HOPE, AN EXPECTED END

Scriptural References: I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (Hope) JER 29:11

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4

"You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and… rest in safety" (Job 11:18 NIV).

Rom. 4:16-18) Therefore it is of faith so that it might be according to grace; for the promise to be made sure to all the seed, not only to that which is of the Law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all(as it has been written, "I have made you a father of many nations") --before God, whom he believed, who makes the dead live, and calls the things which do not exist as though they do exist. For he who beyond hope believed on hope for him to become the father of many nations (according to that which was spoken, "So your seed shall be").

Hope makes us not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Rom 5:5

(Rom 15:13) Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

An Expected End (Hope) -There are 134 verses with the word hope in the NKJ. Hope can be: earthly. Rev.7:4, eternal, spiritual. Rom.15:4, heavenly. Rev.7:4. Hope in God. Pr 3:5 Is 26:3 (encouraged, promises). Job 13:15 (examples). T#352, 1 Pet. 1:21, Job 19:25 (full assurance of).
HOPE — confident expectancy. In the Bible, the word “hope” stands for both the act of hoping (Rom. 4:18; 1 Cor. 9:10) and the thing hoped for (Col. 1:5; 1 Pet. 1:3). Hope does not arise from the individual’s desires or wishes but from God, who is Himself the believer’s hope: “My hope is in You” (Ps. 39:7). Genuine hope is not wishful thinking, but a firm assurance about things that are unseen and still in the future (Rom. 8:24–25; Heb. 11:1, 7). Faith, Hope, and Love work together. (1Co 13:13) And now faith, hope, charity, these three remain; but the greatest of these is charity.

How does hope affect our praying? Something to ponder. We will continue with our focus on hope next week.

Father, I thank You for renewed hope. In Jesus name I declare order to our lives, ministries, finances, health and all things concerning us. I speak that my faith and your faith fail not. Father how I thank you that you sent your Son and the work that He did total completion on the cross. Jesus is the Author and the Finisher of my faith and your faith. I thank You that we are able to know you and who we are in you, that faith, hope and loves reside in us. There are so many benefits we could praise you forever and still find more to praise and thank You. We become carriers of the good news you have given us. Lord, thank You cover each of us with the blood of Jesus as we go about our lives and all our loved ones as well. In Jesus most matchless Holy and precious name Amen.

THE FAST OF THE LORD -

Scriptural References: Isaiah 58

Many people ask me if I fast and I always say,” Yes, as the Holy Spirit directs but it may not always be from food.” And as Joyce Meyer says, “Sometimes we need to fast our mouths! “

It is expedient for each of us to realize that in the application of the precepts given by God in Is. 58, for it is the blueprint for healthy living. If we examine them closely we will conclude that, although these are necessities given by God, we can live in beautiful relationships both with God and mankind. Sadly these are not part of many 'church' programs. When last did we hear exhortations to:

Loose the bands of wickedness; To undo the heavy burdens; To let the oppressed go free; Break every yoke; Deal your bread to the hungry; Bring the poor that are cast out to your house; When you see the naked, cover him; Hide not yourself from your own flesh; Take away from the midst of you the yoke......the putting forth of the finger......speaking vanity; Draw out your soul to the hungry; Satisfy the afflicted soul.

Then the Lord shall always guide you and satisfy your soul in dry places, and make your bones fat; and you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters fail not. And those who come of you shall build the old ruins; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called, the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in. Then you shall delight yourself in Jehovah; and I He will cause you to ride on the high places of the earth, and feed yourself with the inheritance of Jacob.

In the prophet Isaiah’s time, people complained that they had fasted and that God had not responded favorably. Going without food or water was not automatically effective in accomplishing the desires of those who fasted. The prophet declared that an external show was futile. God looks on the heart. When we adopt these (precepts in Is. 58) as a way of life with pure heart motives, we are automatically covered by the 'THENS' of God.

We have been conditioned to believe that God does all these things, yet it is obvious that these are requirements of you and me as we seek to emulate the teaching of Jesus, which is so sadly neglected.

Father, we ask You to break old cycles related to religious spirits. We ask You what Your fast is to be from. We thank You Holy Spirit; You are our Guide. Today, we are fasting from impure thoughts, impure motives and impure speech. I ask that I may walk (live and conduct myself) in a manner worthy of You, Lord, fully pleasing to You and desiring to please You in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of You, God [with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition].
In Jesus name. Amen.

