Victory Life KY

Mark 5:34 (NKJV) And HE SAID to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

He said He would never leave us. He said it was to our advantage that He go so that the Holy Spirit would come. He said, preach the Kingdom, heal the sick… He said anyone who believes in Me can do the things I do.

God will take what this world considers “nobodies” those that will say yes to Him, and make them His “somebodies.”

To come and see the Goodness of Jesus, the Goodness of God. The true nature of who He is.

God will take the “nobodies” that will say yes to Him, and make them His “somebodies.” (King David)

God simply needs some “nobodies” that will say yes to becoming one of His somebodies. Trusting God to do what He says in His word

Today as we gather around The Lord's Table, one of the greatest things communion does is remind us that because of Jesus' sacrifice, we're able to stand in this privileged place.

Psalm 103:2-5 (NKJV) Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. These benefits are the blessing of the Lord. In the words of the apostle Paul, the blessing of Abraham. And Jesus has made them available to anyone that will believe.

We’ve got to get this, Christ redeemed us so that the blessing would be on us. So if you believe in Jesus and follow Him, the blessing of Abraham is on you.

As I thought about this in light of what God expects from us, His church, right in the middle of the world around us grows darker, by design, we’re created to grow brighter.

We are the seed of Abraham and heirs according to the promise. The promise is the Holy Spirit and His benefit package, which the Bible refers to as THE BLESSING. The blessing of the Lord is a creative force, empowerment of God’s nature, His favor, protection and provision, enlightenment, and wisdom.

When everything appeared hopeless, Abraham believed God anyway. God prophesied Abraham’s life to him, but included us in His prophecy. We are the seed of Abraham and heirs according to the promise.

I believe that the Holy Spirit is still looking, calling, and inspiring His people today to continue growing stronger in our faith. To live strong.

When it comes to this life of faith, the reason focus is such a big deal is because we go in the direction of our most dominant thought. Remember, as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.

Today as we honor fathers, one thing that stands out about dads is their display of strength. So I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to talk about us being strong in our Father.

So as we dig deeper into our subject of spiritual language, keep in mind, the majority of everything written about this subject comes from the Apostle Paul, who saw spiritual language as something necessary, desirable, and absolutely worthy of respect.

Here's the thing, prayer is as spiritual as it gets for a believer. And according to James, the fervent, heartfelt prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available.

Moments and emotions are fleeting, But God is everlasting!

A major component of prayer is praise. It keeps our perspective right. Praise keeps us engaged with His presence.

When it comes to a healthy, successful prayer life, faith is the only way! Those who come to God, must believe.

Ultimately, an effective prayer life has to be built around our personal fellowship with our Father. Think about it, how can you honestly fellowship with someone you’re really not sure of? Remember what Jesus said, “Only Believe”

First things first, navigating God’s world only happens through faith. And if faith isn’t part of our life, when it comes to the things of the Spirit, which prayer is, it will be an area we’ll stay uncomfortable with as long as we constantly question its realities.

We’ve titled our talk “Faith Begins…” because faith is literally where a life in Christ starts. Hebrews makes it very clear, that anyone who comes to God, must believe that He is.

Just like God uses a mom's love to influence her children, He wants to use us the same way.

These good deeds or being doers of the word, is our outward expression of the inner transformation. .

Deuteronomy 28:8 (NKJV) The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

Our talk is titled “Faith Begins…” because there’s no other way into His Kingdom, there’s no other way humanity can receive from God, and there’s no other way to please Him because this is how His new covenant is set up.

Understanding the immeasurable love God has for every one of us is the beginning of clarity for His created.

Matthew 16:19 (MSG) You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. He has given us Kingship- authority, position, dignity of a king. Personality of a king. Responsibility of a king. Government of a king. In other words, Im giving you the keys of the kingdom.

Right before He left the earth He delegated authority to His followers. We have been authorized to represent Him and His Kingdom. We have been given kingship.

All authority was given to Jesus in Heaven and on earth, and He delegated the authority to His ambassadors. He has given us Kingship- authority, position, dignity of a king. Personality of a king. Responsibility of a king. Government of a king. In other words, I'm giving you the keys of the kingdom.

The same cross that made salvation available, made healing available. The same grace that provides forgiveness provides healing.

I'm giving you Kingship- authority, position, the dignity of a king. The personality of a king. Responsibility of a king. Government of a king. In other words, I'm giving you the keys of the kingdom. We are His kingship. After all, Jesus did say He is King of kings, Lord of lords.

The same cross that made salvation available, made healing available. The same grace that provides forgiveness provides healing.

Your life today, your current harvest if you will, is a product of the seeds you’ve sown in the past (with words, thoughts, actions, etc.) What you speak today, the things you do today, will become your future, your harvest.

We have to understand, there’s only one way into God’s Kingdom, and it’s the same way we live out of it. It is by grace, through faith. Welcome to your Kingship.

Today’s talk is a simple reminder for every believer that there is power in our words. Spiritually, according to Jesus, there’s also authority in our words. The key is saying what God says about our situation instead of everything else.

Today’s talk is a simple reminder for every believer that there is power in our words. Spiritually, according to Jesus, there’s also authority in our words. The key is saying what God says about our situation instead of everything else.

