the shame and professional fallout would be devastating.
The time had come to present the case before the judge when my friend said, "Judge, I wish to withdraw points one through four. I wish to argue only point five." The opposing counsel stood up and objected. "Your honor, he cannot do that!" "Objection overruled, counsel," said the judge.
My friend went on to present his case around point five only, and then sat down. When the opposing counsel stood to present his case, he stood speechless for 12 minutes. He could not get a word out of his mouth. He finally mumbled a few words and complained to the judge that he was going to have to yield. It seems that the opposing counsel had prepared to argue only points one through four, but failed to prepare for point five. The judge ruled in favor of my friend. The unseen Lord wants to help us in the physical realm of our work life. We must acknowledge His presence and tap into this incredible resource He has given to each of us. Seek Him today and ask Him to reveal His perfect plan for you this day.
THE WEAPONS OF YOUR WARFARE
Find out how the devil offers you corrupted thoughts hoping you will take the bait and image them as possible.
PULLING DOWN STRONGHOLDS
The devil wants to use your imagination to make mountains out of molehills to discourage. Mountains are best built within a corrupted imagination.
God knows you can wander into the stormy sea of vain imaginations. He provided in His Word, however, ways to calm every storm. Again He says the weapons of your warfare are not carnal but mighty through Him to pull down those corrupted thoughts that would rise against His Word, will and ways in your life.
Pulling down negative thoughts is something that you have to do. It’s like taking down and replacing old pictures of loved ones. Others can’t do that for you. “So how often do you pull those thoughts down,” you ask? Every time you have one. God will not take those thoughts captive for you. You have to do it. “How do you pull down a corrupted thought or imagination,” you inquire? You pull them down by first recognizing that you have one.
You need to be able to see the imagination coming alive within your soul. Imaginations are pictures within your mind of thoughts, events or conversations that are only in the unseen world within you. They are not real. The devil offers you corrupted thoughts hoping you will take the bait and image them as possible.
Rogue imaginations encourage you to do things you shouldn’t by releasing fear or playing on rejection. We cannot be driven by dread, insecurity or wandering minds. You can have the abundant life that Christ said you could have. scri pture says, “And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled” (2 Corinthians 10:6). To “revenge disobedience” means stopping carnal imaginations that are noncompliant to the Word of God. Notice the Word tells you to be ready to cast them down through obedience because imaginations have no power over those that obey “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.”
When vain imaginations blather on, they always conflict with God’s Word. That’s how you know if your imagination is good or bad. When a thought conflicts with the Word of God you must submit yourself to God’s Word and not the imagination. You can always seek safety by running into Christ’s covering and away from corrupted thoughts and imaginations.
LIVING WITH THIEVES
Many Christians are influenced by carnal imaginations. Vain imaginations are thieves. Don’t live with them. You never know what family treasure they will pluck from your cupboards. When you linger on one the triumph of God’s Word is stolen from you. Don’t flake out and wander into vain imaginations. Take hold of your mind. Like traversing a minefield there is danger when walking out a corrupted imagination.
When you form, in the spirit of your mind, a picture or an image of something that might happen and act on that image you give sunshine to it. Acting on an imagination moves your life in that direction. To guard yourself you must not ponder on the thought. If you act out the thought you cross the threshold of safety and leave the path of life abundant.
Every one of us has done this. We’ve been manipulated, influenced and controlled by corrupted imaginations or by something we thought would happen that wasn’t even real until we made it real.
There are truths that God speaks into our lives that are genuine and there are other thoughts the spirit of this world speaks that are not real. Most the images that randomly come into your mind are vain imaginations. You can, however, like the wooden rudder on a mighty ship, direct your imaginations toward the positive by using your will. Until you learn how to cast down corrupted imaginations you cannot cultivate the positive ones. The devil wants to use your imagination to make mountains out of molehills to discourage. Mountains are best built within a corrupted imagination. They only offer discouragement, fear, confusion, anger and defeat. The good news is that you can do something about them. You can take control of your thought life.
OUT WITH THE TRASH
Imaginations make believers with mighty potential spiritually weak and emotionally immature. Some get carried away by their own imaginations. Relationships, for example, split because of vain imaginations.
Vain imaginations can be so serious that some even leave good churches because of imaginary offenses. Somebody imagined that somebody thought something about them. Before they know it, they’re giving life to corrupted thoughts, changing churches and abandoning life-long friends. They find themselves out of the plan of God and wondering what happened. Left unchecked this is the power of vain imaginations.
When an imagination enters your life, you have to ask yourself if the thoughts line up with God’s Word. If they don’t then you need to place them in a polyethylene trash bag for pickup. Don’t be afraid to call an imagination what it is. You need to say to yourself, “That’s a corrupted imagination and I’m not walking in it.” When vain imaginations enter the spirit of your mind don’t dwell on them, bind them up. Lingering on hollow thoughts and imaginations only empowers them.
Let’s make this more personal. Let’s say, for example, that you can’t pay your bills. The devil will try to get into your emotions and torment you with thoughts that say, “They’re going to take your car away from you, for example, or they’re going to put a lien on your home, or they’re going to file a lawsuit against you.” Before you know it, you are tormented by an imagination, a mental picture of things that are not true.
Imaginations are suggestive and always rise against the knowledge of God that says, all of your needs shall be met. So what happens if you dwell on a corrupted imagination? You will be mentally troubled and prodded to act out the imagination. Do you see it? Imaginations are destroying lives but you can stop every one by subjecting them to God’s written Word.
Imagination is a good thing. As mentioned already it is a gift from God given to you to “see all things as possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23). Before you can operate in that seeing gift, however, you need to discern corrupted thoughts and vain imaginations. You can do it. This week try writing them down and practice identifying every positive and negative thought, voice and imagination that enters your mind. The first step to winning the war, like Agatha Christie’s fictional detective Miss Marple, will be your ability to rightly discern the thoughts that attack your soul.
