Afleveringen
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Discover the hidden meaning behind Jesus' birth. This isn't just a sweet Christmas story - it's a carefully designed message showing how God planned to rescue people from the very first moments of Jesus' life. Watch how ancient traditions and divine purpose came together in one extraordinary night
00:00 Jesus’ Birth
1:05 Bethlehem
3:30 Migdal Edar – place of preparation of Passover lambs
6:21 The Shepherds See Jesus
6:51 Jesus, The Lamb of God
7:21 Prophecy Fulfilled
8:29 Activation – Prayer
Mary had her baby in Bethlehem. In a stable because many people traveled for the census and there were no rooms available.
Shepherds were watching sheep in the fields nearby.
“Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared in radiant splendor before them, lighting up the field with the blazing glory of God, and the shepherds were terrified! But the angel reassured them, saying, “Don’t be afraid, for I have come to bring you good news, the most joyous news the world has ever heard! And it is for everyone everywhere! For today in Bethlehem a rescuer was born for you. He is the Lord Yahweh, the Messiah. You will recognize him by this miraculous sign: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in the feeding trough!”
Then all at once in the night sky, a vast number of glorious angels appeared, the very armies of heaven! And they all praised God, singing:
“Glory to God in the highest realms of heaven!
For there is peace and a good hope given to the sons of men.”
Luke 2:9-14 TPT
Then the angels were gone.
Amazing news! The Messiah, the Savior, has been born. The Shepherds excitedly decided to go see him.
But what is the sign the angel told them?
Luke 2:12 TPT
“You will recognize him by this miraculous sign: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in the feeding trough!”
Why would that be a sign to them, and us, that Jesus really was the Messiah they had been waiting for over 2 thousand years?
On the outskirts of Bethlehem was Migdal Edar (which means “the watchtower of the flock.”). It was used as a lookout and place of safety from enemies in times past.
But now it is the place where the flocks that produced the Passover lambs are kept. One lamb was needed for each family for Passover. Passover was the annual celebration of God delivering Israel from slavery in Egypt. Pharoah refused to let Israel go. So God said:
Exodus 12:12-13 God accepted the blood of a spotless lamb to take the place of the sins of the people of Israel that night. God told the Israelites to do this every year, as a celebration of Passover.
The Passion Translation explains in a note to Luke 2:12
The shepherds that night were possibly near Bethlehem at Migdal Edar, “the [watch] tower of the flock.” …. It was at the lower floor of the watchtower that the birthing of the Passover lambs would take place. Selected ewes that were about to give birth would be brought there. After the birth of the lambs, the priestly shepherds would wrap the lambs in cloth and lay them in a manger lined with soft hay to prevent them from hurting themselves, for Passover lambs must be unblemished with no bruise or broken bone.”
It is possible the shepherds who prepared the lambs for Passover (at Migdal Edar) were the ones to whom the angel revealed that Jesus, the Savior, had been born.
The shepherds saw Jesus treated as sacrificial lambs for Passover were treated.
But who among them could guess that, 33 years later, during Passover, Jesus would be crucified. Thus fulfilling many prophetic scriptures.
Isaiah 53:7 NLT
He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
Later John the Baptist when he first saw Jesus said “Look the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” John 1:29. -
"Ready to stop beating yourself up about the past and stop stressing about future? Satan wants you trapped in an endless cycle of 'if onlys' and 'what ifs'. God wants to set you free to really live and enjoy life." This video gives battle tested, Biblical strategies to live in each moment and enjoy life. Learn to no longer live in your regrets from the past or fears about the future.
**Satan's Strategies for Stealing Life
Keeping people focused on past failures
Creating endless "if only" scenarios
Generating anxiety about future "what ifs"
Using distraction to prevent present joy
Causing doubt about God's promises and provision
**God's Solutions for Freedom
Set mind on things above (Colossians 3:1-3)
Focus on God's provision, not circumstances
Live fully in each present moment
Find joy in today (Psalm 118:24)
Trust God's promises
**Breaking Free from Past Regrets
Understanding godly vs. worldly sorrow
Accepting complete freedom in Christ
Embracing new identity as a new creation
Breaking limiting belief patterns
Illustration: Elephant rope analogy
God's complete forgiveness and restoration
**Defeating Worry and Fear
Recognizing "do not fear" as most frequent biblical command
Understanding worry as negative meditation
Identifying worry as temptation, not personality trait
The "slippery slope" of worry progression
God's provision of escape from temptation
Rejecting mental movies of disaster
**Practical Application Steps
Identifying limiting thoughts and lies
Replacing negative thoughts with biblical truth
Train your mind to catch worry patterns early
Living in the present moment
Focusing on excellent and praiseworthy things
**Biblical Promises and Support
No condemnation in Christ
Freedom through Christ
God's forgetting of past sins
Provision for daily needs
Power to overcome temptation
Rich and satisfying life in Christ
**Call to Action – practical steps to:
Look for the lie, replace it with truth.
Choose to focus on NOW – this moment
Trust God's enabling power -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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I know some of you have really been hurt in church, and it's happened to a lot of us. It's one thing to talk about unity and to go through the theology of it. It's another thing to deal with it, to deal with the practical aspects. So I want to give you two practical steps to heal church hurt.
00:00 INTRO
01:39 SEEING PEOPLE AS JESUS SEES THEM
02:54 HOW TO LOVE THOSE WHO HURT YOU
6:17 THE HEALING PROCESS
8:11 PRAYER
Two things that God showed me through pain, through experience, that I hope you can use in your life.
I'm going to share with you a deeply personal story, and I'm going to withhold all the details. And I'm changing the name. I had someone that very, uh, precious to me. A friend that I've known almost my whole life. We were very close. And this friend did something. It was like the ultimate betrayal. It was just unimaginable. At first I was just so hurt. And then I became angry.
Oh, so mad. I was so angry. And the anger just started chewing at me. Every time I thought about it, I got more and more angry, and the anger turned into rage. This went on for, like, 10 days. I couldn't. How can I forgive this person?
SEEING PEOPLE AS JESUS SEES THEM
. So I asked him one day, as I was struggling to forgive. And I was trying, but I asked the Lord, I said, when you look at Bob, Jesus, what do you see?
What Jesus showed me was that the day that Bob did the thing that he did was one of the worst days of his life. And that he was stressed out beyond belief. He was literally out of his mind. What he did is so outrageously wrong. It's inexcusable. It can only be forgiven.
I felt the pain that my friend was going through that day when he did this horrible thing. And my heart went out to him.
And when I felt his pain. I wanted to forgive, and in my heart, I did. But my head wasn't having any part of that. Every time I turned around for the next several days, all I could think about was what he did. And then the anger would start up again.
