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Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

-Acts 9:31 NIV

Understanding the fear of the Lord is not a matter of the intellect.  You must receive it by faith. Revelation of the fear of the Lord will come to you when you open your heart to the Lord.  Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you the fear of the Lord in faith and He will.  Too often we claim to know the Lord by how much we know about the Bible or how many scriptures we have memorized.  There is a major difference in knowing the Bible and knowing the Lord of the Bible.  True knowledge of God begins with the having the fear of the Lord.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,

-Proverbs 1:7 NKJV

The word for knowledge here is not about what you know in your head rather it is an ability to recognize the Lord.  Are you able to recognize the Lord in your life?

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said…The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

-Luke 19:41-44 NIV

Would you recognize the Lord if He came to you in a different way than you were expecting?  Are you looking for God in the spectacular or do you see him daily in the common places of your life?  The shepherds feared the Lord on the day of Christ’s birth.  They came to Bethlehem to see what the angels had told them.  Fear of the Lord prompts obedience in spite of how illogical something may seem.  Fear of the Lord is being aware of the Lord at all times.

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

-John 1:10-11 NKJV

The greatest minds of Jesus’ day did not receive Him because they were not aware of who He was.  In spite of all their so-called knowledge of God they did not recognize God when He was in their midst. He was treated by them as a common criminal.

For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him.  And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death.

-Acts 13:27-29 NKJV

The fear of the Lord is a matter of the heart.  It is not something you can train for or learn through teaching.  You learn it by doing it.  The Holy Spirit must teach you in the inward part of your heart.  You must experience the fear of the Lord throughout your lifetime.

My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.

-Proverbs 2:1-5 NKJV

This verse explains that the fear of the Lord comes when you chase after the Lord.  This must be a diligent search on your part, one that requires an open heart and willingness to cry out for God.  If you knew silver was hiding somewhere in the earth of your backyard would you be willing to find it?  Would you stay up at night to find it? Would you pay the price to find it?  The fear of the Lord is like silver for it is a precious treasure.  The doorway to wisdom is the fear of the Lord.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

-Ps. 111:10 NIV

Once you decide to totally surrender and give up your ways and seek the Lord’s ways you come into knowing the fear of the Lord.  The beginning of wisdom is its foundation.  It is the choicest part.  It is what will enable you to increase more and more in wisdom.

Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

-Ps 34:11-14 NIV

To fear the Lord is to never forget that the Lord is watching you.  He sees you.  He hears what you say.  He is keeping an account of the words you are speaking.  God brings you into judgment by the words you speak behind closed doors or with intimate friends.  If you fear Him you will take your words very seriously.

But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment. For by thy words thou shall be justified, and by thy words thou shall be condemned.

-Matt 12:36-37 KJV

The Greek word for idle is argos meaning “without work” in other words careless or unfruitful.  Idle words accomplish nothing.  Every word you speak should have a purpose and should be the truth. Empty talk condemns you. If you talk too much you are in danger of speaking idly.

For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God.

-Eccl. 5:7 NAS

Little white lies are idle words.  Flippant responses or passing remarks that are void of sincerity are idle words. Idle words include flattery that is for selfish gain and insults to a person with the words “I was only kidding” attached.  The worship songs we sing that have no true meaning for us… the prayers we pray that are void of passion and love…these too are useless chatter.  The remarks you make about yourself that are opposite to what the word says about you are idle.  What words do you speak that have no true purpose or intent?  The fear of the Lord is a gift.  Such fear will cause you to evaluate your words and be slow to speak because you know every time you speak the Lord is listening.  Start listening to yourself and then ask yourself if you are living in the fear of the Lord.

How you treat people indicates how much you fear the Lord.  Do not forget that the Lord is always with you.  You may want to give a person “a piece of your mind” but you restrain yourself out of fear for the Lord.  People are often unloving, unkind and insensitive.  The Lord requires of you to treat people how you would want to be treated not how you are treated.

‘You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.  And you shall not swear by my name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD. ‘You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning.  You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God: I am the LORD.

-Lev 19:11-14 NKJV

Treat people well and do it whether they realize it or not.  This is the fear of the Lord.  This is possible with the power of the Holy Spirit enabling you.