Ephesians 2:19 (NKJV) Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.

Exactly What do I Believe2/16/22 “Imitate God like little children” really got me thinking, just exactly how much of who God is and what He does are we supposed to imitate? A key point to this truth is, like little children Mark 10:15,NKJV- Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it. The question is, just exactly what do we believe? Did He really mean that we’re to actually imitate the things He did? Not only does the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul tells us to imitate God, Paul says it this way in Corinthians, imitate me as I imitates Christ. Jesus told us, “If you’ve seen me you’ve seen the Father.” “I came from Heaven to do the will of the Father who sent me.” Matthew 28:18-20,MSG- Jesus told His disciples: God authorized and commanded me to commission you:Go out and train everyone you meet, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age. After accepting the truth about Jesus, possibly the next biggest thing we've got to get settled is, do we believe the Bible to be the word of God to us today? This is why we can’t over emphasize the power of believing. That means, even if we don’t understand truth yet, believing the Bible is God’s word is an absolute. At the end of the day, believing comes down to a decision. And it starts with understand that the Bible is a spiritual book. By design, when God’s created makes room for His word, it’s God’s word that produces faith when we yield to it. And simply put, faith is what we believe. So, to what extent are we allowing the Bible to shape our beliefs? God’s word is incorruptible seed. And everything about God’s Kingdom is like sowing seed. Luke even says that God’s word is the seed sown. Psalm 119 says , Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. Isaiah 55:11,AMP- So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me void, useless, without result, without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. 2 Timothy 3:16-17,NKJV- All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Corinthians 1:20,NKJV- For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. If God is expecting us to imitate Him, to follow Jesus’ example, to do the things He did, then where are all the healings today? Seriously, if Jesus told us to follow Him, to do what He did and said, if His word is forever settled, if His word enlightens our path, if we’re honestly suppose to imitate Him. Then what happened to the healings? Could our believing have anything to do with it? What about unbelief? In Jesus’ own home town He could do no mighty works because of their unbelief. Mark 6:6, And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching. Teaching the word is the remedy for unbelief. Remember, faith come from the word. Not only is our minds renewed when subjected to God’s word, His word is also the spiritual force that develops faith in a believer. And faith without a corresponding action is useless. Colossians 2:6,NKJV- As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,The AMP goes on to say, walk in union with Him, reflecting His character in the things you do and say. Therefore we walk by faith, not by sight. Here’s the deal, there’s only one way to receive Christ, and that’s by grace through faith. So by grace, through faith we are expected to live our new lives in Him. So back to the reason for our titled, exactly what do I believe?Can a persons faith have anything to do with God’s healing power?Can a persons faith have anything to do with God’s saving power? For some reason we’ve concluded that these two spiritual realities are different. For example, we pray for healing, but symptoms still exist, so we assume it to be different than salvation. But let’s not kid ourselves, if we went by that philosophy, there’s no way you could be sure you’re saved. There’s days we don’t feel saved, and no doubt days we don’t look or act saved. Does what we believe line up with God’s word? By design our believing has everything to do with the realities of our new world? That also means unbelief has major influence into our new lives in Christ. Remember, Jesus in His home town couldn’t do any mighty works because of unbelief. In Matthew 9, Jesus asked the blind men, “do you believe I’m able to do this?” Then He told them, “according to your faith let it be done to you.” Here’s the thing, these guys weren’t even born again. And because of that they had to get to

Two WorldsPart 4 2/13/22 Everything about this series hinges on the reality that the moment we give our lives to Jesus we’re born into a new world, into the Kingdom of Heaven, all while still confined to this natural world. But here’s the deal, most of us, most of the time are more aware of and committed to this natural world than our new world because its just easier, it’s more real to us. It’s what we’re use to. And until we get to the place where spiritual things are a reality, they will stay this, mysterious will of God kind of thing. This is what I love about Ephesians, it provides clarity for our new world. And the number one reality Ephesians drives home is that the church is His body, us in Him, Him in us, expressing the fullness of His reality. Ephesians 1:22-23,NKJV- He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. We have to understand, being successful in our new world isn’t any different than being successful in this world. Remember what God says in Jeremiah, When you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” This is one of Paul’s key points in this letter in Ephesians. He isn’t praying for God to do a something new, he’s praying the we can see, that we can comprehend what God has already done. In chapter 3, he makes it very clear that the moment we’re born again we become fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ. Don’t forget, His intention from the very beginning was a to display His fullness through us, His church.And this is Paul’s second prayer that takes things to another level. Ephesians 3:14-21,NKJV- For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,15, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,16, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,17, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,18, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—19, to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.20, Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,21, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Remember, to Him be the glory!And make no mistake, God will never share His glory. That way no one can say, we caused God to move because of our great faith. Everything about His creation, His Kingdom and His grace all points to Him. His grace has been poured out, it’s the same towards everyone, but be sure of this, the more we expose ourselves to His grace, the more our souls are transformed through faith, we wont stay the same toward Him. Think about this, God told Paul, “My grace is sufficient” Here’s the deal, there’s still revelation we need to take away from chapter 3, and going into to chapter 4 has very specific instructions concerning our day to days, so we’ll circle back next week to some of Paul’s most divinely inspired realities. But as we continue our journey through Ephesians, because we’re going into to Valentine’s Day, how fitting that chapter 5 deals very clearly with the subject of marriage. The import thing to remember is that Ephesians wasn’t written in chapter and verse. This is a letter written from their shepherd on embracing their born again lives in Christ, right in the face of humanity. And after giving very specific instructions in chapter 4 about embracing our new, born again nature, Paul starts chapter 5 with this very profound statement; “Imitate God as dear children” Ephesians 5:2,AMP- Walk continually in love, that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God. Listen to me very carefully, if you ever plan on walking in the spirit, it starts with walking in love. Because God is love and God is spirit. Something else to stay aware of is the fact that there’s nothing we can do to make God love us any more or less. But I promise you this, the closer we walk with Him, we will absolutely love Him more. Ephesians 5:17-21,NKJV- Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.18, And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,19, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,20, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,21, submitting to one another in the fear of God. Ephesians 5:22-32,NKJV- Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.23, For the husband is head of the w

