Let me begin by saying that as much as possible, we find our value by seeing ourselves as God sees us, because people seldom progress and succeed beyond their own sense of self-worth…This tells me that our value is relational, and very much a part of our thinking process. If it is God who gives us worth, then we are worthless without giving Him proper place in our lives…

It is a mind blowing experience to read Hebrews 2:5 with an open, receptive mind….

“For unto the angels, He did not put in subjection the world to come. V6 So, what is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that You visit him? v7 You made him a little lower than the angels, You crowned him with glory and honor, and You set him over the works of Your hands. V8 You put all things in subjection under his feet”. Wow, that is about value!!!

The Mona Lisa is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.... In 2011 Leonardo’s painting of Christ, sold for $450 Million dollars and since the Mona Lisa is of greater value in the art world than that painting, it is now insured and appraised for $800 million because the sale of the one establishes the value of the other.... 

The original Bat mobile is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.... last year it sold for 4.5 million…..that now establishes it's value...!

So, if what someone is willing to pay for something is the most accurate measure of value…. Let’s take a look at you and me…. 

On the transplant market today, if all your organs were harvested, plus your blood, you are worth about 45 million dollars. (congratulations on being a millionaire. Even though you would not be able to spend it)… your family might find something to do with all that cash. But even more than that, your greater value is what God was willing to pay for you, and that was His only son..... What that says about you is that…. you are priceless!!!

What you need to know is that Satan knows how valuable you are. And he wants to do whatever he can to keep you from accepting your true value and living your life, based on your worth….

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner. As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved! In a panic, he hid the dead duck in 

 the woodpile; only to see his sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing. After lunch the next day Grandma said, 'Sally, let's wash the dishes' But Sally said, 'Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen.'?  

Then she whispered to him, 'Remember the duck?' So Johnny did the dishes. Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, 'I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper...' Sally just smiled and said, 'Well that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help'. She whispered again, 'Remember the duck?' So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help. After several day of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's. He finally got to the place that he couldn't stand it any longer.

He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck. Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug and said, Sweetheart, I know what you did. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.' 

Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done... And the devil keeps throwing it up in your face (how you could have, should have done it better, ... Whatever it is...the devil is trying to intimidate you with, condemn you with, and lay a guilt trip on you with….

You need to know that God was standing at the window of heaven, and He saw the whole thing. God has seen your whole life. God wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven. God is just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you, and trap you in a joyless cycle of beating up on yourself and selling yourself short of what you’re worth.

While he’s shouting for you to “remember the duck”… Christ is whispering, “I have redeemed you, I have ransomed you, It’s all forgotten in my grace”…. 

Remember that the Mona Lisa was painted on a common, ordinary piece of wood and not only that, it was painted over a couple of other paintings that were already there. God loves to paint his image and likeness on something common and even worthless and make it valuable. Not only that, He paints over what we have placed there and transforms it into something priceless!

John 3:16…For God so loved, the world (write your name in there) that He gave His one and only Son, (His priceless gift) that whosoever believes in Him, might have eternal life! 

Romans 8:31 “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? v32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things”? 

Why should we see ourselves as less than God sees us and is willing to give us…..knowing these things that He has done to make it so….

Perhaps the real problem is that we have put value on things that God doesn’t see as valuable at all….

When God adds up the things in each of our lives that He sees as valuable

1. HE won't care what kind of car you drove; He'll care about how many people you helped with your car. 

2. God won't care what the price or size of your house, He'll care how many people you welcomed into your home. 

3. God won't care about the clothes you had in your closet, He'll care about how many you helped to put clothes on. 

4. God won't care what your annual salary was; He'll care if you compromised your faith to obtain it, performed your job to the 

best of your ability and gave Him His portion. 

5. God won't care how many friends you had; He'll care how many people you were a friend to, by introducing them to the greatest friend. 

The story goes that one time when Pastor Moyers was spiritual advisor to President Lyndon B. Johnson. He was asked to say grace before a meal in the family quarters of the White House. As Moyers began praying softly, the President interrupted him with "Speak up, Reverend,  speak up!" The minister, from east Texas stopped in mid-sentence and without looking up replied steadily, "I wasn't addressing you, Mr. President, I was speaking to your boss."      

6. God won't care what neighborhood you lived in, He'll only care how you treated your neighbors. 

7. God won't care about the color of your skin, He'll care about the content of your character. 

8. God won't care how sinful you were, He’ll only care whether or not you accepted and acted on His sacrifice for your sins. 

Bill Hybels is quoted as saying, “If the request is wrong, God says, "No." If the timing is wrong, God says, "Slow." If you are wrong, God says, "Grow." But if the request is right, the timing is right and you are right, God says, "Go for the gold!" 

There’s a huge difference in spending and investing… The bible asks the question, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul”?   If you spend your life on eternal things, it is an investment that never fades away…. Those things are save guarded where thieves cannot break in, and they never depreciate…. If you know deep down, that what you’re doing is not getting you where you need to be…. You need to ask yourself, “Is it worth the price I’m paying and the sacrifice I’m making”?  

A person, looking back over their life, may spend their time wishing they had done things differently. But if you convinced just one person to wake up and really live, to understand what’s really important, and helped someone release their God given potential, and by doing so, set in motion a force as powerful as a tidal wave or as contagious as an epidemic of viral proportions it would be worth that one... What if we influenced just one person who in turn influenced thousands... 

Instead of waiting for a better time, or a more convenient season….. BEGIN INVESTING WHERE YOU ARE, AND DO WHAT YOU CAN NOW!

Scripture tells us that how we deal with and respond to life’s challenges and trials we go through, has great value In God’s eyes….. 

Job 23:10 But he knows the way that I take: when he has tried me, I shall come forth as pure gold. 

Hebrews 11:35 “Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: v36 And others had trials of cruel mockings and scourgings, yes, they were in bonds and imprisonment: v37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented…

(you thought you had a bad week?) v38 (Of whom the world was not worthy) That sounds like priceless to me!!!

So, how you respond to your tests and trials in life is declaring your value…..and it is releasing the favor of God on your life. Job was the wealthiest man in the land and when the test was over, he received 100 times what he had before….

What amazing words God spoke about Job….. “Consider my servant Job”…. God was bragging on Job…. Is He bragging on you?

It was the very trials and tests that Joseph went through that brought him before the throne of Pharaoh and elevated him to the second most powerful person in the land of Egypt….

It was hardships and trials that the new and improved Paul went through, that caused him to become one of the most important apostles of the New Testament and allowed him to plant churches in the midst of Satan’s very seat of power! 

Listen to his list of challenges…2 Corinthians 11:23 “in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. v24 Of the Jews five times I received 39 stripes. v25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep. v26 In journeyings often, in perils (in certain destruction) of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by my own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren. v27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness”. (I guess it is true that if there is no pain, there’s no gain)

In all of this, Paul says, “I will glory in the cross”…..

Stop rehearsing the past and reverse it, don’t rehearse it! Continuing to live with regret, remorse, and condemnation will diminish your value… It will lock you into a downward cycle of diminished returns in your life….  

You need to believe and demand that your trials start working for you, and stop working against you. If God is for us then what can stand against us!!! 

All through the bible we see that there were good and bad, faithful and flawed people that God used to accomplish His plan. As someone has said, "God can draw straight lines with crooked sticks." 