Two kittens have been placed on my bosom…They start nursing (on me)…I am not alarmed…I am pleased.  As the kittens grow they come back to nurse for nourishment.  To me this is REALLY strange…and my soul wants to feel like it is perverted for kittens to be nursing on ME. Yet I know that I am a child of God, and there is NO perversion in the Spirit.

Interpretation

I believe this dream is a picture of what the Lord desires for you… that you will nourish those who will come to you… these will be immature believers who need to be taught the milk of the word…this will be a pleasant experience for you.

In this world, we come into contact with many lies.  Satan, the god of this world, is the father of all lies.  He deceives and accuses people both believers and unbelievers alike.  The lie is always operating in the earth realm.  The Spirit of Truth opposes the spirit of error.  This is why conflict arises inside believers who want to grow and know Christ in an ever increasing way.  When a person comes to faith in Christ it is error to believe that everything will naturally fall into place.  Jesus explicitly taught that we must continue in His word to know the truth.  In reality, receiving Christ and being formed into the image of Christ are two different things.  When Christ reveals to us who God really is and we open our hearts and receive Him conversion begins. Conversion is an exchanging of the old man for the new man who is Christ.  As the exchange process occurs, opposition arises within you for your soul is unwilling to give up its ways of doing things.  The soul of man moves in certain ways and patterns that are not God’s ways.  Conversion happens when you put on the new man who is Christ and put off the old man who moves in the spirit of error.  Conversion involves a tug of war between the old man alive through your soul and your born-again spirit alive to Christ.  Maturity is the spirit-being taking rule over the desires of your soul that are destructive in nature.  Over time your soul will become submissive to the life of God within you and will begin to habituate itself to the thoughts and ways of Christ.

Jesus Christ reveals to you who the Father is.  He is the only way to know God as your Father. You cannot know Him through self-effort and only the Holy Spirit can baptize you into the Body of Christ.    God is a Father to anyone who is born again of His Spirit.  An understanding that being born again is about you as a spirit-being not a soul-ish being is fundamental to your growth in Christ. Once you become a Christian you must continue on to perfection.  The question is will you go the distance?  The majority of Christians never go the distance.  They fall short of becoming who they are meant to be on earth.  Jesus taught His disciples to consider the cost of disciple-ship because many sacrifices will be necessary for you to move in the Holy Spirit and bear fruit on earth.  To bear fruit on earth is what brings glory to the Father.  To be fruitful is to multiply the goodness of God and His provision on the earth.  God uses human vessels who house His Spirit to accomplish this.

Immersion with the Holy Spirit is key to going the distance and making the necessary sacrifices required of your flesh to become like the Son of God upon the earth. The baptism with the Holy Spirit is also accompanied with the spirit of burning.  Many people have heard of the baptism with the spirit but few speak of the baptism with fire. The fire comes to burn up the many errors we walk in and continue to believe long after receiving Christ. John the Baptist spoke of the baptism with fire that burns chaff once the wheat is separated from it.  The chaff consists of habits, thoughts, and ways of looking at life that prior to receiving Christ held a place in our lives but have no value once a person is a new creation. The chaff of our lives has no God -glory attached to it. Habits and thought-patterns that are rooted in vanity and perversion serve to hold people back from knowing God in a deeper and more satisfying way. As these are removed by the work of the Holy Spirit, they are consumed in the fire of his God’s love.  Trials and pressures that come to bear in believers’ lives serve as vehicles to purge believers from unnecessary fears and other sins that so easily beset them. Seasons of sufferings come to show us the word of God is true and God is our rock and deliverer in every circumstance.  As we grow in God we continue to separate ourselves from things that steal our joy and kill our character.  This is a process but necessary for every believer to grow.  As we grow we bear fruit that is necessary for others to know God and be strengthened by Him.  We are able to eat of the fruit of our lives that comes through the union of our spirit and the Holy Spirit. Eating of the love, joy and peace of the Holy Spirit is crucial in continuing in the faith. Others in the field of our influence are able to eat of our fruit which strengthens and points the way to Christ.