HOW TO LOVE THOSE WHO HURT YOU
And so I'm fighting this battle, you know, my head, my heart, my head, my heart. You've never been there, right? So I read a book several years ago, um, called Five Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman. The core revelation in that book to me is not the love languages, which that's important, but the core revelation in there is that there was a woman whose husband was, um, just outrageously abusive.
The wife believed that if she could just somehow love this man, that she believed that God's love would change him. But the problem was, she didn't love him. Not anymore. Not after all he'd done to her.
And so she made a choice, and then she started doing acts of love, small things over a period of time. And eventually what happened is her. Her heart came back to love for this man. And then he began to change. And the result was that their marriage was restored.
Love is a choice that must be followed by actions. Like faith, without works love is dead. I was deciding, yes, I'm going to love. But I wasn't doing anything about it. So God told me, take steps. So since then, I've taken steps. And as I did that, I did break free. I have a great relationship with Bob today.
THE HEALING PROCESS
First is ask Jesus how he sees them. And as he shows you the worth that he placed in that person. They may be hiding it really well, but it's there.
And as he does that, and as you decide to love them, or to, in many cases, it's going to be decide to forgive them, um, and then you take active steps toward doing that, your love for that person will be restored.
PRAYER
This audio used with permission of Harbour Church South Florida -
In today’s world, our lives can be like a ship that has slipped its anchor in a violent storm and is being driven toward a rocky shore. For many of us, life is chaotic, demanding, and confusing – like a bad storm at sea. We desperately need anchors to help us ride out life’s storms.
00:00 Intro
00:43 Causes of Drifting
The 3 Anchors
04:01 #1The Anchor of Meeting Jesus in His Word
05:15 #2 The Anchor of Meeting Jesus in Praise and Worship
07:26 #3 The Anchor of Meeting Jesus in Prayer
10:08 Activation
Hebrews 2:1 (ISV)
For this reason, we must pay closer attention to the things we have heard, or we may drift away.
Psalm 119:176 (TPT)
I’ll never forget what you’ve taught me, Lord, but when I wander off and lose my way, come after me, for I am your beloved!
Causes of Drifting
Ephesians 4:14 (AMP)
1. The Anchor of Meeting Jesus in His Word
The Bible reveals Jesus. It reveals who God says you are. As you read the Bible the Holy Spirit reads you – He reveals to you what you can’t see on your own: the deep things hidden in your heart.
Grasp this, and it will change your life: the Bible is the Holy Spirit speaking to you. Meet him there.
2 Timothy 3:16 (TPT)
Every Scripture has been written by the Holy Spirit, the breath of God. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness.
Ephesians 5:25-26 NIV
…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word…
2. The Anchor of Meeting Jesus in Praise and Worship
Thanksgiving takes us through the gates of God’s kingdom. Praise ushers us into the throne room of God where Jesus is seated at Father God’s right hand. Praise brings us into His presence. I love rowdy praise times. There is something amazing about praising God with wild abandon. You don’t worry about what anyone is thinking about you. Self dies in praise. Your mind is renewed in Praise and Worship. You begin to see things the way Jesus does. You feel His love, and that changes everything.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.
Psalm 100:4 (NLT)
Worship is our response to God’s presence. Praise turns to Worship when God’s presence fills the room. God’s presence inspires awe. My favorite times are when everyone in a large crowd suddenly grows silent. I’ve been in crowds of hundreds of people praising loudly one moment and the next you could hear a pin drop. Silence. No one said anything. God showed up. Holy awe filled every heart.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)
3. The Anchor of Meeting Jesus in Prayer
In prayer, we learn to see people as Jesus does. We feel His heart for us and for others. His love compels us to do something about everything that is wrong around us. Through prayer, we can change the world. Our prayer life with Jesus becomes something greater than ourselves. Nothing is more energizing than being part of something greater than ourselves.
Meeting Jesus in prayer changes the world, but it also changes us. And the greatest change of all is spending time with Jesus, touching the people of this world with His love. We learn to see others as He sees and feel His heart for them.
Matthew 18:19-21 NIV
2 Corinthians 5:14 (TPT)
Activation
Daily Set 3 Anchors – Meet Jesus in Praise & Worship, Meet Him in His Word, and Meet Jesus in Prayer. These anchors will lead you into God’s best and highest plans for your life.
Jeremiah 1:5, Psalm 139:13, Ephesians 2:10, Jeremiah 29:11 -
Millions of Christians struggle with low self-esteem, guilt, shame, and brokenness from their past. Today, I will show you a Biblical truth that has the power to set you free!
00:00Jesus’ Prayer for You
01:50 What is God’s glory?
03:11 Glory (Doxa) – the worth, the value of God
04:45 Your Worth is God’s Glory in You
06:14 Man – dirt and breath of life
07:57 The Key to Set You Free
11:05 Activation
*Jesus’ Prayer for You
It was Jesus’ last night on earth as a man. In a few minutes, he would be betrayed, beaten, tried and brutally executed as a criminal. Jesus knew all this. It was time to go.
But just before Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane where he knew his betrayer, Judas, would meet him with Roman soldiers, he prayed for his disciples and he prayed for all of us down through time who would believe in Him.
During that prayer for everyone who would believe in Him, Jesus said something that can change totally your life. He said:
John 17: 22-23
22 I have given them the glory that you gave me,
Wait a minute. Jesus took the glory that God gave to Him and gave it to us? You have the glory of God? I have the glory of God – the same glory God gave to Jesus?
Yes.
*What is God’s glory?
Glory is mentioned about 600 times in the Bible. Yet, many believers, I would say most, have only a vague idea what is.
Jack Hayford in his Bible Handbook, explains that glory is often used to mean 3 things:
1. Divine Excellence and Perfection: God’s splendor, the beauty of his holiness and absolute goodness.
2. God’s Visible presence –
3. Praise and honor given to God by his creation.
Doxa – the Greek word for “glory” means the worth, the value of God’s moral excellence and perfection.
Doxa - Glory – means the worth of God, the value that God has because of who He is. His moral excellence, his perfection, His splendor and majesty as God.
So Let’s go back to Jesus’ prayer for us:
John 17: 22 Jesus prays:
I have given them [that’s all believers] the glory that you gave me
Let’s read this with glory defined in this verse.
“I have given them “the WORTH” that You gave me.
Every born-again believer, no matter what they have done, no matter how broken they are as a person, or how flawed they are as a believer, has been given the same glory God gave to Jesus. The same “worth.”
*Your Worth is God’s Glory in You
*Man – dirt and breath of life
Go back to the beginning of the Bible to understand how profound this is. What is the true value, the true worth of a human being?
Genesis 2:7
Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
God created man from two things: dirt, and His breath of life (the Holy Spirit).
Without the Spirit, man returns to dirt.
**The Key to Set You Free
Just before Jesus went to the cross, he prayed : “The glory you have given me, I have given to them.”
Jesus was saying that your worth and mine would no longer be determined by what we do, who we or others think we are, but by his gift of glory (of worth) to us who have faith in Him.
