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Showing results for tags 'purpose'.
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John 3:8 - "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." The wind is known by its sound, and by its effect. Whenever the Spirit moves there is a spiritual sound coming from the spirit realm. Spiritual sound is not random indefinite noise. It is a sound which speaks and reveals knowledge to those with ears to hear. John 12:28,29 - "'Rather, I will say, Father, glorify Your name!' Then there came a voice out of heaven saying, I have already glorified it, and I will glorify it again. The crowd of bystanders heard the sound and said that it had thundered; others said, An angel has spoken to Him!" Jesus taught us to pray for earth God will use spiritual How is it to be done? to manifest what is already in Heaven. sound -sound that will be unintelligible to spiritual wickedness and hidden from man's natural mind. Romans 8:22,23 - "And we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body." The creation is releasing a groan, which is not a word but the sound of a spiritual birth. This sound is echoed in us as we yearn for the revelation of the glory of God. We are like instruments that resonate the sound coming from heaven - the approaching rule of the King of Kings. Affirmations: THE SOUNDS OF HEAVEN HAVE FALLEN TO ME IN PLEASANT PLACES; YES, I HAVE A GOOD INHERITANCE. I REVEAL SPIRITUAL THOUGHTS WITH SPIRITUAL WORDS, AS THE SPIRIT LEADS ME. I AM GROWING IN MY CAPACITY TO RELEASE SPIRITUAL SOUND ALIGNING WITH THE HEART AND NATURE OF GOD. Get ready to move into new realms of His glory. Every time you encounter His glory He is changing you. He is changing your thoughts. He is changing your perspective. He is increasing the power of His Spirit in you. He is anointing you to bring breakthrough to others. Receive the fresh prophetic flow of His presence. Be refreshed. Receive an excitement for that which is coming. The future is full of adventure. Expect Him to do mighty things for nothing is impossible for those who believe! "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints." - Ephesians 1:18 ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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John 3:3 - Jesus answered and said unto him, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." What does it mean to "see" the kingdom of God? Jesus urged us to do an about-face in our approach to reality because His Kingdom is at hand. He brought His world with Him, and it's within our reach. He wants us to see reality from God's perspective, to learn to live "from" His world "towards" the visible world. But we have to change the way we think if we want to apprehend the Kingdom power that is available. Jesus was saying that when our minds are renewed, we will see the Kingdom displayed and proven as He did in His earthly ministry. The idea of Kingdom power and spiritual conflict unsettles some people, but without power, the gospel is not good news. Jesus never made the gospel simply a doctrinal exercise. His reality - is to raise up a delegated group of people who work with Him to destroy the works of the devil, who demonstrate and prove the will of God here on earth as it is in heaven. 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. "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." - Philippians 3:21 The body being filled with the Spirit we are so hungry, so thirsty, that nothing will satisfy us so operated by the Spirit in the process of changing until we are like unto Him.but seeing Jesus. Getting more thirsty every day, more dry every day, until the floods come, and the Master passes by, ministering unto us and through us, and through us the same life, the same inspiration, that as He is, so are we in this world. Matthew 12:37 - "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Affirmation: I LET MY WORDS CREATE THE CURRENT THAT SWEEPS ME INTO THE HEART OF GOD. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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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
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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, wrongmind-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
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Mark 4:14,20 - "The sower sows the Word. And those sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the Word and receive and accept and welcome it and bear fruit - some thirty times as much as was sown, some sixty times as much, and some even a hundred times as much." JESUS DIDN'T SPEND TIME TRYING TO GET MEN OUT OF POVERTY. HE GOT THE POVERTY OUT OF THEM AND THEY DID THE REST. IF CHRIST WERE HERE TODAY, HE WOULDN'T MOVE PEOPLE OUT OF THE SLUMS....HE'D SIMPLY GET THE SLUMS OUT OF THEM. THEIR NEW INNER IMAGE WOULD EVENTUALLY CHANGE THEIR SURROUNDINGS TO MATCH THE NEW PROSPEROUS IMAGE ON THE INSIDE. Affirmations: GOD'S WAY OF CHANGING MY WORLD IS BY FIRST CHANGING MY SELF-IMAGE THROUGH HIS WORD AND THE WORK OF HIS SPIRIT ON THE INSIDE OF ME. TODAY I CONFESS GOD'S PROMISES - I AM SOWING THE SEED OF HIS WORD INTO THE SOIL OF MY HEART WHERE IT WILL BEGIN TO DEVELOP AND BRING TO PASS WHAT I HAVE SPOKEN. Matthew 5:4 - "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." JESUS WAS TALKING ABOUT THE MOURNING OF THE INTERCESSOR. HE WAS TEACHING ABOUT THE COMFORT THAT COMES TO THE INTERCESSOR WHEN HE IS ASSURED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT HE HAS PRAYED THROUGH. TO PRAY THROUGH MEANS TO BREAK THROUGH THE BARRIERS THAT HAVE STOPPED THE WORK OF GOD IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS. IT MEANS USING YOUR SPIRITUAL ARMOR TO PUSH BACK THE FORCES OF DARKNESS THAT SURROUNDS THEM. Affirmations: AS A PRAYER WARRIOR FOR GOD I REACH OUT FOR HIS MERCY AND COMPASSION FOR THE SINNER, FOR THE SICK, AND FOR THE DOWNCAST. I DON'T LET UP UNTIL I HAVE THE ASSURANCE INSIDE, IN MY SPIRIT, THAT EVERY BARRIER IS BROKEN AND EVERY AREA OF BONDAGE HAS BEEN ABOLISHED. As soon as Paul saw the light from heaven above the brightness of the sun, he said, "Lord what wilt thou have me to do?" - Acts 19:6 God wants to charge our faith today. He wants us to see it is not obtained by struggling and working and pining. "...the Father himself loveth you..." (John 16:27) "..Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses" (Matthew 8:17). "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest"(Matthew 11:18). May we lay hold of this living faith today -- the Blood has never lost its power -- as we get nearer and nearer to Jesus wonderful things will take place. The baptism of Jesus must bring us to have a single eye to the glory of God; everything else is wasted time and wasted energy. The Holy Spirit wants us for the purpose of manifesting Jesus through us. The Holy Spirit moving upon us will make us to be like Him, and we will truly say, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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Psalm 138:7,8 - "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies and Your right hand will save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerns me." God has promised to revive you in the midst of trouble. He promised to perfect that which concerns you. That means your recovery from your adverse circumstances, from the schemes of the devil, your victory, and all that God has destined for you has been planned out in heaven. Pain is merely a passage to a miracle. Failure cannot happen in your life without your permission! Affirmations: SINCE I DO NOT ACCEPT WHAT I KNOW TO BE TRUE IN THE NATURAL AND ACCEPT WHAT I KNOW TO BE TRUE IN THE SPIRITUAL, THE NATURAL CHANGES. I DO NOT DEPEND ON WHAT I CAN DO, BUT ON WHAT THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD WILL DO THROUGH MY SITUATION. Zechariah 4:6 - "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." Isaiah 43:18,19 - "Do not remember the former things; neither consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." Your enemy is anyone who would rather discuss your past than your future. When Jesus stood at the scene of the woman caught in adultery, revelation exploded. Men were present, obsessed with her mistake, ready to stone her. But, Jesus was looking at her future. With one single stroke of mercy, He removed her past: "Neither do I condemn thee"(John 8:11). Then in a masterful stroke of the Master Artist, He painted a portrait that would lead her to Her Kingdom future: "Go, and sin no more". John 5:19 - "The Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever He does, that the Son does likewise." Jesus told us the secret for His life -- "I only do what I see my Father doing." Our attention is on what God is doing or has done. If we dwell on what God hasn't done we create an occasion for offense. If we dwell on what God has done we create an occasion for thankfulness. A kingdom mind-set doesn't accuse God. A kingdom mindset doesn't gain information to support accusation against God. Because it burns with the conviction that He is good. With that as the cornerstone of our theology, we work from there towards the issues of life. Anything that you think you know about God that you can't find in the person of Jesus, you have reason to question. Jesus Christ is perfect theology -- He is the exact image of the Father. That is our message. He is not part of the message -- He is the message. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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When we walk in a lifestyle of evangelism, the supernatural and the encounters that go with it will naturally be a part of our everyday walk. We won't have to think about the "where and how" of sharing the love of Jesus with people – they will naturally find us! The key to the results you want to see is allowing evangelism to become who you are instead of simply what you do. Not everyone is called to the office of an Evangelist, but every Believer shares the Good News! This can be an incredibly intimidating thing if you do not understand God's heart, nor do you know your place in His heart. Here are two questions we need to answer as we walk in a supernatural lifestyle of evangelism: 1. What does the Father see? 2. What is God's PURPOSE for my life? KEEPING OUR EYES ON THE LOVE OF JESUS THROUGH US Acts 26:18 - "to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me." Love flows from God's heart to us: to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, from the power of satan unto God that they might receive – forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Jesus. God is looking to impart something and to give something to us! He is eagerly waiting so that we can receive from Him! As His ambassadors, when we share the Good News, we are not just trying to "fill the pews" and pile more people into church but to equip new believers to be effective in advancing God's Kingdom on earth. Our ultimate goal is to offer Him an inheritance of children and give people a place in a divinely appointed family. Once we taste of His love, we will consistently release it to bring change to those around us until the earth begins to look like Heaven. This is exactly what Jesus did. STOKING THE BURNING FIRE The prophet, according to Jeremiah 20:9, had a fire shut up in His bones that He could not contain: "But His Word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not." That fire – the Word of the Lord – was what motivated Jeremiah – and we Believers of today – to go and pursue people for the Kingdom of God! Jesus chastised the Church of Ephesus for just one thing – they lost their first love. They lost that passion – that fire in their bones, if you will – that burned within them like a campfire on a cold desert night that could be seen for miles, attracting anyone nearby to its light and warmth. As we rekindle our freedom to burn brightly for Jesus without conforming to religious molds thereby keeping that fire from smoldering into embers and going out. Rekindle your first love, whatever it takes! