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  1. Romans 15:13 - "May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing -- through the experience of your faith--that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope." Hope is a devine dream. It's an inner image that's bigger than you are because it's built on the promises of God. Example: If the doctor told you that you will never walk then you see yourself climbing mountains and bringing the word of God to hurting people. You find in scripture (Isaiah 40:31) where it says those who wait on the Lord shall run and walk and not faint or be weary. You look at it until you see nothing else. Picture yourself walking for miles and running from one place to the next, telling everyone -- Jesus as raised you up and made you whole. Affirmations: Today I am becoming a dreamer. I take the word of God and build some dreams.....NOW! Psalm 37:4 - "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart." Matthew 24:45 - "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household?" The word tells us that God shows Himself strong in behalf of those whos hearts are "perfect" toward Him (2 Chronicles 16:9). "Perfect" doesn't men that we have to do everything just right and live without making a mistake. It means "devoted" -- a heart consecrated, dedicated, loyal and faithful to God. Who is faithful? The one who spends his time doing what God as called him to do -- or as Jesus put it, the one who takes up his cross and follows him. The one who denies his fleshly desires and spends his life on the things God desires him to do. AFFIRMATIONS: Today I decide to be a faithful and wise servant. I find out what is stealing my time from the Lord. I take up Jesus' thoughts today. I take up His purposes and plans. Now is the time to be faithful! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  2. The love of God is manifested in me so that I might live through Jesus. - 1 John 4:9 He has put His own Holy Spirit into my heart as a proof to me that I am living with Him and He is with me. - 1 John 4:13 As I abide in love, God abides in me. - 1 John 4:16 Since I am a child of God I am able to defeat the world. The way I have victory over the world is with my faith. - I John 5:4 Since I have the Son of God I have eternal life. - I John 5: 11,12 I can approach God with confidence for this reason: If I make requests which are in accord with His will he listens to me: and if I know that my requests are heard, I know also that the things I ask for are mine. - I John 5; 14,15 I know that Christ, God’s Son, has come to help me understand and find the true God; and I am in God because I am in Jesus Christ His Son, who is the only true God; and He is eternal life. - I John 5:20 ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  3. "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord....for he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river...nor will cease from yielding fruit..I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings." - Jeremiah 17:7,8,10 As we pursue God's PURPOSE for our life (Matthew 7:7,8), His Kingdom and righteousness--all things--are added to us. We move ahead in the army of God, advancing His Kingdom. As long as we keep marching, we're changing because faith moves us ahead, step-by-step. If we don't give up, eventually we walk into the Promised Land. The last command of Jesus while on earth says, "Go!" That's why we often see the anointing increase as we go, moving with the cloud. FROM NARROW - TO TRANSITION - TO ENLARGEMENT We are in a process of change. Our gifts are being drawn out of us in stretching dimensions. We have been and are going through places of testing and confinement in the Body. What is this place of testing and confinement? This is a place less wide than we are accustomed to or have expected to be in. If we respond properly to the "narrow or confined place," we will enter into the phase of "transition" to be brought into a "larger place" in the Spirit. The new place is like the camel going through the eye of the needle (Matthew 19:24). One school of thought was that that was a narrow gate. The only way the camel could get through was to be unloaded. This is the needle – the narrow gate. This is a place of unloading the weights of the past and a place of fresh commitment to the Cross where we die to self all over again. The "narrow place" (Matthew 7:14) can lead us out of captivity into a new and open field. HOW CAN WE MAKE THE TRANSITION? Transition times are when the Lord redefines and makes adjustments necessary for us to move forward. He gives us new focus and direction. He teaches us about Himself in a new way. We must seek the Lord for both revelation and the ways of God in times of change. His revelatory perspective bridges the past season with the new one. Without clear revelation and communication during transition, we can lose the strength and wisdom of our past victory. But we desperately need His strength to go from glory to glory. It isn't the new thing coming that is so hard to deal with, it's the transition from the old state of affairs to the new one. As you travail in this season, ask the Lord to give you strategy to protect your vision. Remember, the dragon attempts to steal new birth (see Revelation 12:4). Press forward! Cry out for greater grace to be granted to keep moving forward. When these changes manifest, enlargement occurs. To "enlarge" is to expand, to set free, become greater in size and intensity. Enlargement – or going through the new open door – is a process, not just a proclamation. Press through the narrow, withstand the transition, and receive enlargement. THE PROCESS OF CHANGE 1. A new level of revelation is released, 2. Your present vision starts to be adjusted, 3. New vision is secured and established, 4. Fresh strategies are revealed to you, 5. You see a