Day 48 (2011)
5:10 - Sacrament of communion
9:55 - Discouragement - from thinking self-centeredly - Don’t grow weary in well doing. Please stay encouraged. When you are found in discouragement it’s because you are thinking for yourself. You get into a rut when you do that. Then you need someone to say the right thing to cheer you on. You can cheer yourself on. David could have been discouraged when an enemy stole all of his stuff and the women from his camp. But David encouraged himself in the Lord.
Do Everything From the Heart
➡ 11:00 - Do everything from the heart - The last two days will be days for questions. We didn’t want to make this a topical school. We wanted to make it a school with a heart, where we are catching the heart of God. You want to learn to live from the heart - from relationship. Do everything from the heart.
12:00 - Worship together from the heart - The worst thing you can do is teach yourself religion. No, shake your heart and get in fellowship with God - that is your privilege to do that. Wake yourself up and understand your place in the body and the excitement of gathering and purposing to love and corporately worship Him and honor Him, get sharp and look more like Him when we leave. There are a lot of reasons to do what you do. And you have to shake your heart sometimes so you don’t just go through the motions - just showing up because it is Sunday. You want to live from your heart.
13:10 - Be a good steward of your heart - have a good "why" behind your heart - I believe I have been a half decent steward of my heart. I do things with a good “why” behind my heart. You can’t rise above your motive. If you do things just because, then there is really no faith and no motive. It’s just showing up.
13:30 - Don't live from experiences - Live from intimacy with God - God can still show up and do cool things. But you tend then to be encouraged from experience to experience. You are looking from moment to moment and touch to touch instead of living in the joy of the Lord - in the intimacy of God.
➡ 14:00 - A lot of people don’t think that way much less pray that way. Sometimes we are caught up doing the right thing instead of knowing Him. That is what this whole school has been about. We didn’t purpose to make it a topical school - to cover a lot of topics.
Schemes of the Devil, Standing in Faith & The Armor of God
14:55 - Your armor is the finished work of Christ - Ephesians 6 - weapons of your warfare - armor - I want you to know that your armor is the finished work of Christ. The armor is what Christ accomplished. Because He died and rose again, you can live the way the armor reveals. Everything having to do with the armor of God is the finished work of Christ. It’s who you are because of Him.
16:30 - Ephesians 6 - v.10 - Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. -
His grace meets our faith - So He is for you. He is in you. It’s His grace that empowers you, that molds you, that shapes you, that changes your heart. You can’t just walk in love without Him. That’s why we want to be in fellowship with Him. That’s why we want to be personal and intimate, so that there is constantly faith going towards Him and His grace is coming into our lives. That’s very important.
17:20 - Strength - understand who you are in Him - How are you strong in the power of His might? By understanding who you are in Him - your place in the family. That He is with you and for you and empowering you. That grace is able to make you everything He has created you to be. That you understand - Yes, I can love like you Lord.
17:35 - Being established in strength through intimacy - Yes I can love like you. You put your heart in me. You put your Spirit in me. You gave me a brand new heart. You said you’ve written your laws inside of my heart. I just know by sheer instinct now, because I know Your Son. I just know to do right. And by your grace I am going to live this day and manifest your love. Thank you Father that you are in me. Thank you Father that you are for me. When I see, I look through Your eyes because I am now your child.
18:00 - Fear has no place where grace flows - Do you see how you can pray? That’s how grace flows. That’s where fears, anxieties and worries dissipate because we are not looking through the flesh anymore. Because in your own strength you can’t change things. That’s why we are so afraid.
18:25 - Stand in faith despite fear - We are so afraid because we are faced with things that we have no power over, so we are intimidated and threatened by that and feel vulnerable to that. But if you stand in a place where you begin to see who God is in you, and you begin to release your faith and thank God that He is greater than these things. Keep declaring the answer rather than focusing on the problem. Keep declaring the promise. There is a place to keep speaking the truth without constantly upholding the lie. Proclaim the victory and end on a high note. It’s not just emotional. It has to be based on truth. That’s why we need to know the nature of God - the will of God - the heart of God towards people. Then you are empowered to release that faith.
19:40 - God reality comes through relationship - You can come to a school like this and just sit and listen and take a lot of notes but until you get alone with God and let this become your personal reality - by pursuing Him by faith and letting Him reveal Himself to you through these truths - then it will never be yours in your heart. It will just be your knowledge. And in time if you have knowledge without God reality you’ll say, “Man this is never going to work for me.” It’s not a “never works for me thing” - not a method or a work - It’s a receive God’s love and let Him love you thing.
20:40 - Thank you Father that you really came. You really came Jesus. That means that you have great value towards my life and You love me in an amazing way. Thank you. I have more than hope today because Christ came and died for me. You can start that simple.
21:10 - It has nothing to do with your performance. It has to do with Him already coming. That is what starts to change your performance. I feel like I am back on the first day of school for some reason.
21:25 - v.11 - Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. -
21:35 - Whole armor - to cover the whole man. He doesn’t want you leaving something exposed. Like your feet shod with peace. He wants you to be a peacemaker. He doesn’t want you to boast in righteousness and eternal life and then have a hard heart - hard edge - be legalistic and judgmental. He doesn’t want you to exalt one or two pieces and miss putting on the rest.
22:25 - Stand against the schemes of the devil to stop the kingdom - He is letting you know that there are schemes set against our lives to stop the kingdom and stop the gospel. It’s not to just destroy you. It’s to stop the kingdom and the gospel. Don’t ever forget that. It’s not personal. It feels personal because it’s to you.
22:40 - Wrong thinking, believing, speaking, producing wrong fruit - But if it can get inside of your head, it can slowly get into your heart. If it gets into your heart it gets into your mouth. And now there is a perversion of authority - the power of life and death in your tongue. It’s a twist. Satan would love to end up right on your tongue. So that you eat the fruit of your lips. So that your stomach is filled with the fruit of your lips.
23:10 - He would like to be in the mind and get you confused. And the next thing you know it gets into your heart and becomes your belief system. And if it becomes your belief system, out of your heart the mouth is going to start yap, yap, yapping. And it’s not life. A lot of it is that “Yeah, but…” and frustration. Wrong thinking births wrong believing and now you are speaking with a twist. Speak life. Light is greater than darkness.
24:15 - Don't give the devil the stage - Satan loves when you focus on Him. A lot of prayer and intercession has taken a twist and there is a big focus on the devil. If you focus on Jesus and proclaim truth, you will see a whole lot more victories and you’ll walk a whole lot more free. It’s not good to be devil-conscious. He is a cut off, withering branch, coming to nothing.
25:00 - He loves when you pay him attention because he is lost and a loser. And when you look at him, he feeds off of that. He would like to go boo in your life and get you to freak out and give him attention, trying to fight him off. He loves to whisper fears into people. And then they start talking about their fears instead of…
25:15 - Father I thank you that you love me. I thank you that my life is in Your hands and no one can snatch me from you. And I love not my own life unto death. There is a way bigger picture than today and even how I feel. And there is no reason for me to ever be afraid because you have come… That stuff would have no chance in me. And there is a reason for that. I’m a lot more militant than you realize.