WHO I AM SAYS I AM

Scriptural references- Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints that are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ:
Ephesians 1:10 unto a dispensation of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth; in him, I say,
Ephesians 1:12 to the end that we should be unto the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ:
Ephesians 1:20 which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places,
Ephesians 2:6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus:
Ephesians 2:7 that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus:
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye that once were far off are made nigh in the blood of Christ.

Our Identity in Christ. IN CHRIST- The term In Christ, in Him (by, through and with Him are sometimes used in the original text) but in all the 200 times of its occurrence the principle is the same. The plan, the method, the resources, the times, the eternities are all in Christ. Your identity and destiny is in Christ.

MARY’S IDENTITY- In the midst of Mary's angelic visitation Gabriel is declaring to her the identity she has before God. Gabriel says, in Luke 1:28, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"

We Do things, 1) in order to gain an identity, 2) so we will be accepted 3). However, in the Kingdom, as born-again believers, it is backwards from the world. In the Kingdom 1) we are accepted, 2) being accepted is our identity, and out of our identity 3) we be or we do things!" I find it interesting that in Luke 1:28 the Greek word for "highly favored" is used only one other time in the entire New Testament.

We find it in Ephesians 1:6, "to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved." The word "freely given" or "accepted" (NKJV) in this verse is the very same word used for "highly favored" and this word is only used in these two places, so also, we will be used to bring forth the Son of God in all His glory!

Without deep intimate fellowship resulting in heavenly encounters with the Lord we will never know our identity and, therefore, never take dominion and destroy the works of the devil by the power of God.

Everything that God has given you is already "IN CHRIST JESUS"!!! He doesn't need any outside sources!!!!

Father, I thank You, in Jesus name that my identity is in You. I am highly favored. I still myself before You and I pray the Father of Glory will give me a spirit of wisdom and revelation into the deep mysteries of You, God. Lord open the eyes of my heart. I want to intimately and deeply know You. I ask You, Lord to grant me, by the revelation of the Holy Spirit, a spiritual understanding of your crucifixion, death, burial, suffering, quickening, resurrection, and my seating in the heavenly places in union with You. I also pray I will know the hope of Your calling within me, Your inheritance in me, and the exceeding greatness of His resurrection power toward and within me. Amen.

The Ancient of Days Favors Us

Scriptural references- Daniel 7

(Dan 7:9-22) I watched until the thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days sat, whose robe was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool. His throne was like flames of fire, and His wheels like burning fire. A stream of fire went out and came out from before Him. A thousand thousands served Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The judgment was set, and the books were opened. Then I was looking because of the voice of the great words which the horn spoke. I watched until the beast was slain, and his body was destroyed and given to the burning flame. And the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away. Yet their lives were made longer for a season and time. I saw in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. And dominion and glory was given Him, and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations and languages, should serve Him. Daniel was distressed in my spirit in its body, and the visions of my head troubled me. And I came near one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the meaning of the things. These four great beasts are four kings; they shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever. Then I wanted to know the truth of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, very frightening, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of bronze; who devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the rest with his feet; and of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth speaking very great things, whose appearance was greater than his fellows. I watched, and that horn made war with the saints and overcame them until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High. And the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

In Daniel 7, we find revelation of the Ancient of Days. I believe this is an important and necessary revelation for us to be victorious in prayer in the days ahead. In Daniel 7:9-14 we find that Daniel had a revelation of God’s everlasting reigning power.

The name Ancient of Days / Everlasting God (Dan. 7:9,13,22) is not a picture presented of an old man who lived for many years. It is not a literal description of God, but a confession that He lives forever and His kingdom is everlasting. His rule encompasses the expanses of time. Unlike the portrait presented in other religions where the gods are bound within time, God is active in time and history. He gives history meaning and is drawing it to a conclusion. He is from "everlasting to everlasting." (Ps. 90:2) This depicts the One who has all knowledge, the Father of Years and the One who forwards time and rules over it. The name implies dignity, endurance, judgment, and wisdom. “His number of years is undiscoverable.” (Job 36:26)

The Ancient of Days favors us (the saints) and in the days ahead the time will come for the saints to possess the Kingdom. That time is now. That means we will take dominion, govern, prevail and dominate the world powers around us. It certainly doesn’t look like that now, but we have much to look forward to.

Father, I thank You, You are the Ancient of Days, our Everlasting God, there is none but You. You rule and reign. We give You glory, honor, power and dominion forever. We live and move and have our being in You, the Ancient of Days. Thank You that Your dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and Your kingdom shall not be destroyed. Amen.