MEDITATION AND REFLECTION
Acting on an imagination moves your life in that direction.
You can direct your imaginations toward the positive by using your will.
This short essay is out of my book “Imaginations: Dare to win the battle against your mind.” In the book we discuss:
Why God gave you a prophetic imagination.
How to defeat the fearful whispers in your mind.
How to unravel Satan’s best spiritual warfare strategies.
How to stop invisible opponents.
How to see all things as possible.
How to win imaginary conversations.
How to walk where dreams live.
PULLING DOWN STRONGHOLDS
The devil wants to use your imagination to make mountains out of molehills to discourage. Mountains are best built within a corrupted imagination.
God knows you can wander into the stormy sea of vain imaginations. He provided in His Word, however, ways to calm every storm. Again He says the weapons of your warfare are not carnal but mighty through Him to pull down those corrupted thoughts that would rise against His Word, will and ways in your life.
Pulling down negative thoughts is something that you have to do. It’s like taking down and replacing old pictures of loved ones. Others can’t do that for you. “So how often do you pull those thoughts down,” you ask? Every time you have one. God will not take those thoughts captive for you. You have to do it. “How do you pull down a corrupted thought or imagination,” you inquire? You pull them down by first recognizing that you have one.
You need to be able to see the imagination coming alive within your soul. Imaginations are pictures within your mind of thoughts, events or conversations that are only in the unseen world within you. They are not real. The devil offers you corrupted thoughts hoping you will take the bait and image them as possible.
Rogue imaginations encourage you to do things you shouldn’t by releasing fear or playing on rejection. We cannot be driven by dread, insecurity or wandering minds. You can have the abundant life that Christ said you could have. scri pture says, “And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled” (2 Corinthians 10:6). To “revenge disobedience” means stopping carnal imaginations that are noncompliant to the Word of God. Notice the Word tells you to be ready to cast them down through obedience because imaginations have no power over those that obey “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.”
When vain imaginations blather on, they always conflict with God’s Word. That’s how you know if your imagination is good or bad. When a thought conflicts with the Word of God you must submit yourself to God’s Word and not the imagination. You can always seek safety by running into Christ’s covering and away from corrupted thoughts and imaginations.
LIVING WITH THIEVES
Many Christians are influenced by carnal imaginations. Vain imaginations are thieves. Don’t live with them. You never know what family treasure they will pluck from your cupboards. When you linger on one the triumph of God’s Word is stolen from you. Don’t flake out and wander into vain imaginations. Take hold of your mind. Like traversing a minefield there is danger when walking out a corrupted imagination.
When you form, in the spirit of your mind, a picture or an image of something that might happen and act on that image you give sunshine to it. Acting on an imagination moves your life in that direction. To guard yourself you must not ponder on the thought. If you act out the thought you cross the threshold of safety and leave the path of life abundant.
Every one of us has done this. We’ve been manipulated, influenced and controlled by corrupted imaginations or by something we thought would happen that wasn’t even real until we made it real.
There are truths that God speaks into our lives that are genuine and there are other thoughts the spirit of this world speaks that are not real. Most the images that randomly come into your mind are vain imaginations. You can, however, like the wooden rudder on a mighty ship, direct your imaginations toward the positive by using your will. Until you learn how to cast down corrupted imaginations you cannot cultivate the positive ones. The devil wants to use your imagination to make mountains out of molehills to discourage. Mountains are best built within a corrupted imagination. They only offer discouragement, fear, confusion, anger and defeat. The good news is that you can do something about them. You can take control of your thought life.
OUT WITH THE TRASH
Imaginations make believers with mighty potential spiritually weak and emotionally immature. Some get carried away by their own imaginations. Relationships, for example, split because of vain imaginations.
Vain imaginations can be so serious that some even leave good churches because of imaginary offenses. Somebody imagined that somebody thought something about them. Before they know it, they’re giving life to corrupted thoughts, changing churches and abandoning life-long friends. They find themselves out of the plan of God and wondering what happened. Left unchecked this is the power of vain imaginations.
When an imagination enters your life, you have to ask yourself if the thoughts line up with God’s Word. If they don’t then you need to place them in a polyethylene trash bag for pickup. Don’t be afraid to call an imagination what it is. You need to say to yourself, “That’s a corrupted imagination and I’m not walking in it.” When vain imaginations enter the spirit of your mind don’t dwell on them, bind them up. Lingering on hollow thoughts and imaginations only empowers them.
Let’s make this more personal. Let’s say, for example, that you can’t pay your bills. The devil will try to get into your emotions and torment you with thoughts that say, “They’re going to take your car away from you, for example, or they’re going to put a lien on your home, or they’re going to file a lawsuit against you.” Before you know it, you are tormented by an imagination, a mental picture of things that are not true.
Imaginations are suggestive and always rise against the knowledge of God that says, all of your needs shall be met. So what happens if you dwell on a corrupted imagination? You will be mentally troubled and prodded to act out the imagination. Do you see it? Imaginations are destroying lives but you can stop every one by subjecting them to God’s written Word.
Imagination is a good thing. As mentioned already it is a gift from God given to you to “see all things as possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23). Before you can operate in that seeing gift, however, you need to discern corrupted thoughts and vain imaginations. You can do it. This week try writing them down and practice identifying every positive and negative thought, voice and imagination that enters your mind. The first step to winning the war, like Agatha Christie’s fictional detective Miss Marple, will be your ability to rightly discern the thoughts that attack your soul.
MEDITATION AND REFLECTION
Acting on an imagination moves your life in that direction.
You can direct your imaginations toward the positive by using your will.
This short essay is out of my book “Imaginations: Dare to win the battle against your mind.” In the book we discuss:
Why God gave you a prophetic imagination.
How to defeat the fearful whispers in your mind.
How to unravel Satan’s best spiritual warfare strategies.
