THINK IT: Believe You Have It By Faith (Philemon 1:6 NKJV)

THINKIT-I receive and activate the grace of God( Ro. 5:17) by speaking it(2Cor.4:13, Ps.116:10) over my life because the spirit of faith is speaking. And the power of death and life are in the tongue (Pro. 18:21). I have the power of life and death in my tongue, therefore I speak life over myself, not negative death words in order to give the Holy Spirit something to work with. For He is the Spirit of truth and God’s Word is truth(John 17:17), so I speak God’s Word over my life, for this is what is in my born again spirit that God recreated(2Cor. 5:17). And as Jesus is so am I in this world(1John 4:17). And I am one spirit with Him(1Cor. 6:17). And I am crucified with Christ, yet I live, not I, but Christ Who lives in me(Gal. 2:20, Ro. 6:4). So when I speak I am saying who I am in Christ Jesus in my spirit. And the Holy Spirit can work with these truths to manifest them in my life.  For we all have received out of His abundance and had a share and were supplied with one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift heaped upon gift (John 1:16).

Hebrews 11:1 says faith is now, so I believe I have it now(Mark 11:23-24). Heb. 4:3 says: For we who have believed (adhere to and trusted in and relied on God) do enter that rest, in accordance with His declaration that those [who did not believe] should not enter when He said, As I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest; and this He said although [His]  works had been completed and prepared [and waiting for all who would believe] from the foundation of the world]. So you can see God’s work is already done. We have to believe and confess and renew our minds to His truths((Eph. 4:23, Ro. 12:2) by speaking and confessing His truths over our lives, because He’s already given us everything pertaining to life and godliness(2Peter 1:3-4).

We have to appropriate His grace through faith, speaking and believing it, getting it into our hearts.  We are spirit, soul and body(1Thess. 5:23), in that order. Our spirits were born again, not our souls which is our mind, emotions and will. We have to renew our minds to get it to agree with our spirits. We have to make the confessions of what Jesus says we are, for Jesus is the High Priest of our confession(Heb. 3:1, NKJV). And Heb. 10:23 says: So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable(sure) and faithful to His Word. Heb. 3:14 says: For we have become fellows with Christ (the Messiah) and share in all He has for us, if only we hold our first newborn confidence and original assured expectation[ in virtue of which we are believers] firm and unshaken to the end. This is saying you should persevere in your confession. Pro. 7:1 says: My son, keep my words; lay up within you my commandments [for use when needed] and treasure them. So when tribulations come the Word will come up out of your spirit if you have planted His Word in your heart in abundance(Matt. 12:34-35), by speaking it, which is the way to get it into your heart(Ps. 45:1).

Take authority over your thought life by casting down evil thoughts that are not of God and replacing them with God’s Word(2Cor. 10:3-5).  Matthew 6:31, KJV says: take no thought saying. So take no thought saying anything that is contrary to the Word of God. Pro. 4:24 says : Put away from you false speech and dishonest speech, and willful and contrary talk put far from you. Remember you need to speak spirit words to your spirit. John 6:63 says:The words I speak are spirit and life. Words are very important. They are either of life or of death. They can change your life and attitudes for the better in Christ Jesus or contrary words to the Word of God can cause you to remain in your condition. That is why God says be renewed in the spirit of your mind so that what comes out of your mouth is life. Pro. 16:23 says: The mind of the wise instructs his mouth, and adds learning and persuasiveness to his lips. So the mind instructed in God’s Word can persuade the mouth to speak life. You will speak the solutions, for example:

You can speak to sickness and tell it that by His stripes you are healed instead of agreeing with the sickness and speaking the problem and embedding it any further. You are not denying the problem but you are speaking the Word of God to it which is medicine for the ailment(Pro. 4:20-23). That is why you speak the Word to it, to get rid of it. Col. 2:6 says: as you have received Christ as Lord so walk and regulate your life in union with and conformity to Him. So I received Christ by using my mouth to confess and receive Him(Ro.10:9-10), so in the same manner I use my mouth to walk by faith(by believing)  and with thanksgiving to receive His faith promises. Philemon 1:6 says:[And I pray] that the participation in and sharing of your faith may produce and promote full recognition and appreciation and understanding and precise knowledge of every good [thing] that is ours in [our identification with] Christ Jesus [and unto His glory]. I want to share faith with you. For it is impossible to please God without faith(Heb. 11:6). 