Every Christian should bear fruit but it is not necessarily a given that they will.  Jesus explicitly said that if you continue in the word you would know the truth and the truth could set you free.  In Hebrews, chapters 5 and 6, point to the fact that believers can stall in their spiritual growth and must decide to move on into perfection.  Apostle Paul strongly expressed the need for Christians who wish to mature to press in and move forward in their faith without looking back but looking forward to reach the pinnacle of the prize of our calling in Christ Jesus.  We are saved by grace but grace is not an excuse for non-cooperation and laziness.  Wisdom tells us that it is the hand of the diligent that rules.  We are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.  This means what God has worked in us we must be worked out of us so people can see God’s glory upon us.  This is a major strategy of God for people to come to know Him.  Are you willing to do the internal work of knowing Christ and being a yielded and sanctified vessel prepared for His highest purposes?  If so, your reward will be eternal.  Jesus requires that you forsake all to be his disciple. Most Christian today are not Christ’s disciples.  They serve him in terms of their own convenience.  No wonder the glory of God is rarely seen in the local church today.

The benefits of divine order are immeasurable.  One such benefit is completion which brings rest.  On the seventh day of creation God saw what He made and said it was good and He rested.   I am reminded of Martin Luther’s wisdom, “God created the world out of nothing; so as long as we are nothing, he can make something out of us”. So in the very first book of the Bible we see the blueprint for divine order.  God moves in order.  God moves by putting first things first and then he builds on the foundations of things to bring completion.  Without proper foundations even the righteous fail

We have a promise inspired by Holy Spirit and written by Apostle Paul.  God tells us to be confident that the good work He starts in us He will perfect until the day of Jesus Christ. We can assure ourselves and expect God to do what is necessary to bring us into maturity and complete us.  He leaves nothing unfinished.  Our part is to cooperate in this work by staying in His divine flow.  We have to trust God and learn to obey even when the results of obedience may be painful or inconvenient.

We understand the mechanical term “out of order”.  When you approach a toilet stall with a sign with those words written on it you go no further.  You know, to do so, would have messy consequences.  We have little difficulty understanding how things are in the natural environment but when our spiritual environment warns us we often lack the proper response. The messes we make in our own lives are directly due to us getting out of God’s divine order.  If we would only begin to listen more and ask the Lord in what ways we are out of His divine flow we could quickly repent and avoid untold mess-ups!

The written word gives us guidelines on many areas which must become first in our lives.  When we put first things first we flow unhindered and we are able to build properly.  We get momentum and we head toward maturity and completion.  So many believers never mature.  In the spiritual realm they are pathetic instead of powerful. The following scriptures will help you change little things in your life which will make big differences in your life. As you put the following into practice you will begin seeing more and more of the things in your life that are out of order.  As you listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit you will flow more easily in divine order and you will be overcome with blessings.

“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee.”

-Psalms 63:1 Darby

Of primary consideration is the womb of the morning.  Your day is birthed out of how you begin your morning. As your body awakes you must also awake your soul to the presence of Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit is given to you so you will not be comfortless or without counsel.  You profit when you seek God early in your day for instruction and help.  Ask Him to order your steps. When you put Him first, as you awake, you will attune yourself to His voice throughout the day.

“Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever. The first thing they did was to tell Jesus about her.”

-Mark 1:30 GW

When you meet with difficulties you must immediately consult the Lord.  Before you speak or move out with a decision tell Jesus about it and He will work through you in the situation.  Sickness in body is a real hindrance and often we get off track here by making foolish decisions.  We readily turn to man or to our past experiences for answers.  We must first consult with the Lord before we move out.  Whatever the problem is, the Father has sent you the Holy Spirit to give you help. This is important because sometimes we make mountains out of molehills and worst still molehills out of mountains.

“The first thing is wisdom–get wisdom, and with all thy getting get understanding.”

-Proverbs 4:7 YLT

Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! Begin to focus on acquiring wisdom.  Wisdom is knowing how to apply knowledge.  When you operate in wisdom you size up situations as they really are and not as they appear to be.  You will then base your decisions on truth that will propel you in this life.  The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God.  The fear of the Lord is an awareness of God’s presence in your life.  You are naked before him and nothing can be hidden from him.  Live out your life this way.

“Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.”

-Matt 7:5  NLT

Our opinions are worthless.  We should be very wary of making judgments without the witness of truth in our lives.  Don’t hold judgment over people.  You are not able to judge people’s character until you judge yourself first.  Once you judge yourself you will rarely judge others because you are too busy seeking God’s help in your own life.  The only reason for judgment is to bring correction and restoration.  Most people never judge another to bring true repentance and restoration.

