Above and Beyond!
This morning the Holy Spirit told me to acknowledge the prayers that He has already answered. He said this will strengthen me to keep believing that HE WILL do it again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again! What’s the last prayer that you can remember and that you know God did it (and not you)?
I really could end there today. But I know you read Ephesians chapter 3, right? You learned more about the purpose of the church, right? Did you know that the church is God’s vehicle that He uses to carry out His program? Did you know that there are both good and evil spiritual beings in the heavens called angels and demons, and that they respond to the church? When angels (who influence believers) see unity in the church, they can act on God’s behalf and advance His program; but when demons (who influence unbelievers or disobedient believers) see our disunity, they can carry out their wicked programs without stopping. Victory over the powers of culture comes when the church supports the agenda of God, not the regime of the devil.
Now do you see why the church is so important? God actually checks in with the church before He deals with the principalities and powers that affect history! Why does God have to check with the church though? He checks because of Matthew 16:18-19 which lets us know this:
18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:18-19 NIV
So God checks with the church (and we are the church) because He gave us the keys to the Kingdom and the authority in Jesus name to bind and loose! But the church got to be unified though. Look at how COVID has tried to divide the church! Now whose agenda would that be? So while we out here bad mouthing churches, gossiping about churches and pastors and prophets, we are essentially assisting the demonic realm in carrying our their wickedness!! Let’s stop that! Let’s get on one accord and be unified so that the angels can act on God’s behalf and advance His Kingdom program!
Finally, in chapter 3 of Ephesians I caught this as well. When we are in the will of God, the negative circumstances of our lives happen WITH GOD’s purposes in mind!! Did you catch that? When you are in the will of God. First of all, this lets us know that negative stuff is GONNA HAPPEN! But if we are in the will of God when it does, we can rest assured that God’s purpose is all up and through it! But again, we must be in the will of God! We must be obedient to God and not rebellious or disobedient. We must do what God commands us to do!
If you want spiritual power, then Jesus must be free to be fully at home in your heart. I remember when I let Jesus roam all over my heart except in the areas where I was struggling and trying to hide stuff from him (which was just outright stupid because he can see everything anyway). But it was when I found out that the Holy Spirit lives on the inside of me and whenever I did a sin to my body, He felt that! YIKES! Like it’s one thing to think about God way up there in heaven looking down on you when you out here acting a donkey, but to recognize that He is IN IT with you when you in the bed with someone and you shouldn’t be or you get inebriated or you out here looking at stuff you shouldn’t or thinking thoughts that are not godly…that’s when it hit me like WHOA! He right here! Because His word says, HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU! So when you thought you left Him and was wildin out and not going to the church building…it doesn’t matter. HE WAS STILL WITH YOUR WILD SELF!!! GEEZ!! US!!! (you see what I did there). LOL! JESUS!
We have to give God access to every area of our life. He actually WANTS to clean us up. Duh! Wouldn’t you want to clean up your masterpiece so that it can function the way you originally designed it to function? If we want to realize all that God has for us, Jesus Christ must be LORD of our hearts! When we read the Word of God, there is no end to knowing God and the great love He has for us! Maaaaaaaan I am so grateful for His unfailing love! I am so grateful that He didn’t leave me!
Ephesians 3:20 is fast becoming my favorite verse!
God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Ephesians 3:20 MSG
God is able to: rescue you; deliver you; give sight to you; keep you from stumbling; save you completely; and to make grace overflow in your life. And guess what though…per Ephesians 3:20, he is able to do ABOVE AND BEYOND THESE THINGS!!!
I will close with Dr. Tony Evans HOPE WORDS: Stop focusing on what you can’t do. Start focusing on what GOD CAN DO!
SALVATION PRAYER
If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior and you’re not a believer, but you have a desire to be, all you have to do is openly confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9). When you pray that prayer, you are saved. Get connected with a good, bible-based church in your community, stay connected to other believers, and start having daily conversations through prayer with God every single day. Welcome to your new life with Jesus Christ!!!
ASSIGNMENTS
What did Holy Spirit say to you in your conversation with Him this morning?
What did you learn about the church that you didn’t know?
What is the last thing that you can remember that God did for you? Let that be the lynch pin that blows up your faith to another level of BOOM!
Record yourself reading the word of God on video or audio and watch how God will use your own voice to give you revelation and build your faith (keeping this assignment on here for a while).
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