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Here is a Thread to post your favourite masterpieces in the Christian art world. Really an amazing piece of art that Michaelangelo painted on the Vatican ceiling. Though I am not catholic, I can still appreciate the time, dedication, effort that this man put to paint such a complex painting on a ceiling! Imagine how many times he had to go up and down to paint this! https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi_iprnvb_fAhUNWhoKHYpQAsUQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsmarthistory.org%2Fmichelangelo-ceiling-of-the-sistine-chapel%2F&psig=AOvVaw0MMZPjckNNTT-Jso4Y9MCq&ust=1545981972325196
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Greetings, Are there any requirements to becoming a Disciple of Jesus Christ in order to be considered a Christian? If so, what are those requirements? Please answer the question using Jesus' words as reference.
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Daily Reading 37 If you prefer, you can look up the following verses in your own Bible, of by whatever means and in whatever version you choose. Hebrews 2 Genesis 46:28-47:31 Psalm 37 Audio 2:47 Audio 4:47 Audio 4:21 The above addresses are linked to Bible Gateway. That is an easy way to read (or listen to) the Bible verses, and choose your version. Personally, I prefer written, that way I can go at my own pace, on think about it, before moving on. Nothing wrong with doing either or both. The Bible says faith comes by hearing. See the picture below to get an idea of what to expect if you follow the above links. Note: The audio will not play the exact verses, it will play the whole chapters, in which the verses exist. Thank you Lord for making the your word so accessible for us in these times. Amen
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f you prefer, you can look up the following verses in your own Bible, of by whatever means and in whatever version you choose. Luke 24:1-12 Genesis 43 Psalm 34 Audio 6:16 Audio 5:02 Audio 2:14 The above addresses are linked to Bible Gateway. That is an easy way to read (or listen to) the Bible verses, and choose your version. Personally, I prefer written, that way I can go at my own pace, on think about it, before moving on. Nothing wrong with doing either or both. The Bible says faith comes by hearing. See the picture below to get an idea of what to expect if you follow the above links. Note: The audio will not play the exact verses, it will play the whole chapters, in which the verses exist. Thank you Lord for making the your word so accessible for us in these times. Amen
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Can a robot substitute for pastoral care? Can it bring a theological perspective to our prayers (relationship factor)? Christianity is not about religious activities or mere confession; it centers on the person of Jesus Christ who is the absolute mediator between Mankind and God the father. The essence of Christianity is "Relationship." Thus, worshiping an idol is wrong; having another mediator (any human being) is idolatrous. Worst of all, a new spiritual virus, by human intelligent activity without God, is born recently. They called it Robot Priest or Pastor. Here it is: "Robot priest unveiled in Germany to mark 500 years since Reformation" https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/30/robot-priest-blessu-2-germany-reformation-exhibition?fbclid=IwAR16ZEli1xnIKctvJSu9Hjo3RATZJ1Xq_HUGOWTk7PbBpSwI7Lc7QiCHHNg -
Daily Reading 23 If you prefer, you can look up the following verses in your own Bible, of by whatever means and in whatever version you choose. Luke 18:1-17 Genesis 29:31-30:43 Psalm 23 Audio 5:27 Audio 9:~ Audio 0:53 The above addresses are linked to Bible Gateway. That is an easy way to read (or listen to) the Bible verses, and choose your version. Personally, I prefer written, that way I can go at my own pace, on think about it, before moving on. Nothing wrong with doing either or both. The Bible says faith comes by hearing. See the picture below to get an idea of what to expect if you follow the above links. Thank you Lord for making the your word so accessible for us in these times. Amen
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Hebrews 4:14 -- "Having, then, a great High Priest, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession." A GREAT HIGH PRIEST, JESUS THE SON OF GOD The name JESUS speaks of His humanity, and of His work as a Savior from sin. This is is the first work of the priest -- the cleansing, the putting away of sin. Secondly, the name SON OF GOD speaks of His divinity, and His power as High Priest, really to bring us to God, into the very life and fellowship of the Holy One. It is in His Son that God speaks to us; it is to the perfect fellowship and blessedness of the ever-blessed One that our great High Priest that is passed through the heavens can, and does indeed, bring us. HAVING, THEREFORE, A GREAT HIGH PRIEST, LET US HOLD FAST OUR CONFESSION We become partakers of Christ, IF WE HOLD FAST. Our faith in Christ must be CONFESSED. The knowledge of what He is is our strength to hold fast our confession. If we have Him as our great High Priest, He is worthy of it; our souls will delight in rendering Him this homage; without it, failure will speedily