Tag: #ResurrectedLife

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Youthful Resurrection – Part 2

The Word I believe The Lord gave me regarding the dream in Part 1 of this series is precisely this: 

Now is the beginning of the manifestation of a fresh, new expanse for God’s sons and daughters. The ones who endured long-suffering, processed through it God’s way, and continue to receive the resurrected life of Christ are coming into true (original) longstanding.

God has strengthened His sons and daughters in Him through a process of long-suffering to be able to stand long in their new expanse outwardly. 

In regards to this dream, the Word of Knowledge, “youthful resurrection,” essentially means to newly stand in the new place.

Youthful, by definition, means “new” and refers to a lot more than chronological age in scripture.

Our “new” covenant in Christ is both new in respect to time (Strong’s #3501 – or the Greek word neos; He 12:24) and in respect to character (Strong’s #2537 – or the Greek word kainos; He 9:15).

In this recent prophetic dream, in which two young men were shifted from their enclosed dwelling place into an expanse of destiny (see Part 1), they were sons of God, which meant that they had already been born again and were led by Holy Spirit.

So, they had overcome their old (original) nature and character with which they were born into the world. 

“New” as character, or a kainos kind of new, has to do with quality and form (or innovation) and freshness in development or opportunity. It’s an uncommon, unheard of, superior kind of new (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon).

It is what scripture refers to in Revelation 21:5 TPT, where God says, “I am making everything to be new and fresh.”

It’s about God bringing us up higher in terms of quality and quantity.

There are two key scriptures that particularly reference this kainos kind of “new” (Vine’s):

One is 2 Corinthians 5:17 TPT, which pertains to a new-man character. It says, “Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new person. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new.” 

The second scripture is Galatians 6:15 AMPC, in which Paul references being made a new creation in Christ, saying it is “the result of a new birth and new nature in Christ.” 

There is a finality that goes along with what Paul said. He implies that what God has cut away or pruned (flesh) has passed away and will not be resurrected. (In the Old Testament, this relates metaphorically to circumcision and Passover in Joshua 5:2-12, just before they ate the fruit of the land and the produce of Canaan that same year.)

Paul goes on to say that “The only thing that really matters is living by the transforming power of this wonderful new creation life” (Ga 6:15 TPT). 

We know this as “resurrection life,” which happens inside of us and also in Heaven.

So, in the dream God gave me, those two young men had to be made new in character before they could stand long in the expanse of a new place.  

This is God’s order of sequence in the miraculous process of resurrection, which, in this case, means to rise and stand. 

Greater assignments require that we die to flesh and come into agreement with Christ.  

So, compromise has to go for our next-level divine destiny to manifest (1 Co 5:7).

In the dream, once the two young men were taken past their limited ways, by the power of God’s mercy, they discovered their deeper purpose and were instantly catapulted from an inward sitting (receiving) position to one of outwardly and standing (action) in their new expanse. 

The God of Amen (which means “so let it be”), who is The God of Faithfulness and The God of Truth, launched these two sons into the new place of divine destiny when He knew they were ready and could continue to live holy in an expanded blessing.

In this regard, Colossians 3:10 TPT says, “For you have acquired new creation life which is continually being renewed into the likeness of the One who created you; giving you the full revelation of God.”

These sons of God in the dream understood that God desires that we walk with Him in new (neos) discoveries and join Him in new (neos) places as in Isaiah 40:31 NLT, which says, “those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”

They understood God was doing a new thing and had matured them to the point where they could live disciplined lives with self-restraint and prudence (Ti 2:6). They were ready for a new beginning, a neos kind of youthful resurrection. 

It was time (neos) for them to cross into the dream of their hearts that God manifested for them.

So, friends, are you ready and willing to be launched into your manifest dreams God’s way?

If your answer is “yes,” then it’s time to cross over. 

This is my prayer for you…

“I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith. Then your lives will be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through you! This is the mighty power that was released when God raised Christ from the dead and exalted him to the place of highest honor and supreme authority in the heavenly realm” (Ep 1:19-20 TPT)!

To God be the Glory.

This video-devo was graciously re-posted by the Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.

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Legend or Legacy – Part 1

Very recently, The Lord revealed to me that He wills to re-write people’s heritage and bring us from legend to legacy with inward to outward manifestations of His great blessings.

God wills to change our genealogy and give us a legacy that will never be outdated. 

This fruitful increase of authenticity invites us into a more renewed mind and resurrected life on earth. 

An enthroned life for His glory.

God is doing a new and purposed thing (Is 43:19).

He is awakening His bride even more for a banquet (Ma 22:2, 25:7, 10).