How to stop invisible opponents.
How to see all things as possible.
How to win imaginary conversations.
How to walk where dreams live.
THE WAY OF GOD
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1
by Os HillmanTuesday,
September 09 2008
"If My people would but listen to Me.... Psalm 81:13
God has a specific training ground for leaders. There are three patterns of preparation that have been common among most of God's leaders. First, there is a time when the leader is separated from his old life. Consider Moses, Joseph, Abraham, and Paul. In order for God to mold and shape them into His nature, it appears that He had to remove them from the life of comfort. A teacher once said, "You cannot go with God and remain where you are."
Next, there is usually a time of solitude. God often brings leaders into a time of solitude in order to speak to them without other distractions. Hosea 2:14b says, "I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her." Paul was sent to Arabia for two years for a time of solitude. Joseph spent years in the solitude of prison. Moses spent 40 years in the desert herding sheep.
The third characteristic of God's preparation for leaders is discomfort. The setting in which the preparation takes place usually is not a place of comfort. Abraham traveled through the difficult deserts. David lived in caves fleeing Saul. Paul was frequently persecuted.
Are you ready for the classroom of leadership preparation? If God chooses to bring you into this class, you may have one of three reactions to the events. First, you may say, "I don't need it." Perhaps you know intellectually that you do need this, but God wants you to know it in your heart. Pride prevents us from entering this classroom. The second reaction may be, "I'm tired of it." You decide you've had enough. If so, this will disqualify you from leadership. Finally, God's desired response from us in this preparation is, "I accept it." To accept it with joy is the place of maturity in Christ. God often keeps us in these places until we come to accept and agree that Jesus is enough. Is He all you need?
Like the people of Israel, I think we have something to do with the timetable of our education. "If My people would but listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes!" (Ps. 81:13-14) Are you ready for the process required for being a godly leader? Ask for His grace to willingly embrace these times of preparation.
by Os HillmanTuesday,
September 09 2008
"If My people would but listen to Me.... Psalm 81:13
God has a specific training ground for leaders. There are three patterns of preparation that have been common among most of God's leaders. First, there is a time when the leader is separated from his old life. Consider Moses, Joseph, Abraham, and Paul. In order for God to mold and shape them into His nature, it appears that He had to remove them from the life of comfort. A teacher once said, "You cannot go with God and remain where you are."
Next, there is usually a time of solitude. God often brings leaders into a time of solitude in order to speak to them without other distractions. Hosea 2:14b says, "I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her." Paul was sent to Arabia for two years for a time of solitude. Joseph spent years in the solitude of prison. Moses spent 40 years in the desert herding sheep.
The third characteristic of God's preparation for leaders is discomfort. The setting in which the preparation takes place usually is not a place of comfort. Abraham traveled through the difficult deserts. David lived in caves fleeing Saul. Paul was frequently persecuted.
Are you ready for the classroom of leadership preparation? If God chooses to bring you into this class, you may have one of three reactions to the events. First, you may say, "I don't need it." Perhaps you know intellectually that you do need this, but God wants you to know it in your heart. Pride prevents us from entering this classroom. The second reaction may be, "I'm tired of it." You decide you've had enough. If so, this will disqualify you from leadership. Finally, God's desired response from us in this preparation is, "I accept it." To accept it with joy is the place of maturity in Christ. God often keeps us in these places until we come to accept and agree that Jesus is enough. Is He all you need?
Like the people of Israel, I think we have something to do with the timetable of our education. "If My people would but listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes!" (Ps. 81:13-14) Are you ready for the process required for being a godly leader? Ask for His grace to willingly embrace these times of preparation.
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Spiritual Warfare
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1
by Os Hillman
Monday, September 08 2008
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12
My wife walked out of the airport restroom. She looked as if she was going to throw up. We were about to go through the airport checkpoint when we paused.
"I feel awful. It came on suddenly. I don't know if I should go," she said.
We were going on an overnight trip to meet with a workplace ministry about a possible joint venture project. It was important for me to have her there. But she was feeling so badly and would probably be miserable traveling in her condition.
"You may be right. Perhaps you should not go."
We were both disappointed. We began to transfer my clothing into my bag. We prayed together and I proceeded to the gate. I was disappointed, perplexed, and a bit angry.
"Lord, I don't know about this. If this is not of Your hand, I pray against it in Jesus' name. I pray for Angie's healing right now and I bind this spirit of infirmity."
I got to the gate about ten minutes later. As I was waiting to check in, I looked up and there was Angie.
"I'm going. I kept asking if I should go and a voice said, 'No.' I changed my mind three times. But I finally decided that I am not dead and I should be going on this trip."
We got on the plane and within a few minutes, the symptoms of illness were completely gone. The symptoms were a counterfeit. She was fine the rest of the trip. It was critical for her to participate with me because it became a major turning point in my own spiritual pilgrimage. She needed to experience what I was going to experience. There is the spiritual and there is the physical. The spiritual involves two forces. One is good. One is evil. We must realize that the spiritual is more real than the physical. Satan has his agents in the world to thwart God's purposes. We need to recognize when these are at work. Pray that you might have spiritual eyes and ears to discern these forces today in your work.
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1
by Os Hillman
Monday, September 08 2008
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12
My wife walked out of the airport restroom. She looked as if she was going to throw up. We were about to go through the airport checkpoint when we paused.
"I feel awful. It came on suddenly. I don't know if I should go," she said.
We were going on an overnight trip to meet with a workplace ministry about a possible joint venture project. It was important for me to have her there. But she was feeling so badly and would probably be miserable traveling in her condition.
"You may be right. Perhaps you should not go."
We were both disappointed. We began to transfer my clothing into my bag. We prayed together and I proceeded to the gate. I was disappointed, perplexed, and a bit angry.
"Lord, I don't know about this. If this is not of Your hand, I pray against it in Jesus' name. I pray for Angie's healing right now and I bind this spirit of infirmity."