come; without it, the grace of steadfastness and perseverance, cannot be maintained. WHO HAS PASSED THROUGH THE HEAVENS Having passed through the heavens beyond all thought of space and place, into the mystery of the divine glory and power. And why? That He might in divine power breathe that heavenly life into our hearts. His whole priesthood has, as its one great characteristic -- heavenliness. He communicates the purity, the power, the life of heaven to us. We live in heaven with Him. He lives with heaven in us. With Him in our hearts we have the Kingdom of Heaven within us, in which God's will is done, as in heaven, so on earth. Let us not fall short of the rest, as partakers of the heavenly calling -- consider the Apostle and High Priest of our CONFESSION -- Jesus. Having Jesus, let us HOLD FAST. PERIPHERAL SCRIPTURES Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25) For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; (Hebrews 9:24) Affirmation: I bind and cast out those things that are unfruitful and I loose the blessings of God in my life through the confession of His word. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com/
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Hebrews 11:1 - "Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things that you cannot see." Physical sight is the ability to see things as they are. Vision is the capacity to see things as they should be, and that takes faith. The scripture says that "For we walk by faith, and not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). We must never let what our eyes see determine what our hearts believe. In other words, we are to walk according to what is in our hearts. We are to let what is in our hearts dictate how we see life. Faith is vision in the heart. Faith is seeing the future in the present. Affirmations: THE WORD DICTATES WHAT IS IN MY HEART. THE VISIONS IN MY HEART IS GREATER THAN MY ENVIRONMENT. GOD GAVE ME VISION SO I WOULD NOT HAVE TO LIVE BY WHAT I SEE. Matthew 24:4 - Jesus answered them, "Be careful that no one misleads you." If we are listening to something that does not center us firmly upon the path into God's kingdom, if we are not becoming like Jesus in holiness and power, we are being misled, and that misleading knowledge is an idol. Affirmations: THE LORD WANTS ME TO BE ROOTED IN HIM, NOT ROOTED IN MY IDEA ABOUT HIM. I MUST BE CONFIDENT ENOUGH OF HIS LOVE TO BE ABLE TO UPROOT A WRONG IDEA; AN IDOL IS AN IDOL. Just as Jeremiah was given the ability to "see" his new season (see Jeremiah 1:4-12), we are present-day Jeremiahs – having our eyes opened to understand and know all that God has formed for us (our future and DESTINY) has been preserved. It is His desire that we move closer – reposition ourselves to "draw near." And, in an intimate relationship He will speak to us concerning mysteries. It is time to "Set your mind of the things above, not on the things that are on the earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:2-3). It is your season to be as Jeremiah and allow God to touch your mouth so that you are empowered to see and confess all that Heaven says about God's PURPOSE for your life, your circumstances, and your future! If you recall, Jeremiah could not see his future until God "touched his mouth." The word "touched" is the Greek word naga and implies that God struck the unbelief that had held Jeremiah's faith captive. The word also implies a "violent act." Think about this a moment. God did a violent act against Jeremiah's unbelief. God, Himself, went to battle against Jeremiah's mindsets concerning his abilities to be used by God (see Jeremiah 1:1-12). The finished work at the Cross promises you a new season. Jeremiah was able to "see" an almond branch budding. The almond branch is the first branch to bloom in a new season. SEE your NEW season! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com/
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1 John 5:3,4 - "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." AFFIRMATION: The Word is born of God. The Word of God will overcome the world. World-overcoming faith is in my spirit right now. Romans 12:2 - "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the entire renewal of your mind so that you may prove for yourselves what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect in His sight for you." The only way to consistently do Kingdom works is to view reality from God's perspective. The mind is the essential tool in bringing Kingdom reality to the problems and crisis people face. God has made it to be the gatekeeper of the supernatural. In the transfiguration of Jesus He talked with Moses and Elijah. The reality of heaven radiated through Jesus, and He shone with incredible brilliance. His body revealed the reality of another world. The word "transformed" in that passage is the same word for transformed in Romans 12:2. The renewed mind, then, reflects the reality of another world in the same way Jesus shone with heaven's brilliance. It's not just that our thoughts are different, but that our way of thinking is transformed because we think from a different reality - from heaven toward earth! That is the transformed perspective. Affirmations: MY RENEWED MIND ENABLES ME TO PROVE THE WILL OF GOD. I WILL PROVE THE WILL OF GOD WHEN I PUT ON DISPLAY THE