Becoming the Bride of Christ
God has not chosen a toxic spouse as his eternal bride. He assures this by providing a deep cleansing and renewal for us in Christ. Before he joins himself to us, he is meticulous in washing us pure with the lifeblood of Christ. He intricately sanctifies us to the state of holiness with Christ’s blood and his very own life essence, his spirit. In this process, he removes our broken and rebellious heart and gives us a new heart after his own heart, as David prayed. He then unites his spirit with ours to the point that you can’t distinguish between our spirit and his. He makes us partakers of his divine nature.
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“For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of hosts is His name”
When we read the Bible, we have to remember that when God speaks to us directly, he means what he says.
In Isaiah 53 we see the great price the Messiah pays as our guilt offering, to bear our sins and make intercession for our transgressions (Isa 53:10,12). As the result of the atoning work of the Messiah, God reframes his relationship with his people.
As a result of the complete work of Christ, God now views his relationship with his people as a marriage.
Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame; do not be intimidated, for you will not be humiliated. For you will forget the shame of your youth and will remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For your husband is your Maker—the LORD of Hosts is His name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth. Isaiah 54:4-5
He is careful about his language in these passages as he describes the context of his new covenant, secured in the sacrifice of his son. He tells his people (ultimately those who have faith in Christ - Galatians 3:14,29) that he will rescue them from their widowhood and become their husband. He’s careful to identify himself as the commander of angel armies, the father of Abraham, and the creator of the earth. But he’s also deliberate in communicating his intentions toward the object of his affection.
You are that bride. Because of Christ, God decided to join himself to you as profoundly as a wife is joined to a husband. The Apostle Paul tells us that the spiritual union of marriage is a mystery, reflecting our union with God. God himself is careful to call you his bride.
As I ponder this passage, I think about all the marriages I have encountered as a minister. I have the honor of sharing life and doing ministry with incredibly loving and healthy couples, but I’ve also experienced the heartbreak of sitting with couples as they recount the pain they’ve caused each other, even to the point of divorce.
I think about the people who have chosen their spouse poorly. I think about the women who continue to attract abusers to them repeatedly. I think about the men who continue to attract unfaithful women and have their hearts wrecked over and over.
And then I think about God and the spouse he chose. Specifically you.
I think God is the most emotionally healthy being that exists. I think he would choose a good spouse, a spouse that compliments him, a spouse that is committed to providing for and loving deeply throughout eternity.
God has not chosen a toxic spouse as his eternal bride. He assures this by providing a deep cleansing and renewal for us in Christ. Before he joins himself to us, he is meticulous in washing us pure with the lifeblood of Christ. He intricately sanctifies us to the state of holiness with Christ’s blood and his very own life essence, his spirit. In this process, he removes our broken and rebellious heart and gives us a new heart after his own heart, as David prayed. He then unites his spirit with ours to the point that you can’t distinguish between our spirit and his. He makes us partakers of his divine nature.
It’s hard to imagine with our limited minds. We can only understand it with our hearts, explained by the spiritual language of love.
Why does he do this? Because we are of great value to him. We are worth something, we are worth everything to him. We are the joy that inspired Jesus to endure death. We are the world he loved that he gave his only son for. We are the treasure in the field he sold everything to have. If you don’t see yourself through his perspective of you, it’s time to repent and humble your self-opinion to match God’s value for you.
You can live a life of significant meaning from this awareness of your value. Because you mean so much to God, you can rest in his value for you and live for something greater than your own needs.
In this series, I am discussing the phrase from 1 Corinthians 6, your life is not your own for you were bought with a price. I am encouraging people in this series to choose to live for something greater than their own needs, namely the kingdom of God.
When you know your value to God and how intimately you are joined to him, it’s easy to let go of self-centeredness and live a life that is part of a bigger story. Your life is part of His story. Living for him leaves the realm of obligation and becomes driven by meaning and purpose when you realize that His story is more important than your story.
Your life was worth dying for to God, and your life is worth living for others. I recommend spending some time meditating on the kind of union you have with God. Allow it to heal your heart and inspire you to love others. Love is our greatest strategy to reach the world.
Never forget, you are valuable, and you are loved. When you look at others, allow yourself to be aware of how valuable that person is to God. In your mind, tell them you love them and align your inner man to be a conduit of God’s spirit in their life.
You are the spouse of God, whom he will care and provide for. Go forward without fear and lavish his love upon others.