26:00 - Stand like a soldier in adversity - I feel like a soldier right now. Why? Because I am going to stand. I’m not going to topple or waiver or sit. That means plant your feet and don’t you budge. You are not picking a fight but you are not afraid of one either. And you know the schemes are coming but you are standing. And you are not going to move. Why? Because He is Lord. Not because you are a great Christian but because He is Lord.
26:50 - Live from the victory that is already won - He’s my Father and I’m His boy. We are going to win so you ought to enjoy the victory now. Rejoice a little now and get a head start. Don’t just wait for the trumpet to blow. Let it sound in your heart a little now.
27:15 - I think we’ve won already. I think we have been joined back to God and His Spirit lives inside of us. I think we are sons and daughters. We’ve got to live from that victory - from that identity, and face every challenge because He is telling you there are wiles from the devil - to distract you - to get you to pick your life back up - to see if you really love God or not - to see if you love yourself and you are in this for yourself and what God can do for you. Satan is trying to find a vulnerability to destroy the potential, destiny, legacy and the kingdom of God on the earth. You can’t take it personal. We had a whole session on that.
28:10 - Schemes of the devil - You want to make satan think real hard and get real creative. I don’t think he has to think to hard a lot of the time. In some people he just says, “You’re not worthy.” “Well God can’t love you. Remember what you did?” Yeah, how could He love me? And here is the cross shouting, “I love you.” The cross is not a whisper. It’s a loud cry from heaven. “What have you really accomplished?” Trying to get you to strive and drive you into works and get bummed and feel useless. And now you have no incentive and no hope and no vision. He sees that stuff work a lot so he doesn’t have to get real creative. He camps there because he gets a lot of success there.
29:30 - Flip it - Every time satan pokes you, manifest God - You want that every time he touches you, you manifest God. And God gets bigger than before. I’ve got to touch him because it’s my nature but every time I touch him, he manifests God. You want that. He sees you respond in truth.
30:30 - Take heart when you encounter resistance - you are worth resisting - When you encounter resistance it shows that you are taking some really good, vital steps. You are drawing attention. You are in the realm of usefulness, legacy and purpose. If you are living lethargic, you may be in the safest place from the devil. But you are really not because you are missing life. Why would He scheme against compromise. He has already got you.
31:10 - Never give up - We are not selling cheap. “It seems like every time I reach out and witness, boom. So I’m just not going to witness. Why doesn’t God protect me?” He has already protected you. He has put word in your mouth. He has put a sword, a shield… He has decked you out.
33:00 - Schemes - the spiritual realm is real - He doesn’t want you unaware that the spiritual realm is real. It’s not an accident that you get excited and move forward and then encounter trials you didn’t have before.
33:20 - Standing like a soldier shows pure motive of love - But you endure hardship like a good soldier. Why? Because it proves your motive. You are not doing it for any other reason than your love for God. You are going after God come hell or high water. It doesn’t matter how hard the wind blows, you are not stopping me now because truth is inside of me. There is a bigger picture than how I feel or life’s circumstances. I’m living for the long run.
34:00 - Look to the last day - be a hero - I’m going to stand before Him one day. Every step you take and every breath you take is taking you closer to that day. You get that in you and you understand that you are heading to that day. And what a gift that you qualify. What a gift that you can make a statement, that you can give your life for His glory and His name. That’s what makes you a hero because you gave it all and followed the King. He gave it all and said this is the way, follow me.
35:00 - v.12 - For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. -
35:10 - Our fight is not against people - because of failed expectations & disappointment - People are not our battle. We get so distracted by people and what they say and don’t say. And how they are acting and not acting. We subtly put our expectations on people. We get into relationships and expect the world of people and it doesn’t pan out. And now you are disheartened - discouraged. People are not what we are fighting. Our battle is not with flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and rulers of the darkness.
36:05 - He has provided for victory - And the good news in the rest of this chapter is that he is telling you, you are well equipped, well prepared and destined to win. So fear can’t ever be the will of God. Neither can drawing back.
36:40 - We are the body of Christ - Don't discount that - He is inside of us. Let’s not be falsely humble about that - demeaning the value He has shown us. Let’s not be afraid to talk about that - heresy, blasphemy. It’s what He says.
37:20 - Live from victory - If He doesn’t want you walking in victory, why is He decking you for battle? Why has He given you every provision to win? If He doesn’t want you to stand up and proclaim, why is He putting life in your mouth? If He doesn’t want you to speak on His behalf why did He put any authority on your tongue?
37:40 - His work through us reveals our value to Him - one with Him - Do you see how one we are with Him? Why would He want you to lay your hand on somebody? When He could just zap the healing into them? He wants you to see the intimacy of His heart towards us. And the connectivity of the creation of man and the value of our lives. And if it wasn’t that powerful He would have never sent His Son to get us born again. He would have said, Oops, that didn’t work. But He never lost sight of us. Let’s not lose sight of us in the midst of life. Let’s not lose sight. He never did.
38:30 - You decide whether to follow - It must be possible to follow Him if He said to. It must be possible to see others through His eyes. I want that. You have to decide if you want that. You can get distracted, live in the shadows - that’s up to you. That is your privilege.
40:15 - v.13 - Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. -
Spiritual war with spiritual weapons - We fight in the spirit, not in the flesh. We are not punching people in the mouth. It’s not about getting mad and setting things straight in the flesh. If our war is spiritual, then He has given us spiritual weapons. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in the pulling down of strongholds. - 2 Cor 10:4
41:40 - Strongholds are ingrained lies - crush them with truth - lies that try to get ingrained in your belief system. What pulls them down is not prayer and oil, it’s truth.
The Nature of the War We are In
42:15 - 2 Corinthians 10 - v.3 - For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: - That means we have a body. It doesn’t mean we are living by the flesh. But we are not punching people in the mouth.
43:25 - Telling someone off - scold - a form of pride. You are valuing your opinion higher than them. You are degrading them and elevating you. It’s a self-righteous expression. We were taught that that is normal. We purposed to be in that position. It’s an elevating of man and self.
44:00 - v.4 - (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) - The weapons of our warfare - This is some of the same language we are going to find back in Ephesians 6.
44:10 - The war is won by embracing the answer - We are in a war. But we win the war by living in truth, by proclaiming truth, by walking in the light as He is in the light. We win the war, not by confronting the problem, but by embracing the answer.
44:30 - Joy of the faith - That’s how fun Christianity is. You get the joy of never living by your feelings again and rising up in faith, looking at the gospel and saying I have to be loved. You died and rose again. And God, because of that faith, will begin to work a revelation in you that becomes real to you - you know it.
46:00 - Not carnal - not flesh driven.
46:10 - Strongholds - beliefs, thoughts that become mindsets, you start believing.
46:35 - Importance of listening in counseling - You can hear what people believe when they speak.
47:20 - The weapons that God gives are strong enough to pull down strongholds. Settle in your heart that what God gives is enough.
47:40 - v.5 - Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; -
Casting down - replace lies with truth - the ability to speak truth - to proclaim life. It’s all connected to prayer. That’s why I want to talk about intercession after the break.
48:10 - Arguments - what’s going on in the mind.
48:20 - High thing - What a haughty thing to rise against the knowledge of God - what a puffed up thing.
49:30 - Familiar spirits
49:45 - Voices - “just jump” with compulsion. Now no compulsion. Just a lying spirit - suicidal spirit.50:35 - Suicide - exorcism needed? - Just teach them the value of their life and suicide loses it’s voice. We are not fighting a suicide spirit. We are fighting identity crisis. “Jump.” Are you kidding? I’m writing legacy. I’ve heard that thing within the past two years. That’s a lying spirit that has lost his power. Just because you hear it - big deal. He has lost his power. He just wants you to get your eyes on him and get into a fight instead of worshiping. He wants you shadow boxing. Thank you God for truth.
Replace Lies with Truth
53:05 - Lying spirit - replace lies with truth - That voice was trying to eat up my identity. “You aren’t altogether. You aren’t right. People don’t think you’re right. You’ve got issues. You’re half crazy.” I used to hear that my whole life growing up. “You don’t fit in. People don’t really like you.” Then when I got out onto a high bridge, “Jump.” Trying to get me forlorn so that I think, “Why not?” These days I could hear “Jump” all day long and that is a joke to me not because of oil and prayer (ministry) but because of truth. If I didn’t replace lies with truth I would always need oil and prayer. And after a while you will wonder why you are not delivered. Why God doesn’t care. You’ve been through the cycle of ministry for so long you begin to question God.
54:30 - Ministry crazed - It's a truth issue, not a ministry issue - We don’t understand what we are doing to people when we are so ministry conscious as opposed to truth conscious. There is a place for ministry but it should always be coupled with truth.
55:00 - It’s possible for you to pray over a person and for God to deliver them from addiction but then you want to teach them about who they are because if they get deceived - their identity slips - they might revert to old ways.
55:30 - Lies and addiction.
56:00 - The enemy sows lies hoping to get strongholds - Evil spirits whispering lies, leading to strongholds. Kind of like sowing seed - as the sower sows the word. You’ve got gospel on the earth and anti-gospel. You’ve got truth and lies. He is out there like a farmer trying to get something to grow on his behalf. Give him no place. Don’t be unaware of his devices. If you stumble, run to God.
57:25 - Cast down arguments - replacing lies with truth - That’s not yelling at the lie. “Devil leave me alone. I rebuke you. I forbid you to speak to me.” He’ll laugh at that. And then you are in this cycle, walking the floor. “I’ve got the mind of Christ… I’ve got the mind of Christ.” That is not what this means.
57:50 - Pleading the blood v. proclaiming truth - That’s how the church has taught it. “I plead the blood. I plead the blood.” I honor the blood and value the blood but He is not teaching us to walk the floor and plead the blood. He is teaching us to lift our hands and proclaim truth. You can plead the blood all day long and not replace a lie with truth. And it can speak into your life if it is not cast down with truth.
58:20 - Spiritual warfare - Shadowboxing with the devil - This is a very important thing for the church to grab. This is one of the major devices of the devil, to get inside the heads of people and then we get into what we call spiritual warfare. “I bind you devil. I break your power. I come against every principality. You have no right to my life. I shield my house with the glory of God and I pray the bubble of protection over my head.” That’s what people do but they don’t fill their hearts with truth. And as soon as they are done with their whole spiritual thing, the devil goes, “Loser.” And again, “Devil I bind you…” And all of the sudden, he has your attention all day. He’s got you going through hoops. “This way. Jump…” He’s got you on a twisted perverted leash and you don’t even realize it.
59:30 - Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ - He is the truth. If something does not agree with who I am in Him, it’s a lie - cast it down.
100:00 - Ignore the devil - replace lies with truth - I never acknowledge the devil. I totally ignore him and I love it. We are not taught to do that. When he whispers stupid stuff, I proclaim truth as if I never heard him. If I were to hear “Loser…” I would prophesy my destiny, my whole legacy. We are so afraid of what he is saying and doing, let’s just get built up in truth. If he would go, “Loser. God can’t love you. Your life doesn’t mean much. People don’t really like you. You are always alone…”
101:20 - Replacing lies with truth - Father I thank you that you love me so much. Father I thank you that you have filled my heart with who you are and who I am in you. And Father I thank you that you have put me on the earth to love. My life is so full of value now. I finally understand now. It’s not about men towards but me towards people. And I thank you that my heart is fulfilled in You. God I thank you…
101:50 - Flip it - Let the devil push you into intimacy with God - And if you get through and the devil is saying, “Yeah, ok, they are just following the teaching Dan just gave them. They won’t last long in this. They will turn this into a method real quick…” And as you start engaging with God, you are learning what it means to release faith. And it is not just talk. It engages you with Truth, with God. All of the sudden grace comes and illuminates your heart. So that the devil has actually pushed you into the presence of God. That’s actually the way God has designed this thing. The devil is actually pushing you into intimacy. And we have been deceived into warfare and fighting the devil instead of receiving God’s love.
102:45 - Reject vulnerability by casting down the lie - So if we are not careful, we have low identity and we are fighting the devil with low identity. And we are threatened by him. And when we are threatened, we fight. If you are not threatened by him, you just respond in truth. But if you feel that intimidation, you get like a cat in the corner. When you feel threatened, you tend to fight and defend. When he sees you are threatened, he knows that you are vulnerable to the very thing he is implying. And He comes harder. But the weapon of my warfare is not fighting him. It’s casting it (the lie) down in obedience to Christ. And proclaiming truth.
104:40 - v.6 - And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. - Sounds like you are going to walk in authority and things are going to be under your feet. Sounds like when you say come out of him, he will listen.
105:35 - Praying for the mind - Let a peace, clarity come. But more than that it’s you taking the truth by faith and living by faith and not being driven by feelings, impressions, memories and going after God. We spend a lot of time in the church ministering to feelings, impressions and memories instead of telling people who they are.
Adversity, Fear & The Armor of God
106:10 - Back to Ephesians 6
106:20 - v.13 - Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. -
Withstand - vigorously opposing, bravely resisting, standing face to face against an adversary, standing your ground - not being moved by a lie, oppression, adversity, trials, conflict. Never losing sight of who you are in the midst of adversity.
106:50 - Fearing the trial by fire - If it becomes about the fire and now we are afraid of the fire, you better believe that it’s going to keep coming... Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego - They weren’t afraid of the fire. And it still came. But because they were not afraid of it, it had no power to hurt them. We are afraid of the fire so a lot of our prayers are that there be no fire.
107:20 - Fearing the trial - Daniel and the lions’ den - We are so afraid of the lion’s den we are praying never to go in there. Daniel put himself in the lion’s den. He knew the decree. He opened his window like he did every day. And several times a day he would openly worship. He could have worshiped in the closet. He knew the repercussions. He knew what was coming. He literally put himself in the lion’s den. He didn’t go underground with his worship. I bet he just wasn’t afraid of the lion. I bet he had a greater revelation of God than the lion’s den. I bet that he didn’t love his own life unto death. And he probably thought I am not going to be driven by any king of the earth, when God is king of the universe. His decree doesn’t govern me, God does.
108:35 - Truth doesn’t change in the lions’ den - Do you know why we pray so hard to stay out of the den? Because we are afraid of the lion. The den means nothing if you are not afraid of the lion. The den is no different than driving to work in your car. When you are not afraid of the lion, it’s not like you are in a lions’ den. God hasn’t changed in the den. Truth is the same. The finished work of Christ is the same.