Jeremiah 33:3 “Call unto Me, and I will answer you, and shew you great and mighty things, which you could not even imagine”! (What we call Him, and how we know Him, determines a lot about how we see ourselves and our life purpose…..                     

Someone wrote….”If I had my life to live over again…"I’d spend more time counting my blessings rather than my blemishes…I’d spend more time enjoying what I have, less time thinking about the things I don’t have. If I could live my life again, I’d walk in the rain more without an umbrella and listen less to weather reports that tell me to stay inside. I’d spend more time fully involved in the present moment, less time worrying and anticipating things that never happened anyway. I’d smile more, frown less. I’d be less likely to sit in my chair objecting, that "I don’t feel like it." I’d be inclined to jump up and run out the door, next time, and say, "Yes, I can!" Although I can’t live my life over, I’m still going to live a new way every day anyway. I’ll never have all the moments I’ve missed, but I do have all the time remaining, and it’s all just ahead, waiting for me to arrive." 

We are greatly blessed, highly favored and deeply loved….

Ephesians 2:4 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which He loved us, v5 Even when we were without Spiritual life and in our sins, He has quickened us together with Christ, (for by grace you are saved;) v6 And He has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus”.

Don’t listen to the lies and discouraging words of the enemy. Realize that God still has the final word! See things from the Father’s perspective. Incline your ear and hear it today…in the midst of your challenges and life trials…. “BUT GOD!”

Let me give you a few BUT GODS for this time in your life…. A “But God” is when God interjects Himself in your outcome! 

Genesis 50:20 – “But as for you, you thought evil against me, BUT GOD meant it for good, to bring to pass the salvation of many people”.

Psalms 73:26 – “My flesh and my heart may fail BUT GOD is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever”.

1 Corinthians 1:27 – “BUT GOD has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and He has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty”.

May we get a fresh look at the God who interrupts Satan’s plans, and who is our problem solver before we even had a problem!                                                            

Our Lord is going to have the final “BUT GOD”… when this earth is under assault by Hell, like it has never been before…. When Satan seems to be unstoppable and his power invincible…. The one who is truly unstoppable and irresistible is going to step forward and show who’s in charge and has always been. 

Who else BUT GOD could take a cross that represented defeat – and turn it into a symbol of victory?

Who else BUT GOD could take a cross that represented guilt – and turn it into the symbol for grace?

Who else BUT GOD could take a cross that represented condemnation – and turn it into a symbol of freedom?

Who else BUT GOD could take a cross that represented pain and suffering – and turn it into symbol of healing and hope?

Who else BUT GOD could take a cross that represented death – and turn it into a symbol of life?                                                                  What we spotlight, is what we will perpetuate…… Psalms 112:7 “They shall not be afraid of evil tidings, their heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD”.

The Spirit of the Lord is here to do what no other power can do…The Spirit of the Lord is here to fix what you cannot fix… He knows the answer, before you ask the question, but He’s waiting for you to ask…. Knock and it shall be opened, seek and you shall find, ask and you will be given….

We can make a difference as we put our faith in action…. making a difference, one person at a time, one act of compassion and service at a time, around the world... What if we started a kindness epidemic and from our acts of kindness it reached viral proportions and swept throughout Florida....

One with God is not the loneliest number. One with God is the majority!!! 

2 Corinthians 10:3 (NIV) "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does." 10:4 "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds."10:5 "We demolish arguments and every pretense that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we capture every thought and make it obedient to Christ."

Closing Prayer….

Lord, I speak soundness into my mind and body, in Jesus name and I speak now to every enemy that has come against my life in your all powerful name! Let every attack against my spiritual life be frustrated.  I command the spirit of harassment to leave now. I command the spirit of judgement to depart now.  Every negative gathering against me physically or spiritually, be scattered.  Every evil report brought against me in the kingdom of darkness, I cancel you….               

I bind every power blocking or compromising the anointing of God in my life. I cancel out every dream thief that would try to snuff out the God given vision. Any negative transaction currently affecting my life, be cancelled. Every power working against the peace in my life, be defeated. That which hinders me from greatness, begin to give way now, in Jesus’ name. Every hindered, hidden potential, come forth now. Let every spiritual weakness in my life be terminated. 

Let every financial loss or failure in my life be overwhelmed and turned around . Let every sickness in my life be terminated. I break every generational curse  working against my life, in Jesus name. Let every good thing, that has been closed to me, open, now, and let the anointing that prospers fall mightily upon me, in the name of Jesus. Let my breakthrough appear and let my destiny begin to turn and transition for the better. I receive every good and perfect gift that comes now from my heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name….. AMEN!

A pastor in Tennessee, who played the fiddle at a lot of events in the area, tells a story of how, a black woman came up to him and said: "Preecha, we's mighty po' this winter, and Ah wish you would do sumptin ta hep mah old man. He is a fiddler jes like you is, and he's in the pen'tentry." "Well, now, what was he put in for?" asked the pastor. She said, "Stead of workin' fo' it that lazy, good-fo'-nothin' thang done stole a truck full of bacon."

"Well, If he’s that good for nothing, what do you want him back for?" "Well, yo' see” she said, “we's all out of bacon ag'in,". 

The devil can’t do a lot of things without us allowing him to, and without realizing it, giving Him permission….We usually are so hooked on our habits and patterns, that we can’t tell the difference between our wants and our needs. God will supply all our needs, but it’s the devil that will often supply our wants!

There’s no denying that there is a thief, a destroyer and a murderer at work in this world of ours… The statistics don’t lie…. Here in the United States alone, there are 12,343 births every day, but also 6,887 deaths…there are 6,100 weddings but also 3,577 divorces each day…There are 5,918 home robberies every day, one every 15 seconds….There are 78 women raped every hour, or 1,872 each day …685 people die from Alcoholism every day…. Each day of the year, there are 45 people murdered, that’s 16,425 each year, and 54% of those go unsolved…In addition 4,000 babies are aborted every day in this country…And on a daily basis, 2,100 children are reported missing and many are never recovered…. We are at war with  the forces of darkness….

Our homes are broken, our prisons are overcrowded, mental institutions are stretched….Doctors, lawyers and psychiatrists are getting rich…… drugs and alcohol consumption are on the rise…… and we have abandoned the Christian foundations which founded this great nation and made it a leader in the world. Good is called evil and evil is called good! This doesn’t mean that good and values and Godly principals have vanished… but as a people, we are experiencing an attack, like has never been witnessed by planet earth. We live our lives in the midst of a titanic struggle between right and wrong, light and darkness, good and evil,  Godand anti-God forces. 

There are many ways we can be victimized…. We can be Robbed of health, of peace, of faith and hope, and robbed of truth through error and deception... not only are we being robbed of what we have, but this victimization goes further, into what we don’t even have yet…. And It’s robbing us as a nation, of our future… 

It’s only by God’s great mercy and grace that we have not received the verdict of Sodom and Gomorrah…. But like the ark, God is leaving the door open until the final call….                                                                                     

In the parable of the talents, which Jesus taught… in Matthew 25, one servant was given 5 talents, to another He gave 2 talents, and to the third, He gave 1 talent…. The two were commended, but the third, who was ruled by fear, hid his talent and  did nothing with it, and was given a rebuke and was told….

Matthew 25:28  Because of this, take the talent from him, and give it unto him who has ten talents. v29  For unto every one that has shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him who has not shall be taken away even that which he does not have. v30  And cast the unprofitable servant (who was ruled by fear and greed ) into outer darkness, which shall ultimately lead to weeping and unending torment.            

