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  1. When it comes to receiving a spoken prophetic word over your life -- don't let it fall in barren soil. We have to cultivate our hearts so that the word produces the expected fruit in our life just as you would care for natural ground that you've placed a demand of harvest on. The ground must be prepared, watched over and watered. STEPS ON HOW TO WATCH OVER THE WORD 1. Position yourself to receive. Hunger often attracts the word to your life. Of course there are times that the Lord will speak when you're not looking for it, but there is just something about hunger and desperation that gets Heaven's attention. Blind Bartimaeus stopped Jesus in His tracks because he was desperate and positioned to receive. Have a heart full of expectation and desire for God's will on your life. Pray for and trust in His direction! "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones." Proverbs 3:5-8 2. Catch the word. Wnen you receive a word to get it on paper as quickly as possible. Writing a word down is the first step in us taking ownership of our part of it. "And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." Habakkuk 2:2-4 3. Watch over the word. When you receive a prophetic word, it is important that you are faithful to steward that word. Pray about it, read it, repeat it, and embed the word in your spirit! You must partner with the word over your life! The Greek word "rhēma" is used in Ephesians 6:17 and calls it the sword of the Spirit (the word made real to your spirit)! When the enemy comes at you to bring doubt and hinder destiny on your life it is with this rhēma that you combat the devil! When the devil tells you that you will not, and cannot – remind him what the word says. Affirm out loud and meditate frequently on the rhēma spoken over your life! "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." - Ephesians 6:17 4. Take action on the word. "For everyone who asks receives [lambano], and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened." - Luke 11:10 The Greek word "Lambano" is an active aggressive verb which indicates receiving INTO ACTION or taking possession through ACTION. Perhaps you were led to believe that you should ask of God and then wait for the answer to fall on you at the right time, as if you were expecting Him to throw a glass of water at you, if He felt like it. However, this Scripture says that everyone who asks MUST TAKE ACTION to receive it. Everyone who asks must "lambano" the answer from God, who is not only willing now but is also waiting for us to do so. 5. Trust in the timing of the word. Do not despise a season of training as God will use it to establish you for where you are going. Be careful to not allow what you may think is a delay to get you discouraged and give up on what the Lord has spoken over you. Trust the Lord and in the timing of His word. He is faithful that spoke over you and is not slack concerning His promise! "So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." - Isaiah 55:11 Be like the faithful farmer – tilling, cultivating and watering what has been planted. Watch it grow in you and enjoy the harvest of seeing it come to pass! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  2. Some people that attend church are looking for "Christian Counseling" but what would be more beneficial in most circumstances would be "Discipleship Equipping." That would involve focusing on their spiritual condition rather than their personal problems. Areas that involve discipling are: 1. Understanding their inheritance in Christ and who they are in Christ. 2. Understand their "Right Standing With God." 3. Understanding of how to "Walk in the Spirit. Having been discipled in these areas they are now ready to go and disciple and equip others for discipleship. Matthew 28:19 - "Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Jesus said, "Your attitude must be like my own, for I the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve and to give my life." Romans 2:8 - "God will pour out His anger and wrath on those who live for themselves." ALBERT FINCH MINISTSRY
  3. 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 "TRANSFIGURED" in Mark 9:2 &Matthew 17:2 is the same word for transformed in Romans 12:2 (Strongs 3339). 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 COMMISSION 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." QUESTIONS TO ASK MYSELF: 1. Is my thinking being transformed? How? 2. How am I building a transformed thinking consciousness? 3. What is different now about the way I think as opposed to 3 months ago. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  4. Will you say "yes" to Him? Knowing that your life may change drastically as a result, will you accept His invitation?
  5. 1 Kings 19:9 9Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” So the word of the Lord came to him “what are you doing here Elijah”. This is one of the most important questions God will ever ask us. His questions probes the reality of our spiritual state. He is asking “how did your service to me become dry and desolate?” He wants us to know that when we fail to esteem Him as our first love, we will always find that a desert awaits us. God never intended for religion. He intended to have a people called by His name to steward, be productive, and carry His presence to those around us and to the nations. QUESTIONS TO ASK MYSELF: 1. Does sitting in a church service each week hearing a good message and worshipping together give me all of what I need? 2. Am I living my experience of being part of the Church through two hours on Sunday and maybe a home cell group on Wednesday evening ie. is this the only thing that defines my spiritual development in the Kingdom? 3. Am I active in my thoughts and communications with the Father in my everyday life? 4. Am I being transformed by His presence? 5. Am I "asking, knocking, and seeking" to discover God's calling on my life in Christ? 6. Am I personally discipling others to equip them for discipling new Christians in the Church body? 7. Do I believe that I can change the world? Luke 16:16 - "The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it." This realm of God’s Spirit does not come without “pressing” – without contending. The first thing about pressing is seeking. Pressing into it means there is a passionate pursuit of God in prayer. The word “to seek” means to diligently look for and search out earnestly until the object of the search is located. It is as crying out and hungering for the presence of God. AFFIRMATIONS: God is about to bring my life to a new beginning. I press into and lay hold of the kingdom of heaven in an aggressive way. I have a burning heart of fiery witness and passion when it comes to exhorting others in their walk with God. I repent from trying to do God's will without abiding in His presence. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  6. As followers of Christ we are to be bold, brave, and extremely courageous. Scripture declares in the book of Joshua: "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:8–9, NASB The last phrase contains an overwhelming promise -- the abiding presence of God. Keep this promise in the center of your heart: "...for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go!" This promise is repeated throughout Scripture and is the foundation of the promise in 1 John 4:4: "Greater is He [God] that is in you, than he that is in the world." Our God is truly an awesome God! Prepare to behold Him in a manner not seen in our lifetime. God is at this time responding to the invitation of Isaiah 64:1, "Rend the heavens and come down." The time has come for the true conquest. The question is: Are you ready? THE CONQUEST The conquest – the act of conquering – has commenced. This is the main event. It is not time to hold back. Now is the time to give your all to the Kingdom of God. It is time to ARISE and ADVANCE. With a spirit of excellence, you must be giving everything for the sake of advancing the cause of Jesus Christ. True Christianity is more about what we do than what we say (see 1 Corinthians 4:20). It is time for action not just mere words. You are equipped to function in boldness and true authority (see Luke 10:19). You have been given an anointing in what God has PURPOSED FOR YOU -- an unction to function, which is unstoppable; with Christ you are invincible. You are more than a conquer (see Romans 8:37). Not only has Almighty God called us to be brave and courageous, He has commissioned us for these important days. We need to be prepared for conquest that brings about a swift and sure change. God's plan for His people is the plan of victory, not defeat (see Jeremiah 29:11). CALLED AND COMMISSIONED You are called and commissioned to be a radical overcomer. Begin to speak these promises over your life: Joel 3:10 - "Let the weak say I am strong". Micah 