September 16, 2007
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Faith - You are what you eat
Faith - We're all familiar with Heb 11, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." The NAS says, "assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Christians have the ability to bring into being what has never before existed. We learn to live an abundant life when we apply the dynamic of faith to ministry and finances... building the Kingdom. Be one of God's heroes. The heroes of the faith (both past and present) absolutely believe that they have the ability to succeed. They have both confidence in God's power and their own ability. Their picture of the future reality is clear; obstacles don't deter them from their vision. I want to suggest that only about 5% of Christians possess any significant portion of their real destiny (at the moment). The reason is we don't use our faith... we either don't ask or after we ask we waver at the first sign of resistance from the enemy.
Counter Punching the devil - The enemies primary tactic to derail you from contending for your heart's desires; the goals of the your faith. If you can be dissuaded from contending for your inheritance you'll still go to heaven, you just won't be a factor in building the Kingdom here and now. So our counter punch is to "guard our hearts" because that dream, those desires of your heart are your spring of life. Listen to Proverbs 4:
Here's what I see from this passage; 1) guard your heart in order to keep your spiritual vitality and enthusiasm, 2) watch what you say, 3) keep your eyes on the prize (goals), and 4) keep your actions consistent your heart's desires. In other words lets your words and actions line up with the goals of your heart. Let's expand each area. 1. Our faith is seen in the attitudes and desires of our heart. Who you are and what you are is a natural outworking of what you sincerely believe about yourself and your calling in God. You will become what you believe in your heart. That's a good reason to have some heart-felt goals and guard them!
What ever you sincerely believe about your future is very likely to come to pass... for better or for worse. That's the power of faith - believing God's promise. Many Christians use worry and fear as a version of negative faith to rule out any chance of abundant life. They don't guard their heart's and the enemy steals their dream.
2. Our words mirror our heart - Words reveal the the real beliefs and desires of our heart. Confession isn't enough. We can't just say the right things we actually have to believe them in our heart. We often slip up and talk as though we have no expectation that our dream will ever come true. When we're really excited about our dream and were on a track to make it a reality - well, our words naturally reflect enthusiasm.
3. Our goals and Vision - It's hard to make a dream come true if it's not written down. Goals are spiritual. They express our intent to implement the plan of God and the desires of our heart. No matter what your vision is, the dream is worth trying to capture in goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely (SMART). Let your "gaze be fixed" on them in prayer and meditation and do something everyday to accomplish them. 4. Your Path (actions) - Lastly our actions naturally line up to support what is really in our heart. If we really believe our vision, we'll be working on making it happen. Ticking off those goals one at time will implement the master('s) plan and make the dream come true. A secret - I learned a lesson training horses that works just as well for people. If a colt does something right I stop and scratch him or pet him and I know he accepts the complement because he will start to chew and reflect the fact that he's relaxed and comfortable. So the summary is, I ask for a response with a rein or spur, get the desired behavior, release the pressure, and reward the action to reinforce it by petting and scratching... and then they chew. The chewing means they're comfortable with the whole process and comfortable with me. So... I short-circuited the whole process. I feed them treats throughout my contact during training. I help them stay relaxed by giving them something to chew on. It's helps them have a trainable attitude and shortens the whole process... The horse and I get much faster results. Changing or Reinforcing my heart - In the same way the true attitude of your heart will be reflected by your words, your countenance, your written goals, and your actions. So the drill is, "how do I help my heart's desires come to pass?" How can I absolutely believe that what I put my hand to will be blessed? Feeding on the word and prayer is where it starts. But, once you have the direction you can help (or guard) your heart by lining up the downstream effects... line up your words, your countenance, your goals and your actions. Start "chewing" on your dream; you'll get comfortable with the level of success and influence God really wants to give you. You, your calling, and your land are important to God. He wants you to possess your inheritance. "You are what you eat" so feed your heart the word and the words that proceed out of His mouth regarding your land. Build the frame work in your behavior to support the promised dream. Start living in a way that lines up with the desires of your heart... and the desires of God's heart - they are the same thing.
Life is an adventure. People are a blessing. God is amazing. We're winning.
Love, John & Harold (are dancing - Join us) Our back issues are organized by topic - great way to find what's interesting! You've also been voting. Here are the greatest "hits" newsletters from the past.
Releasing Kings is also being translated into French and should be available this summer.
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