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Setting My Heart (Read Genesis 30 & Ephesians 5) Genesis 30:37-39 37Then Jacob took fresh rods of poplar and almond and plane trees, and peeled white stripes in them, exposing the white which was in the rods. 38He set the rods which he had peeled in front of the flocks in the gutters, even in the watering troughs, where the flocks came to drink; and they mated when they came to drink. 39So the flocks mated by the rods, and the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. (As the animals came to drink they would see spotted and speckled rods on the ground near their watering hole which was also their breeding ground. As they came to the water and breed they did so while looking upon the spotted rods. The result was that they produced spotted and speckled offspring and it was all because of what they saw when they came to the water.) Ephesians 5:26 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, (More than once the word of God is referred to as water. It cleanses us from the impurities of life in much the same way the laver was used to purify the priests in the Old Testament before going into the presence of the Lord. The blood deals with sin but it’s the water that deals with impurity.) Exodus 38:8 8Moreover, he made the laver of bronze with its base of bronze, from the mirrors of the serving women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 2 Corinthians 3:18 18But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (It’s not an accident that the lavers of water were made from the mirrors of women. As the bible tells us the word of God is like a mirror.) Proverbs 4:23; 23:7 23Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. 7For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, “Eat and drink!” But his heart is not with you. (When I come to God’s word I will reproduce what I see i.e. Whatever my heart is set upon when I come to the bible will determine much of what I see in the bible.) Psalm 24:3-4 3Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? 4He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. (I do not hold or entertain thoughts that contradicts God’s word.) Matthew 7:7 7“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Jesus promises revelation if we will seek: eg. If I’m “looking for love” in the scriptures – I determine to find the verses that reveal God’s love and my service to others: 1. I pray the scriptures – seeing myself partaking and dispensing God’s love. 2. I affirm in prayer that since God is love and that I am in Christ I am love also. 3. I see scriptures that I never before interpreted as love scriptures.) Other areas of bible reading to experience revelation: 1. Greatness of God. 2. Benefits of God. 3. Abundance (freedom from lack). 4. Kingdom of Heaven. 5. Healing (physical and emotional) 6. Discipleship. 7. Faith and Hope (Comparing the two in scripture). 8. Evangelism. Affirmations: What I behold in my heart I seek from scripture and experience revelation. I am in union with God – I have the mind of Christ. God speaks in and through me. I speak only God thoughts. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

The love of God is manifested in me so that I might live through Jesus. - 1 John 4:9 He has put His own Holy Spirit into my heart as a proof to me that I am living with Him and He is with me. - 1 John 4:13 As I abide in love, God abides in me. - 1 John 4:16 Since I am a child of God I am able to defeat the world. The way I have victory over the world is with my faith. - I John 5:4 Since I have the Son of God I have eternal life. - I John 5: 11,12 I can approach God with confidence for this reason: If I make requests which are in accord with His will he listens to me: and if I know that my requests are heard, I know also that the things I ask for are mine. - I John 5; 14,15 I know that Christ, God’s Son, has come to help me understand and find the true God; and I am in God because I am in Jesus Christ His Son, who is the only true God; and He is eternal life. - I John 5:20 ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." - Matthew 10:16 A TRECHEROUS FOE Before we engage in spiritual warfare, we should know this about satan: he is an ancient and extremely treacherous foe. Therefore, be bold but never arrogant in your prayer life Whatever lofty spiritual plane you imagine that you are on, remember: Adam was in Paradise when he fell. Before your increased knowledge and religious experiences make you overly self-confident, recall that Solomon wrote three books of Scripture; he actually gazed upon the glory of God, yet he fell. Yes, even in your deepest worship of the Almighty, do not forget in long ages past lucifer himself was once in Heaven pouring out praise to God. WISE AS SERPENTS "Prepare plans by consultation, and make war by wise guidance" (Proverbs 20:18). "Wisdom is better than strength... Wisdom is better than weapons of war" (Ecclesiastes 9:16, 18). "There was a small city with few men in it and a great king came to it, surrounded it and constructed large siegeworks against it. But there was found in it a poor wise man and he delivered the city by his wisdom." - (Ecclesiastes 9:14-15) Ephesians 3:10 reveals God's glorious plan, that "through the Church" God has purposed to make known His manifold wisdom to the principalities and powers "in the heavenly places." You see, as the Body of Christ on earth agrees with its Head in Heaven, the Spirit of Christ Himself displaces the powers of darkness in the heavenly places. When the Church on earth is aggressive in its agreement with the will and Word of God, then the presence of God increases in the spiritual realm, proportionally displacing the influence of Hell on earth. Shortly thereafter, manifesting in the world of men, we see revivals, healings and miracles. But when the Church is passive, indifferent or carnal, the powers of Hell increase their rule over the affairs of men: marriages break up, crime increases, and wantonness becomes unbridled. We must see that our prayers, attitudes, and agreement with God are an integral part of establishing the reality of the Kingdom of God on earth! KNOWING GOD'S WORD Our fight is the fight of faith: Do we believe, affirm and meditate on what God has promised? Our war is against principalities and powers. Jesus said His words "are spirit and are life" (John 6:63), which is to say that the substance or meaning in Christ's words represents an actual reality -- the living Spirit of the Kingdom of God. CHRIST CAME TO TRAIN AND EMPOWER WARRIORS Jesus prepared His disciples for everything, including war. They saw Him casting out demons. In fact, He sent them forth doing the same. Christ not only came to set captives free, He came to TRAIN and EMPOWER the recently freed to be warriors. How can we, imperfect Christians, walk triumphantly? The Bible says we overcome "because of the Blood of the Lamb and because of the word of [our] testimony, and [we do] not love [our lives] even when faced with death" (Revelation 12:11). Many Christians are awakened spiritually, but they do not know God's promises in the Bible. To be successful, we must know God's Word, believe it, MEDITATE on it, and SPEAK it with faith. We overcome by the "word of our testimony." Proclaim the Word of God with authority. Indeed, the Holy Spirit tells us to take up "the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" (Ephesians 6:17). If we advance protected by the Blood of the Lamb, if we war armed with the Word of God, and if we shoulder in our hearts the Cross of Christ, we will truly be "more than conquerors through Him that loved us" (Romans 8:37). CONSIDER HIS PROCLAMATION "So will My Word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11). No matter how the battle rages, God's Word shall not return to Him void. Consider also His commitment: "I am watching over My Word to perform it" (Jeremiah 1:12). "The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' – that is, the Word of faith which we are preaching" (Romans 10:8). ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