Watch this full series: Your Life Is Not Your Own
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Your Life Is Not Your Own
Your life is not your own, for you were bought with a price. If you don’t know your freedom in Christ, this statement can be a source of shame for you. Christians have been made to feel like they owe God, and the way you repay him is to be as good as possible. The good news is, God loves you no matter what. Once you are secure in your freedom in Christ, you become free to live in a way that honors him in everything you do. Not out of obligation but out of gratitude. Our new series will discuss the value God places on our lives and how we can respond to his love for us by glorifying him in everything we do. Today we will discuss what it means to give God glory. We pray today’s message is a blessing to you and inspires you to follow God more deeply.
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“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.”
Do you ever feel stuck, as if every day is the same as the last?
When I speak to people that feel this way, the most common reason is that they have become too focused on their own lives. We rightfully want to provide for our families and plan for the future, but when that becomes the main focus of life, it can start to feel heavy and unfulfilling.
It’s a good thing to take care of your family and invest in your children’s futures. Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children.” But if you feel like you just wake up, go to work, come and crash in front of the tv every evening, you will begin to feel like your life doesn’t matter.
But your life does matter. It matters greatly! You are needed in the kingdom. The harvest is plenty but the laborers are few. Be careful to not allow your worldly responsibilities to overshadow your kingdom objectives. When you know that you are part of something bigger than yourself, it’s easier to find another gear and step into a productive life beyond your job.
This week I began a series in which I’m discussing how our lives are part of a bigger cause. That cause is glorifying God and participating in the increase of his kingdom.
In this week’s sermon, I ask you to consider a profound truth; You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.
If you don’t know your freedom in Christ, this statement might be a source of shame for you. Maybe you have been made to feel like you owe God, and that you repay him by being as good as possible. Yet you always fall short because you can’t be good enough or do enough.
The good news is, God loves you no matter what. Once you are secure in your freedom in Christ, you become free to live in a way that honors him in everything you do. Not out of obligation but out of gratitude.
I don’t have a specific theological point to make this week, I’m more so interested in challenging you to expand your thinking. What does it mean to you that you are not your own? In the video, I go into what it means to glorify God and how you can do that. Watch it to engage a bit deeper. But the broader point this week is to ponder your feelings about your life, and to ask yourself if you are living for yourself, or are you living for a greater cause?
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Discover Your Value to God from Isaiah 53
God went through a lot of pain and anguish to give you the ability to be his child. He so dramatically loves you that he essentially became you to set you free from the worst aspects of you. At least be willing to see what he saw in you that compelled him to become your sin and darkness.
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“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”
God went through a lot of pain and anguish to give you the ability to be his child. He so dramatically loves you that he essentially became you to set you free from the worst aspects of you.
At least be willing to see what he saw in you that compelled him to become your sin and darkness.
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The Mission of Jesus
In the Book of Isaiah we learn that God’s servant would not come as a conquering king, he would come as a suffering servant to deliver mankind from the darkness and rebellion of the human condition from the inside out. Today we will look at the Mission of Jesus and how you fit into the big picture.
“Their offspring shall be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are an offspring the LORD has blessed.”
God has a master plan. It’s not to take your job away, send tornados to sinful nations, or give your loved one cancer. God’s master plan is to reveal Himself to the world through His people. Throughout scripture, God says His people will be a holy nation of priests that He richly blesses. He repeatedly says they’ll be so blessed that the nations take notice and seek our His people to learn His ways.
That is YOU! You are the offspring of the people of God. You are a descendant of Abraham because of your faith in Christ. You are anointed by God and endued with power to represent Him. And He is seeking to cause His blessings to overtake your life. You have to learn to get out of your own way and realize your life is part of a bigger picture.
Imagine what it looks like to be so blessed by God that the world recognizes that only God could have blessed you to that degree. If you want to go a little deeper, set aside a few minutes to imagine what your life would look like if that were true of you.
It’s Bigger Than You
Because you are in Christ, you are part of God’s larger-than-life master plan. It’s not about you, it’s about His kingdom touching and restoring the earth. He just so happens to want to use you as part of that plan. And He uses you by blessing you, bearing his fruit through you, and leading you in his ways of righteousness.
If you have no idea how God can use you to the point that unbelievers come to you to learn God’s ways, you’re starting to think the right way. It’s bigger than you. You can’t grow to that level of blessing, only God can cause it to come upon you. Not for your own consumption, but to be suitable to be a blessing to others.
It’s a very simple message but it is God’s master plan. Bless you to the point of overflow and abundance that you have plenty of resources and wisdom to lavish upon all whom the Lord would inspire you to bless.
