Search the Community

"I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes so you can see. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will go in and eat with him, and he with me." - Revelation 3:18,20 It was to the last Church the Lord addressed in the Book of Revelation, the Church of Laodicea, that He gave His greatest promise to. Those promises are for His people today. When most people think of the Church of Laodicea, they think of the negative rather than the positive. We need to consider these great promises. First, we need to see why they are so great. Then we need to understand how overcoming the negative things this Church confronted will produce some of the greatest overcomers, the greatest saints, the world has ever known. The Church of Laodicea was so temporally prosperous that it caused them to become lukewarm, and made the Lord so sick that He would vomit them out of His mouth (Revelation 3:15-17). Being lukewarm is the worst condition a Christian can fall into. It reveals an ultimate contempt for the Lord. Indifference is the greatest affront to any relationship. ZEAL FOR THE LORD "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent." - Revelation 3:19 The Lord called the Church at Laodicea to "therefore be earnest and repent" . We must recover and keep our zeal for the Lord if we are going to make it through these times. How do we do that? The Lord sent fire from His presence to light the fire on the altar in both the Tabernacle of Moses and the Temple that Solomon built. He then commanded the priests to KEEP THE FIRE GOING. God has lit every fire in every heart that has ever turned to Him. However, He expects us to keep it going. WE DO THIS BY: prayer, worship, studying and affirming His written Word to us, fellowshipping with others who have the fire, being the witnesses we are called to be, and embracing God's PURPOSEfor our life. We lose the fire when we give ourselves to sin and wickedness. This leads to lawlessness as described in Romans 6. The Lord warned that lawlessness would cause the love of most to grow cold. THE REMNANT PRINCIPLE The remnant principle was at work when the resurrected Lord told five hundred people to go to Jerusalem to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit. However, just a few weeks later, there were only 120 gathered there. Yet that remnant was in "one accord" or unity. As Abraham demonstrated, true faith grows stronger with the passage of time, not weaker. The passage of time between when the promise is given and the fulfillment of that promise will usually thin out the crowd by removing those who do not have true faith, but are just caught up in the excitement of the moment. This does not mean that those with true faith will not waver sometimes too, but overall, true faith grows with the passage of time. Is our faith growing stronger, or are we going to slip into the majority that drifts away? People tend to draw their security by how many people are with them. True faith doesn't. True faith is faith in God, not how many people are with us. True faith is demonstrated by patience, which is why we are told that it is through "faith and patience" that we will inherit the promises. "Then, knowing what lies ahead for you, you won't become bored with being a Christian, nor become spiritually dull and indifferent, but you will be anxious to follow the example of those who receive all that God has promised them because of their strong faith and patience." - Hebrews 6:12 (Living Bible) ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