Occupy Meaning: To take or fill up, to take or hold possession Possession: the state of having, owning or controlling something. An item of property: something belonging to one. When I see Occupy, it’s a verb, it’s an action. It’s not a spectator sport, you can’t be an armchair quarterback. It’s being intentional, engaged, and doing. It is taking ownership of what belongs to you. The Bible is full of promises, but we often don’t Occupy them. Promises of full health - “By His stripes we are healed” Isaiah 53:5 NLTPromises of prosperity - “A Greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched.” Proverbs 28:25 ESVPromises to be with us always - “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” Matthew 28:20 NLT Even after everything we still struggle with grasping that we must Occupy and take possession of all His promises. We are good with the promise of salvation, and we Occupy that, by declaring Jesus Lord of our life. But we seem to not hold tightly to the many others, why? To jump in let’s look at Genesis 17:8 NLT. God gives a promise to Abraham. Doesn’t have any kids in his old age, but the Lord changes his name to Father of Nations. Genesis 17:8 NLT “And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.” God speaks promises into our lives, but we still need to walk them out. We need to Occupy and take possession of those promises. Although Abraham lived in the land promised, he never truly Occupied, he was a foreigner in the land promised to him. It wasn’t his possession; he was just staying there cohabitating with others. If you came to live with me as a guest… you are living there, staying there, or renting space… but you do not Occupy because it is my house. We think Occupying is simply being in a space, but as we saw for the definitions, it’s not, it’s taking ownership. God wants us to Occupy, not be renters or bystanders in the promises He gives us But Gods word is never void, He kept His promise to Abraham, but it was years and generations later. The people that could claim the promises ended up wandering and waiting until a man named Joshua walked in and truly Occupied as God intended. Moses is ready to Occupy the promises of God and sends 12 spies into the land that God promised to Abraham. After 40 days the spies came back and gave a report. It was favorable report, a land flowing with Milk and Honey… There were 2 of the 12, with a positive report Joshua and Caleb that knew when God says it is yours, it is yours, they were ready to go that moment. Numbers 13:30 ESV “But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” It’s yours, you just have to go and occupy, go and Posses it… You have to walk in the fullness that God has spoken in your life. But we as people trust what our eyes see and not the word of God. Then in the next breath there was a BUT…. How often do we let that BUT stop the power of God. We get this vision for something , a great idea, a new job BUT How can I afford itBUT I am not smart enoughBUT it will take too much time The other 10 in the group added their but, and put a stop to Caleb and Joshua’s faith and tells the community a bad report and paints a picture of impossibility. They started to filter the situation with their head and not the promise that God had given them The land was being given to them. They then start to talk about how strong the people in the land were, how fortified the cities were. They will be destroyed if they enter. Doubt sets in, fear takes over, and they operate in what their eyes see and not what God is saying. Sound familiar… Back in the garden the serpent asked Eve, did God really say? All he needs to do is get us to doubt God and he has us. Another generation of people lost out on the promise God had given to Abraham, it could have been a 40 day journey, but the promise was held from them for 40 years, because they would not Occupy what God had spoken. When God says it, you can take it to the bank… It’s settled…. Key words in the Bible. I am, I will, You are, I have given you…. All key indicators we have it, we got to Occupy it! But it’s not going to fall into your lap, you got to step into it. Even if it doesn’t look possible, you have to trust that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me The only roadblock that stops God and His promises in our lives is us, our unbelief, our inaction, our complacency God has given us gifts and blessings to walk this out. Do we trust Him? Do we have faith in Him? Even Jesus spoke of Occupying in His parables. We have all these wonderful things given to us, we simply don’t occupy and walk in the fulness He has given us! Parable of the Ten Servants: A noble man leaves to be crowned king. Before he left, he divided 10 pounds of silver Among them and told them to invest it wh