John 15:7,8 - "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples." Some are willing to spend hours in prayer asking for a miracle instead of planting the Word of God in their hearts, which in time would produce the miracle. Prayer is what water and fertilizer are to a seed. They help the Word release its life. But if you haven't planted the seed, it doesn't matter how much water and fertilizer you apply, the soil still won't produce fruit. It's the seed that has life! Genesis 3:11 - "And He said, 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?'" By taking the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they found a source of the knowledge of right and wrong outside of God. This can be identified as the proinciple of reasoning. They no longer need the wisdom of God; they could govern themselves according to their sense of right and wrong. This is why God questioned them "who told you"? ALBERT FINCH

I impart my own life to others, exhorting and encouraging them with boldness in advancing God's Kingdom in word and power and in the Holy Spirit. - 1 Thessalonians 1:5; 2:2,11,13 As I fight the good fight of faith and take hold of eternal life, I confess my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to others. - 1 Timothy 6:12 God did not give me the spirit of fear but a spirit of power, of love and of self-dicipline. - 2 Timothy 1:7 Through grace I am saved with a holy calling in Christ Jesus, to fullfill God's purpose from all eternity. - 2 Timothy 1:9 The Lord grants me understanding in everything. - 2 Timothy 2:7 I convince, rebuke, and exhort others in the Word through teaching and patience. - 2 Timothy 4:2 I fight the good fight of faith, finish the race, and keep the faith. - 2 Timothy 4:7 The Lord rescues me from all evil and takes me safely into His Heavenly Kingdom. - 2 Timothy 4:18 As a priest unto God I further the faith of God's elect and theirknowledge of the truth. - Titus 1:1 Through God's grace I give up everything that does not lead to God and renounce godless ways and worldly desires. - Titus 2:12 God poured out His Holy Spirit abundantly on me through Jesus Christ my Savior, so that by His grace I might be put right with God and come into possession of the eternal life I hope for. - Titus 3:6,7 I keep from friendship with the world as the Holy Spirit watches over my spirit with tender jealousy. - James 4:4,5 Christ personally bore my sins in His own body on the cross, so that I might cease to live for sin and begin to live for righteousness. It was the suffering which He bore which has healed me. - 1 Peter 2:24 I have received a spiritual gift to serve others faithfully, administering God's grace. When I speak I speak words that seem to come from God; I help as though every order was done at God's orders, so that in everthing God may receive the glory through Jesus Christ since to Him belongs all glory and power forever and ever. - 1 Peter 4:10,11 He has granted to me His exceeding great and precious promises, that through these I might escape from the corruption that is in the world through lust and become a partaker of the devine nature. - 2 Peter 1:4 I have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness through the kinowledge of God who has called me to glory and virtue. - 2 Peter 1:3 ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY