Luke 1:26,28 - "And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named Nazareth. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail thou art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women."
WHEN GOD CHOSE TO BRING THE MESSIAH THROUGH THE VIRGIN MARY, HE SENT GABRIEL THE ANGEL TO BRING THE MESSAGE. WHEN THE APOSTLE PAUL WAS ABOUT TO SUFFER SHIPWRECK, AN ANGEL OF THE LORD TOLD HIM WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURE ANGELS DID WHAT GOD COULD HAVE DONE EASILY HIMSELF.
BUT WHY DIDN'T GOD DO THOSE THINGS HIMSELF?
FOR THE SAME REASON HE DOESN'T PREACH THE GOSPEL: HE HAS CHOSEN TO LET HIS CREATION ENJOY THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVICE IN HIS KINGDOM. SERVICE WITH PURPOSE AFFIRMS IDENTITY. A GODLY SELF-ESTEEM IS DERIVED FROM DOING "AS HE PLEASES". AND TRUE SERVICE IS AN OVERFLOW OF WORSHIP. WE ALWAYS BECOME LIKE THE ONE WE WORSHIP. HOW COULD HE WANT ANYTHING MORE FOR US THAN THAT?
Jeremiah 1:12 - "Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it."
Affirmations:
IF I HAVE MY THINKING RIGHT, MY BELIEVING RIGHT, AND MY SPEAKING RIGHT, I WILL UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT WHAT I SEE THAT SHOULD DETERMINE FOR ME WHETHER THE WORD IS WORKING.
THE WAY I CAN KNOW THAT MY WORLD IS BEING FRAMED BY THE WORD IS BY WHAT'S IN MY HEART AND BY WHAT I'M SAYING.
SO NO MATTER HOW THINGS LOOK, IF I'M SPEAKING THE WORD OF GOD IN FAITH, - I DON'T QUIT! I STAY IN FAITH AND GOD WILL MANIFEST HIS GLORY IN MY SITUATION.
2 Corinthians 10:4,5 - "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."
We must topple the "stronghold of our experiences." The only one who has a right to shape our lives is Jesus Christ. We must determine to allow nothing and no one to shape us, not even our personal experiences, unless they are consistent with the promises of God.
To the degree that our experiences do not conform to the Word of God, they subtly teach us that God is not who He says He is. In other words, even though you were not healed, you should not conclude "healing is not for today." God's provision is eternal, which means that until heaven and earth pass away, He as provided for our healing.
In regard to sin, though we repeatedly stumble, we must continue to believe God for grace to overcome. We must give ourselves room to grow into new insights. We must never surrender our faith in God's Word!
Experiences may seem valid, but if they have left us thinking that Jesus is not the same today as He was in the Gospels, the conclusion we have drawn is wrong. It is a stronghold that must be pulled down.
Hebrews 13:8 - "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
Revelation 22:13 - "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."
Romans 3:4 - "Let God be found true, though every man be found a liar."
ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
http://afministry.ning.com
WHEN GOD CHOSE TO BRING THE MESSIAH THROUGH THE VIRGIN MARY, HE SENT GABRIEL THE ANGEL TO BRING THE MESSAGE. WHEN THE APOSTLE PAUL WAS ABOUT TO SUFFER SHIPWRECK, AN ANGEL OF THE LORD TOLD HIM WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURE ANGELS DID WHAT GOD COULD HAVE DONE EASILY HIMSELF.
BUT WHY DIDN'T GOD DO THOSE THINGS HIMSELF?
FOR THE SAME REASON HE DOESN'T PREACH THE GOSPEL: HE HAS CHOSEN TO LET HIS CREATION ENJOY THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVICE IN HIS KINGDOM. SERVICE WITH PURPOSE AFFIRMS IDENTITY. A GODLY SELF-ESTEEM IS DERIVED FROM DOING "AS HE PLEASES". AND TRUE SERVICE IS AN OVERFLOW OF WORSHIP. WE ALWAYS BECOME LIKE THE ONE WE WORSHIP. HOW COULD HE WANT ANYTHING MORE FOR US THAN THAT?
Jeremiah 1:12 - "Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it."
Affirmations:
IF I HAVE MY THINKING RIGHT, MY BELIEVING RIGHT, AND MY SPEAKING RIGHT, I WILL UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT WHAT I SEE THAT SHOULD DETERMINE FOR ME WHETHER THE WORD IS WORKING.
THE WAY I CAN KNOW THAT MY WORLD IS BEING FRAMED BY THE WORD IS BY WHAT'S IN MY HEART AND BY WHAT I'M SAYING.
SO NO MATTER HOW THINGS LOOK, IF I'M SPEAKING THE WORD OF GOD IN FAITH, - I DON'T QUIT! I STAY IN FAITH AND GOD WILL MANIFEST HIS GLORY IN MY SITUATION.
2 Corinthians 10:4,5 - "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."
We must topple the "stronghold of our experiences." The only one who has a right to shape our lives is Jesus Christ. We must determine to allow nothing and no one to shape us, not even our personal experiences, unless they are consistent with the promises of God.
To the degree that our experiences do not conform to the Word of God, they subtly teach us that God is not who He says He is. In other words, even though you were not healed, you should not conclude "healing is not for today." God's provision is eternal, which means that until heaven and earth pass away, He as provided for our healing.
In regard to sin, though we repeatedly stumble, we must continue to believe God for grace to overcome. We must give ourselves room to grow into new insights. We must never surrender our faith in God's Word!
Experiences may seem valid, but if they have left us thinking that Jesus is not the same today as He was in the Gospels, the conclusion we have drawn is wrong. It is a stronghold that must be pulled down.
Hebrews 13:8 - "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
Revelation 22:13 - "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."
Romans 3:4 - "Let God be found true, though every man be found a liar."
ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
http://afministry.ning.com