We must counter-attack fear, worry, depression, discouragement, doubt, jealousy, greed, and self-destructive habits and patterns, as the thief, murder and destroyer that they really are! You can’t play around with them, try to control them, tolerate them, or go to bed with them! THEY ARE OUT TO DESTROY YOU, YOUR FAMILY, AND ALL THAT IS GOOD, NOBLE, HONORABLE AND TRUE!

You can’t drink poison every day and not expect it to harm you!  You can’t play with vipers and not expect to get bit!  8,000 people each year are bitten by venomous snakes who never thought it would happen to them. I read of a woman who slept with a python and one morning she didn’t wake up! The python will just hug you to death!….

Ecclesiastes 10:8 is an interesting scripture…. “He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and whoever removes a wall (ghed-ay-raw'….. a protective barrier, boundary of safety) a serpent shall bite him. 

Also look at…Proverbs 29:24  “Whoever tolerates and partners with a thief hates his own soul for he is aware of what he’s doing, and he does nothing to stop it”.                                     

There was a man who had his credit card stolen. But, he decided not to report it. And when asked why, he said it was 

because the thief was spending less money than his wife did. (so, the question is…..what’s our reason for putting up with a thief?) 

The FBI keeps a “Most Wanted File”, which they update regularly. Wanted posters, hang in Post Offices across the land… We are told that if we recognize these people, that we should immediately notify the police, so they can be arrested and taken out of society, where they can no longer take advantage of and victimize the population. 

Jesus was clear about why he had come to earth to live as a man, and die as our savior….

He’s heaven’s FBI.. that stands for (First Born Intercessor)  Thereis no doubt…God loves us like we are, but He loves us enough to not leave us that way! The things we will deal with today are on God’s most wanted list… They must be apprehended and put out of action…                                                                     

1 John 3:8 “For this purpose was the Son of God manifested, that He might destroy (kat-ag'-noo-mee,….break up, shatter into fragments, strip, dissolve, crush, annihilate) the works of the devil”. 

Today, can be the day, can be the first steps in seeing the thief and destroyer arrested and his works broken off of your life. God always allows us to be a part of exposing and arresting the destroyer.  It’s God’s way of humbling the pride of Satan and really rubbing it in, to use what satan sees as weak, frail, vulnerable people to bring about his demise! The bible calls the devil… A liar, a murderer, a sower of discord, an adversary, who is cunning, wicked, malignant and evil. He is cowardly, a tempter, a thief, without principles, proud, deceitful, fierce, cruel, aggressive, and a destroyer. God has chosen and equipped you and me, to put him in his place! 

When we live with purpose, Satan’s purpose is defeated…..A minister was preparing a man for his journey into the eternity. Speaking firmly, the pastor said, “Receive Christ, and Renounce the devil! Break his power and let him know how little you think ofhim.” The dying man said nothing. The pastor repeated it a little louder. Still the dying man said nothing. The pastor asked, “Why do you refuse to renounce the devil and all the evil he’s done to you?” The dying man said, “Until I know for sure, exactly whereI’m headin’, I don’t think right now, I ought to make an enemy out of anybody!.”                 

Aren’t you glad that we can know beyond any shadow of a doubt, exactly where we are going to spend eternity!?  Jesus said, “believe and you shall be saved” (belief is an action that shows with your life what you have confessed with your mouth) If you don’t do what you say you believe, well, you don’t really believe it! 

The question has often been asked … “Why didn’t God just get rid of the Devil, when He cast him out of heaven, instead of sending him to earth, to torment us?! (have you ever asked that?) 

Genesis 2:15 “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it”. You could say…. “to keep the devil out” …….but man, let the devil in! God’s plan, was that we were put here to keep Satan under control, establish boundaries, and keep him confined and limit his power, by using the authority God has delegated to us…. Satan must get our permission and our authorization… we don’t usually realize that, but when we do the things we do…. Envy, anger, destructive habits, gratifying carnal appetites, fear, bad eating habits, our bad confessions, stepping out of God’s will…etc.  these are the ways in which we give Satan a club, to beat us with…. You know, Satan must really get confused… Our words say “no you can’t……. Our actions say….yes you can ..”! (Quick, take the stick away that he’s beating you with!)

Luke 3:9  For now, the axe is laid to the root of the trees: every tree therefore which does not bring forth good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire. (where is the axe applied?.....) To The ROOT!  

Say it with me…..“Where there is a root, there is fruit” That’s true for the positive and for the negative side of things….

Let’s look at some of those things (Let’s call them the roots) which give authority to the stuff that would like to destroy every one of us!

2 Corinthians 10:3  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: v4  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds(destructive life patterns). v5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 

The First Root we look at is the Root of Divination (this is revelation that is extra-biblical, or received separate and apart from the God of the Holy Scriptures) 

Deuteronomy 18:9  When you are come into the land which the LORD your God shall give you, you shall not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. v10  There shall not be found among you any one that makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire (penance), or that uses divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, v11  Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer (those who consult the dead). v12  For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD your God shall drive them out from before you.

Fortune telling, Witchcraft, Familiar Spirits, Horoscopes, Spirit writing, Hypnotism, Enchanters, E.S.P., T.M., Divination, Para Psychology, Mind Control, Mind readers, Occult games and practices (Ouija boards), Divining rods, Hallucinogenic drugs. If your family has been involved in these, because that’s permission. you need to break it….(now here comes the axe!) 

(Say it with me) “ I Bind, cut and sever the Roots Of Divination and Witchcraft, I apply the blood of Jesus, and I receive and release the gifts of the Holy Spirit..” There’s power in the blood! 

I was down at Mallory Square and A fortune teller grabbed my hand as I was walking by and then quickly let it go… She said, I can’t do anything with you, you’re mind is made up”! Honey, I’m not stubborn. It’s just that My mind is made up!

The Second Root we look at, is the Root of Jealousy…Song of Solomon 8:6  Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm: for love is strong as death and jealousy has death in it, the coals of it are coals of fire, which has an intense, consuming flame…. Jealousy is connected with the Spirit of Revenge, Spite, Rage, Cruelty, Division, Strife, Hatred, Contention and Murder.

(Say with me), “I bind, cut and sever the roots of Jealousy, I apply the blood of Jesus, and I receive and release love, contentment and forgiveness”.

Third Root we will look at is the Root of Deception. 2 Thessalonians 2:9  For he who is coming, is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, v10  And with all the deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. v11  And they shall receive a strong delusion, that they should believe a lie… Deception is connected to Flattery, Manipulation, Superstitions, Accusations, False Prophecy, Gossip, Slander, False Religions, Lies, being deluded which leads to bondage. (Get ready with your axe!) 

(Say with me)…. I bind, cut and sever the roots of Deception, I apply the blood of Jesus and I receive and release the spirit of wisdom, truth and discernment.  

The Fourth root, is the Root of Perversion. Romans1:28  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; v29  Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness v30  …..inventors of evil things….v31  Without understanding…..without natural affection, implacable….v32  Who knowing the judgment of God, not only do the same, but have pleasure in those that do them….The Root of Perversion is connected to… Soul Bonds, Atheism, Doctrinal Error, Worrying, Twisting the truth, Sexual perversion, Pornography, Child abuse, Incest, Abortions, Scarred emotions, damaged minds and wounded spirits….. Now, we are not here to condemn, but to set free… Jesus didn’t come to condemn, but to set free….(Get your axe ready) 

(Say it with me), “I bind, cut and sever the Root of Perversion, I apply the blood of Jesus that cleanses us, and I receive and release a Spirit of excellence, Holiness, purity and a renewed mind”. 