Ephesians 1:3-7,NLT- All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.4, Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.5, God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.6, So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on use who belong to his dear Son.7, He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. And I know we’ve discussed this topic many times but God continues bringing me back to it. It’s not we couldn’t receive more clarity, further revelation into the realities of our new world. Our new identity. And the first thing we’ve got to be clear on is our right standing with Him through Jesus. The moment we give our lives to Jesus, we’re not only new creations, but now heirs of His world. You see, I love v.6, He made us the accepted in the beloved. Heirs of His world. And that’s the driving thought behind our new talk “Two Worlds.” We are born into a completely new world, which is 100% spiritual. Right now we belong to two worlds. Natural and Spiritual. And even though confined to this natural, according to Jesus, we’re no longer of it. This is why Paul made crazy statements like, “walk in the spirit, not in the flesh.” Think about it, how often would you say you’re applying spiritual principles in your daily lives? Remember James, “be doers not just hearers.” God wants us living spirit led lives. Making spirit led decisions about every aspect of our lives. And that starts with being more spiritually minded. But let’s be honest, most of us, most of the time are more aware of and committed to this natural world than our new world because its just easier, it’s more real to us. It’s what we’re use to. And this is what I love about Ephesians, it provides clarity. For example, the church is His body, us in Him, Him in us, expressing the fullness of His reality. Ephesians 1:22-23,NKJV- He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. So, if we’re in Him, and Him in us, if we’re His church, His body, the fullness of Him, how much of a reality of this truth are we actually in pursuit of? Everybody knows Jeremiah 29:11, I know the plans I have for you, plans of a future you hope for, an expected end. But I want to highlight v.13,Jeremiah 29:13 NKJV- You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. MSG- When you come looking for Me, you’ll find Me. Yes, when you get serious about finding Me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed. And even though Paul is telling us, because of our new identity, we can actually bring the realities of His world into this natural world;just like the things of this natural world don’t just happen, neither do the thing of the spirit. Being successful in our new world isn’t any different than being successful in this world Listen to what God says in Jeremiah, When you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.”This is one of Paul’s key points in this letter in Ephesians. He isn’t praying for God to do a something new, he’s praying the we can see, that we can comprehend what God has already done. Listen to his prayer in chapter one;May the eyes of your understanding being enlightened;That we know what is the hope of His calling,That we know what the riches of the glory of His inheritance is.And that we know what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.Then the apostle John give further clarity, 1 John our born again nature in this world is just like Christ. Made in His image and likeness.But we’ve got to recognize, God gave us free will by design. The choice is ours.1 Thessalonians 5:23,NKJV- Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.SPIRITSOULBODYAnd here’s the deal, when our soul is renewed with God’s word, we believe Him. At that point our soul and spirit are in agreement, causing the body to come in line. Or in the words of James, we become doers of the word.But when our soul stays in agreement with our body, our human nature, human nature rules, resulting in unbelief. And we find ourselves saying things like, if the power of God was working in my life, I’d see it, feel it, experience it, etc…We have to understand that according to v.19-20, we have the same power living in our spirits that raised Christ from the dead.This is why Jesu told us, “rivers of living water will flow out of you”We need to believe God to show us how to draw from that river, to draw ou

Ephesians 1:3-7,NLT- All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.4, Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.5, God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.6, So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.7, He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. Jesus alone, through His sacrifice, by His grace makes us accepted in God’s family. This is why Paul could boldly say, “Its only by the grace of God that I am what I am.” So today, as we gather around the Lord’s table, get this reality settled in your thinking; we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing. We are chosen by Him to be holy before Him. To the praise of His grace. At the end of the day, when it comes to God’s grace and goodness, the question we’ve all got to answer is; just exactly how much of what God tells us do we honestly believe? Seriously, if God, our Father tells us we’re forgiven, blessed, prosperous, favored, healed, why wouldn’t we accept what He says as truth? Why shouldn’t we believe, do and say what my Father tells us? Whether you’ve walked with Jesus most of your life, or you’re just starting your journey,Because of human nature, because we have an enemy, there will be times when we question the things of God’s unseen kingdom. Remember, we belong to two worlds. The choice of which one we live out of is ours. I’ve set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, you choose. Romans 8:5-6,NKJV- For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. And it’s in these times that we can come to the Lord’s table, free of all sin, made completely righteous by His sacrifice, that sometimes is the reminder we need. I probably say this every time we take communion, but let’s be real, we all need reminded, encouraged about what Jesus did for us. To set our mind on spiritual things. This is Paul’s point in Ephesians, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Communion is one of the most spiritual things we get to do It’s a divinely inspired place of revelation from the Father. Allowing us to see that Jesus alone made us worthy to stand in His presence. He made us heirs to the Kingdom through His sacrifice. May the eyes of our understanding be enlightened, that we can embrace the hope of His calling, so that we can walk in the riches of His glory, that we function in the exceeding greatness of His power. You see, some of the most spiritual clarity and revelation is around the Lords table. Starting with, Jesus said, this bread is his body broken for us. The cup is his blood shed for us. John 6:51,NKJV- “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever...” John 10:10,(paraphrase), I came from Heaven to give you a rich and satisfying life. A better life than you've ever dreamed of. A life to enjoy in abundance, to the full, till it overflows. Today as we worship Him at His table, according to Hebrews, when we come to the Lord, we have to come to Him in faith. In the faith that it’s only because of Jesus, only by His grace that any of us are able to stand in His presence. To have the privilege of being able to commune with our Creator. Communion isn’t just acknowledging Jesus’ sacrifice, it’s embracing and reverencing the fact that Jesus actually restored us to our rightful place with God. Today as we honor and reverence our King’s sacrifice, let His Spirit minister to you, embrace what Jesus did, what He said, embrace who you are because of Him. Ephesians 2:4-6,NKJV- God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together,and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. This is why having moments like this, around the Lord’s table allow us the privilege of drawing closer to Him. Of seeing clearer, who we are in Him. Remember, Jesus has already made us alive together with Him and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Him. And even though we belong to two worlds, because of Jesus, while still in this world, we’re no longer of it. Understand, we’re not just citizens of Heaven, we’re heirs to the Kingdom, appointed ambassadors of our King, assigned here to establish the very same dominion our Father started everything with in Adam. And is now in