Jesus knew how Satan had been abusing man for thousands of years. He saw our confusion, our pain, our brokenness. He knew that when we were restored as sons and daughters we would still have to deal with the wounds, the deceptions, the guilt and shame of our pasts
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So, praying aloud, so the disciples could hear, Jesus prayed: “I have given the worth [the glory] that You [father] gave me.
This is the key that will set you free from your emotional wounds, guilt, shame and all the lies Satan uses to keep you from living fully as a son or daughter of God.
Jesus gave you the “inherent, intrinsic worth” that God gave Him. Jesus gave you Hi -
Those who daily read God’s Word experience 7 major things. How many of these 7 life-changing experiences have you had? Which do you still need?
00:00 Introduction – Holy Spirit – the author of the Bible?
2:08 Who Can Understand the Bible?
7 Life-Changing Experiences Through God’s Word
3:48 1 God’s Word will reveal the truth about God and Life.
4:58 2 Knowing God’s Word produces faith in us
5:24 3 God’s Word is The Seed That Grows the very life of God in us.
6:22 4 God’s Word Nourishes, Strengthens, and Sustains Us
7:41 5 God’s Word heals us.
8:18 6 God’s Word gives us victory over Satan and Sin.
9:14 7 “God’s Word Washes Away Our Sin and Makes us Holy
Holy Spirit - Author Inspired
40 men - shepherds, prophets, priests, a tax-collector, kings, a physician and a former pharisee wrote the 66 books in the Old and New Testament over a period of 1500 years. Yet, the Bible does not contradict itself or contain any errors because the real author - the one who inspired these men to record these messages from God is the Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit - the author who inspired men to write God’s words to You.
2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV
Holy Spirit inspired men to write in this book words that contain the life, love, instruction, wisdom, correction – everything you need to live a fulfilling, rewarding life.
2 Peter 1:20-21 NLT, 1 Corinthians 2:13 NLT
Who Can Understand the Bible?
The Bible can be read aloud in 70 hours, but cannot be understood in a lifetime.
1 Corinthians 2:14 NIV
The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
Spiritual things just don’t make sense to the mind of fallen man. They must be revealed to us.
But John 16:13 assures us that Holy Spirit “will guide you into all the truth.”
7 Life-Changing Experiences Through God’sWord
As you daily explore God’s Word, you will have experiences through the Word. Like Martin Luther, you will find: “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.”
(The framework for this video is adapted from Derek Prince’s teaching on the 8 Effects of God’s Word).
1. God’s Word will reveal the truth about God and Life.
Psalm 119:105 ERV, Psalm 119:130, John 16:13 , 1 Corinthians 3:16
2 Knowing God’s Word produces faith in us.
Romans 10:17 NKJV
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
3. God’s Word is The Seed That Grows the very life of God in us.
1 Peter 1:22-23
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
God’s Word is the seed in the parable of the sower (Luke 8).
4 God’s Word Nourishes, Strengthens, and Sustains UsMatthew 4:4 , Psalm 119:103, Jeremiah 15:16
5. God’s Word heals us.
Psalms 107:19-20, Proverbs 4:20-22
6 God’s Word gives us victory over Satan and Sin.
Psalm 119:9, John 8:31-32 NIV
Psalm 119: 11
(See Matthew 4:1-11)
7 “God’s Word Washes Away Our Sin and Makes us Holy
John 17:17 NLT, John 15:3 NIV, Ephesians 5:25-26
Everyone who abides in the Word of God experiences these 7 benefits. God gave us this living book to give us everything we need for life and to be like Him.
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Romans 15:13 NIV
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In our culture, we use the word “hope” to mean a wish – like crossing our fingers for something we want to come true but don’t know if it will or not.
That is not Biblical hope! God is the God of hope!
God wants us to live “overflow(ing) with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” He wants us to live as He lives – supernaturally filled with hope that doesn’t fade or fail. And He makes it possible by “the power of the Holy Spirit” and the Word of God.
1 Peter 1:23
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
God’s Word is God’s seed. When we plant God’s Word in our hearts by faith, it produces the life of God in us.
Numbers 23:19 NLT
God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?
1 Corinthians 1:20
For as many as are the promises of God, in Christ they are [all answered] “Yes.” So through Him we say our “Amen” to the glory of God.
All God’s promises are true.
And all God’s promises are ours, through Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
Psalm 27:13-14 AMP
I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.
14 Wait for and confidently expect the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord.
Like a woman expecting a baby, Biblical hope, is “a confident expectation“ that as we plant God’s word in our hearts, it will grow and it will birth new life in and through us.
Like a baby, the seeds of God’s Word take time to grow and be birthed in us.
Romans 5:5 assures us, “Hope does not put us to shame.”
Hebrews 6:19 NASB
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable.
When life gets rough, our emotions and thoughts can run wild. Hope is the anchor God gives us to keep us anchored to Him during the storms of life.
Let Hope grow in your heart and mind as you receive these precious promises from God:
Listen and be encouraged by these hope scriptures:
Philippians 4:19 NIV, Psalm 31:24 NASB 1995, Proverbs 3:5-6, Joshua 23:14-15, Luke 1:37, Psalm 130:5, Isaiah 40:31, Romans 4:18, Hebrews 10:23 EXB, Lamentations 3:23 NIV, Psalm 25:5 AMP, Psalm 46:1-3 NIV, Romans 15:4 NIV, Romans 8:24-25 NIV, Isaiah 41:10 NIV, Psalm 43:5 NIV, Romans 8:28 NASB, Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV, Romans 15:13 NIV, Jeremiah 29:11 NIV, Philippians 1:6.
Activation:
Romans 12:2 instructs us: ““Let God Transform You into a New Person by changing the way you think.”
Watch the video again and declare these scriptures over yourself. These are promises from God. Build your hope and faith by listening to and declaring these verses until hope fills your heart and God’s promises are your experience. -
00:00 Introduction
1:19 What is Biblical Hope?
2:10 Hope is Getting Pregnant
4:18 Expecting
5:14 Getting Pregnant with the promises of God.
8:20 God’s Hope is Our Anchor
9:57 Activation
Is your hope a fragile thing, easily shattered by life's ups and downs?
Most people are trying to have hope, but getting beat up by the troubles and stresses of life. God wants to lift you above your circumstances and give you hope that can’t be shaken. This video will show you how to do that.
God wants to lift us above the circumstances of our lives and brings us to a place of unshakable hope and peace.
What is Biblical Hope?
In our culture, we use the word “hope” to mean a wish – like crossing our fingers for something we want to come true but don’t know if it will or not.
That is not Biblical hope!
God has many names in the Bible. One of them is “the God of hope.”