And it’s just beginning.

We know that when we become born again into God’s Kingdom, through the grace of Jesus Christ, we begin a new heavenly heritage. 

The word “heritage” can mean (Encarta):

  • Something someone is born into.
  • Legal inheritance.
  • Riches of the past.

As His redeemed, we understand that we become heirs to receive rich spiritual and physical blessings from the Ancient of Days (Da 7:22).

James 1:17 tells us that “Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is from above…from the Father of all [that gives] light, in [the shining of] Whom there can be no variation [rising or setting] or shadow cast…”

1 Timothy 6:17 TPT describes God as “…the one who lavishes upon us all good things, fulfilling our every need.”

Like heritage, legacy can also mean “inheritance.” And legacy can be specific. 

Legacy means (Webster’s):

  • “A gift by will, especially of money or other personal property.”
  • “Something…received from…a predecessor or from the past.”

Friends, what dream has God placed deeply in your heart that you’ve been expecting Him to fulfill? 

This is a legacy He wills for you.

Are you ready to receive the true blessings God wills to hand down?

God knows when we are ready.

On the other hand, the word “legend” brings to mind super heroes, cowboys, athletes, movie stars and, well, intriguing stories passed down in families through generations.

But although legends are well-known among family members or society-at-large, the stories contain an unverifiable element. In fact, a definition of “legend” is the word “myth.” And a synonym of “legend” is the word “fictitious” (Webster’s). In the case of celebrities, by definition, they are legends, because they are admired for their talent or skill, which, of course, God gave them (Encarta).

A biblical example of a legend as story is in Matthew 28:11-15 TPT, which says:

After the women left the tomb, a few of the guards went into Jerusalem and told the chief priests everything they had seen and heard. So, the chief priests called a meeting with all the religious leaders and came up with a plan. They bribed the guards with a large sum of money and told them, “Tell everyone, ‘While we were asleep, his disciples came at night and stole his body!’ If Pilate finds out about this, don’t worry. We’ll make sure you don’t get blamed.” So, they took the money and did as they were told. (That is why the story of the guards is still circulated among the Jews to this day.)

Those guards opposed holy angels. Those chief priests opposed Jesus. Their character and actions were false, not favorable. Their version of a legend included a false plan with a false “gift” (a bribe), in a false power, with a false expectation.

The story they concocted perpetuated a lie. 

In this way, legends can steer people away from God and His destiny for them.

James 1:16 AMPC says, “Do not be misled, my beloved brethren.”

Because legends can set a false expectation from a false standard, they can also breed a mentality of false entitlement.

At their worst, legends can adversely affect people’s faith. 

The kind of faith God gives us is our true title-deed—the guarantee of His fulfillment of His promises in our lives.

God wills to free us of false hope, even traces of unbelief and misplaced faith. He wills to awaken our hope and faith in Him to guide us into all of His truth and fulfill His promises in our lives for His glory. 

We are to make Him famous. So, that means a shift of our focus. 

God also wills for us to remember Him when we are blessed. 

So, there’s no need to compromise true legacy to a legend, since God has higher for us.

God’s standard is holiness.

A heritage of holiness that brings Him glory.

God wills to bring us into greater purity to enable us to receive “life real and genuine…A life active and vigorous, devoted to God…even in this world [for] those who put their trust in Christ…A happy life and every kind of blessing” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon).

For those of us who are walking through or have walked through refiner’s fire, and those of us who have waited for what feels like a long time, this gives us hope.

God wills to make things right for us by first making them right in us and through us. 

He alone is our best standard. 

God wills to make our soul strong enough in Him to stand in His higher blessings. 

James 1:12 AMPC assures us that “Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor’s] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.”

The kind of life in this scripture is zóé life, which means resurrection life on earth as well as in Heaven.

In other words, it is the Spirit of Christ, who is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Grace, living in and through us (Ro 8:9).

2 Corinthians 8:9 AMPC tells us, “For you have experienced the extravagant grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was infinitely rich, he impoverished himself for our sake, so that by his poverty, we could become rich beyond measure.”

The word “rich” here means to be “filled by having God’s muchness” and includes both spiritual and material provisions (HELPS Word-studies).

Friends, I encourage you to keep the faith, because God wills to build us to handle our new heritage and legacy forward. It is a worthwhile inheritance that is abundantly supplied and fully resourced by grace through faith. One that we can enjoy and leave behind for His glory. 

Join me next week for the continuation of Legend Or Legacy.

This video-devo was graciously re-posted by the Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.

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Your Spirit-Filled Strategy for Ultimate Victory

Proverbs 21:31b TPT makes it clear: “…ultimate victory comes from the Lord God.” 