Fifth, we look at the Root of Pride… Isaiah 2:11  “The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. v12  For the day of the LORD of hosts shall come upon every one that is proud and lofty, and every one that is lifted up, shall be brought low.” Pride is connected with… Being Obstinate, Head strong, Arrogant, Smug, Haughty, Rebellious, Scornful, Self Righteous, Rejection of God, Self-Absorbed, Lack of Humility, Superiority, Better than thou, and insensitivity.

(Pride, the axe is coming) Say it with me, “I bind, cut and sever the roots of Pride, and I apply the blood of Jesus. I release and receive a Humble, sensitive and Contrite Spirit”.

The Sixth root, is the Root of Heaviness. 2 Corinthians 1:8  For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: v9  But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, and we could not even trust in ourselves.

Heaviness is connected to….Excessive Mourning, Insomnia, Self Pity, Paralyzing Grief and Sorrow, Broken Heartedness, Despair, Dejection, Hopelessness. Depression, Spirit of Suicide and Death, Rejection and A Wounded Spirit. (Get your axe ready)

(Say it with me) “I bind, cut and sever the Roots of Heaviness, Iapply the blood of Jesus, and I release and receive the Spirit of Comfort, Praise, Faith, Joy and Hope. 

We have just a couple more….The Seventh root we look at, is the Root of Infirmity… “Luke 13:11  And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. v12  And when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him, and said unto her, Woman, be loosed from your infirmity”.

This root is connected to… Crooked Spines, Frailness, lameness, Impotence, Barrenness, Arthritis, Cancer, Asthma, Hay Fever, Deafness, Blindness, Epilepsy, Bronchial conditions, Lingering Disorders, Chemical and Hormonal Deficiencies, Circulation problems, Heart disease, Disorders of the mind, Chronic Allergies, and Inherited Disorders….

(Say it with me) “I bind, cut and sever the Roots of Infirmity, Iapply the blood of Jesus, and I release and receive the Spirit of Soundness, Wholeness, Wellness and the Gift of Faith    for Miracles and Healing”. 

The Eighth root, is the Root of Bondage…. 2 Peter 2:19  “While they promise them liberty, they become the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. v20  For if they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and they again become entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning”.

The Root of Bondage is connected to….Addiction to chemical substances (drugs, alcohol, and tobacco), Compulsive eating disorders, Fear and anxiety, anger, fear of rejection, desire for revenge, Lusts and O.C.D…(anything which controls your life, to the point that it is running your life). 

Romans 8:15  “For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. v16  The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God”. (bondage springs from an orphan spirit or fatherless spirit that brings isolation and separation from your source). You start thinking “Nobody cares, I’m all alone, I have no one to help”… (your problem is that you expect folks to be mind readers) You have not because you ask not! 

Any program of accountability will break and expose the deception of an orphan spirit….    

(Let’s say it now)… I bind, cut and sever the Roots of Bondage, I apply the blood of Jesus and I release the Spirit of Sonship, accountability, submission, obedience and Liberty.”                        

If we confess and confront the roots that are producing the fruit…..If we honestly, repent before God that we allowed them authority in the first place. And we Bind them and strip them   of their power in our lives, and then, replace those things with what is pure, wholesome, true, and righteous. Then, turn and walk in a different direction and life style, God’s great and wonderful promises begin, new and fresh for us and a world of possibilities lieahead for us…. 

Hebrews 12:1  “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us (who?) lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us (weighed us down and held us back), and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, v2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Get addicted to OVERCOMING! This is some great news for all of us, and bad news for the Devil…Satan is really worried that we’ll find out the authority that we have in Christ… He knows that overcoming can get very habit forming and God’s kids will just expect to do it all the time… We close this study, with a Psalm of Praise by David… 

Psalms 149:1 “Praise the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and His praise in the congregation of saints. v2  Rejoice in Him that made you. Let the children of God be joyful in their King. v3 Let them praise His name in the dance: let them sing praises unto Him with musical instruments. v4 For the LORD takes pleasure in His people: He will beautify the humble with salvation. v5  Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. v6  Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two edged sword (the word of God) in their hand v7 To execute vengeance v8 To bind the kings (of darkness) with chains, and princes (of darkness) with fetters of iron; v9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honor and authority have all His saints. Praise ye the LORD.

Check another mountain off your list!

If you’ve had some battles lately, remember, You’re in it to win it! That’s the purpose! God is not a loser. Victory is embedded in your battle, there’s a testimony embedded in your test, and a triumph in your trouble… Because Jesus overcame, you shall overcome. Jesus defeated the Devil, so you could defeat Him also! The only purpose for the warfare you are in, is for God to show you the victory! It may not be the way you thought, but it will be a way where there is no way.                                  No matter how you see it, God sees you as an overcomer, victorious, redeemed, forgiven, and delivered!!!! Sosee it through His eyes!

Certainly the ongoing task of securing the freedoms we all enjoy, is never ending. In the process, our nation has been involved in one conflict after another, both at home and abroad. It is one of the unfinished tasks, we constantly must pursue. But let me ask you today, (what unfinished task have you always known you aught to do but just never got around to getting it done)…those things seem to shadow all of us as our unfinished tasks, always calling out in the back of our minds.. “There’s more to do”… “There’s more to do”..

The first unfinished task of every believer…is love…So here’s a thought for you….God is more interested in who you don’t love, than He is in who you do love! Our true identity as Christians, and the best barometer of our spiritual growth and health, is what and who we don’t lovein this world of ours!

Jesus said 1 John 4:20 that if we say we love Him but don’t love our neighbor, we are only fooling ourselves!

So, it’s important to God who you don’t love.. as well as who you do love….

Growing in love, is always the unfinished task, because with each new opportunity to love those who are hard to love, our   love is being perfected and becoming more and more like His love. Just when you think you’ve got it…..you’re thrown into another situation, another challenge, and another chance to develop and grow in your love life.           

When Jesus said, the greatest of these is love….He was giving us priorities for our personal “to do” list! He putsgrowing and developing in love, up there above tongues, prophecy, and even works of faith….

1Corinthians 13:2  “And though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing”..

If you were to make a list of folks you don’t love or don’teven like, and then put a check mark by the ones that God loves….I think all of them would get a check mark from Jesus, after all, He loves the whole world enough to die for it, so isn’t our challenge to love who Jesus loves and was willing to die for?

This church, and the church corporately, around the globe, every day, is facing an unfinished mission….Our very identity, is largely shaped and organized around our mission. But instead of seeing the church as having a mission, the greater reality *….is that God’s mission has a church and a people in the earth to carry out His vision. We all serve His vision, but many have focused instead, on serving His church….. In Key West, you can reach people from around the world, just by walking anywhere around town….When we care about His vision, then we will serve and represent His church more effectively. When we lose sight of His mission as the main focus of the church, then we are set adrift and lose our real and actual purpose for existence. If our heart isn’t in it, then our body, our giving, Our witnessing, our time, our talent, and our prayers, probably aren’t involved either…..