Romans 15:13 NIV
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit
God wants us to live “overflow(ing) with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” He wants us to live as He lives – supernaturally filled with hope that doesn’t fade or fail. And He makes it possible by “the power of the Holy Spirit” and the Word of God.
Hope is Getting Pregnant
God promised Abram that his barren wife, Sarah, would bear him a son. God said Abram would be the father of many nations. God said his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. (See Genesis 18, 21)
God didn't fulfill that promise for 25 years. Then Isaac was born to 90-year-old Sarah. Abraham was 100 years old when he held his son for the first time.
Romans 4:18-21
18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.
20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed.” Even when there was no reason for hope, and many reasons to lose hope, Abraham kept hoping and believing that he would have a son and become the father of many nations. Why? God promised it! And he was (v 21) “fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he had promised.”
What God promises, He does. He is utterly incapable of not fulfilling his promises to those who believe.
Expecting
When a woman is going to have a baby we say she is “expecting.”
Now compare that to how most of us try to have hope when we’re going through a tough time. We fret, we worry, we doubt, our hope goes up and down like a yo-yo.
Biblical hope is getting pregnant with the promises of God.. God’s Word (his seeds) also take time to grow and mature before they come to life in us.
1 Peter 1:23
23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. (See Matthew 13.)
All God’s promises are true. And all God’s promises are ours, through Jesus. Numbers 23:19 NLT, 1 Corinthians 1:20
Biblical hope, is “a confident expectation“ of a future outcome. We don’t have it yet, but we will. Romans 5:5
God’s Hope is Our Anchor – It Holds Us Fast as the Storms of Life Rage Around Us
Hebrews 6:19, Romans 15:13 NIV
See the Activation
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What if declaring God’s promises in scripture could revive your hope, invigorate your faith, and release God’s power to cause breakthrough in your life? This video reveals how declaring God’s word over your life turns your struggles into strength, and your greatest trials into opportunities for God to show up for you in miraculous ways.
You could be in a dark place right now, caused by a painful failure, economic hardship, a devastating loss, a broken relationship, a debilitating illness or injury, or a situation that is entirely beyond your control.
Regardless of the circumstances, these times of darkness and desolation can leave you feeling drained, hopeless, and uncertain of the path forward. Ezekiel reveals God’s provision for you to overcome.
Link to “Igniting Hope in 40 Days” as promised: https://amzn.to/3XFSPjs . (This is an affiliate link)
00:00 Introduction
2:18 Dry Bones, hear the Word of the Lord
2:46 The Word and the Spirit
3:41 Speak to the Dead Areas of Your Life
4:21 Jesus Spoke Life to People and Situations
5:26 Speak God’s Promises to Your Problems
6:54 Why do we need to declare God’s promises?
7:50 Speak to the mountains (problems) in your life
9:32 Activation
Ezekiel 37: Dry Bones, Hear the Word of the Lord
Holy Spirit led Ezekiel to this valley filled with human bones, thousands and thousands of bones – old and dried out. As they walked among the bones,
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
How did the old, dead bones come together and human bodies be formed around them? Holy Spirit told Ezekiel to prophesy to the old, dry bones scattered throughout the valley: “Dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord.”
An army of people was formed, but they were not yet alive.
What brought them to life? The “ruach” – the Hebrew word used in scripture to mean breath, wind, and the Holy Spirit of God.
Ezekiel prophesied to the wind and the Holy Spirit brought the army (the Hebrew people) back to life by breathing God’s life into them.
This is a also prophetic picture of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit bringing Christians to life and bringing to life the dead areas of our lives.
As we speak the Word of God over our lives, Holy Spirit brings life to the dead areas of our lives.
“You and I also must continually speak to dead areas in our lives and circumstances. A main method of God bringing change to a situation is for one of His children to speak His promises over people and circumstances. "God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did" (Romans 4:17).” Steve Backlund, Igniting Faith in 40 Days.
As a man, Jesus frequently spoke to problems, commanding them to submit to God’s word. John 6:63 NIV, 2 Timothy 3:16
You, too Have the Power to “Speak Life “ as You Speak God’s Promises Over Your Circumstances Proverbs 18:21, 1 Peter 1:23, Romans 10:10 NLT, Romans 10:17,
We live in a fallen world. John 16:33, 1 John 5:4
Jesus Told Us To Speak to The Mountains (our problems) Mark 11:23
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What can Nehemiah’s rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem teach you about how to rebuild the brokenness in your life? Nehemiah is an Old Testament story with a powerful New Testament application!
00:00 Nehemiah and King Artaxerxes
3:36 Types and Shadows
– Nehemiah (Holy Spirit)
5:06 - Rebuilding the Temple (Salvation – born again)
5:50 -Broken Walls and Burned Gates (damages of sin)
walls – Biblical principles and truths that protect and create safe boundaries
Gates – decision making (self government)
7:18 Rebuilding is hard
8:58 Satan Resists Us. We must fight back.
12:01 4 Key Take Aways from this Video
14:07 Activation
How Nehemiah enabled the people of Jerusalem to rebuild the destroyed walls and gates of the city in 52 days. The People had been trying to do that for almost 70 years!!! How did he do it?
Types and Shadows
Nehemiah’s name means “comforter or consoler.” Nehemiah is a type (a prophetic symbol) of the Holy Spirit, who was given to all men upon Jesus’ death and resurrection. Holy Spirit is the comforter Jesus promised to send to us in John 14:26.
Restoring the Human Spirit and Soul
The rebuilding of Jerusalem is a type (a model) of the restoration of a person.
The Temple Represents the Spirit of a Man
The rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem is a type of the spirit of a man being regenerated - born again.
The Broken Walls and Burned Gates Represent the Damage Done to Our Souls (minds, wills, and emotions) by Sin
The walls – are the boundaries (the principles and truths established by God) to protect us and keep us within God’s will. They keep us in a place of blessing and safety.
Gates in scripture represent government (it’s where the important decisions in a city were made). Gates are our ability to govern ourselves – our decision-making ability. Our gates must be rebuilt – our ability to make good, godly decisions about what to let in and what to keep out must be restored.
Nehemiah Empowered the People to Do in 52 Days what they Could Not Do in 66 Years
Nehemiah 6:15-16
So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.
16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.
Key Points:
1. You can’t fix your brokenness. Only Holy Spirit can.
2. Holy Spirit directs the work. He initiates, He provides the materials to build (the Word of God, the power of God, and relationship with God and God’s people). Your role is to take the materials He provides and use them to rebuild the brokenness in your life as He directs..
3. If you don’t co-labor with Holy Spirit, you will not rebuild your personality. You will be saved, but living in the rubble of your past. Your gates will be down. You will be a broken Christian, saved but broken, open to ungodly influence, and unable to fulfill God’s purposes and plans for your life.
4. Nehemiah’s work required the King’s authority to get the job done. Satan will oppose every step you take to become who God created you to become. Jesus warned us, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
1 John 5:4 This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
Faith isn’t faith unless you act on it. Our actions solidify and strengthen our faith.