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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John 14:14,15 - "(Yes) I will grant (I Myself will do for you) whatever you shall ask in My Name. If you (really) love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands." DO LIKE THE RICH YOUNG RULER, WE KNOW SOMETHING IS MISSING IN US. WE ASK THE MASTER, "WHAT STILL HOW IS IT THAT THIS PROMISE IS NOT FULFILLED FOR US? WHY IS IT THAT SUCH GREAT ANTICIPATION RESULTS IN SUCH A SMALL RETURN?I LACK?" JESUS WILL NOT SPONTANEOUSLY ANSWER OUR REQUESTS UNTIL WE INSTINCTIVELY OBEY HIS. OBEDIENCE TO HIS REQUESTS PREPARES US TO EXPERIENCE HIS INDWELLING, WHERE HIS LOVE FINDS ITS FULFILLMENT. IT IS VITAL THAT WE OBEY HIM, BUT CHRIST'S ULTIMATE GOAL IS NOT JUST OUR OBEDIENCE, BUT OUR ONENESS WITH HIM. HE IS AFTER OUR LOVE. AND WHAT IS LOVE? IT IS A PASSION FOR ONENESS. Affirmation: I AROUSE MY SPIRIT TO THE DEEP, HOLY DESIRE IN CHRIST'S PROMISE - "I WILL LOVE HIM, AND WILL DISCLOSE MYSELF TO HIM" (JOHN 14:21). Malachi 3:6 - "I am the lord, I change not." THE WORLD'S ORDER OF THINGS IS UNSURE, INDEFINITE, AND UNRELIABLE. HOWEVER, GOD HAS NO DOUBLE STANDARD. HE DOESN'T SAY ONE THING TODAY AND SOMETHING ELSE TOMORROW. Affirmations: I DEPEND ON THE WORD TO GIVE ME STABILITY WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE AROUND ME GIVES WAY. I AM CONFIDENT WHEN OTHERS ARE CONFUSED AND PEACEFUL WHEN OTHERS ARE UNDER PRESSURE BECAUSE I LET WHAT GOD SAYS SETTLE THE ISSUES OF LIFE. I AM OVERCOMING WHEN OTHERS ARE BEING OVERCOME! "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ" - 1 Corinthians 2:16 This is a cross–reference from Isaiah 40:13 which says: "Who can fathom the Spirit of the LORD, or instruct the LORD as his counselor?" What Paul was trying to say is that along with the domain of the King comes the reality of our mind being merged with His! Under the law (OLD COVENANT), no one could understand the mind of the Lord, but under grace (NEW COVENANT), we have been given His very mind. This is the reality of a Kingdom Dweller. Our mind is no longer a battleground for the enemy, but a concourse for the Holy Ghost. According to 1 Corinthians 4:1, we are stewards of His mysteries! A steward literally means a governor. A kingdom must be in place for us to govern—and that Kingdom is His, and you are a governor of His mysteries on the earth! That being said, we no longer press in for more of what we don't have but learn all of WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST and OUR RIGHT STANDING WITH GOD which we have been granted through Christ Jesus' Blood! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." - 1 Peter 1:3 The Lord is redefining His Church and calling them out of a place of stagnancy and redundancy into a place of passion. Have you ever felt as if you were running around in circles, going through churchy motions but getting nowhere? When we lose sight of His Kingdom, our lives can be easily reduced to "playing church" which is no fun after awhile. Jesus only spoke of His Church – or Ekklesia roughly 3 times and mainly in the book of Matthew (Matthew 16:18, 18:17). The Lord's original idea for His called-out assembly (Church) -- a supernatural army of sons and daughters pulsing with a passionate expression of His Kingdom on the earth. In order to see the fruit of Jesus on the earth, we must remember to live from the Kingdom of Heaven. The Church is not meant to be a box in which we contain and theorize Heaven. WE ARE GOD'S AMBASSADORS HERE ON EARTH Every believer has the potential to wake up and smell the glory -- that is, recognize who they are in Christ as sons and daughters. The Church of Jesus Christ should be a place of equipping the saints in: who they are in Christ, their right standing with God, and walking in the Spirit. Now they are ready to understand their CALLING in Christ and be propelled into their Kingdom destinies. The Church is not meant to be a place where we get trained to go through the motions, it's mean to be a gathering and equipping of the representatives of the Kingdom of Heaven. As we ascend into passionate, Kingdom-living which results in an effective, powerful Church as well as personal life, we practice the operation of the gifts that in us such as faith, miracles, exhortation, etc. CAMP AROUND THE CLOUD "So it was continuously; the cloud would cover it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. Whenever the cloud was lifted from over the tent, afterward the sons of Israel would then set out; and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the sons of Israel would camp. At the command of the LORD the sons of Israel would set out, and at the command of the LORD they would camp; as long as the cloud settled over the tabernacle, they remained camped out." - Numbers 9:16-17 Kingdom people are led by the Spirit. We can experience an incredible stagnancy and/or burn out if we do not camp around the cloud of His glory. If you find yourself feeling stagnant or unproductive, challenge yourself to step out in faith by praying for someone or discipling a new believer in their spiritual growth. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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Matthew 10:37 - "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." If we do not love God more than our mates, we will not love our mates as much as we should. Our relationship to God was created first and must always remain first. Many try to find the fulfillment that they can only find in their relationship to God through their mates, or others, and even those in the church. Usually this will lead to frustration that will damage our relationship to our mates and others because we will begin to feel that they are not enough for us. They aren't, because they can never take the place of God in our lives. Romans 12:3 - "God has given to each man a liberal measure of faith." FAITH WILL ALWAYS OVER-COMPENSATE FOR YOUR PERSONAL FEARS AND FRUSTRATIONS - YOUR PERSONAL LIMITATIONS AND LIABILITIES. FAITH WILL ASSIST YOU TO MOVE AHEAD IN GOD'S CALL ON YOUR LIFE. EXERCISING FAITH TO FULFILL YOUR CALL WILL ALWAYS RESULT IN: INCREASING SPIRITUAL BOLDNESS! SOARING SPIRITUAL CONFIDENCE! SPIRITUAL PERSEVERANCE! TRUE LASTING SPIRITUAL EFFECTIVENESS! PERMANENT SPIRITUAL RESULTS - "FRUIT WHICH REMAINS" MEASURED BY THE LIVES YOU HAVE DRAMATICALLY CHANGED (JOHN 15:16)! 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 "For whoever is bent on saving his life (his comfort and security here) shall lose it (eternal Matthew 16:25 -life); and whoever loses his life (his comfort and security here) for My sake shall find it (life everlasting)." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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Isaiah 43:1-3 - "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you: and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." TROUBLES AND AFFLICTIONS ARE OFTEN AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF OUR TRANSFORMATION; AS THEY COMPEL US TOWARD GOD, HE COMPELS US TOWARD CHANGE. EVER MINDFUL OF TRANSFORMING OUR LIVES INTO HIS IMAGE, GOD REDEEMS THE ADVERSITIES WE FACE. WHY DOES THE LORD ALLOW US TO PASS THROUGH CONFLICT IN THE FIRST PLACE? BECAUSE IT IS HERE THAT HE TRAINS HIS SONS AND DAUGHTERS IN CHRISTLIKENESS. Ephesians 1:4 - "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love." MAN IS CALLED TO REST IN GOD, BUT WE MUST ALSO LABOR WITH GOD. IN THIS LABOR, WE MUST FIND WHAT HE CREATED US TO DO. We were foreknown and chosen by God before the world was even created. The God who is so particular and specific also knows what he created us for. We each have a very specific job to do - a very specific calling (DESTINY). We will never know a true peace and fulfillment in our hearts until we are doing our callings. Affirmations: GOD HAS CREATED ME AND CALLED ME TO DO THE DEEPEST DESIRE OF MY HEART. I REJECT THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE WORLD AND BEGIN TO DISCERN THE YOKE THAT GOD HAS CALLED ME TO CARRY. When Jesus first came to the disciples on the shore, after the resurrection in John 21, He was ready and waiting to prepare a feast for His beloved. It's time for us to become like Peter in this passage, and stop waiting for Jesus to come out to us, but rather that we need to rush to be near Him! As soon as Peter was back on the shore, a feast was there waiting that had been prepared for him by Jesus Himself. It was also at this point when Peter had the deepest conversation he'd ever had with Jesus, which regarded love and his relationship with God, as well as his CALLING. (to feed the "sheep"). As you run to Jesus, and dive into your pursuit after Him, He will most definitely pour out His Spirit and presence on you like never before. He has a banquet feast waiting for you, which includes the new wine and manna of Heaven (also known as His joy, His PRESENCE, and His revelation). ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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John 2:3-5 - When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." "Why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Jesus attended a wedding where they ran out of wine. As yet He hadn't performed any of the wonders for which He would later become known. Mary knew who her Son was and what was possible.....her faith so touched the heart of the Father that He apparently changed the chosen time to unveil Jesus as the miracle worker. Her faith just made room for the extravagance of God! Faith moves heaven so that heaven will move earth. Psalm 78:23-25 - "Yet He commanded the clouds above, and opened the doors of heaven; And He rained down manna upon them to eat, and gave them food from heaven. Man did eat the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance." As we read in John 6:31-35, Jesus is the manna from heaven. We must have a fresh encounter with Him, every day, and we must partake of Him every day. We should be more addicted to the Son of God than a Junky is for His next fix. If a junky does not get His fix He will soon begin to shake. Most of the shaking we go through in life is the result of our not having partaken of Christ, every day. We, too, lose our spiritual strength, our vision, and soon go into spiritual convulsions when we do not partake of Him. "I am the true Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit." (John 15:1-2 NASB) We are anointed to transform our area of influence for the advancement of the Kingdom and to bring glory to God. God anoints us to fulfill the plans and CALLINGHe has for us. The anointing allows you to move into a supernatural walk with God. The Lord is filling people with His Spirit and increasing the anointing on the lives of people so they may powerfully impact their area of influence for Him. This is a time of transformation for those who surrender to the Lord and submit to the pruning and refining that the Lord is doing at this time. There is a repositioning and realigning that is occurring as part of the preparation for what is coming. The Lord is removing hindrances and refreshing His people. He is filling them with the power of His Spirit and raising them up to carry His PURPOSE for their lives. AFFIRMATIONS: I am not designed to drift - I am designed for DESTINY. God has called me with a holy calling, not according to my works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to me in Christ Jesus before the world began. Since I am in Christ I am in another reality and another life altogether. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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Exodus 33:18 - "I beseech thee, show me thy glory." Exodus 34:6,7 - "The Lord passed before him, and proclaimed, 'The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin."' WHAT IS THE SINGLE, MOST OUTSTANDING THING ABOUT GOD? WHAT'S HIS MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC? SOME WOULD SAY IT'S HIS POWER - OTHERS, HIS HOLINESS. BUT GOD HIMSELF WOULD GIVE A DIFFERENT ANSWER. THE WORD "GLORY" IN EXODUS 33 COULD LITERALLY BE TRANSLATED "HEAVY WEIGHT." IT REFERS TO THE HEAVIEST, BIGGEST, GRANDEST, THING ABOUT SOMEONE. WHEN MOSES ASKED GOD TO SHOW HIM THE GRANDEST THING ABOUT HIMSELF, GOD SHOWED HIM HIS MERCY. THAT MEANS IF WE ARE TO IMITATE GOD WE MUST MAJOR IN MERCY TOO. MERCY, GOODNESS, FORGIVENESS AND COMPASSION MUST MARK OUR BEHAVIOR ABOVE ALL ELSE. Affirmation: I MAJOR ON MERCY SO OTHERS WILL SEE THE GLORY OF GOD IN ME. Ephesians 5:1 - "Therefore be imitators of God (copy Him and follow His example), as well-beloved children (imitate their father). " Jeremiah 33:3 - "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable thing you do not know." PRAYER IS MEANT TO BE ANSWERED - OR GOD WOULD NOT ASK US TO PRAY. JESUS DIDN'T PRAY WITHOUT EXPECTING TO BE HEARD. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." When we pass the place of the flesh and enter beyond the veil into life in the spirit, we are one with Christ. What we need is the Holy Spirit to draw us deeper and deeper into the place of God's thoughts for our lives. When His thoughts overwhelm us we become new because they help form a new identity inside of us. This identity is from God and not from satan or man. It is an identity that helps us to truly function in the earth. The enemy has strongholds in our lives that seem impenetrable but they are about to come down. These are areas of hurt that people have been living with for a long time that have been roadblocks to gaining revelation of our CALLING in Christ. When God's Word comes to you like a flood, you are going to be overwhelmed by His goodness and peace will enter into the places of brokenness in your life. The key for your life is to seek God with all your heart. The promise from God is that if you seek Him you will find Him, if you seek Him with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13); and that which you seek is going to be more valuable than money can buy. It is the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45-46). It is worth leaving all behind because that which Jesus has prepared for you is greater than anything you can ever imagine. There are people with chains holding them down. Christ is standing beside you with a hammer that can destroy those chains. Just call out to Him and He is faithful and will change your every circumstance. Call Unto Him! Jeremiah 33:3 says, "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." This is not just a passage in the Bible it is a promise and it is for you. You are about to receive revelation that will set you free. Press into His heart and He will press toward you and great healing will come to you like a flood. Your mind will be overwhelmed by His Glory that is coming your way and you will begin to understand God's PURPOSE for your life -- walking and not growing weary and running and not fainting -- bearing fruit that lasts. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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John 1:51 - "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." Jesus is Jacob's ladder which we ascend and descend upon. It is our calling in Christ to both go higher and go lower. We are called to ascend into the heavenly places and be seated with Him there, and at the same time descend to the earth with the evidence of heaven's reality. As children of the King, we are members of the greatest aristocracy in the universe, yet we go to the lowest sinners as their servants to help them join the true nobility. Ezekiel 47:11 - "But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt." SWAMPS REPRESENT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN: (1) CHURCH BODIES TURN INWARD AND CEASE TO HAVE A PURPOSE BEYOND THEMSELVES. (2) INDIVIDUALS STAY IN PERPETUAL RECOVERY. SWAMPS AND MARSHES ARE PLACES WHERE WATER GETS STUCK. WHEN WATER DOESN'T FLOW ANYWHERE, IT EVENTUALLY TURNS TO SALT. GOD SAYS TO US THAT BECAUSE YOU DON'T GO THERE, BECAUSE YOU WON'T FLOW THERE, YOU'RE GOING TO BE GIVEN OVER TO SALT. WE'RE EITHER GOING TO BE GIVEN AS SALT TO THE WORLD, AS IT SAYS IN MATTHEW 5:13, WHERE WE ARE A PRESERVATIVE AND SEASONING - A GOOD THING; OR WE'LL BE GIVEN OVER TO BECOME AS DEAD-END SALT BEFORE THE WORLD - A BAD THING. NOTHING CAN LIVE IN THAT KIND OF SALT. IT'S A CURSE, A JUDGMENT. EITHER WAY, WE WILL HAVE A SALT ENCOUNTER. Matthew 6:24,25 - "Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life." WE SERVE OUR THOUGHTS! ISAIAH 55 SAYS FOR US TO FORSAKE OUR THOUGHTS, AND BY THE WORD, TAKE GOD'S THOUGHTS. THATS WHY 2 CORINTHIANS 10:5 SAYS TO CAST OUT THOUGHTS THAT CHALLENGE THE WORD AND BRING INTO CAPTIVITY EVERY THOUGHT TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST. Affirmations: I CLAIM DELIVERANCE FROM MY PROBLEMS TODAY? MY CIRCUMSTANCES ARE CHANGING BECAUSE I AM SHIFTING FROM WRONG TO RIGHT THINKING. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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Acts 26:16 - "But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you." Paul knew that King Agrippa's dad (King Agrippa I) was responsible at that time for the execution of James, one of the 12 disciples. Yet Paul made sure the truth was on trial, rather that His personal safety or self-esteem. Like Paul we must resist people-pleasing. Once satan identifies this weakness in believers he uses it against them to keep them ineffective. Paul allowed "crazy love" to rise up within his heart, which freed him from insecurity and fear of man. Two of the greatest obstacles to being an effective witness are the spirit of rejection and the fear of man. "In witnessing we work against the Holy Spirit when we try to make everybody feel happy all the time." - CHARLES FINNEY "There's something strangely liberating about going crazy" - D. WASHINGTON Psalm 104:2 - "Who coverest Thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain." James 1:17 - "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." Affirmations: I AM THE "LIGHT" THAT GOD HAS FATHERED. I AM A CHILD OF GOD AND, AS SUCH, THE LIGHT OF HIS PRESENCE SHINES WITHIN ME. AS MY HEART IS PURIFIED BY TRUTH, THE SPLENDOR OF GOD'S GLORY EXPANDS AROUND ME; AND LIKE MY FATHER, I ALSO COVER MYSELF "WITH LIGHT AS WITH A GARMENT" (PSALMS 104:2) Ephesians 1:3,4 - "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According as he has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." Many people who are doing something significant for God in the world are doing it "without their own resources" because God doesn't want us to depend on our own abilities. Instead, He wants us to be obedient by putting the vision on paper and then looking to Him to generate the funds and other resources that are needed to support His own work. Your provision, however, is usually hidden until you act on your vision. Whatever you were born to do attracts what you need to do it. Therefore, you first have to establish what you want to do, and begin to do it, before the need can be met. Most people work in reverse. They want to see the provisions before they start, but faith doesn't work that way. When we take action, then God manifests the provision. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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Luke 1:28 - "And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." Ephesians 1:6 - "To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." The word "freely given" or "accepted" in Ephesians 1:6 (The Greek word - charitooJust as Mary was used is talking about every born again believer being accepted in the beloved. Ephesians 1:6 Mary was the one person on earth who was chosen to "bring forth the Son of God"; and she was called highly favored and beloved of the Lord. Luke 1:28. in "Highly favored" is the same word used for )to bring forth the Son of God, so also, we will be used to bring forth the Son of God in all His Glory. Luke 1:35,38 - "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And Mary said, 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.'" We need to ask Him for a release of divine hunger that will drive us deeper into Him. Like Mary it is simply through intimacy, engaging the realm of heaven, and declaring what we see and hear that brings heaven to earth. The deposit of heaven that will rest on us after engaging the revelatory realm will simply overflow and people will be filled with the Holy Spirit. - "Gather My godly ones to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice. I know every bird of the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is Mine. Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the 23,14,Psalm 50:11 The terms of covenant are simple: we pledge to thank Him and adore Him in everything; He pledges to shine forth from our lives in the perfection of beauty. It is a sacrifice of thanksgiving, for it will cost us to praise Him when we hurt. But to do so is part of our healing and the beginning of our salvation. This covenant of thanksgiving is the key which shuts and bolts the door to demonic oppression in a person's life. Most High; he who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; and to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God." Affirmations: MY LIFE HAS NO OTHER PURPOSE THAN TO FOLLOW HIM AND MAKE HIM KNOWN. I HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED BY GOD TO REPRESENT JESUS IN THE WORLD. I REPRESENT CHRIST IN ANY GIVEN SITUATION. NOTHING EVER GETS BIGGER IN MY CONSCIOUSNESS THAN MY AWARENESS OF GOD'S PRESENCE UPON ME. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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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." QUESTIONS TO ASK MYSELF: 1. What is holding me back from my earthly destiny in Christ? 2. Am I a lukewarm Christian? If so, what is my plan to catch on fire? ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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Matthew 12:28 - "If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you." The unseen world has influence over the visible. The Kingdom is here and now. We must acknowledge that it's in the invisible realm. The enemy's attempt to anchor my affections to the things that are visible is easily resisted when our heart is aware of the presence of the kingdom of God. Just as Jesus worked only through the Spirit of God, we need to do likewise as His agents. Psalms 103:19 - "The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all." Philippians 3:12 - "But I keep going on, trying to grasp that purpose for which Christ Jesus grasped me." 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 CHRIST'S 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. Psalm 63:1 - "O God, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You: my inner self thirsts for You, my flesh longs and is faint for You, in a dry and weary land where no water is." "You should teach people who you can trust the things you and many other have heard me say. Then they will be able to teach others." - 2 Timothy 2:2 The true success of our ministry to others will be by how it brought forth the formation of Christ within the person God has given us to DISCIPLE. Church members need to be encouraged to "think bigger." They need to see themselves as ministers to their fellow-man. The Christian life is more than just commitment to Christ; it includes a commitment to other Christians. We need to rise up and release worship, intercession, and a song to the Lord to usher in an awakening to those floundering who need to be DISCIPLED (by us) into a higher truth. "You should teach people who you can trust the things you and many other have heard me say. Then they will be able to teach others." - 2 Timothy 2:2 ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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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." We were chosen in Christ long before the earth was made. 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 the Lord's CALLING on our life and sacrifice whatever is required to fulfill that calling. 