3:8, "...truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord!" Deep within the soul of every true Christian beats the heart of an overcomer. The word "overcomer" suggests victory after a hard struggle. We are to be strong, willing warriors. Never forget we are fighting from victory not for victory. Christ has won the victory; we just move into what He has provided. Now is the time for the troops of the Lord to volunteer willingly (see Psalm 110:3). We are to become history makers and world changers. God has determined the exact time of our birth. Truly we are in the Kingdom for such a time as this (seeEsther 4:14). Never forget: the Kingdom is in you for such a time as this. You had absolutely nothing to do with the timing of your birth. It's God's plan. Looking forward to this day, He determined that you would be a great tool in His hands to fashion the Kingdom of God. DECISIVE DAYS OF DESTINY God has confidence in you. It is He working in you, both to will and to do His good pleasure (see Philippians 2:13). In Luke 12:32 the Father's good pleasure is to give us the power of His Kingdom. These are decisive days of destiny. God is calling each of us to arise and take hold of our CALLING in Christ Jesus to advance in His PURPOSE for our life. Yield yourself anew and afresh to God's Holy Spirit, be filled with power and purpose, and determine to make the most of these days of transition from glory to glory. Live to hear HIM say, "Well done good and faithful servant!" ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  7. "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 It is very important that the foundation upon which we stand is "The Rock," our Lord Jesus Christ, and that our life is hidden "in Christ." If our spiritual experience is resting on sand, that is, if we are trusting our own abilities, we will fail when the pressures of life increase. 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. When difficulties affect us and we begin to lose our spiritual direction, if we will become quiet and look to the Lord, we will recognize that beneath our vacillations is a layer of spiritual strength and hope that had been deposited within us through our identification with Jesus in His death and resurrection -- which was confirmed in the peace that came when He took up His abode within us. We need only to realize that we are a new creation - that old things have passed away and our life is hid 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 ourCALLING 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
  8. Isaiah 9:7 - "Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end......" How important is increase to God? Jesus once cursed a fig tree for not bearing fruit out of season (Mark 11:13-14)! A man in one of His parables was cast into outer darkness for burying his money and not obtaining an increase for his master (Matthew 25:24-30). When the main goal of our faith is keeping us safe from the devil, our faith becomes inferior to what God expects. Jesus had in mind more for us than survival. We are destined to overcome. Every conversion plunders hell. Every miracle destroys the works of the devil. Every God encounter is an Invasion of the Almighty into our desperate condition. This is our joy. Affirmations: I FORGET THE PAST AND REACH FOR THOSE THINGS WHICH GOD HAS CALLED ME. I PRESS TOWARD THE MARK FOR THE PRIZE OF THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS. QUESTIONS TO ASK MYSELF: 1. Do I have an increase or a survival consciousness? What fruit am I bearing today - in season or out of season? 2. What conversion, miracle, or God encounter have I experienced recently? ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  9. God has empowered us! We are anointed for action! Our mission and mandate? Establishing the Kingdom! We are chosen by Him and for Him! "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 AFFIRMATIONS: I have a God-given purpose! I was chosen by Almighty God in eternity past to live in the present. I have a divine DESTINY. NO one on earth can accomplish what I have been commissioned to do! It's time to get God's opinion of you; you're essential to His eternal plans and purposes -- so become the bold, brave, radiant warrior you are called to be. Arise, lift your head -- walk with confidence and assurance that God is with you. Therefore be radiant and shine bright in this sin-darkened world. We have a PURPOSE -- we have been chosen by God. ACCOMPLISHING THE COURSE SET BEFORE US You are divinely prepared to accomplish the task God has assigned you. You can do something no other human being can do. Meditate and ponder this message; believe that you have been chosen by Christ, for Christ, and your life will take on even greater zeal and purpose. Jesus said: "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you." - (John 15:16). Your confidence and courage will soar as you understand in greater capacity the depth of these words -- "YOU ARE CHOSEN BY CHRIST!" Let these words wash over your soul – they are like refreshing water to the thirsty. You have been chosen by Christ, for Christ; the choice was made before the foundation of the world (see Ephesians 1:4). Knowing this promise will release you from rejection and depression. You Can Impact the others -- the hurting and the Lost. The goal is to finish the course and to be able to say with all confidence, "I've kept the faith and stayed on course, accomplishing the task set before me" (see 2 Timothy 4:7). It is to that individual Christ will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21). INTO ACTION: God gives us His power for a purpose: the gifts are tools, not toys, and anointing is for action (see Acts 1:8). God releases His anointing on His children for one main purpose: to impact the nations, to bring the hurting and lost to Himself. During these days of division and confusion, the message of Christ's redemptive love and overwhelming mercy must be heard and heeded. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  10. "And a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His miracles which He did on them that were diseased."John 6:2 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food. But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away. YOU give them something to eat." Matthew 14:15-16 FIVE LOAVES AND TWO FISHES Philip would have sent these to the fast-food restaurant in the next village. Andrew remarked about a "lad" who had some food, but he only had "five loaves and two fishes." Jesus had told the disciples to feed all who were hungry. Immediately, these disciples began to express the reasons why they were unable to do so, saying that they did not have adequate resources. It is very important to recognize that Jesus already knew that they did not have the means to feed this multitude. "And this He said to prove him: for He Himself knew what He would do." John 6:6 The Lord often asks us to go beyond our abilities. Our usual response is to express our limitations, not realizing that Jesus is asking us to place our limited ability in His hand, so He can multiply it. Therefore, concerning these five loaves and two fishes, Jesus said: "Bring them here to Me." Matthew 14:18 Once the limited resources of the disciples were placed in His hands, Jesus multiplied them, and the multitude was fed to the full. A HIGHER REALM OF IDENTIFICATION WITH HIM This was perhaps the best meal this multitude had ever eaten. But several hours later, they were back asking for a repeat performance. Jesus refused and brought a word of correction. He told them to seek their satisfaction on an HIGHER LEVEL. Then Jesus offered His very life for them to partake of: "I am the living bread which came down from Heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." John 6:51 They had gladly received the miracle of multiplication on the lower level of experience, but rejected the higher realm of identification with Him. "The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us His flesh to eat?" John 6:52 If we are perceptive, we will discover that this spiritual principle is in operation in our lives at this present time. Whenever the Lord moves on us in any measure of provision or healing, it is His intention to take us further, into a higher realm of identification with Him. Jesus was looking forward to the time when He would stand at the door of our heart, knocking, in order to gain entrance that He might sup with us, and we in turn with Him, in which we partake of His very life and blood. "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me."Revelation 3:20 PARTAKING OF HIS LIFE When He fed the multitude on the lower level, they sought to take Him by force to make Him their King. But on the higher level, they rejected Him. Therefore, Jesus stands alone at the door, speaking to whomever will respond (if anyone hears). Today, all too many Christians are satisfied to remain in the first area