James 1:22-25,NLT- But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says.Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. This is why Jesus made statements like, The words I speak are spirit and truth. Proverbs tells us His words are life to those who find them. I wanted to start with this passage because God brought a statement I’ve made several times to my attention. As long as a humanity can live without God, they will. Make no mistake, human nature will do everything within its power to keep us from discovering the realities of God’s new world He has for anyone willing to believe. Here’s something very important to remember, God didn't give us His word to condemn us. He gave us His word to reveal our true nature. And if you’re like me, you’re pretty good a listening to His word, it’s the whole doing that gets us. You see, the thing about Christianity, living this new life, actually being doers like James instructs us, we’ve got to come to terms with the reality that statements like that are only available to the born again. I think sometimes, for many of us we get comfortable in our Christianity and just maybe, not as aware of our new nature as we are our human nature. And that’s the driving thought behind our new talk “Two Worlds.” This is Paul’s point in Corinthians when he tells us that when we accept Jesus, we become new people. We have a new life. Ephesians 1:11,MSG- It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. And with the reality that we are born into a completely new world, which is 100% spiritual, we belong to two worlds. Natural and Spiritual. As a matter of fact the book of Hebrews make it very clear that only God’s word can reveal the difference between the natural and spiritual. Something else Corinthians reveals to us is that God’s word is designed to be discerned spiritually. And even though confined to this natural, according to Jesus, we’re no longer of it. Paul actually takes things a step further in Philippians, informing us that we are now citizens of a heaven. And I know we’ve discussed this topic many times but God continues bringing me back to this subject. I can’t help but wonder if we simply need clarity, further revelation into the realities of our new world. Our new identity. Remember, He didn't give us His word to condemn us, but to reveal our true nature. So when I ask this question, let it challenge you not condemn you.According to the apostle James, how’s your doer awareness? Seriously, how often would you say you’re applying basic spiritual principles in your daily lives? Can we be real? Most of us, most of the time are more committed to this natural world than our new world because its just easier, it’s more real to us. It’s what we’re use to. That being said, the bulk of our talk will be centered around the one book in the NT that I believe gives absolute clarity on this subject, the apostle Paul’s letter the the Ephesians. At its core, it reveals the mystery of God’s church in the earth. Just a little history, after spending over two years there, starting a successful fellowship, Paul continues his missionary journey. Some five years later, from prison in Rome Paul writes one of his encyclical letters. Counting on his anointed leaders to circulate them. The ultimate revelation in Ephesians is the church as His body, us in Him, Him in us, expressing the fullness of His reality. Ultimately, it’s the Lord’s appeal for all of us to participate in Jesus’ commission in 5:27 of building a glorious church without spot or blemish. Ephesians 1:3-6,NKJV- Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who HAS BLESSED us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,Spiritual blessing, divine privileges and resources available to those in Christ in this natural world.CEV, For the spiritual blessings Christ has brought us from heaven. As we unpack this, here’s the reality we’ve got to keep out in front of us, we belong to two worlds. Natural and spiritual. 4, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,5, having predestined (guaranteed destiny) us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,6, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. One of the dominant, recurring themes throughout Ephesians is the reality of who we are in Christ. Maybe our first question should be, can we bring the realities of His world into this natural world? And if so, then how? The very first thing we have to acknowledge and accept is that according to Paul, according to Jesus is