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The Anointed Servant of God
Isaiah prophesied of a coming servant that would restore God’s people and bring healing to the nations. Jesus claimed that identity when He stepped into His public ministry when He said, "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.” He was reading from Isaiah chapter 61 when He made this announcement about Himself. This year, our Christmas messages will focus on the mission of the Servant of God.
““The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound”
Isaiah prophesied of a coming servant that would restore God’s people and bring healing to the nations. Jesus claimed that identity when He stepped into His public ministry when He said in Luke 4:17-19, "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.”
Jesus was reading from Isaiah chapter 61 when He made this announcement about Himself. Those familiar with the scroll of Isaiah would have been quite confused when Jesus claimed this passage was talking about him. This is what Israel had been waiting for, the anointed one of God to deliver Israel from the oppression of wicked nations and establish them as kings and priests over all the nations of the earth.
While Israel expected a conquering king who would overthrow the world's nations through military power, God had other plans. Instead, he planned to cause all the nations of the world to bow to his servant by sending the messiah in the form of a humble servant who would deliver the world through suffering for the world rather than through power and might.
In this sermon, I wanted to expand our thinking about what Jesus began and is still increasing today. I want to encourage you to read through the rest of the prophet Jesus claimed was about him. As you read through the rest of Isaiah 61, allow God to increase your expectations. This is a prophecy that echoes what God said to Abraham all those years ago, that God would establish his people as a nation or priests who God would so bless that they would be a blessing to all the nations of the earth.
We now know that God expanded his vision to include all who would believe in his Messiah, Jesus the Christ. God’s people, the church, the body of Christ IS the nation of priests that God is working through to bless the nations.
Keep in mind that Isaish can be tricky to read. He jumps back and forth between talking about God’s servant and the nation of Isreal, as if the nation of Israel is a person rather than a group of people. But if we understand this prophecy in light of our New Covenant understanding of the body of Christ, we see that they are indeed the same. The servant is his body, and his collective body is the servant. The body of Christ is the servant of God that will see these prophecies in the earth.
I pray you will listen to the full sermon, and read through the rest of this prophecy, and allow God to increase your expectations of being used by him. He is seeking to bless you so he can use you to bless others.
Isaiah 61 NKJV
1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” 4 And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations. 5 Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, And the sons of the foreigner Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. 6 But you shall be named the priests of the Lord, They shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast. 7 Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs. 8 “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, And will make with them an everlasting covenant. 9 Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, And their offspring among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge them, That they are the posterity whom the Lord has blessed.” 10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
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How to Turn the Eyes of Your Heart to Jesus
You have two sets of eyes; the physical eyes in your head and the eyes of your heart. The eyes in your head see the physical realm, while the eyes of your heart can “see” the spiritual realm. The eyes of your head are analytical, taking in data and detail while the eyes of your heart are designed to see kingdom concepts.
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints”
You have two sets of eyes; the physical eyes in your head and the eyes of your heart. The eyes in your head see the physical realm, while the eyes of your heart can “see” the spiritual realm. The eyes of your head are analytical, taking in data and detail while the eyes of your heart are designed to see kingdom concepts.
While the “eyes of the heart” may be a metaphor, we do have the capacity to “see” or more accurately perceive with our hearts. An aspect of our new heart is spiritual and able to interact directly with the spirit of God.
The beautiful truth is that you can choose which eyes to use at any moment. You can choose to get out of your head and into your heart, by turning your spiritually perceptive eyes to Jesus.
At any moment you can turn your awareness to Him and regain true sight. True sight is achieved when you see how God sees. When you see yourself how God sees, you have true sight. When you see a circumstance as God sees it you are seeing clearly because God’s perspective is THE truth.
Watch the short video above for a bit more on this topic.
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Personalizing the Psalm 91 Prayer of Protection
Trusting God is a choice. You know He is trustworthy, and you know you’re supposed to trust Him, but do you? Do you believe at your core that God will protect you? Do you deeply and confidently believe that every time you go to God He will be there for you? You know the answer should be “yes.” But life’s circumstances can cause us to doubt at times.
There’s a way to persuade your heart of God’s character, so your confidence in Him remains strong. The simplest way to say it is, believe the Word of God. But there is a process to believing the Word of God. Not just agreeing with it, but allowing it to be your core truth, no matter what.
“I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.””
Trusting God is a choice. You know He is trustworthy, and you know you’re supposed to trust Him, but do you? Do you believe at your core that God will protect you? Do you deeply and confidently believe that every time you go to God He will be there for you? You know the answer should be “yes.” But life’s circumstances can cause us to doubt at times.