REALITY OF HEAVEN. AS I COME INTO AGREEMENT WITH GOD'S INTENDED PURPOSE FOR MY LIFE, MY MIND BECOMES A POWERFUL TOOL IN GOD'S HANDS. Jeremiah 6:19 - "Hear, O earth! Behold, I will certainly bring calamity on this people - The fruit of their thoughts, because they have not heeded My words nor My law, but rejected it." ".....be not drunk with wine...but be filled with the Spirit." - Ephesians 5:18 Our hearts ought to always burn. There is a place where we can live in the unction and the clothing of the Spirit, where our words will be clothed with power. We have power to loose, and power to bind in the Spirit. If we breathe His thoughts into our thoughts, and live in the unction of the Holy Spirit as He lived, then there will be evidences that we are in Him; and His works we will do -- but only in the Spirit. There is no limit as to what we may become if we dwell and live in the Spirit. In the Spirit of prayer we are taken from earth right away into heaven -- and it is only in the Spirit that the love of God is shed abroad in us. As we speak in the Spirit, the fire which burned in the hearts of the two men on their way to Emmaus when Jesus walked with them, is burning in our heart. It is sure to come to pass when we walk with Him, our hearts will burn; it is the same power of the Spirit. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com/
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2 Corinthians 3:16-18 -- "Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." To repent means to "turn around and go in the opposite direction, change our minds, purposes, and what motivates our thought life." Repentance enables us to walk in a new direction. Our lives are totally changed when we repent of our bad thinking. When our mind is renewed with the word of life we are transformed from glory to glory into His image. Repentance creates a passionate desire for intimacy with God. As we repent and turn to God; we are recharged, awakened, and invigorated; we rise up in His healing, delivering power. ENLARGING OUR EXPECTATION Isaiah 54:2 -- "Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations; spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes." To walk in our DESTINY we must learn new ways and walk out of the old ways and comfort zones of the past. Now is the time to enlarge, stretch, lengthen, strengthen, spread abroad, resettle, inherit and inhabit the new places. It is time to let go of the old and reach for the new, embracing the high calling of God in our lives, to win souls and DISCIPLE new believers. The Holy Spirit has a divine plan. He will lead and guide us into the new by teaching us how to walk in resurrection power. Like Esther, we were created for such a time as this. AFFIRMATION: I ask largely so that my joy may be full. John 16:23,24 -- "In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com/
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Nehemiah 4:6 - "So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart." Passion is stamina that says "I'm going to go after this, no matter what happens. If I have to wait ten years, I'm going to get it." Passionate people are those who have discovered something more important than life itself. Jesus told His disciples, "Whoever does not persevere and carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14:27) Affirmations: I REALIZE THAT GIVING UP FALSE VISIONS AND AMBITIONS FOR MY GENUINE VISION IS THE PATH TO TRUE LIFE. I AM HUNGRY FOR MY VISION I NEED PASSION TO FULFILL MY VISION. I NEED PURPOSE TO PRODUCE PASSION Matthew 16:25 - "For whoever is bent on saving his life(his comfort and security here) shall lose it (eternal life), and whoever loses his life (his comfort and security here) for My sake shall find it (life everlasting)." Romans 11:29 - "For God's gifts and His call are irrevocable. (He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace, or to whom He sends His call.)" Written into the spiritual DNA of every believer is an appetite for the impossible that cannot be ignored or wished away. The Holy Spirit, the very Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, lives in us, making it impossible for us to be content with what we can only see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. Our hearts know there is much more to life than what we perceive with our senses; we are spiritually agitated by the lack of connection with the realm of the supernatural. In the end, nothing satisfies the heart of the Christian like seeing so-called impossibilities bow their knees to the name of Jesus. Anything less than this is abnormal and unfulfilling. Affirmations: BAD TEACHING AND DISAPPOINTMENT HAVE ROBBED ME LONG ENOUGH OF THIS REALITY. I REALIZE THAT THE NORMAL CHRISTIAN LIFE BEGINS WITH THE REALIZATION THAT WE WERE PUT HERE TO DO THE WILL OF GOD ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. Luke 11:2 - "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth." In Psalm 27:8 David said, "When You said, 'Seek My face' my heart said, 'Thy face, Lord, I will seek.'" God is saying to you, "Seek My face." What is your response? Is it like David's? Are you saying, "Thy face God, I will seek." Or are you saying, "When I get caught up at work, or when things slow down a bit..."? The time is NOW and by next month "this time" may have passed. Seek Him now, while He can be found, as the Scripture says (Isaiah 55:6). Acting in the spirit of sacrifice He will come to you and His reward will be with Him: Wherever His presence is, healing is. Wherever His presence is, restoration is. Wherever His presence is, peace is. Wherever His presence is, prosperity is. We WILL See the Goodness of God Psalm 27 ends with "I would have lost heart if I had not believed I would see the goodness of God in the land of the living." Psalm 27:13 Seeing the goodness of God – here, in our life – is the fruit of intimacy with God; it is part of the reward. Seek Him now. Seek His face and see His Goodness. Can you sense His desire for time with you? ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com/