1 Corinthians 12:27,MSG- You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything. In Ephesians 4 Paul says it a little different way, Jesus fits His whole body together perfectly. And as each part does it’s own special work, it cause the whole body to grow. I personally don’t think God’s plan for His church has ever changed.Obviously we change culturally as a society. And yes, without question, we have to change to maintain relevance, but never who we are as heirs to our Father’s Kingdom. That being said, as His body, His church, then we should still look like Him, sound like Him, respond like Him, represent Him. Now when it comes to the local church, a popular question is, do I have to be part of a local congregation? Truth is, we don’t have to, we get to. It truly is Gods design that we be called out and together. Your local church family is a place where we worship together, grow together, we laugh together, hurt together, discover who we are together. Your local congregation is a save place you can get plugged in. Get Plugged In is a simple invitation that allows anyone listening to become part of something Jesus is doing through His local church. And studies have proven that one of the fastest ways for someone to experience God is by getting involved. God is constantly looking for those willing to come along side other believers to be part of what He’s doing on the local level, serving along side each other, creating our God anointed identity. Never out of some competitive agenda, but from a heart of a servant. Christianity isn’t just believing, it’s belonging. And one of the coolest things about belonging is that’s where we usually discover our next steps. The journey is the preparation. Here’s the thing, being a part of Victory means being part of our identity and personality that God has graced us with as one of His local bodies. Romans 12:4-5,NLT- Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. When you get plugged in, you’re simply advancing our purpose as part of His body in the earth. I love how God describes His church in Ephesians, “I’m building a home, using all of you, irrespective of how you got here.” This is why we’re always encouraging you to get plugged in, regardless of how small it may seem, serving in your church is the on ramp to discover some of the gifts God has already graced you with.Because at the end of the day, it’s all,about people. This is why we're continually trying to get as many as possible involved in serving in our church. According to Romans, serving is one of our greatest acts of worship. Romans 12, So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. It’s one of our greatest acts of worship. So never underestimate the significance of God orchestrating personalities, giftings and talents in making a local church unique. You ever wonder why Jesus set up His church the way He did? Think about it, we are these frail, fickle, flawed people. But because God created us to be like Him, His grace allows us the privilege of discovering who we can be when we come together. Psalm 133, How good and how pleasant it is when believers come together in unity! It is like precious anointing oil that was poured on Aaron, covering his entire body. Being unified is like the dew that covers mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing. Remember Ephesians 4, We are all one body, with one Spirit, called to the same glorious future. God never stops calling believers together to love one another, pray for each other, and serve along side each other for Christ. Remember what the Holy Spirit said in Ephesians, “I’m building a home, using all of you, irrespective of how you got here.” Ephesians 2, Truth is, we are His workmanship, recreated in Christ to do those good works He predestined for us. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! Our part is trusting Him enough to let Him do it. His plan from the beginning was for us to join Him in His predestined work through Jesus. I can’t help but wonder how many of us honestly look at what we do for His body, the church as part of that predestined work? You’ve heard the old saying, “God’s not interested in your ability until He has your availability.” Availability=Humility And here’s the kicker, more times than any of us want to admit, availability, willingness introduces itself as change. There’s a great picture of this with Jonathan and his amorbearer. I love the heart of his amorbearer in 1 Samuel 14, “Do all that is in your heart. I am with you, according to your heart.” Talk about plugged in! This one faithful act, unbeknownst to them at the time was about to become a key part in God positioning King D

Here’s the thing, seeing what God is saying is the only way we embrace our new lives, our spiritual lives. Revelation (spiritual seeing) is what empowers us to rise above the fears, failures, disappointments, circumstances, excuses, and become the person God created us to be. To experience some of His supernatural.Or like the apostle Paul says, “we walk in the spirit instead of the flesh.” But unfortunately, to often we miss the supernatural because we’re looking for the spectacular. And I realize the religious world, the unbelieving world, not to mention, we have a real enemy that constantly try pulling us from God’s world. So we constantly have talks like this because at the end of the day, everything about God and His Kingdom come down to this one truth; we have to believe what the book says. It’s the only way into His world. Remember Paul’s instructions from 2 Corinthians, We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Being able to see the unseen reshapes our thinking, which ultimately shapes our living. We’ve got to see things from His perspective. John 1:12-13,NLT- To all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. I can tell you from my own battles, embracing the reality that I’m a son of God, created like Him, called to follow His lead is something my humanity is constantly unwilling to accept. None the less, if any of His word is truth, all of it has to be truth. You talk about seeing what He’s saying, leave here today with this reality settled in your thinking, I’M CREATED LIKE HIM 1 Corinthians 15:48-49,NKJV- As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. When Jesus told us to repent for the Kingdom of heaven has come, He’s telling us to change; change our thinking, believing, our doing. That means taking enough time with Jesus and His word that it begins shaping our expectation for God to do certain things in our lives. And a major key in this reality is seeing ourselves like Him, as eternal people. It’s important we keep this reality out in front of us. Think about this, Peter tells us a day with the Lord is like one thousand years. From that perspective, a year is only a couple minutes.And that’s how Paul can tells us not to be moved by the things we see. He understood, the more we focus on the unseen the more spiritual transformation we’re going to experience. But here’s the deal, you ever read something God said, but file it away as one of those un-understandable’s? Because you don’t see what He’s saying. Revelation (spiritual seeing) according to Isaiah 28, comes to every believer, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little. And I know we get consumed with this life, the cares of this world, the desire for other things, not to mention the enemy doing everything possible to keep us distracted. So when we find ourselves distracted, maybe rebellious, failing more times than we care to admit. We have to know that El-Roi The God who sees, sees our end from our beginning is still here, never leaving us or forsaking us. Remember Paul’s revelation, “It’s only by the grace of God that I am what I am.” Romans 7:18-25,NLT- And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.19, I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.20, But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.21, I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.22, I love God’s law with all my heart.23, But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.24, Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?25, Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. And this is why sometimes a simple talk like this is all we need to redirect our thinking. Our focus. To be open to a fresh approach to a little Holy Spirit inspired living. To understand, just like Paul that it’s only by the grace of God that any of us, on any given day can stand in His presence. Sometimes right in the middle of us giving into the same trap that gets us every time. You know the one… you start seeing what He’s saying!! Philippians 1:6,AMP- I am convinced of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continu