Relationships are the key to your destiny in life.  They are key in a life of promise and purpose. Anger erodes relationships.  What God desires for you, his plans of goodness, are thwarted by your anger.  You are the only person who will thwart your destiny in God.  Anger is a tool that the devil uses to destroy you.  He doesn’t make you angry but He knows that if you cannot handle your anger you will indeed destroy yourself.

God instructed Joshua to be of great courage and to conquer the land of His enemies.  In the land of your enemies you find your inheritance.  Think of yourself as land.  You are God’s highest creation.  You are created in His image.  When you commit your life to Jesus Christ you are made a new creation.  You have a born-again spirit which has complete access to the wisdom and strength of God. You contain all you need. Jesus Christ through the blood He shed on the cross brought you back to God, for only through His blood are you forgiven.  Now you are able to conquer the land and fulfill your God-given purpose on earth.  But will you do it?  You will never reach your destiny if you do not conquer first the enemies within you in, the enemies on your own land.  Your enemies are also the enemies of God.

One of the nations God told Joshua to overtake was the Amorite nation.  The Hebrew word for Amorite is mountain people or people of renown.  The gist is that the Amorites were dominators.  Historically they were fierce people and were known for their many kings.  Amorite comes from the Hebrew root word amar which means to utter or say.  Amorites are talkers. They use their mouth to dominate.  They will flatter when need be or they will demean when need be.  They will use the tone of their voice to get what they want.  They want people to obey them.  They want people to do what they say.  Amorites are seekers of human glory and greatness and they accomplish much through control.

The Amorite spirit is made potent with a component of fear operating with it.  Domination is most often accomplished through fear.  The only other way to dominate is through the love of God.  The love of God casts out all fear because it is a perfect love.  It is perfect because it is not one sided but balanced in all aspects.  The love of God is not sugary or sentimental.  It is confronting but not combative.  It is truthful but not manipulative.  It is not selfish.  The Amorite spirit is everything that the Spirit of Love is not.

Words are the weapons of choice for the Amorite spirit and well as the Spirit of God.  The anointed word of God is what will give you power to dominate sin and other destructive patterns in your life.  The word of God is the sword of the Spirit. The words of the Amorite spirit are like a sword too but it is a sword that pierces the souls of men to their destruction.  The word of the Lord ultimately brings healing to the souls of men.

Angry words are harmful.  One of the roots of anger is fear.  A fearful person often likes to be in control.  This is how such a person brings comfort to their soul.  He or she does not like surprises and feels better calling the shots.  Angry words can overpower people and cause them to become timid to the point where they do not dare disagree or suggest doing anything apart from the angry individual’s perspective.  The problem is our destinies are going to be reached with the help of others.  We need other people to help expand our vision to create solutions.

Do your family members know you as an angry person?  Have your co-workers or employees felt the brunt of your anger time and time again?  These are valuable relationships that have the potential for great happiness and productivity but they can fail to do so due to your anger. Anger is a major block to the emotional well-being of people. What you may not fully see is that people have a tendency to go around you and to exclude you when you have struck them with the lightning bolt of your anger.  People don’t really want to have too much to do with you.  If you are a dad or mom with an anger problem, your kids have learned to avoid you to protect their selves.  This of course is very unhealthy for them but they see no other way.  Angry children grow up to be angry adults because children learn what they live.  Children will remember your anger toward them long after the issue that provoked the anger is long forgotten.

God told His people to destroy their enemies before them and take the land.  The same is true today in the spiritual landscape of your life.  God has the power to crush anger in your life.  Are you willing to give it up for His ways instead of your way?  The first thing is to admit that you have anger problem.  You have to admit it first before you can quit it.  And admitting is often not easy for a person who has a passion to stay in control.  Control for an angry person is security.  Control for them is safety.  Safety is highly motivating even if how we create it is unhealthy.

Awareness is a vital key in overcoming your anger.  Don’t focus on your anger or it will grow.  You will end up being condemned and feeling hopeless.  Instead focus on the power of the Holy Spirit within you and the desire you have to overcome your anger.  Take cues from your physical body when your anger begins to first heat up.  Is your heart beating faster?  Is your jaw tightening?  Is the sound quality of your voice different than normal?

