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  1. Hebrews 11:3 - "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." Faith is the bridge between the eternal (the unseen) and the temporal (the seen). In prayer, we can cross that bridge and see as God sees. Real prayer is not just words, but intently waiting on God until we (by the Spirit) see what He is seeing. Jesus ignored what His natural eyes told Him, and He declared what His spiritual eyes saw. He saw the heart of God and the mind of God which was far more of a reality than what His physical senses told Him. OBSERVATION: I need to think, believe and speak, not according to things which are seen -- my circumstances -- but according to things which are not seen -- the word of God. As I am faithful to think, believe and speak according to that which is not seen, God will make those things tangible in my life. He will make them "seen"! Matthew 10:8,9 - "And into whatsoever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you." THE REALITY OF BEING BORN OF THE SPIRIT MEANS THAT A WHOLE NEW REALM OF POSSIBILITIES, CHALLENGES AND OBSTACLES NOW UNFOLDS BEFORE US. THE IDEA THAT THE ONLY RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE WITH HEAVEN IS THE ONE WE EXPERIENCE AT DEATH IS SIMPLY CONTRARY TO THE WORD OF GOD. AFFIRMATION: 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 everything God may receive the glory through Jesus Christ since to Him belongs all glory and power for ever and ever. (1 Peter 4:10,11) "But you have received the Holy Spirit, and He lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what He teaches is true – it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ." - 1 John 2:27 NLT This year, many of us know we will be facing uncharted territory. The Lord is leading us deeper into His PURPOSE for our life. We may feel alone and overwhelmed at times, even tempted to run back to the perceived safety and security the world has to offer. The Lord offers us the encouragement we need to go on our journey. He will be with us as we walk through this new year. He will never forsake us, nor will He leave us. He will surely protect us as we DO THE WORK He has asked us to do. "...Be strong and courageous, and DO THE WORK. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished." - 1 Chronicles 28:20 ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com
  2. Ephesians 3:19 - "And to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fulness of God." THERE IS A PLACE GREATER THAN KNOWLEDGE WHERE WE ABIDE IN CHRIST'S LOVE. THIS IS, INDEED, THE STRONGHOLD OF GOD. IT IS A PLACE WHERE OUR KNOWLEDGE OF GOD IS FULFILLED WITH THE SUBSTANCE OF GOD. WE CANNOT TRULY KNOW GOD WITHOUT, IN SOME WAY, ALSO EXPERIENCING HIS PERSON. WE MUST SEEK HIM UNTIL WE PASS THROUGH OUR KNOWLEDGE INTO AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE ALMIGHTY. WE MUST LEARN HOW TO LISTEN TO HIM; AS WE HEAR, OUR CALL IS TO THEN ASCEND HIGHER TO THE DWELLING PLACE OF LOVE THAT FLOODS OUR BEING WITH HIMSELF. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 - "May the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Observation: WHEN THE WORD OF GOD IS ABIDING IN ME AND FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, IT WORKS ON ME FIRST BEFORE IT WORKS ON MY CIRCUMSTANCES, "SEPARATING" MY SPIRIT, MY SOUL (MIND, WILL, AND EMOTIONS), AND MY BODY AND GETTING MY SPIRIT INTO A POSITION WHERE I CAN HEAR GOD WITHOUT THE INFLUENCE OF MY SOUL OR BODY. Ephesians 1:17,19,20 - "That He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the deep and intimate knowledge of Him. And so that you can know and understand what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength. Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places." The Holy Spirit within the believer ministers truth by revelation. In other words, it is revealed, not figured out. God does not talk to our brains! He speaks to the spirit of man. Jesus never said that water would flow out of your head, but that, "Out of your innermost being would flow rivers of living water." John 7:36 This is the ultimate Christianity -- communication and communion with the Holy Spirit, knowing more and more about Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Affirmation: I KNOW THE MIRACLE OF RESURRECTION FOR ME IS -- JESUS IS THE POWER AND THE POWER IS ALWAYS PRESENT -- THAT SAME POWER THAT RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD, ENABLES ME TO RISE OUT OF MY ADVERSE CIRCUMSTANCES AND STEP INTO THE PURPOSES OF GOD FOR MY LIFE. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com
  3. John 20: 21-22 "So Jesus said to them again, 'Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.' And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" Many believers are searching as if they lost their spiritual reception and they need a fresh breath from God. Job 33:4 "The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life." The word "breath" in the Old Testament is translated from the word "ruach," and in the New Testament it is translated from the word "pneuma." In most Scriptures this word is also used interchangeably with the word "spirit." When Jesus breathed on His disciples, He said, "Receive the Holy Spirit (pneuma)," and they were filled. Some believers are so exhausted and spiritually fatigued that they feel as if the breath was knocked out of them. JESUS WANTS TO REKINDLE THE FIRE Allow Him to breathe His breath back into you. Just as Elisha brought the Shunammite woman's dead son back to life as he laid on the boy mouth to mouth (2 Kings 4:32-35), eye to eye, hand to hand, and the boy was restored back to life, He will breathe the ruach that will restore life to you and the pneuma that will fill you once again. Allow Him to resuscitate you with His breath and revive those dead areas in your life. He will breathe upon you to rekindle the fire that you once had. He will breathe upon you to refresh you once again. In the same way that He breathed upon His disciples after He walked out of the tomb, and walked through the door where they were assembled, and said, 'Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.' In the same way that He breathed upon them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit,' you will also receive power as He breathes upon you to commission you into what you were called to do. LAUNCHING INTO GOD'S PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE As He breathes upon you, you will receive His anointing to do great exploits and learn how to walk in a new dimension of signs and wonders. As you receive His anointing, you will have dominion over the kingdom of darkness and all the powers of the enemy. The gifts that have been dormant in your life will be activated once again. As you allow Him to breathe His breath into you, you will prophesy, you will see visions and dream dreams. Just as He used His disciples, He will use you, in the same way, to lay hands on others and transfer His glory into them. Just as He used them to lay hands on the sick, you will be appointed to do the same and the sick shall recover. Just as the day that the Holy Spirit fell upon those in the upper room, He will visit you once again in a mighty way. Do not fear this intimacy but receive it, and as you do, your lives will be transformed and His glory will prevail in your life. Acts 4:31 "And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com
  4. It is imperative that we all take a strong stand. We must make up our minds to not continue to stumble about in the confusion that seems to gridlock today's culture. Rather, we must walk with God-given goals and aims and His divine PURPOSE. We're not to be vague, thoughtless, and distracted during these days. We can and must discover great guidance and guidelines for living day by day, advancing in the knowledge of His CALLING on our life, possessing the wisdom that God is offering to us. Paul, in Ephesians 5:15-17, offers the Church a most severe warning: "Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil. Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is" (AMP). Most Christians are familiar with the fact that Jesus delegated His authority to us and gave us the power of His name. Take note in the following verses to the things that we have been given power to do in the name of Jesus: Matthew 10:7-8, Mark 16:17-18, Luke 9:1-2, and John 14:11-13. Simply utilizing our God-given authority can dispel darkness and bring the Kingdom of God to earth. There is a message for us in the cursed fig tree. Jesus cursed it for not bearing fruit OUT OF SEASON. It died immediately. Was He unreasonable? Did He lose His temper? Or was He showing us something about His expectations for our lives that we'd just as soon ignore? He has the right to expect the fruit of the impossible from those He has created for the impossible. Mark 11:13 - "And seeing in the distance a fig tree covered with leaves. He went to see if He could find any fruit on it. But when He came up to it, He found nothing but leaves for THE FIG SEASON HAD NOT YET COME. And He said to it, No one ever again shall eat fruit from you." Paul says in Romans 1:11 -- "I long and I ache to see you that you may receive an impartation." Every Believer has received a measure of impartation and anointing, but God has even more He wants to increase in you, because you're His temple, you're His workmanship; and He wants to manifest His glory, His nature, His character, and His power through your life. In Ephesians 2:10 it says, "We are His workmanship." He's doing a work in you and has ordained good works for you, but it's never by your might, never by your ability, never by your power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. Do you want impartation like that from the Lord? God wants to give you a download for your life – an impartation of new levels, new mantles, a new anointing, and a new commission! "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened" (Acts 16:25-26). Many people will say that this way of life is not "realistic". But is moping, complaining, grumbling, and being oppressed with an impending sense of doom and gloom honestly more "real" than having hope – when the truly good and living God is always active in our world and on our side? How has despair, worry, and anxiety been working for us anyway? "Keeping it real", from the angle of some -- will only keep us in defeat! When you magnify God deliberately enough to be able to see and then praise Him in the most adverse conditions...a dunamis power of God can be released to burst into circumstances and even liberate the 'prisoners' around you. Revelation of the living, powerful, true, and sharp Word of the Lord in us and His vastness will pierce and penetrate the most black darkness or fearful shadow. As we follow Father God, we expect to arise and never again sit down until He has accomplished His whole work in us (God's purpose for our life). 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. The failure of ministries to equip the saints (train believers to disciple other believers) so that every individual part of the Body of Christ is functioning is a primary reason for the overall ineffectiveness of the church. Self-righteous service requires external rewards. It needs to know that people see and appreciate the effort. It seeks human applause -- with proper religious modesty of course. True service rests contented in HIDDENNESS. Affirmation: I thank God that he grants me according to the riches of His glory, that I am strengthened with might, by His Spirit, in my inner man. One religious mindset that many Christians can be guilty of -- we are trying to change our old nature (old man) and improve ourselves. We fail to realize that Jesus never came to do that. Jesus crucified the old man so that by faith, we can walk in the new man who is already created in righteousness and holiness, thereby permitting Him to live through us. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life 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 KJV In the mysterious quantum world, inanimate matter behaves differently depending on if it is being observed and who is observing it. Particles are activated in various ways by the power of observation. What if the living God's invisible power can simply be activated for good by the anointed observation of His sons and daughters? ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com