109:20 - Faith is perfected in the lions’ den - You know what is fun about those stories, if we go through them and they become us, it’s no longer a doctrine or philosophy. We’re no longer trying to believe something. It becomes reality. Spend a night in the lion’s den and find out He shuts their mouths. That would be a good morning for you. “O yes, my king, my God was able to shut the mouth of every lion as much as He found me innocent in His sight.” And what are you through the blood? Are you under the law of sin and death or are you under the Spirit of life in Christ? Are you innocent in His sight through the blood? So I bet the mouths of the lions must be shut.
110:40 - v.13 - Prepared for the fight - He is letting us know that there are evil intentions and schemes set against us. He is letting you know that you live in a spiritual world. So he does not want you to be ignorant to that. And he doesn’t want you to be intimidated by that. He want you to be prepared for that. That’s why this chapter is written.
111:00 - v.14 - Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; -
Stand therefore - What other call do we have than to stand? Never retreat. There is nothing that covers your back. Why? Because you are never to turn and run. If you retreated you were toast. Your enemy ran you down and killed you. If you draw back, it’s to destruction. We are not those who draw back. We step forward to the believing - to the saving of our soul.
111:50 - Salvation of the soul - It’s what faith is all about. 1 Peter teaches that faith is all about saving your soul - getting your mind redeemed and restored back to truth - getting it delivered from the effects of the fall - renewed in the spirit of your mind - transformed where you can prove God’s will - getting your mind in agreement with truth. Your spirit is born again. But in 1 Peter 1:9, it says faith will have its consummation - the finished effect of your faith - the salvation of your soul.
112:45 - The benefit of adversity - growing up into Him - In 1 Peter 4:12 it says not to think it strange when trials come against you… Adversity gives you the opportunity to grow up in Him - to trust Him and see clear. So satan is actually pushing you into truth, into the presence of God. The accusation against you is that you do love your own life. You are not surrendered or sold out. You are in this for other reasons. He tries to find those loopholes.
114:00 - The armor is the finished work - I know that there are a lot of cool teachings on the armor. I would like to simply say to you, the armor is the finished work of Christ.
114:30 - Gird your waist with truth - so that satan doesn’t get away with any low blows. Athletes wear things.
115:10 - Breastplate of righteousness - that covers the serious vital organs - lungs, heart. So he can’t break your heart any more. So that he can’t take the wind out of you. Because I know who I am. He can’t stick me vitally because I am hooked up to the lifeline of God. God has never cut the umbilical cord. So I am right in His sight. When you are conscious of sin, it’s amazing what that does to you spiritually. As soon as you live guilty, condemned and ashamed, it’s amazing what that does to you spiritually. It’s like cutting your jugular.
116:15 - He rules His kingdom with the scepter of righteousness. He makes you righteous and ready to fight in righteousness. He knights you in righteousness. Rise and win. That’s how the gospel works. It’s a beautiful thing.
117:00 - Righteousness scriptures - righteousness - to stand right before Him.
117:25 - Should we be continually putting on the armor of God? It’s your identity. It’s not something you have to put on every day. It’s something you are already dressed in. When do you ever take it off. You never take it off. If you have to put it on every day, when did you take it off?
118:00 - Putting on truth - You can put it on as a contact point of faith. God, I thank you that I’m righteous.... But you build your heart up in truth. You live truth. You cast down strongholds. That is how you put it on.
118:15 - Putting on righteousness - righteousness - Father I thank you that you see me through the blood. I am squeaky clean in your presence. I have every reason to run this day in confidence and win and bring glory to you your name. Thank you that you cause me to love people… That is what you do when you are in fellowship and relationship with God. Every time you are doing that you are wearing the finished work of Christ - as opposed to quoting scripture.
Confession Sheets
118:40 - Confession v. a truth becoming real in relationship - We have reduced a lot of these things that God wants to be your reality, we’ve reduced them to confession sheets and methods and the quoting of scripture.
118:50 - Like you can quote “I have the mind of Christ” all day long until you are out of breath. That is not going to put the mind of Christ into you. What puts the mind of Christ into you is looking into His heart, “Let the same mind which was in Christ Jesus be in you", then he shares what motivated Christ, you surrendering, submitting, yielding to that motivation and standing up changed. Because you are giving yourself to Him. It’s not just walk the floor and confess.
119:35 - By your stripes I am healed - You can turn that into a method for healing - a work - a (robotic) confession. It’s a spiritual truth but it’s not the way. It’s because of the way. You have to understand His love for you that releases that truth in your life. And it would be a whole lot better to commune that with God...
120:10 - Father, I believe I understand this. You took sin and put it on your Son and the effects of sin into His body to set me free and make me clean. God, your love for me is immeasurable. It’s unsearchable. It’s unfailing. Right now, I receive your love. Thank you Lord Jesus for the sacrifice of your body.
120:30 - Confession v. faith working through love - That’s what I teach. Taking “by your stripes I am healed” and understanding it and turning it into relationship. Or you can quote that for 3 weeks and be sicker and say, “This isn’t working. What else should I do?” And none of that is invoking you to relationship. It’s actually getting you confused and troubled in your heart and maybe even separating you from relationship. Because what you were taught is not working. Relationship with God has to work. Then everything flows from relationship with God.
121:10 - Confession sheets v. communing a truth with God - Confession sheets are not bad. But I am not a fan of them. You can take a well written confession sheet and use it to springboard you into communion with God. But I don’t encourage people to quote it and quote it without communion with the Lord.
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122:00 - v.15,16 - And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. -
122:20 - Shield of faith - faith separates you from living by feelings - He wants you to live not based on feelings. Faith separates you from living based on feelings. You are not going to live sensual when you are living by the word. He’s saying above all, live by My word. If you continue in my word you will know the truth and the truth will make you free. Truth makes you free as opposed to a mystical touch. God can touch someone and deliver them but I always give strong truth to folks.
123:10 - Quench ALL - It doesn’t say some but all.
123:25 - Above all faith - Do you see why the enemy works so hard to keep people living by their feelings? Because faith quenches everything he throws at you. Faith blocks everything. Do you see why I am so militant on this topic and address feelings, emotions, memories, dreams.
Bad Dreams & Insomnia
124:00 - Bad dreams - replace the implication of the dream with truth - What does it matter if you had a dream about your past? If you can wake up and lift your hands and thank God that you are born again, and that nightmare is over and you didn’t survive, you have overcome. And He has snatched you out of darkness. And I thank you that my life is forever changed. Why do I need to call you crying because I had a bad dream?
124:30 - You are asking for another one when you respond the wrong way. Satan is going to stop real quick if you are getting up and rejoicing in your salvation and in truth.