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Luke 9:23 - "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me." Spiritual storms, winds, and billows will blow into our lives, pulling us this way and that. Sometimes, in the face of winds and danger, we know there is a place of safety in God, but still, we don't fly to that safe place in Him. Instead, we fly away, resisting the wisdom that tells us to fly to Him. Why do we all seem to do this? Because we all know in our spirits what flying toward Him will mean. We know it will require first going to the Cross. Peace, safety, comfort, rest are found in God, but testing and discomfort are also woven into His design. Therefore, we should turn around and start running toward what is uncomfortable, because that is exactly where we are going to find Him. We will find our rest only after we choose to nest on a crossbeam. David knew this. In Psalm 84, he tells us to fly to that place in God – the secret place, often the place of our greatest testing, known only to God and us. By abiding in this place, we build a strong history with God. Every trial and storm He brings us through becomes a part of the nest. Day by day, He lines our nest with His faithfulness, His goodness, His mercy, and His comfort. We rest secure in His strong tower, built to last. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com/
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Exodus 33:18,22,23 - Then Moses said, "I pray Thee, show me Thy glory!" And it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. "Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen." When Moses saw the Lord's back, what did he see? When we think of seeing His glory we think of everything from beautiful colors to some perception of His nature. Is it possible that Moses prophetically saw the stripes that were on His back? Remember, the Lord was crucified from the beginning. When He created the world He knew that He would also have to suffer and even die for it, yet He continued. There is nothing else that will ever more fully reveal His glory. When we truly behold what He did for us we will be changed. Colossians 1:13,16,17 - "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com/
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Matthew 3:13-17 - 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan [River], to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to prevent Him [vigorously protesting], saying, “It is I who need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” 15 But Jesus replied to him, “Permit it just now; for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John permitted [it and baptized] Him. 16 After Jesus was baptized, He came up immediately out of the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he (John) saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him (Jesus), 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased and delighted!” The Amplified Bible The Scripture (Matthew 3:13-17) tells us that when John baptized Jesus in the river, the heavens opened up with the voice of the LORD declaring that Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus says something very interesting during this moment when He tells John the Baptist that this had to be done in this particular manner. Although John felt insignificant, Jesus was saying that he had to be the one to activate the destiny. God is calling for the leaders of today to get back into the river where what you do will open the heavens. The river has many applications throughout the Word of God and our spiritual walk. However, the most significant is that the river is a place of life. It's the place where we discover our true identities as sons of God (discovering our CALLING in Christ) and the place (spiritually speaking) where we are baptized in Holy Spirit. When we recognize that we are positioned in the river, in the things that we set ourselves to do, we discover that Heaven will open and declare what is needed to activate our DESTINY. John the Baptist was a forerunner. Not only a voice but an individual who paved the way for what was coming. A forerunner is someone who is willing to make a way for others when there is no way. A forerunner is someone who isn't willing to go down the same road again and again, but one who is determined to discover beyond natural limitations or boundaries. LEADING SONS INTO THEIR DESTINIES In this day there is a call for forerunners to be fathers. There is a real need in our day to see fathers arise to not only love sons but to lead sons into their destiny. We need fathers who are willing to raise sons and set them into God's PURPOSE for their lives. When fathers have no desire to go beyond the realm of the known, they begin to build their private empires to keep everyone close to them at all times. However, when a father has the heart of a forerunner, he will raise sons to discover the revelation of their DESTINY. The Lord is calling you to the river. He is calling you to do what must be done and in so doing, Heaven will open and declare the mandate upon your life. What you do as a forerunner is just the beginning, while what you do as a father will turn generations to shift the fatherless to their PURPOSE in Christ. The river is calling YOU! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com/