Here’s s quick review as we get into part 2, Even when we find ourselves consumed with time, right now in our humanity, we are eternal people. Which means we need to maintain an eternal perspective. And the only way that happens is by allowing the eternal book to inspire, challenge, motivate, to direct us toward the realities contained within it’s pages. The psalmist tells us, God’s word is what enlightens our path, renews our soul to His world. And because we are His born again, new creations, we made to be able to see, to comprehend what He’s saying. Joshua 6, “See! I have given Jericho into your hand” One very significant lesson Joshua teaches us is that we’ve gotta stay open to the fact that a life with God is made for the supernatural, the impossible. Here’s the deal, as long as we allow our senses, emotions, intelligence to determine reality, we leave no room for faith I bring this up because being in God's family, He gives all of us Holy Spirit inspired dreams, plans, ideas, assignments, purposes. Holy Spirit inspired lives. Sometimes we simply need to be able to see what He’s saying. To be open to maybe a fresh approach toward those Holy Spirt inspired dreams, our God given purposes, those ideas that might seem a little out there. And the wonderful thing about our NT is that it will take us from glory to glory. If we’ll let it. I mean listen to what John tells us, you are of God, and He who is in you is greater than anything in this world. You see what I’m saying? Here’s the thing, seeing what He’s saying empowers us to rise above the fears, failures, disappointments, excuses, and become the person God already knows we are. But here's the deal, becoming this person, discovering our dreams, taking ownership of our God life, will demand CHANGE!!!!! Galatians 6:9,NLT- “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Remember what John told us, you are of God, and He who is in you is greater than anything in this world. God wants nothing more than for you to discover this life. A life He's already seen you having. You see what I’m saying? “See! I have given Jericho into your hand” Now you remember what God told Joshua concerning time in His word? (Day and Night.) In Matthew and Luke, Jesus said, “The light of the body is the eye, and if the eye is single, the whole body will be full of light.” Obviously, all of us could be more single minded when it comes to Jesus, His word and kingdom of Heaven realities. This is why Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4, “Stop going along with this empty-headed, mindless crowd.” We are new creations in Christ, this is why the Holy Spirit repeatedly tells us to set our minds on the things of the Spirit. According to the book of Colossians, the only way we will ever get to the place where we actually expect God to be the God of the Bible is to set our mind on things of the Bible. I know I remind y’all of this all the time but being a Christian isn’t just about receiving Jesus’ life, it's about living His life. And it all starts with a fixed, confident expectation, anticipating good. Remember Deuteronomy, I’ve set before you life and death, choose life!! This means there will be those times we’ve got to stop being moved by the things that we see, and focus on the things we can’t see because they are eternal. You see what I’m saying? As one of Jesus’ disciples, we’ve got to take enough time with Jesus and His word that it begins shaping our expectation for God to do certain things in our lives. We will never become who God says we are if we don't take the time to make ourselves available to Him. He gave us His Word to enable us to see who He's called us to be. Romans 15:4,NIV- For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. One of the main things Paul emphasizes is the fact that the moment we accept our new life in Christ, it comes with an assignment. And just like Joshua and the children of Israel, we also have to possess our promise land. Philippians 1:6,AMP- I am convinced of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ, right up to the time of His return, developing that good work and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. I bring this up because it's easy for us to settle into our routine and forget that we're deliberately made, divinely gifted for purposes out beyond our current situation. Let me drop this on ya while we’re here, let this truth settle in your heart, as a child of God, don't ever let what you do for income define who you are for God. Here’s something else to consider, lets not confuse provision with destination. As your SURRENDER becomes deeper, your ASSIGNMENT becomes clearer. One of the main reasons we’re unwilling to step out of our self-imposed boundaries and discover something God