James 2:17 NLT
So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
ACTIVATION: Please see the video and do the activation!!
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For years I was taught God was strict, harsh and just waiting to punish me if I sinned. Many years later, I came to know Him. And he is just the opposite – powerful, yet humble, loving, kind, understanding and wanting more than anything to have relationship with me.
Instead of doing a traditional teaching, I felt God saying to let His Word speak directly to you.
Let these words wash over you, renewing your mind, strengthening your faith, and drawing you into a revelation of the heart, power and purpose of God for you.
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17
7 Cornerstone Beliefs of a Biblical Worldview (1 of 7)
Cornerstone Belief #1 God is the creator of all things. He is all-powerful, knows everything, and is present in all places at the same time. He is loving, righteous, merciful, and he wants relationship with everyone.
00:00 Introduction
56 Scriptures:
0:50 1. God is the Creator of All Things:
Isaiah 45:12, Colossians 1:16, Psalm 33:6, Revelation 4:11, Hebrews 11:3, Jeremiah 10:12-13
2:46 2. God is All-Powerful (Omnipotent):
Jeremiah 32:17, Isaiah 40:28, Matthew 19:26, 2 Peter 1:3,Job 42:2 , Luke 1:37,
Colossians 2:15 , 1 John 4:4, 1 John 3:8
4:32 3. God Knows Everything (Omniscient):
Proverbs 15:3, Hebrews 4:13, Isaiah 46:9-10, Isaiah 42:9, Psalm 139:1-4
5:56 4. God is Present in All Places at the Same Time (Omnipresent):
Proverbs 15:3, Jeremiah 23:24, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 139:7-10, Matthew 28:20, Matthew 6:6, Job 34:21
7:29 5. God is Loving:
Exodus 34:5-7, Psalm 136:26, Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2:4-5 , Romans 8:37-39,
1 John 3:1, 1 John 4:8, 1 John 4:19
9:21 6. God is Righteous:
Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 145:17, Isaiah 41:10, Isaiah 5:16, Romans 3:22, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 2 Timothy 4:8, Psalm 71:19
11:07 7. God is Merciful:
Lamentations 3:22-23, Psalm 103:8, Ephesians 2:4-5, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Hebrews 4:16, Psalm 23:6
12: 35 8. God Wants Relationship with Everyone
Jeremiah 29:13, Revelation 3:20, John 3:16, John 17:3, James 4:8, 2 Peter 3:9, 1 Timothy 2:3-4, John 1:12-13
1 John 5:4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
I pray that this video strengthened your faith to know the power, the love, and the purpose that God has for you.
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“We get saved by believing in Jesus,
but we get free by believing like Jesus.”
Steve Backlund
00:00 Our worldview – hundreds of decisions each day
0:52 Biblical Worldview
1:51 American Adults Have Rejected a Biblical Worldview
3:01 Keep Yourself in the Love of God
6:56 7 Cornerstone Beliefs of an Unshakeable Christian Worldview
10:53 Activation
Introduction : Our Worldview determines the hundreds of decisions we make each day. It determines the direction of our lives. Without a core set of beliefs, a worldview, we would stumble over every decision.
Worldview is a lens through which we see the world. Through our experiences and influences of others around us (family, school, work, culture, media, social media, etc) we create a framework of core beliefs which become a mental, spiritual, and emotional filter through which we make choices. This filter determines what we believe is true, important, and appropriate.
Every decision we make goes through that filter. What we believe determines what we will do.
A Biblical Worldview.
A Biblical worldview is simply to think like Jesus. Thinking like Jesus will set you free to live like Jesus. Hebrews 4:2 AMP
Problem: Dr, George Barna ,The American Worldview Inventory 2024 reveals that American adults, including many in the church, have rejected a Biblical Worldview and have created their own ideas of what is true, important, and appropriate.66% of American adults self-identified as Christians. But only 6% had a Biblical Worldview.
Psalm 11:3 AMP
“If the foundations [of a godly society] are destroyed, What can the righteous do?”
What can we do to make sure we don’t fall victim to false beliefs that look and sound good? What can we do to believe like Jesus and live a godly life when we’re bombarded by so many conflicting ideas? When we’re pressured to go along?
Keep Yourself in the Love of God
Jude 1:20-21
by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love ...
We stay under the love, the protection and care of God by staying within the walls of protections he has created for us. The principles of the Word of God are the walls of protection that protect us, that give us life and defeat the schemes and destroy the works of the devil.
We " keep ourselves in the love of God" by
*Pray as led and empowered by the Holy Spirit and
*We build ourselves up in "our most holy faith." We believe what God says, and nothing else. His Word is truth. Everything in conflict with it is NOT TRUE. It doesn't matter what we think. It doesn't matter what we want or how we feel.
Dr. Barna’s 2024 Research
He found 7 cornerstone beliefs that were accurate indicators of a Biblical worldview. 83% (4/5) people who had a Biblical Worldview believed all 7 of these beliefs. Only 2% of people who rejected 1 or more of these 7 cornerstone beliefs had a Biblical Worldview. (American Worldview Inventory 2024)
The 7 foundational beliefs below are a starting place for us. They are a simple, yet powerful way to build your life on the solid foundation of God’s Word. They and 7 simple beliefs to teach our children and new believers. To give them a foundation that can’t be shaken. You know your children are going to be exposed to many conflicting ideas in school and throughout their lives. What if you could establish these as their worldview – their mental filters which would help them sort through and reject all the clever deceptions they will be tempted to believe? Wouldn’t that be powerful? And not just for your kids, but for you and I. And new believers!
See the podcast for the 7 Cornerstone Beliefs and the Activation
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Have you every been embarrassed, even ashamed because your personality or your behavior doesn’t measure up to your faith as a Christian? Be encouraged, the God who saved you will restore you. That process is in this podcast.
You are born again. You really do love God. And you know He loves you. But you may struggle with anger that erupts. Or lust that runs wild in your mind. You might struggle with insecurity, anxiety and fears, despair or depression or something else. After you’ve experienced failure in your weaknesses again and again you begin to feel helpless to change them.
You don’t want to be this way. You wonder, “Why am I so broken?” “Why can’t I be who the Bible says I am? You may blame yourself. You may start having doubts about God.
The God who saved you WILL restore you. Redemption includes salvation of your spirit and restoration of your soul (your mind, will, and emotions.) God regenerated your spirit and he will restore your soul. But it is a process and you need to get involved.
God’s plan is to restore us to the high destiny and purpose Adam and Eve had before the fall. To do that, he needs
1st to restore our relationship with Him as our Lord, our Father, and friend.
2nd God needs to restore our ability to rule the earth. This begins with the ability to rule ourselves.
1st Restoring Relationship. When we were born again, our spirits were regenerated. We became new creatures.