1 John 3:16 - "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethern." Observation: WHEN I WANT GOD ABOVE ALL, I AM WILLING - AS CHRIST WAS WILLING - TO FOLLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT, EVEN IN THE MOST DRY AND DARK AND PAINFUL TIMES. WHEN I SEE WITH THE EYES OF FAITH THAT THIS IS THE SPIRITUAL MEANING OF THE CROSS, I WILL KNOW HOW TO IMITATE CHRIST AND DO WHAT HE DID. Matthew 15:29 - "And He said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus." IN THE PUREST SENSE PETER DID NOT REST HIS WEIGHT UPON THE WATER; HE STOOD UPON CHRIST'S WORD: "COME!" PETER TRUSTED THAT IF JESUS TOLD HIM TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE - EVEN TO WALK ON THE WATER - THE POWER TO OBEY WOULD BE INHERENT WITHIN THE COMMAND. Hebrews 10:24 - "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works." Observation: BECAUSE I CONSTANTLY OBSERVE AND CONTEMPLATE OTHERS TO KNOW HOW TO ENCOURAGE AND PROVOKE THEM TO LOVE AND TO GOOD WORKS AND AS I REACH OUT TO ASSIST THEM WITH WORDS OF STRENGTH - THEY ARE BECOMING BETTER, STRONGER, AND BOLDER IN THE LORD. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Some people think their calling is to sit in church and support someone else's vision. While it's good to do all you can to encourage someone and support them – each of us has our own CALLING in Christ Jesus. And at the end of the road, Jesus is going to ask you, "What did you do with the anointing I put in your life?" WHAT IS GOD SAYING TO YOU? Everyone (all born-again believers) has the witness of the Spirit, or the anointing, within them. That's why the apostle John said, "You don't need any man to teach you, because the anointing (or the Anointed One) is within you," - 1 John 2:27. Does that mean that we don't have teachers in the Church? No, of course not – there are teachers, pastors, prophets, apostles, and evangelists – all given to equip the Church. But you have to listen to the anointing or witness of the Spirit within you to discern what God is saying to you personally. For example, someone could come to your church and prophesy or teach or preach – but you have to discern what God is saying to you – even if there are just a couple of sentences that are for you personally. Paul prayed for Philemon that "[Your] faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." - Philemon 6 When you acknowledge the gift and calling in someone, you cause it to be brought forth and activated; for example, telling someone, "That was a great word you gave." When you tell someone that, they are encouraged and it makes them want to do that again. Out of one message, maybe there are different things that the Holy Spirit brings out to each individual present, and perhaps He says a different thing to 20 different people. Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). Not every word you hear, nor every Bible verse you read, is proceeding a word for you today. What is God saying to you NOW? Today? This week? The proceeding word imparts life and faith and has power to move you to the next thing that God has for you. One thing is for sure – we have to move on. We have to continually discern what is He saying to us now (today) -- today's manna. WHAT SHOULD BE YOUR RESPONSE TO GOD? We can sit there forever in our comfort zone or we can rise up and say, "I'm going to go for it. I'm going to be all I can be in God." You can't aim at what you can't see. By faith we have to see our DESTINY. We don't have to wander around and around the mountain, wondering where we are supposed to be going and doing a kind of "hit and miss" attempt at fulfilling the will of God. God will show you what He has for you if you start to see by faith and believe YOU CAN HEAR FROM GOD. By faith He can release a word to you if you need confirmation – but He also puts His desires in your heart so that when you fulfill the will of God, it's delightful to you because it's in your heart. What's in your heart? Where do you want to go? What is it you really want to do? You only have one life to live down here on earth. What kind of life do you want to live? A mundane, in-my comfort-zone, occasionally-stepping-out kind of life? Or, an on-the-edge, exciting, what's-going-to-happen-next kind of life? It is your Heavenly Father who is stirring you up. He made an awesome deposit in you. Jesus deposited His life in you. He is looking for a return on His deposit. His deposit will bring forth your DESTINY if you let it run its course. WATCH OUT FOR THE DOGS THAT LAY AT THE DOOR OF YOUR DESTINY There are dogs – religious spirits -- having a knowledge of God, but denying His power -- negative spirits -- that make God's people have to "qualify" to be used by God. But Jesus already qualified us 100%. Dogs can also be jealous spirits in people that don't want you to go further than them. A good teacher or instructor is proud when a pupil begins to accomplish something. Jesus has made you perfect in the sight of His Father. It is His righteousness that you are covered with – not your own. Jesus switched with you. He took your righteousness, which is like filthy rags, and took it to the Cross – then He gave you His robe of righteousness in exchange. What a great "swap"! Your rotten rags in exchange for the beauty and awesomeness and righteousness of the Mighty Son of God! How awesome is that? To be clothed in the holiness and beauty of the perfect Son – Jesus. Don't be afraid of the dogs (religious spirits) – Jesus has given you power over them. The dogs can only minister to you through lies – you have to choose not to believe those lies. Now is the time to be all you can be in God – you don't have to qualify – you just have to learn how to yield to the anointing. God sees a great big vision for you. He is not limited. He is not limited by your inability. He is released through your believing in His ability. Don't let the dogs keep you from the doorway of your destiny. They are liars and thieves. The dogs can howl and scream and bark all they want, but they can't touch you if know who you are and what is your CALLING and DESTINY on your life. Have a spirit of abandonment to the purposes of God. God wants to send the winds of the Spirit to take you where you are supposed to go – His plan and PURPOSE for your life. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Predestined For Glory (Read 2 Corinthians 3 & Romans 8) Romans 8:29-30 29For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. (By understanding how God is outside of time we understand how He chose us long ago to make us glorious like Him. Romans 8:28 is a popular quote when we are in trouble or are having a bad day. What most believers have not understood is WHY all things work together for good. Those who He “foreknew” He also predestined for glory. God has already gone into our future and worked out all the circumstances so that we can become more glorious! That’s why all things work together for good, because He created us with that end in mind. God starts from the end and works backwards. He has looked at the finished product of His finest creation and said, “ you are awesome!”) Romans 9:22-24 22What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. 1 Corinthians 2:7 7but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; (He prepared us before hand for glory. Paul said that we are being transformed by going from glory to a greater glory.) Ephesians 1:4 4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love. (Romans 8:29 says, “whom he foreknew”. God knew what we would be and do before we were ever conceived. He did not make our choices for us but He knew what they would be because in His world they have already happened. He knew that we would choose Him so He chose us first. It is powerful to think that He knows us so well that He knew to choose us before we ever knew whether or not we would choose Him.) Affirmations: I was created for glory. Before the foundation of the earth I was made and predestined for greatness because He already knew that I would choose Him. By choosing me first He gave me an inheritance for greatness.I am conformed to be like Him and He is glorious. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