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." James 3:8 - "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." Affirmations: I BOLDLY DECLARE THAT MY TONGUE IS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. MY WORDS ARE SEASONED WITH GRACE, AND MY LIPS ARE CONSTANTLY GIVING THANKS TO GOD! THIS IS WHAT MY TONGUE SPEAKS BECAUSE IT IS SUBMITTED TO THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." - 1 John 4:4 God is calling us up to a higher place, freeing us from the many debilitating mindsets and soul issues that hold us back from being highly effective. You are dangerous to the kingdom of darkness, and it's your natural instinct to snuff it out; but when you step into your shoes and understand what you were born for, you become potent like a lion. WALKING IN GOD'S CALLING ON OUR LIFE When David was anointed as the future king in 1 Samuel 16:13, it says that the prophet Samuel anointed his head with oil and the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. The word "anoint" used in the Hebrew text is mashach which means literally "consecration", and "set apart for a specific purpose or service". Consecration speaks of both identity – whose we belong, and purpose – our assignment. We are anointed as God's chosen ones to walk out our assignment and there is no greater threat to the enemy than sons and daughters knowing who and whose they are and walking out their divine assignment on this earth. Just like David, when we begin to walk in the full favor and blessing of those two places, identity and purpose, people begin to notice and so does the enemy. It becomes obvious what God is doing in you, the power of God rests mightily on your life. SEASON OF ADVANCEMENT AND ACCELERATION Every day the Kingdom is advancing as Believers that used to just take up the back pews suddenly get a revelation of the power made available to them. It's your season of advancement and acceleration and you'll begin to see the temporary roadblocks sent to confuse you removed, and instead of constantly being a mark for the enemy, you'll be marked by God's goodness and favor and begin to see every arrow sent your way reversed. You carry the sound of Heaven -- this is what you were born for. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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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. DISCOVERING OUR CALLING IN CHRIST 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
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Romans 10:9 - "If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." CONFESSION WITHOUT ANY FAITH IN THE HEART IS POWERLESS; IT'S USELESS. Observation: WHAT IF I DON'T BELIEVE IN MY HEART? SHOULD I STILL CONFESS THE WORD OF GOD? YES, BECAUSE WITH MY LIPS, I CAN MAKE CONFESSIONS UNTO FAITH. IN OTHER WORDS, AS I SAY GOD'S WORD OVER AND OVER AGAIN, FAITH CAN BE BUILT IN MY HEART WHERE BEFORE THERE WASN'T ANY FAITH. I CAN SPEAK GOD'S WORD SO MUCH THAT IT WILL EVENTUALLY AFFECT MY HEART, AND I WILL BEGIN BELIEVING IT. Romans 10:17 - "So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing, by the Word of God." Matthew 15:32 - And Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, "I feel compassion for the multitude, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat." People saw in Jesus meekness, unlimited power, and perfect love. Observation: If I would win souls, people must see in me this same Jesus. If I would draw men to Christ in heaven, they must be eyewitnesses of Christ in me. But, if I have flagrant sin or self-righteousness, my witness in non-effective. Romans 1:1 - "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ called to be an apostle, separated unto the Gospel of God." The New Creation separates us from the old life. As the Word is built into us, we are separated unto Christ. First, there is a separation from the world; now there is a separation unto the Master. Jesus becomes the Lord of our lives. His Word dominates us. In our walk then, as we are separated unto Christ, we come to believe that God has a PURPOSE for our life (our DESTINY). We ask, seek, and knock (Matt. 7:7,8) until we understand what that purpose is. As we receive revelation of that purpose through the Holy Spirit we separate ourselves from those things which are not sinful in themselves but unnecessary. This separation continues year after year as we pursue our DESTINY in Christ, walking in the fulness of His fellowship. QUESTIONS TO ASK MYSELF: Am I completely sold out to the Lord Jesus Christ? How much time per day do I spend meditating on Jesus and His PURPOSE for my life vs. participating and thinking about society (it's demands, requirements, and pleasures)? What is my plan to increase my Christ consciousness? ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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John 1:32 - "And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him." THE ANOINTING JESUS RECEIVED AT HIS BAPTISM WAS THE EQUIPMENT NECESSARY, GIVEN BY THE FATHER TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR HIM TO LIVE BEYOND HUMAN LIMITATIONS. HE WAS TO UNVEIL THE FATHER'S REALM CALLED HEAVEN. THAT WOULD INCLUDE DOING SUPERNATURAL THINGS. THE ANOINTING IS WHAT LINKED JESUS, THE MAN, TO THE DIVINE, ENABLING HIM TO DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL. THESE MIRACULOUS WAYS HELPED TO SET SOMETHING IN MOTION THAT MANKIND COULD INHERIT ONCE WE WERE REDEEMED. HEAVEN -- THAT SUPERNATURAL REALM -- WAS TO BECOME MANKIND'S DAILY BREAD. Romans 10:8 - "The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach." Affirmations: THE WORD OF GOD IN MY MOUTH IS SPOKEN INTO MY HEART. I CAN HEAR ABOUT THE WORD. I CAN LEARN ABOUT THE WORD. I CAN REJOICE OVER THE WORD. BUT UNTIL I SPEAK THE WORD, IT HAS NOT REACHED ITS HIGHEST FORM. THE WORDS I SPEAK -- IF THEY ARE WORDS OF LIFE -- GIVE LIFE, QUICKEN, MAKE ALIVE. John 6:63 - "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." "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 This is not a time for any Believer or leader in the Body of Christ to be humdrum, expecting only what we have seen and experienced before. We have never been where we are going now (see Joshua 3:4). We all must prepare for what is ahead: The call to embrace the awe of Almighty God. A wonderful, reverential fear of the Lord is returning to the people of God, releasing the wisdom of God (see Psalm 111:10), as God's people return to a radical love for Christ and action regarding God's PURPOSE for their life supported by that love. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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2 Corinthians 5:18,20 - "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ." JUST AS AMBASSADORS OF THE UNITED STATES HAVE AN INCOME BASED ON THE STANDARD OF LIVING OF THIS NATION REGARDLESS OF WHAT NATION THEY SERVE IN, SO ALSO AMBASSADORS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD LIVE ACCORDING TO THE ECONOMY OF HEAVEN, THOUGH THEY ARE STILL ON EARTH. ALL OF OUR KING'S RESOURCES ARE AT OUR DISPOSAL TO CARRY OUT HIS WILL. THAT IS HOW JESUS COULD SPEAK OF THE CAREFREE LIFE. Matthew 6:26 - "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." Mark 5:22-24 - "And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw Jesus, he fell at His feet, andbesought Him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. And Jesus went with Him." JAIRUS IS SO DOGGEDLY DETERMINED TO GET TO JESUS THAT HE FIGHTS HIS WAY THROUGH THE CROWD AND CLEARS OUT ENOUGH ROOM TO FALL AT JESUS' FEET. HE'S MADE A DECISION -- AND WHEN HE GETS TO JESUS, HE SAYS EXACTLY WHAT IT IS: LAY YOUR HANDS ON HER AND SHE SHALL LIVE. IN A CROWD OF LITERALLY THOUSANDS, THE FAITH DECISION OF ONE MAN IS DIRECTING THE ACTIONS OF JESUS. Observation: IF I AM SITTING AROUND WAITING FOR JESUS TO DECIDE TO HEAL ME .....FOR JESUS TO DECIDE TO HELP ME....... FOR JESUS TO DECIDE TO PROSPER ME AND GIVE ME VICTORY.... I AM IN FOR A LONG WAIT. BECAUSE THAT'S NOT JESUS' DECISION -- IT'S MINE. Hebrews 3:7 - "Wherefore, even as the Holy Spirit says, TODAY, if you shall hear His voice, harden not your hearts." The Holy spirit says, TODAY. What does this mean? God is the Eternal One. With Him there is no yesterday or tomorrow; what we call past and future are with Him an ever-present NOW. His life is an ever-blessed, never-ending TODAY. Even as the Holy Spirit says TODAY, satan's word is ever "TOMORROW, God's demand is too great for TODAY." The Holy Spirit says, TODAY! That means that He who is the mighty power of God is Himself ready to work in us the CALLING He has on our individual life and asks; it is He who is each moment pleading for immediate surrender, for a present trust, because He bears with him the power of a present salvation. AFFIRMATIONS: TODAY, this very moment, the wondrous love of God is for me -- it is even now waiting to be poured out into my heart. TODAY, all that Christ has done, and is now doing in heaven, and is able to do within me -- this very day --- it is within my reach. TODAY, the Holy Spirit, is within me -- sufficient for every need, equal to every emergency. With every prayer I breathe, and every longing that rules in my heart, there is the Spirit of promise whispering, TODAY! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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In Joshua's day, before crossing the Jordan River and moving into their inheritance, God said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you" (Joshua 3:5). This is an exhortation for us today! DRAW NEAR TO GOD The word consecrate, in Hebrew, is actually a relational term. "Qadash" means to separate or set yourself apart unto God. God's heart isn't, "Clean up your act so I can restore and bless you." He says instead, "Come to Me so I can bless you." BIG DIFFERENCE! His love is free, not earned. "Qadash"(set apart to Him), is actually the root word for holy (qodesh). Being "holy" isn't the result of or defined as "being good enough?" Rather it is the nature (qodesh) we receive from our union with Him (qadash), which motivates us to good works and a refusal to sin. We must be careful, then, that when we set out to prepare ourselves for a move of God's Spirit, we do not move into a legalistic works mentality, trying to accomplish separation and holiness in our own abilities; rather, we draw near to God inrelationship. There is another word in Scripture that also means separation, which we often confuse with consecration and holiness. "Nazir", from which we get the word Nazarite, means to be separate from. Nazir implies that we are separating ourselves away from something, as in sin, or the Nazarite vow of separation from certain activities. Qadash implies that we are separating ourselves unto, or drawing near to God. And this is where we must always start in our walk with Him. Samson was a Nazarite and lived a life separated from certain things. There is never any indication in Scripture, however, that he was separated unto, or walking closely with God. When Delilah entered the picture, since Samson was attempting holiness in his own strength, not by drawing near to the Lord, He did not have the strength to resist temptation. The Lord desires to raise up men and women of prayer and radical devotion through which He can release a greater "Great Awakening" and shift the course of nations today. To be a part of this, however, we must be willing to comply with what God requires of us: Prepare ourselves through drawing near. A SEASON OF SEPARATION The Lord is inviting you to enter into a season where you separate yourself unto Him in an extra special way: 1. Take time to inquire of the Lord as to what this means for you. 2. Things will shift if you increase your devotion time from 15 to 30 minutes each day. 3. Doors will open if you fast one lunch per week to spend that time with the Lord. 4. You will experience breakthrough if you put on some worship music and commune with the Lord as you go about your daily chores. 5. For 15 minutes a day, invite Him to walk with you around your backyard or sit beside you on your porch. If you rearrange your busy schedule over the next few weeks to pray and fast and spend more time in worship and the Word, your life will radically change. No matter what level of relationship you currently enjoy with the Lord, He wants to transform you into a more passionate and zealous Believer. As you draw into His depths, His cleansing stream will prepare you to advance in His PURPOSE for your life. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