Our spirits were sanctified by God. Sanctified means “to make holy” and “set apart for God’s special purposes.”
2nd Restoring rulership.
Before we can effectively co-labor with God to establish His Kingdom here on earth, we need to rule ourselves.
The soul (the mind, will, and emotions) is the command center of man. Unless our souls are restored by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, our behavior will driven by what we think, feel, or want. We will live soulish lives, driven by our basest desires. We do whatever we want. See Galatians 5:17 NLT
We sometimes don’t do the right thing, the thing we want to do. We give in to our desires and emotions.
Unless we are healed and restored, the wounds and pain of our past will cause us to limp through life, born again but broken and causing ourselves and others great pain.
Only God Can Restore Our Souls.
Restoration is Called Sanctification in the Bible
See 1 Thessalonians 5:23
Sanctification is God’s process to restore us to be whole and complete – who God initially created us to be. Sanctification means “to be holy” and “to set apart for God’s special purposes.”
Our spirits are made holy and set apart for God’s special purposes when we are born again. Our spirits are regenerated. They are sanctified by God.
Our souls (our thoughts, beliefs, desires, impulses, drives, and feelings) are NOT sanctified when we are born again. They are sanctified over time, as we submit to Holy Spirit and renew our minds with the Word of God
Our bodies are not sanctified on this earth. But we can discipline them and develop good habits. We will receive new, sanctified bodies in heaven.
Activation: Do this and be changed. See the video. (Not included because of space limitations)
As you do the process above, Holy Spirit will rebuild that part of your personality, healing old wounds and restoring you to become the person God created you to be – a new creation who thinks, looks, and acts like Jesus because you have the heart of Christ.
You will live life with joy and peace, purpose and power. Others will look at you and want what you have. That is God’s plan for your life.
“What the Holy Spirit is up to is bringing the whole life of Jesus Christ into the whole of our personalities so that the whole love of God can be relayed to the whole world.”
Jack Hayford
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Do you believe your present failures mean that God won't be able to complete his purpose in your life? Learn how to grasp God’s power to heal and restore you. The God who saved you WILL restore you!
00:00 Introduction
1: 17 Is that You? Are You Saved, but Feeling Inadequate to Be Used By God?
2:56 Only You Can Stop God’s Plan For Your Life
4:56 The Intent of Your Heart is Greater Than Your Failures
5:49 Activation: Take Daily Steps in the Right Direction
6:44 How to Pray
Pastor Jack Hayford, who pastored a church that grew to 10,000 people over 30 years, writes:
“I have spoken with thousands of people who view their present failures as guarantees that God will never be able to complete His purpose in their lives. For these people—indeed for most of us—a call to obedience seems a virtual seal against victory, because, they feel, perfect obedience eludes them.”
“Rebuilding the Real You, p 51”
Is that You? Are You Saved, but Feeling Inadequate to Be Used By God?
I had been an alcoholic for 10 years when I was born again. That’s exactly how I felt. I was ashamed of my outbursts of anger, the lust I struggled with, and I was discovering just how shellfish I had become. How could God ever use me?
John 10:10 AMP Jesus said:
The thief [Satan] comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].
1 John 3:8 NASB
Pastor Hayford writes:
The Lord who saved you has a long - term purpose for you . You will be moved from being marginalized in life to finding the central purpose of your life .
you will come to know what “ holy ” really means — “ wholly whole , ” completely restored .
You are learning how God’s restoration program is included in His gift of redemption in Christ . He regenerated you; He will restore you . Redemption includes a reborn spirit and a restored soul — a certain recovery of all that’s been stolen in the past
Rebuilding the Real You, p 46
Only We Can Stop God’s Plan For Our Lives
If we get discouraged and quit, Satan wins.
Your heart’s desire is the only thing that will limit you. Are you willing to do whatever God wants you to? Is your heart set to please God in the time you have left on the earth?
Paul wasted 30 years of his life. He chased, imprisoned, and killed Christians. Paul became perhaps the greatest Christian to ever live. He wrote 2/3 of the New Testament. Despite his horrible beginning, Paul was able to say at the end of his life: “ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7
How could God do so much through Paul? Paul’s heart desire was to complete everything God had planned for him. If that’s your heart, God will use you greatly too!
Your Heart For God is Greater than Your Failures
Your sins and failures have been forgiven and forgotten by God when you were born again. Isaiah 43:25 NKJV, Romans 8:1 NASB, 2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV
Pastor Hayford concludes:
‘…. The intent of your heart to obey the Lord counts far more than what kind of a personality or performance record you possess. First Samuel 16:7 says, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Clearly, God is not as concerned with our perfection as He is with our direction. The praying heart that is intent on obedience may not immediately perfect those intentions, but God is set to respond to us according to our “heartset.” ‘Ibid p 51.
Activation: The Way Forward – Take Daily Steps in the Right Direction (see the video)
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What is more devastating than having your dreams, your hopes or expectations crushed? How can you recover from that? Declaring God’s Word will release His power into your situation and lift you out of the disappointment, doubt, fear, and discouragement you are experiencing.
00:00 *Know who we’re fighting.
02:34 *Take Heart, Jesus Defeated Satan!
3:02 *Our Faith in Jesus applies His victory over Satan to Our Lives
3:42 Jesus Spoke God’s Word to Defeat Satan – You Can Too!
5:10 The tongue has the power of life. How can that be?
7:18 Speak to the Mountain
7:56 DECLARATIONS
*Know Your Enemy
We have an enemy who hates us and is actively trying to destroy us. We need to fight back. He won’t leave us alone until we force him to.
Satan means “adversary.” Satan is God’s adversary. He opposes God, the things of God, and anyone God loves. He can’t touch God, so he comes after you and I – those whom God loves.
His common name is Devil which means “false accuser” or “slanderer.” He sows seeds of doubt, deception, confusion, discouragement, depression, temptation, and offense.
Somehow, he is able to place these seeds as thoughts in our minds.
Disappointment is one of his weapons to hurt us. He uses disappointment to create great pain in our lives. Pain that can drag us down and hurt us over a long time. Pain that causes us to give up on dreams and live defeated lives. It’s time to fight back .
Human beings are no match for Satan.
*But We Are Not Alone. We Have God – God is infinitely more powerful than Satan. When we unite our lives with God, through Christ, God makes His power available to us. Joshua 1:9, 1 John 4:4
*Take Heart, Jesus Defeated Satan!Satan is a Defeated Foe. Jesus completely defeated him for us. But we have to enforce Jesus’ victory.
Jesus said “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
*Our Faith in Jesus and the Work of the Cross applies His victory over Satan to Our Lives
1 John 5:4-5 NIV
for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
God speaks things into existence. We do too!
Genesis begins with God creating things by speaking them into existence. God’s Words have creative Power.