of spiritual blessing and provision, and are not seeking to enter into a personal relationship with the Lord, to discover His CALLING on their life. There is a depth in spiritual revelation and understanding into which the Lord desires to bring us, which involves a partaking of His very life (our DESTINY in Christ). This will bring us into an identity with Jesus in the "fellowship of His sufferings," which refers to His (and our) being rejected and misunderstood, but leads to a depth of satisfaction and fulfillment that only those who partake can understand God's PURPOSE for their life. "That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable to His death." Philippians 3:10 EATING HIS FLESH There are many who will respond when the blessings are flowing, but when it comes time to "eat His flesh," (PARTAKE OF HIS LIFE) they say, "This is a hard saying, who can hear it?" and they disappear. The Lord is speaking of our partaking of the foundational characteristic of His life – that of His ministry and giving His life for another. Many will receive the blessings that He offers, but few will identify with His sufferings. The purpose of this revelation of Jesus to us, as being a person with feelings, is to bring us into the experience of personally knowing Him, that we might be able to identify with Him in the giving of His life to others. In this last hour, the Lord is yet seeking those who are willing to go beyond the surface blessings, to enter into the place of identification with Him in the "fellowship of His sufferings." Here, in intimate, deep communion with Jesus, we will begin to partake of an intercessory identification with Him, in which His life can now be lived and made known through our lives. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  11. Luke 8:14 - "The seed among the thorns represents those who listen and believe God's words but whose faith afterwards is choked out by worry and riches and the responsibilities and pleasures of life. And so they are never able to help anyone else to believe the Good News." Your enemy wants to subdue your awareness and release a slumbering spirit. In this state he can sell you on giving in to a confortable life thereby causing a corpse-like complacency. You will always avoid the challenges of "breaking out of the box" into the maximum life that Jesus died to get you into. The phrase "out of the box" means that someone or something has broken out from it's barriers. It also means that someone has outgrown their history and has gone beyond their limitations. Luke 2:48,49 - "Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them. 'How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?'" The pharisees had no understanding of the Father's heart. Much of christian activity exists that has no relationship to that supreme value. The gospel is the story of the Father wooing the hearts of mankind through His love. We can travel the globe and preach the gospel, but without a personal revelation of the Father's heart we're carring around second hand news -- a story without a relationship. The Father's business flows from His heart. The church is to be a manifestation of the Father's heart to the world. We are to be carriers of His presence -- doers of His will. Giving what we have received releases Him into situations previously held in the grip of darkness. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  12. "God put His stamp of ownership on you by giving you the Holy Spirit he had promised...so that your minds may be opened to see His light, so that you will know what is the hope to which he has called you...and how very great is his power at work in us who believe. This power in us is the same as the mighty strength which he used when he raise Christ from death." - Ephesians 1:13,18-20 Shall we stop short of what He says we ought to be -- shall we cease to come into line with the Mind which is always thinking for our best -- shall we cease to humble ourselves before him who took the way of the cross for us -- shall we cease to withhold ourselves from Him. Can a true believer come to God today without a cry to God to make them, as it were, flames of fire? God shall endue you in that you won't be satisfied until you feel the very members of your body on fire with a Spirit-kindledPURPOSE. DAILY AFFIRMATIONS: I have a Jesus indwelling me and vitalizing me with a faith that believes I can speak the word, and the thing is done. I have a Jesus within me who has never let me get faint-hearted or weary. I press on in faith along the line of God's pourpose for my life, and the outpouring which I have longed to see will come. I never let go of the vision. Since all blessings come from above, I keep my eye on Jesus who strengthens me in the way. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  13. "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord....for he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river...nor will cease from yielding fruit..I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings." - Jeremiah 17:7,8,10 As we pursue God's PURPOSE for our life (Matthew 7:7,8), His Kingdom and righteousness--all things--are added to us. We move ahead in the army of God, advancing His Kingdom. As long as we keep marching, we're changing because faith moves us ahead, step-by-step. If we don't give up, eventually we walk into the Promised Land. The last command of Jesus while on earth says, "Go!" That's why we often see the anointing increase as we go, moving with the cloud. FROM NARROW - TO TRANSITION - TO ENLARGEMENT We are in a process of change. Our gifts are being drawn out of us in stretching dimensions. We have been and are going through places of testing and confinement in the Body. What is this place of testing and confinement? This is a place less wide than we are accustomed to or have expected to be in. If we respond properly to the "narrow or confined place," we will enter into the phase of "transition" to be brought into a "larger place" in the Spirit. The new place is like the camel going through the eye of the needle (Matthew 19:24). One school of thought was that that was a narrow gate. The only way the camel could get through was to be unloaded. This is the needle – the narrow gate. This is a place of unloading the weights of the past and a place of fresh commitment to the Cross where we die to self all over again. The "narrow place" (Matthew 7:14) can lead us out of captivity into a new and open field. HOW CAN WE MAKE THE TRANSITION? Transition times are when the Lord redefines and makes adjustments necessary for us to move forward. He gives us new focus and direction. He teaches us about Himself in a new way. We must seek the Lord for both revelation and the ways of God in times of change. His revelatory perspective bridges the past season with the new one. Without clear revelation and communication during transition, we can lose the strength and wisdom of our past victory. But we desperately need His strength to go from glory to glory. It isn't the new thing coming that is so hard to deal with, it's the transition from the old state of affairs to the new one. As you travail in this season, ask the Lord to give you strategy to protect your vision. Remember, the dragon attempts to steal new birth (see Revelation 12:4). Press forward! Cry out for greater grace to be granted to keep moving forward. When these changes manifest, enlargement occurs. To "enlarge" is to expand, to set free, become greater in size and intensity. Enlargement – or going through the new open door – is a process, not just a proclamation. Press through the narrow, withstand the transition, and receive enlargement. THE PROCESS OF CHANGE 1. A new level of revelation is released, 2. Your present vision starts to be adjusted, 3. New vision is secured and established, 4. Fresh strategies are revealed to you, 5. You see a greater fullness of your inheritance before you, If you are experiencing a "narrow place of confinement," or you sense you are in transition, be assured, He is about to visit you with a fresh demonstration of His Spirit. May your resources increase and your trials become stepping stones to renewed power and revelation. When you have come through the "new door," there are others who have been watching your pilgrimage. When you are strengthened, you will be enlarged to give spiritual succor to others in Jesus' name! "Each one's work will become clear; for the day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work...If anyone's work which he has buit on it endures, he will receive a reward." - 1 Corinthians 3:13,14 How exciting to know that change originates with the Creator of the Universe. "For we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18). Press forward! Going backward is not an option -- "We go from glory to glory, and glory doesn't go backwards." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  14. Matthew 6:22 : "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." MIRRORS OF THE SOUL The eyes are the literal mirrors of a person's soul and reveals much about a person's deep inner man. In that deep place of the heart, the eye of the body that is full of light, can also reveal secrets into the unseen realm depending upon a person's intimate connection or transparency with God. Our eyes are portals of Heaven that we many times overlook within ourselves and within others. THE FACE OF AN ANGEL In the case of Steven in the New Testament, he was a man who was full of faith and of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5). He was so full of grace and power that he performed great wonders and signs among the people during his day (Acts 6:8). In the synagogues of Asia, they disputed with Stephen because of their own stubborn misperception and blindness of spiritual sight (Acts 6:9). Stephen preached with boldness and they were not able to resist the wisdom and spirit by which he spoke (Acts 6:10). Even to the point of death, he had no fear to speak God's truth because his "eye" saw something beyond this natural world. All that sat in the council, looking steadfastly and intently at him, saw his face and countenance "as it had been the face of an angel" (Acts 6:15). Seeing that Stephen was "full of the Holy Spirit… he gazed intently into Heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God," saying, 'Behold, I see the Heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God'" (Acts 7:55-56). A LIFESTYLE OF GAZING When Stephen "gazed" (NAS) or "looked up steadfastly" (KJV) into Heaven, the Greek definition and meaning of this was not only that he fixed his "eyes" but also purposed his "mind" into Heaven. The eyes of his mind and the eyes of his heart went into auto-focus by the power of the Holy Spirit, as in the sense of stretching his eye sight towards the face of God that gave him the supernatural power to endure the kind of death he was about to experience. This reveals that Stephen had a "lifestyle of gazing" into the eyes and heart of God and is the reason why he was so filled with the glory of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. He gave himself over to locking his eyesight on the Lord Jesus Christ, and it caused everything else to either become dim or disappear in his perception of reality. He was so overtaken by the Holy Spirit that the unseen realm at that moment was more real to him than the seen realm of the excruciating pain of being stoned to death. In these last days we are going to need this kind of supernatural strength and power to be able to endure the days ahead of us with a lifestyle of gazing. CAUSE OF SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS The enemy continues to try to bring disgrace and discredit the people of God through spiritual blindness – blindness that is caused by the lack of looking and gazing into the face of God as a regular exercise of intimate worship or the lack of CONFESSING and MEDITATING on the Scriptures to find food for the soul and nourishment for the spiritual eyes. Ephesians 1:18 - " I pray that your inward eyes may be illumined, so that you may know what is the hope to which He calls you..." Ephesians 6:17 - "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God." Because of life's distractions, sin and self-righteous pride, this was one of the stumbling blocks of the Pharisees that prevented them from seeing that Jesus was really who He said He was, God. Because they couldn't see, they couldn't believe. If they couldn't see, they had no vision and they missed out on entering into the Kingdom of God. THE EYE OF THE LORD IS MOVING So now the Lord is reminding us in 2 Chronicles 16:9 which says, "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." God is on the move, running and eagerly searching with the laser beam of His eyes, looking for those who are filled with His light to see that He is ready to strongly support those whose eye lenses of the heart and mind are turned completely towards Him. He is inviting us into the journey of His heart – into the journey of the unseen realm. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). No one has seen God at any time (John 1:18), yet Jesus tells us in the beatitudes that the pure in heart will see God (Matthew 5:8). If God is wanting us to look and gaze intently at Him, isn't it because He is looking and gazing intently at us? The eyes of God reveal intimacy and longing and a strong desire to be with us now and forevermore. God is longing for those who are longing for Him. If you are experiencing an indescribable longing in your heart toward God, that means He is drawing you. PRAYER OF RESTORATION AND VISION: God, thank You for saving my life and thank You for restoring my soul. God, open my eyes to see You like never before. Help me to see and perceive through Your eyes. Restore my vision that may have become dull or blinded through discouragement, circumstances, sin, hardship or even neglect. Forgive me for not responding to Your voice when You are calling me. Draw me, God, and I will run to You. Open the eyes of my heart, God, that I may see You face to face. I come boldly to Your throne to worship You in Spirit and in truth and to love You sincerely with all my heart, mind, soul and strength by CONFESSING and MEDITATING on your Word. I thank You for hearing my prayer and my heart's cry to be closer to You. I give You honor and glory and praise this day, in Jesus name I pray, Amen! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  15. Jesus instructed His disciples to pray..."Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven" (seeMatthew 6:10, Luke 11:2). As we pray as Jesus instructs, we are actually praying for Heaven to touch earth. When Jesus came He brought His world to ours! He demonstrated the Kingdom of God on earth. His example of demonstrating God's goodness through signs, wonders, miracles and powerful demonstrations was meant to be teaching tools for us to do the same on earth today. There is no sickness in Heaven and, therefore, it does not belong on earth! Also, there is no poverty, lack, disease or hopelessness in Heaven therefore, it does not belong on earth. Jesus commissioned His disciples with these words: "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons: freely ye received, freely give" (see Matthew 10:8; Luke 10:9). When we became new Christians we were told what "not to do" and taught that we needed to be "perfected" – which placed much emphasis on us, our ability, and our religious performance. LET GO OF YOUR LIMITATIONS Many of us limit God today. We can even witness a miracle and almost immediately shift back into doubt and unbelief. At the time of creation, both Adam and Eve were created to experience "limitless living". This type of lifestyle is experiencing our lives without any types of hindrances or limitations. Limitless living is not for the purpose of self-gain, but is experienced so that we can fulfill ourDESTINY and PURPOSE. And, without limitations, we can fully demonstrate and experience God's power on earth. FULFILLING OUR DESTINY "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened: that you may know what is the hope of His calling....." - Ephesians 1:18 Since we are saved by the finished work of Jesus on the Cross, God's supernatural, transforming power is available to us for the fulfilling of our divine destiny in Christ. We need to shift our perspective. Yes, part of our destiny as children of God is to demonstrate and experience God's power. We were born with a PURPOSE to fulfill. God made you with a specific "PURPOSE." The word purpose means "the reason something exists." Therefore, we can easily conclude that God created us for a very specific reason. Mankind, as a whole, was created in the image of God with the purpose of taking dominion. When we use our God-given authority, we are also empowered to demonstrate God's divine power on the earth. This is the time to demonstrate and experience God's power in our life. JESUS HAD A PURPOSE According to 1 John 3:8, Jesus also had a purpose. His purpose was to "...destroy the works of the devil." We discussed that Jesus brought His world into ours. But, let's delve into this more. The word purpose in Greek is the word "tupos" (pronounced too-pos) and it means "model or imitation." WhenJesus was destroying the works of the devil, He became a model for us to imitate. When we are also on assignment, on purpose, we are imitating God. In fact, this is one of the ways that we are able to give Him glory – by imitating Him! Satan is consumed with targeting us, as he did Eve in the Garden, attempting to cause us to doubt our identity in Christ. If we believe opposite of who we are, (i.e.; sons and daughters of the King and made in His divine image), we become powerless to fully imitate God. Why is that? It is because when we doubt our identity in God, we also