There’s a way to persuade your heart of God’s character, so your confidence in Him remains strong. The simplest way to say it is, believe the Word of God. But there is a process to believing the Word of God. Not just agreeing with it, but allowing it to be your core truth, no matter what.
Decide that you will believe the Word of God, especially what it says about God, in spite of your circumstances. Choose to believe that it is true above all.
Personalize the Word. When applicable, see God’s Word as a personal promise to you. A good way to read the Word to accomplish this is to change it to the first person, as if it’s written about you or you are writing it yourself.
Confess the Word. “Say of the Lord He is your refuge and fortress.” Say it, or confess it because it is already true of you, not to make it true.
Psalm 91 is attributed to Moses. He most likely wrote this poem after experiencing God’s power in His personal life and after seeing God deliver the Israelites from Egypt. These phrases were facts for him from his experience with God.
You may currently be in a situation where you need these promises to be true. Rest assured, God is no respecter of persons. God is who He is, no matter the situation. You can always assume that God will be Himself in any circumstance. Experiencing specific facets of the character and nature of God is not a matter of convincing God to be God for you, it’s being persuaded in your heart that this is who God is.
Confessing the Word of God in the first person until it feels like your truth is a powerful exercise. I have reworded Psalm 91 below to read in the first person. Read the confession section aloud to anchor your heart in God’s promises and character. You don’t have to whip yourself up into an emotional frenzy, but say the words with conviction, acknowledging that God is who He is. He is the great I AM. He will not change.
The spiritual tipping point of experiencing these facets of God in your life happens as you believe. All things are possible for those who believe. Doubt keeps you from experiencing God’s influence in your life. As you get rid of doubt and make God’s Word your truth, something happens in your heart that allows you to let God be these things for you.
Try it now. As you read the first-person statements, tell your mind that God’s Word is true and that God’s character doesn’t change. He is a protector, no matter where your mind drifts. You may read statements that are hard to believe. Choose to believe the Word. Choose to believe the truth about God. This is who He is. I am not suggesting that my phrasing is THE Word of God. If you would prefer to personalize Psalm 91 in slightly different phrasing, do so, make this process your own.
Say of the Lord!!!
First Person Confession of Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I dwell in the secret place of the Most High. I am hidden with Christ, in God forever. I am so close to God that His shadow covers me. Nothing can harm me because I am seated with Christ in God.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
God is my refuge. God is my safe place. Being in God is like being in a strong tower that nothing can break into. I can trust God. I will trust God. I do trust God. I trust God because God can be trusted.
3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.
He will deliver me from the traps of the enemy. He has delivered me from the power of darkness and has translated me into the kingdom of his dear son. He will protect me and deliver me from disease in the land. No pandemic can harm me because God is my protector, and I am safe in Him.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
He holds a powerful shield in His hand, and he stretches His arm over me to protect me. I am safe from the enemy and disease because I rest in the strength and power of God, who actively protects me.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, 6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
I have nothing to be afraid of, during the day or at night. God protects me when I sleep. God is with me when I sleep. I fall asleep aware of God’s presence. If I become fearful in the night, I can turn the eyes of my heart to God, and he is there to comfort me and give me strength. I can willingly turn to God at any moment and be strengthened by Him. He is already willing, and able to help me when I am afraid. I have nothing to fear because God is with me.
I am not afraid of any disease or pestilence. Sickness is not from God, health and protection are from God. He gave me a robust immune system, and His spirit is giving me abundant life. The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is giving life to my physical body. I am not afraid of any disease because God’s mighty arm protects me.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. 8 Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked.
Even if people get sick or lose all their money because of what is happening in the world, I can trust God and God will protect me. God is actively protecting me, even at this moment. I can feel His protection because God loves me and chooses to protect me. Because I am safe in the Lord, I will not be destroyed like the wicked. I am the righteousness of God in Christ.
9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 10 No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling
No evil will happen to my family or me, and no disease can come into my home because God is my refuge. God is a protector, God is a healer, and God is my redeemer. I am safe and protected in God because He is my protector.
11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. 12 In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
Not only is God protecting me, but He also sends angels to keep me healthy and safe. God’s angels are real, and they are active in my life. Everywhere I go, God’s angels go before me to clear a path of protection for me.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
Even if I encounter an enemy of God, a difficult situation, a disease, or any other hardship, God is there to protect me and walk with me.
I acknowledge verses 14 through 16 as God’s answer directly to me. This is not just God’s answer to my confession, and this is a direct promise from God to me.