greater fullness of your inheritance before you, If you are experiencing a "narrow place of confinement," or you sense you are in transition, be assured, He is about to visit you with a fresh demonstration of His Spirit. May your resources increase and your trials become stepping stones to renewed power and revelation. When you have come through the "new door," there are others who have been watching your pilgrimage. When you are strengthened, you will be enlarged to give spiritual succor to others in Jesus' name! "Each one's work will become clear; for the day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work...If anyone's work which he has buit on it endures, he will receive a reward." - 1 Corinthians 3:13,14 How exciting to know that change originates with the Creator of the Universe. "For we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18). Press forward! Going backward is not an option -- "We go from glory to glory, and glory doesn't go backwards." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  4. Matthew 6:22 : "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." MIRRORS OF THE SOUL The eyes are the literal mirrors of a person's soul and reveals much about a person's deep inner man. In that deep place of the heart, the eye of the body that is full of light, can also reveal secrets into the unseen realm depending upon a person's intimate connection or transparency with God. Our eyes are portals of Heaven that we many times overlook within ourselves and within others. THE FACE OF AN ANGEL In the case of Steven in the New Testament, he was a man who was full of faith and of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5). He was so full of grace and power that he performed great wonders and signs among the people during his day (Acts 6:8). In the synagogues of Asia, they disputed with Stephen because of their own stubborn misperception and blindness of spiritual sight (Acts 6:9). Stephen preached with boldness and they were not able to resist the wisdom and spirit by which he spoke (Acts 6:10). Even to the point of death, he had no fear to speak God's truth because his "eye" saw something beyond this natural world. All that sat in the council, looking steadfastly and intently at him, saw his face and countenance "as it had been the face of an angel" (Acts 6:15). Seeing that Stephen was "full of the Holy Spirit… he gazed intently into Heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God," saying, 'Behold, I see the Heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God'" (Acts 7:55-56). A LIFESTYLE OF GAZING When Stephen "gazed" (NAS) or "looked up steadfastly" (KJV) into Heaven, the Greek definition and meaning of this was not only that he fixed his "eyes" but also purposed his "mind" into Heaven. The eyes of his mind and the eyes of his heart went into auto-focus by the power of the Holy Spirit, as in the sense of stretching his eye sight towards the face of God that gave him the supernatural power to endure the kind of death he was about to experience. This reveals that Stephen had a "lifestyle of gazing" into the eyes and heart of God and is the reason why he was so filled with the glory of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. He gave himself over to locking his eyesight on the Lord Jesus Christ, and it caused everything else to either become dim or disappear in his perception of reality. He was so overtaken by the Holy Spirit that the unseen realm at that moment was more real to him than the seen realm of the excruciating pain of being stoned to death. In these last days we are going to need this kind of supernatural strength and power to be able to endure the days ahead of us with a lifestyle of gazing. CAUSE OF SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS The enemy continues to try to bring disgrace and discredit the people of God through spiritual blindness – blindness that is caused by the lack of looking and gazing into the face of God as a regular exercise of intimate worship or the lack of CONFESSING and MEDITATING on the Scriptures to find food for the soul and nourishment for the spiritual eyes. Ephesians 1:18 - " I pray that your inward eyes may be illumined, so that you may know what is the hope to which He calls you..." Ephesians 6:17 - "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God." Because of life's distractions, sin and self-righteous pride, this was one of the stumbling blocks of the Pharisees that prevented them from seeing that Jesus was really who He said He was, God. Because they couldn't see, they couldn't believe. If they couldn't see, they had no vision and they missed out on entering into the Kingdom of God. THE EYE OF THE LORD IS MOVING So now the Lord is reminding us in 2 Chronicles 16:9 which says, "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." God is on the move, running and eagerly searching with the laser beam of His eyes, looking for those who are filled with His light to see that He is ready to strongly support those whose eye lenses of the heart and mind are turned completely towards Him. He is inviting us into the journey of His heart – into the journey of the unseen realm. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). No one has seen God at any time (John 1:18), yet Jesus tells us in the beatitudes that the pure in heart will see God (Matthew 5:8). If God is wanting us to look and gaze intently at Him, isn't it because He is looking and gazing intently at us? The eyes of God reveal intimacy and longing and a strong desire to be with us now and forevermore. God is longing for those who are longing for Him. If you are experiencing an indescribable longing in your heart toward God, that means He is drawing you. PRAYER OF RESTORATION AND VISION: God, thank You for saving my life and thank You for restoring my soul. God, open my eyes to see You like never before. Help me to see and perceive through Your eyes. Restore my vision that may have become dull or blinded through discouragement, circumstances, sin, hardship or even neglect. Forgive me for not responding to Your voice when You are calling me. Draw me, God, and I will run to You. Open the eyes of my heart, God, that I may see You face to face. I come boldly to Your throne to worship You in Spirit and in truth and to love You sincerely with all my heart, mind, soul and strength by CONFESSING and MEDITATING on your Word. I thank You for hearing my prayer and my heart's cry to be closer to You. I give You honor and glory and praise this day, in Jesus name I pray, Amen! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  5. In Luke 4:1-13, satan tempts Jesus with the offer of rulership over all the kingdoms of the world... Jesus rejects this proposal. Jesus' Kingdom in this age is not a kingdom of this world(John 18:36-37). He refuses to seek a kingdom for Himself by the worldly methods of compromise, earthly power, political maneuvering, external violence, popularity, honor and glory. Jesus' Kingdom is a spiritual Kingdom ruling in the hearts of His people, who have been taken out of the kingdoms of this world. As a Heavenly Kingdom, we can operate and maintain in this realm but it comes with a cost. It is gained through: Suffering, self-denial, humility, and meekness.It does require giving our bodies as a living and Holy sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2).Fasting is a key here that enables us to stay on target;We know we have complete devotion and obedience to God whenever we are struggling with spiritual weapons against sin, temptation, and satan (Ephesians 6:10-20). As Christians we resist conforming to this world. "But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Matthew 6:33 Those who follow Christ are urged to seek, above all else, His Kingdom and His righteousness. Jesus points out HIS Kingdom and HIS righteousness in HIS Kingdom. We pray every day that God's Kingdom will come in the mighty power of the Holy Spirit to save sinners, to destroy the demonic, to heal the sick, and to magnify the name of our Lord and that we be given daily revelation of our CALLING on how to facilitate this. QUESTIONS TO ASK MYSELF: What are 3 areas of my life that I am adversly conforming to the world. 1. 2. 3. What actions am I going to take to re-align my priorites. 1. 2. 3. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  6. Romans 10:10 - "For with the heart man beleiveth unto righteousness......." Romans 5:17 - "For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." Paul makes two significant statements about righteousness: 1. With the heart man believes unto righteousness. 2. When we receive Jesus and we are born again, we receive "the gift of righteousness." Righteousness is a gift. Too often we have associated righteousness with "good works." The Bible teaches good works and right conduct, but all of our good works and right conduct will never make us righteous. If good works made us righteous, we wouldn't need Jesus. Another fallacy about righteousness is that we've thought we had to grow into some kind of "high spiritual state" to be righteous. We can grow in the Lord and we can develop spiritually, but we cannot grow in righteousness. We will never be any more righteous than we are right now! 2 Corinthians 5:17,21 - "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. For he hath made him (God has made Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." Matthew 6:33 -- "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. In Christ we become new creatures. In Him we become the righteousness of God when we are born again (verse 21). This righteousness we are told to seek is not right behavior, but RIGHT STANDING before God, which comes to us as a gift when we receive salvation. Romans 4:5 -- "But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness." We are not righteous because of how morally upright we are. We are not righteous because we exercise self-control. We are not righteous because we read 10 chapters of the Bible daily. We are not righteous because we feel righteous. We are the righteousness of God in Christ solely because the sacrifice of Jesus made us so. When we believe this, our faith is accounted for righteousness. If we are righteous by our deeds, we don't need faith. We also don't need faith to know that we are sinful. But we do need faith to believe and declare that we are the righteousness of God in Christ, in the midst of our struggles with temptation and sin. At the cross, Jesus didn't just remove our sins, He also gave us His righteousness so that today, we can come boldly before the throne of God and receive freely everything that He died to give us! Affirmations: I seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, not my own righteousness, and "all these things shall be added to me." I expect good things to happen to me because blessings are on the head of the righteous (Proberbs 10:6). I am righteous only because of the blood and finished work of Jesus at the cross. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  7. We let the Lord take our heart through a process. Just as Peter had to go through a series of events to be ready to be used in an extraordinary way, we realize that God has a process for all of us. What the Lord worked in Peter was a NEW IDENTITY, a dependency upon the Lord so that he would not trust in His own strength. We learn to lean on the strength of God, not taking things into our own hands. WE WALK IN DISCERNMENT BEING AN INFLUENCE FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD Philippians 1:9-11 - "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." Keep your discernment. Love and discernment work together. They always do. We do not turn on love and turn off discernment. We do not turn on discernment and turn off love. Rather, we use them both together. True discernment comes from the Holy Spirit Who pours the love of God in our hearts. Jesus comes to bring the cure. That cure can only happen because He sees what is needed. WE KEEP OUR HEART FREE AND WALK IN LOVE Matthew 5:9 - "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." Be willing to reconcile with others who are embittered against you. Some may be in a bitter place not wanting to reconcile. Just realize you need to be willing to be a peacemaker. Pray that the Lord will tenderize their heart and fill them with the love of God. Bitterness blinds people. He who has a bitter root defiles many because they spread evil reports with gossip. Walk in love and pray that God gives them the gift of repentance. WE GET UNDERSTANDING ON SOWING SEED AND HARVEST TIME 2 Corinthians 9:6,7 - "But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver." Make an effort to understand the power of SOWING and REAPING. Realize that all God has entrusted to us we are the steward of. In that way, all that we have is seed that can be sown into different places. Our time invested in the spiritual development of others, work, money, prayers, worship is all seed that is sown. If we want increase in our life, both in the spirit and in the natural, we need to get the revelation of SEEDTIME and HARVEST. Who doesn't want a HARVEST in their lives? But we have to sow in order to REAP. WE DRINK HIS NEW WINE! Hebrews 1:8,9 - "But to the Son He says: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions." We take time to not only seek the Lord, but to receive from the Lord the new wine of His PRESENCE. We allow God to fill us with His joy as the Holy Spirit saturates us. For it is the joy that comes in His PRESENCE that strengthens us. God will give us a fresh anointing as we simply receive in His PRESENCE. Jesus was anointed with the oil of joy far above all others. How much more do we need His oil upon our lives. WE ARE ALL COMMANDED TO DO THE WORK OF MINISTRY John 21:17 - "He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?' Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, 'Do you love Me?' And he said to Him, 'Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.' Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.'" One of the unique things about the Church of the New Covenant is that God has authorized and commanded every believer to do the work of the ministry! God wants an entire army of workers out doing the vital work of DISCIPLESHIP of the saints and building up His Body, the Church. Many churches are so focused on the salvation message that they fail to feed and help mature the sheep who have already come to salvation. Believers should be equipped to DISCIPLE the new believers so they will be effective in personal ministry. "My children with who I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you.." - Galatians 4:19 The true success of our ministry to others will be by how it brought forth the formation of Christ within the person God has given us to DISCIPLE. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  8. The Three Parts of the Spirit – #2 Intuition Intuition is the consciousness within man’s spirit – it is direct and not dependant on anything else. We do not need the help of the mind, the emotion, or the will before we can have this knowledge. Through the intuition man can truly ‘know’ something while his mind can only make him understand it. All God’s revelation and all the moving of the Holy Spirit are known by the believers through the intuition. John 6:64 64“But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. (Jesus knew from the beginning.) Mark 2:8 - Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said* to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? (Jesus knew in his spirit.) Mark 8:12 - Sighing deeply in His spirit, He said*, “Why does this generation seek for a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” (Sighing deeply in his spirit.) Acts 20:22 - And now, behold, compelled by the spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, (Compelled by the Spirit.) 1 Corinthians 2:11-12 - For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  9. Jesus instructed His disciples to pray..."Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven" (seeMatthew 6:10, Luke 11:2). As we pray as Jesus instructs, we are actually praying for Heaven to touch earth. When Jesus came He brought His world to ours! He demonstrated the Kingdom of God on earth. His example of demonstrating God's goodness through signs, wonders, miracles and powerful demonstrations was meant to be teaching tools for us to do the same on earth today. There is no sickness in Heaven and, therefore, it does not belong on earth! Also, there is no poverty, lack, disease or hopelessness in Heaven therefore, it does not belong on earth. Jesus commissioned His disciples with these words: "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons: freely ye received, freely give" (see Matthew 10:8; Luke 10:9). When we became new Christians we were told what "not to do" and taught that we needed to be "perfected" – which placed much emphasis on us, our ability, and our religious performance. LET GO OF YOUR LIMITATIONS Many of us limit God today. We can even witness a miracle and almost immediately shift back into doubt and unbelief. At the time of creation, both Adam and Eve were created to experience "limitless living". This type of lifestyle is experiencing our lives without any types of hindrances or limitations. Limitless living is not for the purpose of self-gain, but is experienced so that we can fulfill ourDESTINY and PURPOSE. And, without limitations, we can fully demonstrate and experience God's power on earth. FULFILLING OUR DESTINY "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened: that