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  1. "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me." - John 10:27 The Lord said that His sheep know His voice -- He did not stay that His lambs did. Young Believers (in spiritual age) often need to follow (be discipled by) other Christians until they mature. One of the primary ways we mature and become sheep is by knowing His voice (walking in the Spirit). We should also be devoted to building on a foundation of sound doctrine and an understanding of who we are in Christ. This is part of growing in the truth and having a love for the truth but fundamental to our life is following the Person who is the Truth. INTO ACTION: Sit with a group of other Christians and seek to hear the voice of the Lord -- He will speak to them. When you hear others in the group begin to say what they heard, it builds your confidence that they are hearing the Lord. As people minister in the group, over time, their sensitivity to His voice can grow dramatically. Then they start hear Him at work, while shopping, or at any time and in any place that He wants to speak. AFFIRMATION: I make it a weelky goal to hear something from the Lord for another person. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  2. "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." - Matthew 10:16 A TRECHEROUS FOE Before we engage in spiritual warfare, we should know this about satan: he is an ancient and extremely treacherous foe. Therefore, be bold but never arrogant in your prayer life Whatever lofty spiritual plane you imagine that you are on, remember: Adam was in Paradise when he fell. Before your increased knowledge and religious experiences make you overly self-confident, recall that Solomon wrote three books of Scripture; he actually gazed upon the glory of God, yet he fell. Yes, even in your deepest worship of the Almighty, do not forget in long ages past lucifer himself was once in Heaven pouring out praise to God. WISE AS SERPENTS "Prepare plans by consultation, and make war by wise guidance" (Proverbs 20:18). "Wisdom is better than strength... Wisdom is better than weapons of war" (Ecclesiastes 9:16, 18). "There was a small city with few men in it and a great king came to it, surrounded it and constructed large siegeworks against it. But there was found in it a poor wise man and he delivered the city by his wisdom." - (Ecclesiastes 9:14-15) Ephesians 3:10 reveals God's glorious plan, that "through the Church" God has purposed to make known His manifold wisdom to the principalities and powers "in the heavenly places." You see, as the Body of Christ on earth agrees with its Head in Heaven, the Spirit of Christ Himself displaces the powers of darkness in the heavenly places. When the Church on earth is aggressive in its agreement with the will and Word of God, then the presence of God increases in the spiritual realm, proportionally displacing the influence of Hell on earth. Shortly thereafter, manifesting in the world of men, we see revivals, healings and miracles. But when the Church is passive, indifferent or carnal, the powers of Hell increase their rule over the affairs of men: marriages break up, crime increases, and wantonness becomes unbridled. We must see that our prayers, attitudes, and agreement with God are an integral part of establishing the reality of the Kingdom of God on earth! KNOWING GOD'S WORD Our fight is the fight of faith: Do we believe, affirm and meditate on what God has promised? Our war is against principalities and powers. Jesus said His words "are spirit and are life" (John 6:63), which is to say that the substance or meaning in Christ's words represents an actual reality -- the living Spirit of the Kingdom of God. CHRIST CAME TO TRAIN AND EMPOWER WARRIORS Jesus prepared His disciples for everything, including war. They saw Him casting out demons. In fact, He sent them forth doing the same. Christ not only came to set captives free, He came to TRAIN and EMPOWER the recently freed to be warriors. How can we, imperfect Christians, walk triumphantly? The Bible says we overcome "because of the Blood of the Lamb and because of the word of [our] testimony, and [we do] not love [our lives] even when faced with death" (Revelation 12:11). Many Christians are awakened spiritually, but they do not know God's promises in the Bible. To be successful, we must know God's Word, believe it, MEDITATE on it, and SPEAK it with faith. We overcome by the "word of our testimony." Proclaim the Word of God with authority. Indeed, the Holy Spirit tells us to take up "the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" (Ephesians 6:17). If we advance protected by the Blood of the Lamb, if we war armed with the Word of God, and if we shoulder in our hearts the Cross of Christ, we will truly be "more than conquerors through Him that loved us" (Romans 8:37). CONSIDER HIS PROCLAMATION "So will My Word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11). No matter how the battle rages, God's Word shall not return to Him void. Consider also His commitment: "I am watching over My Word to perform it" (Jeremiah 1:12). "The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' – that is, the Word of faith which we are preaching" (Romans 10:8). ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  3. Galatians 1:16 - "To reveal his Son in me, that I might present Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood." Many believers have lost the glory because they have been taken up with the natural. If we are going to accomplish in the Spirit the thing God has purposed for us, we can never turn again to the flesh. If we believers are to go forth and fulfuill God's PURPOSE for our life, the Holy Spirit must be constantly filling us and moving upon us until our whole being is on fire with the presence and power of God -- walking in the divine likeness, having no confidence in the flesh, but growing in the grace and knowledge of God, and going on from one state of glory to another. The believer that is a "partaker of the divine nature" has come into a relationship where God imparts His divine mind for the comprehension of His love and of the fellowship of His Son. We are only powerful as we know that source, we are only strong as we behold who we are in Christ and all the wonderful things and graces of the Spirit. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  4. John 15:7,8 - "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples." Some are willing to spend hours in prayer asking for a miracle instead of planting the Word of God in their hearts, which in time would produce the miracle. Prayer is what water and fertilizer are to a seed. They help the Word release its life. But if you haven't planted the seed, it doesn't matter how much water and fertilizer you apply, the soil still won't produce fruit. It's the seed that has life! Genesis 3:11 - "And He said, 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?'" By taking the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they found a source of the knowledge of right and wrong outside of God. This can be identified as the proinciple of reasoning. They no longer need the wisdom of God; they could govern themselves according to their sense of right and wrong. This is why God questioned them "who told you"? ALBERT FINCH