We alone cannot discover it, accomplish it or sustain it, because ultimate victory is not only a win against overwhelming opposition, it’s also a divine gift.

Defined & Delineated

The gracious gift of ultimate victory Jesus offers to us is the complete establishment of mastery over darkness by Love. It includes the foundational elements of deliverance and salvation. 

Ultimate victory was accomplished once and for all time by Jesus’ finished work of redemption at the cross for our sins and His resurrected life in Heaven, on earth, and in the believer’s spirit. 

Ultimate victory is never subject to change (James 1:17). 

We Need Him 

We receive the gift of ultimate victory by our Savior’s triumphant grace and faith. 

Whether we believers reign truly victorious in life on earth is based on God’s power of grace and our humble obedience to live out The Lord’s finished work, even though we go to Heaven afterwards.

2 Peter 1:2-4 TPT reminds us: 

May grace and perfect peace cascade over you as you live in the rich knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Everything we could ever need for life and godliness has already been deposited in us by his divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness. As a result of this, he has given you magnificent promises that are beyond all price, so that through the power of these tremendous promises you can experience partnership with the divine nature, by which you have escaped the corrupt desires that are of the world.

To Sustain Ultimate Victory

Hebrews 10:36 TPT forewarns us, “You need the strength of endurance to reveal the poetry of God’s will and then you receive the promise in full.”

We need His resurrected life in us. Since there is life in His Word and in the blood of the Lamb, we need both His truth of Word and Spirit (see Rev. 12:11, 1 Peter 1:22-23, 25).

This means hindrances in the heart have to go to grow (3 John 1:2). 

This means yieldingness must rise: We must surrender to His will, His ways to produce the greatest yield of fruit of The Spirit in and through us.

Merciful love toward others forms the highest rung on the ladder of fruitfulness (foreshadowed by the spies’ pole of fruit from their promised land in Num. 13:23, 26-27, Gal. 5:22-23). Truly extending authentic mercy and divine love is our final step of obedience before we see the resurrection life of God’s manifest promises (foreshadowed by Jesus’ declaration on the cross in Luke 23:34):

So devote yourselves to lavishly supplementing your faith with goodness, and to goodness add understanding, and to understanding add the strength of self-control, and to self-control add patient endurance, and to patient endurance add godliness, and to godliness add mercy toward your brothers and sisters, and to mercy toward others add unending love. Since these virtues are already planted deep within, and you possess them in abundant supply, they will keep you from being inactive or fruitless in your pursuit of knowing Jesus Christ more intimately. But if anyone lacks these things, he is blind, constantly closing his eyes to the mysteries of our faith, and forgetting his innocence—for his past sins have been washed away. For this reason, beloved ones, be eager to confirm and validate that God has invited you to salvation and claimed you as his own. If you do these things, you will never stumble. As a result, the kingdom’s gates will open wide to you as God choreographs your triumphant entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Messiah (2 Pet. 1:5-11 TPT).

Jonah’s Story

In studying the topic of victory during the month of April, The Lord particularly highlighted the story of the prophet Jonah to me. 

We know Jonah spent three days in a fish’s belly, because he ran from God’s assignment to deliver a warning of repentance to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria (modern day northern Iraq). We know Jonah finally delivered God’s message and that the people of Nineveh took God’s Word to heart, believing Him and repenting for their sins. 

This resulted in a revival of over 120,000 people.

God proved faithful, even when Jonah did not.

These pagans and longstanding enemies of the Israelites were destined for victory, regardless of Jonah’s ungodly attitude and behavior.

Psalm 98:2 NLT assures us, “The LORD has announced his victory and has revealed his righteousness to every nation!”

The Ninevites humbled themselves unto God and extended overcoming faith to believe Him for their victory of salvation, even though Jonah did not value them.

Since one of the elements of faith is value, this reveals that Jonah lacked faith, hence his depression. His soul was not right (see Matt. 6:21, Hab. 2:4). He had trouble believing God would rescue Israel’s abusive enemies (see Is. 14:27). God’s strategy was to send one of His covenant people (Jonah) to do a work of outreach and, in the process, convict him of his own limitation to lead him through his own deliverance into greater maturity.

But Jonah got stuck in his lack of faith, the victorious power that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4).

Jonah was commanded to go where he didn’t want to go to, in part, to confront his own attitude of prideful self-justification for the purpose of breaking through to love on a higher level of true justice: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34b MEV).

Is this not our daily commandment and standard?

To love our enemies beyond ourselves (Matt. 5:44, Luke 6:27)?