  5. Ephesians 2:6 - "And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." When Jesus decided to multiply the bread, He did not do it for just a few friends, He waited until He had a crowd of 5000! When He turned the water into wine He did not just make a few bottles - He made about 120 gallons! He was trying to show His disciples how to think big. There was no way that they could exhaust heaven's supply of bread or wine. All of the things that overwhelm our thinking each day would not even be able to register as a thought if we were truly seated with Christ in the heavenly places. Affirmations: MY FUTURE IS BIGGER THAN MY GREATEST THOUGHTS CAN YET COMPREHEND. JESUS CAME TO SHOW ME HOW TO START THINKING FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE IN HEAVEN. Psalm 115:8 - "They who make idols are like them; so are all who trust in and lean on them." IF OUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT GOD IS NOT CHARGED WITH THE LIFE AND POWER OF GOD, MERE KNOWLEDGE BECOMES AN IDOL IN OUR MINDS. IT IS EASY FOR US TO HAVE IDEAS AND IMAGES OF GOD THAT ARE UNTRUE, WHICH THE HOLY SPIRIT WOULD REMOVE IF WE WOULD LET HIM. THE POWER OF CHRIST'S LIFE IS FILTERED AND PROPORTIONALLY DIMINISHED BY THE NUMBER OF THESE WRONG IMAGES EXISTING WITHIN US. Matthew 24:4 - "Jesus answered them, 'Be careful that no one misleads you (deceiving you and leading you into error).'" "I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus......forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:12-14 As we walk in the fullness of the plans God has for us, we are to focus on Jesus and the path set before us. Our role is to be obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit and follow the path the Lord has planned for us (our CALLING in Christ). When we do this we will be walking in the PURPOSE of God for our life and we will find fulfillment. If we go off course, we ask for Jesus' help and He is always there to lift us up and bring us back to where we need to be. God equips us with all we need to fulfill the destiny He has for us. The enemy uses fear, discouragement, and distraction to stop us from walking in our destiny. Another tactic of the enemy is to make the people of God feel that they are not qualified to walk in the destiny the Lord has for them. This is the time to advance with boldness and know that the Lord is with you and will provide you with all you need. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com
  6. Colossians 1:12,13 - "Giving thanks unto the Father ...Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." Many believers limit God without even realizing it by training their eyes on the limited resources of this world rather than the unlimited riches of God's Kingdom. Their faith fails when they think of the troubled economy on the earth or of the scarcity that surrounds them. The Bible says God has "delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son." To be translated means to be taken out of one place and put into another. In other words, your citizenship is not primarily of this earth...you are first and foremost a citizen of the Kingdom of God. That means this planet doesn't have any right to dictate to you whether your needs are met or not. The Bible says God will meet your needs according to His riches in glory! (Philippians 4:19) AFFIRMATIONS: I wake up to the fact that I've been translated out of a world of poverty into a kingdom of abundance. Heaven's unlimited resources are available to me! John 8:32 - "If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free." Some have thought being nice was of the same essence as knowing the truth. It is not. We can thank our parents that we are nice but, if we would know the truth, we must seek God and be willing to obey Him. Christ’s works are for the body of Christ. And His work in and through us is meant to become more real than our circumstances. God wants to bear witness through us, to testify about who Jesus is with signs, wonders, miracles, and grace gifts “according to His will” (Hebrews 2:4). God wills all of that, not in word only, but also in a demonstration (see 1 Corinthians 2:4). Your life can be a display of the mighty works of God—a display of rivers of revelation, wisdom, and healing for harvest. The mighty workings of the Lord through our lives are from the unseen source of the river of the Holy Spirit. A constant supply of His presence, power, gifts, and rivers is flowing through you. You’re redeemed, and you have Christ living in you, the hope of glory! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com
  7. John 15:7 - "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." FELLOWSHIPPING WITH JESUS IS HOW YOU GET TO KNOW HIM PERSONALLY. AND THE BEST WAY TO FELLOWSHIP WITH JESUS IS WITH HIS WORD. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ABIDE IN JESUS WITHOUT THE WORD AND IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ABIDE IN THE WORD WITHOUT JESUS, BECAUSE JESUS AND THE WORD ARE SYNONYMOUS. YOU ARE NOT TALKING OUT OF YOUR OWN STRENGTH OR CONFIDENCE ANY LONGER. YOU HAVE THE ANOINTING OF GOD'S WORD. YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE DOESN'T HEAR YOU TALKING ANYMORE; IT HEARS JESUS TALKING. Whatever is not Christ living in us is a dead work. Even every spiritual thing is dead outside of Christ. "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 Whether or not you feel you are fulfilling your destiny, you are being prepared by the King of kings for His good purposes. You were chosen by God and have been given a divine DESTINY in eternities past. The Lord is CALLING you to partner with Him to shape the future of the Kingdom of God (see2 Corinthians 6:1,2: "And working together with Him......now is the acceptable time.")! We are to be a living testimony of His presence on earth (see Psalm 139:16-17). Without exception, every Believer has been created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has ordained for us. Affirmations: BEFORE I FRAME MY WORLD THE WAY I WANT TO HAVE IT FRAMED I KNOW THAT I AM GOING TO HAVE TO SCRAPE OFF SOME OF THE OLD WAYS OF THINKING, BELIEVING, AND SPEAKING WHICH HAVE BEEN LIMITING MY PROGRESS. I CONFESS TODAY THAT I YIELD MY HEART TO GOD'S WORD SO THAT RIGHT THINKING, RIGHT BELIEVING, AND RIGHT SPEAKING BECOMES A WAY OF LIFE FOR ME. Hebrews 3:1 - "Therefore, holy brethren, who share in a heavenly call, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession." John 6:63 - "It is the spirit that quickeneth (or makes alive); the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." Affirmation: EVERY TIME I TAKE THE WORD INTO MY HEART, BELIEVE IT AND ACT ON IT, THAT LIFE OF WHICH JESUS SPOKE, THE VERY LIFE OF GOD HIMSELF, IS RELEASED IN ME. Matthew 7:8 AMP -- "For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, the door