  5. The Lord wants to use us, because He said: "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." - Luke 10:19 If Jesus wants to talk today, He's going to have to use your mouth. If He wants to rebuke a storm today, He's going to have to use your mouth, and He's going to have to use your heart in faith. Who has this power, and what kind of power is it? We have it, and it's power to heal sicknesses and cast out devils. EXERCISING LIMITLESS POWER Our power is without limitation down here, because Jesus said, "All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in Earth" (Matthew 28:18). That means all power belongs to whom? Jesus. And to whom did He give it? To us. It belongs to us! When the disciples woke Jesus up, they complained, "Don't You care that we're dying?" Have you ever tried to put a guilt trip on God in your prayers? "Don't You care what I'm going through?" We think we're going to get a response from God. "Don't You care that we're dying?" The disciples didn't get any sympathy. Instead, Jesus rebuked the wind and said to the water,"Peace, be still" - (see Mark 4). Jesus was a man anointed by the Holy Spirit, so He did not talk to the Sea of Galilee as God. People think, "God can talk to the sea," but that's not what Jesus did. He talked to that body of water as a man. As a matter of fact, who has authority over the elements here on Earth? Man through God does. A REMNANT WILL LEAD And there will be a remnant in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ who will be strong and will take the headship of our authority upon Earth. The Bible says, "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises..." - (2 Peter 1:4). What are they? The verse continues, "that by these ye might be partakers [or associates] of the divine nature..." The original Greek says, "partners with God in His divine nature." This gives us partnership with God. When we feed on God's Word, it is spirit and life to us.Nothing the devil can do will stop us from reaching the place where we're going in God – nothing, nothing, nothing! Can you call the things which be not as though they were? If you merely think about it, without speaking to it -- it won't happen. You can't rebuke the storm silently. Some will argue, "Well, I don't want to say, 'Peace, be still,' and nothing happens." You're already in fear. You've got to learn to speak out of your inward convictions. You've got to learn to believe in your DESTINY! Living a miraculous Christian life puts you in a realm where things work out. Does that mean we won't encounter persecution? No. Does that mean we won't have obstacles? Absolutely not. We will have them. But through the obstacles, we'll be victorious, and you'll laugh at the obstacles. REPEAT THE FOLLOWING CONFESSIONS: "I am going all the way. I'm not going to die prematurely. I'm not going to die sick. I'm not going to live in poverty. I'm going to fulfill my DESTINY IN CHRIST. I believe in my God-given future." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  6. In this season, God is giving out new "out of the box" ways of doing things. Don't get set in "your" ways, but learn to embrace His ways. What does this really mean? It means not to think as the world thinks. Do not accept what the world calls normal. We need a fresh Gospel mentality that is willing to walk away from the things that hinder and hamper our CALLINGIN CHRIST. LIFTING THE HEAVY BURDEN God is looking for people who are willing to respond to His CALLING. Take Matthew the tax collector as an example, or any of the disciples. Jesus said, "Come and follow Me." What we do not see is all the details that were involved in the sacrifice of those who followed Jesus. Matthew 11:28-30 - "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." There is a hidden treasure that is only discovered by those who answer this call. For Matthew, it was deliverance from operating in the world's system as a tax collector, a boring occupation. God invites us to a life of adventure in the Gospel. It is better than we could ever imagine. When we respond to His invitation, He lifts the heavy burden of all the things of this life. Matthew probably had much burden, much boredom, and much anxiety. When he chose to follow the Lord he left all that behind. His burden became a thing of the past as He embraced the easy yoke of Jesus. Instead, he chose to experience the glory of God being with Jesus. It really comes down to the question of "What are we here for?" Are we storing up treasure in Heaven, or are we looking for our reward on earth? Are we still trying to be somebody when Jesus is saying, "Come, follow Me"? He lifts the heavy burden, bringing us into a place of ecstatic joy, life, and peace. The Gospel is still good news. Do we still feel it in our heart? A TIME FOR HEAVEN'S STRATEGIES We are in a time where God wants to release new strategies to us that go against the typical trend. There are ways of doing things that work. Being in a religious rut causes you to do the same things over and over again with the same result, never learning to move into something new, fresh, and different. Those caught in a religious trap are afraid of adventure, new things, different approaches, and will hold others back so that they won't feel so bad. Misery loves company. One of the main characteristics of fear is control. People in fear have to control to keep things safe for themselves. They will take things into their own hands rather than trusting the Lord. Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." When we learn to trust the Lord, we then get a new and fresh perspective on things. It is like you had been in a box. As you learn to trust the Lord, you climb out of that box, seeing sunlight with the blue sky rather than darkness in the box. This is the way it works when we see as God sees. He has blueprints for each of us that will release life, making us contagious with His love, presence and CALLING. Ask the Lord to get you out of the old place. Question your own thinking. Is your thinking in alignment with man's accepted way, or does God have a better way? Then, what are you willing to lay down for a fresh blueprint from Heaven? THE "YES" HARMONY EXPERIENCE 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 - " For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee." When we get in on God's plans, it is then that we experience the "YES" from the Lord as a seal upon His best for us. The good is the enemy of the best. When we discover God's best plan for our lives, then we experience an even greater affirmation of His voice to us. As we come into harmony with the Holy Spirit, He brings us into a revelation of God's acceptance. Jesus received the affirming voice of God, not only because He was God's Son, but because He was walking according to he desires of the Father's heart. There is a place of precision and excellence where His affirming voice is made even clearer to us. This comes as we come into alignment with His voice and desires. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  7. 1. How do you know that God wants us to reign in life?Answer: Romans 5:17 "For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive th abundance of grace and of the gift of reighteousness will reign in life through the One Jesus Christ. - Romans 5:17"For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power." - Colossians 2:9-10"for you are all one in Christ Jesus, and if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise." - Galatians 3:28-29 2. List 3 ways Jesus is victorious over Satan. Answer:(1) He healed and deliverd all that were oppressed of the devil.(2) He destroyed the power of Satan at the cross of Calvary.(3) Through the new creation the believer is set free as he receives Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Satan's spiritual hold on the believer is severed as he is set free. "Since we, God's children are human beings -- made of flesh and blood -- He became flesh and blood too by being born in human form; for only as a human being could He die and in dying break the power of the devil who had the power of death." - Hebrews 2:14-15"...for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me." - John 14:30"therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." - 2 Corinthians 5:17 3. Why is His victory our victory? Answer: What God wrought in Jesus is wrought in us. Jesus was made sin with our sinfulness that we could be made righteous with His righteousness. We were crucified, died, made alive, and raised together with Him. "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." - Galatians 2:20"And what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might....and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." - Ephesians 1:19; 2:6"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." - 2 Corinthians 5:21 4. What has God given us to walk victoriously in this life? Answer: We have His nature, His armor, His power, His Spirit, His name, and His word and the authority to use them for His purpose in the earth. "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you." - John 14:16,17"Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." - Ephesians 6:11,14-16"For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." - 2 Timothy 1:7 5. How does a man sever himself from satan's hold on his life? Answer: 2 Peter 1:3,4"Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." - 2 Peter 1:3,4"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." - Ephesians 2:10"Our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him." - Romans 6:6,8 INTO ACTION:Affirm and meditate on the indicated scriptures several times daily until the renewing of your mind is made real to your spirit. AFFIRMATIONS:Since I have received God's overflowing grace and the free gift of righteousness, I reign as king in life through Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17) I am born of God and have victory that conquers the world through faith. (1 John 5:4) Just as Jesus cursed the fig tree, I curse those things in my life that are not bearing godly fruit. (Mark 11:21) ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  8. Spiritual abortion or spiritual birthing are facilitated by what?
  9. 1Peter 2:5 - "Come and, like living stones, be yourselves built into a spiritual house, for a holy, dedicated, consecrated priesthood, to offer up those spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ." Colossians 1:27 - "To whom God was pleased to make known how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you , the hope of glory." When we realize that we are the House of God, then God is everywhere we are. He is just as powerful in us, whether we are on a mountain top, by the sea, amongst unbelievers in the world, or in an organized church meeting. The Kingdom of God wants so much to impact every aspect of our lives: every day, every minute, every breath, every step, every territory, every person, and every system we engage with. When someone disappoints us we look to Jesus and press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling (our DESTINY) of God in Christ Jesus. We need to have the mind of Christ, living out the life of Christ through us. Wherever Jesus walked, ministry happened. Whatever Jesus did there was ministry. Whomever Jesus met, there was ministry. Whomever He touched,there was ministry. When he walked into a building there was ministry. When He loved unconditionally, it was ministry. His life was ministry from the time He woke, until the day was done, and so, likewise should our lives be. Since we are "Kingdomized" we get up each day excited for what the Lord has for us that day. We begin to walk and flow in His "now" presence all day long. We begin to hear what the Father hears. We begin to see what the Father sees, regardless of what we hear and see in the natural. When we go into a meeting, we expect His presence to break down walls while bringing divine insight. When we walk into a potential business deal, we expect divine favor. When we encounter hostility, we realize that this person is hurting and needs a healing word spoken--but mostly needs love. When we drive through neighborhoods we pray for the residents and ask the Lord for His desire and love to reach them. God begins to touch them and open up opportunities for divine relationship. Affirmations: I EXPECT REVELATION, EXPECT IMPARTATION, AND EXPECT MIRACLES WHENEVER I SHOW UP. WHAT A GLORIOUS KINGDOM, WHAT A GLORIOUS GOD! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  10. "Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of Thy waterspouts: all Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over me." - Psalm 42:7 "Deep calls." Our Lord is a seeking God who desires a satisfaction that can be found only in us – our worship and our times of fellowship with Him. We were created for this purpose, which became marred by our association with the world. "At the noise of Your waterspouts." Our initial response may seem to us as being "noise," but as we continue to worship and spend time in fellowship with the Lord, it will become as a "song." "The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare Him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt Him." - Exodus 15:2 If we will be patient and not become discouraged, we will be immersed in His presence – "all Your waves are gone over me." Now, we are no longer in control. Others will notice the change in us and ask: "Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?... " - Song of Solomon 8:5 "Deep calls." -- In order to rightly respond, we must become spiritually hungry. LET OUR PRAYER BE "DRAW ME" "Draw me, we will run after Thee: the King hath brought me into His chambers... " - Song of Solomon 1:4 This prayer, "Draw me," relates to our spiritual hunger. It is the most important request that we could ever set before the Lord. If we do not have this spiritual hunger, our interests will settle upon earthly pursuits, and we will seek satisfaction in them alone. Ministry can feed hunger, but only the Lord can create spiritual hunger. This prayer for us to become spiritually hungry will be effective only after we commit ourselves to rightly respond to the Lord – "We will run after You." The written Word is to become a present reality, and experienced. Thus, we must determine that we will steadfastly seek a closer relationship to the Lord. When He responds to our prayer and begins to draw us to Himself, all of our other needs will fall into their proper place and order, including His CALLING on or life. "But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. " - Matthew 6:33 The greatest privilege and blessing that we can have is for the Lord to become active in our spiritual life experience and begin to progressively guide us toward our DESTINY in Christ. THE DEEP CRY OF THE LORD "My Beloved is mine... " - Song of Solomon 2:16 We tend to seek the Lord for what He can do for us. The Lord knows this, but patiently works within us so He will be able to take us further. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:10 Therefore, He begins by revealing to us our present condition and spiritual need to know HisPURPOSE for our life. After He has accomplished the needed deliverance and correction within us, we will begin to seek the Lord for Himself. "I am my Beloved's..." - Song of Solomon 6:3 Now we are putting the Lord first, though much of our self-seeking is still intact. "Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth; for Your loves are better than wine. For Your ointments have a lovely fragrance; Your name is as oil poured out; therefore the virgins love You." - Song of Solomon 1:2-3 Notice that we are telling the Lord that we love Him because of all that He gives to us. We are saying, "I love You because I enjoy Your blessings." But again, the Lord looks beyond our self-centeredness and continues His work within us, until we see our need and confess it to the Lord. "Do not look on me, that I am black, that the sun has looked on me. My mother's sons were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but my vineyard I have not kept." - Song of Solomon 1:6 We realize that we have worked very hard "for" the Lord, even in the heat of the day, so that we have become "sun burned." But we have ignored the "deep" cry of the Lord, and have neglected our CALLING in His kingdom (vineyard). Therefore, He allows our circumstances to become a problem to us, which will result in "our mother's sons" (those we are close to) becoming angry with us. All of the things that we had depended on have suddenly become an enemy. Now we realize that we must have the Lord Himself, and we cry out for satisfaction. FEED MY SHEEP "Tell me, You whom my soul loves, where do You feed, where do You lie down at noon? For why should I be as one who is veiled beside the flocks of Your companions?" - Song of Solomon 1:7 Finally, we discover that we can no longer be satisfied to drink from the overflow of another's blessing, or to feed upon the testimony or experience of another, and we began to look for the Lord Himself. Immediately, the Lord responds: "If you know not, most beautiful among women, go in the footsteps of the flock, and feed your kids beside the shepherds' tents" (Song of Solomon 1:8). The Lord is telling us that we should feed the sheep he has put in our lives ("feed your kids"). Without the mentorship of someone who has an active, personal relationship with Him, the spiritual path can be obscure to "baby Christians". "He saith unto him, 'Feed my sheep.' He saith unto him the third time....'Feed my sheep.'" - John 21:16,17 "THERE I WILL GIVE YOU MY LOVES" Now, there is a complete change in our expression, as the Lord Himself has become the goal that we seek. "I am my Beloved's and His desire is toward me." - Song of Solomon 7:10 I have come from a salvation experience in which I had been satisfied to escape from eternal punishment, into a relationship in which my life is sold out to Jesus and His PURPOSE for my life. As I long for His fellowship, He can say to me: "Come, My beloved, let us go out into the field; let us stay in the villages. Let us rise up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flowers, whether the tender grape appears, and the pomegranates bud forth; there I will give you My loves" (Song of Solomon 7:11-12). We will be sent only after we have first come to Him. Now, as we commune together in the vineyard, we will find all that we have longed for (co-laboring with Him in our CALLING) , as we respond to the "deep" cry of the Lord – "There I will give you My loves." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  11. I impart my own life to others, exhorting and encouraging them with boldness in advancing God's Kingdom in word and power and in the Holy Spirit. - 1 Thessalonians 1:5; 2:2,11,13 As I fight the good fight of faith and take hold of eternal life, I confess my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to others. - 1 Timothy 6:12 God did not give me the spirit of fear but a spirit of power, of love and of self-dicipline. - 2 Timothy 1:7 Through grace I am saved with a holy calling in Christ Jesus, to fullfill God's purpose from all eternity. - 2 Timothy 1:9 The Lord grants me understanding in everything. - 2 Timothy 2:7 I convince, rebuke, and exhort others in the Word through teaching and patience. - 2 Timothy 4:2 I fight the good fight of faith, finish the race, and keep the faith. - 2 Timothy 4:7 The Lord rescues me from all evil and takes me safely into His Heavenly Kingdom. - 2 Timothy 4:18 As a priest unto God I further the faith of God's elect and theirknowledge of the truth. - Titus 1:1 Through God's grace I give up everything that does not lead to God and renounce godless ways and worldly desires. - Titus 2:12 God poured out His Holy Spirit abundantly on me through Jesus Christ my Savior, so that by His grace I might be put right with God and come into possession of the eternal life I hope for. - Titus 3:6,7 I keep from friendship with the world as the Holy Spirit watches over my spirit with tender jealousy. - James 4:4,5 Christ personally bore my sins in His own body on the cross, so that I might cease to live for sin and begin to live for righteousness. It was the suffering which He bore which has healed me. - 1 Peter 2:24 I have received a spiritual gift to serve others faithfully, administering God's grace. When I speak I speak words that seem to come from God; I help as though every order was done at God's orders, so that in everthing God may receive the glory through Jesus Christ since to Him belongs all glory and power forever and ever. - 1 Peter 4:10,11 He has granted to me His exceeding great and precious promises, that through these I might escape from the corruption that is in the world through lust and become a partaker of the devine nature. - 2 Peter 1:4 I have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness through the kinowledge of God who has called me to glory and virtue. - 2 Peter 1:3 ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  12. Luke 18:5,6 - "The judge ignored her for a while, but eventually she got on his nerves. 