124:50 - Insomnia - flip it - It’s just like insomnia. “Pray for me, the devil is keeping me up at night.” Rather sit up in bed and… Father, it’s amazing that I am up at 2:30 a.m. There must be something on your heart. God your grace is in me and your grace is sufficient. And I thank you that when I have to get up I won’t be tired because you are in me. What do you want me to pray? How can I minister your heart in prayer? I’ll do whatever is on your heart now. I’m awake. You must have something on your heart. Thank you that I am awake in you. And the devil is saying, “No, you idiot. It’s insomnia. You are suppose to be frustrated and mad and wake up in the flesh. God didn’t wake you up. I woke you up.” So if the devil is waking you up and you respond like that, will he keep waking you up? To invoke you into prayer? But if you start complaining and it provokes a bad day for you and you are justifying your flesh, justifying your disposition, “Get off my back. You got a good night’s sleep,” you are just setting yourself up for another sleepless night and more frustration. “Why won’t God let me sleep?” If you don’t change your attitude, you are so vulnerable for so many things. You’ll just be a pin cushion when you are really a son or daughter.
127:40 - Responding in faith to insomnia - If you are dealing with insomnia, thank God for waking you. Tell Him, I am ready to pray. The devil will freak out. He’s not used to that with Christians. He’s used to us responding in the flesh at 2:30 in the morning. He’s used to us responding in the flesh when the alarm clock goes off and the only level of prayer that we have is, “God help me.”
128:10 - It’s not wrong to feel tired in the morning but you live out of your heart. So you are tired? Father I just thank you that today, my flesh feels tired, it feels like I could have slept 2 or 3 more hours easily. But the truth is, I have got to go to work. And I thank you for provision in a job. I thank you that today is a blessing and your Spirit is in me. God, I am getting up in you. Get a grip on your soul. Don’t let blah come out of your mouth.
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129:00 - Shield of faith - Above all - He makes that the most important piece of armor. 2 Peter 1:1 Do you see the order? You wear righteousness and faith is the result. What is righteousness taking you to? Faith. What is so important to live your life? Faith. It comes through righteousness but it works hand in hand through love.
130:15 - v.17 - And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: -
Helmet of salvation - spiritually speaking, the helmet means - it’s an eternal view - that life is bigger than today. And you have to look to the joy set before you to press through some pain. You are looking through a redemptive eye - a redemptive mind. Saved, healed, delivered, protected, preserved, made whole, kept safe and sound. You understand that the will of God is to restore and redeem. A belief and understanding of the heart of God. It reveals the heart and intention of God through the Son. You put that on and understand God’s will for your life and you see a bigger picture than today. And because you see that, you are able to overcome the injustices against you. You bear that cross.
132:45 - v.18 - Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; - It sounds like we are in - committed. There is no armor on our back. There’s no back sliding.
133:20 - with all perseverance - “Yeah but, you don’t know what I am going through,” When you talk like that you are actually giving yourself permission to not be in perseverance. You are giving yourself a reason to be less than what the Bible is cheering you on in.
Intercession
134:00 - All manner of prayer - Intercession - supplication for all the saints - I can’t cover it all.
134:10 - Prayers of commitment - surrendering yourself to Him - declaring that He’s in you and you’re in Him and my life is wholly given to you God. Thank you for the leading of your Spirit. And Father I thank you that today that your wisdom is my wisdom. And that as I walk into life I thank you that I am looking through the very heart of God and I am seeing the world from your view because You are one with me. You have come and You have made me Your child. Do you see what I mean? There is a committing of yourself - a giving of yourself as you are going out into your day.
135:20 - Praying not from hurt but from love - Prayer is not to come from the place of pain and hurt. Even if there is pain and hurt, we have to understand the motive of love in prayer. Even when somebody does something really bad, the easiest thing to do is pray because you are hurt. That is a zero prayer. You pray because you are hurting - for a bigger picture than your feelings. So even if your feelings got violated, you get a grip on them first and you get into that submitting, committing place. God, right now, that threw me for a loop. That really caught me off guard. It’s ok to be honest with the Lord. And I actually feel like that one stuck me - that that got past the shield and hit me in the heart. And the truth is, my war is not against flesh and blood. There’s a bigger picture. I can’t afford to take this personally. The temptation would be to take it personally. If I didn’t know You and You didn’t sow your word into me, I would be crushed right now. I don’t think that I am crushed. But it felt like it hurt. So God I just settle that now… And you walk that through in prayer. And I realize that if they really saw the truth, they wouldn’t have said that. There is something, God, that needs to be strengthened, aligned and healed. And God, I can’t let that reproduce in me. And this isn’t about me personally. So Father I release all of that… There is a way to be real with God. You are not just called put on a strong appearance.
137:00 - Don't be hurt - I was struggling for words on that prayer because I don’t get hurt. I don’t relate to being hurt. That is such a blessing. So I’m trying to pray as if I were hurt and I don’t know what that means. I don’t feel grace on it because God is telling us not to be hurt.
138:00 - If you do get hurt, be aware of it. Thank God for the light in your life that is exposing it where you are not just crushed. Flip it into truth and realize that you are not warring against flesh and blood. And God build truth and show mercy...
138:30 - What is intercession? - to mediate - to go on behalf of one. Jesus makes intercession for us. Some teach as though Jesus is sitting there praying for us. The word is mediation - to go on behalf of - to represent - to stand before - on behalf of. Jesus is sitting, representing man to God. It’s not that He is verbally praying. I honestly can’t find any (Biblical) language that reveals that He is verbally praying. But He is going on behalf of. His blood is speaking. If He is tangibly praying for us with words, that’s awesome. I am not saying I hope He is not. I just can’t find it scripturally.
139:15 - Mediation means that He is the go between. He’s the mediator. He’s making intercession. He’s going on behalf of us to God. He’s in the holy place of God’s tabernacle at the right hand of God on the mercy seat, sitting on His own blood, declaring that it is able to accomplish what it proclaims. That’s mediation. That’s intercession.
139:40 - Priestly role of intercessor - Intercession in prayer is like a priestly role. So the high priest would go in… Revelation says we are kings and high priests (Rev 1:6). So through the mediation of the blood of Jesus, we can go into the throne room. (Heb 4:16) Because we see we have a High Priest, Jesus, we can enter boldly and receive help and mercy in a time of need. Now you don’t want to go in there without a heart of love because He is love. You want to go in there ON BEHALF of something - intercession.
140:20 - Access to the Father - representing others - So you have the right scripturally, to go into the throne room and present someone to Him. And represent them before Him as if their heart was crying out themselves before Him because of love. That’s how you can forgive the sins of any. You represent that.
140:45 - Intercession for Dan before salvation - When Dan got saved - two people interceded for Dan - hadn’t seen Dan in 4 years - started to cry for Dan - pulled off along the road - Two weeks later I had that encounter at work. That’s powerful. It changed my life forever. Two people representing the heart of God for me, before God through man, because God gave the earth to man, to subdue it and govern it in His heart - in His name - by His Spirit. We are more major players than we realize. We are key players in this. It’s God’s design. He did this.
141:30 - So when 2 people yielded their time, their day, their schedule and pulled over, parked the car and cried, that was grace. They yielded.
141:40 - He saw me 2 weeks later at a gas station. I hadn’t seen him in years. Told him that I was born again. I knew that they would be excited. He weeps and sobs. He is really touched about my salvation. When did this happen? I’ve got to tell you something very powerful… He told me how two weeks ago they had be crying for my soul along the road.
142:35 - Forgive him God. Have mercy on him. Release him to his calling and his purpose. Forgive him and cover him with the blood and let your Spirit come…
143:05 - Intercession is speaking the answer - It’s always speaking the answer. It’s always speaking life.