I want everyone to say with me “I AM”… Now, whatever you put after that can reshape your future, or leave you in the same groove you have been trying to climb out of…. You can start by saying “I AM” better than that….“I AM” above that!                                            

A couple were having car trouble and were relieved to find a mechanic still available at that time of night. Something about the engine needed attention. The mechanic looked at the engine, while a helper stood by, with the beams of a *….flashlight flooding the engine compartment. Something attracted the helper's attention. As he turned away he inadvertently turned the light away from the area that the mechanic was working, leaving him in the dark. The mechanic looked up, and with impatience exclaimed: "Where’s your light! What do you think I have you here for anyway?" 

Something to think about in that sentence. “Where’s your light, it’s why you’re in that place with that person, anyway!

As I was composing this message, I wrote this little poem… I call it “The Lamplighter”

The street was dark as the lamplighter came, and he lifted his pole and set the wicks aflame

And one by one the darkness was pierced, by the light which drove back the shadows of fear

For when he was done and the street was all lit, hope and comfort were flooding it.

It was not his purpose to make himself seen, for what mattered was that the light was esteemed.

So let your good works so shine before men, that Jesus will shine with forgiveness of sin..

And the world will be brighter and faith will arise, when the Savior pierces the darkness with light.

David Livingstone was one of God’s bright lights to Africa.  The body of David Livingstone was buried in England where he was born, but his heart was buried in the Africa that he loved. At the foot of a tall tree in a small African village in Zambia, the natives gathered from miles around and with great respect and honor, they placed the heart of this man who they loved and revered in it’s final resting place. 

If your heart were to be buried in the place you loved most during this life, where would it be? Would they be putting it in the vault down at the bank, would your retirement account have to come and get it…. would it be buried out on the reef…. Or placed on the refrigerator… Where is your heart? Jesus said, “where your treasure is, there your heart is also”….Our challenge is to be 100% where we are, doing what we’re doing with all our heart, not just our bodies… We can do that when we do it unto the Lord.                                   

The unfinished task not only requires that we see the world from the church, but we need to see the church from the world Jesus was ridiculed because He ate with publicans and sinners…He was more concerned about being the church in the world, than He was about getting the world into the church….If we remove the “Go” from the gospel, all we have is a Christian club which has a form of godliness which denies the power, so it never translates, demonstrates and transfers to the lost, the hopeless, and the hurting of the world. It’s not the “Come-spel” but it’s “Gospel” The attitude that says, “Well, we’re here, if they want to come, here we are”, just won’t work….4,000 churches closed down and 1,400 ministers left the ministry last year in the U.S. Every week, our church or any church is just weeks from closing without the “Go” in gospel….None of us can do it all, but we can all do something every day…..

Life is a puzzle that you and God are working on together….So, we must always look at the work of the church in the world, as unfinished business… just as we are to always see ourselves as unfinished business! You are not defined by any one moment or time, but you are a process that is developing line upon line, precept upon precept, from glory to glory!

I was inspired to also write this short free verse ….”I Am Becoming , No single part of me is the whole of me. I am becoming... I am not yet, I am not there yet, But I am becoming.. Don't judge me now, I will get there, I am becoming”....

One of the dangers we may have when we are in a particular setting for very long, and doing things a certain way too long, is that we begin to define the whole puzzle according to our experiences and our own personal need.

There’s a word I want to consider here. It’s “Attrition” …It’s about our legacy and the need to keep things in God’s hands because most of what we begin in the kingdom, will be finished by someone else. Someone else will water the seed we have sown, someone else will harvest the crop we have nurtured, someone else will reap what we have planted….If we understand attrition then we can rejoice together, as we see our part connecting with all the other parts of the puzzle….

John 4:36 tells us that, “One sows, and another reaps but we all rejoice together in the harvest”. Our joy is fulfilled in being used of the Lord, no matter what part He chooses for us in this unfinished business!

The place of indecision, is in and of itself, a decision …When it’s about life, we can’t say “Let Mikey do it”… No one else can do our living for us….And we find that more and more choices are being made for us, but we are the ones responsible with how we respond….The danger is that we may sing and preach about how awesome, how powerful, and how wonderful our God is, and go out and do nothing with it except survive another week in our temporary jobs, living in our temporary homes, driving our temporary cars, shopping for our temporary food, and earning our temporary money, while the task of the eternal and far more valuable things remain unfinished and undone…. God will work in mysterious ways as He movesus through our unfinished phases…

The altar is always a good place to end up….A man was angry because he thought someone stole his wallet. So he walks into  a church determined to steal someone else's wallet, but he has a change of heart during the service. He goes to the altar at the end of the service and the pastor comes over as he is repenting and he tells him what his intentions had initially been. The pastor asks, "What made you change your mind?" The man says, "In your sermon on the Ten Commandments when you got to 'Thou shall not commit adultery,' I remembered where I left my wallet!"  

Sometimes we lose our passion about coming to church, because our focus is on coming to church instead of being the church all week long, in the places in our life where it is observable and measurable…. on the job, at home, in adverse situations. 

We have abandoned the unfinished business of the gospel, and see the church as a place to come to instead of a place to be sent out from! The early church was called “Ecclesia” or sent ones…. They saw themselves as sent into the world by Christ the sender..

Revival will always be unfinished business…because it is a process, not an event…It is a process of reformation, regeneration, and transformation. Nehemiah is a book of the bible whose major theme is revival, and it describes the heart beat of a person who God used instrumentally to bring that about. Any person seriously seeking to stir up the always unfinished work of revival in their time needs to read the truths of this book.

The focal point of the book of Nehemiah begins with Nehemiah, himself. We see this revivalist weep, fast, and pray for his people. We see him as he is embedded with a vision of God’s heart for his people. We see his burning passion to rebuild Jerusalem again, in order that it might be the glory of the nations.                                                                                                                         Nehemiah 2:12-13 I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do forJerusalem. I went out by night, and I inspected the walls that were broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire…”

As the passion of the great task consumed him, he began to see people drawn together and coming together to accomplish the vision with him, which immediately lets us know that there are many others who had received the same vision, and are sensing the heart of God for revival as well. Together, they begin to serve the vision of the Lord for the City, for restoration, and for revival. 

If we could hear each person’s story, as they worked on the unfinished task, we would hear of dreams, visions, whispers in the night, and stirrings of the heart by God’s Spirit, for the work of revival is never done alone, nor is it ever finished.                      

So, press in, and you will see God do His wonderful suddenly, once again, and again! And there will always be those of kindred spirit!!!

Dr. Douglas Brown preached on the fullness of the Spirit in Wales, and God did a mighty thing as God overwhelmed the people with His presence. One young man followed him into his room, and cried: 'Sir, it's all right telling me to be filled, but I'm full of cracks and keep leaking out. Dr Brown replied: 'So what, if you are full of cracks? Even a basket when lowered into the sea, will be filled with water, and it will remain full - if it stays immersed in the ocean it cannot be emptied. It will only lose its contents if it'sremoved from the sea. He said, “Young man, cracks and all, abide in Christ and you will always be filled by the Spirit' –

Revival is an extraordinary expression of God’s presence which produces extraordinary results. Revival establishes His preeminence among us. Revival is war on the Devil’s kingdom by God’s kingdom in the power of the Spirit!!

With nothing but piles and piles of rubble all around him, Nehemiah caught a glimpse by God’s Spirit, of what it would all look like when the vision came to pass. He saw God’s glory upon it, and that vision’s Holy flame consumed his doubts and fears….In  the same way, God is showing his visionaries, our city, our churches, our homes, the way they would look and be, when revival comes! They’re seeing what God is seeing and if we see that, we can have what we see!!!

Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.v2  For by it the elders (the visionaries) obtained a good report. v3  Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.v4  By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it,he being dead, yet speaks. 

v5  By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.v6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh   to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Prayer ushers the kingdom of heaven, into the kingdoms of earth…. And the realm of heaven invades the realms of this earth! There has never been a major move of God in history, that has not been preceded by massive movements of sustained prayer and fasting through God’s people. This, begins with the book of Acts all the way up to this very moment, today. It is in the understanding that there is a kingdom within a kingdom…that caused an open heavens on The Day of Pentecost, the Azusa street revival, the Welsh revival, the Cane Ridge outpouring, and the Pensacola revival….and all these shook the nations.

I came across this little story….. about a small west Texas town. It was a dry town, no bars and no liquor stores. It was a town filled with lots of Christians. But then, an atheist moved into town and he got approval to build a tavern and to start selling alcohol. 

And he chose to put his tavern, of all places, just across the cul-de-sac from First church. Well, the church didn't like that at all. The construction went up, and then it was finished, and the next day it was going to be open for business. And so the church called a big prayer meeting and they prayed and prayed and prayed hours and hours that God would intervene, that God would shut down the tavern. 

And that night after the prayer meeting there was a big storm and a bolt of lightning struck the tavern and started a fire and burned it to the ground. Well, the tavern owner, the atheist, was pretty upset about that. And he went to the church and said, ''You guys need to pay for this.'' They said, ''We're not going to pay for this, because we maintain that we're not responsible for this.'' And the atheist said ''Yes, you are, you prayed for this to happen.'' So because they wouldn't pay, he sued them, and took them to court. Now the judge was looking at the case, and he said this in his opening remarks, he said, ''You know, this is a strange case, and I don't know how it's going to turn out. But one thing is for certain, it is clear that this atheist has come to believe in the  power of prayer and the Christians are claiming that they really don't'' 

Now, Nehemiah was just one man, and his prayer brought him before the king of the largest empire in the earth at the time. Not only did prayer lead him there, but prayer produced a good effect on the king, long before Nehemiah began talking with him and his heart was prepared to be the agent of provision for the vision….

God’s Spirit went forth and softened the king’s heart, the same spirit raised up leadership, and skilled workmen, it released provisions and resources, and it won the battle before it was even fought! 

You can see it again, If you look at Joseph, it was through prayer that Joseph moved through the divinely arranged opportunities and connections, through the pit, through Potiphar and his lying wife, through the prison, and through the Pharaoh….all the way to restoration and vindication…..

The pit was the launching pad, (you see it as a pit, God sees it as your launching pad) See it the way God sees it….

But, let’s get back to Nehemiah…. 

In Nehemiah 1:4 “As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven”…It is here, not in great preaching, great music, good sound systems, or padded seats alone, or even spectacular marketing…it is in the place of prayer, that believers are needing to experience the secret revival so that the open, public revival can come that everyone shall see. 

We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, but few pray-ers; many singers, but only a few clingers; many fears, but few tears; a lot of fashion, but very little passion; many writers, but only a few fighters. And failing here, we fail everywhere.

The secret of personal power, is praying in the secret place. Jesus got alone with God so He wouldn’t be distracted by the kingdom of men, in order to bring the Kingdom of heaven into the earth…..

A praying man will stop sinning and a sinning man willstop praying and we will never be truly whole, until we have been broken in prayer….. Revival is about coming to God on God's terms, and to come to God in His way and on His time table. Paul tells us he was often in watchings in the night season.                                                                                   

To fulfill our part of the unfinished task…we must have the ingredient of “planned neglect”….

A famous concert violinist was asked the secret of her mastery of the instrument. The woman answered the question with two words: "Planned neglect." Then she explained. "There were many things that used to demand my time. When I went to my room after breakfast, I made my bed, then I straightened the room, dusted, fixed my hair and my make-up, and did whatever seemed necessary. When I finished all that, then I took up my violin to practice. But that system prevented me from excelling and becoming what I could be, on the violin. So I reversed things. I deliberately planned to neglect everything else until my practice time on the violin was complete. And that program of planned neglect is the secret ingredient of all of my success."

Prayer Should be a priority, not a last resort!.... We will have a dynamic and effective prayer life, when we make it a priority to have one… Many Christians act as though prayer is the dirty work of the church, right up there with cleaning toilets or changing diapers in the nursery….. No person is any greater than their prayer life. The Christian who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying. 

May we get a fresh revelation of James 5:16  “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effective and fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”.

The prayer closet allows no one to show off but Jesus. Prayer is one place where heaven applauds where the eyes of the public cannot see….It is truly the neck that turns the head of the church, which is Christ….

I think of the words of David, as he faced the giant Goliath…. 1Samuel 17:47 “And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands”.

Prayer can move presidents and nations. It can move the most powerful people on earth to do God’s will because Heis Lord over all of them. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof….Prayer can move people groups, it can move cities, it can shake schools, it will change families. With Prayer, one size fits all. Without prayer, Christians are nothing. With prayer, Christians are everything they need to be, for whatever is needed.

Very subtly, we may have exchanged vigilance and preparedness for popularity and acceptance….Today, many have replaced holiness with liberty, and we have replaced a walk in the spirit, with religious activities and good works. We have exchanged the demonstration of God’s power with social goodness, and we have allowed the user friendly approach by the church, to replace consecration, commitment and sacrifice. And the results has been a loss of spiritual vitality and impact.

But we do not lose hope, for we live in the unfinished task of revival which is ever before us…..and something is stirring, something is rising up, something is starting to shift and shake…..Someone in their spirit is saying, enough, no more, I will not be denied!!!!! I will not be kept back, or held down any longer….it’s my birthright, and Iwill accept no less!!!!

2 Kings 2:14: “And Elisha took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, “Where is the LORD God of Elijah”? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha moved forward and passed over”. 

The original Hebrew indicates that Elisha struck the waters and nothing happened, so it is then that he asked the question we all ask from time to time, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” He finds his faith strengthened for the task, and the Hebrew indicates that he strikes the water again. When it came time for Elisha to take on the mantle, He has been a background person, and now suddenly he is up front in the heat of the battle, with no person to stand behind….It’s a big adjustment… But God is faithful….                            

The Elisha of the plow who did not yet know his identity, is not the same as the Elisha who picked up and used the mantle. The Israelites of the Red Sea are not the same as the Israelites who entered the promise. They have been changed. God has touched them and they have learned to trust His touch and move forth in the calling and anointing which is upon their destiny. 

    Perhaps you have tried to open the waters before, without a true understanding of the mantle and the calling and anointing upon your life. But you are not that same person any longer, you have never been at this place before, and you have come to recognize your calling and you have learned to hear the voice of God and you’ve learned to trust his touch. And now you stand,     at another river crossing, as you will many times to come, and perhaps you’re asking, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?”                                                 

The waters are ready to part, the task before you, knows you’re coming, because God’s spirit is stirring the watersahead of you, but they can’t open until you touch them. God wants to move, but He cannot until you are willing totake up the mantle and carry it forth and pass over into the place of fulfillment.

Hear Paul’s final words…. 2Timothy 4:6 “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. v7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: v8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing”.

Let’s Remember, that it wasn’t raining when Noah finishedthe ark….There was no last minute rush here… Just like the rain which came for Noah… We cannot have a last minute mentality… We can’t keep putting off bringing that person to church, or leading them to the Lord…. We can’t keep putting off that step of obedience which may be inconvenient or uncomfortable. 