you may know what is the hope of His calling....." - Ephesians 1:18 Since we are saved by the finished work of Jesus on the Cross, God's supernatural, transforming power is available to us for the fulfilling of our divine destiny in Christ. We need to shift our perspective. Yes, part of our destiny as children of God is to demonstrate and experience God's power. We were born with a PURPOSE to fulfill. God made you with a specific "PURPOSE." The word purpose means "the reason something exists." Therefore, we can easily conclude that God created us for a very specific reason. Mankind, as a whole, was created in the image of God with the purpose of taking dominion. When we use our God-given authority, we are also empowered to demonstrate God's divine power on the earth. This is the time to demonstrate and experience God's power in our life. JESUS HAD A PURPOSE According to 1 John 3:8, Jesus also had a purpose. His purpose was to "...destroy the works of the devil." We discussed that Jesus brought His world into ours. But, let's delve into this more. The word purpose in Greek is the word "tupos" (pronounced too-pos) and it means "model or imitation." WhenJesus was destroying the works of the devil, He became a model for us to imitate. When we are also on assignment, on purpose, we are imitating God. In fact, this is one of the ways that we are able to give Him glory – by imitating Him! Satan is consumed with targeting us, as he did Eve in the Garden, attempting to cause us to doubt our identity in Christ. If we believe opposite of who we are, (i.e.; sons and daughters of the King and made in His divine image), we become powerless to fully imitate God. Why is that? It is because when we doubt our identity in God, we also doubt our ability to be demonstrators of His power. Problem is the enemy has placed many different limitations upon us which hinder us from demonstration. It's time to take the limitations from our past off! DEMONSTRATION OF HIS POWER Becoming a demonstrator of God's unbridled power is one of the most exciting journeys we can experience. The word "demonstrate" means that something is being "shown or proven." In other words, when we allow God to use us and we pray the prayer of faith for someone to be divinely healed, we are at that time imitators of God. (Just like Elijah, Elisha, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and others!) We are proving God's love as we pray for the sick or the needs of His children. But also, consider this fact: when they are healed, it is then that God's perfect will has therefore been "proven" and "demonstrated". What a privilege it is for God to use us to prove His love through demonstration. Satan targets our mind with lies. THE LIES OF THE ENEMY THAT LIMIT US SOUND LIKE THIS: • You're not smart enough to teach God's Word. • What makes you believe that God would use someone with a past like yours? • You are a complete failure in life. How can God use you? • If you pray for the sick, they might not get healed. Just think of what people might say about you. • You are not qualified to demonstrate God's power • You are flawed. God cannot use someone like you! MORE LIMITATIONS Religion completely negates our need for "relationship" with God. In fact, many times it completely replaces it! Another limitation in the Church is the pressure to "get results". This is all rooted in performance, perfectionism and self-introspection. How many times have we believed the lie that we are a "failure" because we did not witness the desired results? The enemy will use this lie to limit US. On the other hand, God desires that we experience His limitless lifestyle! After all, didn't Jesus say that all things are possible to those of us who believe? Is it then any wonder why the devil attacks our faith? QUESTIONS TO ASK OURSELVES: What do we believe is holding us back? What are our limitations? God desires to empower us to let go of such limitations as: • reliance on ourself • efforts to please God through religious performance • disappointments • emotional pain and trauma • defensive and defeated attitudes PRAYER: I pray today confirming that I am fully empowered to demonstrate Your Kingdom on earth. I agree with what Your Word says concerning my destiny and purpose and that I am created to give You glory. I pray that You reveal the limitations which rob me of being a Kingdom demonstrator. I pray that You shift me into continuous seasons of limitless living. I decree that there are no limits to what I do or experience in Christ, In Jesus' name, Amen! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  10. Is it okay to pray as usual asking and begging God to do things for us?
  11. Is it okay to look for satisfaction from other things than God alone?
  12. As born-again believers should we be content to sit and hear?
  13. Are we waiting for God to do someting in our lives?
  14. Is it right for us to believe God only for things that are not impossible?
  15. "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" - (Ephesians 2:4-6). As our minds are renewed and our faith grows, we take these realities as fact and live in the light of them. We come to know that we are above our enemies and refuse to walk in the flesh realm but take our place in Christ in the spirit realm. No longer will faith be a struggle, but a normal living in the realm of God. The spiritual realm places man where communion with God is a normal experience. We are not going to grovel in the earthly realm, but we are seated in the heavenly places with the Lord. Every Believer has the right, authority, and ability to minister out of the throne room just as Jesus did. "Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily" - (Colossians 1:28-29). ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  16. Why do we need to persevere with God in prayer concerning the salvation of others?