will be opened." Even if you have not had revelation of God's CALLING on your life, do not lose heart! God is saying, "Try again!" It is time to regroup and try again, knowing that failure is never God's plan (see Jeremiah 29:11). You will see doors open that were closed to you previously. God is granting breakthrough. In 1 John 1:5, John writes that the message he heard from Jesus and now declares is, "God is Light." Light speaks of the power and life of God's nature. In John 8:12, Jesus states that He is the Light of the world, and the verse finishes by saying that when we follow Him, we will have light as well. God's presence in us is like a light that shines and distinguishes us from those who do not have this light. We are told to "live as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8). The greater the light and presence of God we release, the more the darkness will be overcome around us. We find that when we intentionally allow the presence of the Holy Spirit to be released through us to touch others, people are drawn and they experience a peace they have not experienced elsewhere. We can position our hearts to become an open portal to Heaven -- where God infuses us with His presence and revelation abounds -- flowing to us and through us. We are not harnessed to our flaws and weaknesses; rather, in spirit-to-Spirit fusion we are united to the resurrection power of Heaven! Our mission is not merely to attend church but to walk with God, whose eternal goal has predestined us to be "conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29), which requires a life of purpose and DESTINY. When we catch a glimpse of this new identity we have in Jesus Christ, we see sin to be the boring, useless, and stupid thing it really is and we turn more easily away from it. This other side has to do with the rich inheritance that we share in with Jesus Christ as co-heirs (seeRomans 8:17; Ephesian 1:7, 11). We need to spend much more time confessing, not our sins, but who we are in Christ according to the teachings of the apostles. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23). A loss of consecration means the loss of power. And a loss of testimony signifies the loss of the presence of God (Judges 16:16-21). ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com
  8. Matthew 6:11 - "Give us this day our daily bread". IS ANYONE STARVING IN HEAVEN? HEAVEN SETS THE STANDARD FOR A CHRISTIAN'S MATERIAL WORLD -- ENOUGH TO SATISFY THE DESIRES BORN OF GOD AND ENOUGH "FOR EVERY GOOD WORK." OUR LEGAL BASIS FOR PROVISION COMES FROM THE HEAVENLY MODEL GIVEN TO US IN CHRIST JESUS: "AND MY GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEED ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY BY CHRIST JESUS." ACCORDING TO WHAT? HIS RICHES. WHERE? IN GLORY. HEAVEN'S RESOURCES ARE TO AFFECT US HERE AND NOW. 2 Corinthians 9:8 - "And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need, be self-sufficient - possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation." (AMP) Ephesians 2:8 - "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." Paul says that grace saves us "through faith." Faith unlocks the power of grace and releases it to function in our world--and faith itself is another gift of God. The difference between both gifts is, the grace-gift must be activated by the faith-gift. WE MUST: 1. Believe that God is "rich in mercy". 2. We must accept as true that God loves us with "great love." 3. We must not doubt that He atoned for "our transgressions." 4. We must be confident we are "alive together with Christ." John 1:16 - "For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace." AFFIRMATIONS: I don't postpone my breakthrough -- I believe that God's grace is here to release me! I don't run from the mountains in my life -- I face them with faith -- and shout "Grace, grace" to them and let God make my mountains into "a plain." I speak to the mountain of discouragement, sickness or financial need -- GRACE, GRACE! John 17:17 - "Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth." Jesus was saying, "Father, purify them of the lies and illusions of this age through your penetrating word." Paul tells us that Christ sanctifies the church by cleansing her "bywashing of water through the word....that she should be holy and blameless." (Ephesians 5:26,27) This then, embracing that truth and allowing the word of truth to do its work of sanctification(THROUGH AFFIRMATION, MEDITATION, AND SEEING YOURSELF IN THE TRUTH), cleansing and purification in our lives, is the process through which we become holy. Loving the truth is the beginning of our freedom from sin. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com
  9. "Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." - Isaiah 41:10 EXPECT THE IMPOSSIBLE. NOTHING is too hard for Him and He is teaching us how to walk in supernatural power and wisdom. We have been given the measure of faith and the gift of the Holy Spirit who leads and guides us into ALL truth. It's a supernatural COMPASS that directs us and guides us when we have no natural vision to see ahead. Literally, EVERYTHING we do is by faith. The change in circumstances is HIS responsibility, not ours. He has promised to complete the work He has started in us, to fulfill His plan and future for our lives, to open shut doors, fill us with the knowledge of Him and His will through the Spirit, and be fruitful in everything we do, growing in the knowledge of God (see Colossians 1:9-12). Prayer: LORD JESUS, YOU ARE THE ONE WHO WALKS SILENTLY IN THE INNERMOST SANCTUARY OF MY SOUL. SO CAREFULLY YOU WEAVE YOURSELF INTO THE FIBERS OF MY BEING. TOUCH ME WITH YOUR CLEANSING, RENEWING FIRE. Zechariah 12:1 - "Thus says the Lord, Who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him." GOD IS SPIRIT, AND ZECHARIAH 12 TELLS US THAT GOD FORMED THE SPIRIT OF MAN WITHIN HIM. THIS HUMAN SPIRIT IS WHAT MAKES RELATIONSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD POSSIBLE AT ALL. THROUGH HIS SPIRIT, MAN CAN WALK IN STEP WITH GOD. IN THE SPIRIT HE IS ONE WITH GOD. THROUGH HIS SPIRIT HE KNOWS OF GOD AND RECEIVES EVERYTHING GOD WANTS TO COMMUNICATE TO HIM. IT IS IN MAN'S SPIRIT THAT CHRIST TAKES UP RESIDENCE. HE WHO PUTS ON CHRIST IS ONE SPIRIT WITH HIM. 1 Corinthians 6:17 - "But he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him." QUESTIONS TO ASK MYSELF: How do I stay in touch with God's spirit during