“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.”
I love God because He first loved me. And because I love Him, He will ALWAYS deliver me and lift me up, far above the circumstances of my life, and far above the plague or destruction in the world. Because God loves me and I love Him, God will protect me. I know the authority of God, I know the character of God. God is a protector. God is MY protector.
I can call on God, and He WILL answer me. I can expect to experience every facet of the name of God because He loves me, and I love Him. If I am in trouble, I can reach out to God, and He will ALWAYS be there to help me, protect me, and show me the way out of my trouble. I WILL follow and obey Him because He loves me, and I love Him.
My God, my Heavenly Father loves me. He promises to satisfy me with long life. I do not have to be afraid of disease and destruction on earth because God actively protects me by giving me health and long life. I trust God because God can be trusted. I choose to believe the truth about what God says of Himself, and I choose to accept the promises He has made to me. God keeps His promises, and I will trust Him every moment of my life.
More first person confession resources:
Find more translations of Psalm 91 here: https://biblehub.com/kjv/psalms/91.htm
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Walking In Deliverance
Believers HAVE BEEN DELIVERED from the power of darkness, but what do you do when the enemy attacks? You magnify the supremacy of Christ, acknowledge your identity in Him, stand firm in your authority in Christ and don’t allow your thoughts to run away. God’s spirit of love, power and sound mind will strengthen you until the enemy leaves you alone. Join us today for the final message in this series.
#6 in Know Your Enemy
“I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.”
Believers HAVE BEEN DELIVERED from the power of darkness (Colossians 1:3), but what do you do when the enemy attacks? You magnify the supremacy of Christ in your heart, mind, and soul. You acknowledge your identity in Him, and stand firm in your authority in Christ. And don’t allow your thoughts to run away. God’s spirit of love, power, and sound mind will strengthen you until the enemy leaves you alone.
You don’t have to be afraid of the enemy. Even if he manifests right in front of you and tells you he’s going to kill you, you can tell him to go away from you, and he must obey because you possess something greater than him, the authority of Christ. When you tell demons to leave, it’s as if Jesus is telling them to leave. You have the same authority and right because Jesus gave it to you.
The problem is you may not have confidence in your position in Christ. As a result, you may not always live from your new identity in Christ. So you must renew your mind and walk in the deliverance Jesus has already executed.
You don’t have to tie up the enemy and make him obey Jesus when it comes to deliverance. You can’t do that anyway. All you need to do is enforce God’s established authority and cast the evil spirit away from you or whomever you’re ministering to.
If you find yourself in a situation where you’re experiencing manifestations or strange occurrences, there is a way to connect with the power within and stand in the deliverance Jesus has given you. Psalm 34 is a powerful process you can apply. It’s not just a poem or the heartfelt, worshipful expression of David. Psalm 34 can be acted upon. You can read it out loud and put it into practice.
Try it, read through the Psalm and DO each thing. Actually bless the Lord. Actually praise Him. Actually allow confidence to rise in your soul and make Him bigger in your heart and mind. The next time you feel attacked, afraid, insecure, guilt-ridden, or ashamed, read this Psalm, act it out, and see what happens. Your inner man will switch from being influenced by carnal thoughts or even evil spirits, and turn to the Lord. That’s the key to walking in the deliverance already provided in Christ.
You don’t need to engage in a deep and introspective ministry process, like a sozo or inner healing session, you simply need to humble yourself and magnify the Lord with all your being. It doesn’t matter what secret society your parents were in, it doesn’t matter if you have sin in your past, and it doesn’t matter if you have unforgiveness in your heart. All of that is resolved as you bless and magnify the Lord.
God’s spirit, who lives in you, through His Word, will lead you to exercise your authority over any familiar spirits sniffing around your genealogy. He will lead you in the forgiveness of others if necessary. He will heal you inwardly.
Yes, seek help if you get stuck, but don’t think that someone else’s ministry program is what will set you free. What happens between you and the Lord in your heart is what will set you free. You HAVE BEEN DELIVERED from the power of darkness, and you HAVE BEEN TRANSLATED into the kingdom of Jesus. You lack nothing. You are not incomplete. You don’t need more of God’s spirit and you don’t need to receive a fresh anointing. Bless and magnify the Lord and walk in your deliverance!!
I received lots of positive feedback on the sermon above. It was a bit emotional for me, given the loss of two people connected to our church over Thanksgiving week. I pray the sermon is a blessing to you.