'I fear neither God nor man,' he said to himself, 'but this widow is so great a nuisance that I will see her righted before she wears me out with her persistence.' Then the Lord said, 'if even an evil judge can be worn down like that, don't you think that God will surely give justice to his people who plead with Him day and night?" The parable concerns a widow who desperately implores a judge to give her legal protection from an adversary, but she receives NO IMMEDIATE HELP. She refuses to be DISCOURAGED from her quest: she persists until she gains her BREAKTHROUGH. The goal of Christ's teaching was to immunize His followers against DISCOURAGEMENT. Jesus assures us that God will hear us as we turn to him in PERSISTENT prayer. Affirmations: I BELIEVE THAT WHAT GOD HAS PROMISED HE IS ALSO ABLE TO PERFORM. GOD IS GREAT, GOD IS ABLE, GOD IS GOOD, AND GOD IS FAITHFUL TO HIS WORD. SINCE CHRIST IS IN ME I AM UPHELD BY THE "SPIRIT OF GOD" Hebrews 1:3 - "Who being the radiance of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  13. "For he (Simon) was awestruck by the size of their catch....Jesus replied, "Don't be afraid! From now on you'll be fishing for the souls of men!" And as soon as they landed, they left everything and went with Him." - Luke 5:9-11 In one day, they abandoned their way of life and everything familiar to them to pursue Him and the DESTINY for which they were created. What had happened? What made the difference? When Peter was willing and obedient to do what the Lord asked, the harvest of what he had believed for came to him (see Isaiah 1:19). In that moment his previous desires were replaced with a new desire. In this place of undivided devotion to Him, He captures our hearts and, like the disciples, we abandon everything to pursue Him wholeheartedly. It is in this place that we find Him (seeJeremiah 29:13). LEAVING THE SHORE Jesus' invitation to Peter is still being given to us today. Are you ready to leave the shore and become something more? "Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; all your waves and billows have gone over me." - Psalm 42:7 Can you feel the depth of God's heart CALLING to you in this season? Can you feel the depth of your spirit desiring Him more than your next breath? Launch out and launch into Him. It is in this place that your wilderness becomes a fruitful field. NOT THE TIME TO BE COMPLACENT "For the land of my people growing over with thorns and briers.....Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field and the fruitful field is valued as a forest." - Isaiah 32:13,15 Isaiah was addressing a people who did not recognize the season in which they were living -- through complacency, they lacked the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the heart to perceive what the Lord was asking of them. Their complacency to act and failure to discern the Lord's voice was leading them to a place of lack, disappointment, and despair if they did not recognize their invitation and adjust accordingly. We must also not be like the Shulamite who was not willing to respond to the voice of her beloved in the day of her visitation (see Song of Solomon 5:2-8). She responded to the very invitation that she had so longed for with a list of reasons why His coming wasn't convenient for her. In verse 6 she looked back with regret, recognizing how her heart leapt within her at the sound of His voice. Let us not look back with regret, but instead do whatever we can to meet with Him when He comes knocking. Her complacency cost her the visitation that she had so desired. When He knocks, we must open! PARTNERING WITH THE PROMISE We have a responsibility in receiving what we believe for. The Lord gave a promise of power to 500 of His disciples (Luke 24:49, 1 Corinthians 15:6) but only 120 (Acts 1:15) were committed to partner with the Promise "until" they received power from on high. For 380 of the 500 -- at what point did the "Promise" become inconvenient? If we were able to interview those 380 today, there would be a number of folks echoing the same regret as the Shulamite. If they could have only discerned how close they were to the Promise knocking at their door. We are standing at a place in history, poised to see the greatest wave of God's Spirit to ever come upon the earth. He is knocking and He is calling, in this season of ebb, to those who will open the door and launch out as we dine with Him in the deep. If we will make it our highest goal to receive from Him everything that He has for us -- God'sPURPOSE for our life (our CALLING in Christ) -- we, like Jesus, will come out with power greater than we have ever known (see Luke 4:14). Let's join Jesus in becoming the water (the Word) breathed upon by His wind (Holy Spirit) that we might, with Him, become the wave! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  14. Read Mark Chap. 1 and John Chap. 6 Have the class (or individual) read aloud each of the ascribed scriptures. Then dictate the indicated summary. The student is to recite the summary of each of the scriptures 5 times per day until the next class. Luke 17:12-14; Jesus heals the lepers, not immediately, but while they are obeying His command in faith. Mark 7:32-35; Jesus generates faith in the man by the way He heals him. John 2:1-11; Obedience to the command of Jesus creates abundance out of lack, and rescues an ill-fated wedding feast. Luke 10:21-22; Jesus declares His divinity. John 14:8-11; Jesus declared that if you have seen Him you have seen the Father. Also that His words are the Father’s words. John 8:54-58; Jesus declares that He preexisted the patriarchs. Matt 16:27; Jesus promises heavenly experiences to believers while they are still alive. John 14:12-14; Jesus promises greater works than His for believers. He says twice that whatever we ask in His name He will do it. John 14:16-17, 26; Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to believers to teach all things. HOMEWORK: MARK - CHAPTER 1 - QUIZ 1. When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist; as He came up out of the water, He______________the______________, and the Spirit like a dove descendingupon Him. 2. Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the ____________for ___________days. 3. Jesus said to Simon and Andrew, "Come ye after me". Immediately they_________their nets and followed Him. 4. When Jesus called James and John, immediateily they_______________their father and went after Him. 5. In the synagogue they were _____________at Hisdoctrine: for he taught them as one who had__________,and not as the scribes. JOHN - CHAPTER 6 - QUIZ 1. Jesus said: Labor not for the food which ____________but for the food which endureth unto___________________. 2. Jesus said: This is the _______of God that you _______on Him whom He has sent. 3. Jesus said: I am the bread of life: he that ___________to Me shall never ____________; and he that _________ on Me shall never ______________. 4. Jesus said: Except you eat the _________of the Son of Man and ___________His ___________________ youhave no life in you. 5. Jesus said: The words that I speak to you, they are ______________and they are _______________. QUIZ ANSWERS: MARK - CHAPTER 1 - QUIZ ANSWERS 1. Saw, heavens opened 2. Wilderness, forty 3. Forsook 4. Left 5. Astonished, authority JOHN - CHAPER 6 - QUIZ ANSWERS 1. Perisheth, everlasting life 2. Work, believe 3. Cometh, hunger, believeth, thirst 4. Flesh, drink, blood 5. Spirit, life ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  15. Matthew 17:4 - "Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah." Peter wanted to come up with a program to organize what God was doing; but God would have us to forsake our various porgrams and gimmicks and, instead, simply listen to Jesus. The same glory is just as close to us as it was to Peter -- as is the same instance to revert to dead works in spite of who we have seen. Matthew 17:5 - "While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him". Deuteronomy 28:1 - "If you will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth." We must come out of old mind-sets and into the mind of Christ where the blazing glory of His glorious presence literally rests upon us as we minister first unto God, and then receive His strategies to touch and impact. It excites Him that we move with Him as He moves. As we follow His move—as we follow Him He opens the way, and we go! We never again settle for what was yesterday; this is our time, the Church's time for impact for today. The past is not our reality! The realm of His grace is our reality as we ascend, descend, move and function in it for victory -- proclaiming the wonders of His grace to a world of lost people who need to be pointed to Him. Affirmation: I MAKE A QUALITY DECISION TO DILIGENTLY LINE UP WITH GOD'S WORD SO I CAN RELEASE THE BLESSINGS OF GOD INTO THE EARTH. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  16. We all have areas where we are in great need of the Lord of Breakthrough, but remember that before God broke through David's enemies, he returned to the stronghold and inquired of the Lord. "And David enquired of the Lord.....And David came to Baalperazim, and David smote them (the Philistines) there, and said, The Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters." - 2 Samuel 5:19,20 RETURN TO THE STRONGHOLD Breakthrough is found in our private devotion and personal pursuit of God when no one is watching. If you are in need of breakthrough, make it a point to "return to the stronghold" and watch what the God of the Breakthrough does for you. When He breaks open, we break out. "The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them." - Micah 2:13 "Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you" (Zechariah 9:12). Jesus modeled this profound truth in His own life. We see in Luke 4:14 that His time of fasting in the wilderness produced great power as well as preparing and positioning Him for His next stage of life and ministry. Great miracles along with public demonstrations of tremendous power and authority were often preceded by significant time spent hidden away with His Father in secret. When we purpose to live a life of sacrificial devotion to our Father in the secret place through contemplative prayer and fasting, we and the world we live in will become greater for it. This is one way that we can say "yes" to the ebbing pull of the Spirit in our daily life. "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in him." - Nahum 1:7 David found the God of the Breakthrough in the stronghold, not on the field of battle. He is our stronghold. It is in our returning to Him that He restores, breaks through, and gives back more than what we had lost and better than we had! A DOOR OF GREAT HOPE "So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water." - Exodus 15:22 For many of us, we have experienced a wilderness while fulfilling God's PURPOSE for our life. We feel lonely, barren, and unfruitful. We have been so dry and thirsty that we find ourselves crying out to God in desperation. Our life is in disorder, and at times we are confused and irritated. God has a purpose for our wilderness -- He does NOT plan for us to stay there! God brought the Israelites out of Egypt for the purpose of not only proving their hearts, but also to give them an opening to be delivered from old thinking. Many of us feel that we have been pulled into a place that at first we did not see as necessary in our apprehension of God's CALLING in our life. Truth be told, it is in this place that we are prepared to inherit and fully occupy the promises. For some of us, it may feel like a wilderness, but if we can embrace His pull we will begin to know and experience the Lord in a new way. It is in the "valley" of our troubles that He establishes a door of great hope (see Hosea 2:14-23). Properly recognizing and engaging in the wilderness experience is as vitally important to our divine DESTINY as when the "walls came down" for Israel. There we begin to see God and the treasures of His PURPOSE for our life in a way that we have never seen before. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  17. "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