Long before your body responds your thoughts are piling up.  Your thoughts are the vital link to your behavior.  Make a conscious effort not to “stew” over situations and people’s actions because if you do you will definitely spew!  Think about what you are thinking about.  If your thinking is ugly, condemning, or hurtful stop it by thinking about something else.   You can do that if you are born again.  Think about Jesus and His love for you and His desire to bless and comfort you. Meditate on the good things God has given you and be grateful for the little things.  What you think about really makes a difference in your life. Activate the force of forgiveness in your life which is the power of Jesus Christ.  You cannot forgive without his grace operating in you but as you trust Him He will empower you to forgive.

We must forgive our parents. We must forgive our spouses.  We must forgive our children. We must forgive all those who have offended us. We must forgive ourselves.  We must release God from any obligations we may think that He owes us. Releasing our anger is possible when we let down our defensive walls we’ve have constructed over the years to protect ourselves. We must believe they are no longer needed because God is now our fortress.

The following scriptures are the basis for the above article.  As you meditate on them, more light will come your way.

I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for peace and not disaster plans to give you a future filled with hope.

-Jer. 29:11 (GW)

Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

-Eph 4:26-27 (NLT)

…for a man’s anger does not further the righteous purpose of God.

- James 1:20 (Montgomery NT)

On the day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel.

- Josh 10:12 (NLT)

18 There is no fear in love: but perfect love casts out fear,

-1 John 4:18 (ASV)

4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.

-Eph 6:4 (NLT)

18 Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.

- Prov 12:18 (NLT)

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

-Phil 4:8 (ASV)

Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.

-Prov. 17:9 (NLT)

For, He that would love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips that they speak no guile: 11 And let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it.

-1 Peter 3:10-11 (ASV)

Also get rid of your anger, hot tempers, hatred, cursing, obscene language, and all similar sins.

-Col 3:8 (GW)

I dreamed me and my husband were asleep, l woke up rebuking demons running in our hallway, went in one bedroom, to find one of my blonde headed children has longer black hair, and said mama it’s me and began telling me about his friends singing and people love it and pay them. Then my ex sister n law answers my phone and it’s my pastor, she says:  good news; your sister is well, but has’nt come over because she cut her hair 3″ short. (My pastor does’nt know my sister is very ill). My ex-sister n law is a christian. What does this mean? I just got married in April and I am going to my husbands church. I moved here to LA from TX in April.

Interpretation:

You are beginning a new life.  You are beginning to wake up to a new way of thinking.  You are moving to a greater intimacy with Jesus Christ but you are experiencing some inward opposition as you move toward Him. You are  surprised with the many changes you are experiencing.  You are going to see what you once thought was good you will now know was not good.  What you once thought was fun you will no longer think is fun. The way you appear to people is changing. You are becoming different now in how you see life.  You are changing your thoughts about God and His love for you.  This is all good.  You should be encouraged.  I believe the shorter hair of your sister could relate to her losing physical strength.  The sickness of your sister is of concern to you and is a marker in your spiritual growth.  It is helping you to change how you view life.  You and your sister right now are going through many life  changes. You have a unity with your sister. She needs to know that Jesus is calling her to himself and that she has nothing to be ashamed of for He will fully accept her as He will you.

I was standing outside in an open area with lots of people (play pens filled with babies, children, adults, and youth) when I heard a loud noise that sounded like jet fighters… I look up and see cars flying in the air towards us…heard and saw them dropping bombs…I yell they are dropping bombs at us which was gas bombs…yelled at my youngest son to get out of the field.

The next thing I hear and see is an army marching toward us….they stop at he play pen where I am standing…they are holding guns…they pick out two people from where I am standing…I had closed my eyes an ask the Lord to help us….They pick about ten people from all over…we can see them tormenting the people from where we are standing…they are saying things to them…shaking their guns at them…laughing at them…jumping up into their faces….I said they are going to kill them…Bryan said no they are not if they will drink the blood….I said that is aganist God….Linda said that is an abomination to God…I ask did Ryan and the others drink the blood…Bryan said yes…The army had Three things we had to conform by or they would kill us…I saw a man lying down on the ground and he would not conform to the three things…they killed him…shot him in the head.