We are called to be part of the Great Unfinished task, but Let’s not get to the end of our lives with the most important things that are our part, and ours alone… unfinished… (tell someone, “With God’s help, let’s finish this!!!”)

How’s your list looking?…..

We only have right now, we only have today, because tomorrow never comes….

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you”

I have been with folks when they were dying and I usuallyask them if there is something that is unfinished in their lives, something they have still not taken care of….Perhaps it’s forgiveness and reconciliation, perhaps it’s fulfilling a vow they made to God, perhaps it’s witnessing to family and friends which they have avoided doing…. Many times as we pray, their strength will return, they will rally long enough to get the unfinished stuff finished, then they will peacefully go home to their reward… I ask you today, is there something you need to finish, that has gone unfinished…. I pray that our unfinished things will motivate us to move into action, and delay no longer…. 

Prayer…. Father, I bring You the parts of me that still need to yield to you, and I give you the fear, the disappointment and the hurt. I give you my stubborn determination and I say your love is greater still—your love is transforming me. I ask that you would shine your light, and expose every place in me that has yet to surrender to you as my guide, my comforter and my dearest friend. Lord Jesus, You have placed dreams within me that are yet to be fulfilled. I ask and believe that you would not place these things within me if I could not accomplish them in a single lifetime. 

Lord, allow me to stand before You, giving You all the glory because you have allowed me to see these dreams fulfilled. Do not give me vision so narrow and a heart so small, that I will not need you, in order to complete them. But may my dreams be so large that without you they would be impossible. Lord, as I am faithful to serve and honor You, it is my prayer that you would allow me to leave blessings and provision to my heirs that would allow them to have a head start in fulfilling their dreams as well. “Lord, may my eyes always see where You are in every circumstance and situation.  Let me be faithful in carrying out the greatest mission that you designed for me, and fulfill the purpose of giving the truth and love of Christ to every one you have placed in my path.” I thank You and give You glory for this, in Jesus Name…

I read that time is God's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. Another person wrote, “Time is like identical suitcases that we all have, but some of us are able to pack more in them than others”….

Well, we have come to the season of time change again…. I haven’t figured out how to change the time on the clock in my car, so I just caught up with my last time change..When you’re in my car, you’re in a different time zone, where time never changes!        But isn’t that the way it is with those who have become part of the kingdom of God in the earth…. We live in a different zone… (We’re in the earth but not of the earth) 

Our value system is not of the earth…. The principles we live our lives by are not of this earth…. God is outside of time, so we are called to live in two dimensions… the dimension of time and the dimension of eternity or timelessness….The ruler of the kingdom we are a part of tells us to seek those things which are above which are eternal or timeless…

The Apostle Peter lived outside of time with eternity in mind….2 Peter 1:13 “I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of remembrance, 14 knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent”….So Peter lived as though at any moment, he could step from time into eternity….                                    

The question is always there before Kingdom people…. How would I live and what would I do if I knew this would be my last     week in this earth dimension..?

One fella went to his doctor because he wasn’t feeling well. His doctor told him that he had only 3 months left to live. So he thought he would beat the odds, and he called and made appointments with 4 different doctors and each one said he had 3 months to live just like the first doctor. The man was very happy because he figured that with 4 doctors giving him 3 months he could get another 12 months out of the deal!

We live in a world of temporary time, and any moment it could give way to eternity, where time is no longer an issue… God is not some ancient, elderly being, with white hair… He is young, because He never ages, since He dwells outside of time. In Christ, we too are timeless, though our bodies may age, inside, our soul and Spirit, we are forever young.

The word of God which we have been given, was before time, and actually created time…

The Gospel of John opens with the words, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." It is declared in Scripture that God always was, always will be, and is constant and unchanging--The Apostle Peter makes the statement in 2 Peter 3:8 “With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day”. I wonder how this fleeting time I am part of and the events of my life will look, when I am about 10,000 years old!? It will be just the blink of an eye…. 

The offences, the rejection, the events that shook me to the core, the loneliness, the trials and tests, that seemed to go on forever, will all seem as nothing! 

Believe me, God is more concerned with the quality of our time than He is with the length of it… as we overcome shame, guilt and condemnation…and the things which are part of the time-line of our lives….

A man decided to stop at the next city he came to, and park somewhere quiet so he could get an hour or two of sleep after he had driven all night and was still far from his destination. No sooner had he settled back to snooze when there came a knocking on *…..his window. He looked out and saw a jogger running in place. “Yes?” “Excuse me, sir,” the jogger said, “do you have the time?” The man looked at the car clock and told him the time. The jogger said thanks and left. 

The man settled back again, and was just dozing off when there was another knock on the window and another jogger. Excuse me, sir, do you have the time?” Again, he told her and she said thanks and went on her way. Now the man could see that it was only a matter of time before someone else disturbed him. To avoid the problem, he got out a pen and paper and put a sign in his window saying, “I do not know the time!” Once againhe settled back to sleep. He was just dozing off when there was a knock on the window. “Sir, sir? I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT THE TIME IS 8:45!.”

Time can be very subjective ….Our perception of the passage of time can be described in the way we talk…. “Time stood still, or time really flew, or Time drags on so slowly, or Where did the time go? I just need a little more time! We had a great time! If only I had the time I would do it”…. 

Subjective time, is how time seems to our sense of consciousness. Subjective time cannot be measured by a stop watch. Sometimes we perceive that events around us are happening in a flash. Sometimes time seems to drag on "forever"---like when you’re waiting for a root canal at the dentist….but it has really only been just minutes. 

Many of us remember how time seemed to move very slowly during childhood and we couldn’t wait to get out of school, or be allowed to go on a date, or get our driverslicense.

Later in life, some of us look back and see an event that took place 40 years ago that may seem as if it just happened yesterday.  In sudden accidents many have reported that their whole life flashed before their eyes in great detail, in a what was really only a few seconds or less on the clock. When we dream at night what seems to be many hours of time is shown by REM (Rapid Eye Movement) to be just moments of actual elapsed time.

Time for the Hebrews was another word for life. It was a measurement for effort and achievement and how people lived their lives. They wrote, played, traveled, slept, dreamed, performed ceremonies, went to war, and prayed, and time consisted of the story of these events, and it had no existence beyond these. To make the most of time probably meant something like living your life so that others could mark their lives and tell their stories in reference to your actions. In the Hebrew mind, the real question was not, "What is the best use of my TIME right now?" but rather, "What is the best use of my LIFE right now?"

The average American will spend: Six months sitting at stoplights, Eight months opening junk mail, One year looking for misplaced objects, 2 years answering and returning phone calls, 4 years waiting in line 5 years doing housework, 6 years eating and 25 years sleeping.

The best measurement of your time is to live the life we were created to live. To treat the lives of others as a sacred honor. To give priority to matters of justice, faith, and compassion. To understand that gratitude and happiness are inseparable, and to empower, and inspire others to do the same….

The prayer of Habakkuk reveals the heart of a man who refuses to measure his life according to the circumstances around him…. 

He says in Habakkuk 3:17 “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls, v18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. v19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places”.

It’s amazing how you are able to live your life when you live it according to eternal time, as an eternal being in Christ. You become unfettered from the restraints of low living and being controlled by lesser things. 

THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE, I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

Habakkuk was able to hope against hope, having faith in what he could not see, and receiving the substance of God’s promises because He believed in the unchanging character of God, more than he believed in the fickled face of circumstances!