the day? What am I presently not doing? The knowledge of the glory of God is the invisible power center of the Kingdom of God. The question is, "What does it look like, and what does it SOUND like?" It is important to distinguish that we are not speaking only of language, that is, words and phrases. These are organized to speak to the intellect of man. Rather, spiritual sound only becomes words and phrases in its final form. This is why one can prophesy on the drums and why musicians understand that instruments speak, though they never use words. If we are to receive and function with God, who is spirit, we must appreciate the way in which He speaks. At this time in particular, our hearts are being drawn to the sound of the Lord. Jesus said,"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." (John 3:8) The Old Covenant was a system of judgment and death, of the CLOSED Heaven. But Jesus says: 'You shall see the Heaven OPENED, and a way between Heaven and earth, between God and man, made clear. I am that way. I will open Heaven by My own blood.' "Then He added, 'In truth, in very truth I tell you all, you shall see heaven wide open.....'" - John 1:51 God is wanting to re-calibrate the hearts of people. Psalm 93 shows Asaph when he came into the sanctuary and experienced the glory. Everything outside the Glory is subject to distortion -- be misrepresented -- our passion, desire, and ability is to live in the glory. Ephesians 4:23-24 "And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye PUT ON the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." (We have to PUT ON walking in the Spirit.) ie. We make the decision each day to be led by our spirit rather than our soul (mind, will, and emotions). We walk with our spirit being led by the Holy Spirit. "You must work out your own salvation in fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you, inspiring both the will and the deed, for his own chosen purpose. - Philippians 2:12-13 The "religious spirits," in an attempt to put constraints upon our freedom as a result of the finished assignment of the Cross, add "human efforts for salvation," and deceitfully demand for the so-called scriptural "working out your own salvation" as justification! That is "false doctrine." Apostle Paul was talking to young Believers who needed to find God's PURPOSE for their life in their walk; he was not telling them to toil to obtain a "born-again" relationship with God. They were already Believers – needing maturation. "If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God." - 1 Peter 4:11 Our speech should be graced with God's Spirit. We are to speak as the "ORACLES OF GOD." We should ask the Lord to fill us with His grace so we are able to represent Him well in our speech. God desires us to make the most of every occasion. When we allow sickness, torment, and poverty to be thought of as the God-ordained tools He uses to make us more like Jesus, we have participated in a very shameful act. To do so one must completely disregard the life of Christ and the purpose of the cross. AFFIRMATIONS: I am called to bold, daring, fear-overcoming, breathtaking and impossible actions in order to accomplish the vision God has given to them. I am not designed to drift - I am designed for destiny. I realize that I am put here to do the will of God on earth as it is in Heaven. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com
  10. Matthew 6:10 - "Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." IF IT IS NOT FREE TO EXIST IN HEAVEN, IT MUST BE BOUND HERE - THROUGH PRAYER WE ARE TO EXERCISE THE AUTHORITY GIVEN TO US. EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS HERE IS SUPPOSED TO BE A SHADOW OF HEAVEN. IN TURN, EVERY REVELATION THAT GOD GIVES US OF HEAVEN IS TO EQUIP US WITH A PRAYER FOCUS. Matthew 16:19 - "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. (NAS)" THE PHRASE "SHALL HAVE BEEN" IMPLIES THAT WE CAN ONLY BIND OR LOOSE HERE WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN BOUND OR LOOSED THERE - HEAVEN IS OUR MODEL. "Seeing that it will not be impossible with God to fulfill His every declaration." - Luke 1:37 To translate this verse even more literally: No Rhema from God shall be void of dunamis. In other words, when God speaks, His Word carries supernatural power. When we AFFIRM OUT LOUD AND MEDITATE ON THE WORD concerning our authority (Mark 11:23), the Holy Spirit writes His laws on the tablets of our hearts. As we endure as good soldiers, we hold fast to the Word until it is manifested in the seen realm. The Words of Jesus, which were given to Him by His Father, upholds all things. "And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power." - Hebrews 1:3 Affirmations: I HAVE AN UNRELENTING HUNGER TO WATCH THE KINGDOM BREAK INTO THIS REALM. I BECOME A CONNECTING POINT AND GATEWAY FOR GOD'S POWER. I AM A C0-LABORER WITH JESUS IN THE GREAT COMMISSION. 2 Corinthians 11:2 - "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to Him." THE BIBLE IS A BOOK OF REVERSALS. OLD THINGS BECOME NEW, THE DEAD COME TO LIFE, THE LOST ARE FOUND. EVEN THOSE WHO WERE THE VILEST OF SINNERS ARE NOW EMPOWERED BY GRACE TO BECOME THE VIRGIN BRIDE OF JESUS CHRIST. Ephesians 5:31,32 - "For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com
  11. "The vats will overflow with the new wine and oil. Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten." - Joel 2:24,25 Many are trapped in a great pit — the pit of despair, of sin, of compromise, of failure and hopelessness. The Great Shepherd extends His hand to pull OUT desperate souls, giving them a second chance and making all things NEW! God desires to restore all that the locust has eaten in your life! He will give you double for your trouble and turn your scars into stars reversing the curse. Do not lose hope and accept your desperate situation, but rather speak to your pit, to your circumstances, and say, 'I AM COMING OUT!' Satan has tried to manipulate and deceive, convincing many that there is no way out of the pit, and when they believe his words, they become apathetic and lose hope. But his words are lies because you are coming up and out! TAKE THE HAND OF JESUS You MUST invest and be a good steward of this time, in order to be prepared for what is coming in the near future. Do not say, "I have another year to get it together," or "I will worry about that later." NOW is the time! You have a choice—will you remain