I recommend reading a different translation of Psalm 34 each day for 7 days. Act it out. Put action to each phrase that’s actionable. Don’t be a hearer only, DO THE WORD and watch what happens in your inner man.
Psalm 34
1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no [b]want to those who fear Him.
10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger, But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.
11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as [d]have a contrite spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be [e]condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.
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Winning The Battle in your mind Requires A Clear Conscience
Spiritual warfare is not when you wrestle with demons, it’s when you wrestle with your own thoughts, to make sure they’re in alignment with the Word of God regarding Christ’s authority and your identity in him. When those are in place you simply stand and resist by resting in Christ, and the enemy will flee. A key to resting is a clear conscience. Join us today to discover the power of a clear conscience in the mental battle of spiritual warfare.
#5 in Know Your Enemy
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
Spiritual warfare is not when you wrestle with demons, it’s when you wrestle with your own thoughts.
We DO have an enemy that tries to attack us with fiery darts of deception and illusion, but those strategies only affect us if we allow those darts to have a place in our minds. If we keep our minds focused on the Lord and His Word, the enemy can not influence our life. The enemy will come, but he can’t stay long because he will flee from you as you stand in your identity and keep your mind on the Lord and His truth. His truth about Himself AND YOU!!
How can keeping your mind be the winning strategy for an enemy as evil and powerful as the devil? Because he has already been stripped of any and all authority, he has no right to your life.
Know, and stand in your identity and authority in Christ!!
There is another crucial factor in standing and resisting successfully - a clear conscience. You will have a more challenging time standing and resisting the enemy’s lies if your conscience is burdened with fear, insecurity, guilt, and shame. If your conscience is distracted by carnal thinking, it could take your focus off the Lord and cause you to entertain the lies of the enemy.
What are his lies? It sounds like this; Maybe you’re not saved. God is disappointed in you. You will never succeed. You’ll always struggle with this sin. No one likes you. You’re an impostor. Your mother was right about you. You should have been a comedian because your life is a joke. You have cancer. Your husband doesn’t love you anymore. You have fallen out of love with your wife. etc…
If you are already struggling with those thoughts, the enemy will try to reinforce those lies. It’s easy to send away obvious lies from the enemy, but he’s subtle. He will whisper things to you that are already rolling around in your heart and mind. How do they know what’s in your heart and mind? They listen to you and observe your behavior. They can’t control you, read your mind, or make you think things, but they can reinforce what’s already in you.
Humans are designed to perceive spiritual beings, so it’s not a mystery that we can perceive signals from angels and demons. The key is to be able to turn your thoughts and the eyes of your heart back to the finished work of Christ and the truth of God’s Word.
You can develop the discipline of putting off those thoughts, along with their associated emotions, and put on the truth. It’s already in your heart, just nourish it by spending intentionally thinking on a feeling God’s Word in your heart and mind
The Sin Factor
I’ll take it a step further. If you are struggling with sinful habits or thought patterns, your conscience will most likely struggle with guilt and shame, making you an easier target for the enemy. The enemy will wait until you’re weak, vulnerable, and afraid to fling his wimpy arrows at you. And the state of your conscience will be a major factor in the effectiveness of those puny darts.
So avoid sin!! But if you fall, remind yourself that Jesus is your sin offering, offered once for all of your sins. Recapture your confidence in the complete salvation Christ provided. And change your thoughts to be in alignment with what Christ accomplished in His obedience. Walk yourself through these truths to recapture confidence, then deal with the guilt through confession of sin.
When your conscience is burdened
Acknowledge the presence of God in your life
Acknowledge that He loves you and will not forsake you because he forsook Christ in your place
Acknowledge that Jesus bore your guilt and shame so you can roll it on to Him
Acknowledge that God gave you a new nature, so you are not locked into those sinful patterns
Stand firm in your new identity in Him
Exercise your authority and tell the enemy to leave
Sometimes the enemy is your own thought rather than an evil spirit. Turning your own thoughts to the truth of God’s Word can be a more challenging task than running off a demon. A clear conscience is paramount in this scenario.
How to Clear Your Conscience
Acknowledge that you’re forgiven in Christ
Acknowledge that you are a new creature and you are not doomed to repeat the cycles creating the guilt and shame
Confess your sin and failures to the Lord
Allow Him to strengthen you as you stand and resist
Confessing sin is not when you convince God how sorry you are, and He gives you more forgiveness. Instead, the process of confessing sin is more related to clearing the air between two people who love each other and are committed to a loving and healthy relationship.