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Deuteronomy 30:19 - "I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life." He was saying, "Stop procrastinating and hoping you will eventually get somewhere in life. Decide whether you're going to get a curse or a blessing. Decide whether you're going to die or live." Affirmations: I AM NOT DESIGNED TO DRIFT - I AM DESIGNED FOR DESTINY. I AM NOT GOING TO PROCRASTINATE ON MY DREAM AND DRIFT ALONG, ENDING UP WHEREVER THE LUKEWARM TIDE TAKES ME. I MAKE A PLAN AND FULFILL IT. Revelation 3:15,16 - "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth." John 3:34 - "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure." The Holy Spirit desires you to live daily in the fullness of the Lord so that Jesus will receive glory and honor through His great power working in and through you. Jesus said to the Father, “As You sent Me, Father, send them!” (John 20:21). God will empower you, just as He did Jesus, to walk out the fullness of your DESTINY, with that same unlimited anointing of the Holy Spirit! (John 3:34). This fullness is available to every believer, for we have inherited the blessing and privilege to know the mysteries, secrets, and thoughts of God (Rom 8:16). "And said, Verily I say to you, Except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven." Matthew 18:3 We can walk in stability and confidence with Him, if we hold to the potential that rests within us before the Lord in simple child-like trust -- we will be enabled to rise above the limitations that we place upon ourselves, and enter into all that He has made available for us. We need only to realize that we are a new creation - that old things have passed away and our life is hidden in Jesus, and that our strength comes from Him. With David, we should be able to say, "The Lord is my light and my salvation..." (Psalm 27:1). If we will meditate on the past victories that we gained by placing our lives in His hands, this will become personally real to us. Paul said, "I press toward the mark..." (Philippians 3:14). This "mark" is our CALLING in Christ. We look past our vacillations to see there is within us a deep inner determination to press through to the place where our responses no longer emerge from our Adamic nature, but from the new creation that we have become. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com/
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Matthew 6:9-10 - "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Many people are confused about the will of God on earth, believing that it is fuzzy and vague. The will of God is simply this: "On earth as it is in heaven." When we pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done," we're praying for the King's dominion and will to be realized right here, right now. God has not kept His desires secret: He wants the reality of heaven to invade this rebel-torn world, to transform it, to bring it under His headship. What is free to operate in heaven - joy, peace, wisdom, health, wholeness, and all the other good promises we read about in the Bible - should be free to operate here on this planet, in your home, your church, your business, and your school. What is not free to operate there - sickness, disease, spiritual bondage, and sin - should not be free to operate here, period. Affirmations: I REALIZE THAT I AM PUT HERE TO DO THE WILL OF GOD ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. I EMBRACE THIS LIFE-TRANSFORMING UNDERSTANDING OF "NORMAL CHRISTIANITY". MY ASSIGNMENT AS A BELIEVER ON EARTH IS TO DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL. AS I MAKE THIS MY PRIMARY UNDERSTANDING OF GOD'S WILL, THE OTHER AREAS THAT TROUBLE ME SO MUCH WILL SEEM TO SORT THEMSELVES OUT. Ephesians 3:16 in the Amplified reads, "May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His Glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the Holy Spirit {Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality]" We can live in the Fresh Anointing that brings strength to strength living in these times! The greater the challenges that arise to confront us, the greater the favor, grace, and power the Lord releases to and through us. In Psalm 92:10, "But my horn (emblem of excessive strength and stately grace) You have exalted like that of a wild ox; I am anointed with Fresh OIL!" AMP John 8:36 - "If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." Loose yourself from all entanglements, soul ties, dead works, wrong relationships, wrong mind-sets. Be free from all false expectations, man's expectations, religious expectations; every expectation that does not come from the hope and expectancy that He gives to you. So you must be emptied of all the things that hold you in the earthly realm, repent and turn away from those things that break His heart. Set your priorities in order for He is taking you into another realm of your faith walk. You are going from Faith to Faith and Glory to Glory. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com/