in your pit, or will you take the hand of the Great Shepherd who desires to pull you out and once again set your feet on solid rock? So take the Lord's hand, and let Him pull you out and give you a second chance! -- He is calling you! -- Come out and be separate! Do not dabble in the world. Do not flirt with compromise and sin, for satan knows his time is short, and that what he does he must do quickly. Be not ignorant of his evil plans toward you, but know that He has already provided a way of escape for you. He has a table prepared just for you—a place already set, and He is inviting you to come and fellowship with Him again at His table. He is calling you home right now. Do not feel shame, guilt, or fear, but COME as you are and He will lovingly restore you. DO NOT WAIT ANY LONGER! He has already prepared a feast for you, as well as a new set of royal robes, and right now He gives you a rod of authority. He will restore you, and you will reclaim all! "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." Luke 15:20 DEDICATED TO THE DEEPER THINGS OF GOD We stand at a crossroads. There will be a great and terrible divide between those who are hungry for God and those who are spiritually content in their apathy. "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut." Matthew 25:10 There will be a great divide between the "wise virgins" of Matthew 25 and the "foolish ones." And while the apathetic spirit of Laodicea (see Revelation 3:14-22) will increase there is a growing remnant who seeks God's heart, and refuses to compromise or accept anything less than a revelation of His PURPOSE for their life and His manifest presence. Desperate ones will come out of the pit of Laodicea (Revelation 3:16-17) -- fully abandoning themselves for the deeper things of God. They are not left empty-handed, for God will fill their treasures with Himself and they will feast on His presence, becoming mighty warriors equipped with everything they need for their CALLING in Christ. Let Your Kingdom come, Oh Lord! The Lord is saying, "Mighty Warrior, come out of that pit!" "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand." Psalm 40:2 ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com
  12. Matthew 6:10 - "Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." This is the primary focus for all prayer -- if it exists in heaven, it is to be "loosed" on earth. It's the praying Christian who "looses" heaven's expression here. When the believer prays according the revealed will of God, faith is specific and focused. Faith grabs hold of that reality. Enduring faith doesn't let go. Such an invasion causes the circumstances here to line up with heaven. Matthew 16:19 - "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. (NAS)" Romans 1:24,25 - "Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator - who is forever praised." EVERY SIN IS THE EXCHANGE OF THE TRUTH OF GOD FOR A LIE. CHRISTIANS, WHO TEND TO AUTOMATICALLY ASSUME THEY ARE THE "CHOSEN OF GOD," HAVE REASSURED THEMSELVES THAT THEY COULD NOT POSSIBLY BE DECEIVED. THE VERY THOUGHT, "I CANNOT BE DECEIVED" IS ITSELF A DECEPTION. MANY TESTS AWAIT THE "CALLED" BEFORE THEY ARE EQUIPPED BY GOD AND BECOME HIS CHOSEN; NOT THE LEAST OF THESE TESTS IS BECOMING FREE FROM DECEPTION. Matthew 22:14 - "Many are called but few are chosen." John 14:30 - ".......for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." Pauperhood is relegated to the children of a lesser god. He is the one who assigns them to a life of poverty, pain, and depression through a diabolical play of illusion. He hopes to conceal their true identity forever. This evil prince feeds his captives the poisonous rations of religion, convincing them they will fill their soul's hunger for righteousness. These slaves, blindfolded by their sin, think that they are laboring for their own freedom and work to pave their way out of prison with bricks built from the miry clay of self-righteousness. Yet, unknowingly, brick by brick, they are erecting their own chambers of death. Worse yet, they birth children into the same darkness, ultimately creating legacies of bondage with mind-sets of hopelessness. Affirmations: I AM NOT JUST A SOLDIER OF THE CROSS; I AM AN HEIR TO THE THRONE. THE DIVINE NATURE PERMEATES MY SOUL, TRANSFORMS MY MIND, TRANSPLANTS MY HEART, AND TRANSFIGURES MY SPIRIT. I WAS MADE TO BE A VESSEL OF HIS GLORY AND VEHICLE OF HIS LIGHT. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com
  13. "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." - Genesis 1:27 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 The enemy seeks to make a weakened Christian a pawn in his game, as he manipulates and attempts to bring harm to the family of God. Our Father longs for His sons and daughters to know and believe everything He has said about His love for them. When we believe in our identity in Christ God declares over us, we are strengthened and built up in the faith, but when we exchange His truth for the lie of some other identity, we become weak and open our lives up to be victimized again and again by the devil who comes only to kill, steal and destroy (see John 10:10). "...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40:31 The enemy is terrified when God's children come into the true knowledge of who they are in Christ, all that Jesus won for them on the cross, and what they were created to do (God'sPURPOSE for their life) -- because he knows that if they step into their true identity in Christ, they will walk in authority against his evil schemes and advance God's Kingdom (displacing His). Believing lies creates a victim mentality, and creates a vulnerability consciousness which is susceptible to accusing God of not being just or faithful. When we live according to an identity based on lies (from relatives, friends, co-workers etc.) we have believed, it downgrades our lives and causes the favor that we were created to walk in to dissipate. OCCUPY THE BLESSING OF YOUR CHRIST IDENTITY When you come into the truth of who God created you to be through your identity as His son or daughter, it is important to begin living from that truth. When you break agreement with lies and begin to not only agree with truth but align your faith with truth (through AFFIRMING and MEDITATING on the inheritance scriptures), then truth will break forth in and upon your life. Now is the time for the sons and daughters of God to arise in truth, favor, and authority. Now is the time for you to arise and walk in your DESTINY in Christ that you were called to display to the world. Now is the time! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com