Grudge-holding is a sin that hinders blessing. 

God calls us up higher.

How can we prevail or ascend by superior power (to be victorious) above petty grudges if we are not synced with God’s ways of faith and grace?

As submitted followers of Christ, who are we to pick who we minister to? After all, Jesus died for us while we were still sinners (Rom. 5:6, 8).

“Is it right for you to be angry?” God asked Jonah twice (Jonah 4:4b, 9a).

This rhetorical question reveals that we are not entitled to self-justify our ways. If we desire to see maximum fruit in our lives, we must maximize our yield to God to see God’s maximum yield through us.

Mercy Over Judgment Is Critical

“…Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13b). 

Both Jonah and the Ninevites were desperate for God’s mercy. 

God desired to give all of them life over death. 

Victory to not be overthrown by evil came to Nineveh through God’s prevailing mercy and grace. But there was no victory coming or going in Jonah’s prideful self-justification. 

Jonah stumbled to go the distance as he ran a false race fromGod before he reluctantly showed up to finish the task he was sent to do (Jonah 1:3, 10; 1 Cor. 9:24-27; Ps. 119:32), all because he did not believe the Assyrians deserved mercy and love since they had been abusive to Israel—God’s covenant people. 

By the end of Jonah’s story, he still hadn’t come around in his heart. 

Everyone was faithful, except Jonah.

What would you do if you were in Jonah’s position?

Would you decide to value what God values? Even your enemies? Would you humble yourself and ask God to help you receive a new perspective through His eyes of mercy? Would you ask our Lord to fill your heart with His love for them? 

Would you decide to break through prideful self-justification? Or would you make it all about you, your pain and your opinions, ending up depressed with your false pride exalted, like Jonah?

Do you desire to live a powerful life?

Submission to God is our greatest position of power.

We all know it’s easy to devalue our enemies. But also know this: God’s will is to use them to provoke us to come up higher. We may be the only one praying righteously for them. God will bring reformation to them, often after we have done our part. He will use all of it to build His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven (1 Chron. 29:11, Matt. 6:10). 

Everyone will be better off.

Our greatest victories await on the other side of our obedience to receive and pour out His resurrection life. 

God’s Strategy for Ascension

“This gospel unveils a continual revelation of God’s righteousness—a perfect righteousness given to us when we believe. And it moves us from receiving life through faith, to the power of living by faith. This is what the Scripture means when it says: ‘We are right with God through life-giving faith!'” -Romans 1:17 TPT

“You see, every child of God overcomes the world, for our faith is the victorious power that triumphs over the world.”  -1 John 5:4 TPT

“But we thank God for giving us the victory as conquerors through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One.”  -1 Corinthians 15:57 TPT

“And God has made all things new, and reconciled us to himself, and given us the ministry of reconciling others to God. In other words, it was through the Anointed One that God was shepherding the world, not even keeping records of their transgressions, and he has entrusted to us the ministry of opening the door of reconciliation to God.”  -2 Corinthians 5:18-19 TPT

“However, I say to you, love your enemy, bless the one who curses you, do something wonderful for the one who hates you, and respond to the very ones who persecute you by praying for them.”  -Matthew 5:44 TPT

“For your heart will always pursue what you value as your treasure.” -Matthew 6:21 TPT

“Now, because of your obedience to the truth, you have purified your very souls, and this empowers you to be full of love for your fellow believers…And this seed that He planted within you can never be destroyed but will live and grow inside of you forever. For the Word of The Lord endures forever.” -1 Peter 1:22-23, 25 TPT

“You love him passionately although you did not see him, but through believing in him you are saturated with an ecstatic joy, indescribably sublime and immersed in glory. For you are reaping the harvest of your faith—the full salvation promised you—your souls’ victory!  -1 Peter 1:8-9 TPT

“In your glory and grandeur go forth in victory! Through your faithfulness and meekness the cause of truth and justice will stand. Awe-inspiring miracles are accomplished by your power, leaving everyone dazed and astonished!” -Psalm 45:4 TPT

“For you bring me a continual revelation of resurrection life, the path to the bliss that brings me face-to-face with you.” -Psalm 16:11 TPT

“To everyone who is victorious and continues to do my works to the very end I will give you authority over the nations to shepherd them with a royal scepter. And the rebellious will be shattered as clay pots—even as I also received authority from the presence of my Father. I will give the morning star to the one who experiences victory.” -Revelation 2:26-28 TPT

“For he enjoys his faithful lovers. He adorns the humble with his beauty and he loves to give them the victory.” -Psalm 149:4 TPT

This article graciously appeared on Charisma.com May 1, 2019.