So I confess with my mouth what God’s grace says:                   
1) Greater is He Who is me than he who is in the world(1John 4:4)
2) No weapon formed against me shall prosper(Isaiah 54:17).
3) I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me(Phil.4:13).
4) I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might(Eph 6:10).
5) I am a praiser of God and His Grace and Glory(Eph1:6&12 Isaiah 43:21).
6) I am accepted in the Beloved(Eph1:6).
7)I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus(2 Cor 5:21, Ro. 3:24).
8) By His stripes I am healed in my body and emotions(1Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:4-5).
9) Jesus is my Refuge( Ps. 91:2).
10) I have the mind of Christ(1Cor 2:16).
11) I am the workmanship of God in Christ Jesus(Eph 2:10).
12) I love God because He first loved me(1John 4:19).
13) I am so grateful to God(Eph 5:20, 1Thess 5:18, Ps.66:8).
14) Jesus is my Peace(Eph. 2:14).
15) The joy of the Lord is my strength(Neh 8:10).                             
16) Jesus is my Wisdom. (1Cor 1:30)
17) As Jesus is so am I in this world(1John 4:17).                         
18) There is now no condemnation for me because I am in Christ Jesus(Ro. 8:1).             
19) I do not have a spirit of fear(of timidity, of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but I have been given a spirit of power, and of love and of calm and well balanced mind and discipline and self control(2Tim 1:7)                           
20) God supplies all my needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus(Phil. 4:19).           
21) I have been blessed by Father God in Christ with every spiritual(given by the Holy Spirit) blessing in the heavenly realm( Eph. 1:3).                                                 
22) I am the redeemed of the Lord(Ps. 107:2).                                   
23) Thank You Father for the manifestation of these truths in my life by the Holy Spirit, and help me to confess these truths at least once a day, in Jesus’ name Amen.

The Gift Of Speaking In Tongues: Part 11

By Dan

POINTS TO REMEMBER-

A) Praying in the Spirit, edifies the whole self-spirit, soul and body (1Cor 14:4), and you’re building health. So there are benefits for your mind, emotions, body and spirit. Ps. 103:5 says-Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle’s [strong, overcoming, soaring]! So Ps 81:10 says-open your mouth wide and I will fill it. Let Him give you utterance.

B) There are four baptisms mentioned, but there are three that are very important-1) The Holy Spirit baptizes you into Christ for regeneration of your spirit. 2) Disciples baptize you in water, to cut off the old man,  it opens up the mind to see the light of the Gospel. 3) Jesus baptizes you with the Holy Spirit, and He gives you power to live the Christian life-you receive ability efficiency and might(Acts 1:8). Praying in tongues is evidence that the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in you, the third Person of the Godhead. God waited till the day of Pentecost to give the Holy Spirit. So when you think of Pentecost it should remind you of this precious Gift of God the Father, the precious Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues, that He gave to the disciples.

Speaking in tongues is unique only to the New Covenant(Acts 2:4).The Holy Spirit was giving them UTTERANCE as they SPOKE IN TONGUES. The Holy Spirit is the One Who gives the words-the utterance.This word utterance means a dignified elevated discourse, not a word of everyday speech. So it’s special.  It’s the first gift given to the Church. It was priority with Father God. And the Holy Spirit will always be in you and with you(Heb. 13:5, 1John 3:24, 1John 4:13).  He’s in you when you accept Jesus as Lord of your life and you will be immersed in Him when you are baptized in Him. It’s the difference of having a glass of water in you and being immersed in a pool with water being on you.