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Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." It is a mistake to think that only certain people with unique gifts can hear and see God. If I think that it's only for others, then I will disqualify myself because I know I'm nothing special. In doing so I remove myself from ACTIVE FAITH. John 10:27 - "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." One of the essential gestures of faith is to live with the expectation that the God who said that His sheep hear His voice and who gave His life to restore relationship with each of us would like to communicate with us. This FAITH leads us to lean into His voice -- to learn as the prophet Samuel did: 1 Samuel 3:9 - "Speak Lord; for your servant is listening." Significantly, it was as soon as he learned to take this posture that he gained access to the greater revelation that God had been inviting him into. AFFIRMATIONS: The Word says I can hear God's Voice and I believe it. I do hear the voice of God! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com/
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Matthew 6:26,27 - "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Jesus used an analogy from nature to help explain prosperity. Some people interpret this passage to mean that, since God is supposed to take care of them, they don't need to do anything themselves. Therefore, they just wait for God to act. How does God feed birds? He provides for them, but He doesn't personally hand-deliver food to their nests! The birds don't just sit around and wait for God to stop by with their meals. When Jesus said the heavenly father feeds the birds, He meant that everything they need has been made available for them, but they have to go and get it. God does not build a bird's nest. He provides the twigs. The bird has to find them, pick them up, and bring them back to the tree it has chosen for a home. God does not leave worms on the top of the ground every morning. The bird has to go digging for them. It has to keep working, working, working until it finishes building its nest. It has to keep working, working, working until it gets the worm. Sometimes, God doesn't give us all the resources we need to fulfill our visions because He has called other people to provide them for us. Mary and Joseph's money came from wise men on camels. When they said "yes" to God's vision, the wise men traveled a great distance to get to them. God is a God of provision. He is Jehovah-Jireh, "The Lord Will Provide." He provides everything, but He provides it after you begin the work of the vision. Your obedience to your vision affects not only your life but also the lives of those who will work with you. Affirmations: GOD WILL SUPPLY MY PROVISION, EVEN IF HE HAS TO HAVE SOMEONE CROSS THE DESERT TO GET IT TO ME. GOD HAS PROVISION FOR ME THAT NO ONE BUT HE KNOWS ABOUT. ALL THE RESOURCES I NEED ARE ALREADY IN PLACE; THEY WILL BECOME VISIBLE IN GOD'S TIMING ONCE I START PURSUING MY VISION. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com/
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Exodus 12:13 -- "Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you....." On the night of the first Passover, many of the children of Israel were probably anxious. They may have said "Yes! We were told to put the blood of the lamb on the doorposts of our home and everything would be all right. Is that true?" Or "Can the blood really protect me? Or How much blood do I have to put on my doorposts? Or Will the angel of death get me if I am fearful? DO WE NEED TO DEVELOP DOCTRINE AND THEOLOGY OVER GOD'S CONDITIONS? We do not need to add to God's conditions. He said, "When I see the BLOOD, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you." He DID NOTsay, "When I see the blood, plus your understanding, efforts, obedience, faithfulness and refusal to give in to fear, then I will pass over you." THE BLOOD ALONE SAVES We are delivered by the blood of Jesus alone. If we think that it is because of our faith, then we will always be wondering, "Do I have enough faith? No, it is the blood alone that saves. Saves from what? -- anything that doesn't match up with heaven. Matthew 6:10 -- "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." If we think that our deliverance depends partly on God and partly on us, we will not have a settled peace in our heart. But when we know that its the blood alone that saves, we will have an unshakable peace. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com/