I got to the gate about ten minutes later. As I was waiting to check in, I looked up and there was Angie.
"I'm going. I kept asking if I should go and a voice said, 'No.' I changed my mind three times. But I finally decided that I am not dead and I should be going on this trip."
We got on the plane and within a few minutes, the symptoms of illness were completely gone. The symptoms were a counterfeit. She was fine the rest of the trip. It was critical for her to participate with me because it became a major turning point in my own spiritual pilgrimage. She needed to experience what I was going to experience. There is the spiritual and there is the physical. The spiritual involves two forces. One is good. One is evil. We must realize that the spiritual is more real than the physical. Satan has his agents in the world to thwart God's purposes. We need to recognize when these are at work. Pray that you might have spiritual eyes and ears to discern these forces today in your work.
CHRIST'S FIGHTING INSTRUMENTS
Christ gave you powerful fighting instruments—His Word. Use His sword today and win every battle.
MEDITATE ON THE WORD
When you form, in the spirit of your mind, a picture or an image of something that might happen and act on that image you give life to it.
One of your greatest fighting instruments is the capacity to judge all thoughts and imaginations by the written Word of God. Unbelievers don’t have this ability because their carnal minds are hostile toward God (Romans 8:7). Using the written law of God as your guide for truth is the first sign of spiritual maturity. As you learn to judge all your thoughts you will discover that fear, insecurity and confusion will leave your life.
Some have more problems with debased thoughts and imaginations than others, but there is victory for everyone. You just have to learn how to bind them up. One thing that helps everyone is to stop taking imaginations as fact. Imaginations are only imaginations. They dwell in the unseen spirit of your mind. Thoughts too are only thoughts. Neither has power unless you give life to them by dwelling on them and speaking them.
Judging every thought and imagination will help you immediately. All your thoughts and imaginations should lead you closer to God and life in the Spirit. If they don’t they are vain and corrupted. To embrace them would only hinder your walk with Christ.
Vain imaginations never lead you closer to God but away from Him. They are exalted valleys. Many live, not according to the Word of God or the ways of God, but according to blemished imagery within their imagination. The imagination is the area where the devil works the most in the life of a believer. Just remember “the weapons of your warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” Strongholds are those destructive imaginations created by dwelling on corrupted thoughts.
Imaginations will talk to you. They have a voice and are not afraid to mentor you. Vain imaginations can, and will, laud themselves against the knowledge of God in your life. They have an anti-Christ voice and will challenge Christ’ truth for your life. An imagination, for example, may speak to you saying, “You’re going to die,” when Christ’ Word clearly declares, “With long life will I satisfy you and show you my salvation” (Psalm 91:16). That is how imaginations glorify themselves against the knowledge of God.
Have you ever felt defeated in the midst of victory? An imagination may also attack the Word of God in your life by saying, “You’re going to be a defeated person all your life.” When the Word of God says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). When the Word of God declares, “My God shall supply all of your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19), an imagination may attack to undermine God’s plan and purpose in your life. God may speak to you saying, “I’ve called you for such a time as this” (Ester 4:14), but an imagination may challenge, “Yeah, but nobody loves you, nobody cares about you, and nobody will listen to you.” All of these are simple examples of the lying voice of vain thoughts that attack the mind. You must learn how to get control over your thoughts and imaginations, and you can!
IMAGINARY CONVERSATIONS
Within your imagination you can create supposed conversations with others. Sometimes people allow imaginary verbal exchanges to take them into error. Some start foreseeing in their mind’s eye, for illustration, a presumed dialogue they’ll have with someone. They may think of someone they’re going to meet at work and begin to think about a talk that has not yet taken place. Their mind begins to drift into the realm of imagination and they think about what they are going to say. They even visualize the person’s response. As they continue to think about the scene a voice of fear may be released into their imagination producing insecurity, alarm, rejection, unbelief or anger. Because imaginations produce emotion they then find themselves envisaging things that haven’t even happened. This is the poisoned fruit of corrupted thoughts and imaginations. This is why we must take every vagabond imagination captive. This realm can rob abundant life from you. Vain imaginations are “high things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God” and attack your mind.
Have you drifted past coral reefs into the dark blue depths of a vain imagination today? You may have started thinking what your spouse might say, what your employer might say, or how your children might act. Suddenly your mind is consumed with unseen images that affect you in a negative way. When you dwell on corrupted thoughts you’re walking, not after the Spirit, but after the flesh that was introduced by the vain imagination. This is another example of how some live because they harvest imaginations and lose the victory of the knowledge of Christ in their lives.
Imaginations speak a foreign language and exalt themselves against the truth of God in your life. It is the voice of an imagination, for example, that says, “You can’t make it. Why don’t you just give up and quit?” When you hear unfamiliar sounds turn away and incline your ear towards heaven that declares, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). Christ gave you powerful fighting instruments—His Word. Use His sword today and win every battle.
MEDITATION AND REFLECTION
Imagination produces emotion.
Imaginations are pictures within your mind of thoughts, events or conversations that are only in the unseen world within you.
When you form, in the spirit of your mind, a picture or an image of something that might happen and act on that image you give life to it.
by Jonas Clark
MEDITATE ON THE WORD
When you form, in the spirit of your mind, a picture or an image of something that might happen and act on that image you give life to it.
One of your greatest fighting instruments is the capacity to judge all thoughts and imaginations by the written Word of God. Unbelievers don’t have this ability because their carnal minds are hostile toward God (Romans 8:7). Using the written law of God as your guide for truth is the first sign of spiritual maturity. As you learn to judge all your thoughts you will discover that fear, insecurity and confusion will leave your life.
Some have more problems with debased thoughts and imaginations than others, but there is victory for everyone. You just have to learn how to bind them up. One thing that helps everyone is to stop taking imaginations as fact. Imaginations are only imaginations. They dwell in the unseen spirit of your mind. Thoughts too are only thoughts. Neither has power unless you give life to them by dwelling on them and speaking them.