C) Praying in the Spirit is dedicated time to God.You will be led by the Holy Spirit more when you pray in the Spirit, you will be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit without you even being conscious of it, it will just be that way.  It keeps you in an attitude of prayer, you can be praying in the Spirit even while you are doing other things, praying in low undertones, thus it is one way of fulfilling the command in 1Thess. 5:17 to pray without ceasing. Singing in the Spirit is worshiping God(1Cor. 14:15) extolling and magnifying Him (Acts 10:46).

D) When praying in the Spirit, you’re praying the perfect will of God-intercessory prayer by the Holy Spirit for you, for He helps our weaknesses, this is the same word used in the Gospel when the Lord healed, meaning sicknesses. He prays for your loved ones through you when you don’t know how to pray for them and He prays for others through you. You can ask the Holy Spirit to pray for your health or someone else’s through your prayer language. You can ask Him to pray for anything. You may experience warfare and resistance, and but Eph. 6:18 says to keep praying with perseverance for breakthrough, and Ph. 4:6 says-CONTINUE praying in every circumstance with thanksgiving. 1Cor. 14:13 says-Therefore, the person who speaks in an [unknown] tongue should pray [for the power to interpret and explain what he says. This scripture is talking about when you are in a public church setting, you would need an interpreter for the benefit of the people to understand and be edified, but I also believe that you can ask the Holy Spirit to give you the power to interpret what you are saying in your private prayer time also. Praying in the Spirit is a rest. This means it will cause a rest for your spirit when doing activity, because it will be Spirit directed activity. Rest doesn’t mean no activity but it means it will be Spirit directed. Your spirit will be at rest and there won’t be agitation to your spirit, there will be an ease.

E) When praying in the Spirit, you are praying secret truths and hidden things(1Cor. 14:2). When praying in the Spirit, more signs, wonders, healings are manifested.  F) Praying in the Spirit, you are doing spiritual warfare for the saints. Remember there are seven pieces to our spiritual armor we are to put on-1) The belt of truth 2) Breastplate of righteousness 3) Feet shod with the Gospel of peace to face the enemy 4) The shield of faith 5) The helmet of salvation 6) The sword of the Spirit(in the Greek-rhema, which is the saying of God, which would be a now word from God). 7) THROUGH all prayer and supplication, praying at all times in the Spirit, which is how you receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the saying of God(YLT).

G) Stir up the gift within you, fan it into flames. H) Ro. 11:29-For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. [ He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.]  I) Tongues is a gift that was never revoked. J) Acts 2:39-For the promise [ of the Holy Spirit]  is to and for you and your children, and to and for all that are far away, [even] to and for as many as the Lord our God invites and bids to come to Himself. K) You were invited and bidded to come to Him. L) Be blessed beloved child of God, and use this grace gift, as God so desires for you to do (Luke 11:13). GLORY TO OUR GOD!

The Gift Of Speaking In Tongues: Part 10

By Dan

RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT-

129) Luke 11:13-If you then, being evil as you are, know how to give good gifts a) [gifts that are to their advantage] to your children, b) how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit c) to those who ask and continue to ask Him! d) being immersed in the Holy Spirit is an advantageous gift then. 130) God gave tongues so He can be magnified and extolled supernaturally, especially when you sing in the Spirit (1Cor. 14:15). a) And that is what we are to do-MAGNIFY GOD! b) When you speak in tongues, you cannot pray selfishly. c) It’s fully and totally of the Spirit. 131) Ask the Father to fill you with His Spirit a) with evidence of speaking in tongues. b) then by faith open your mouth and speak-Ps.81:10 says open your mouth and I will fill it. 132) The sound of praying in the Spirit causes your spirit man to be open to all what God has for us to receive-the gifts of the Spirit. 133) Remember John 7:39-that the Holy Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified. 134) Acts  2:33-because He was lifted on high, the Holy Spirit was sent. 135) So we receive the Holy Spirit because Jesus has been glorified.