Interpretation:

I believe this dream is about the tribulation period that many will have to go through. If they do not take the mark of the beast they will be killed. I believe you are picking up in your spirit the terror that lies ahead for all those who are not redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Many people have embraced the lie. They believe in a false god. They believe in their beliefs. The enemy wants us to continue with this covenant with death and hell so he can destroy humanity.

We are to drink the blood of the covenant of Jesus Christ. This means total comittment. This means no compromise with the enemy.

Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins. Matt 26:27-28 (ASV)

If we take these three words “it is finished” and apply them to ourselves we will have no manifested witness that we are born again. We must instead fight the good  fight of faith and endure hardships of this life .  Hard-ships move us in the purposes of God for our lives.  We endure them not in resignation but in faith knowing  we will reign over them. We can do that because Christ won the victory.  He obeyed to the end and completed the will of God.  He was the true and faithful witness. Christ made the way for everyone on earth to receive forgiveness  through His shed blood so that we might be reconciled to our Heavenly Father, the Creator of our souls.  We in Him and He in us have power to overcome. His work is finished but ours is still at hand.

Jesus is looking at you.  This is what he asks of you.  Will you be an over- comer in the faith?  What are you facing right now that is consuming you with fear and anxiety?  This is what you are to overcome.  What addictions call you at every turn?  This is what you are to overcome.  The rage of your anger and the lust of sexual vices this is what you are to overcome.  Your fear of speaking boldly in His name is what you are to overcome.  Your instability is to be overcome. Your poverty, your insignificance, your laziness, your torment, your comfortable man-pleasing but God-despising lifestyle, this is what you are to overcome. The fight is at hand and for you it is not finished.  Will you finish your tests so that you will have a testimony?

Jesus spoke seven times about overcoming after He ascended to heaven.  Why would he tell us a promise fulfilled is waiting for us if we overcome?  Yes His love is unconditional but His promises are not.  He is still speaking this today.  He knows the battle is not done until you finish the work He has called you to take up .  We are living in a church age that is at worst lazy and at best asleep.  Yes we are saved by grace and are kept by grace but grace without labor is in vain.  The Apostle Paul’s rallying cry was for all to “hold forth the word of life” for in that we do not run or labor in vain.

All the promises of God are yes and amen.  They are all for you to partake and to enjoy.  But they do not come cheap.  Christ paid a price to enable us to obtain them.  He gives us grace to make the necessary sacrifices.  Do you believe you have a commission to fulfill?  Will Christ hold you personally responsible for your part in advancing the Kingdom of God on earth?  This commission will be the most exciting and adventurous charge of your life fraught with struggles and obstacles to be overcome. For the overcoming Christian, failure is not an option.  It may serve as a signpost or a stepping stone but never an end result.  Victory is ours and it is to be manifested in our lives for all to see.  Sin, the world, and the devil must be resisted and overcome for this is our heritage being saints in the Lord.

The word “Israel” has an insightful meaning.  Jacob’s struggle with the angel of God proved victorious. He won and his name was changed.  His identity was changed from Jacob meaning deceiver  to Israel meaning struggle.  God’s children are the Israel of God.  We must not deceive ourselves that we have no battle to fight. That life in itself  comes without struggle. We must not shy away from conflict.  So how does the conflict go for you?  Are you winning the battle with your passions, selfish ambitions, and inner fears? Have you made the decision to stand and having done all to stand? Will you like Jacob become indentified with God’s purposes and fulfill His great plan for your life?

To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit down with me on my throne, as I myself have overcome and have taken my seat with my Father on his throne.

-Rev 3:21

Jesus came to set the captives free.  Whoever Jesus sets free is truly free.  Their actions will demonstrate their freedom.  Christ liberates us from sin.  Sin is slavery and its results are always degrading and debilitating to man.  Every human being is bent toward sin. Jesus Christ frees us from this propensity to sin.  He became our sacrifice to God to take away every act of sin we have committed in our life time.  We are totally forgiven through the blood He shed on the cross.