Judging every thought and imagination will help you immediately. All your thoughts and imaginations should lead you closer to God and life in the Spirit. If they don’t they are vain and corrupted. To embrace them would only hinder your walk with Christ.
Vain imaginations never lead you closer to God but away from Him. They are exalted valleys. Many live, not according to the Word of God or the ways of God, but according to blemished imagery within their imagination. The imagination is the area where the devil works the most in the life of a believer. Just remember “the weapons of your warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” Strongholds are those destructive imaginations created by dwelling on corrupted thoughts.
Imaginations will talk to you. They have a voice and are not afraid to mentor you. Vain imaginations can, and will, laud themselves against the knowledge of God in your life. They have an anti-Christ voice and will challenge Christ’ truth for your life. An imagination, for example, may speak to you saying, “You’re going to die,” when Christ’ Word clearly declares, “With long life will I satisfy you and show you my salvation” (Psalm 91:16). That is how imaginations glorify themselves against the knowledge of God.
Have you ever felt defeated in the midst of victory? An imagination may also attack the Word of God in your life by saying, “You’re going to be a defeated person all your life.” When the Word of God says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). When the Word of God declares, “My God shall supply all of your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19), an imagination may attack to undermine God’s plan and purpose in your life. God may speak to you saying, “I’ve called you for such a time as this” (Ester 4:14), but an imagination may challenge, “Yeah, but nobody loves you, nobody cares about you, and nobody will listen to you.” All of these are simple examples of the lying voice of vain thoughts that attack the mind. You must learn how to get control over your thoughts and imaginations, and you can!
IMAGINARY CONVERSATIONS
Within your imagination you can create supposed conversations with others. Sometimes people allow imaginary verbal exchanges to take them into error. Some start foreseeing in their mind’s eye, for illustration, a presumed dialogue they’ll have with someone. They may think of someone they’re going to meet at work and begin to think about a talk that has not yet taken place. Their mind begins to drift into the realm of imagination and they think about what they are going to say. They even visualize the person’s response. As they continue to think about the scene a voice of fear may be released into their imagination producing insecurity, alarm, rejection, unbelief or anger. Because imaginations produce emotion they then find themselves envisaging things that haven’t even happened. This is the poisoned fruit of corrupted thoughts and imaginations. This is why we must take every vagabond imagination captive. This realm can rob abundant life from you. Vain imaginations are “high things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God” and attack your mind.
Have you drifted past coral reefs into the dark blue depths of a vain imagination today? You may have started thinking what your spouse might say, what your employer might say, or how your children might act. Suddenly your mind is consumed with unseen images that affect you in a negative way. When you dwell on corrupted thoughts you’re walking, not after the Spirit, but after the flesh that was introduced by the vain imagination. This is another example of how some live because they harvest imaginations and lose the victory of the knowledge of Christ in their lives.
Imaginations speak a foreign language and exalt themselves against the truth of God in your life. It is the voice of an imagination, for example, that says, “You can’t make it. Why don’t you just give up and quit?” When you hear unfamiliar sounds turn away and incline your ear towards heaven that declares, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). Christ gave you powerful fighting instruments—His Word. Use His sword today and win every battle.
MEDITATION AND REFLECTION
Imagination produces emotion.
Imaginations are pictures within your mind of thoughts, events or conversations that are only in the unseen world within you.
When you form, in the spirit of your mind, a picture or an image of something that might happen and act on that image you give life to it.
by Jonas Clark
9/07/2008
DYING FOR A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1
by Os Hillman
Sunday, September 07 2008
"The Lord's anger burned against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God." 1 Chronicles 13:10
A business friend of mine confessed that he did not like to read. He found it a difficult discipline. I replied, "If you do not commit yourself to knowing what is in God's Word and following it, you will fail to know and experience God. God's Word is life to our souls. It provides knowledge that leads to life." The prophet Hosea tells us, "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as My priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children" (Hos. 4:6).
God has given us His Word that has specific laws and principles that must be followed if we expect His blessing. King David forgot to follow one of those laws related to the ark. "...But they must not touch the holy things or they will die..." (Num. 4:15). When they were transporting the ark, Uzzah innocently reached to steady the ark but was immediately stricken dead when his hands touched the ark of God. Did David know this law or did he simply forget? Did Uzzah know this law? If so, did he really believe it? David thought it was okay to carry the ark the way Uzzah did. A man lost his life for his presumption.
Many workplace believers I know take God's Word lightly. They believe they can violate His Word without consequence. This is not true; the Lord stands by to uphold His Word. It can be life, or it can bring death. When God provides instructions, we need to follow them. Knowing this about God brings a healthy fear of the Lord. "David was afraid of God that day and asked, 'How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?' " (1 Chron. 13:12) We must all have a fearful respect of God's Word. For truly, it is life or death. Do you take God's Word seriously? Is it life or death for you? Do you feed upon His Word daily so that you might know Him and know His precepts? Feed upon this knowledge and be blessed of God.
by Os Hillman
Sunday, September 07 2008
"The Lord's anger burned against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God." 1 Chronicles 13:10
A business friend of mine confessed that he did not like to read. He found it a difficult discipline. I replied, "If you do not commit yourself to knowing what is in God's Word and following it, you will fail to know and experience God. God's Word is life to our souls. It provides knowledge that leads to life." The prophet Hosea tells us, "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as My priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children" (Hos. 4:6).
God has given us His Word that has specific laws and principles that must be followed if we expect His blessing. King David forgot to follow one of those laws related to the ark. "...But they must not touch the holy things or they will die..." (Num. 4:15). When they were transporting the ark, Uzzah innocently reached to steady the ark but was immediately stricken dead when his hands touched the ark of God. Did David know this law or did he simply forget? Did Uzzah know this law? If so, did he really believe it? David thought it was okay to carry the ark the way Uzzah did. A man lost his life for his presumption.