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Ephesians 1:5,6 - "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." A low opinion of yourself or self-hatred is not from God but from the enemy. Prayer is not trying to get God to do something for you by making Him feel sorry for you. It is coming to Him knowing that you not only deserve what you ask because of the righteousness of Christ, but you also have a right to it because it is based on His Word. Hebrews 4:16 - "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." John 8:39 - They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham." Abraham was an alien and stranger on the earth. The goal of his life was to have a place in what God was building, not men. We are not the heirs of faith because we know that we must live by faith, but we become the heirs of faith by actually having faith, by doing the same deeds that Abraham did. We must devote ourselves to finding what is God's PURPOSE for our life and sacrifice whatever is required to manifest it. Galatians 3:6,7 - "Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com/
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2 Corinthians 4:18 -- "While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." We have two sets of ears and two sets of eyes. We have the "NATURAL SET" that we are born with, and we have a "SPIRITUAL SET" that is activated when we are born again. As we grow spiritually, we begin to see with our spiritual eyes and hear with our spiritual ears. John 5:19 - "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. ALLOWING THE HOLY SPIRIT TO LET US SEE AND HEAR John 5:30 - "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me." Jesus is our example. He stated plainly that He was able to see what the Father was doing, and hear what the Father was saying. Like us, He had to allow the Holy Spirit to let Him see and hear. The success of Jesus' ministry was based on time He spent with the Father and hearing Him accurately. God never promised to lead us by our physical senses or our mental faculties. In every situation we have to: 1. Take note not so much what our natural (physical) senses are telling us, but what the Holy Spirit is revealing. 2. See through the eyes of the Spirit which is usually in great contrast to what the natural eyes are telling us. THE HOLY SPIRIT REVEALS John 11:41,42 - 'Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that you always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.' Jesus was, in effect, saying it was unnecessary to pray, except for the people to hear Him. He had already seen what God was going to do. Earlier in prayer, the Father had revealed to Him that Lazarus was going to come forth from the grave. Matthew 9:24,25 -- "He said to them, 'Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.' And they laughed Him to scorn. But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.'' 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. CROSSING THE BRIDGE INTO THE ETERNAL 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. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com/
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Luke 10:38-40 - "As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, 'Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"' Many people have their own ideas about what they want to do for God, and this is why they keep drifting off in the wrong direction. It is easy to become preoccupied in doing things for God rather than doing what God has specifically told us to do. Nowhere in the story does it say that Jesus was hungry. It says just that Martha went about preparing food for Jesus. God doesn't want us to start anything, including doing good works for Him, until we consult Him. This is because He doesn't want us to work "for" Him, but "with" Him in partnership. We are God's fellow workers or workers together with Him. 2 Corinthians 6:1 - "Laboring together as God's fellow workers with Him then, we beg of you not to receive the grace of God in vain." Affirmations: WHEN GOD REVEALS TO ME THE ASSIGNMENT THAT I WAS BORN TO FULFILL, I PRIORITIZE MY LIFE IN KEEPING WITH THAT VISION. I DECIDE HOW MANY OF THE THINGS THAT I AM CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN ARE BENEFICIAL TO MY DREAM. THERE ARE SOME GOOD PEOPLE IN MY LIFE WHO ARE "BAD" FOR ME BECAUSE THEY'RE DISTRACTING ME FROM GOING WHERE I WANT TO GO. THERE ARE SOME GOOD BOOKS IN MY HOUSE THAT ARE WRONG FOR ME BECAUSE THEY TAKE MY FOCUS OFF MY GOAL. MY VISION PROTECTS ME FROM BEING MISGUIDED BY GOOD ALTERNATIVES - IT ALLOWS ME TO SAY NO TO LESSER OPPORTUNITIES, EVEN IF THERE ARE CERTAIN BENEFITS TO THEM. "He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, "O Lord God, You know." - Ezekiel 37:3 NASB This scripture asks the question, "...can these bones become living people again?" The word living does not only mean to come back to life after being physically dead, it also applies to brokenness, a dying dream, a losing struggle, and times of hopelessness and despair in any area of our lives. To live means to be refreshed, rejuvenated, revived, or to be given the promise of life. It also means to be restored or renewed—or simply to be made whole again. Just as the wind breathed new life into the dry bones from the Ezekiel passage, God wants to resurrect our spirits as well. He wants to welcome us into His living presence and impart that same resurrection life to us, breathing new life into the dead places in our lives. And while some may come along and say, "God can't use us," God is saying otherwise. "Therefore, prophesy and say unto them, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O My people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel." - Ezekiel 37:12 Micah 2:13 - “The breaker goes up before them; They break out, pass through the gate and go out by it. So their king goes on before them, And the LORD at their head.” God, the breaker, goes before us and breaks open the way. Something compels God into action to open those gates -- faith coupled with obedience. Faith opens the gate of heaven. When heaven’s gate opens, what is in heaven comes down to earth: health, boldness, peace, love, grace, glory, revelation, strategy and all the rest of the kingdom of God. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com/
