Tag: #SpiritofGrace

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Obstacles or Opportunities – Part 2

I love what Pastor Jack Hayford says: “Unbelief looks at obstacles; faith looks at God” (The Hayford Bible Handbook). 

Whatever we focus on grows (Pr 23:7). 

One of the definitions of “obstacle” is “catch-22.”

We can either get caught up in a snare or caught up in the powerful Presence of God with the mind of Christ.

We are commanded to follow God’s lead. Yet, if we don’t know Him for ourselves, we won’t trust Him.

God has a glorious inheritance for us as we move from obsolete (legend) to overcomer.

We know there is freedom (opportunity) in the salvation God offers us for a life reconciled to Him. And we know God goes before us to make a way, even when life on earth seems impossible to us. 

But do we believe Him at His Word?

Pastor Hayford wisely advises us to increase our “faith in God’s promises rather than look at the impossible circumstances.”

With this strategy, we grow in faith and shrink hindrances as we trust God. 

But when we see more obstacles than opportunities, something’s wrong: Our focus and faith have shifted off of God and His grace and goodness. 

We have come to trust something or someone else above God. 

Perhaps even ourselves. 

We know that God never disappoints, because His Word says so (1 Pe 2:6). 

So, when we feel disappointed or frustrated, it’s an alert to us to shift our misplaced faith (and focus) back onto Him.

Even when we walk through wilderness seasons or when we feel hemmed in during times of endurance, we can still look up and seek and worship God. We can see above and beyond giants when we gain God’s perspective. We can receive power from on high and defeat them as we experience God’s magnificent Glory-Presence. We can stand in His truth, knowing He will watch over and fulfill His promises to us in His time and way.

Sovereign God is more powerful than any mere obstacle. 

King David understood this. I believe his defeat of Goliath was an outward manifestation of David having overcome something within his own soul.

Since Jesus has bought back abundant life for us, we only need to believe Him at His Word, obey Him and receive from His heart and hand through His gift of grace.

Unlike man, He will not cheat us or trick us. 

He will not be too hard on us.

With God, we will never come up short when we receive what He has for us.

But obstacles of the soul that we don’t overcome can limit God.

And they can take many forms.

For example, when we take our eyes off of The Spirit of Grace, a harsh attitude can easily gain ground into our soul—a legalistic one that fears and thinks and sees the worst in people and circumstances. A critical attitude that tears others down. This is condemnation of the enemy, the accuser of the brethren, working through a person. This type of behavior reveals insecurity (an open door) in the soul of that person, a hole in their soul where they’ve rejected God’s way and gave up their hope and confidence. 

This type of behavior is a self-reliant attempt to cope in order to protect oneself and one’s worth by exalting oneself pridefully. It is a false shield that distrusts God and counters the armor of God. This false shield will eventually be shaken, because it’s an idol within an unbelieving heart (Is 2:18). The vain glory of un-resolve battling to rule the effects of a wounded soul held captive. The aging unrest, false responsibility and overwork of self-reliance above knowing God and trusting in His goodness. 

1 Corinthians 8:4 AMPC reveals that “…an idol is nothing (has no real existence) and that there is no God but one. [Deut. 6:4.]”

This self-reliant behavior can be the result of a life hard lived that didn’t know a better way of the true power of God. It can even be blasphemous, where God’s truth was “traded for a lie” long ago (Ro 1:25).

Jeremiah 2:11 AMPC says “…My people have changed their Glory [God] for that which does not profit.” 

So, this type of behavior can be at the root of why people fail in life, because there is no life (or victory) in idolatry, including our way.

Proverbs 16:3 tells us, “Before you do anything, put your trust totally in God and not in yourself. Then every plan you make will succeed.”

So, friends, isn’t it time to lay down every hopeless obstacle of idolatry? Every worthless focus that would try to exalt itself against God’s power and rob you of His abundance (2 Co 10:5)?

There’s no need to fear coming into port to make this exchange, because there’s no condemnation in Christ.

God is rich in mercy and full of grace.

James 1:5 TPT tells us, “…if anyone longs to be wise, ask God for wisdom and he will give it! He won’t see your lack of wisdom as an opportunity to scold you over your failures but he will overwhelm your failures with his generous grace.”

We need to humble ourselves and yield our whole heart to The Lord and receive.

And if we desire to see a great yield of good fruit in our lives, then we have to yield to the Fruit of the Spirit (Ga 5:23).

So, God’s parallel for the enemy’s catch-22 is Isaiah 22:22, which is to wholeheartedly believe and operate in the authority, power and privilege of our position in Christ, having been given full access, nothing withheld through Jesus. His Spirit living in us is our key to “revelation, treasures, favor and opportunity” (Is 22:22 TPT study note).

Yes, “…we still have the opportunity to enter into the faith-rest life and experience the fulfillment of the promise” (Hebrews 4:6 TPT)!

Matthew 22:2 AMPC says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding banquet for his [daughter].” 

It’s time to enter into God’s abundant life (Strong’s #2222). 

So, pray with me, if you will…

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for offering me abundant life. I repent of wrongdoing. I trade in my false shields for You as my protector. I invite Jesus into my whole heart, nothing withheld (Pr 30:5). I choose to lay down every false idol to You today and make You the center of my life. Help me to receive Your healing power—bind every wound and heal every injury. Show me a better way, Lord. Enable me to receive Your freedom of deliverance from every catch-22 snare. Help me to receive healthy boundaries and truth in my life as I choose to trust You totally (Pr 16:3). Help me to know You more. I ask You to release Your wisdom, revelation and favor to me, as You know all things (1 Jn 2:20). Help me to receive Your best legacy (inheritance) and destiny (pre-determined plan) for my life. Thank You, Lord, for making all things new. Thank You for the invitation to Your banquet. I receive it.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name, 

Amen. 

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.