Many workplace believers I know take God's Word lightly. They believe they can violate His Word without consequence. This is not true; the Lord stands by to uphold His Word. It can be life, or it can bring death. When God provides instructions, we need to follow them. Knowing this about God brings a healthy fear of the Lord. "David was afraid of God that day and asked, 'How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?' " (1 Chron. 13:12) We must all have a fearful respect of God's Word. For truly, it is life or death. Do you take God's Word seriously? Is it life or death for you? Do you feed upon His Word daily so that you might know Him and know His precepts? Feed upon this knowledge and be blessed of God.
THE NECESSITY OF THE DESERT
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1
by Os Hillman
Saturday, September 06 2008...
"I have become an alien in a foreign land." Exodus 2:22
God's preparation of a leader involves training, extended times of waiting, pain, rejection, and isolation. Are you ready to sign up?
Moses was brought up in Pharaoh's court. He had the very best of everything-education, clothing, food, and personal care. But there came a time when the man God would use to free an entire people from slavery was going to have to learn to be the leader God wanted. At age 40, when most of us want to be thinking about winding down instead of beginning a new career, Moses was forced to flee to the desert.
Like Joseph and Abraham, Moses had to endure some difficult years of preparation that first involved removal from his current situation. He went from notoriety to obscurity, from limitless resources to no resources, from activity and action to inactivity and solitude. And, most importantly, waiting. And waiting. And waiting. He probably thought he would die in the land of Midian.
Then one day, a full 40 years from the day he arrived, God appeared to Moses in a burning bush. Everything changed. God said, "It is time." The years had seasoned the vessel to prepare him to accomplish the work. God is preparing many workplace believers today. The circumstances may be different. The time frames may not be quite as long. But the characteristics of the training are still the same. Do not try to shortcut the desert time of God. It only leads to cul-de-sacs, which force you to revisit the lessons you are meant to learn. Embrace them, so that He can use your life for something extraordinary.
by Os Hillman
Saturday, September 06 2008...
"I have become an alien in a foreign land." Exodus 2:22
God's preparation of a leader involves training, extended times of waiting, pain, rejection, and isolation. Are you ready to sign up?
Moses was brought up in Pharaoh's court. He had the very best of everything-education, clothing, food, and personal care. But there came a time when the man God would use to free an entire people from slavery was going to have to learn to be the leader God wanted. At age 40, when most of us want to be thinking about winding down instead of beginning a new career, Moses was forced to flee to the desert.
Like Joseph and Abraham, Moses had to endure some difficult years of preparation that first involved removal from his current situation. He went from notoriety to obscurity, from limitless resources to no resources, from activity and action to inactivity and solitude. And, most importantly, waiting. And waiting. And waiting. He probably thought he would die in the land of Midian.
Then one day, a full 40 years from the day he arrived, God appeared to Moses in a burning bush. Everything changed. God said, "It is time." The years had seasoned the vessel to prepare him to accomplish the work. God is preparing many workplace believers today. The circumstances may be different. The time frames may not be quite as long. But the characteristics of the training are still the same. Do not try to shortcut the desert time of God. It only leads to cul-de-sacs, which force you to revisit the lessons you are meant to learn. Embrace them, so that He can use your life for something extraordinary.
SIGNIFICANCE
TGIF Today God Is First
Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Friday, September 05 2008
"May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us- yes, establish the work of our hands." Psalm 90:17
Many of us begin our careers with the goal of achieving success. If we haven't entered our work as a result of God's calling, we will eventually face a chasm of deep frustration and emptiness. Success flatters but does not provide a lasting sense of purpose and fulfillment. So often we enter careers with wrong motives-money, prestige, and even pressure from parents or peers. Failing to match our work with our giftedness and calling is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. If that happens over an extended period, a person crashes.
At this time, many make another mistake. Workplace believers think that beginning a new career in "full-time Christian work" will fill the emptiness they feel.
However, this only exacerbates the problem because they are again trying to put another square peg into a round hole. The problem is not whether we should be in "Christian work" or "secular work," but rather what work is inspired by gifts and calling. If there is one phrase I wish I could remove from the English language it is "full-time Christian work." If you are a Christian, you are in full-time Christian work, whether you are driving nails or preaching the gospel. The question must be, are you achieving the God-given calling for your life? God has called people into business to fulfill His purposes just as much as He has called people to be pastors or missionaries.
It is time for workplace believers to stop feeling like second-class citizens for being in business. It is time workplace believers stop working toward financial independence so that they can concentrate on their "true spiritual calling." This is the great deception for those called to business. Significance comes from fulfilling the God-given purpose for which you were made. Ask Him to confirm this in your own life.
Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Friday, September 05 2008
"May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us- yes, establish the work of our hands." Psalm 90:17
Many of us begin our careers with the goal of achieving success. If we haven't entered our work as a result of God's calling, we will eventually face a chasm of deep frustration and emptiness. Success flatters but does not provide a lasting sense of purpose and fulfillment. So often we enter careers with wrong motives-money, prestige, and even pressure from parents or peers. Failing to match our work with our giftedness and calling is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. If that happens over an extended period, a person crashes.
At this time, many make another mistake. Workplace believers think that beginning a new career in "full-time Christian work" will fill the emptiness they feel.
However, this only exacerbates the problem because they are again trying to put another square peg into a round hole. The problem is not whether we should be in "Christian work" or "secular work," but rather what work is inspired by gifts and calling. If there is one phrase I wish I could remove from the English language it is "full-time Christian work." If you are a Christian, you are in full-time Christian work, whether you are driving nails or preaching the gospel. The question must be, are you achieving the God-given calling for your life? God has called people into business to fulfill His purposes just as much as He has called people to be pastors or missionaries.