For most Christians, confessing sin feels like you're turning yourself into the police and preparing for the judgment and punishment of your crime. It's more about clearing your conscience and being honest with God. He's faithful to help you when you are weak but you have to own where you are so you will allow Him to help you.
A large percentage of the church teaches that God is angry with you, or disappointed in your sin, and separates himself from you for a period of time. And once you confess your sin God can then fellowship with you again. Some even teach that if you don’t confess ALL your sins you might not be saved.
God is a righteous judge, but he tried, judged, and punished Jesus in your place, giving you Christ righteousness once the sentence was com[pleted. Because of that, God is not holding your sin against you. Confessing sin is more about releasing the burden on your heart and experiencing the forgiveness that’s already available in Christ.
When you experience God’s already given forgiveness, it will cause confidence and boldness to come back to you and strengthen you amid the battle. In addition, a clear conscience is more receptive to turning back to God’s truth and ways of thinking, making it easier to stand against the enemy.
We are our own worst enemy oftentimes because we weaken ourselves through our behaviors and destructive thought patterns. In the sermon above, I go into much more detail about this process. I pray it is a blessing to you as you make a stand against the enemy and live in the freedom available to you in Christ.
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Generational Curses and Familiar Spirits
The Word of God must shape every belief we have about spiritual matters. Every belief we have about God must be shaped by Jesus, specifically what he accomplished in his atoning work on the cross and his ascension.
We must know what the Bible says on any given matter if it's going to shape our beliefs. Yes, it's true, there are things the Bible doesn't address, but when it does address something, we don't need to develop theories or ideas in addition to what's clearly stated. This is a helpful principle in the subject of generational curses.
#4 in Know Your Enemy
“You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me”
The Word of God must shape every belief we have about spiritual matters. Every belief we have about God must be shaped by Jesus, specifically what he accomplished in his atoning work on the cross and his ascension.
We must know what the Bible says on any given matter if it's going to shape our beliefs. Yes, it's true, there are things the Bible doesn't address, but when it does address something, we don't need to develop theories or ideas in addition to what's clearly stated. This is a helpful principle in the subject of generational curses.
What Is A Generational Curse?
The only place in scripture we see generational curses is when God made a covenant with the Israelites, otherwise known as the Mosaic or Old Covenant. God rescued the Israelites out of Egypt and offered a covenant of protection to them. They didn't want to approach God on his terms, so they asked Moses what God wanted them to do to uphold their end of the covenant.
Anytime a covenant is instituted, both parties promise to offer the strength of their families or kingdoms to protect the other. A list of promises and curses is also agreed upon. The promises or benefits of one party may be, "you can use the river on the south end of my land to water your animals but do not use the northern section. If you do, I will take half of your cattle." For the one party, losing half their cattle would be a curse of breaking the covenant.
In the case of God's covenant with the Hebrew nation, he spelled out the promises, blessings, and curses at Mt. Saini.
Exodus 20:1 And God spoke all these words, saying: 2 "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 "You shall have no other gods before Me.
This was God's first stipulation on the covenant, to worship no other gods.
4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
This is the curse for worshiping other gods, God will visit iniquity on a few of their generations.
6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
But if they uphold the covenant, he will bless 1000 of their generations.
The generational curse of iniquity is restated later in the story.
Exodus 34:7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation."
Numbers 14:18 'The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.'
A generational curse was enforced by God for the sin of idolatry. That's it. That's what the Bible says about generational curses. There is nowhere in scripture that says demons install and enforce generational curses. There is no mention of evil spirits gaining the right to attach themselves to a bloodline for involvement in secret societies, generational sin patterns, or anything else like that.
I go into much more detail about modern-day deliverance ministry and what's misnomered as generational curse breaking, but I will move on to the good news for this article. We are not under the covenant where God curses people for the sin of idolatry. Instead, we are under a new and better covenant where Jesus upholds our end of the covenant for us.
Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them." 11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them." 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Under the Old Covenant, you were cursed and punished for breaking the Law, OR you were blessed for keeping God's commandments.
Under the New Covenant, Christ bore ALL of your punishment for breaking God's Law AND fulfilled the Law for you, so you are qualified for ALL of the blessings and promises and NONE of the curses.
Even if you were to bow down and worship satan himself while playing with an ouija board, wearing a pentagram, and swearing Masonic oaths, with Slayer playing in the background, you would not fall under a generational curse. Even if ten generations of men before you in your family were 33rd degree Free Masons, you are not at risk of a generational curse. Don’t do those things, obviously, the point is, they are powerless now that Jesus has all authority in Heaven and on earth.