143:20 - Unhealthy intercession - depressing intercession - There are people who say that they are intercessors and say that they are “carrying the burden of the Lord.” And I have seen many intercessors deceived by that. And they get totally suppressed and pressed down in their emotions and feelings - as if they are carrying the burden of the Lord and they can’t even get up. That is not healthy intercession.
143:40 - They spend all day in their house crying, saying the Holy Spirit is grieved. Then every time they come to church they are listening and watching and slipping out and crying. Now they are just projecting. They have fallen prey to a critical spirit.
144:00 - God is not all depressed - Holy Spirit is not curled up in a corner crying. He is the God of all hope. He speaks life. When we were yet sinners, He came. God wasn’t a basket case in the corner of the throne room because all of His kids wouldn’t line up.
144:20 - Burden of the Lord - Some of this stuff gets twisted. I’m not saying that you wouldn’t get the burden of the Lord. I’ve carried the burden of the Lord. I went for a year and a half where the Lord put something on me, and some people questioned whether I was deceived. It would just hit me out of the blue and I would cry for an hour and a half to three hours. I wouldn’t even talk. He would show me things and I would cry. And it was intercession and I would just say, “Mercy, God.” But when I got up from that place, I was me.
144:50 - Healthy intercession is answer-conscious - When it is true intercession, it always has to be answer conscious and proclaiming truth.
145:00 - Unhealthy intercession - mourning the wayward child - I don’t believe that God is asking you to mourn and cry every day until they turn around. Because then you lose your identity and purpose. You don’t bear fruit. Your child’s waywardness is dictating your life. And you say, “But I pray every day.” But it is because you are finding your identity through them. And you need them to turn around so that you can be ok. No, you see them turned around, and you be ok. That’s faith.
145:35 - Interceding for a wayward child - Father I thank you for Billy. I cover him with your love. I love him. I forgive him. I know that he is so much more than what he is giving himself to. But this turn that he has taken will not destroy him. I declare your grace over him - your favor over him. I refuse to fear because I see that you have a calling over his life. I see that your word is effectually working in his heart. And Lord I thank you that even now you are ministering your Spirit to him to turn him to where he sees your face. And God I thank you that you are bringing him home by the wooing of your Spirit. I declare it God. This turn will not destroy my Son. And I thank you that you have great plans for Billy. Thank you that You lift him up in your love and in Your mercy, in Your forgiveness and absolutely consume him with Your Spirit. He will do great things because of destiny. You have ordered his steps. I believe God, inside, that he can now hear the voice of God crying out. And I thank you that he cannot live unaware of Your wooing and Your drawing. And I thank you for the victory in Jesus name. And then you go to work and you are free. Because all you see when you look at Billy is the destiny of God fulfilled not a son that is lost.
147:00 - Not every day (because of faith) - It’s not something you find yourself having to do every day because there is faith in your heart. And when you remember Billy during the day, Father you must be doing something in Billy even today. I thank you that even right now you are whispering to his heart. I thank you that he hears you. And I thank you that you make your voice so loud inside that he can’t help but to see truth. God, thanks for loving my son. Thank You that You have not let him slip away. Even in his weakness, You are making him strong. My heart believes… That’s true intercession.
148:00 - Interceding from the heart of God - There is a place where the Spirit of the Lord, where God will put His heart in you for a moment. Where you will actually take the place of true repentance for a situation. But it is a moment. And it is accompanied by a great answer and a declaration of triumph and victory. It is not weeks of repentance.
148:30 - Repentance and grace - When you repent, how long does it take to get forgiven? When I got saved there were a few minutes when I felt like I wanted to die inside. I was so sorry. I was so aware of my sin.
148:50 - There are seasons where God will bring you face to face with that stuff and you will cry almost uncontrollably. You’ll find that all you can ask for is mercy. But if you are tuned in and listening there is a point where you can rise to your feet and by the Spirit of God begin to declare truth over that situation, because once there is repentance, now there is grace.
149:20 - Healthy intercession summary - So you are literally coming on behalf of someone, not holding their sins against them but seeing that they have a greater value. You are petitioning the heart of God, in the vision of God, back to God from your own being as intercession. And through the blood of Jesus, God’s Spirit reaches out to them. That sure beats fear, anxiety and losing your identity over people. It’s healthy intercession.
150:00 - BREAK
152:25 - Intercession - There is the prophetic side of intercession. It says to pray for all men - men in authority. We can pray for countries - we can pray for the move of God in countries. You can believe for a lot of things. There’s a lot of stuff you can pray for.
153:00 - What is supplication? Supplication literally probably means to plead your case. Some people teach… You live out of your conscience, you have faith for things. So it is not a right or wrong thing a lot of times. It’s what people have faith for.
153:40 - Don't try holding God to His word - Like, I don’t supplicate God in a way that I hold Him to His word. He knows His word. He has raised His word above His name. So I don’t have to remind Him of His word and hold Him to His word like we teach sometimes.
153:50 - Supplication - bearing witness with God's heart and intention - Supplication is really pleading the truth and the right we have through Christ. It’s bearing witness with God’s heart and intention. Actually it releases great faith in you.
154:00 - Example - marriage not going well / drifting away and you have a heart for reconciliation but your spouse has no heart for reconciliation - Father I thank you that you honor marriage - that you instituted marriage. You said that a man should leave his father and mother and that the two should come together and become one. God my heart is sealed in oneness and I see myself one with my spouse. And Father I thank you that there is a grace that will hold this thing together. It’s my desire, Lord God, to do whatever is necessary in love to just hold on and manifest Christ. I thank you that you are ministering to the heart of my spouse, preserving covenant. And no matter where they are at today and what they are doing that you are turning their heart back into this place of oneness and union. And Father I thank you that it is your will and desire for this covenant to remain as one. It’s a pleading of your case. You are bearing witness with the heart of God. You’re grabbing hold of what you believe is the will of God for this situation and saying I am in. But you are actually bearing witness of His heart. And it releases faith that, you know what, You are for us and not against us. The Lord is my helper, what shall I fear? What can any man do to me? Father I’m not threatened by other people in my spouse’s life. I’m not threatened by illicit affections and attractions. I’m believing You’re the one that is holding their heart. Did You not institute marriage? And did You not put this love in my heart and cause me to see…. And all of the sudden you bear witness in the grace in your life. And God, I am in position for reconciliation.
155:50 - Live from love - not hurt - That sure beats, “I can’t believe they are treating me this way. God, you’ve got to save my marriage.” And if you stay too long in that you start to feel sorry for yourself and don’t even realize it. You can live from a place of love.
156:25 - Why are you so hurt? - I don’t see Jesus anywhere in the Bible with His feelings hurt. And He says, “Follow me.” We are so used to having our feelings hurt. And we look for permission to stay that way. It’s the weakest place. YOU don’t even like it. It’s miserable living with your feelings hurt. We take that hurt with us into prayer. It makes our prayers so biased. It’s from a hurting heart instead of a heart of faith and love.
157:15 - Jesus intercedes for Peter before denial - Jesus was aware that satan was trying to cut down Peter. In prayer, He obviously saw Peter denying Him. But He even prayed for Peter. He tells Peter, “Satan wants to sift you like wheat but I have prayed for you.” Do you hear the strength in that? Do you see intercession there? And when you return, strengthen your brothers. Jesus saw him for a moment falling apart and hiding from the Jews.