It is time for workplace believers to stop feeling like second-class citizens for being in business. It is time workplace believers stop working toward financial independence so that they can concentrate on their "true spiritual calling." This is the great deception for those called to business. Significance comes from fulfilling the God-given purpose for which you were made. Ask Him to confirm this in your own life.
ENVISIONING GREAT THINGS
Your soul hosts your mind, emotion, imagination, reasoning and intellect. The warfare that attacks your mind operates within your soul, particularly your thought life and within your imagination.
Envisioning Great Things
With your spirit you connect to the unseen spirit world, with your body the natural world, and with your soul the magnificent world of imagination.
Can you see yourself with sword in hand winning the war against your mind? To succeed you will need to discover how God created you, a champion that is “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). God created you spirit, soul and body. Just like God, you are a triune being. With your spirit you connect to the unseen spirit world, with your body the natural world, and with your soul the magnificent world of imagination.
When you were born again your spirit became a “new creature in Christ Jesus.” Your body and soul, however, remained unchanged. They need some help. You understand that exercise and diet is good for your physical health but what about the health of your soul? The Apostle John said, “Beloved I pray above all things that you might prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers” (3 John 1:2). A person can be born again, physically fit, and yet suffer tremendous warfare within their mind. Throughout this material you will learn battle tactics that will help you overcome the warfare against your mind. Let’s start with the soul.
Your soul hosts your mind, emotion, imagination, reasoning and intellect. The warfare that attacks your mind operates within your soul, particularly your thought life and within your imagination. When God created you He gave you the ability to “see all things as possible” within your imagination. Satan understands how God created you and will use your imagination and ignorance of God’s Word against you. That’s why it is important to “Study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
Imagination is your seeing gift from God. With it you can envision great things, dream great things and achieve great things. All outstanding achievement in life is birthed within someone’s imagination. Before you can benefit from positive imaginations, however, you need to win the war against vain imaginations. Vain imaginations are those corrupted negative images and possibilities that form within the spirit of your mind when you linger on negative thoughts.
Vain imaginations defeat many Christians and take them out of successful Christian living. Our imaginations, like military forts in the old American West, need to be fortified with Gospel truth. That’s why Paul taught believers to renew their minds with the Word of God. The devil is a strategist. He uses imaginations to gain access into your life to steal, kill and destroy. The Apostle Paul passed on a tremendous truth that you can use for victory. Throughout this essay we will use it as foundational truth to help you win every battle that attacks your mind.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
From this verse you will learn how to overcome every vain imagination and every thought that tries to take you out of the generous life that Christ provides. One of humanity’s greatest struggles is the spiritual warfare in the mind caused by corrupted thoughts and imaginations.
WARFARE WITHIN
All men have eyes but few can really see. It’s amazing how much is written in the Bible about imagination. The realm of imagination is the realm of images. It is the place of seeing and visualizing. scripture says, “Thou shall have no graven images (imaginations) before me” (Exodus 20:4). Our Lord never wanted His sons and daughters to worship him through graven images but with their heart and through their imaginations. With your imagination and only with your imagination can you image the greatness of God.
“So what is an imagination,” you ask? An imagination is a mental vista or picture seen within the spirit of your mind. It’s a picture of something created in the mind of man, or said another way, in the spirit of man’s mind. It is an image of something you see and suppose might happen. It is seeing yourself in a place you’re not. It is a real place called the spirit of your mind, the world of the unseen within.
The spirit of your mind has nothing to do with your born-again spirit. The spirit of your mind is within your soul or psuch man (pronounced psoo-khay, Greek for soul). An imagination forms a mental picture of things unseen or things only seen within. Something that exists only within the imagination is a virtual world that is not real until acted on.
Again, scripture declares, “For though we walk in the flesh we do not war after the flesh” (2 Corinthians 10:3). The warfare theme is consistent throughout the Bible. All of us are in a spiritual war for dominion. Dominion in our lives, and yes dominion within our minds. As said before, when you were saved, your spirit man was born again. You became a “new creature” in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). Your mind, however, didn’t change. It was not born again and needs renewal. After salvation you still had, for example, carnal thinking, bad information and troubling life experiences and memories that affect your judgment. Even so God has given you mighty weapons to stop every damaging thought and corrupted imagination. With these weapons you have authority and power to cast down every imagination and “high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” in your life. He has given you the ability to bring into captivity every vain thought and imagination every time they attack your mind. You can do it! Start today.
MEDITATION AND REFLECTION
With your spirit you connect to the unseen spirit world, with your body the natural world, and with your soul the magnificent world of imagination.
Your soul hosts your mind, emotion, imagination, reasoning and intellect. The warfare that attacks your mind operates within your soul, particularly your thought life and within your imagination.Vain imaginations are those corrupted negative images and possibilities that form within the spirit of your mind when you linger on negative thoughts.
Envisioning Great Things
With your spirit you connect to the unseen spirit world, with your body the natural world, and with your soul the magnificent world of imagination.
Can you see yourself with sword in hand winning the war against your mind? To succeed you will need to discover how God created you, a champion that is “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). God created you spirit, soul and body. Just like God, you are a triune being. With your spirit you connect to the unseen spirit world, with your body the natural world, and with your soul the magnificent world of imagination.
When you were born again your spirit became a “new creature in Christ Jesus.” Your body and soul, however, remained unchanged. They need some help. You understand that exercise and diet is good for your physical health but what about the health of your soul? The Apostle John said, “Beloved I pray above all things that you might prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers” (3 John 1:2). A person can be born again, physically fit, and yet suffer tremendous warfare within their mind. Throughout this material you will learn battle tactics that will help you overcome the warfare against your mind. Let’s start with the soul.