  17. The sixth place Jesus shed His blood was where a soldier shoved a spear into His side and blood and water poured out. Jesus died from a broken heart -- from the weight of our sin. It is a physical phenomenon that when a person's heart bursts, the water and blood of his body flow together. When Jesus announced His ministry in the synagogue, He read from the scroll: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed." (Luke 4:18) Jesus was anointed with the power to heal the brokenhearted because God desires for His people to live in joy. When we are filled with joy, we have the strength to fight the good fight of faith. Nehemiah 8:10 - "The joy of the Lord is your strength." His heart was broken so our hearts could be made whole. We overcome the wounds of broken hearts by the blood of the Lamb. Jesus became our sin so we wouldn't have to sin. He became our sickness so we wouldn't have to be sick. He became our broken heart so we wouldn't have to have a broken heart. Jesus came to restore our joy Psalm 138:8; 147:3 - "The Lord will accomplish what concerens me; Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Affirmation: TODAY I ALLOW THE HEALING POWER OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS TO DELIVER ME FROM ALL PAIN, SORROW, AND GRIEF. I LET HIM FILL ME WITH THE JOY OF THE LORD AND LET THAT JOY BECOME MY STRENGTH, NOT JUST FOR TODAY, BUT FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  18. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight..." - Ephesians 1:3-4 NIV It is vital now for every Spirit-filled Believer to start exercising the spiritual senses, particularly the eyes, to see what God has for you! It may be dark in the world, but the Light of the World will make darkness light to you if you allow Him to open your spiritual eyes (the eyes of your heart) to the truth of the reality of Himself in the existing and coming challenging days. As a result, at daybreak, your path will shine ever brighter until His glory arises in your midst. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see..." (see Hebrews 11:1-2 NIV). You can be sure of what you hope for when you realize that it already exists with God in the heavenly realm, which you have access to through Christ Jesus (see Colossians 1:12-14, 27; 3:3-4). SEE VICTORY "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." - 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 If you are in a battle, your spiritual eyes will help you to see victory, as Joshua saw his prayers answered in the Spirit as he pondered in anguish the conquest of Jericho, which to the natural eye, spelled d-e-f-e-a-t. In scanning the heavenlies – that is, opening his spiritual eyes – Joshua saw victory assured (see Joshua 5:13; 6:2). If you can see what God has promised, even in light of your circumstances, and receive it as truth by faith, you have the reality of Heaven's answer for you. SEE BEYOND LIMITATION Healthy spiritual vision will help you to see beyond limitations. Such godly vision is insight into how to move into purpose. Every Believer has a God-ordainedCALLING and PURPOSE, a DESTINY in Him. His desire for you is to anoint, equip, and mature you to fully walk in the fullness of your purpose in a manner that impacts and transforms your life, your family, your community, your city, the world around you. Imagine seeing that impact beyond the gigantic "Jerichoical" walls of limitation that in the natural seem to preclude the possibility of Promised Land possession (PURPOSE). You may face huge barriers of impossibilities in the natural, but the Lord can show and give you heavenly blueprints for the tearing down of those limitations. SPIRITUAL EYES -- A GOD-GIVEN ADVANTAGE Our natural eyes see rejection, lack, and roadblocks. Our spiritual eyes see favor, provision, and new ways. The eyes of understanding are our advantage in these days – a God-given advantage to see by the Spirit of the Lord, to understand what the world cannot, to pull on Heaven, on joy, on our future hope, that we might glorify Him, break through, break out, become victors and not the victimized, and bring His light to the world. Yes, we can pull on the hope of the future, the future's accomplishment, and bring it into the present; even in our sadness for lack or despair over our barren state, we can be glad! Isaiah told the barren woman to break forth into singing, to rejoice over her barrenness as though she had many children: "Sing...break forth into singing." Why do you suppose Isaiah counseled her this? Because God wanted her and us to see the promise, to experience the thrill of victory now, the joy of salvation now, contentment in our calling now, on earth as it is in Heaven now. Rejoicing rends the Heavens for major breakthrough. With spiritual eyes open we can see what should, could, and will be, and by faith bring it forth into the here and now. The precious Holy Spirit illumines our eyes to see into this realm of yes and amen. Unlike our natural eyes, which tend to be near or far-sighted and limited peripherally, our spiritual eyes can see limitless scope – whatever the Father chooses us to see. GRAB HOLD Improve your spiritual eyesight by way of studying what the Holy Spirit has revealed of God and of His promises in and throughout the Word, by: diligently staying in fellowship with God, daily confessing and meditating the promises to the believer in scripture -- pronouncing them over your specific situation and, praying specifically for God to illuminate your own heart to His truths. Believe and relish the truth! The truth will set you free, and transform your life! Ask God for more of what you cannot see. Reach out in faith, and take hold of it! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  19. Restoration (Read Isaiah 58 & John 16) Matthew 9:17 - “Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” (Only when we allow the Holy Spirit to work within us do we have the power to live a victorious Christian life. And it is He, the Holy Spirit, who does the work of restoring, the fragmented shattered pieces of our lives to something that is far greater than the former state. When the Holy Spirit begins the process, a process of restoration, He has placed us in a: 1. new season; 2. new revelation; 3. new life; 4. new wine. In order to contain the new wine of restoration we need a new wine skin. The Greek word for “new” in this passage “KAINOS” meaning something that has been renewed or made over or something restored. In the restorative process, God take what was there and bring it to a new place so He can pour within it that which He longs to release to us – a new wine. To make a wine skin new, He soaks the old wine skin in water and rubs it with oil. Rubbing with oil is the part of the process that makes us flexible. The oil contains a new anointing. As we alow the Holy Spirit to take us through the process of rubbing, we not only become more flexible to handle all God’s desires to pour into us, but we become able to pour out in a greater measure.) Galatians 1:6-7 6I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. Galatians 3:1 1You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? (Specifically, there are three things God must remove from our lives in order to renew our wineskins: 1. He removes legalism. In Galatians legalism is equated with witchcraft. Paul reminds the Galatians that they were doing great. They were having a good time, growing in the Lord and walking in faith. Then he asks who bewitched them? In other words, who narrowed their minds down to such a degree that they were no longer able to receive the grace of God? Who brought legalism into their midst? Eg.: Is there a situation in your life, family or church that seems completely unchangeable? Are behavioral patterns so entrenched that nothing can shake them loose? If the answer is yes then you are dealing with a legalistic mind-set. We say that nothing is impossible with God but do we believe that nothing is impossible with God? In every area where we do not have this heartfelt assurance, we have a legalistic bewitching structure that narrows God.) John 8:43-44 43“Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. 44“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (2. He removes condemnation. Satan is a liar and a thief. He lies to us about our postion with God in order to steal the restoration God has for us. We say things such as, “God can’t restore me because I….am divorced, had an abortion, lied about a friend, had a messed up childhood, took what was not mine, etc.. Getting right with God and forgiving ourselves will break the schemes the devil intended to use to keep us draped in a shroud of guilt, no matter what we have done.) Isaiah 58:6,8-12 6 “Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke?8“Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. 9 “Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,10And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday. 11“And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.12 “Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell. (3. He removes judgementalism. The law of sowing and reaping applies to condemning other through judgements i.e. if we sow condemnation to others we will be condemned – we too become suseptable to falling into the same sin we accuse others of. Isaiah 58 says that if you will pray and fast and let God determine the fast for you, you will, “put away the pointing of that finger and speaking wickedly”, He will begin to breakforth your light and healing will spring up.” .) ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  20. The third place Jesus shed His blood broke the curse of poverty. Genesis 3:17-19 - "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying 'You shall not eat of it': Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both THORNS and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground." Thousands of years after Adam sinned, Jesus Christ, the second Adam, was taken before the religious and political authorities to stand trial as a fraud and a heretic. On the way to Pilate, as they were mocking Jesus, "All hail, King of the Jews," they saw a THORN bush --the symbol of the curse of poverty on the land. They took some of the THORN branches, wove them into a crown, and placed them on the brow of Jesus until the blood flowed from His head. The symbol of poverty was placed on the brow of Jesus, the second Adam. When those THORNS pierced His brow, He shed His blood for our redemption from poverty. We were cursed with poverty by the sweat of Adam's brow, but we were redeemed from the curse of poverty by the blood on Jesus' brow. Now, by the power of the blood of Jesus, not only is the curse of poverty broken, but those who take the name of Jesus and claim His blood are anointed to prosper. 2 Corinthians 8:9 - "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich." Jesus never was poor. When the Bible says, Jesus became poor, it means He was poor in comparison to what He had in His heavenly home. Before Mary and Joseph went to the barn, they first went to the inn to get a room. Mary and Joseph had plenty of money to get a room at the inn. The problem was, the inn had no room for the savior. Yes, Jesus was born in a manger, but not to teach us poverty. He was showing us that we were not making room for the Savior to be born in our lives. Affirmations: I MAKE ROOM FOR JESUS EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE. THROUGH THE BLOOD THAT THE LORD JESUS SHED FOR ME, I AM ABUNDANCE. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  21. Many people are crossing spiritual frontiers. People are leaving old seasons of life and entering new ones. One of the most profound crossings ever made was when the nation of Israel walked across the dry riverbed of the Jordan River under the leadership of Joshua. More than one million people camped at the water's edge waiting for the word of the Lord to part the water. First, God would need to speak to Joshua and let him know what this passage would entail. Joshua 1:1-9 - After the death of Moses the Lord's servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' assistant. He said, "Moses My servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses -– from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.' No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. "Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is My command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." EACH CROSSING WILL BE DIRECTED BY A WORD FROM GOD -- "THE LORD SPOKE TO JOSHUA" Joshua was told to walk anywhere within the land God had defined. Wherever Joshua chose to step would be his, within the boundary of the promise. He was a man living under the direction of God's revelation. Each area of our lives has a word from God assigned to it. Each of our families has a word. Each financial decision we make has a word assigned to it. Each relationship we enter into has a word from God assigned to it that will direct how that relationship will develop. It is wisdom to discover these words before we begin the journey. Joshua obeyed the word of the Lord. He didn't deviate to the right or to the left. He stayed true to the word of the Lord and the Lord stayed true to the promise He made to Joshua and the nation of Israel. EACH CROSSING WILL REDEFINE THE NATURE OF OUR CALLING -- "THE TIME HAS COME FOR YOU TO LEAD THESE PEOPLE" Obedience to the CALLING transformed Joshua, revealing more of what God saw in him, had planned for him, and wanted to do through him. Each time we take a step of faith our life manifests more clearly of who we already are in Christ. Like a chisel in the hand of a master sculptor, God fashions us with each step we take. Under the hand of the Master we begin to resemble the person who we already are in Christ. EACH CROSSING WILL BRING A REMINDER OF GOD'S FAITHFULNESS -- "FOR I WILL BE WITH YOU AS I WAS WITH MOSES, I WILL NOT FAIL YOU OR ABANDON YOU" We never do what God calls us to do alone. He is always present with us in each moment of the passage. As Joshua called the people forward to cross the Jordan, that move could appear to be, at the very least, naïve, if not foolish. The decision to cross the Jordan River at this season of the year, would ride on the shoulders of this new leader. It was a fearful and stressful moment. In that moment God assured Joshua that He would not fail or abandon him. Jesus chose to forgive His tormentors amidst the pain of His crucifixion. He told us to bless our enemies even as they wage war against us. When we do this, our future will be defined by the heart of God, not the fear of what can happen to us as the result of human brokenness. EACH CROSSING WILL TEST OUR CURRENT LEVEL OF STRENGTH AND COURAGE -- "BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS." Three times in the first verses of Joshua 1 the Lord tells Joshua, "Be strong and courageous." Why would God say this to Joshua three times? Because Joshua, the great warrior-leader, would experience both fear and weakness as he faced the prospect of crossing the swollen Jordan River and the enemies beyond. This fear and discouragement have faced the people of God in the past and it will have to be addressed by each of us now and in our emerging future. A repeated theme in Paul's ministry was his strengthening and encouraging of the churches. He strengthened and encouraged these churches because they were feeling weak and discouraged when he arrived in their midst. Likewise we are to exhort, encourage, equip, and DISCIPLE those who God places in our path. Today, believe that God is taking you into a new future (His PURPOSE for your life) amidst all the pain and obstacles that are now standing between you and what God has promised. God is your passage-maker and He will never leave you alone in the crossing you are about to make. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  22. Three Aspects of the Spirit #1 - Conscience The conscience discerns right and wrong and is not influenced by knowledge or outward persuasion. Conscience will condemn sometimes when one’s reasoning condones. Scriptural examples of the functioning of the conscience: John 13:21 - After Jesus had said these things, He was troubled (disturbed, agitated) in spirit and said, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, one of you will betray Me.Acts 17:16 - Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred within him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Romans 8:16 - The Spirit Himself testifies together with our own spiritthat we are the children of God. 1 Corinthians 5:3 - For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 2 Corinthians 2:13 - I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I went from thence to Macedonia. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  23. What is our spiritual responsibility during times of difficulty?
  24. What is the real work you were meant to do?
  25. Psalm 40:17 - "But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art, my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God." It is clear that king David was very rich, so far as worldly goods are concerened. The eyes of his inner man were not set on earthly wealth, so it was as though he really was poor -- poor in spirit, as the Lord would have us. Matthew 5:3 - "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for their's is the kingdom of heaven." Galatians 6:7,8 - "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Observation: He has revealed the endless crop of boredom I will harvest when I base my life on pleasure-seeking instead of sowing acts of goodness and love for a harvest of eternal life. Luke 21:31 - "But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you." Affirmations: I ASK THE LORD TO PROPEL ME INTO THE NEXT LEVEL OF MY GROWTH AND DESTINY. I AM DETERMINED THAT I WILL COOPERATE WITH HIM. Matthew 5:6 - "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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