Habakkuk believed that God’s promises are our possibilities, not just what we see, feel, touch and hear! And God always keeps His promises, when we take them as our mandate for living!

1 Corinthians 13:11 “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became an adult, I put away childish things. v12 For now we cannot see everything clearly, but then we shall see face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. v13  And now faith, hope, and love that is generous, have taken up residence in me, but the greatest of these is generous love”. 

When you live beyond time, there is no expiration date on God’s goodness, His faithfulness, and His justice….  

The Apostle Paul says 1Corinthians 15:19 “If our hope in Christ is only in this life (or time), then we are of all men most miserable”.

The Greek word for eternity is “Aeon”… itmeans “the fullness of time.” It means thatEternity is the past, present and future are all affecting our lives at every given moment. If you look at the clock here on the wall, to the upper left. The time it shows, is what is indicated at this moment. That means that 10:00 AM is in the past and 6:00 PM is in the future. But consider the dot at the center of the clock and see that, at that spot,, then 10:00, the present time, and 6 PM are all the same, they are equally present at the dot in the center. There is no past, and no futurethere, because all is in the present, at the eternal now, or the center dot on the clock. That’s the way David writes, when he composes Psalm 139:15…

Psalm 139:15 “Your eyes foresaw my actions(in the eternal now) in your book all are written down; my days were shaped, before even one of them came to be (in the eternal now)”. 

God lives in the fullness of time at the center of the clock. For God, past, and future are the same as the present. God is not “waiting” for things to happen. 

In the eternal now, this too shall pass… In the eternal now, All things really do work together for good…. In the eternal now… Before you call He answers, before you cry out He has heard… Hallelujah!!! 

In eternity, 10,000 years ago is just as present as 10,000 years from now. Eternity (Aeon)includes all the past and future in the living present (The eternal now).

God called Himself “I Am”… In this Name, there is no past, no future, just an eternal now, in the present tense. Eternity is not a length of time, it is all time wrapped up together….from Alpha to Omega, from beginning to end, (It’s the whole ball of wax)

When the great revivalist, G. Campbell Morgan was a young man he visited two elderly ladies every week to read the Bible to them. On one of his visits, he read Matthew 28:20, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” And he said, “Isn’t that a wonderful promise?” One of the ladies quickly replied, “Young man, that is not a promise. It is an iron clad guarantee!” The Always of Matthew 28:20, is the eternal present, the eternal now of God!

I believe God would remind us all today of Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saysthe LORD. v9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. v10 For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and does not return the same way, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: v11 So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing that I sent it to do. v12 For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. v13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting (Aeon…the eternal now)sign (or guarantee) that shall never be cut off”. 

Our life can be lived on a scale that is larger than time. Our lives can be timeless through our actions and the words of life that we speak and the lives of others we touch. His word will accomplish what it is sent into your life to do!!1

People don’t determine your attitude, YOU DO! You can determine the kind of day you’ll have tomorrow by settling it today….

Faith is having the courage to let God is write your story….Fully believe that God truly is writing your story, and will do something in your life that you would never be able to make happen yourself…. For example…

A six-year old boy was sent home from school with a note from his teacher recommending that he removed from school because he was “too stupid to learn.”  The boy was Thomas Edison

In 1929 a movie giant, Samuel Goldwyn was furious with his casting director for arranging a screen test with an unknown actress.  He said:  “What are you guys trying to do to me?  You think I’m going to hire a dame with those big pop-eyes who talks funny like she does?” Several years later, Samuel Goldwyn paid top dollar for that young woman to star in some of his hit movies.  Here name was Betty Davis.

When Englishman David Puttnam offered his latest screenplay to Columbia Pictures, they told him, “I’m sorry to tell you this but your story has no redeeming value at all in the American marketplace, because of the style and tone as well as the subject matter.” Later, that motion picture Chariots of Fire won the 1981 Oscar for Best Picture.

Eternity, is living fully in the moment….Yourlife time is not about what has happened to you, it’s about how you respond to it and how you harness it for God’s glory!

The bible speaks of Redeeming the time…. 

Colossians 4:5 “Walk in wisdom toward them that are outside the faith, redeeming the time”.  

Let me suggest to you a time line so that you can redeem the time….

First, Before you go to bed, create a to-do list of the things you plan to accomplish tomorrow.  List them by priorities based on your goals in the six major areas of your life. . .spiritual, family, financial, physical, mental and social. The reason most people have trouble sleeping is the unfinished or undone things on their mind. When you write it down, you can let it go from your mind….

Second, list the great things that happened to you during the day.  Regardless of how your day went. . .you have something to rejoice over, if it’s not about things, it’s how you reacted to them. Get rid of the shame, the guilt and the condemnation….celebrate that you rose above that opportunity to cuss, to get angry, to blame someone, or get even….

I GUARANTEE … you’ll sleep better at night if you end your day by Praising God.

Third, create a nightly confession about tomorrow being the best day of your life.  Something like this.

"Heavenly Father, I thank you that tomorrowwill be the greatest day of my life...a day filled with opportunities beyond my imagination and expectation.  A day filled with insight and divine connections. My desire is for you to be glorified in everything I do tomorrow.  In the mighty name of Jesus. Amen."

Fourth, never go to bed mad or frustrated.Repent of allowing it to control your emotions, cleanse your spirit, write down what you need to do to resolve it, and ask God to give you opportunity to redeem it and then let Him have it. You’ll sleep better without the toxic atmosphere it creates.

Fifth, clean up. . .pick up. . .so you’ll be ready to get up to a fresh start for the next day.  Do the dishes and clean up your living area before going to bed.  Believe it or not, you’ll be glad you did in the morning.  It may seem like a small thing. . .but it gives you a better start when you don’t have a lot of yesterday’s stuff to face as you begin a new day.

Six, Begin your day with happy hour.  I’m not talking about something you drink. . .I’m talking about getting high with the Holy Spirit, during the first hour of your day. A woman was visiting her sister and woke up to the sound of the sister singing “Amazing Grace”. She lay there a while rejoicing that her sibling would begin her day's work in such a beautiful frame of mind.

At breakfast she told her how pleased he wasthat she started her day that way. "Oh," she replied, "that's the hymn I boil the eggs by…three verses for soft boiled and five for hardboiled." (if it works, work it)

My scriptural guide for the morning is found in Psalm 5:3 in the New International Version which says: “In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and go forth in expectation."

Begin each day filled with supernatural expectation about the manifestation of God’s presence, peace, protection, promises, power, promotion and provision. HALLELUJAH!

Seven, “Keep the main thing. . .the main thing.” There are always time vampires, waiting to suck up your time to make sure you don’t do what it is that you should be doing….

Eight, What you sow you will REAP… What if you were constantly thinking to yourself, what kind of harvest do I want? Do I want to harvest the seed I am sowing right now. Our entire day, we are sowing the seeds of the harvest we will reap….

As citizens of an eternal kingdom, That’s where home is, that’s where our identity is, We were made for eternity!....That’s where we belong…. We choose People Over Things,because things pass away, but people are eternal… We choose Eternity Over Time,because time will pass away, but eternity includes all time bundled together…. We choose the Invisible Over Visible, because what we see will perish with time, but the invisible things such as faith, hope, love, courage, honor, trust, integrity, kindness, and these fruit of the redeemed life are forever…..

We choose eternity because we choose Christ!