doubt our ability to be demonstrators of His power. Problem is the enemy has placed many different limitations upon us which hinder us from demonstration. It's time to take the limitations from our past off! DEMONSTRATION OF HIS POWER Becoming a demonstrator of God's unbridled power is one of the most exciting journeys we can experience. The word "demonstrate" means that something is being "shown or proven." In other words, when we allow God to use us and we pray the prayer of faith for someone to be divinely healed, we are at that time imitators of God. (Just like Elijah, Elisha, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and others!) We are proving God's love as we pray for the sick or the needs of His children. But also, consider this fact: when they are healed, it is then that God's perfect will has therefore been "proven" and "demonstrated". What a privilege it is for God to use us to prove His love through demonstration. Satan targets our mind with lies. THE LIES OF THE ENEMY THAT LIMIT US SOUND LIKE THIS: • You're not smart enough to teach God's Word. • What makes you believe that God would use someone with a past like yours? • You are a complete failure in life. How can God use you? • If you pray for the sick, they might not get healed. Just think of what people might say about you. • You are not qualified to demonstrate God's power • You are flawed. God cannot use someone like you! MORE LIMITATIONS Religion completely negates our need for "relationship" with God. In fact, many times it completely replaces it! Another limitation in the Church is the pressure to "get results". This is all rooted in performance, perfectionism and self-introspection. How many times have we believed the lie that we are a "failure" because we did not witness the desired results? The enemy will use this lie to limit US. On the other hand, God desires that we experience His limitless lifestyle! After all, didn't Jesus say that all things are possible to those of us who believe? Is it then any wonder why the devil attacks our faith? QUESTIONS TO ASK OURSELVES: What do we believe is holding us back? What are our limitations? God desires to empower us to let go of such limitations as: • reliance on ourself • efforts to please God through religious performance • disappointments • emotional pain and trauma • defensive and defeated attitudes PRAYER: I pray today confirming that I am fully empowered to demonstrate Your Kingdom on earth. I agree with what Your Word says concerning my destiny and purpose and that I am created to give You glory. I pray that You reveal the limitations which rob me of being a Kingdom demonstrator. I pray that You shift me into continuous seasons of limitless living. I decree that there are no limits to what I do or experience in Christ, In Jesus' name, Amen! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  16. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight..." - Ephesians 1:3-4 NIV It is vital now for every Spirit-filled Believer to start exercising the spiritual senses, particularly the eyes, to see what God has for you! It may be dark in the world, but the Light of the World will make darkness light to you if you allow Him to open your spiritual eyes (the eyes of your heart) to the truth of the reality of Himself in the existing and coming challenging days. As a result, at daybreak, your path will shine ever brighter until His glory arises in your midst. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see..." (see Hebrews 11:1-2 NIV). You can be sure of what you hope for when you realize that it already exists with God in the heavenly realm, which you have access to through Christ Jesus (see Colossians 1:12-14, 27; 3:3-4). SEE VICTORY "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." - 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 If you are in a battle, your spiritual eyes will help you to see victory, as Joshua saw his prayers answered in the Spirit as he pondered in anguish the conquest of Jericho, which to the natural eye, spelled d-e-f-e-a-t. In scanning the heavenlies – that is, opening his spiritual eyes – Joshua saw victory assured (see Joshua 5:13; 6:2). If you can see what God has promised, even in light of your circumstances, and receive it as truth by faith, you have the reality of Heaven's answer for you. SEE BEYOND LIMITATION Healthy spiritual vision will help you to see beyond limitations. Such godly vision is insight into how to move into purpose. Every Believer has a God-ordainedCALLING and PURPOSE, a DESTINY in Him. His desire for you is to anoint, equip, and mature you to fully walk in the fullness of your purpose in a manner that impacts and transforms your life, your family, your community, your city, the world around you. Imagine seeing that impact beyond the gigantic "Jerichoical" walls of limitation that in the natural seem to preclude the possibility of Promised Land possession (PURPOSE). You may face huge barriers of impossibilities in the natural, but the Lord can show and give you heavenly blueprints for the tearing down of those limitations. SPIRITUAL EYES -- A GOD-GIVEN ADVANTAGE Our natural eyes see rejection, lack, and roadblocks. Our spiritual eyes see favor, provision, and new ways. The eyes of understanding are our advantage in these days – a God-given advantage to see by the Spirit of the Lord, to understand what the world cannot, to pull on Heaven, on joy, on our future hope, that we might glorify Him, break through, break out, become victors and not the victimized, and bring His light to the world. Yes, we can pull on the hope of the future, the future's accomplishment, and bring it into the present; even in our sadness for lack or despair over our barren state, we can be glad! Isaiah told the barren woman to break forth into singing, to rejoice over her barrenness as though she had many children: "Sing...break forth into singing." Why do you suppose Isaiah counseled her this? Because God wanted her and us to see the promise, to experience the thrill of victory now, the joy of salvation now, contentment in our calling now, on earth as it is in Heaven now. Rejoicing rends the Heavens for major breakthrough. With spiritual eyes open we can see what should, could, and will be, and by faith bring it forth into the here and now. The precious Holy Spirit illumines our eyes to see into this realm of yes and amen. Unlike our natural eyes, which tend to be near or far-sighted and limited peripherally, our spiritual eyes can see limitless scope – whatever the Father chooses us to see. GRAB HOLD Improve your spiritual eyesight by way of studying what the Holy Spirit has revealed of God and of His promises in and throughout the Word, by: diligently staying in fellowship with God, daily confessing and meditating the promises to the believer in scripture -- pronouncing them over your specific situation and, praying specifically for God to illuminate your own heart to His truths. Believe and relish the truth! The truth will set you free, and transform your life! Ask God for more of what you cannot see. Reach out in faith, and take hold of it! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  17. Many people are crossing spiritual frontiers. People are leaving old seasons of life and entering new ones. One of the most profound crossings ever made was when the nation of Israel walked across the dry riverbed of the Jordan River under the leadership of Joshua. More than one million people camped at the water's edge waiting for the word of the Lord to part the water. First, God would need to speak to Joshua and let him know what this passage would entail. Joshua 1:1-9 - After the death of Moses the Lord's servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' assistant. He said, "Moses My servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses -– from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.' No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. "Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is My command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." EACH CROSSING WILL BE DIRECTED BY A WORD FROM GOD -- "THE LORD SPOKE TO JOSHUA" Joshua was told to walk anywhere within the land God had defined. Wherever Joshua chose to step would be his, within the boundary of the promise. He was a man living under the direction of God's revelation. Each area of our lives has a word from God assigned to it. Each of our families has a word. Each financial decision we make has a word assigned to it. Each relationship we enter into has a word from God assigned to it that will direct how that relationship will develop. It is wisdom to discover these words before we begin the journey. Joshua obeyed the word of the Lord. He didn't deviate to the right or to the left. He stayed true to the word of the Lord and the Lord stayed true to the promise He made to Joshua and the nation of Israel. EACH CROSSING WILL REDEFINE THE