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Romans 10:10 - "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness......." Romans 5:17 - "For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." Paul makes two significant statements about righteousness: 1. With the heart man believes unto righteousness. 2. When we receive Jesus and we are born again, we receive "the gift of righteousness." RIGHTEOUSNESS IS A GIFT Too often we have associated righteousness with "good works." The Bible teaches good works and right conduct, but all of our good works and right conduct will never make us righteous. If good works made us righteous, we wouldn't need Jesus. Another fallacy about righteousness is that we've thought we had to grow into some kind of "high spiritual state" to be righteous. We can grow in the Lord and we can develop spiritually, but we cannot grow in righteousness. We will never be any more righteous than we are right now! 2 Corinthians 5:17,21 - "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. For he hath made him (God has made Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." Matthew 6:33 -- "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." In Christ we become new creatures. In Him we become the righteousness of God when we are born again (verse 21). This righteousness we are told to seek is not right behavior, but RIGHT STANDING before God, which comes to us as a gift when we receive salvation. Romans 4:5 -- "But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness." We are not righteous because of how morally upright we are. We are not righteous because we exercise self-control. We are not righteous because we read 10 chapters of the Bible daily. We are not righteous because we feel righteous. JESUS' FINISHED WORK ON THE CROSS We are the righteousness of God in Christ solely because the sacrifice of Jesus made us so. When we believe this, our faith is accounted for righteousness. If we are righteous by our deeds, we don't need faith. We also don't need faith to know that we are sinful. But we do need faith to believe and declare that we are the righteousness of God in Christ, in the midst of our struggles with temptation and sin. At the cross, Jesus didn't just remove our sins, He also gave us His righteousness so that today, we can come boldly before the throne of God and receive freely everything that He died to give us! Affirmations: I seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, not my own righteousness, and "all these things shall be added to me." I am righteous only because of the blood and finished work of Jesus at the cross. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com/
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Revelation 4:6,8 - "And around the throne, in the center at each side of the throne, were four living creatures who were full of eyes in front and behind. And the four living creatures, individually having six wings, were full of eyes all over and within; and day and night they never stop saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, Who was and Who is and Who is to come." The many eyes represent the open and all-inclusive vision that is the result of being in God's presence. These "living creatures" are symbols of the life one finds as he abides in God's presence. 1 Corinthians 2:10 - "Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the Holy Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God." In Him our eyes can think - they see with discernment and understanding. The mind of Christ fuses with our vision, revealing what was impossible to be seen by the narrowness of our perception; we see "In front and behind." Our vision also comes from "The center of the Throne". Not only do we see distant spiritual realities but we are close enough to penetrate and search the depths of God himself. Ephesians 2:6 - "And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together in the heavenly sphere in Christ Jesus." Yet, at the same time being near to God also gives us "eyes within" - eyes which monitor the motives that guide self; inner eyes which stand guard against sin. The more our vision opens up, the greater we see God and His Holiness. The slightest sin in our lives becomes significant; we are compelled to live pure before Him. Affirmations: I AM LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT AS OPPOSED TO MY INTELLECT TO BRING FORTH THE PROMISE OF GOD WITHIN ME (MY DESTINY). I AM IN LABOR, INCREASING IN WISDOM, AS JESUS WAS IN HIS TIME OF PREPARATION. Luke 2:52 - "And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and years, and in favor with God and man." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com/