Here we are, turning the page on another year, and as I was waiting on the Lord’s leading, here’s something I began to entertain;Although we find ourselves consumed with time, truth be told, even though confined to humanity, we are, right now eternal people. Which means we should probably maintain a little more of an eternal perspective. And the only way that happens is by allowing the eternal book to inspire, challenge, motivate, to direct us toward the realities contained within it’s pages. The psalmist tells us, God’s word is what enlightens our path, renews our soul to His world, literally showing us the difference between the two worlds. And because we are His born again, new creations, we have to be able to see, to comprehend what He’s saying. “You see what I’m saying?” Something Jesus told His disciples on more than one occasion is there are those who have eyes to see but they can’t.Seriously, eyes but can’t see. What’s that remind you of? 2 Corinthians 4:18,NKJV- While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Lets be real for a second, we’ve all found ourselves at times not being able to see what the Lord is saying.Usually because our focus is some where else. The entrance to God’s eternal world is through His word. It is the lens a human, born of the spirits uses to see the thing that’s not seen. You see what I’m saying? And this talk is to remind all of us, God has a success plan for every one willing to follow Him. To take His promises, to trust Him and do what He says. Joshua 6:1-2,NKJV- Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in.And the LORD said to Joshua: See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. 1 Corinthians 10:11,AMP- Now these things happened to them as an example and warning to us; they were written for our instruction, to admonish and equip us, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Here’s the thing, all God’s word is true and forever settled. So if Paul is telling us the things they did in rebellion are examples, make no mistake the things they did in obedience are also examples. Joshua 6, “See! I have given Jericho into your hand” Faith sees from God’s perspective. Remember, these OT examples are left here for us, to learn the faith lessons from them. And Joshua is a perfect example, God not only gave him his assignment, but a detailed plan in implementing it. It’s important we remember that before God told Joshua to take this major step of faith, He had already given him the key in his success. Joshua 1:8,NKJV- This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Remember, the key to us seeing what He’s saying will be through the lens if His word. Seriously is absolutely our key to a successful life in Him. Think about it, “day and night” A LIFESTYLE. And here’s a quality we will always find in successful people, they do consistently what others will only do occasionally. I’m talking all aspects of life; spiritually, relationally, professionally, financially, etc… Galatians 6:9,NLT- “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Something we’ve got to stay open to is that when we start following our ancestors through the scriptures, we better stay open to the fact that a life with God is made for the supernatural, the impossible. Seriously, would God lead you into a situation you can’t accomplish without Him? Into a situation that in the natural makes absolutely no sense? 1 Corinthians 1:27-29,NKJV- God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. Here’s the deal, as long as we allow our senses, emotions, intelligence to determine reality, we leave no room for faith. And a big part of the life of faith starts with us seeing ourselves the way God sees us, in His class, made in His image, heirs to His Kingdom. Not a religious image but an in Christ image. You see what I’m saying? All He has, He’s already given. All His promises in Christ are yes, and in Him amen. His life, His nature, His wisdom and provision. Remember, God, our Father wants to be the El Shaddai of our lives. When a Christian can get to the place where what God says is more real than circumstance and experience, that person’s faith will become the dominant force in our lives. The challenge for most of us is that we

As we continue our journey with Luke, obviously honoring the birth of our King. But our focus is actually on Jesus’ mom, her faith inspiring each of us to live our own life of faith. Remember Luke’s bold intro to his writing, “I’m writing this so that you may know beyond a shadow of a doubt the reliability of what you’ve been taught.” Luke highlights many wonderful truths from the Holy Spirit, starting with Jesus’ introduction to humanity.Think about Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem, to find themselves giving birth to the Savior of the world in a barn. And as we looked at last week, God told shepherds their sign would be they would find Him lying in a manger. And they showed up. And as Joseph and Mary go to fulfill the requirements of the law concerning a first born, Luke highlights another fulfillment of God’s word. In this particular case Simeon prophesies and confirms the written word becoming the living word. John 1:1-2,NLT- In the beginning the Word already existed.The Word was with God, and the Word was God.He existed in the beginning with God. Something else I love about God’s word is how He will highlight seemingly small incidents of everyday life for us; the Holy Spirit told Simeon he would get to see the Lord’s Christ before his death. Luke 2:29-32,NKJV- Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word;For my eyes have seen Your salvationWhich You have prepared before the face of all peoples,A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel. Matthew lets us know that once again an angel helps them, telling them to move to Egypt for a season— then returning they stop in Nazareth, once again to fulfill what was spoken, “He shall be called a Nazarene.” Luke 2:40,52,NKJV- The Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. This is His humanity yielding to His Spirit, His God nature. Here’s the thing, the realities of our Savior becoming King of kings hinged on this young girls crazy, radical faith, “be it unto to me.” One of our big take always from this talk is the fact that there will be times that our next step of faith my seem a little crazy, but just maybe, like Mary, God’s looking for a little crazy. Remember, all the days of your life were written in the book before your first day. The thing God has put on your heart, that dream, that crazy idea, the passionate desire, just remember who gave it to you. And just like our Master grew in every aspect of His reality, because everything about God’s Kingdom functions as if a man sows a seed, so will our faith journey, regardless of how crazy it might seem. Isaiah 55:8-11,NKJV- For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, says the LORD.9, For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.10, For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,11, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. God simply wants us to believe in Him as much as He believes in us. 2 Corinthians 5:7,AMP- We walk by faith, not by sight, living our lives in a manner consistent with our CONFIDENT BELIEF IN GOD’S PROMISES. You see, living by faith, not senses, not emotions, not intelligence or experiences, will require divinely inspired trust. Because God has designed us to live by faith, we’ve got to get to the place where we allow what He says to shape and strengthen what we actually believe. How we actually live. Mary’s act of faith was going to change everything about her life. Like we said last week, it all started with her humble, submissive, yet courageous heart of faith. “Behold, the maidservant of the Lord! Be it unto me according to your word.” Can we be real for a second, everyone of us operate within the boundaries of our current beliefs. And I’m convinced God saw something in Mary’s heart long before He sent Gabriel to her. As a matter of fact, as we begin following Jesus, how many times did He tell people, “according to you faith, let it be so?” I can’t help but wonder how many of us would be as bold as Mary? Think about it, how often have you found yourself, not intending to, but none the less, find yourself in unbelief concerning something Jesus says simply because it makes no sense. Mark 6:3-6,NKJV- “Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.”Now He could do no mighty work there, exce