Jesus Spoke God’s Word to Defeat Satan – You Can Too!
Satan came into the desert to tempt Jesus who was weak from 40 days of fasting.
Satan twisted scripture into lies to deceive and tempt Jesus. Jesus had the same answer to every temptation: “It is written” and a Bible verse. Speaking Bible truth defeated Satan every time. (John 4:1-11)
Jesus said: “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.” John 6:63 NIV
This means The Holy Spirit is at work producing life through Christ’s words. All scripture is God-breathed. 2 Timothy 3:16 Speaking God’s word creates life.
Proverbs 18:21
The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.The tongue has the power of life. How can that be?
Romans 10:17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
1 Peter 1:23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
Speaking God’s Word plants powerful seeds of life in us. John 8:31-32
Speak to The Mountains, The Problems in Your Life. Mark 11:23
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God has a very powerful way of dealing with difficult, even impossible people. It defies logic. Yet, the results are astonishing. Let’s explore God’s answer to the difficult people in our lives.
00:00 Frank’s Story
03:57 What is Agape?
05:31 4 Real Life Examples of Overcoming Evil With Agape
David Wilkerson
06:26 Stephen,
06:43 Corrie ten Boom,
07:40 Elizabeth Elliot
9:10 Activation
Human love is transactional. If you love me, I’ll probably love you back. But if you are rude or do something I don’t like not only will I withdraw my love, but I’ll respond in kind.
God’s love – agape is God loving us because of who He is, not who we are or what we do. God commands us to give love to people.
Mark 12:30-31
Real Life Examples of Overcoming Evil With Agape
Agape is David Wilkerson, a small town minister whose heart was broken by the lives of gang members in New York City. In 1958, Wilkerson met Nicky Cruz, leader of the most violent gang in New York. Wilkerson told Nicky: “God has the power to change your life.” Nicky cursed, hit Wilkerson, spit in his face, and told him, “I don’t believe in what you say and you get out of here.” Wilkerson replied, “You could cut me up into a 1000 pieces and lay them in the street. Every piece will still love you.” Nicky couldn’t stop thinking about Wilkerson’s words of love. Nicky Cruz’ life was radically transformed by God’s love flowing through David Wilkerson. Nicky not only gave his life to Christ, but he became an evangelist.
Agape is Stephen, as the mob stoned him to death. Acts 7:60: Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” Then he died. He loved and forgave his murderers with his dying breath.
Agape is Corrie Ten Boom forgiving Jan Vogels, the paid informer, who sent her family to concentration camps for helping Jews escape the Nazi’s in Holland. Her sister, father, and brother all died as a result. Vogels was convicted of war crimes and sentenced to death.
God told Corrie to forgive him. She couldn’t. God gave her Romans 5:5 so she could forgive him.
“ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
She prayed and Holy Spirit poured God’s love into her heart. She forgave Jan Vogels with the love God gave her. She wrote a letter to him saying she forgave him. He wrote back. If you could forgive me by God’s love, there is hope for me. He gave his life to Jesus.
Agape is Elizabeth Elliot returning to the Waorani Indians in the jungles of Ecuador who killed her husband and 4 other missionaries with spears. She and others brought many of the isolated Waorani to Jesus.
Agape is selfless, unconditional, sacrificial love. It is love that only comes from God. This the love God commanded us to have for others.
Agape is love that flows from who you are in Christ, not who the other person is or what they do. So their response to you is irrelevant. God’s love never fades, never fails, and is never withdrawn. David Wilkerson, Corrie ten Boom, and Elizabeth Elliot all learned to move and live in that bottomless, unconditional love of God. You can too!
God wants us to come alongside people and show them the possibilities of life. He wants us to show them what it looks like to be loved by Jesus and to be changed by Jesus' love. We are His message, written on human hearts.
John 13:35
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Activation – Go love a difficult person
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How can you possibly trust God in the times you are drowning in hardship, suffering and heartache?
Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, remained a slave in Egypt for 11 years, then his life went from bad to worse. He was falsely convicted of rape and put in prison. How could anyone trust God after all that? Joseph’s life reveals 4 keys to trusting God despite the circumstances of your life.
00:00 Joseph’s Story
4:08 Key #1 to Trusting God. God causes all thing to work for your good.
6:03 Key #2 To Trusting God. God is Greater than anything you face!
7:02 Key #3 to Trusting God. God’s plan is greater than your understanding.
8:29 Key #4 to Trusting God. God’s Love for You is Real, It’s tangible.
10:14 Activation
Promised Link: Chuck Colson’s great book: “Born Again” https://amzn.to/3WCCiNY This is an affiliate link.
Joseph’s Story (see the video)
*Key #1 to Trusting God. God causes all thing to work for your good.
How God turned everything that happened to Joseph into something amazing – he became #2 in all Egypt. Chuck Colson’s story of redemption.
Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
Ephesians 2:10
*Key #2 To Trusting God. God is Greater than anything you face!
Genesis 29:20-21 tells us “the Lord was with him”, was kind to him and gave him favor.
Even more so, the Holy Spirit is always with us to help us and be with us forever:
John 14:16-17: Jesus said, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. … he lives with you and will be in you.
1 John 4:4
You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
God, the Holy Spirit who is always with you, is infinitely more powerful that Satan, the fallen angel and all his minions combined.
*Key #3 to Trusting God. God’s plan is greater than your understanding.
First, God has a plan. A great and wonderful plan to redeem mankind. God’s primary goal is to save us and transform us to be like Jesus.
There will be things we don’t know or can’t understand about God’s greater plan and what is happening to us. What is happening in our lives may not make sense. For 13 years, Joseph’s life didn’t make sense. Then, suddenly, it did! Joseph’s life was lived to save the lives of everyone in his family, the Israelites.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
In the prison, at the lowest point of his life, God was working in Joseph. It may have felt like God had forgotten him, but God had great plans for Joseph.
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
God’s plans for you are good! God is the redeemer – who turns bad into good in our lives.
*Key #4 to Trusting God. God’s Love for You is Real, It’s tangible.
What God did for Joseph, he will do for you. He will use your greatest struggles to grow your character, then lift you out of those struggles when you are ready to do the things God has planned for your life.
Isaiah 59:14 is a precious promise.
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!
See Activation. #davemilford
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By the end of this video, you will have 7 keys to help you tune into God’s voice and to be confident that you hear him clearly. I’ve taught others to hear God in online and face to face courses. I believe nothing will improve your life more than hearing God clearly.
00 7 Keys to Hearing God Clearly
3:06 1. God still speaks to people today.
4:02 2. God speaks from His dwelling place, our hearts.
4:39 3. God gives us the privilege and the responsibility of hearing His voice.
5:30 4. If you want to continue to hear from Jesus, do what He told you to do.
6:39 5. Silence other voices.
7:31 6. Does it sound like Jesus?