Your soul hosts your mind, emotion, imagination, reasoning and intellect. The warfare that attacks your mind operates within your soul, particularly your thought life and within your imagination. When God created you He gave you the ability to “see all things as possible” within your imagination. Satan understands how God created you and will use your imagination and ignorance of God’s Word against you. That’s why it is important to “Study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
Imagination is your seeing gift from God. With it you can envision great things, dream great things and achieve great things. All outstanding achievement in life is birthed within someone’s imagination. Before you can benefit from positive imaginations, however, you need to win the war against vain imaginations. Vain imaginations are those corrupted negative images and possibilities that form within the spirit of your mind when you linger on negative thoughts.
Vain imaginations defeat many Christians and take them out of successful Christian living. Our imaginations, like military forts in the old American West, need to be fortified with Gospel truth. That’s why Paul taught believers to renew their minds with the Word of God. The devil is a strategist. He uses imaginations to gain access into your life to steal, kill and destroy. The Apostle Paul passed on a tremendous truth that you can use for victory. Throughout this essay we will use it as foundational truth to help you win every battle that attacks your mind.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
From this verse you will learn how to overcome every vain imagination and every thought that tries to take you out of the generous life that Christ provides. One of humanity’s greatest struggles is the spiritual warfare in the mind caused by corrupted thoughts and imaginations.
WARFARE WITHIN
All men have eyes but few can really see. It’s amazing how much is written in the Bible about imagination. The realm of imagination is the realm of images. It is the place of seeing and visualizing. scripture says, “Thou shall have no graven images (imaginations) before me” (Exodus 20:4). Our Lord never wanted His sons and daughters to worship him through graven images but with their heart and through their imaginations. With your imagination and only with your imagination can you image the greatness of God.
“So what is an imagination,” you ask? An imagination is a mental vista or picture seen within the spirit of your mind. It’s a picture of something created in the mind of man, or said another way, in the spirit of man’s mind. It is an image of something you see and suppose might happen. It is seeing yourself in a place you’re not. It is a real place called the spirit of your mind, the world of the unseen within.
The spirit of your mind has nothing to do with your born-again spirit. The spirit of your mind is within your soul or psuch man (pronounced psoo-khay, Greek for soul). An imagination forms a mental picture of things unseen or things only seen within. Something that exists only within the imagination is a virtual world that is not real until acted on.
Again, scripture declares, “For though we walk in the flesh we do not war after the flesh” (2 Corinthians 10:3). The warfare theme is consistent throughout the Bible. All of us are in a spiritual war for dominion. Dominion in our lives, and yes dominion within our minds. As said before, when you were saved, your spirit man was born again. You became a “new creature” in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). Your mind, however, didn’t change. It was not born again and needs renewal. After salvation you still had, for example, carnal thinking, bad information and troubling life experiences and memories that affect your judgment. Even so God has given you mighty weapons to stop every damaging thought and corrupted imagination. With these weapons you have authority and power to cast down every imagination and “high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” in your life. He has given you the ability to bring into captivity every vain thought and imagination every time they attack your mind. You can do it! Start today.
MEDITATION AND REFLECTION
With your spirit you connect to the unseen spirit world, with your body the natural world, and with your soul the magnificent world of imagination.
Your soul hosts your mind, emotion, imagination, reasoning and intellect. The warfare that attacks your mind operates within your soul, particularly your thought life and within your imagination.Vain imaginations are those corrupted negative images and possibilities that form within the spirit of your mind when you linger on negative thoughts.
9/02/2008
APOSTOLIC LETTER FROM CLEM FERRIS
Praying for Spiritual Sight
I like Bible prayers. I like short Bible prayers. I’ve noticed that many of the prayers contained within Scripture are relatively short but full of precision and power. That is what I want for my prayer life. I’m trying to cut out a lot of verbal “fluff” and get in sync with the Holy Spirit. After all, He is the one who helps us in times of weakness and bewilderment and intercedes for us according to the will of God. This is awesome! “And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26,27). There is one particular short and powerful Bible prayer I find myself praying over and over recently. It is one sentence. It is ten words. I “stole” it from the prophet Elisha when he prayed for his young servant in 2 Kings 6. When this servant was shocked by the sight of the Syrian army that had surrounded the city of Dothan, where Elisha was staying, he found himself (as I often do) afraid and bewildered. What was Elisha’s response to the same situation? He prayed that short, powerful, ten-word prayer, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” Not even an “Amen.” Done. Short. Powerful. Effective! I need that in my life. Not only a short and loaded plea to heaven, but the answer! Sight! Oh, how spiritual sight changed that young man. It didn’t change the circumstances (which we love to spend a lot of prayer time asking for) but gave him what he needed most. He needed to see what God had provided. Elisha knew he didn’t need counseling, a Bible study or preaching about fear andfaith. Those are good, but at this moment, he simply needed spiritual sight. Why do we need this in our lives, too?
1. What we see often has the illusion of being absolutely real. What the young servant saw was not the Kingdom reality that was actually there! Only when his spiritual eyes were open did he see the reality of God’s horses and chariots of fire.
2. If you can change someone’s sight, you can change their life! Do you suppose that the servant’s spiritual life changed from that moment? Mine would. Yours would. And it can drastically change today, as well, if we cry out and plead that God would also “open our eyes.”I wonder……..when did those horses and chariots show up? When Elisha prayed? I don’t think so. My guess is that they were already there. So then I wonder again…..what is “already there” in our lives and circumstances, that we just can’t see. Shall we pray?
UPCOMING EVENTS AND THINGS OF NOTE
Hey everyone dont forget tonight is Godmen in Nashville with Dennis Rogers. He is pound for pound one of the strongest dudes on the planet and he is like a 170 lbs. That starts right at 7:00pm.
Also this weekend is the UFC at the Renken's house.
Lastly, be in prayer for Mike and Joy Thompson as her mother passed away yesterday.
Thanks
Also this weekend is the UFC at the Renken's house.
Lastly, be in prayer for Mike and Joy Thompson as her mother passed away yesterday.
Thanks
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