"Finding the sweet spot" could be a phrase for living in a place of enjoyment, peace and rest in relationship with God, and staying in balance and harmony with His design for our life. This is where the maximum Kingdom result is accomplished. It isn't about trying harder or spinning the wheels faster, but about relaxing into all that God has given and then joyfully working with Him in the Kingdom. HIS WAYS VS. OUR WAYS Proverbs 16:9 - "a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." We know that God's Kingdom works in a very different manner than man's world and that His perspective is much higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9). Human thinking is often focused on the fastest way to get from A to B – the shortest line between two points. It is often all about the destination, getting things done, and accomplishing our goals and agenda. God's thinking is much more relationally focused, and His concern is our transformation along the journey. He just isn't that concerned about us getting from A to B in the shortest time possible! God wants to meander along the trail with us for a while, more than being in a race to get to our next stop. His focus is to spend time with us so we get to know Him and His ways. His goal is to transform us into His image, rather than just have us check off the next item on the "dreams and goals" list. In other words, He wants us to ENJOY the journey WITH Him, taking in the many nuances that a relationship with the Most High involves: seeing Him in His goodness, experiencing His kindness along the way, reveling in His love, and dancing in His joy. These inward characteristics are all accessible to us no matter what is being accomplished on the outward journey of goals and pursuits. LEARNING TO REST Even when the outside pressures squeeze in. We are learning how to say, "It's been a good and fulfilling day," even when we can't check off all the things on our to-do list. When we don't perform to meet other people's expectations, or even our own, we can still live in the love and acceptance of the Father. It isn't about striving, performing, or accomplishing. It is about finding our pleasure in Him, living in the overflow of who He is and His pleasure toward us. We learn to live in the space of God's love, grace, peace and joy, and maximize the results of our energies spent. It's not so much about WHAT we accomplish, but HOW we live life during that process. ENJOYING THE JOURNEY As we step back and take the pace of life down a notch or two (maybe even three), we take time to reflect on His love and His good pleasure, no matter what the outward journey looks like. Are we operating in His agenda or ours? "Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you'll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want." - 1 Peter 4:2, The Message We want to be free to pursue what He wants and not be driven by what WE think needs to be done. We hear the still, quiet voice that says: "Stay by My side and enjoy the journey, regardless of whether or not you can see where it's going." "What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way He works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how He works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met." - Matthew 6:31-33, The Message AN EASY YOKE In this age of adrenal fatigue and living a driven life, perhaps we all need the Spirit to show us which purposes are really our own agenda, and just how driven we, as a Western society, have become. Is it possible that our "goals and good activities" are running us ragged as we pursue God'sPURPOSE for our life (our CALLING in Christ), serve other people's needs, and try to achieve a host of other goals? If these not done from the right place and at God's pace, we may lose the peace and enjoyment of the Kingdom life. Contentment is a good measuring stick. Like Paul, can we have an abiding sense of being content regardless of what is happening around us? (Philippians 4:12) ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Since the moment we first came to Christ, there has been an updraft of the Holy Spirit, a constant drawing from God lifting us upward toward the fullness of His Presence. Lets surrender to this wind of God and allow Him to carry us into our holy future (our DESTINY). The disciples did not just pray and sit around waiting for God to enter the "playing field" to convert the world on His own. They went out into the world so that the Holy Spirit might go into the World. "The Lord worked with them." - Mark 16:20 God plants His purpose in our lives in the epicenter of our heart and it will fuel new exploits in our lives. The first step to getting out of the box is to fellowship with the God of the breakthrough.The Holy Spirit will charge you with fresh vision and boldness. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

http://www.christianityboard.com/blog/48/entry-1050-1-corinthians-inheritance-affirmations/

http://www.christianityboard.com/blog/48/entry-1049-the-reward-of-seeking/ The true supernatural flow of the Holy Spirit gives you.......................

http://www.christianityboard.com/blog/48/entry-1037-moving-in-overcoming-faith/ Without a revelation of what God intends to do with.............

This discussion is two parts: A. What is (are) God's purpose(s) in allowing suffering in your view? B. Here's an interesting perspective from a guy named JD. What do you think of JD's perspective?