Joshua 1:6 - "Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them."

True soldiers of Christ resolve to die every day to this world so that they live for the sake of the Gospel.
Our work is not to make the gospel relevant to the world. To change the world we must be different from the world. We must challenge what people think.

The spirit of the resurrected Christ is in you -- find it. That discovery releases extraordinary faith. It's the discovery of the person in you -- that partnership positions you to redefine the nature of the world around you.

Matthew 7:7 - "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

Some say that God doesn't speak to them, but this is not true. They just haven't learned the language of the Spirit. When the Holy Spirit comes, He brings communication with Heaven: dreams, visions, and prophecies all represent union with God. Therefore, YOU MUST BELIEVE GOD CAN GET THROUGH TO YOU.

What you need is the ability to interpret the influences of God upon your spirit. To sense what the Spirit of God is saying to you is, at its essence, the source of true spiritual discernment. In this regard, it is good to remember John's words:
"These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him." - 1 John 2:26-27

Our goal is to develop that inner witness, for when it is united with knowledge of the Word of God, we have a powerful resource added to our arsenal of faith. Remember, the Spirit and the Word always agree. So if you memorize and study the Word of God and walk in the Spirit, you will increasingly possess discernment.

This does not allow us to ignore input from teachers or others whom God may use. While we must maintain sovereignty over our will, God gives us ministries to train and equip us(Ephesians 4:11-12).

Matthew 16:18 - "On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

Where precisely are the gates of hell? Where does the devil sit in power?

The mind is the gatekeeper of the Kingdom of God. It is the place of access, transition, and power. It follows that the gates of hell are set up in people's minds. Jesus made this clear:

Matthew 16:23 - "But He turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind Me, satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.'"

When you've been given the Spirit of God, you lose the privilege of claiming, "I'm only human." Paul rebukes the church at Corinth for behaving like mere men (1 Corinthians 3:3).
The gate of hell is in our minds any time we agree with a man-centered perspective or natural wisdom that does not know God. We empower demonic forces and become a gate to release his power to kill, steal, and destroy our lives.

Affirmation:

I AM A GATEWAY FOR HEAVEN'S REALITY TO TAKE OVER EVERY PART OF MY LIFE, AND THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WHO I INFLUENCE, NO MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL THE SPECIFIC SITUATION IS.

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
http://afministry.ning.com