  14. Genesis 28:10,12 - "Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it." LIKE THE LADDER, JESUS DWELT IN TWO PLACES AT THE SAME TIME, IN THE EARTH AND IN THE HEAVENS. HE IS THE ACCESS POINT BETWEEN THOSE TWO REALMS. WHEN JESUS TOLD NATHANAEL THAT HE WOULD SEE HEAVEN OPEN, HE MEANT THAT HE WOULD SEE THAT JESUS IS THE LADDER BETWEEN THE EARTH AND HEAVEN THAT IS WIDE- OPEN TO MANKIND. TO NATHANAEL HE REVEALED HEAVEN'S OPEN AVAILABILITY TO THE BELIEVER. IN OTHER WORDS, THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND (AVAILABLE). John 1:51 - "And He said to him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.'" Affirmations: I DO NOT WANT TO JUST GIVE MENTAL ASSENT TO CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE. I WANT TO SEE, HAVE CONTACT WITH, AND LIVE IN THE EXPERIENCED REALITY OF CHRISTS ACTUAL PRESENCE. I WANT TO PRESS INTO GOD TO LAY HOLD OF THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH CHRIST JESUS HAS SAVED ME AND WANTS ME TO BE. A sign in front of a church said: "We Are Just A Waiting Room For Heaven." That is not what we are called to be. We are called to be a Gateway to heaven through which people can enter into and begin to experience heaven now! John 20:21 -- "Just as the Father has sent me forth so I am sending you." This is certainly a command of Jesus for the Body of Christ to meet the needs (both temporal and spiritual) of new believers so they may indeed advance in the faith -- the humbling service of DISCIPLING a new believer into: WHO HE IS IN CHRIST, HIS RIGHT STANDING WITH GOD, AND WALKING IN THE SPIRIT is the most valuable Christian service someone can minister to someone who has just had the "born again" experience. We must eat only from the Tree of Life. If we eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, we will become double-minded and stumble. Paul warns as he wrote to the Galatians in Galatians 3 -- they had been "bewitched" and were reverting back to religious performance and legalism rather than being led by the Spirit. A works mentality believes that we have to twist God's arm or beg Him to heal us or bless us. No! This is completely opposite of eating from the Tree of Life! The Tree of Life offers complete freedom in Christ. Intimidated believers lose their authority in the spirit by default; consequently, their gift -- God's ability in them -- lies asleep and inactive. Though it is present, it is not in operation. "Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you...For God has not given us a spirit of timidity." - 2 Timothy 1:6,7 As we refuse to allow seemingly unending pressures and difficulties to hinder us, we rise above or overcome them and "press toward the mark" into our destiny. We have the strength to cast off the burdens of downcast souls and supernaturally believe the impossible to be possible. Strength and might comes when we usher in His presence. "We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us." - Philippians 4:13 Are you ready to be even more aggressive in the area of faith to see the impossible become possible for great and mighty things to take place? If you cannot contemplate high and heavenly things, take refuge in the Passion of Christ, and love to dwell within His Sacred Wounds. The Church is beginning to understand that every believer is a priest. Every believer has a ministry. Every believer needs to find his DESTINY in Christ. "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood....." - 1 Peter 2:9 He didn't bring us out of Egypt to camp out in the wilderness, but to take us into the promised land of ever-expanding life. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com
  15. God will use pressure to perfect us! He promises to even use the plans of the enemy and turn them around for our good! And, the more that we are perfected, the more we reveal God's glory. GOD'S GLORY IN US Everywhere we go, we see and experience God's glory. King David the psalmist wrote: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands" (Psalm 19:1). Then also consider what the prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 6:3b "...Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory." There are over 200 references in Scripture which refer to the glory as "kabod", which comes from a root word meaning "heavy" or "weighty." Kabod carries the idea of "fullness" or the "full weight" of something. It's easy to conclude that glory refers to a weightiness connected to a notable person, someone who has a lot of influence (weightiness) and importance. When we use the phrase "glory of God," it is referring to "a visible manifestation of God" and also His divine desire to show Himself to mankind and through mankind. God desires to reveal His nature, His beauty, His influence, His power – through us! What prepares us for this? How do we reveal more of His glory? Through the press! THE PRESS For each of us going through the press of life, God wants to reveal greatness in us, the glory that is in us – to others. Yes, to fully reveal the glory in us, we endure pressure and, at times, it feels as if the world is crushing in on us! We must try and keep in mind that the glory of God exists within us not for our own benefit – but for others. God desires that the whole earth be filled with His glory! THE FRAGRANT ANOINTING COMING FORTH If you feel under pressure, don't despair! God will never allow it to destroy you. Instead, He will use it to positively expose and reveal you. God chooses to bring us to the original intent of our creation and purpose. Remember, we are all called to demonstrate the glory of God – that is our original purpose! With so many of us, our fragrance is bottled up and stored away. We've been bottled up due to job pressure, peer pressure, and other pressures, and then sealed off. Frustration, pain, and disappointment have been like corks that have sealed off the release of your anointing and fragrance. But God is allowing pressure to bring out the best in us God is allowing the press. Many of us have felt like failures because we don't seem to handle the pressure well. God is getting the fragrance that is in you out of the bottle and out of the box! Like the woman who broke open the