158:35 - Jesus was not interceding from hurt - Jesus was not like, “God, I sowed so much into him. And now he is going to turn around and deny me? People are so hypocritical. You are kidding me. I should have never trusted him in the first place. I probably picked the wrong guy. I probably didn’t hear your voice in the first place.” When love is not in the picture, the interpretation of everything you hear and see gets so muddy.
159:20 - God can tell Himself anything - I believe that God is limited in the stuff He will entrust to us because of how we will respond. He can tell Himself anything. So the more you become the heart of God inside of you, the more He can disclose stuff. Because you won’t mishandle it, misuse it or be hurt by it. It’s the most excellent way to move in the gifts.
200:00 - Jesus entrusted with info so He could pray before the denial - So God was entrusting that information about Peter to perfect love. So that perfect love could respond back on Peter’s behalf. He must have interceded for Peter. He is not hurt not taken aback. Take heart, I have prayed for you. That is so powerful. When you return, strengthen your brothers. What He is saying is, “You are still qualified. You are still who I see you to be. And you’ll never do this again because next time you will know Me better.” And Peter ends up preaching boldly in Jerusalem. Before that he is denying Jesus to a servant girl. Now he is standing before the Sanhedrin, fearless - not loving his own life unto death. That kind of love will make you a warrior. That kind of forgiveness will get you on team.
202:30 - Interceding for Peter and the disciples - not from hurt - Denial of Peter and the disciples. Jesus didn’t take it personally. In faith He interceded. What Jesus might have prayed for the disciples. That’s different than how you would pray if you were hurt. You could say all of the right things from all of the wrong places. Jesus said them from all of the right places and the power of God landed. Jesus lifted his guys up, in a priestly role, before the Lord. And He covered them in prayer and God gave Him discernment of a moment of weakness, not so that He could prophesy the failure, but so that He could cover the failure in prayer. And in their weakness God made them strong.
206:20 - The goodness of God changes Peter - What changed Peter? Love restores, empowers. The goodness of God leads men to change. Peter cried bitter tears after he denied. Peter was face to face with the weakness of humanity. He’s walked with Jesus for 3 years and seen selflessness in action - a life given and surrendered. Now he is watching that lamb go to the slaughter without a word, yet He is the Son of God and the Lion of Judah. Then he realizes that he betrayed Him. He was more than a friend and I couldn’t even stand with Him. All of the sudden you see the weakness, the wretchedness of your life.
207:20 - God’s love puts diligence in you - On the beach - Feed my lambs. Do you love me Peter? Jesus is restoring him to everything He designed Peter for. And Peter realizes, on Peter’s worst day, God is the same. On his most unlovely day, God’s love is overwhelming. I haven’t missed a beat. I haven’t missed a step. God still has me in position. It empowers you to rise up and go after God not loving your own life. It puts a diligence in you.
Repentance - Godly Sorrow - Regret
208:00 - 2 Corinthians 7 - Repentance
208:10 - Correcting in love - The Corinthians needed some fathering. It’s not wrong to correct. But the correction needs to be in love. If it is in love it’s never fault finding, it’s never criticizing, it’s never digging dirt. You have to expose the lie - bring things into the light. The word of God is actually here for the use of correction.
209:45 - v.8 - For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. - Paul doesn’t want to hurt people. He hopes what he said wasn’t too sharp. He’s not trying just to be right. He cares about people. He had some second thoughts. I hope they are ok.
211:10 - Conviction - What Paul had said made them feel sorry. It’s the conviction of the Spirit of the Lord. It makes you sorry, but not in a worldly manner. When the gospel shines light on some things it’s to bring a godly sorrow in your heart - to see how you are living apart from truth - apart from your created value - apart from your destiny. It’s actually a good thing. If that grace wasn’t on the earth, there would be no such thing as repentance.
211:50 - Love is the key in a reprimand - Now the key is love. We have turned it into reprimand. And a lot of preachers use their pulpit to cry out pain. And it beats the sheep. Or you can truly share things for their sake.
212:20 - Preaching yesterday - went from a fun sermon on righteousness to something convicting. Crying, repenting and being changed. They were hearing this stuff for the first time. “This changes everything."
213:50 - Paul did something like that in his letter. He was correcting and adjusting like children.
214:05 - v.9 - Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. -
214:10 - I rejoice - He was rejoicing because of the impact and change of mind. Not guilt. Not dumb me. God will speak in a way to bring repentance.
214:35 - Peter speaks directly at Pentecost - Peter preaching on the first day of Pentecost. He is speaking the truth about the Son of God and then he turns to the people and said “whom you killed.” Whom Pilate was ready to release. And you, you asked for Barabbas instead. It’s not wrong to speak directly. That was Holy Spirit’s first message to the earth. He wasn’t pointing out wrong. He wasn’t fault finding. He was sharing truth that your Savior was on the earth. And you were so blind and couldn’t see it, that you had Him killed. And it says, their hearts were cut. Some of them were remembering yelling for Barabbas.
216:40 - Sorrow leads to change of mind - They go, “oh no we did.” And immediately they wish they didn’t. The sorrow led to a change of mind. “I see what I didn’t see before. If I had seen this we wouldn’t have killed Him. But we killed Him.” Imagine the emotion. Cut to the heart.
217:45 - Can’t you just preach truth and truth will expose the lies? Why not just expose the lies along with preaching the truth. That’s what Holy Spirit did on the day of Pentecost. That’s what Jesus did with the rich young ruler. “Actually you are in love with your stuff. Your stuff is an idol. You get rid of your stuff and come follow me. I love you.” The Bible said He loved him but he told him what was wrong.
218:50 - Exposing the lies is not condemnation. It leads to godly sorrow. It causes men to change.
219:00 - Jesus exposed lies in the Pharisees - Jesus said at one point, that they were the children of their father, the devil. He called them whitewashed tombs. Do everything they say to do but don’t do what they do. He is not condemning them. He is exposing lies. They want the best seats in the synagogue. They want to be seen by men. They want to be honored.
219:35 - Exposing lies - When you teach that way, you expose (lies like) that. You convict the heart to not give yourself to that. You show it for what it is. And there is a wonderful, holy way that Holy Spirit does that. After Peter’s preaching, Holy Spirit says through Peter, “and you did it.” And they were cut to the heart. They respond, “what should we do?” In other words, “How can we change this? Make up for this? He’s already dead. We are hopeless. What can we do?”
220:30 - What do we do? Repent - But God is amazing - Peter said, “Repent” - wish you didn’t. [Back to Corinthians] The letter made you sorry. I’m glad the letter made you sorry because it led you to change. [Back to Peter’s sermon] “But we killed the Son of God. What do we do?” “Just wish you didn’t.” “We already wish we didn’t.” “Then be baptized for the remission of your sin and be Sons.”
221:10 - Be baptized - call the old man dead - sin - blindness - pride. When you come up out of the water you will not be the one who killed the Son, you’ll be a son.
221:30 - Godly sorrow v. condemnation - Do you see what godly sorrow does? If you don’t preach that in love, you can produce condemnation on people, if you don’t give them the answer. The answer is amazing. Repent. Be baptized for the remission of your sins. Be a son yourself.