  18. 2 Corinthians 10:4 - "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds." A STRONGHOLD IS A SATANIC FORCE THAT STARTS AS A THOUGHT, THEN LAYS ITS FOUNDATION IN A PERSON'S MIND, BUILDS ITSELF UP AND MAKES ITS ABODE THERE. YOU CAN'T SIMPLY CAST DOWN A STRONGHOLD AS YOU WOULD CAST DOWN AN EVIL THOUGHT OR IMAGINATION. YOU NEED THE WORD OF GOD TO BECOME LIKE A HAMMER IN YOUR LIFE IN ORDER TO TEAR DOWN THAT STRONGHOLD AND GET IT OUT OF YOUR SYSTEM. HOW CAN YOU GET RID OF A STRONGHOLD? BY HAVING A STRONG TOWER! Psalm 61:3 - "For thou has been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy." Proverbs 18:10 - "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." Affirmations: THE WORD OF GOD CAN BECOME THE STRONG TOWER IN MY LIFE THAT CAN DEMOLISH STRONGHOLDS. THE LORD THROUGH HIS WORD CAN PUSH OUT THAT SATANIC FORCE THAT'S BEEN HOLDING ME CAPTIVE. GOD'S WORD IS STRONGER THAN ANY STRONGHOLD! I FIND THE WORD OF GOD THAT APPLIES TO MY STRONGHOLD AND SATURATE MYSELF IN IT BY: AFFIRMING IT FREQUENTLY, MEDITATING ON IT AND SEEING MYSELF COMPLETE IN THE WORD AS I GO THROUGHOUT THE DAY. I THANK GOD THAT THE STRONGHOLD HAS BEEN DEMOLISHED AND I CAST DOWN ANY WRONG THOUGHTS. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  19. To walk in overcoming victory we need a spiritual "brainwashing" to rid ourselves of "ungodly thinking." Our minds need to be thoroughly cleansed of the lies and filth of the world so we can put on the mind of Christ, learning to think as He thinks and to see as He sees. A cleansed and renewed mind will completely change our perception of life and the world around us. The Spirit of God is calling each of us to a higher standard: "...walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Colossians 1:10). This is not a season to be apathetic and loose about our lifestyles. We must pursue our destiny in Christ and God's purpose for our lives. God calls all His people to a life of fruitfulness, which is the path to DISCIPLESHIP of others. As Paul writes: "Mark out a straight, smooth path for your feet so that those who follow you, though weak and lame will not fall and hurt themselves, but become strong." - Hebrews 12:13 (Living Bible) It is time for us to lay everything on the altar and embrace the holy fire of God's presence! We must present a mind that is wholly consecrated to Him. Like David, our cry must be: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10). When we do, we will discover that the Lord transforms our worldly mind into a spiritual mind—His mind. THE SPIRITUAL MIND The apostle Paul contrasts the natural mind with the spiritual mind. The natural mind, corrupted by sin, is dulled and darkened to spiritual things, however brilliant it may be in its own natural sphere. There are many intellectually brilliant people who haven't a clue regarding spiritual realities. They are "...always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3:7). It takes a spiritual mind to comprehend spiritual truths. Paul goes so far as to say that it is impossible for the natural mind to comprehend the things of the Spirit: "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:14 As contradictory as it may seem, many true children of God remain dominated, for the most part, by the laws of their natural or carnal minds. One reason the Church struggles so much today, is because many Christians still think like the world, and thoughts give birth to actions. BELIEVING IS SEEING For example, some say, "I won't believe it until I see it." This is the exact opposite of a spiritual mindset. The natural mind says, "If I see, I will believe." The spiritual mind says, "If I believe, I will see." Paul clearly recognized our desperate need for a Spirit-enlightened mind, praying: "...that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power." (Ephesians 1:17–19) Only in His light can we see light (Psalm 36:9). We should cry out to God for spiritual eyes to see what we believe even as we seek each day to walk in the light of His revealed Word (Psalm 119:105). No matter how intellectually brilliant we may be, we cannot understand even the simplest concepts of God without the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 36:26). The knowledge of spiritual things does not come by intellectual effort. Rather, it comes only by divine revelation. This is why, when Peter declared to Jesus, "'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in Heaven'" (Matthew 16:16–17). WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST God's desire is for all His children to possess a spiritual mind and He has given us the capacity through the indwelling Holy Spirit (Nehemiah 9:20). What Jesus said to His disciples applies also to us: "Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear" (Matthew 13:16). Do you want to cultivate your spiritual mind? Then immerse yourself in God's Word (Psalm 119:9). Pray for revelation and ask the Spirit of God to open your eyes to behold awesome things from heavenly realms (2 Kings 6:17). There is nothing wrong with intellectual knowledge and pursuit. God gave us our mind and expects us to use it. However, we should never depend upon mere human intellectual wisdom to advance us in the realm of the Holy Spirit (John 16:13). ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  20. Only spirit can serve Spirit. Romans 1:9 - "For God whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you." Romans 7:6 - "But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.. " Romans 12:11 - "Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;" Only spirit can know Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:9-12 - "But just as it is written, THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE THAT LOVE HIM. For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 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." Only spirit can worship God who is spirit. John 4:23-24 - "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." Philippians 3:3 - "For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh." Only spirit can receive revelation from God who is spirit. Revelation 1:10 - "I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet."1 Corinthians 2:10 - "For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  21. 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
  22. 1 John 3:16 - "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethern." Observation: WHEN I WANT GOD ABOVE ALL, I AM WILLING - AS CHRIST WAS WILLING - TO FOLLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT, EVEN IN THE MOST DRY AND DARK AND PAINFUL TIMES. WHEN I SEE WITH THE EYES OF FAITH THAT THIS IS THE SPIRITUAL MEANING OF THE CROSS, I WILL KNOW HOW TO IMITATE CHRIST AND DO WHAT HE DID. Matthew 15:29 - "And He said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus." IN THE PUREST SENSE PETER DID NOT REST HIS WEIGHT UPON THE WATER; HE STOOD UPON CHRIST'S WORD: "COME!" PETER TRUSTED THAT IF JESUS TOLD HIM TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE - EVEN TO WALK ON THE WATER - THE POWER TO OBEY WOULD BE INHERENT WITHIN THE COMMAND. Hebrews 10:24 - "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works." Observation: BECAUSE I CONSTANTLY OBSERVE AND CONTEMPLATE OTHERS TO KNOW HOW TO ENCOURAGE AND PROVOKE THEM TO LOVE AND TO GOOD WORKS AND AS I REACH OUT TO ASSIST THEM WITH WORDS OF STRENGTH - THEY ARE BECOMING BETTER, STRONGER, AND BOLDER IN THE LORD. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  23. Some people think their calling is to sit in church and support someone else's vision. While it's good to do all you can to encourage someone and support them – each of us has our own CALLING in Christ Jesus. And at the end of the road, Jesus is going to ask you, "What did you do with the anointing I put in your life?" WHAT IS GOD SAYING TO YOU? Everyone (all born-again believers) has the witness of the Spirit, or the anointing, within them. That's why the apostle John said, "You don't need any man to teach you, because the anointing (or the Anointed One) is within you," - 1 John 2:27. Does that mean that we don't have teachers in the Church? No, of course not – there are teachers, pastors, prophets, apostles, and evangelists – all given to equip the Church. But you have to listen to the anointing or witness of the Spirit within you to discern what God is saying to you personally. For example, someone could come to your church and prophesy or teach or preach – but you have to discern what God is saying to you – even if there are just a couple of sentences that are for you personally. Paul prayed for Philemon that "[Your] faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." - Philemon 6 When you acknowledge the gift and calling in someone, you cause it to be brought forth and activated; for example, telling someone, "That was a great word you gave." When you tell someone that, they are encouraged and it makes them want to do that again. Out of one message, maybe there are different things that the Holy Spirit brings out to each individual present, and perhaps He says a different thing to 20 different people. Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). Not every word you hear, nor every Bible verse you read, is proceeding a word for you today. What is God saying to you NOW? Today? This week? The proceeding word imparts life and faith and has power to move you to the next thing that God has for you. One thing is for sure – we have to move on. We have to continually discern what is He saying to us now (today) -- today's manna. WHAT SHOULD BE YOUR RESPONSE TO GOD? We can sit there forever in our comfort zone or we can rise up and say, "I'm going to go for it. I'm going to be all I can be in God." You can't aim at what you can't see. By faith we have to see our DESTINY. We don't have to wander around and around the mountain, wondering where we are supposed to be going and doing a kind of "hit and miss" attempt at fulfilling the will of God. God will show you what He has for you if you start to see by faith and believe YOU CAN HEAR FROM GOD. By faith He can release a word to you if you need confirmation – but He also puts His desires in your heart so that when you fulfill the will of God, it's delightful to you because it's in your heart. What's in your heart? Where do you want to go? What is it you really want to do? You only have one life to live down here on earth. What kind of life do you want to live? A mundane, in-my comfort-zone, occasionally-stepping-out kind of life? Or, an on-the-edge, exciting, what's-going-to-happen-next kind of life? It is your Heavenly Father who is stirring you up. He made an awesome deposit in you. Jesus deposited His life in you. He is looking for a return on His deposit. His deposit will bring forth your DESTINY if you let it run its course. WATCH OUT FOR THE DOGS THAT LAY AT THE DOOR OF YOUR DESTINY There are dogs – religious spirits -- having a knowledge of God, but denying His power -- negative spirits -- that make God's people have to "qualify" to be used by God. But Jesus already qualified us 100%. Dogs can also be jealous spirits in people that don't want you to go further than them. A good teacher or instructor is proud when a pupil begins to accomplish something. Jesus has made you perfect in the sight of His Father. It is His righteousness that you are covered with – not your own. Jesus switched with you. He took your righteousness, which is like filthy rags, and took it to the Cross – then He gave you His robe of righteousness in exchange. What a great "swap"! Your rotten rags in exchange for the beauty and awesomeness and righteousness of the Mighty Son of God! How awesome is that? To be clothed in the holiness and beauty of the perfect Son – Jesus. Don't be afraid of the dogs (religious spirits) – Jesus has given you power over them. The dogs can only minister to you through lies – you have to choose not to believe those lies. Now is the time to be all you can be in God – you don't have to qualify – you just have to learn how to yield to the anointing. God sees a great big vision for you. He is not limited. He is not limited by your inability. He is released through your believing in His ability. Don't let the dogs keep you from the doorway of your destiny. They are liars and thieves. The dogs can howl and scream and bark all they want, but they can't touch you if know who you are and what is your CALLING and DESTINY on your life. Have a spirit of abandonment to the purposes of God. God wants to send the winds of the Spirit to take you where you are supposed to go – His plan and PURPOSE for your life. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  24. Predestined For Glory (Read 2 Corinthians 3 & Romans 8) Romans 8:29-30 29For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. (By understanding how God is outside of time we understand how He chose us long ago to make us glorious like Him. Romans 8:28 is a popular quote when we are in trouble or are having a bad day. What most believers have not understood is WHY all things work together for good. Those who He “foreknew” He also predestined for glory. God has already gone into our future and worked out all the circumstances so that we can become more glorious! That’s why all things work together for good, because He created us with that end in mind. God starts from the end and works backwards. He has looked at the finished product of His finest creation and said, “ you are awesome!”) Romans 9:22-24 22What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. 1 Corinthians 2:7 7but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; (He prepared us before hand for glory. Paul said that we are being transformed by going from glory to a greater glory.) Ephesians 1:4 4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love. (Romans 8:29 says, “whom he foreknew”. God knew what we would be and do before we were ever conceived. He did not make our choices for us but He knew what they would be because in His world they have already happened. He knew that we would choose Him so He chose us first. It is powerful to think that He knows us so well that He knew to choose us before we ever knew whether or not we would choose Him.) Affirmations: I was created for glory. Before the foundation of the earth I was made and predestined for greatness because He already knew that I would choose Him. By choosing me first He gave me an inheritance for greatness.I am conformed to be like Him and He is glorious. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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