8:52 7. Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
9:51 ACTIVATION
Links Promised
The Purple Pig and Other Miracles, Dick Eastman https://amzn.to/3zXXC7r
Questions for Jesus, Tony Stoltzfus https://amzn.to/3WtqYDx
These are affiliate links.
I’m looking for You, Jesus
I went all over Beijing asking missionaries, “Do you hear God?” “How do you experience Jesus?”
I began to have precious times with Jesus, all alone, in my room at a small college over an hour north of the heart of Beijing. I felt His presence. He talked to me. Not long conversations, but I began to “hear” Him more and more.
Over time, I learned to know His voice and the ways He “spoke” to me. I realized he had been “talking” to me for years. I just had not realized it was Him.
My Sheep Know My Voice
If you are a Christian, You hear Jesus.
John 10:27 (NLT)
"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."
You are a Christian today because you heard His voice. Keep listening. He's still speaking.
7 Keys to Hearing God Clearly
1.God still speaks to people today.
To hear God, you need to believe that God speaks to people today.
God often speaks to us when we are reading the Bible. The Bible is the Holy Spirit talking to us. God sometimes talks to us in a “still, small, voice” See 1 Kings 19
2.God speaks from His dwelling place, our hearts.
The Holy Spirit lives in us once we are born again. So, it is only natural we would hear Him within ourselves. See 1 Corinthians 3:16 (NKJ)
When God speaks to us it is often a quiet thought or impression that flows out of our hearts and into our minds.
3. God gives us the privilege and the responsibility of hearing His voice.
Jesus calls us His flock. He doesn’t drive us like you drive cattle. He walks ahead of us, and we follow Him. How can we follow Him and not someone else? We know His voice. John 10:27 NLT
4.If you want to continue to hear from Jesus, do what He told you to do.
Once Jesus tells you something, act on it. If you don’t, He may just quietly wait for you to obey. Quietly. I’ve had times when I couldn’t hear Him. I asked why and suddenly I remembered that He told me to do something. Once I did it, I could hear Him speaking to me again. Jeremiah 11:5 (TLB,) Psalm 66:18 – NIV
5.Silence other voices.
There are 3 voices we can hear in our heads: our own voice, Satan’s, and God’s.
Our path to silencing other voices is: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 NIV
6. Does it sound like Jesus?
Everything Jesus says to you will always be consistent with the Bible, with Jesus’ character. Jesus will sound like the Jesus you find in the Bible. Just as you and I have unique voices. Jesus still has the same “voice.”
7. Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Nothing helped me hear God more than this deeper yielding to God, which is what the 2nd bapti
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Testimony in Hebrew Means “to do again.” As we share what God has done for us, God plants seeds of faith in the hearts of people to grow that testimony. Testimonies of salvation often lead to others being saved. Testimonies of healing give others faith to reach out and receive the same healing from God. There are many, many examples of this happening.
00:00Your Testimony has tremendous power!
4:00 Your Testimony is Personal
4:52 You Must Earn the Right to Share Your Testimony
5:28 What did Jesus think would transform nations?
5:59 Jesus’ Strategy Works!
9:28 We Overcome By the Blood of the Lamb, the Word of Our Testimonies & Courage
10:20 ActivationActs 1:4-5, 8-9 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.
Don’t leave! Wait! For What? The gift Father God promised.
5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;
What is the gift? The Baptism of the Holy Spirit and power. What was the power for?
Acts 1:8 continues:
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
Jesus’ mandate to the early church was to be his witnesses: to tell the world what they had seen Jesus do and heard Him say.
Your Testimony is Personal
To testify about something in court, a person needs to have personal knowledge. Only what a person saw or heard is admissible. Only their personal experience will be heard. Their ideas, speculations, what they heard others say, etc. is NOT admissible because our courts believe that information is not as reliable as a witness’ personal experience.
We are most credible when we are telling others our experiences with Jesus and what God has done for us. People can argue with your theology (what you think is true about God), but it is hard for them to deny your experience.
What did Jesus think would transform nations?
This was Jesus’ plan – Holy Spirit empowered believers all sharing their testimonies throughout the world. And Christianity going viral!
Can you see it? Can you see the power of your testimony multiplied by untold thousands of thousands of people. Imagine the impact on America (or your nation) if all Christians openly and freely told their stories of what God has done in their lives. And their experiences with Jesus!
Your testimony is not just how you were born again. Your testimony is how God touches every aspect of your life. How Holy Spirit leads you, gives you wisdom, convicts you of sin, and loves you into wholeness. How you hear God speaking to you. How God set you free from addiction, provided for you during tough time financially, etc. God helps us every day. We have so much to testify about.
Your Testimony is Powerful!
Jesus met and talked to a Samaritan woman with her scarlet reputation, but what happened when she told her personal testimony about her experience with Jesus?
John 4:39 NIV
39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”
Her testimony created faith in their hearts.
How We Overcome
Rev 12:11 NKJV
And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.
Activation – see the activation
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This podcast exists for the purpose of transforming people to be like Christ and to equip them disciple nations.. Today’s video reveals how to receive God’s power to serve others – the power to transform nations through Christ.
00:00 What Made Jesus Credible?
03:26 The Disciples Receive Salvation
04:13 The Disciples are Give Authority and Commission to Disciple Nations
06:19 The Disciples Receive Power to Disciple Nations
07:07 My Story
09:50 Activation
What Made Jesus Credible?
Many men have claimed to be a god. In Jesus’ time, the Roman Emperors did. What made Jesus different?
Acts 2:22 NIV
The signs and wonders Jesus performed gave Him credibility. The works He did announced clearly that He was the Savior - the Messiah.
Jesus said: "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves." John 14:11
The Disciples Receive Salvation
The first time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was resurrected, he breathed the breath of life into the disciples and they were born again and filled with the Holy Spirit.
John 20:22 “And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
God did the same thing when He created Adam See Genesis 2:7
So the disciples were born again.
Jesus Gave The Disciples Authority and a Commission
Matthew 28:18-20
The authority God gave to Jesus, Jesus gave to us. He gave us the right to use His name. And He gave us His mandate - disciple nations.
Jesus’ Final Instructions
Acts 1:4-5, 8-9
4 … he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
Like Jesus, we need the power of God to do the work of God on the earth.
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell on everyone who was there, in the upper room, waiting, praying, and praising God. The received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and power.
The signs and wonders God performed through the disciples drew people to the Gospel and quickly grew the church. They had “favor” with all the people. See Acts 2:47
Jesus’ instructions to the first disciples are His instructions to you and I. Wait for the power to do God’s work in God’s way.
My Story
Activation: Receive the Power of the Holy Spirit for Service.
Over 600 million Christians have responded to Jesus’ call to wait for power. They prayed and received what Jesus called the baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is the power of God to do the work He has planned for you to do while on this earth. Pray the prayer with me.
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