God calls us to freedom.  He wants you out of the fear of pain and separation.  He wants to loose you from bondage.  What enslaves every human being is sin.  Everyone has a sin nature.  The nature of sin is destructive.  When you follow the nature of sin you will not experience liberty. When your sin nature guides you peace and joy will elude you. What you will experience is fear, a lack of true love, and twisted thinking.  When you follow the nature of Jesus Christ you will experience peace.  How is it possible to experience such peace?  You must be born again of God to have His nature within you.  When there is no enemy within you the enemies outside of you are neutralized. Fear is a tormenting spirit that enslaves people.  Fear is a lack of faith in the love that God has for you.  Having an abiding knowledge of God’s love within you enables you to manage your life and control your emotions.  Learning to control self is vital if you are to live freely every day.

Your best friend on earth is the Holy Spirit.  He is your personal helper and comforter.  When you meet Jesus and surrender your life to Him He comes to take residence within you. The Spirit of Christ is the Holy Spirit.  He inhabits you the moment He regenerates your own spirit thereby making you alive to God.  He is the one you are to seek direction from for He will speak to you and flow through you and complete all things in your life.  You must become acquainted with His voice for He is within you and the force that will empower you will be inward instead of outward.

Revelation by the Holy Spirit is how you are regenerated.  Nothing or no one else can regenerate your spirit other than the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will only take residence in the regenerated human spirit.  He will not take residence in any human spirit that is enlightened by any other means. You can only have faith in the real Jesus Christ.  Until Christ is revealed to you whatever you know of Christ or think you know of Him is not real. You are merely clinging to a form of godliness with no power.  This only deceives you and gives you no power or victory over sin.  You will have a false security that is absolutely deadly.

Until you are born again by the Spirit of God you are lost to the ways and voice of Jesus.  Sin remains the dominant force in your life.  You are not in control of your life in fact sin controls you.  You live a life of condemnation because you are not born again.  You will ultimately face the final condemnation which is unbearable separateness from God, orphaned and totally alone.

Jesus Christ will present to Himself His Bride without spot or wrinkle. He will remove from His Bride the tendency to operate independently from Him.  If you move independently from your head dysfunction and dis-ease are the results. Only things authored by Christ will be of faith and thereby completed.  Freedom rings in your life when you move by the Holy Spirit for in Him we live, move, and have our being. The Bride is very intimately entwined with her husband.  The Bride knows His voice and understands Him because she is dependent upon Him for everything in her life.  He will tell her what to do and where to go.  He is behind her saying this is the way to go and in that way is freedom.

This article is based upon the following scriptures.  As you meditate on these words the Holy Spirit will bring to light areas in your life which are dysfunctional.  He desires to heal you and set you free.  You must be willing to be still so you can listen and obey Him even if it means you will lose friendships or people will misunderstand.  If you obey Him, in the end, the Lord will bring restoration and all those who have misjudge you will be able to see how God make all things work out for our good.

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

- Psalms 51:5

Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

-Prov. 22:15

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way;

-Isaiah 53:6

…you are saved by this Good News if you hold on to the doctrine I taught you, unless you believed it without thinking it over. 3 I passed on to you the most important points of doctrine that I had received: Christ died to take away our sins as the Scriptures predicted. 4 He was placed in a tomb. He was brought back to life on the third day as the Scriptures predicted.

-1 Cor,  15:2-4

30 I can of myself do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is righteous; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 

 -John 5:30

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me: for he has consecrated me to preach the gospel to the poor, he has sent me to proclaim release for captives and recovery of sight for the blind, to set free the oppressed,

-Luke 4:18

6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin;

-Romans 6:6

14 I know that God’s standards are spiritual, but I have a corrupt nature, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I don’t realize what I’m doing. I don’t do what I want to do. Instead, I do what I hate.

- Romans 7:14-15

But when the kindness of God our Savior, and his love toward man, appeared, 5 not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 which he poured out upon us richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior; 7 that, being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

-Titus 3:4-7

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 

-John 14:26

My sheep respond to my voice, and I know who they are. They follow me,

-John 10:27

For I am certain of this very thing, that he by whom the good work was started in you will make it complete till the day of Jesus Christ:

-Phil 1:6

… holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power therefore. From these also turn away.

-2 Tim 3:5

 and thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it; when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

- Isaiah 30:21

Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever commits sin is the servant of sin. 35 And the servant abides not in the house for ever: but the Son abides ever. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

-John 8:34-36