NATURE OF OUR CALLING -- "THE TIME HAS COME FOR YOU TO LEAD THESE PEOPLE" Obedience to the CALLING transformed Joshua, revealing more of what God saw in him, had planned for him, and wanted to do through him. Each time we take a step of faith our life manifests more clearly of who we already are in Christ. Like a chisel in the hand of a master sculptor, God fashions us with each step we take. Under the hand of the Master we begin to resemble the person who we already are in Christ. EACH CROSSING WILL BRING A REMINDER OF GOD'S FAITHFULNESS -- "FOR I WILL BE WITH YOU AS I WAS WITH MOSES, I WILL NOT FAIL YOU OR ABANDON YOU" We never do what God calls us to do alone. He is always present with us in each moment of the passage. As Joshua called the people forward to cross the Jordan, that move could appear to be, at the very least, naïve, if not foolish. The decision to cross the Jordan River at this season of the year, would ride on the shoulders of this new leader. It was a fearful and stressful moment. In that moment God assured Joshua that He would not fail or abandon him. Jesus chose to forgive His tormentors amidst the pain of His crucifixion. He told us to bless our enemies even as they wage war against us. When we do this, our future will be defined by the heart of God, not the fear of what can happen to us as the result of human brokenness. EACH CROSSING WILL TEST OUR CURRENT LEVEL OF STRENGTH AND COURAGE -- "BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS." Three times in the first verses of Joshua 1 the Lord tells Joshua, "Be strong and courageous." Why would God say this to Joshua three times? Because Joshua, the great warrior-leader, would experience both fear and weakness as he faced the prospect of crossing the swollen Jordan River and the enemies beyond. This fear and discouragement have faced the people of God in the past and it will have to be addressed by each of us now and in our emerging future. A repeated theme in Paul's ministry was his strengthening and encouraging of the churches. He strengthened and encouraged these churches because they were feeling weak and discouraged when he arrived in their midst. Likewise we are to exhort, encourage, equip, and DISCIPLE those who God places in our path. Today, believe that God is taking you into a new future (His PURPOSE for your life) amidst all the pain and obstacles that are now standing between you and what God has promised. God is your passage-maker and He will never leave you alone in the crossing you are about to make. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  18. What is the real work you were meant to do?
  19. Galatians 1:16 - "To reveal his Son in me, that I might present Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood." Many believers have lost the glory because they have been taken up with the natural. If we are going to accomplish in the Spirit the thing God has purposed for us, we can never turn again to the flesh. If we believers are to go forth and fulfuill God's PURPOSE for our life, the Holy Spirit must be constantly filling us and moving upon us until our whole being is on fire with the presence and power of God -- walking in the divine likeness, having no confidence in the flesh, but growing in the grace and knowledge of God, and going on from one state of glory to another. The believer that is a "partaker of the divine nature" has come into a relationship where God imparts His divine mind for the comprehension of His love and of the fellowship of His Son. We are only powerful as we know that source, we are only strong as we behold who we are in Christ and all the wonderful things and graces of the Spirit. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  20. In this season, God is giving out new "out of the box" ways of doing things. Don't get set in "your" ways, but learn to embrace His ways. What does this really mean? It means not to think as the world thinks. Do not accept what the world calls normal. We need a fresh Gospel mentality that is willing to walk away from the things that hinder and hamper our CALLINGIN CHRIST. LIFTING THE HEAVY BURDEN God is looking for people who are willing to respond to His CALLING. Take Matthew the tax collector as an example, or any of the disciples. Jesus said, "Come and follow Me." What we do not see is all the details that were involved in the sacrifice of those who followed Jesus. Matthew 11:28-30 - "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." There is a hidden treasure that is only discovered by those who answer this call. For Matthew, it was deliverance from operating in the world's system as a tax collector, a boring occupation. God invites us to a life of adventure in the Gospel. It is better than we could ever imagine. When we respond to His invitation, He lifts the heavy burden of all the things of this life. Matthew probably had much burden, much boredom, and much anxiety. When he chose to follow the Lord he left all that behind. His burden became a thing of the past as He embraced the easy yoke of Jesus. Instead, he chose to experience the glory of God being with Jesus. It really comes down to the question of "What are we here for?" Are we storing up treasure in Heaven, or are we looking for our reward on earth? Are we still trying to be somebody when Jesus is saying, "Come, follow Me"? He lifts the heavy burden, bringing us into a place of ecstatic joy, life, and peace. The Gospel is still good news. Do we still feel it in our heart? A TIME FOR HEAVEN'S STRATEGIES We are in a time where God wants to release new strategies to us that go against the typical trend. There are ways of doing things that work. Being in a religious rut causes you to do the same things over and over again with the same result, never learning to move into something new, fresh, and different. Those caught in a religious trap are afraid of adventure, new things, different approaches, and will hold others back so that they won't feel so bad. Misery loves company. One of the main characteristics of fear is control. People in fear have to control to keep things safe for themselves. They will take things into their own hands rather than trusting the Lord. Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." When we learn to trust the Lord, we then get a new and fresh perspective on things. It is like you had been in a box. As you learn to trust the Lord, you climb out of that box, seeing sunlight with the blue sky rather than darkness in the box. This is the way it works when we see as God sees. He has blueprints for each of us that will release life, making us contagious with His love, presence and CALLING. Ask the Lord to get you out of the old place. Question your own thinking. Is your thinking in alignment with man's accepted way, or does God have a better way? Then, what are you willing to lay down for a fresh blueprint from Heaven? THE "YES" HARMONY EXPERIENCE 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 - " For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee." When we get in on God's plans, it is then that we experience the "YES" from the Lord as a seal upon His best for us. The good is the enemy of the best. When we discover God's best plan for our lives, then we experience an even greater affirmation of His voice to us. As we come into harmony with the Holy Spirit, He brings us into a revelation of God's acceptance. Jesus received the affirming voice of God, not only because He was God's Son, but because He was walking according to he desires of the Father's heart. There is a place of precision and excellence where His affirming voice is made even clearer to us. This comes as we come into alignment with His voice and desires. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  21. "Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of Thy waterspouts: all Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over me." - Psalm 42:7 "Deep calls." Our Lord is a seeking God who desires a satisfaction that can be found only in us – our worship and our times of fellowship with Him. We were created for this purpose, which became marred by our association with the world. "At the noise of Your waterspouts." Our initial response may seem to us as being "noise," but as we continue to worship and spend time in fellowship with the Lord, it will become as a "song." "The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare Him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt Him." - Exodus 15:2 If we will be patient and not become discouraged, we will be immersed in His presence – "all Your waves are gone over me." Now, we are no longer in control. Others will notice the change in us and ask: "Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?... " - Song of Solomon 8:5 "Deep calls." -- In order to rightly respond, we must become spiritually hungry. LET OUR PRAYER BE "DRAW ME" "Draw me, we will run after Thee: the King hath brought me into His chambers... " - Song of Solomon 1:4 This prayer, "Draw me," relates to our spiritual hunger. It is the most important request that we could ever set before the Lord. If we do not have this spiritual hunger, our interests will settle upon earthly pursuits, and we will seek satisfaction in them alone. Ministry can feed hunger, but only the Lord can create spiritual hunger. This prayer for us to become spiritually hungry will be effective only after we commit ourselves to rightly respond to the Lord – "We will run after You." The written Word is to become a present reality, and experienced. Thus, we must determine that we will steadfastly seek a closer relationship to the Lord. When He responds to our prayer and begins to draw us to Himself, all of our other needs will fall into their proper place and order, including His CALLING on or life. "But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. " - Matthew 6:33 The greatest privilege and blessing that we can have is for the Lord to become active in our spiritual life experience and begin to progressively guide us toward our DESTINY in Christ. THE DEEP CRY OF THE LORD "My Beloved is mine... " - Song of Solomon 2:16 We tend to seek the Lord for what He can do for us. The Lord knows this, but patiently works within us so He will be able to take us further. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:10 Therefore, He begins by revealing to us our present condition and spiritual need to know HisPURPOSE for our life. After He has accomplished the needed deliverance and correction within us, we will begin to seek the Lord for Himself. "I am my Beloved's..." - Song of Solomon 6:3 Now we are putting the Lord first, though much of our self-seeking is still intact. "Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth; for Your loves are better than wine. For Your ointments have a lovely fragrance; Your name is as oil poured out; therefore the virgins love You." - Song of Solomon 1:2-3 Notice that we are telling the Lord that we love Him because of all that He gives to us. We are saying, "I love You because I enjoy Your blessings." But again, the Lord looks beyond our self-centeredness and continues His work within us, until we see our need and confess it to the Lord. "Do not look on me, that I am black, that the sun has looked on me. My mother's sons were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but my vineyard I have not kept." - Song of Solomon 1:6 We realize that we have worked very hard "for" the Lord, even in the heat of the day, so that we have become "sun burned." But we have ignored the "deep" cry of the Lord, and have neglected our CALLING in His kingdom (vineyard). Therefore, He allows our circumstances to become a problem to us, which will result in "our mother's sons" (those we are close to) becoming angry with us. All of the things that we had depended on have suddenly become an enemy. Now we realize that we must have the Lord Himself, and we cry out for satisfaction. FEED MY SHEEP "Tell me, You whom my soul loves, where do You feed, where do You lie down at noon? For why should I be as one who is veiled beside the flocks of Your companions?" - Song of Solomon 1:7 Finally, we discover that we can no longer be satisfied to drink from the overflow of another's blessing, or to feed upon the testimony or experience of another, and we began to look for the Lord Himself. Immediately, the Lord responds: "If you know not, most beautiful among women, go in the footsteps of the flock, and feed your kids beside the shepherds' tents" (Song of Solomon 1:8). The Lord is telling us that we should feed the sheep he has put in our lives ("feed your kids"). Without the mentorship of someone who has an active, personal relationship with Him, the spiritual path can be obscure to "baby Christians". "He saith unto him, 'Feed my sheep.' He saith unto him the third time....'Feed my sheep.'" - John 21:16,17 "THERE I WILL GIVE YOU MY LOVES" Now, there is a complete change in our expression, as the Lord Himself has become the goal that we seek. "I am my Beloved's and His desire is toward me." - Song of Solomon 7:10 I have come from a salvation experience in which I had been satisfied to escape from eternal punishment, into a relationship in which my life is sold out to Jesus and His PURPOSE for my life. As I long for His fellowship, He can say to me: "Come, My beloved, let us go out into the field; let us stay in the villages. Let us rise up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flowers, whether the tender grape appears, and the pomegranates bud forth; there I will give you My loves" (Song of Solomon 7:11-12). We will be sent only after we have first come to Him. Now, as we commune together in the vineyard, we will find all that we have longed for (co-laboring with Him in our CALLING) , as we respond to the "deep" cry of the Lord – "There I will give you My loves." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  22. "For he (Simon) was awestruck by the size of their catch....Jesus replied, "Don't be afraid! From now on you'll be fishing for the souls of men!" And as soon as they landed, they left everything and went with Him." - Luke 5:9-11 In one day, they abandoned their way of life and everything familiar to them to pursue Him and the DESTINY for which they were created. What had happened? What made the difference? When Peter was willing and obedient to do what the Lord asked, the harvest of what he had believed for came to him (see Isaiah 1:19). In that moment his previous desires were replaced with a new desire. In this place of undivided devotion to Him, He captures our hearts and, like the disciples, we abandon everything to pursue Him wholeheartedly. It is in this place that we find Him (seeJeremiah 29:13). LEAVING THE SHORE Jesus' invitation to Peter is still being given to us today. Are you ready to leave the shore and become something more? "Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; all your waves and billows have gone over me." - Psalm 42:7 Can you feel the depth of God's heart CALLING to you in this season? Can you feel the depth of your spirit desiring Him more than your next breath? Launch out and launch into Him. It is in this place that your wilderness becomes a fruitful field. NOT THE TIME TO BE COMPLACENT "For the land of my people growing over with thorns and briers.....Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field and the fruitful field is valued as a forest." - Isaiah 32:13,15 Isaiah was addressing a people who did not recognize the season in which they were living -- through complacency, they lacked the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the heart to perceive what the Lord was asking of them. Their complacency to act and failure to discern the Lord's voice was leading them to a place of lack, disappointment, and despair if they did not recognize their invitation and adjust accordingly. We must also not be like the Shulamite who was not willing to respond to the voice of her beloved in the day of her visitation (see Song of Solomon 5:2-8). She responded to the very invitation that she had so longed for with a list of reasons why His coming wasn't convenient for her. In verse 6 she looked back with regret, recognizing how her heart leapt within her at the sound of His voice. Let us not look back with regret, but instead do whatever we can to meet with Him when He comes knocking. Her complacency cost her the visitation that she had so desired. When He knocks, we must open! PARTNERING WITH THE PROMISE We have a responsibility in receiving what we believe for. The Lord gave a promise of power to 500 of His disciples (Luke 24:49, 1 Corinthians 15:6) but only 120 (Acts 1:15) were committed to partner with the Promise "until" they received power from on high. For 380 of the 500 -- at what point did the "Promise" become inconvenient? If we were able to interview those 380 today, there would be a number of folks echoing the same regret as the Shulamite. If they could have only discerned how close they were to the Promise knocking at their door. We are standing at a place in history, poised to see the greatest wave of God's Spirit to ever come upon the earth. He is knocking and He is calling, in this season of ebb, to those who will open the door and launch out as we dine with Him in the deep. If we will make it our highest goal to receive from Him everything that He has for us -- God'sPURPOSE for our life (our CALLING in Christ) -- we, like Jesus, will come out with power greater than we have ever known (see Luke 4:14). Let's join Jesus in becoming the water (the Word) breathed upon by His wind (Holy Spirit) that we might, with Him, become the wave! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  23. We all have areas where we are in great need of the Lord of Breakthrough, but remember that before God broke through David's enemies, he returned to the stronghold and inquired of the Lord. "And David enquired of the Lord.....And David came to Baalperazim, and David smote them (the Philistines) there, and said, The Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters." - 2 Samuel 5:19,20 RETURN TO THE STRONGHOLD Breakthrough is found in our private devotion and personal pursuit of God when no one is watching. If you are in need of breakthrough, make it a point to "return to the stronghold" and watch what the God of the Breakthrough does for you. When He breaks open, we break out. "The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them." - Micah 2:13 "Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you" (Zechariah 9:12). Jesus modeled this profound truth in His own life. We see in Luke 4:14 that His time of fasting in the wilderness produced great power as well as preparing and positioning Him for His next stage of life and ministry. Great miracles along with public demonstrations of tremendous power and authority were often preceded by significant time spent hidden away with His Father in secret. When we purpose to live a life of sacrificial devotion to our Father in the secret place through contemplative prayer and fasting, we and the world we live in will become greater for it. This is one way that we can say "yes" to the ebbing pull of the Spirit in our daily life. "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in him." - Nahum 1:7 David found the God of the Breakthrough in the stronghold, not on the field of battle. He is our stronghold. It is in our returning to Him that He restores, breaks through, and gives back more than what we had lost and better than we had! A DOOR OF GREAT HOPE "So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water." - Exodus 15:22 For many of us, we have experienced a wilderness while fulfilling God's PURPOSE for our life. We feel lonely, barren, and unfruitful. We have been so dry and thirsty that we find ourselves crying out to God in desperation. Our life is in disorder, and at times we are confused and irritated. God has a purpose for our wilderness -- He does NOT plan for us to stay there! God brought the Israelites out of Egypt for the purpose of not only proving their hearts, but also to give them an opening to be delivered from old thinking. Many of us feel that we have been pulled into a place that at first we did not see as necessary in our apprehension of God's CALLING in our life. Truth be told, it is in this place that we are prepared to inherit and fully occupy the promises. For some of us, it may feel like a wilderness, but if we can embrace His pull we will begin to know and experience the Lord in a new way. It is in the "valley" of our troubles that He establishes a door of great hope (see Hosea 2:14-23). Properly recognizing and engaging in the wilderness experience is as vitally important to our divine DESTINY as when the "walls came down" for Israel. There we begin to see God and the treasures of His PURPOSE for our life in a way that we have never seen before. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  24. To walk in overcoming victory we need a spiritual "brainwashing" to rid ourselves of "ungodly thinking." Our minds need to be thoroughly cleansed of the lies and filth of the world so we can put on the mind of Christ, learning to think as He thinks and to see as He sees. A cleansed and renewed mind will completely change our perception of life and the world around us. The Spirit of God is calling each of us to a higher standard: "...walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Colossians 1:10). This is not a season to be apathetic and loose about our lifestyles. We must pursue our destiny in Christ and God's purpose for our lives. God calls all His people to a life of fruitfulness, which is the path to DISCIPLESHIP of others. As Paul writes: "Mark out a straight, smooth path for your feet so that those who follow you, though weak and lame will not fall and hurt themselves, but become strong." - Hebrews 12:13 (Living Bible) It is time for us to lay everything on the altar and embrace the holy fire of God's presence! We must present a mind that is wholly consecrated to Him. Like David, our cry must be: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10). When we do, we will discover that the Lord transforms our worldly mind into a spiritual mind—His mind. THE SPIRITUAL MIND The apostle Paul contrasts the natural mind with the spiritual mind. The natural mind, corrupted by sin, is dulled and darkened to spiritual things, however brilliant it may be in its own natural sphere. There are many intellectually brilliant people who haven't a clue regarding spiritual realities. They are "...always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3:7). It takes a spiritual mind to comprehend spiritual truths. Paul goes so far as to say that it is impossible for the natural mind to comprehend the things of the Spirit: "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:14 As contradictory as it may seem, many true children of God remain dominated, for the most part, by the laws of their natural or carnal minds. One reason the Church struggles so much today, is because many Christians still think like the world, and thoughts give birth to actions. BELIEVING IS SEEING For example, some say, "I won't believe it until I see it." This is the exact opposite of a spiritual mindset. The natural mind says, "If I see, I will believe." The spiritual mind says, "If I believe, I will see." Paul clearly recognized our desperate need for a Spirit-enlightened mind, praying: "...that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power." (Ephesians 1:17–19) Only in His light can we see light (Psalm 36:9). We should cry out to God for spiritual eyes to see what we believe even as we seek each day to walk in the light of His revealed Word (Psalm 119:105). No matter how intellectually brilliant we may be, we cannot understand even the simplest concepts of God without the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 36:26). The knowledge of spiritual things does not come by intellectual effort. Rather, it comes only by divine revelation. This is why, when Peter declared to Jesus, "'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in Heaven'" (Matthew 16:16–17). WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST God's desire is for all His children to possess a spiritual mind and He has given us the capacity through the indwelling Holy Spirit (Nehemiah 9:20). What Jesus said to His disciples applies also to us: "Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear" (Matthew 13:16). Do you want to cultivate your spiritual mind? Then immerse yourself in God's Word (Psalm 119:9). Pray for revelation and ask the Spirit of God to open your eyes to behold awesome things from heavenly realms (2 Kings 6:17). There is nothing wrong with intellectual knowledge and pursuit. God gave us our mind and expects us to use it. However, we should never depend upon mere human intellectual wisdom to advance us in the realm of the Holy Spirit (John 16:13). ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  25. In Luke 4:1-13, satan tempts Jesus with the offer of rulership over all the kingdoms of the world... Jesus rejects this proposal. Jesus' Kingdom in this age is not a kingdom of this world (John 18:36-37). He refuses to seek a kingdom for Himself by the worldly methods of compromise, earthly power, political maneuvering, external violence, popularity, honor and glory. Jesus' Kingdom is a spiritual Kingdom ruling in the hearts of His people, who have been taken out of the kingdoms of this world. As a Heavenly Kingdom, we can operate and maintain in this realm but it comes with a cost. It is gained through: Suffering, self-denial, humility, and meekness.It does require giving our bodies as a living and Holy sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2). Fasting is a key here that enables us to stay on target;We know we have complete devotion and obedience to God whenever we are struggling with spiritual weapons against sin, temptation, and satan (Ephesians 6:10-20). As Christians we resist conforming to this world. "But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." - Matthew 6:33 Those who follow Christ are urged to seek, above all else, His Kingdom and His righteousness. Jesus points out HIS Kingdom and HIS righteousness in HIS Kingdom. We pray every day that God's Kingdom will come in the mighty power of the Holy Spirit to save sinners, to destroy the demonic, to heal the sick, and to magnify the name of our Lord and that we be given daily revelation of our CALLING on how to facilitate this. QUESTIONS TO ASK MYSELF: What are 3 areas of my life that I am adversly conforming to the world. 1. 2. 3. What actions am I going to take to re-align my priorites. 1. 2. 3. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
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