Demons can not install and enforce curses, period, no ifs, and or buts about it. They sure want you to believe they can. They want you playing around in that minefield of loose theology all day long. Many well-intended modern deliverance ministers have sought to help people break free from demonic oppression with one foot still in the Old Covenant.
I believe in deliverance ministry, but there is no need to break curses or scare people half to death, making them feel like they have open doors for demons into their lives for things their ancestors were into.
Demons are real. They do try to deceive and attack us today. And yes, they do tend to stick to the same bloodlines or families, but not because that family is cursed, it's because we tend to repeat the same patterns our parents did, which makes us think the same way they did, which makes us vulnerable to the same deceptions they fell into. So yes, turn from the destructive patterns of your parents and grandparents, but don't live in fear that you may be cursed for something you didn't even do.
There are generational deceptions and lies, but God or a devil enforces no curse. If we repeat the patterns of our parents, it's related to how we think and make life choices, otherwise known as strongholds.
A stronghold is not a powerful demonic presence in your life, it's a belief, thought, or pattern that promotes deception and isn't built on the word of God. The way to "break" a stronghold is to repent, change the way you think, put on the new man, and you will experience transformation, and that demon will lose its grip on your mind.
The demons that try to torment and deceive us in the same way they tormented and deceived our ancestors are familiar with our family's customs and culture, so they repeat the same tactics from generation to generation. They are what the Bible calls familiar spirits.
Yes, you can end the cycle and forever "break" the pattern. So I'm not mad at that language. But the breaking is not done because someone pukes in a bucket, gets hit with a Bible, or completes an elaborate sozo or inner healing deliverance session. It's broken when the individual wakes up to the finished work of Christ and lives in the power of their new creation identity when they renew their minds and put on the new man.
The truth is we have been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of Jesus. Jesus was cursed for us, qualifying us for the blessings. And demons were stripped of their authority. So let's quit playing around in the mixed covenant world of generational curses and help people live in the power of who they are in Christ.
Familiar Spirits
Demons are masters of human observation. They have watched us for thousands of years. They know us better than we know ourselves. But they always overplay their hands. They always seek to control, pervert, lie and destroy; it's just in their nature.
If you find yourself irrationally repeating the sin habits of your ancestors, you could possibly be entertaining a spirit that's familiar with your family. The good news is you can change your patterns and walk away from those cycles at any minute. But you're going to have to process through your heart beliefs. You're going to have to identify the areas you still identify with those familial patterns and send them away.
How to renew your mind and experience deliverance.
It's called put off, put on. Identify the problem area. Define the patterns you want to be free from. Identity a new way of life or set of patterns that are rooted in your identity in Christ. Find some passages related to your identity in Christ in that specific area, and memorize them. Each time those old thoughts or emotional patterns arise, quote those passages, acknowledging that this is who you are. You are not that old pattern, it has no power over you, and you are free from having to repeat those cycles. You may have to take an action like removing yourself from the opportunity to engage the cycle. Eventually, you will rebuild your identity to reflect who you are in Christ in that area, and it will lose its influence in your mind and heart.
Not Everything Is A Demon
Science has now identified an aspect of our physiology that shapes our lives. It's called epigenetics.
Epigenetics is the study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work. Unlike genetic changes, epigenetic changes are reversible and do not change your DNA sequence, but they can change how your body reads a DNA sequence.
Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression (active versus inactive genes) that do not involve changes to the underlying DNA sequence — a change in phenotype without a change in genotype — which in turn affects how cells read the genes.
Several lifestyle factors have been identified that might modify epigenetic patterns, such as diet, obesity, physical activity, tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, environmental pollutants, psychological stress, and working on night shifts.
To put it simply, your parents not only pass down genes that determine your gender, your eye color, and your body shape, they also pass down energetic information in the form of beliefs, habits, and life philosophies. The good news is you can change these things.
The influence of the epigenetic material passed down from your parents is more of a threat to you than devils are. With a devil, you can tell it to leave, and it'll go. With epigenetic information, you must renew your mind and adopt a new identity if you want to change a hereditary destructive sin habit.
The devil gets way too much credit for the problems in the world. We create most of them ourselves. The enemy is a factor, but only to the degree we are willing to be deceived and stay stuck in our patterns.
I hope you take the time to watch this whole series. I believe it will help you become confident in your authority in Christ and will empower you to rise above the deceptive influence of any devil that may dare to enter your life. You are not under a curse, you are already delivered, and you don't have to be afraid.