222:10 - What about Barabbas? What about justice? What happened to Barabbas? Maybe it was God’s good pleasure to set Barabbas free. You might be amazed. We might all see Barabbas in heaven. The crowd was degrading Jesus saying, “You’re worse than a murderer.” Even before the cross the guilty were already going free at the cost of the innocent. It was already happening.
224:00 - Punishment in the natural - When you kill someone you pay with your life. That is the natural reality. You could end up in prison and absolutely break, in your cell. You could break, repent and be totally justified and born again, Spirit filled and be judged as if you never kill the other person but yet you are still spending life in prison. But when you stand before God, you will never be named a murderer because of the power of God. That is true justice.
224:50 - Repentance and mercy - Peter is addressing the heart of the people saying Jesus was the prince of life, the fulfillment of scripture, He was the One we all waited for and you judged him worse than a murderer. You were so blind and deceived that you put Him on a cross. And Pilate was set in his heart to let Him go. But you persisted. We are cut to the heart. What do we do? Be condemned and suffer? No, repent. Wish you didn’t do it. Let your heart change. If you could do it over again, now that you see, you would do it differently. Then be baptized and be clean in this matter. And when you come out of the water be part of the family now and be a son. That’s the good news of Jesus Christ. That’s justice. It’s mercy that is amazing.
226:00 - Love wins over tough cookies - People that were shown that kind of mercy - Barabbas… Don’t be amazed if Barabbas was in the crowd when Peter preached. When you show that kind of love and mercy on a person, they are toast. Where do you run and hide from that? Adulterous woman, Malcus…
227:15 - [Back to 2 Cor 7] - v.9 - Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. -
Godly sorrow leading to repentance - not to condemnation - Paul perceived that it was a healthy sorrow. That doesn’t mean he wants them to stay there. When I got born again, I saw the wickedness of my heart, my selfishness - that I was a hypocrite and pitiful - I didn’t even like me but I wanted you to love me. All of that came to my mind by the working of the Spirit. If you camp there too long, you will go into condemnation. The church doesn’t understand that process so it doesn’t want anyone to cry. I needed to see the wretchedness of my heart long enough to go, “Yuck!” And turn from that to God and trust that His goodness, mercy and love is greater than that wickedness I just saw.
228:20 - Sin-conscious for a moment - from then on a son - Experience in worship - TN - Crying and crying. God’s love kept waving over me. Going through Kleenex. I’m thinking, I’ve got to preach. I’d try to get up and He kept knocking me down. I was a manifesting mess. “I love you so much. I’m so proud of you.” Got up and tried to preach “Dan, do you know why you live the way you live?” - the consistency - the unshakableness - the steadfastness of every day in the same perspective - immovable, unshakable. “Because you are amazing and your grace is sufficient. You are almighty God and Your love never fails.” He chuckled and said, “Well no Dan, not really. It’s because the day you got saved, you were sin-conscious for a moment, but ever since that moment you have been a son in your heart.
230:10 - That’s justice. Sin-conscious for a moment. I was aware of my need for a Savior. I was made sorry for a moment. And I turned to Him and trusted that He would love me. Ever since that moment, I have been a son in my heart.
231:20 - Was that moment the will of God? Was it condemnation or godly sorrow? It was me getting real. Taking ownership, responsibility and saying, “Save me.”
231:40 - Paul’s language - Oh wretched man that I am… Is that condemnation? He’s taking ownership of who he is without Christ. But then turning to Christ, believing that his salvation is Jesus.
232:00 - Preaching towards conviction v. the goodness of God - That’s why there is such an effort out there to get men to see their sins. I don’t have that conviction. I preach God’s love through the Son. And in God’s love through the Son, people see their sins. The goodness of God leads men to change. The love of God exposes everything. It reveals our need for a Savior.
234:00 - v.9 - His letter made them sorry with a godly sorrow - not guilt, condemnation or shame.
234:10 - Correcting others is not just about you being right but correcting from love - You can go to correct someone and be totally correct in what you are pointing out and be totally wrong because of the way you pointed it out. You expose the lie for their sake. If you are going to talk to someone about something that is tender or delicate you better love them. Because that is what empowers me to talk about it and them to receive. We commend ourselves to men’s consciousness…
236:00 - 1 Thessalonians 1:5 - For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. -
Your life motivated by love shows that you are doing things for the sake of others - gives them ears to hear - We are not just here preaching doctrine. We are not just preaching to people. We are living a life motivated by love - such that people understand that everything you are doing is for their sake. Because they realize that you love them. And now they have ears to hear and hearts wide open.
237:05 - The Corinthians were struggling with things. 2 Corinthians 6:11 - O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. - He is saying, you know we love you. They have laid down their lives for these people - spent time in jail for these people.
237:50 - v.12 - Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. - You are not restricted by us. You have every right to win - every right to live this life. We’ve made every door open to walk in righteousness. But you are restricted by your own affections. He’s bringing a conviction to bring godly sorrow so they realize, “What are we doing? God have mercy. It’s time for change.” That’s a working of the Spirit.
238:30 - [Back to] 2 Corinthians 7:9 - No guilt, condemnation, shame - no burned bridges. Nobody is mad at you. No damage to relationship. No need to avoid or stay at a distance.
239:20 - v.10 - For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. - Salvation is through repentance. If my heart doesn’t see what I need to turn from, I might be holding back a salvation as great as this.
239:55 - Not to be regretted - no regrets but instead Father thank you for the light that you have placed in my life. Thank you for the people that love me, the wisdom that you have surrounded me with. I feel so protected and nurtured and Fathered in my life. Thank you. I feel like you hedged me in. That even if I get off track, I’ll see it somehow, someway because you love me.
240:50 - Sorrow of the world - What is it? “Well, why did I have to go there? Why did I have to say that. I wish I didn’t say that. Oh, you dummy. You should have just held your tongue.”
241:00 - Control the tongue but also change the heart - It’s not always about holding your tongue. It’s about getting your heart changed because the only reason your tongue has something to say is that it is in your heart. You can bite your tongue and your heart is the same. Just because you don’t speak it doesn’t mean you don’t mean it. Get your heart changed. Then you won’t ever have to bite your tongue.
241:20 - Sorrow of the world produces death - So guilt, condemnation, shame, regret is never ever God.
241:45 - Regret - Peter’s denial - When Jesus is warning Peter - love has him covered, protected. Love is ministering to him to keep his destiny in tact, not to exploit his coming weakness. There is grace over him in the midst of denial. And there is a wide open door to come home. The last thing Peter needs to do is drag his lip. “I said I wouldn’t deny Him but I did. I just might do it again.” That is regret. Rehashing it. Why didn’t I do it differently? It’s over, you can’t do it differently. Be loved, forgiven, redeemed and let it produce something in you like this says…
243:00 - v.11 - For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. - Indignation towards the lie. Fear and reverence towards God. What a vehement desire to go after One so lovely.
243:30 - God's mercy towards the people of Jerusalem - So one minute they are guilty of the death of the Son of God. The next minute are coming up out of the waters of baptism sons of God. And then they go on and live a life worthy of Him and prove they are cleared in this matter by living the life in Christ.
244:00 - Closing prayer