alabaster box and washed the feet of Jesus with the fragrance, God is breaking open every place in your life that has held you back! The anointing oil upon your life will begin to flow like never before. "But thanks be to God! For through what Christ has done, He leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere. As far as God is concerned there is a sweet wholesome fragrance in our lives. It is the fragrance of Christ within us, an aroma to both the saved and the unsaved all around us. In Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God." - 2 Corinthians 2:14,15,17 We are the "aroma" of Christ and the "fragrance of life." Yes! That is how God is revealing Himself through us! If we will begin to see ourselves this way, it will empower us more whenever we are feeling pressure. We see ourselves as the aroma and fragrance of God that is coming forth -- this is the attitude of an overcomer! THE FIERY FURNACE OF LIFE In fact, we should be giving God praise because He is always committed to empowering us to fulfill our CALLING in Christ and reflect His glory. Thank God that during those fiery trials He is bringing out the best in us and, at the same time, reflecting His glory through our circumstance. None of us knows what our responses might be when trouble knocks at the door. The Lord allows tough times to reveal to the world all the good stuff that's in us! Did you ever think about pressure that way? The enemy would try to falsely accuse us in the process of being perfected. Satan speaks lies that convince us that we've done something wrong to deserve this pressure and that we are being punished Keep in mind that God is extracting your potential through pressure! Don't run from it – embrace it! When demands are made on our potential, God gets the glory from it! Believer, you've got untapped potential – let God extract it! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com
  16. God will use pressure to perfect us! He promises to even use the plans of the enemy and turn them around for our good! And, the more that we are perfected, the more we reveal God's glory. GOD'S GLORY IN US Everywhere we go, we see and experience God's glory. King David the psalmist wrote: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands" (Psalm 19:1). Then also consider what the prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 6:3b "...Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory." There are over 200 references in Scripture which refer to the glory as "kabod", which comes from a root word meaning "heavy" or "weighty." Kabod carries the idea of "fullness" or the "full weight" of something. It's easy to conclude that glory refers to a weightiness connected to a notable person, someone who has a lot of influence (weightiness) and importance. When we use the phrase "glory of God," it is referring to "a visible manifestation of God" and also His divine desire to show Himself to mankind and through mankind. God desires to reveal His nature, His beauty, His influence, His power – through us! What prepares us for this? How do we reveal more of His glory? Through the press! THE PRESS For each of us going through the press of life, God wants to reveal greatness in us, the glory that is in us – to others. Yes, to fully reveal the glory in us, we endure pressure and, at times, it feels as if the world is crushing in on us! We must try and keep in mind that the glory of God exists within us not for our own benefit – but for others. God desires that the whole earth be filled with His glory! THE FRAGRANT ANOINTING COMING FORTH If you feel under pressure, don't despair! God will never allow it to destroy you. Instead, He will use it to positively expose and reveal you. God chooses to bring us to the original intent of our creation and purpose. Remember, we are all called to demonstrate the glory of God – that is our original purpose! With so many of us, our fragrance is bottled up and stored away. We've been bottled up due to job pressure, peer pressure, and other pressures, and then sealed off. Frustration, pain, and disappointment have been like corks that have sealed off the release of your anointing and fragrance. But God is allowing pressure to bring out the best in us God is allowing the press. Many of us have felt like failures because we don't seem to handle the pressure well. God is getting the fragrance that is in you out of the bottle and out of the box! Like the woman who broke open the alabaster box and washed the feet of Jesus with the fragrance, God is breaking open every place in your life that has held you back! The anointing oil upon your life will begin to flow like never before. "But thanks be to God! For through what Christ has done, He leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere. As far as God is concerned there is a sweet wholesome fragrance in our lives. It is the fragrance of Christ within us, an aroma to both the saved and the unsaved all around us. In Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God." - 2 Corinthians 2:14,15,17 We are the "aroma" of Christ and the "fragrance of life." Yes! That is how God is revealing Himself through us! If we will begin to see ourselves this way, it will empower us more whenever we are feeling pressure. We see ourselves as the aroma and fragrance of God that is coming forth -- this is the attitude of an overcomer! THE FIERY FURNACE OF LIFE In fact, we should be giving God praise because He is always committed to empowering us to fulfill our CALLING in Christ and reflect His glory. Thank God that during those fiery trials He is bringing out the best in us and, at the same time, reflecting His glory through our circumstance. None of us knows what our responses might be when trouble knocks at the door. The Lord allows tough times to reveal to the world all the good stuff that's in us! Did you ever think about pressure that way? The enemy would try to falsely accuse us in the process of being perfected. Satan speaks lies that convince us that we've done something wrong to deserve this pressure and that we are being punished Keep in mind that God is extracting your potential through pressure! Don't run from it – embrace it! When demands are made on our potential, God gets the glory from it! Believer, you've got untapped potential – let God extract it! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com
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