136) You can always have more of the Holy Spirit, it is a process where you can be filled continually. Eph. 5:18-And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit. 137) If you keep praying in the Spirit, you will be wielding the the sword of the Spirit causing the glory of the Lord to shine out of you c) causing people to be drawn to Jesus because of the light shining on you. d) Not coming to you for you, but for the light shining on you-2Cor. 4:6-7 says-For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). Verse 7-However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves. e) Isaiah 60:1-2 says-Arise [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you-rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you 2) For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and dense darkness [all] peoples, but the Lord shall arise upon you [O Jerusalem], and His glory shall be seen on you.

138) Praying in the Spirit will cause the gifts of the Spirit to  flow. 139) When first learning to pray in the Spirit, don’t wait for some power to overtake you, God doesn’t do that.  140) That is what an evil spirit does it-it takes over,  again, God doesn’t do that. 141) God wants your cooperation, you are a co-laborer together with God(1Cor. 3:9). 142) Demonstrate your faith by speaking. 143) Don’t let your mind tell you it’s gibberish, remember stammering lips in Isaiah 28:11. 144) Just speak out. It’s a heavenly language-an elevated discourse which the Holy Spirit is uttering before God. 145) There can be nothing useless uttered, it’s full of power. 146) God appreciates the sounds. They are the sounds which causes you to be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; which leaves will not fade or wither and whatever you do prospers(Ps.1:3). 147) It is a sound of heaven-your heavenly language! 148) So open your mouth by faith and believe when you ask for the Holy Spirit, that you will receive no other spirit.

PRAYER: Father, in Jesus’ name, I receive right now the baptism of the Holy Spirit with evidence by speaking in a heavenly language, thank You for filling me with Your Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name, Amen. Now just start praying in the Spirit. You can start and stop when you want. Remember the Holy Spirit is a Gentleman, He never takes you over, He needs your cooperation. He gives you the words and you speak them out. Turn off your logic and let your spirit take over. Don’t let your mind dominate( Ro. 8:5-6 says-For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their mind on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit. Verse 6) Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit]  is death [death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever]. So let your mind play a subordinate role. When the mind dominates it gives you a lot of problems. So you can pray in the Spirit, sing in the Spirit, you can start and stop any time. You can do low undertones-muttering, you can increase your volume. 1Thess. 5:17 says-Pray without ceasing. Praying in tongues is one way of doing that. You can pray in tongues and ask the Holy Spirit to direct your language for family members three minutes for each one, for He knows what they need. When you are speaking in the Spirit, you are speaking words of the Spirit and you will make your way prosperous and have good success. Be blessed, beloved child of God.

The Gift Of Speaking In Tongues- Part 9

By Dan

THE BIBLE MENTIONS FOUR BAPTISMS-THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN BEING BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST AND BEING BAPTIZED INTO THE HOLY SPIRIT-

a) Holy Spirit baptizes into Christ (Titus 3:5) b) Disciples baptize in water (Matt. 28:19) c) Christ baptizes into the Holy Spirit ( John 1:33) d) and John’s baptism of repentance (Acts 19:4). 122) Again the Holy Spirit baptizes into Christ. 122) Titus 3:5 says-He saved us not because of any works of righteousness a) that we had done b) But because of His own pity and mercy c) by [the] cleansing [bath] of the new birth(regeneration) d) and renewing of the Holy Spirit. e)So this is the Holy Spirit baptizing you into the body of Christ. 123) Ro. 6:3-4 says- Are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been a) baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Ro 6:4 says-We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, b) so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, c) so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life.

124) Acts 19:1-6 is an account of being baptized into the Holy Spirit-verse 1) While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul went through the upper inland districts a) and came down to Ephesus. b)There he found disciples. Verse 2) And he asked them, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed a) [on Jesus as the Christ]?  b) And they said, No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit. Verse 3) And he asked, Into what [baptism] then were you baptized? a) They said, Into John’s baptism Verse 4) And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance a) continually telling the people that they should believe b) in the One Who was to come after him, c) that is, in Jesus [having a conviction full of joyful trust d) that He is Christ, the Messiah, and e) being obedient to Him]. Verse 5) On hearing this they were baptized [again, this time] a) in the name of the Lord Jesus. Verse 6) And as Paul laid his hands upon them, a) the Holy Spirit came on them; b)and they spoke in [foreign, unknown] tongues ( languages) and  c) prophesied. 125) This is an account of being baptized into the Holy Spirit a) when He comes on you with evidence of speaking in tongues. So this is the difference of the Holy Spirit being in you (1John 3:24) as opposed to being immersed in Him as in being immersed in a pool.

126) Again Jesus is the One Who baptizes you with the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33). 127) So you can be born again and not have the baptism of the Holy Spirit, a) because it is a separate event from regeneration b) of becoming a new creation. c) There is a separate receiving of the Holy Spirit, with evidence of speaking in tongues. e) It gives you power to walk the Christian life. 128)1Tim. 6:12 says- Fight the good fight of faith a) lay hold of the eternal life which you were summoned b) and [for which] you confessed the good confession [of faith] c) before many witnesses. d) Speaking in tongues will allow you to lay hold of eternal life that has been given you(1John 5:13). e) Activate it by speaking in tongues.

The Gift Of Speaking In Tongues- Part 8

By Dan

TRUST GOD AND BELIEVE HIS WORD ON SPEAKING IN TONGUES-

109) The bible does not give one scripture that says tongues has ceased already. 110) Probably 1Cor. 13:8 which says tongues will be destroyed and cease a) is what is used as an explanation to support an argument that tongues has ceased. 111) 1Cor. 13:10 says-But when the complete and perfect(total) comes a) the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away(become antiquated b) void and superseded). 112) So the rest of 1Cor. 13:8 says-As for prophecy it will pass away a) as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; b) as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth]. 113) 1Cor. 13:9-For our knowledge is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect). 114) 1Cor. 13:10-Again says-But when the complete and perfect(total) comes, a) the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away b) (become antiquated, void, superseded). 115) 1Cor. 13:12-For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection a) [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], b) But then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! c) Now I know in part (imperfectly) but then I shall know and understand d) fully and clearly, even in the the same manner e) as I have been fully and clearly known and understood [by God].

116) All this has not happened yet. Perfection has not come yet, so tongues could not have been destroyed a) and ceased yet, just as knowledge has not been destroyed b) or prophecy passed away. c) We won’t need them when perfection comes(Christ’s perfect rule). 117) For Now we are living in this imperfect world. a) Tongues is needed just as much as it was when the Church was in its infancy. b) It was hard back then and they needed it, c) these times are perilous, so we definitely need tongues.

118) Tongues is the first gift Father God gave to the Church a) when the Holy Spirit came as a mighty rushing wind. b) God gave us tongues to communicate with Him c) in a supernatural language. d) It was to help us pray when we don’t know what or how to pray. e) The Holy Spirit aids when praying in tongues, it connects us to the power of the Holy Spirit. f) God does not take away gifts that help. g) It’s praying the perfect will of God. 119) Romans 11:29 says-For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. a) [He never withdraws them when once they are given , b) and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace c) or to Whom He sends His call.] d) Tongues is a grace gift. 120) James 1:17 says-Every good gift and every perfect(free, large, full) gift  a) is from above; it comes down from the Father of all b) [that gives]  light, in [the shining of] Whom c) there can be no variation [rising or setting]  d) or shadow cast by His turning [as in an eclipse]. Beloved child of God, tongues is a perfect grace gift given by our Father.